39 Wives, 94 Children and 33 Grandchild

Ziona Chana from Baktawang, Mizoram, India, has 39 wives, 94 children, 14-daughters-in-law and 33 grandchildren. They all live in a 100-room-mansion. His wives take it in turns to share his bed and it takes 30 whole chickens to make a dinner.

Weird Taxes

Flush tax

You pee, you poo, you pay. In 2004, the Maryland Legislature took a major step towards protecting the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, when it passed what has become known as “the flush tax”.

The bill established the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Restoration Fund to be supported by a $2.50 a month fee on sewer bills and an equivalent $30 annual fee on septic system owners. Utilities customers saw a new line item on their quarterly bills beginning January 1, 2005 for $7.50 per quarter ($2.50 per month). These funds are collected by the County and turned over to the State who distributes the funds to utilities to upgrade wastewater treatment plants to reduce nitrogen discharge which causes algae blooms that harm fish, crabs, native plants and other aquatic life. The revenues from septic tank users are used to upgrade or replace failing septic systems and to provide financial assistance to farmers to help plant cover crops to prevent nutrient runoff from agricultural land.



Soul tax

Peter the Great, czar of Russia, imposed a tax on souls in 1718, meaning everybody had to pay it (it's similar to a head tax or a poll tax). Peter was antireligious (he was an avid fan of Voltaire and other secular humanist philosophers), but agreeing with him didn't excuse anyone from paying the tax—if you didn't believe humans had a soul, you still had to pay a “religious dissenters” tax. Peter also taxed beards, beehives, horse collars, hats, boots, basements, chimneys, food, clothing, all males, as well as birth, marriage, and even burial.



Witchcraft tax

Like many countries, Romania is in a recession so it's doing whatever it can to raise revenue. This year, the Romanian government identified a new source of heretofore untaxed profession: witches! Naturally, the witches aren't taking this laying down and are planning to use cat excrement and dead dogs to cast spells on the president and government. Under the law, like any self-employed person, the witches must pay 16 percent income tax and make contributions to health and pension programs.

Also among Romania's newest taxpayers are fortune tellers — but they probably should have seen it coming. (Link | Via)



Tattoo tax

Since 2005, anyone in Arkansas wanting to get an eagle etched on their abs or a nose ring notched in their nostrils will have to pay an additional 6 percent, as the state included tattooing and body piercing in its list of services subject to sales taxes. Electrolysis treatments count, too.







Wig powder tax

In 1795, powdered wigs were all the rage in men's fashion. Desperate for income to pay for military campaigns abroad, British prime minister William Pitt the Younger levied a tax on wig powder. Although the tax was short-lived due to the protests against it, it did ultimately have the effect of changing men's fashions. By 1820 powdered wigs were out of style.



Crack tax

From 2005 to 2009 in Tennessee, drug dealers were subjected to taxes on the sale of illegal substances. The tax was levied per gram of illegal drugs: $3.50 for marijuana, $50 for cocaine, and $200 for meth and crack cocaine. Dealers were to pay anonymously at the state revenue office. In exchange for which they would receive stamps to affix to their illegal substance. The stamps served as evidence you had paid the tax on the illegal product.

Tennessee has collected more than $6 million from the crack tax, much of which came from confiscated property. In 2006 alone, the state collected $1.8 million.



Catholic tax

In Germany, the church is both a legal tax-raising statutory body as well as a community of faith. A Catholic who objects to paying church tax has to formally leave the church, and is subsequently excommunicated. During the last few decades, the Roman Catholic Church has lost significant number of adherents due to this tax.

The Church tax is also to be paid in Austria and Switzerland, the same principles apply (if you don' want to pay, you have to excommunicate). Both Catholics and Protestants have to pay. Most of the money is used to support the Churches Welfare and charity programs. (Thanks, Julian!)



Bagels tax

In 2010, New York cracked down on its enforcement of the tax on prepared food, specifically targeting a New York staple: bagels. If you buy a whole bagel and take it home with you, it is exempt from tax. However, if you purchase that same bagel, but eat it at the bagel shop (even without cream cheese), bagel shops must charge sales tax on the purchase price. Apparently, the mere slicing of a bagel kicks your bagel purchase into a taxable transaction. As a result, New Yorkers are paying approximately 8 to 9 cents more per bagel.



Urine tax

Pecunia non olet ("money does not smell") is a Latin saying. The phrase originally related to the urine tax levied by the Roman emperors Nero and Vespasian in the 1st century upon the collection of urine.

The tax was actually levied on the collection of urine by the toilet operators who sold it on, at great profit, to tanners and cleaners who utilized the liquid's high ammonia content. Perhaps a reintroduction of this admirable recycling of waste products could aid modern sustainable industry practices.



