Written by Andrew Baugh, DM by Mikey Courtney
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Most would argue that a dog is man’s best friend. They roll around and act adorable. They bark loudly when you are trying to leave the house. They are a popular excuse for a child’s missing homework. However, they can also be expensive. While Wayne Klinkel and his wife were enjoying a pleasant lunch, his dog Sundance was enjoying a lunch of his own—$500 in cash, to be exact. Upon discovering the remains of a $100 bill, the Montana man immediately knew what had happened. “He’s been notorious for eating paper products,” Klinkel said. Most people would have accepted the $500 accident, but Klinkel is not most people. For the next few days after the incident, he collected the dog’s droppings. He then parsed through the remains to find the parts of the bills. After washing them, he taped the pieces back together and eventually mailed them to the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Mutilated Currency Division. Six months after Sundance’s feast, Klinkel received a check in the mail for the $500. It just goes to show that a solution can be found to even the ruffest situation.
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China
Puffer fish are great. Aside from being one of the most poisonous animals on earth, they turn into cute, pointy balls when they’re afraid. China must agree with the sentiment since they built a giant copper viewing tower in the shape of one. Constructed on an island in Yangzhong county, eastern Jiangsu province, this 15 story aquatic monster cost around $11.4 million. While some residents believe this will improve the country’s image, others believe it is a waste of money, sparking heavy debate online. The local Jiangsu government has said that its debt is manageable and does not believe the tower to be a waste. In fact, they are marketing it as the world’s largest metal construction in terms of volume. I’m not certain of the legitimacy of such a claim, but it’s still an impressive feat. This is assuredly the most important metal fish since the Iron Maiden underwater tour of ’79.
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United States
Do you ever love something so much that you just can’t get enough of it? A good TV show, a warm cup of apple cider, snakes. Wait, what? Authorities in Shirley, New York found 850 snakes in the home of a local animal control officer. Included with the lot were two illegal six-foot-long Burmese pythons. The officers raided the home to find it swarming with the rambunctious reptiles, which they believed the suspect to be dealing. He is cooperating with investigators and faces charges of owning the illegal pythons and operating a business without a permit. The pythons will be safely transferred to an animal sanctuary, but the fate of the rest of the snakes remains unknown. If I had to guess, I would say they might be headed for a plane with Samuel L. Jackson.
