Perhaps you’ve heard stories of people auctioning off strange items on eBay, like the homely kid who put his virginity up for bid or the bald guys who offer their own heads as advertising space. But those are nothing compared to some of the items that have made their way onto eBay’s digital auction block.Here are ten of the weirdest things ever to appear on eBay. To qualify for this list, the item or items must have received at least one bid, proving the point that no matter what you have to sell, somewhere there is a buyer for it.
10. Item #191367029: The Internet

If people can sell plots of land on the moon, then why can’t someone sell the Internet? Someone did just that, for the bargain asking price of $1 million. Of course, it was all just a gag and it’s unlikely that this Pay Pal transaction ever went through. But still, it would have been the deal of the century-the buyer was even throwing in free Internet access.

9. Item #277481422: UFO Detector

A prototype manufactured by a Brazilian company, this modified magnetometer is supposed to pick up UFO activity and was proven to work when red and orange balls of light appeared in the skies over Sao Paulo. Unfortunately, it wasn’t 100% guaranteed due to the fact that “the propulsion systems of UFOs are not the same.” Why would the seller want to part with such a unique item? It’s okay-he had two. Final sale price: $135.03.

8. Item #248619068: The Meaning of Life

Someone finally figured it out, and they put it up for sale on eBay. Even with eight bids this incredible find didn’t fetch much, but it was probably the best $3.26 the winning bidder ever spent.

7. Item #1178647016: Russian Test Space Shuttle

This one-of-a-kind item was once offered by a Russian company for $2 million, but was posted on eBay for “a fraction of that.” It’s not known how much they wanted for the scaled-down Bor-5 VKK spacecraft, because the reserve price was never reached. Bidding topped out at $25,200, but perhaps it was the $5,000 shipping price that scared off potential buyers.

6. Item #2961640885: Vampire Killing Kit

The stylish vampire hunter would love this late 1800s European “vampire killing kit,” which included a crossbow with four silver-tipped arrows, an ebony wood stake, a large bottle of holy water and various surgical instruments, among other things. A solid mahogany wood box kept the items secure until they would be needed. Final bid: $4,550.

5. Item #289158639: Real Shrunken Head

Straight from the Jivaro Indian tribe in the jungles of Ecuador to the world’s largest electronic marketplace, a total of 26 shrunken heads were put up for sale. Only 7 people bid on them, with the top bidder paying just under $25. It is assumed that he or she got first choice of the heads, which ranged in color from dark brown to gray.

4. Item #2931457201: Ghost In a Jar

As the story goes, the seller of this item found a rotted wooden box while metal detecting. Inside were two glass jars and a journal. One of the jars was accidentally dropped, causing a black mist of some sort to be released. The other jar and the journal were taken home, and the seller proceeded to be haunted by something he could only describe as “The Black Thing.”

Wishing to pass the jar (and the ghost) on to someone else, he put the still unopened jar on eBay, insisting that only serious bidders would be considered. People must have loved the story, because there were well over 60 bids placed.

Unfortunately, not all of them were serious, because the selling price topped $90 million. No word as to who finally wound up with the jar, or if they too had supernatural visitors. Since this auction, there have been many, many more “ghost in a jar” items posted on eBay.

3. Item #150118191: USAF Hughes AIM-4D Falcon Missile

Yes, a real missile was auctioned off; fortunately, it was disarmed prior to the sale. The bidding reached $3,950, but the reserve price was never met.

2. Item #127658711: Serial Killer’s Fingernails

In 1979, Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris cruised southern California on a killing spree that resulted in at least five victims. And now, the fingernails of Roy Norris have been sold on eBay for only $9.99.

Taped to the back of a Christmas card, they were accompanied by a penned note from Norris himself, signed and topped off with the serial killer’s black thumbprint.

1. Item number not known: “Stricken Life” Painting

A rather macabre-looking self-portrait of a man known only as “Harold,” this painting is believed to be haunted. The artist was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in early 2001. Knowing that he could no longer care for his Multiple Sclerosis-stricken wife, he put a double-barrel shotgun against her head while she was sleeping and squeezed the trigger.