Hot air balloons tax

In 2010, the Kansas Department of Revenue issued a private letter ruling discussing the taxability of hot air balloon rides. Kansas generally taxes sales of admissions to “any place providing amusement, entertainment or recreation services.” The question was not whether or not balloon rides are entertaining, but whether or not federal law pre-empts the imposition of state sales tax on sales of those rides. Under the Anti-Head Tax Act, 29 U.S.C. Section 40116, states and local jurisdictions are prohibited from imposing fees and charges on airlines and other airport users. The department determined that un-tethered balloon rides where the balloon is actually piloted somewhere “some distance downwind from the launching point” would be considered carrying passengers in air commerce and would be pre-empted by the law. However, state sales tax can be imposed on tethered balloon rides

Unbelievable Twitter Stories

 The frustrated air passenger who was arrested under Terrorism Act after Twitter joke

A man was arrested and held in police cells for seven hours as a suspected terrorist after making a joke on Twitter about blowing his local airport sky high. Paul Chambers, 26, tapped out the comment to amuse friends because his planned trip to Ireland was under threat due to heavy snow at Robin Hood Airport in Doncaster. 'C**p! Robin Hood Airport is closed,' he tweeted. 'You've got a week and a bit to get your s*** together, otherwise I'm blowing the airport sky high!!'. But a week later, police arrived at the finance superviser's office to arrest him under the Terrorism Act – after an apparent anonymous tip-off. 

 The man who was saved from Paralysis thanks to Twitter diagnosis

A businessman saved himself from permanent paralysis after getting his rare medical condition diagnosed – on Twitter. Website designer Patrick Johnson, 26, woke up to discover that half his face had gone numb and was drooping. But immediately tweeted his symptoms – and moments later received a message back identifying his condition. Marj Beattie, who runs an online secretarial business in Scotland, correctly diagnosed Bell's palsy. She urged Patrick to get to the hospital quickly and within 40 minutes he was being treated for the condition – saving his face from long term damage. Patrick noticed his face was drooping when he looked in the mirror at his home. He then tweeted to his 347 followers: "I feel like I've had a stroke. Half of my face doesn't work properly." Marj then replied: "If you are truly serious, get to the doc – Bell's palsy facial symptoms mimic a stroke."

 The woman who tweeted she was happily having a miscarriage for 20,000 people

Penelope Trunk, 42, built her career advising others on how to create a professional online identity by telling them what to share and what to leave out. Having had two abortions and a miscarriage, Ms Trunk, professional blogger and CEO of her own company, "Brazen Careerist," was certain she didn't want another child. So when the company boss realised she was losing a baby during a board meeting, she chose to share her relief with 20,000 people on Twitter. She cheerily announced that she was relieved because it would spare her the trouble of going through with a planned abortion. Her message read: 'I'm in a board meeting. Having a miscarriage. Thank goodness, because there's a f*****-up 3-week hoop-jump to have an abortion in Wisconsin.' The 'tweet' was relayed around the world within hours, with angry bloggers calling the divorced mother-of-two callous and uncaring. Miss Trunk said the message caused her to lose about 70 of her 20,000 'followers' on Twitter. 

 The man who traveled the world for free using only Twitter

Paul Smith is a British blogger, writer and former radio executive. An advocate of social media, Smith coined the phrase "twitchhiking" when he travelled around the world using the social media network Twitter. In February 2009, Smith launch the Twitchhiker Project, an attempt to travel "as far around the world as possible in 30 days, relying only on the goodwill of people using the social media network Twitter." The rules of the project meant Smith could spend no money on transport or accommodation, he only accepted offers of help through Twitter, his travel plans could only be made up to three days in advance and if he was stranded anywhere for longer than 48 hours, Smith had to abandon his journey. After thirty days and with the aid of over 11,000 Twitter followers, Smith had travelled as far as Stewart Island in New Zealand, raising over £5,000 for charity: water.

 The Indonesian director who promised he would walk naked through Circle K if he got 3000 followers (and got 40,000)

Indonesian director and screenwriter Joko Anwar became the talk of theonline community, as he made good on his promise to walk into a Circle K shop — completely naked. It all started with something he posted on microblogging Web site Twitter. "If I got my 3000th follower today, I'll go into a Circle K naked." At the time Joko posted the bet, he had a modest 1,800 followers. Buzz grew among Twitter users and Joko gained 3,000 followers in about an hour. And at midnight on the same night, he did just that. Joko asked his friends, who are all on Twitter, to accompany him to a Circle K shop. When asked if he was afraid of getting caught, Joko said there was no one at the store except for the cashier, who "just smiled.""Circle K" eventually rose to the top of Twitter's so-called trending topic list and eventually gave Joko more than 20,000 followers. Joko directed "Pintu Terlarang" ("The Forbidden Door"), "Kala" ("Time") and "Janji Joni" ("Joni's Promise"). He now has over 65,000 followers. 

