Doctor behind Marilyn X-rays auction

A Southern California plastic surgeon admitted Wednesday to being behind the auction of medical documents that show actress Marilyn Monroe had undergone cosmetic surgery. Norman Leaf is auctioning doctors' notes and X-rays relating to cosmetic surgery the former Hollywood sex siren had performed on her chin and nose. The X-rays and doctors' notes, written by plastic surgeon Michael Gurdin, are expected to fetch between $15,000 and $30,000 when they are auctioned on Nov 9 to 10 by Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills, California. Leaf plans to donate the proceeds to assist US veterans with medical work.

Man fakes own kidnap for boys' night out

It seems there's no end to the excuses some men will come up with to justify a night out with the boys. A case in point, 34-year-old hen-pecked husband Rogelio Andaverde from Edinburg, Texas, who faked his own kidnapping by persuading friends to break into his house and extract him at gunpoint for a night of partying. His terrified wife, who looked on as the masked men bundled him into the back of a van before speeding off, later called the police. Andaverde claimed his kidnappers had set him free after returning home but he was later charged with making a false report.

Couple receives drugs in birthday card

An elderly couple in the US were shocked when a birthday card they received in the mail was found to contain $1,000 worth of crystal meth. The envelope, redirected from a false address in Pennsylvania, was forwarded to the return address written on the back of the envelope - the couple's Phoenix address of 50 years. "I'm not even sure or not if it was their birthday, but they received this card in the mail and as a gift they received methamphetamine," Phoenix police Sergeant Steve Martos was quoted as saying.

Passenger lands plane for sick pilot

A passenger with next to no flying experience landed a light aircraft in the UK when the pilot fell ill at the controls mid-air last week. The two men were in a four-seater Cessna 172 when the pilot, who later died, became unwell as they headed back to a small airfield near Doncaster in northeast England on Tuesday evening. Following a mayday message, a flying instructor was called in to the control tower to give the passenger instructions to divert the plane to a larger airport nearby. The passenger was able to bring the plane down in what was described as "a beautiful landing". Police said an inquest would be held to determine the cause of death of the pilot.

US voters prefer hemorrhoids

A recent survey conducted in North Carolina reveals US voters prefer a case of piles to the current US Congress. Public Policy Polling said its telephone poll of 502 registered voters found 53 percent of those polled have a higher opinion of hemorrhoids than of Congress, while 73 percent said they prefer jury duty to the legislative body and 46 percent said they held witches in higher regard than lawmakers. The poll indicated Congress has an overall approval rating of 8 percent, with 7 percent of Democrats expressing approval and 10 percent of Republicans saying they approve.

Ice Age remains in charity box

A charity in the US got a mammoth surprise when they discovered the remains of a mastodon - an extinct relative of the elephant -in a donation box. The tooth pieces and tusk turned up during a July pickup in Grand Rapids, Michigan, by the Christian charity In The Image, which collects donated clothing, shoes and other items for low-income residents. The remains, estimated to be anywhere from 12,000 to 15,000 years old, will be turned over to the Grand Rapids Public Museum, which will add them to its collection.

Speeding to a toilet break

A man will spend a week in jail following a high-speed chase in the United States that he blamed on a bathroom emergency. Thirty-nine-year-old Jeffrey Laub told a judge last week an upset stomach caused by something he had eaten was behind his lead foot as he raced to get to a rest area in Logan Canyon in Utah. Laub, who led a Utah Highway Patrol trooper on a chase that reached speeds of 111 mph, pleaded guilty in August to failure to stop and impaired driving.

McHappy marriage in Mexico

How's this for a wedding banquet? Big Macs, chicken nuggets and fries were served at a wedding reception in Northern Mexico last week. Fast-food fanatics Carlos Munoz and Marisela Matienzo exchanged vows at a McDonald's in Monterrey. "Some of our guests thought it was a joke. Our parents were resigned to it," Matienzo told local media. It is believed the wedding was the first to take place in a McDonald's Latin American outlet. The idea has already taken off in Hong Kong for people looking to flout traditional marriage rituals.

Reuters

(China Daily 10/13/2013 page4)