Ahh… how to reward the kids. Finding the perfect incentive could make all the difference in helping them stay on the right track.

I remember earning a little cash and some gifts for good grades. But hey, I guess nothing works better for a teen than a brand-new car…

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Student’s perfect attendance gets her new car
Associated Press

CONSTANTINE, Mich. — Andria Baker has pretty much always been present.

From the first day of kindergarten through her last day of high school, Baker somehow made it to school for every day of classes, despite colds and sports injuries. Why? If she kept it up, her father promised her a car.

Baker kept up her end of the bargain, willing herself to go to school on those days when she felt under the weather. She notched her 13th year of uninterrupted classroom attendance with her final day at Constantine High School on Friday.

At a party Sunday, her father, Tim, presented the young woman with the keys to a new, $17,000 Pontiac G6, complete with a “0 DAYS” personalized license plate.

Andria Baker didn’t miss a day of school from kindergarten through her final day of high school in Constantine, Mich., and was rewarded at her graduation party with a new Pontiac G-6 from her father, Tim Baker. (AP Photo/Kalamazoo Gazette, Brett Beier)

“Without a doubt, it was worth every penny I spent,” he said.

The look on his daughter’s face when she saw the car was priceless, Tim Baker said.

“When she turned around after seeing the car, she did not know what to do,” he said. “We got her into the car and she just sat there. Then she ran into the house to get her driver’s license, and she and her best friend got in the car and tooled down the road.”

Andria Baker, 19, said she probably would have gone ahead with her quest for perfect attendance even if a new car had not been promised.

“A lot of my friends thought I was crazy, but I just kept going,” she said.
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Obviously she’s not one of those MTV “Sweet 16” spoiled brats. Still, shouldn’t attendance be a given? You could be physically there in class, but not apply yourself. Shouldn’t good work be rewarded instead?

Or the bigger question, should we somehow manage to instill in kids the unquantifiable rewards for excelling in school without materialistic gifts? Why not give them a taste of the real world early on?

But nowadays there are so many vices that can lure teens away from school that maybe a really good incentive might just work.

Do you remember how your parents rewarded you when you were a kid?

The marriage proposal….

Girls always tend to ask the details on how the guy proposed. So it makes sense that some guys feel they need to be creative as the story is repeatedly told to family and friends and perhaps even at the wedding.

The following one is definitely unique, although I doubt the guy expected his proposal to make headlines around the world!

Quirky marriage proposal triggers UFO alert
Associated Press

BERLIN — Police say a young man’s creative marriage proposal triggered reports of unidentified flying objects from worried Germans.

Bavarian police say several people called late Wednesday evening to alert them to what they thought were UFOs and unusual lights drifting across the sky above the sleepy town of Plattling.

They say a police patrol set off to investigate — but was disappointed in its quest for unusual visitors.

A police statement Thursday said officers found a 29-year-old man who had just proposed to his 27-year-old girlfriend.

He had accompanied his proposal by sending up 50 paper lanterns that glowed in the night. Police say his girlfriend said “yes.”
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Care to share about your proposal? Heard any creative ones to top the UFO false alarm?
Any plans to propose soon and want to bounce off your idea?

And do guys get competitive about this? Do they want to outdo the next guy — maybe make it into Guinness for breaking some kind of record while proposing?

I still think the naked maid story is classic. But since we’re on the nude theme, I’m going to share with you TWO separate stories that just came in regarding naked criminals! What is going on here?

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Nude man accused in 10th-floor balcony break-in
Associated Press

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Ann Arbor police are not sure how a naked man managed to get to a 10th-floor apartment balcony for a pre-dawn break-in. Police in the University of Michigan campus town said a resident called about 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, saying someone was breaking in through a sliding glass door on his balcony.

Officers said the naked, wet intruder ran out the apartment’s front door and tried to escape, but police caught him in the parking lot of Huron Towers Apartments. Police sent the 42-year-old Ann Arbor man for psychiatric observation at the university’s medical center.

Detective Sgt. Richard Kinsey tells The Ann Arbor News the man once lived in the building. Kinsey says investigators can’t figure out how or why the man got in.