 The groom who stopped his wedding ceremony to tweet about it at the altar

What is the groom supposed to do after the vows of love and obey? Kiss the bride? Hmmm, not in a geek's wedding. Before kissing the bride, Dana Hanna, a Software Developer took his cellphone and updated his relationship status on Facebook and Twitter. As a stunned congregation looked on Dana he told cyberspace 'Standing at the altar with @TracyPage where just a second ago, she became my wife! Gotta go, time to kiss my bride.' He also handed one over to his new wife to do the same. We appreciate you keep us informed Dana, but I hope you don't do the same at every stage of your honeymoon… We get the picture anyway.

 The man who was blasted to death with a shotgun after argument via Twitter with friend

Police in the U.S. are investigating what they believe is the first murder carried out because of messages posted on Twitter. Detectives in New York say a deadly confrontation between two friends came about after angry comments were posted on the micro-blogging site. According to police, Blake, 22, and Dancy, also 22, had spent weeks sending each other angry messages via their Twitter accounts. The pair, childhood friends, lived on the same floor of a high-rise block of flats but had fallen out over a girl. The pair had started to send each other spiteful messages on their Twitter accounts. Other friends joined in the row by adding to the tweets. Hours before Dancy was blasted in the neck with a shotgun, Blake sent his victim a tweet which said: 'N------s is looking for u don't think I won't give up ya address for a price betta chill asap!' Dancy, who was training as a nurse, died after being shot as he left his home in Harlem, New York on December 1st. The murder weapon was later found abandoned in Central Park along with a spent shell. Two days after the killing Blake took to his Twitter account to post the message: 'R.I.P. Kwame'. 

 The Tenant who faces $50k lawsuit for defamation in Twitter to her 17 followers

A tenant who used Twitter to complain about her 'mouldy' flat is facing a $50,000 lawsuit. Amanda Bonnen was accused of defaming her landlordsafter updating her online status to say 'Who said sleeping in a mouldy apartment was bad for you? Horizon realty thinks it's okay.' The Chicago company says Bonnen's flat was one of several affected by an overnight leak in March when a contractor was making roof repairs. Jeff Michael, general counsel for Horizon, said Bonnen moved out on June 30 of her own accord. The company claims her tweet was published 'throughout the world' and severely damaged its good name. Mr Michael told the Sun-Times: 'The statements are obviously false and it's our intention to prove that.'Bonnen was not contacted before the lawsuit was launched or asked to remove the message. Although Bonnen's account was set to public, meaning any Twitter user could see it, a Google-cache of the now deactivated account shows she had just 17 followers, so it doesn't look like the message could have travelled far. 

 The couple who had their house trashed by 150 drunken teenagers that gatecrashed a party announced on Twitter

A retired couple's home was trashed after 150 drunken teenagers gatecrashed a party advertised on a social networking site. Brian and Glennis McDonald, who were attending a wedding, had given their 15-year-old granddaughter Victoria permission for two friends to stay the night as a treat. They even left her a note saying: 'Bye darling. Have fun with your two friends.' But just hours later, they were called by police and forced to return home to a scene of devastation after the gathering snowballed out of control when details were posted on Twitter. Patio doors were ripped off, televisions and windows smashed, paintings ruined and empty beer bottles strewn across the garden, leaving the elderly couple with a £1,000 repair bill. Bottles of champagne and ornaments were also stolen. The neighbour said Victoria appeared to have been taken by surprise when dozens of teenagers began to arrive at the house at around 9pm. 

 The TV Presenter who got her lost passport back via Twitter

Most of us can identify with the inconvenience of losing a passport. So celebrity offspring Peaches Geldof was understandably relieved when she got hers back - via the unlikely route of social networking website Twitter. The 20-year-old's passport fell out of her bag, which meant Peaches faced having to change her travel plans. But a woman found the document as she took a stroll through an East London park with her children. When the mum realised who the passport belonged to, she sent a 'tweet' to Peaches who then sent a courier to collect it. Peaches was resigned to the fact that she would need to apply for a new passport. Then she received a Twitter message from someone telling her that they had found it - she was over the moon. 

Couples

World's Youngest Couple

Every little girl dreams about her wedding day, complete with visions of a big beautiful white dress and, of course, the perfect man. But 9-year-old Jayla Cooper didn't have a lifetime to wait for Mr. Right. The Southlake, TX, girl had been battling leukemia for two years, a battle that would end in just a matter of weeks. But what Jayla did have was a groom. He's her best friend, Jose Griggs, 7, a fellow patient at Children's Medical Center in Dallas. Jayla and Jose tied the knot in February 2009 to fulfill her final wish: Getting married in a beautiful wedding, surrounded by family and friends. From the flowers to the banquet hall, donations poured in to give a North Texas bride the wedding of her dreams.

Jaila died on Wednesday, April 1, 2009.