He then went into the den and put the shotgun in his own mouth. The house where the murder-suicide took place was eventually sold, and the new owners found the painting. Strange things started happening, such as the family dog sitting in front of the painting and howling, so Harold had to go — on eBay, of course.

by Rob Lee

Why do pigeons make pigeon noises? I’m sure if you’re an ornithologist or you know how to Google, you can figure that out.

An easy answer would be because they’re pigeons, and that’s what pigeons do.

(Koer is an Afrikaans pigeon noise – by the way, do they make the same noise in the US? ) . 

Do they have a bad dream & talk in their sleep? It doesn’t sound as if they’re alarmed, so I doubt if it was to alarm fellow pigeons of a cat or something.

I’m really suspecting that pigeons, like humans, talk in their sleep.

Who are the people who think up television commercials. Yeah I know they’re from advertising agencies. But what I’m wondering is who are they really. What type of people are they? Some adverts are really good. Personally I love the new MTN adverts – I know a lot of people despise them, because they don’t advertise the products or services offered, but I think they’re pretty creative.

There are a couple of ads which I can think of now which are pretty lame. They don’t hold any connection with the products or services, and neither are they creative. They just don’t make sense. Help me out if you know the meaning of the Peroni (beer) advertisement? It has a kinda catchy tune, but that’s all. It doesn’t make much sense to me.

I’m just wondering where these advertisers get their ideas from. I seriously think some of them smoke pot before starting to work on a new project. Others are just so bland that I doubt a professional agency would want to admit to even working on it.

The worst of all this is that even the nonsensical bland adverts have to get approval from the board of directors. Television commercial are bloody expensive, so I’m guessing that when they review these adverts, they actually think they’re good. That its a good sales pitch, and obviously there sales are going to improve. If I was on a board like that, I’d want the general public, or at least the people who have been buying my products in the past, to understand the advert. And if they wouldn’t, at it should make them curious enough to try and find out what the big ‘hoo-ha’ is all about…

Makes sense? To me it makes perfect sense, but maybe I’m weird.

On this freezing cold day I am thinking back to when I was in Mauritius. Nice WARM memories.
Something which immediately came to mind was the star fruit. When I was young I heard about it, but not many shops (if at all) in South Africa stock this fruit. The first time I saw it in REAL LIFE was in Mauritius. That which I had was pretty sour, but apparently there are some nice sweet variants!?

A popular fruit of wealthy Europeans in the late 1700’s, Star Fruit or Carambola was introduced to America only 75 years ago. A native fruit of South-east Asia and India, Star Fruit became an established fruit in Hawaii by way of Chinese immigrant traders. Arriving in Florida, Star Fruit has since made the state the largest producer of all American-consumed Star Fruit. Named for the 5 pointed star shaped slices it yields, Star Fruit’s pale yellow, juicy flesh contains a few, small, flat seeds and a distinctly tropical flavour. The thin, edible, lime green skin ripens to a bright yellow, with a waxy sheen. Usually sliced fresh as an elegant addition to salads, buffet platters and desserts.

This is one of the most productive fruit trees. If you only know the sour fruit from backyard seedling trees, be sure to try the sweet grafted varieties! Fruit from grafted trees is one of the fastest growing new exports from Florida. Cross sections of the fruit make attractive yellow stars, giving rise to its alternate name of star fruit. Carambola has a thin skin and crisp, juicy, non-fibrous flesh. The fruit can be eaten fresh, juiced, canned or dried.

Sources: Melissa’s & Echonet

Such pretty fruit hey? Stunning for garnishing

A driver who was high on cocaine destroyed an entire cornfield in an attempt to escape from the police.
Four police cars were destroyed before the 35-year-old crashed into a ditch and was arrested, near the village of Dussen in the south of the Netherlands.

And all along they thought it was aliens!!!

