Burglars blow the front off house

Burglars blew the front off a house after triggering an astonishing explosion during a break in, say police. The house breakers had sneaked into the three-story detached property in Bochum, Germany, and made off with a laptop and jewelry.

Before leaving they way they had come in - through the basement - they poured petrol on the floor and lit it with a match from outside - but instead of starting a fire it triggered a massive blast.

"The fumes mixed with the air in an enclosed space and exploded the liquid instead of igniting it. We think they intended to cover their tracks by setting a fire - and didn't anticipate what would happen," said a police spokesman.

The crooks escaped although it is unclear if they were hurt in the blast. The three people that lived in the house were not present at the time.

Feral cats fuel tourism in Taiwanese town

Feral cats have brought new life to a Taiwanese coal-mining community that had seen better days, until tourists tuned into the tabbies and calicos that call the town home. Visitors' raves on local blogs have helped draw cat lovers to fondle, frolic and photograph the 100 or so resident felines in Houtong, one of several industrial communities in decline since Taiwan's railroads electrified and oil grew as a power source.

Most towns have never recovered, but this tiny community of 200 is fast reinventing itself as a cat lover's paradise. "It was more fun than I imagined," said 31-year-old administrative assistant Yu Li-hsin, who visited from Taipei. "The cats were clean and totally unafraid of people. I'll definitely return."

On a recent weekday afternoon, dozens of white, black, grey and calico-coloured cats wandered freely amid Houtong's craggy byways, while visitors memorialized the scene with cellphone cameras and tickled the creatures silly with feather-tipped sticks. The cats' reaction seemed to range from indifference to reluctant engagement. Locals are delighted with the tourist influx, seeing it as an antidote to Houtong's stark decline etched in dozens of abandoned structures and acres of unkempt overgrowth.

Retiree Chan Bi-yun, 58, takes a lot of the credit for Houtong's feline-induced rebirth. "I started raising five cats that belonged to a neighbour who passed away nine years ago, and they gave birth to more and more kitties," she said. "Now I feed about half of Houtong's cat population." Chan said most of her proteges wander freely and she provides special help only for abandoned kittens. She also gets assistance from volunteers who provide free veterinary care and cat food.

this is for my friend 'the Cat Whisperer' VARainy

Duelling Sitars

JOKE: Ole and Lena

Ole and Lena went to the same Lutheran Church. Lena went every Sunday and taught Sunday School. Ole went on Christmas and Easter and once in a while, he went on one of the other Sundays. On one of those Sundays, he was in the pew right behind Lena and he noticed vhat a fine looking woman she was.

Vhile dey were taking up the collection, Ole leaned forward and said, "Hey, Lena, how about you and me go to dinner in New Ulm next Friday?"

"Yah, Ole, dot vould be nice," said Lena.

Well, Ole couldn't believe his luck. All week long he polished up his old Ford, and on Friday he picked Lena up and took her to the finest restaurant in New Ulm.
When they sat down, Ole looked over at Lena and said, "Hey, Lena, vould you like a cocktail before dinner?"

"Oh, no, Ole," said Lena. "Vat vould I tell my Sunday School class?"
Vell, Ole was set back a bit, so he didn't say much until after dinner. Then he reached in his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes.

"Hey, Lena," said Ole, "vould you like a smoke?"
"Oh, no, Ole," said Lena. "Vat vould I tell my Sunday School class?"

Vell, Ole vas feeling pretty low after that, so he yust got in his Ford and vas driving Lena home ven dey passed the Hot Springs Motel. He'd struck out twice already, so he figured he had nothing to lose.

"Hey, Lena," said Ole, "how vould you like to stop at that motel with me?"
"Yah, Ole, dot vould be nice," said Lena.

Vell, Ole couldn't believe his luck. He did a U-turn right then and there across the median and everything, and drove back to the motel and checked in vith Lena.
The next morning Ole got up first. He looked at Lena lying there in the bed, her hair all spread out on her pillow.

"Vat have I done? Vat have I done?" thought Ole.

He shook Lena and she woke up. "Lena, I've got to ask you von ting," said Ole. "Vat are you going to tell your Sunday School class?"

"Lena said, "The same ting I alvays tell dem. You don't have to smoke and drink to have a good time!"

�� Got Caption ?? 8/31

THIS IS SO COOL ..THE CHEVY 789..A CUSTOM CAR FOR YOU

After you hit the lotto and have a few, shall we say discretionary dollars, here is a car that you might like to park in your garage. I see cars as art and love them for their design and their capabilities.
789
 Melding design elements from different Chevy models, the 789 shows the world that you really can’t have enough of a good thing. Although the 789 looks instantly iconic, it is actually the best of three classics mounted atop a Le Mans-winning Corvette C6 chassis. Aptly named for the three years represented in the overall design, the 789 has the "hooded eyes"and chrome grille of a ’57, a mid-section that’s reminiscent of a ’58 Impala and the "bird in flight" rear tailfins of a ’59. These three Vehicles are all instantly recognizable classics celebrated by people around the world.
Owning and operating a classic car often proves difficult. Rarity of parts, expertise needed for installation, and potentially high upkeep or restoration costs are some of the problems with which collectors must deal. All of the money in the world spent to modify or modernize a vintage car will not change the reliability or performance problems associated with it. The 789 offers the best of both worlds: retro looks and styling, and it will fire up every time you turn the key. The body is constructed of lightweight composite panels. We have developed a process of using 80% carbon fiber with 20% fiberglass. This process gives us a light weight rigid part as if it was 100% carbon fiber with the minimal properties of fiberglass that allows for show quality paint and finish.
The customer can either provide us with a donor C6 series (2005-2009) Corvette, which currently retails for around $60,000 (though used models can be had for less), or we can locate one for you. After stripping the ‘Vette of its stock body, we hand-graft the retro body panels over the stock frame, suspension, and massive 440-horsepower, 6.0-liter aluminum-block V8 engine. The base cost of conversion is $80,000, which includes choice of interior/exterior color schemes, specific 789 exhaust, and PST high-performance sway bars. A full range of upgrades are available, including up to 800 hp powertrains, custom suspension, audio/video/navigation systems, interior customization, and more. We will build each 789 to meet the customer's specifications. However, please note that no previously built combination of paint scheme and interior treatment will be duplicated.
 

http://www.n2amotors.com/

VIDEO: Man rescues baby squirrel from oven hood and reunites it with its mother

"Came home to hear some squeaking in the vent above my stove. Found a baby squirrel inside and took apart the vent hood. Rescued lil baby squirrel and reunited him with his mommy.

Took about 2 hours from getting home to reunion. Lil bugger couldn't open his eyes. It was difficult resisting the urge to love him, feed him, raise him and call him George, but seeing that his mommy retrieved him made me feel better. A local animal welfare place told me to nail the box to a tree outside for the mom to hear his squeals. I had just set up my tripod with camcorder and I heard something moving in the tree. Lucky timing to capture the reunion. He had stopped squeaking a few minutes prior, so the mom probably smelled him."

VIDEO: Cat Loves Video Game