Couple with Largest Difference in Height

Fabien Pretou, born on June 15, 1968, in France, measuring 188.5 cm (6 ft 2 in) in height, married Natalie Lucius, born on January 19, 1966, 94 cm (3 ft 1 in) tall, at Seyssinet-Pariset, France on 14 April 1990. The height difference is of 94.5 cm (37 in). Their home is custom built for Natalie's convenience.

Couple with the Greatest Age Difference

A 112 year-old Somalian man got married for the sixth time, to a 17-year-old girl. The wedding between Ahmed Muhamed Dore and Safia Abdulleh took place in Guriceel, in the Galguduud region of Somalia. Mr Dore and his teenage bride are from the same village, and he said that he had waited for her to grow up before proposing. At 95 years older than her – if his claimed age is accurate – he is old enough to be her great-great-great-grandfather.

The only couple to have won the lottery twice… with the same numbers.

The Angelo couple is in the money…again. The family, made up of Eugene, Sr. (81) and his wife Adeline (74) and the couple's three sons, Eugene, Jr. (48), Steven (47) and Michael (42), is no stranger to money, having won a $2,500,000 share of a $10,000,000 Lotto jackpot in December 1996 as well. The win marks only the third time, in the 29-year history of the New York Lottery's Lotto game, that a player has become a jackpot winner twice. Originally from the Bronx, the Angelo's, who resettled in Mahopac and nearby Brookfield, CT., recalled memories of their first win as they claimed their latest Lottery prize – a $5,000,000 Lotto jackpot from the drawing held on August 18, 2007.

The odds of anyone matching all six Lotto numbers from a field of 59 are 1:22,528,737 on a minimum $1 play. Lotto players receive two games for every $1 played. Overall, the odds of winning a Lotto prize are 1:46.02. What a lucky couple!

The Couple Separated for the Longest Time (60 years)

Sixty years ago, Boris and Anna Kozlov were married for only three days before he had to ship out with his Red Army unit. When he returned, Anna and her family were gone – exiled to Siberia by Stalin's purges. Then one day, on a chance encounter, they found each other again!

"I thought my eyes were playing games on me," Anna said. "I saw this familiar looking man approaching me, his eyes gazing at me. My heart jumped. I knew it was him. I was crying with joy." 80 years-old Boris had returned to visit his parents' grave. As he stepped out of the car, he looked up to see Anna standing by her old house, where they had lived for the few days after the wedding. "I ran up to her and said: 'My darling, I've been waiting for you for so long. My wife, my life…'"

World's Shortest Couple

Douglas Maistre Breger da Silva, born on September 21, 1969, and Claudia Pereira Rocha, born on Septermber 6, 1972, both Brazilian, when married on October 27, 1998, in Curitiba, Brazil, measured 90cm (35 in) and 93cm (36 in) respectively, becoming the world's shortest couple. Together they measure 183cm, less than 6 feet.

Same Sex Penguin Couple

Harry and Pepper are a pair of adorable male Magellan penguins at the San Francisco Zoo. The couple's relationship began in 2003, and they were together for the last 6 years. The two black-and-white birds paired off when outgoing Harry befriended Pepper, an introvert who sticks mostly to his burrow. At the time, the two were adolescents and everyone assumed they were just friends. But soon they were nesting together. Harry would gather grass and bring it home to Pepper, who would arrange it tidily in their burrow. Single females would come around, but both birds never seemed interested.

They even adopted an egg together in 2008, as the pair was allowed to incubate and hatch an egg another penguin had laid. "Of all of the parents that year, they were the best," Brown said. "They took very good care of their chick. He ended up being the largest chick on the island." Sadly the happy couple broke up in 2009.

World's Largest Couple

Anna Haining Swan was born on August 06, 1846 at Mill Brook, Nova Scotia and weighed 18 pounds. At age 5, Anna Swan was 4 feet 8 inches tall, and full grown she reached a dizzying height of 7 feet 5 1/2 inches (about 228cm). Martin Van Buren Bates was born November 9, 1837 and was known as the 'Kentucky Giant', reportedly reaching a height of 7 feet 11 inches, but more accurately it was about 7 feet 2 1/2 inches (219cm).

When visiting a circus in Halifax with which Martin Van Buren Bates — another enormously tall person — was travelling, Anna was spotted by the promoter and was hired on the spot. The giant couple became a touring sensation and eventually fell in love, and on June 17, 1871, in St Martin-in-the-fields in London, they got married. Rev. Rupert Cochrane, a friend of Anna's family, who happened to be preaching in London at the time, agreed to conduct the ceremony. Despite his 6-feet-3-inch (1.91 m) stature, the Reverend looked small when standing next to the giant bride and groom. Their combined height was an astonishing 14 feet 8 inches (over 4,5 m).

World's Longest Married Couple (85 years)

Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher, of North Carolina, have been married for 85 years as of May 13, 2009. Zelmyra is 101 years old and Herbert turned 104 on June 10th, 2009. They have shared the same home in the Brownsville community of New Bern for 50 years. The two of them can still give their reasons for marrying on May 13, 1924.