Source: Daily Mail

Tonight when I went shopping after work I found rosewater. For those who don’t know, its the flavouring of the pink Turkish delight. Needless to say I couldn’t stop myself from buying the stuff – and two bottles of it! (Just in case Pick ‘n Pay runs out any time soon) So here I am Googling for Turkish Delight recipes. Trying first to find people who reviewed a recipe, and see that they say its good. On my way through all the “Turkish Delight” blogs and sites I found some pretty neat people – or blogs, and I would like to share them with you. Apparently the one lady (who mentions a Turkish Delight recipe on her blog) got A LOT of traffic when the Narnia movie first came out. I remember how I was also intrigued by the Turkish Delight in that movie. It was icky, and gooey, but still so tempting. I must admit I feel somewhat like that White Witch myself tonight; wearing a white jersey, and flippin’ freezzzing!!! Damn, this winter thing is just NOT FOR ME!!!

I also read that Americans are not very familiar with Turkish Delight? Can’t believe there is something we have in South Africa that they don’t really have over there. Aparently it goes stale really quickly, but somehow South African manages to, either produce Turkish Delight ourselves, or to import really quick, and it is sold fairly quickly. I will let you know when I made Turkish Delight, and what it came out like. And if it was any good I’ll share the recipe!

For now, have a look at these really cool blogs, I loved reading them!

Lulu Loves Manhattan | Candy Blog | Becks & Posh

Visit them, and if you’re also interested in making your own Turkish Delight, search their blogs – they seem to have it all figured out

“Don’t be surprised if very soon your toiletry kit contains not only shaving cream, deodorant and toothpaste, but concealer, oil-absorbing face powder and brow gel.

That’s because guys are relying on an increasing number of made-for-men products like these to put their best face forward.

“I think men are much more receptive to the whole grooming concept from start to finish. Makeup is sort of the final frontier,” says Wendy Lewis, a beauty consultant and author of The Beauty Battle: An Insider’s Guide to Wrinkle Rescue and Cosmetic Perfection from Head to Toe. “They’re certainly concerned about camouflaging imperfections. The idea of a little light dusting of powder is no longer an extreme measure.”

In Pictures: Makeup For… Men?

Experts say it’s only natural that men would turn to makeup to look their best. Grooming, after all, has never been more acceptable. Last year, $4.8 million was spent on male grooming products in the U.S., a 7% increase over the year before and a whopping 42% increase from 2001, according to Euromonitor, a London-based marketing and research company.

And while still not the norm, makeup–including products from Clinique, Clarins and Jean Paul Gaultier–has become a more common part of the male beauty routine. Walk into megastores like Sephora or Macy’s and you’ll find a variety of masculine beauty products including bronzer and face masks. Clarin’s Self-Tanning Gel for Men, for example, amps up skin color while evening out skin tone.

Buff And Bronzed
KenMen, a Montreal-based cosmetics line founded in 2004 by Lee Gilbert, includes skin tints, body and face highlighter, and skin correcting sticks (otherwise known as concealer).

“My makeup artist friends were looking for a product for men that didn’t scream, ‘Look, I’m wearing makeup,’ ” she says. In the past year, she has seen a nearly 30% increase in online sales at www.kenmen.net, which also serves as an anonymous forum where men can ask about cosmetics without having to approach a salesperson at the beauty counter. Gilbert says makeup, not skin care products, account for a greater chunk of those sales.

“Men don’t want a ton of choices,” she says. “What they’re really, really interested in is education.”

That includes learning more about the beard and eyebrow corrector–filler that disguises sparse patches of hair–or learning how to apply KenMen’s best-selling bronzer.

Can You Keep A Secret?
Holly Doss, a Los Angeles-based makeup artist with an eponymous cosmetics brand, also believes discretion is the key to introducing men to makeup.

“Most of the feedback I’ve gotten,” she says, “is that they want to buy makeup without ever having to leave their home. They don’t want to go and try anything out in ‘real life.’ “

Doss, who has worked in the entertainment industry under the tutelage of celebrity makeup artist Trish McEvoy, primarily sells foundation and concealer from her unisex line to men who want to look polished, but not pretty. She says they like that they can use their fingers for a fuss-free application.

Polished and Powerful
OK, it does the job. But is manly makeup here to stay? Gilbert thinks so.

