Uncle Sam spoils dream trip to space
Uncle Sam spoils dream trip to space
Brian Emmett’s childhood fantasy came true when he won a free trip to outer space.
But the 31-year-old was crushed when he had to cancel his reservation because of Uncle Sam.
Emmett won his ticket to the stars in a 2005 sweepstakes by Oracle Corp., in which he answered a series of online questions on Java computer code.
Then reality hit. After some number-crunching, Emmett realized he would have to report the $138,000 galactic joy ride as income and owe $25,000 in taxes.
23 girls brawl over handsome boy
23 girls brawl over handsome boy
Police were called in Bulgaria after a mass fight broke out between 23 teenage girls over a handsome male student.
The girls, aged between 15 and 18, used brass knuckles, chains and beer bottles to fight over the lad whose name was not revealed.
The girls, from the Bulgarian capital Sofia, agreed to fight it out and skipped school to meet up in a local playground in the Gorublyane district of the city.
Several girls suffered minor injuries and dozens of passers-by reportedly witnessed the incident.
But the alarm wasn’t raised until after the fight when a father of one of the injured girls called the police.
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From Ananova
£5,000 – to mow the roof
£5,000 – to mow the roof
Bosses of an acclaimed new government building with a grass roof were shocked to find it will cost £5,000 to have it cut.
The £13million Scottish Natural Heritage HQ, praised for its eco-friendly credentials, includes a roof garden, reports then Daily Record.
But health and safety regulations mean scaffolding and other safety measures must be installed when people are working above ground.
It’s believed one scaffolding firm tendered an estimate in the region of £5000.
It raises questions about the cost implications of the green credentials of Great Glen House in Inverness, opened last month by First Minister Jack McConnell.
Local councillor Jimmy MacDonald said: “It seems the extra costs to cut the grass will make this building not as eco-friendly as first believed.”
An SNH spokesman said: “The roof was chosen due to its low-maintenance regime, which is why it is so popular for green roof projects.”
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From Ananova
Woman crashes car after driving test
Woman crashes car after driving test
A US woman completed her driving test – then crashed into the examiners’ office.
Jessica Krasek, 20, smashed into the Portage License Bureau office in Indiana, reports the Post-Tribune.
She wasn’t hurt when her Ford Taurus car struck the front window of the license branch office.
But a bureau worker suffered a hip injury and was examined by paramedics.
Portage Assistant Fire Chief Mike Bucy said Krasek was pulling into a parking space when she hit the accelerator, instead of the brake.
Susan Williams, manager of the Amazing Travel shop next door, said she thought there had been an explosion.
“We jumped up and we went to the door and saw the car half in and half out of the license bureau,” Williams said.
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From Ananova
Supermarket asks man, 87, for ID
Supermarket asks man, 87, for ID
An 87-year-old man was asked to prove he was over 21 when he tried to buy a bottle of sherry in a York supermarket.
The former Lord Mayor of York, Jack Archer, said he was shocked – but flattered – when asked the question by staff at Morrisons in Acomb.
He said: “I don’t look my age but I certainly don’t look young enough to be in trouble for underage drinking.”
Morrisons said staff were required to ask anyone buying alcohol to confirm they were over 21.
Woman ordered to remove words from home
Woman ordered to remove words from home
The Community Improvement Commission ordered a Shoreview resident Wednesday to remove cryptic messages written on her home or face as much as $5,000 in fines.
Estrella Benevides, 46, has until Feb. 14 to erase the painted script from her home in the 1800 block of Cottage Grove Avenue, which has been covered with an inscrutable text containing biblical references, conspiracy theories and glimpses into a painful personal history.
In a letter she submitted to the commission, Benevides wrote that the government is persecuting her because she “discovered that they are using witchcraft and technology against the people who are not aware of and who are not part of this mafia group.”
Benevides told the commission that she writes the messages on her home as a plea for help in her attempt to regain custody of her 4-year-old son, who lives in Hayward with his father. Benevides lost custody of the child after she began acting erratically in 2005, according to court documents.
‘New evidence’ on Mona Lisa model
‘New evidence’ on Mona Lisa model
An Italian art historian says he believes he has found the last resting place of the woman behind Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Mona Lisa painting.
Most experts agree that it is Lisa Gherardini – the wife of a wealthy merchant in Florence.
But Giuseppe Pallanti now says records from the time show that she died aged 63 in July 1542 and was buried in a now dilapidated convent in Florence.