Couple with the Same Full Name, Meet Mr and Ms Kelly Hildebrandt

It's not too unusual to hear stories of married couples who met online. But it IS unusual when that couple that meets online and marries also has the same name. In this case, it's a guy from Texas named Kelly Hildebrandt and a gal from Florida named Kelly Hildebrandt. They are about to get married. Kelly Hildebrandt met Kelly Hildebrandt when Kelly, the girl, looked up her own name on Facebook. "I was like, 'I wonder if there's any other Kelly Hildebrandts on Facebook'," she explained. "So, I searched my own name and he's the only one that came up. And actually, in the picture, he didn't have his shirt on, and I'm like, 'oh, he's cute!'" And the Kelly in Texas was also intrigued. "She started off, 'Hey, I see we have the same name, and I thought it was kinda cool, so I wanted to say hi, I guess'. Lots of laughs," he said… Eight months after that innocent Facebook message, Kelly proposed to Kelly, and pretty soon they'll become Kelly Hildebrandt squared.

Weirdest Reasons To Get Fired

 The waitress who got fired because she shaved her hair for charity

Stacey Fearnall, whose father died of cancer, decided to shave her head for a cancer fundraising event. But when she returned to work at Nathaniels restaurant, where she worked as a waiter, she was laid off. The mother of two was told by her boss to go home after she refused to wear a wig. Nathaniels owner and chef Dan Hilliard defended his decision, saying the restaurant has certain standards. He prohibits male staff from wearingearrings and requires employees to keep their hair at a reasonable length. The 36-year-old waitress at Nathaniels restaurant in Owen Sound, Ont., had raised more than $2,700 for the charity Cops for Cancer in exchange for her locks. 

 The woman who was fired for updating her Facebook status

How many times have you updated your Facebook status to say "…is boring at work"? Probably at least once, though statistically that number averages at 3.4 times a week. But can you imagine getting fired for it? Because that's what happened to Briton teen, Kimberly Swann. She was summarily sacked after her boss learned -- via her updated status -- that she was "bored at work." Her boss, meanwhile, says Swann's admission of boredom revealed that "she just wasn't happy here" and thus "it wasn't going to work out." The question is, why was the boss perusing Facebook on company time? Was he, perhaps, a little bored? 

 The woman who was fired for sending emails in all caps

An Auckland accountant was sacked for sending "confrontational" emails with words in red, in bold and in capital letters. Vicki Walker, who was afinancial controller with ProCare Health, was later awarded $17,000 for unfair dismissal, and plans to lodge an appeal for further compensation. ProCare told the authorities Walker - who was fired in December 2007 after two years of employment - had caused disharmony in the workplace by using block capitals, bold typeface and red text in her emails. She had also acted provocatively in seeking to view complaints laid against her by colleagues. But Walker said they talked about a number of emails she had sent, yet used only one in evidence. The email, which advises her team how to fill out staff claim forms, specifies a time and date highlighted in bold red, and a sentence written in capitals and highlighted in bold blue. It reads: "To ensure your staff claim is processed and paid, please do follow the below checklist." 

 The woman who was fired from McDonald's because she added a slice of cheese to a hamburger

A waitress was fired after she sold a hamburger to a co-worker who asked for cheese, which she added. The fast-food chain argued this turned the hamburger into a cheeseburger, and so she should have charged more. McDonald's was ordered to pay the former employee more than 4,200 euros ($5,900; £3,660) for the last five months of her contract. The fast-food chain had argued that the waitress - who was employed at a branch in the northern town of Lemmer - had broken staff rules prohibiting free gifts to family, friends or colleagues. 

 The Vodafone employee who was fired over a Tweet to T-Mobile

Companies are clearly beginning to take their Twitter communication channel a little more seriously. For one Vodafone Hungary employee, Müller Tamás, this fact has left him unemployed. It all began when T-Mobile had issues with its mobile network in Hungary. The Vodafone competitor was having trouble connecting phone calls and to keep its customers informed, decided to use Twitter. The first tweet said: "Hungary´s T-Mobilenetwork partly down, software to blame"; then another to calm some presumably furious customers saying:
"There will be an official statement (released) about the network problem. Please be patient!"
Tamas, as a member of Vodafone's marketing staff responsible for the carrier's Twitter messages, decided it would funny to retweet T-Mobiles tweet with a dash of humor to send it on its way. The tweet said: "OK, give us a ring! ;) RT @tmobilehungary There will be an official statement (released) about the network problem. Please be patient!" Needless to say, Vodafone were not best pleased and quick to issue a statement of their own saying that Vodafone had nothing to do with this reply but it would gladly lend a helping hand to T-Mobile to fix its problem. Vodafone didn't leave it there either, the company announced that the Twitterer acted without authorization and the remark was inappropriate. 