Information from: The Ann Arbor News
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And that’s why I always lock my lanai doors! You never know if some weirdo might try to make a dash through my apartment. I do live in an area where “butlers” roam the streets!

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N.C. police capture nude man accused of thefts
Associated Press

LUMBERTON, N.C. — Police responding to a tip about a naked man walking on a state highway in Lumberton say he’s connected to a three-week string of thefts involving more than $85,000 worth of property.

The Fayetteville Observer reported that police say Jonathan Michael Allen stole two vehicles, televisions, power tools and jewelry. The 31-year-old is charged with multiple counts of breaking and entering, larceny and burglary.

Allen was charged with multiple counts of breaking and entering, larceny and burglary.

Lumberton Police Lt. Johnny Barnes said Allen was stealing and selling the property to support a drug habit.

Police spotted Allen in a stolen car Tuesday night, but he got away. Officers were searching for him Wednesday morning when they got the tip. Barnes says Allen didn’t even have on any socks.

“He was naked as the day he was born,” Barnes said.

Allen’s bail is set at $150,000 and he is set to appear in court on June 13. A jail official was not sure if he had a lawyer.

Information from: The Fayetteville Observer
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Can anyone take a guess what thefts and nudity have in common? I don’t have a clue!

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(Below is the original post) 

I’m sure maid services are quite popular. We can all use a little help around the house now and then. But can you really trust the workers cleaning around your valuables and personal items?

I’d keep my eye on them as much as possible. But I guess I could see how the following situation might put some people in a predicament. Maybe that was the point so she could get the job done…

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Nude maid accused of really cleaning up
Associated Press

TAMPA, Fla. — A nude maid is accused of really cleaning up at a Florida man’s home. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said a 50-year-old man hired the maid from the Internet on Friday to clean his Tampa home.

Authorities said the woman arrived at the home in a one-piece, light-colored dress. She took off the dress and cleaned the house for $100 per hour. Sheriff’s office spokeswoman Debbie Carter said the man told deputies he left the maid alone in the bedroom to clean.

When the man’s wife came home from vacation, she discovered $40,000 in jewelry missing from their bedroom.

Police are investigating.

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So what do you think? In the first place, the man should’ve told her to put her dress on! Imagine if there were two naked maids roaming around his place?! They could’ve made out with more than just $40,000! Aren’t you a bit curious on the screening process to apply for this Internet maid service?

I’m sure the wife was not happy…

Does it matter how fabulous you are at something if no one notices? (I’m not talking about you doing a good job and your boss not noticing!) If you can perform the most amazing trick or do what most would believe is impossible, does it count if it’s not witnessed by another?

Even if you’re engaging in a meaningless stunt that you think the world could care less about, think again!

Records are hit and broken daily (at least in some part of the world!). It sure seems that gas prices hit a new high every other day in Hawaii!

But just like this blog is about true oddball stories that are stranger than fiction, there are people out there looking to do wacky things just to make it into the record books. If you can do anything just a bit better, that could make you a title holder. That is IF you make sure the right people know.

Like the team from Guinness World Record.

There are two men right now awaiting their stamp of approval after shaking hands — for 9.5 hours straight!!

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Duo tries to break world handshaking record
Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO — Kevin Whittaker and Cory Jens deserved a hand after their record-setting attempt, but they probably didn’t want to shake it.

The pair sought to set a new world record Monday by shaking hands with one another for 9.5 hours, apparently beating the previous record set by two Germans by a half-hour.

The Guinness Book of World Records still must confirm the feat, one that Whittaker, 31, and Jens, 30, felt pretty confident in achieving.

“I looked up what some of the weakest records were,” Whittaker said. “I’m not going to break the 100-meter dash record, but I thought I could break this record.”

The rules from Guinness appeared easy enough: Handshakers are not required to look each other in the eye or exchange pleasantries; they simply must grip palms and continuously move their hands up and down.

The historic day began at 2:07 p.m. outside the Ferry Building, where the duo endured the discomfort of such issues as sweaty palms, arm cramps and, of course, bathroom breaks. By nightfall, the two decided to continue their quest for greatness at a hotel bar, where they found warmth, comfortable seats and alcoholic beverages.

