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Li-Wan Miraculously Survives Suicide Attempt in Changchun

19 May

On the day of their scheduled wedding, Wang Lu got cold feet and called off his wedding with Li-Wan. The incident occurred in Changchun, eastern China and prompted the bride to attempt suicide. She sat on the ledge of her apartment, more than 80 feet above the ground and contemplated ending her life. Then, just as she was about to jump, a local rescue worker came to her aid. He managed to grab her by the neck, and with the help of some people in the apartment below, hauled  her back to safety.

The woman was taken to hospital for observation. Attempts to reach her ex-fiancee were unsuccessful. The man who rescuer was very modest after the fact, saying only “I did what anyone would have done.”

For more on the story, see the New York Post story.

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$3.89 Million For a Photograph

19 May

Cindy Sherman had a very good day at Christie’s auction house. Her photograph (seen above), entitled “Untitled #96,” was sold for $3.89 million. That’s a record for a photograph.

The buyer was New York dealer Philippe Segalot, and the underbidder was Per Skarstedt, also a New York dealer. No word on what they will do with their newly acquired work of art.

Sherman is no stranger to success in the auction world. Another of her photographs, Untitled #153, was sold for $2.7 million recently. It features the artist as a mud-caked corpse.

Do you think the picture is worth how much it sold for?

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Newt Gingrich Showered With Confetti

17 May

A protestor showered Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich with a box filled of confetti during a book signing in Minneapolis today. The man, subsequently identified as Nick Espinosa, approached the Gingriches and shouted “Stop the Hate!” as he showered them with graffiti. He was immediately escorted out of the room by event organizers.

Apparently, he was protesting a proposed amendment to the Minnesota constitution that would ban gay marriage. Not sure what Newt Gingrich has to do with that.

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“Teach Me How to Dougie” Rapper Murdered

16 May

Rapper M Bone, a member of the California rap group Cali Swag District, was gunned down last night as he sat in a parked car outside of a liquor store. He was 22.

As the rapper, whose real name was Mante Ray Talbert, sat in the driver’s seat of a car a burst of gunfire erupted from another car. M Bone was shot two times in the head, but a passenger in the car was not injured. The group’s publicist said that M Bone was the victim of random street violence.

The incident occurred in Inglewood around 10:30 p.m. The Cali Swag District burst onto the national scene with their infectious dance hit “Teach Me How to Dougie” last year. The song eventually hit number 28 on the charts, and remained in the top 10 rap songs for several months. Celebrities ranging from CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer to First Lady Michelle Obama have performed the dance.

“I’m crushed. I feel awful. I just want to go sit in a corner. I just lost one of my best friends,” said JayAre of Cali Swag District. “I’ve been with this dude every day for like two years, and like I’m never going to see him again.”

Police have not yet arrested a suspect.

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Inside the Shady Chinese Organ Market

16 May

Al Jazeera takes a look at the shady, unknown black market of organs in China. The country estimates that 1.5 million people need organ transplants but just 10,000 receive them annually. As a result, desperate people in need of money help make up the difference.

A couple of clicks on the Internet bring you to sites offering human organs at reasonable prices.  The story follows one migrant farm worker who offers to sell her kidney for around $50,000. If she decides to follow through, she will travel to Xuzhou city in Jiangsu province where someone will meet her upon arrival. If a physical finds her to be in good health, the dealer will find a suitable match and promises to transfer $50,000 to her bank account before the operation.

Unfortunately, the operators of these black market businesses are hardly reputable and will often only pay $15,000 once the operation is complete.

This is an important story, so thanks to Al Jazeera for publishing it.

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