 The waiter who was fired after leaving shift to save carjacking victim

A waiter in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., who left his shift to rescue a woman being attacked by an armed carjacker was fired after the heroic effort. A 22-year-old woman was attacked by a knife-wielding man outside the 84 Thai Food restaurant in the Southland Shopping Center. Restaurant waiter Juan Canales spotted the attack and ran to help. Canales said he tackled the culprit, who police identified as Albert Means, and held him until police could arrive. However, when Canales went back to work, he said his boss terminated him. The woman he saved, Massiel Marquartdt, said she did not understand why Canales was fired. The restaurant manager said Canales may be a hero but he just wasn't that good of an employee. 

 The 120-pound model who was fired for being too fat

Model Filippa Hamilton was fired by the Ralph Lauren's clothing company for being too fat. According to her, they told her she was overweight and couldn't fit in their clothes anymore. The company released a statement saying that their relationship with Hamilton ended "as a result of her inability to meet the obligations under her contract with us." The 5-foot-10, 120-pound stunner was amazed to see her body digitally distorted for Ralph Lauren Blue Label. Hamilton, 23, worked for Ralph Lauren since about 2002 and considered the company like a second family - until she was bounced.

 The judge who was fired over texting during hearings

Most assume unrestrained texting is a juvenile problem. At the Marion County Juvenile Court, where camera phones are banned, it isn't just troubled teens with busy fingers but a magistrate caught breaking the rules. Magistrate Danielle Gregory lost her job because she was caught texting during a trial. Among the text messages she sent were three pictures of herself to a married male employee in the middle of more than one juvenile hearing. Gregory's supervisor wrote in the disciplinary record that "Multiple text messages were sent from [Gregory's] cell phone number to [the male employee's] cell phone during court hours including times [she] was on the bench conducting court sessions. 

 The basketball coach who won 100 - 0 and was fired for not apologizing for the victory

Covenant school girls basketball coach Micah Grimes, whose team won 100 to 0 in a shut out ball game against a team from Dallas Academy, was fired for not apologizing for the win. Grimes, who was criticized for letting the game get so far out of hand, made it clear in the e-mail to the newspaper that he did not agree with his school's assessment."In response to the statement posted on The Covenant School Web site, I do not agree with the apology or the notion that the Covenant School girls basketball team should feel embarrassed or ashamed". 

The teacher who got fired for not signing a loyalty oath

Wendy Gonaver lost her teaching job at Cal State Fullerton one day before class was scheduled to begin, because she refused to sign a loyalty oath swearing to "defend" the U.S. and California constitutions "against all enemies, foreign and domestic."As a Quaker from Pennsylvania and a lifelong pacifist, Gonaver objected to the California oath as an infringement of her rights of free speech and religious freedom. She offered to sign the pledge if she could attach a brief statement expressing her views, a practice allowed by other state institutions. But Cal State Fullerton rejected her statement and insisted that she sign the oath if she wanted the job. CaliforniaState University officials say they were simply following the law and did not discriminate against Gonaver because all employees are required to sign the oath. Clara Potes-Fellow, a Cal State spokeswoman, said the university does not permit employees to submit personal statements with the oath. Prior to that, another Cal State instructor, Quaker math teacher Marianne Kearney-Brown, was fired because she inserted the word "nonviolently" when she signed the oath. She was quickly rehired after her case attracted media attention.

Bizarre Weddings

 The couple who decided to get married naked in front of 250 guests

Ellie Barton and Phil Hendicott decided to spend their wedding in their birthday suits. The pair of exhibitionist Aussies exchanged vows in front of 250 guests wearing nothing more than their wedding rings - and a bouquet of strategically-placed roses. Mrs. Ellie Hendicott wore a white, painted on "dress." The only thing she really wore besides the bouquet was a long white wedding veil. Phil Hendicott wore nothing but a black top hat to cover his manhood. The wedding ceremony was conducted in the morning, live on FM radio to hundreds of thousands of Australians.

 The couple who got married on a Bung-jump platform – and obviously jumped after saying yes

Jeroen and Sandra Kippers of Brussels, Belgium, were lifted on a platform by crane up 160 feet in the air for their wedding ceremony. They were joined by the officiant and about 20 guests. Another platform held the musicians. After the vows, they made it official by bungee-jumping over the side! The company behind the nutty nuptials – Marriage In The Sky – have been inundated with requests from couples desperate to fling themselves off the end of the aisle.
But the ultimate thrill-seekers' wedding doesn't have to end there – once the wedding party have all been lowered back to earth, guests can head skywards again – for a floating reception. Wedding guests are wowed with a three-course wedding breakfast – all while strapped in to the dining chairs. The cost for such a spectacular ceremony? Around £25,000.