The effort culminated at 11:38 p.m. with a bottle of bubbly — and some much-needed space.

“It’s not that fun, believe me,” Whittaker said. “I’m a little tired. My shoulder is tired. In fact, it’s extremely painful.”

Information from: San Francisco Chronicle

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Though records are beaten frequently, it’s still hard to think of something that hasn’t been attempted. And doing something faster, longer or better is no easy task.

What amazing feat would be great for the record books? Got any special skills worth sharing?

Maybe balancing 16 spoons on your face (one kid balanced 15 for 30 seconds) or lifting a heavy weight just by your ear (can you beat 136 pounds, which dangles from a clamp on your ear?)…

How about breaking a motorcycle speed record blindfolded (speed of 165 mph reached on a Kawasaki Ninja) or buying the most expensive pair of jeans (one sold for $60,000)?

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(added on 5/29)

Thanks to BananaFish for the humorous write-up of the handshaking event and his mention of the chest bump (which hopefully was a follow-up on my post on the fist bump!). It was the first thing I thought of when I saw this awesome photo of our president doing the chest bump!!

In this combination of photos, President Bush and graduate Theodore Shiveley from Plano, Texas, bump chests at the United States Air Force Academy graduation ceremony on Wednesday in Colorado Springs, Colo. (Associated Press)

Apparently the story behind that photo is that many of the Richardson Air Force Academy graduates asked President Bush to do something unusual for them during the commencement.

Some stashed pens in their socks so he could sign their hats. One even called his parents and asked the president to say hello on a cell phone.

Lt. Theodore Shiveley definitely got the best photo-op though he admitted he was nervous about smacking into the commander-in-chief because he “didn’t want to get shot by the Secret Service for jumping the president.”

It seems as if Japan often takes the lead in trying out new concepts or floating new ideas. Whether it’s smart or silly, I guess one way to measure its success is by the reaction it gets from the public.

This story reminds me of the one where Hello Kitty was tapped as a goodwill envoy for China. Well, now Japan is using a real cat to draw in more train passengers.

And wouldn’t you know — the new mascot earned a promotion, she often has to pose for photos and her image graces novelty goods.

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Cat hired as station chief for debt-ridden Japanese train company
By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO — A money-losing Japanese train company has found the purr-fect mascot to draw crowds and bring back business — tabby Tama.

All the 9-year-old female cat has to do is sit by the entrance of western Japan’s Kishi Station, wearing a black uniform cap and posing for photos for the tourists who are now flocking in from across the nation.

Her job makes cultural sense in Japan, where cats are considered good luck and are believed to bring in business.

Tama has done such a good job of raising revenue for the troubled Kishikawa train line that she was recently promoted to “super-station-master.”

Tama, a 9-year-old female cat, wears a stationmaster cap and a neck sign reading: “Super Stationmaster Tama.” All Tama does is sit by the entrance of the station, wearing the black cap and posing for photos for tourists, now flocking in droves from across the nation. (Associated Press)

“She never complains, even though passengers touch her all over the place. She is an amazing cat. She has patience and charisma,” said Wakayama Electric Railway Co. spokeswoman Yoshiko Yamaki. “She is the perfect station master.”

People have been snatching up novelty goods — postcards, notebooks and erasers — bearing Tama’s photos.

The cat had been about to lose her place to live, with the nearby store where she was raised being torn down. Now, the station is home.

The Kishikawa line had been losing $4.9 million a year as passenger numbers fell steadily to as low as about 5,000 a day, or some 1.9 million a year.

After Tama’s appointment last year passenger numbers have risen by 10 percent to about 2.1 million a year.

In December Tama was rewarded with bonus pay — all in cat food.

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Should Hawaii businesses take a cue from Japan? As a customer, would that draw you in to their shop? For me, it’s always been about the product and price…

Can you think of any other memorable company mascots? Geico’s gecko and Central Pacific Bank’s “loyal dog” quickly comes to mind for me. Hmm… maybe the animal theme is popular…