“In order to get that competitive edge, they have to look better,” she says. “They’re going to do whatever it takes–and there are products out there that can help them achieve this.”

Source: MSN

Have you got any idea how cold it is in Pretoria at the moment? Apparently its the lowest recorded temperature in 52 years! On Monday morning 5am, they said over the radio, that the temperature, taking into account the wind factor, was nearly -10°C!!!

Here are some photo’s which were taken close to my office. The sprinklers were left on over night, and we thought it a novelty at first, but it happens every day now. In the morning on my way to work I see these poor plants covered in ice. Such a waste of water if you ask me! Anyhow. I’ve been fluish – spent the whole of yesterday in bed with lots of medicine and sleep. I feel much better today, but not a 100% just yet.

But even though its flippin’ freezing, and I have a headache, and a scratchy throat, there is one good thing about today: ITS FRIDAY!!!

Most of you have read the scare-mail about the person whose kidneys were stolen while he was passed out. Well, read on. While the kidney story was an urban legend, this one is not. It’s happening every day.

My thighs were stolen from me during the night a few years ago. It was just
that quick. I went to sleep in my body and woke up with someone else’s thighs. The new ones had the texture of cooked oatmeal. Who would have done such a cruel thing to legs that had been mine for years? Whose thighs were these and what happened to mine? Hurt and angry, I resigned myself to living out my life in jeans and Sheer Energy pantyhose. Then, just when my guard was down, the thieves struck again.

My butt was next. I knew it was the same gang, because they took pains to match my new rear end to the thighs they stuck me with earlier. I couldn’t believe that my new butt was attached at least three inches lower than my
original. Now, my rear complemented my legs, lump for lump. Frantic, I prayed that long skirts would stay in fashion It was two years ago when I realized my arms had been switched. One morning I was fixing my hair and I watched horrified but fascinated as the flesh of my upper arms swung to and fro with the motion of the hairbrush. This was really getting scary. My body was being replaced one section at a time. How clever and fiendish.

Age? Age had nothing to do with it. Age is supposed to creep up, unnoticed, something like maturity. NO, I was being attacked repeatedly and without warning. In despair, I gave up my T-shirts.

What could they do to me next?

My poor neck suddenly disappeared faster than the Thanksgiving turkey it now resembled. That’s why I decided to tell my story. I can’t take on the medical profession by myself. Women of the world, wake up and smell the
coffee. That really isn’t plastic that those surgeons are using.

You KNOW where they are getting those replacement parts, don’t you? The next time you suspect someone has had a face “lifted,” look again. Was it lifted from you? I think I finally found my thighs – and I hope that Cindy Crawford paid a really good price for them!

This is not a hoax. This is happening to women in every town every night. WARN YOUR FRIENDS!

P.S. I must say that last year I thought someone had stolen my breasts. I was lying in bed and they were gone! As I jumped out of bed, I was relieved to see that they had just been hiding in my armpits as I slept.

Now I keep them hidden in my waistband.

Today someone mentioned the fact that all of us buy some sort of junk. Not always things that we can’t use. Just things that we don’t use. Those things that you think look interesting, and in the 5 minutes you spend looking at it on the shelf you’re convinced that you cannot live without this item for another day. Its really weird how we lie to ourselves like that! In a desperate attempt to quiet our conscience about the money we’re about the spend.

When you get home (or sometimes even in the car), you open this newly found treasure. You sniff it, try it on, and love it to bits for those first few minutes, and sometimes even days! But there comes a time when you wonder to yourself, “what the hell was I thinking when I bought this?”.

For me those things that go in a drawer is any cosmetic thing. Whether it be a new sort of loofah, sponge, cute make up brushes, make up remover, facial scrub, mousse foundation – you name it – I buy it. I love new fragrances and texture, and feeling what it does to my skin.

The person I mentioned previously collects gadgets like that. Anything which sounds as if it could save you time. Whether it be juicers, popcorn makers, and heaven alone know what else.

It was then that I realized that most of us has a “fetish” like that. The inconsolable urge to buy something we don’t really need. What is it that you buy and end up putting away in a drawer, cupboard, or even the garage?