 The Chinese bride who wore a 200m-long dress to set a World record

The bride from Guangzhou, China, set the world's longest bridal train record at 219 yards. The Chinese bride accented her gown with a train that was over 600 ft long and weighed over 220 lbs. Xie Qiyun had this photos taken in front of a hotel in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province on her special day. According to Guinness, the longest wedding dress train measured 1362 m [4468 ft 5.94 in] and was created by Andreas Evstratiou in Paphos, Cyprus, in February 2007.

 The couple who got married at T.J. Maxx

Who doesn't get excited about the prospect of bagging a bargain? Bride Lisa Satayut decided to combine that feeling with her excitement over bagging her beau. Explaining that T.J. Maxx is her "happy place," Satayut married Drew Ellis in the size 8 shoe aisle of a T.J. Maxx store in Mt. Pleasant, Mich. The bride — a self-proclaimed "'Maxxinista" — wore a strapless white chiffon gown, with long black gloves and bright green gladiator-style sandals. A widened aisle, vine-covered arch and white chairs with red bows highlighted the traditional ceremony that included string music, display-dodging cameramen — and curious shoppers who stopped bargain hunting long enough to watch. 

 The groom who decorated his wedding with 99,999 roses to surprise his bride

Groom Xiao Wang spent a year's salary on buying 99,999 red roses for his bride, Xiao Liu, for their wedding conducted in Chongqing, central China, where the number 999 is considered to be a good luck omen. The couple, both 24 years old, needed 30 cars to take the flowers to the service. They advertised on the internet for car owners and for helpers to stick the flowers on the vehicles. The flowers themselves were flown in from the other side of the country. 'I remembered that Liu loved these special roses and the idea just grew and grew. It was worth it all just to see the look on her face when she saw the cars,' said groom Wang. Liu who met Wang while they were at University together added, 'I mentioned a year ago I would like a romantic wedding; I can't believe he remembered, but it was amazing.' The groom also donated 20% of the cost of the roses to charity to get even more good luck.

 The woman who married her dead fiancé in the morgue

A heartbroken mother decided to "marry" her murdered fiancé in a hospital morgue. Irish father-of-two Kevin Lavelle, 29, was viciously battered with an iron bar in a gruesome gang attack while working away from home to raise money for his wedding to fiancée Michelle Thomas. The caring dad was attacked by nine louts and beaten to death as he returned to his lodgings in Banbury, Oxfordshire. But even death could not keep him and Michelle apart.
Despite her unbearable pain, Michelle organised a "wedding" in the morgue of Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital, where Kevin lay dead. The touching ceremony - witnessed by close family and friends - was conducted by the hospital's Catholic priest who administered the last rites to Kevin. In front of an open coffin, the priest blessed the wedding rings that Michelle had bought specially for the service. Their two children, James, now five, and Megan, now four, went to their daddy's funeral wearing the clothes they would have worn to their parents' wedding. The priest asked Michelle if she would have taken Kevin to be her "lawful wedded husband" and she replied "I do." Kevin's dad Paddy placed a ring on Michelle's finger and a ring was placed on Kevin's finger as he lay in the coffin.

 The couple who got married inside a shark tank

April Pignataro and Michael Curry of New York City got married in June 2010. The bride wore a white wetsuit and the groom wore a traditional black wetsuit as they climbed inside a 120,000 gallon shark tank to take their vows at Atlantis Marine World in Riverhead, N.Y. Both are experienced divers and were protected by a cage as sand sharks, nurse sharks, eels and a giant grouper circled around. They wore scuba gear and mikes that broadcasted their words to each other, as well as to friends and family. They said their "I dos" over a radio transmitter with an officiant who did not get in the tank.

The couple who tied the knot at NASCAR's Daytona 500

You don't have to be Dale Earnhardt Jr. to find love in the fast lane. Last Valentine's Day, 31 NASCAR-loving couples said "I do" at the Daytona International Speedway; thousands of fans, friends, and family looked on from the stands. The pair, Bryan Willey and Stacee Kennedy, even exchanged rings NASCAR-style: with tattoos. The track also offers nongroup wedding packages that include two race passes, a bottle of champagne, a notary public, and the option to hold your reception in a room overlooking the famous track.

 The bride who had 110 bridesmaids and set a World Record

Did you know that there's a Guinness World Record for the most bridesmaids in a wedding? One bride from Proctorville, Ohio, broke the record with more than 100 bridesmaids at her June 11, 2010 wedding. Jill Stapleton, who owns Jill's Tumble World, a dance school, asked her students -- all 110 of them -- to be her bridesmaids and walk down the aisle at her wedding. The bride asked each girl to choose her own dress for the wedding in either purple or teal, the school's colors. In lieu of bridesmaid bouquets, each bridesmaid carried a single rose. The previous record for the most bridesmaids in a wedding was 90.

 The Russian couple who decided to get married while bicycling

A couple of bicycle lovers decided to tie the knot in a very unusual but healthy way: by riding bicycles all over the city, accompanied of course by their cyclist guests.

Expensive stuff

Why would you use your money to feed a starving country, when you can pay $1,500,000 for a Box of Chocolates, or buy a $1.3 Million Cell Phone. Right? 

 Pay $1,500,000 for a Box of Chocolates

Le Chocolat features a selection of Lake Forest Confections gourmet chocolates, selected by the confectioners master candy maker, as well as an arrangement of magnificent jewelry from Simon's personal jewelry and gemstone vault. The price tag is $1,500,000. The jewelry that comes along with the box of chocolates includes a "priceless" collection of natural yellow and blue diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires from Simons Jewelers. (How priceless can it be with a price tag?)

 Pay $1.3 Million for a Cell Phone

Designed by Peter Aloisson, the Diamond Crypto Smartphone is made out of platinum and rose gold. It has over 80 diamonds on it. There are 50 diamonds going up and down the sides (10 are blue diamonds), the navigation key has 28 diamonds surrounding it and the navigation button is actually a 1/2 carat diamond. The buttons on the sides are suppose to be diamonds too. It costs $1.3 million, so that phone better work!

 Pay $163,000 for Hello Kitty
Who doesn't love Hello Kitty? Sanrio came out with a platinum Hello Kitty. Its W3.8xH5.6cm and weighs 590g. The miniature Hello Kitty comes with seven hair ribbons made of gems including diamond, ruby, pink sapphire, amethyst and blue topaz. The figurine comes with a price tag of ¥18,9-million -- ($163,000 US) a record high in Hello Kitty's extensive line-up. Only one set is available, which went on sale on December 2006 at the Mitsukoshi department store in Tokyo.

 Pay $1,000 for a Pizza

The world's most expensive pizza was made by Nino's Bellissima Pizza (located in New York City). The 12-inch pizza is topped with creme fraiche, chives, eight ounces of four different kinds of Petrossian caviar, four ounces of thinly sliced Maine lobster tail, salmon roe, and a little bit of wasabi to complement all the fish. The pizza is cut into eight... that is a mere $125 for each serving.

 Pay $1.63 Million for a Purse

On June 14, 2007, Ginza Tanaka showcased this diamond platinum bag at a fashion show in Tokyo. The handbag is shaped out of pure platinum and studded with 2,182 diamonds totaling 208 carats. The handbag has a brilliant price tag of $1.63 million.

 Pay $225,000 for Tequila

Can you imagine spending $225,000 on a beverage? On July 20, 2006, Tequila Ley .925 sold a single Platinum and White Gold tequila bottle for $225,000 to a private collector in Mexico City, Mexico. The liquor was made out of 100% blue Agave liquid and was aged for six years. The company won the Guinness Book of World Records title for the most expensive bottle of liquor sold in the world. For those of us who can't afford the Platinum bottle, the company also sells the Gold and Platinum bottle for $150,000 and the Silver & Gold bottle for $25,000.

 Pay $68,000 for a Cricket Ball

This diamond studded cricket ball was presented to the Best Indian and Best International players at the 2007 Cricket World Cup tournament. The diamond cricket ball was created by Gitanjali Gems Limited. Each diamond ball is studded with 5,728 pieces of diamonds with a worth of approximately $68,500.

 Pay $130,000 for a TV

Yes, instead of buying a new house, a few cars, or feeding a starving country... buy this TV. The Yalos Diamond LCD TV costs $130,000, but its really worth it. You see, the LCD TV is plated in white gold and encrusted with 20 carats worth of diamonds. A TV encrusted with diamonds... just what the world need it.

 Pay $14,000 for a Tea Bag

PG Tips is a British company that makes tea. Boodles jewelers (an exclusive jeweller based in the UK) made a diamond teabag to celebrate PG Tips 75th birthday. The tea bag was hand-crafted using 280 diamonds. The tea bag is valued at around $14,000. I knew the British took their tea seriously, but now I know they're plain crazy about it!

 Pay $41,000 for a Toy

Japan's Ginza Tanaka Jewelers and toymaker Bandai Co. unveiled a miniature version of Japan's famous animated robot character - "Gundam." Gundum is one of the longest running Japense animation series. The figurine weighs in at 1,400 grams (45oz) and stands 13cm (5") tall. He is made of pure platinum which explains its name "Gundam Fixed Platinum." At today's prices, melted down, he would go for $41,468!

 Pay $225,000 for a Parking Spot

Well, this one you might actually need if you live in Manhattan, but for $225,000 you better get yourself a FERRARI and live elsewhere! ABC.com reports ".... in space-starved Manhattan, a parking space is considered prime real estate. There's actually a waiting list for the $225,000 spot." People who don't even own cars are buying parking spaces as investments to flip. So exactly what do you get for your $225,000? A 18 feet by 9 feet parking spot. I know, you feel like you just hit Lotto for all you are getting.