Guy doesn't realized his nest egg is worth $33 million

$33 million Faberge Egg discovered by scrap metal dealer

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LONDON, March 19 (UPI) -- A U.S. scrap metal dealer intending to melt down an ornament for its gold was shocked to discover it was a $33 million Faberge egg, a British expert said.

Kieran McCarthy of London jeweler Wartski said the scrap metal dealer, who wished to remain anonymous, bought the gold egg for $13,302 from an antiques dealer about a decade ago and had planned to melt it down and sell the metal, but the project was put on hold when he was unable to find a buyer, the Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday.

McCarthy said the egg stayed in the man's home until a night in 2012 when he decided to Google "egg" and "Vacheron Constantin," the name etched on the timepiece inside the egg.

The man discovered a Telegraph article from earlier that year that included an interview with McCarthy and a picture of the egg in his possession.

"He saw the article and recognized his egg in the picture. He flew straight over to London -- the first time he had ever been to Europe -- and came to see us. He hadn't slept for days," McCarthy said. "He brought pictures of the egg and I knew instantaneously that was it. I was flabbergasted -- it was like being Indiana Jones and finding the Lost Ark."

McCarthy said he flew to the United States and verified the egg.

"I examined it and said, 'You have an Imperial Faberge Easter Egg.' And he practically fainted. He literally fell to the floor in astonishment," he said.

The egg, created by Carl Faberge for Tsar Alexander III in 1887, was purchased by Wartski on behalf of a Faberge collector.

McCarthy said the scrap dealer is "petrified" of his newfound wealth becoming public knowledge.

"He's from another world entirely. It's a world of diners and pick-up trucks, real blue-collar America, and he and his partner are still stunned by all this," he said. "When I saw them in January, they hadn't moved out but they were going to, although I think it was just to a bigger house around the corner. They've also bought a new car."


Read more: http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2014/03/19/33-million-Faberge-Egg-discovered-by-scrap-metal-dealer/UPI-74331395259208/#ixzz2wTBrJKQS

15-year-old British boy has beaten off professional photographers from across the world to win an international photo prize: Squirrel Freezing

A 15-year-old British boy has beaten off professional photographers from across the world to win an international photo prize.

Kyle Moore, from Suffolk, took first place in the Celebrating Nature competition run by the Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers.

The teenager, who took up photography when he was 12, won with his picture of a squirrel shivering in the snow. 'The image was taken in my local town park on a snowy winter's morning,' he said.

'As we had a snow fall I decided to go there to photograph the squirrels that love the park. I had to lay on the freezing ground to get eye level with the squirrel, and luckily it paused just for a second, in order for me to capture a sharp image.'

The competition, which is open to amateur and professional photographers, attracted more than 500 entries worldwide.



VIA Daily Mailer

Listen Up DC Cabbies! - Sacramento Cabbies Upset Over Proposed Hygiene, Dress Code Requirements

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — New proposed rules for cab drivers in Sacramento are causing some cabbies to think they’re being taken for a ride.

At a time when competition has never been more fierce, they say the new rules, including a dress code and hygiene guidelines, are just not fair.

Ahmid Mahmoud is fired up about the proposed changes.

“We don’t have rent to pay? We don’t have bills to pay?” he said.

So he’s lining up his fellow drivers to take on City Hall.

The city is considering putting stricter rules in place for Sacramento taxi drivers including:

  • Making sure vehicles are no more than 8 years old,
  • A dress code of a collared shirt and slacks,
  • Making it mandatory for all taxis to accept credit cards,
  • and a new policy requiring drivers to be hygienically clean.

“That’s very insulting for me, and for all drivers,” Mahmoud said, calling the last requirement unnecessary.

Facing growing competition from Web-based rides Uber and the ride-sharing service Lyft, some Sacramento taxi drivers say the proposed cabbie crackdown could put the brakes on their business.

The city calls it good business.

“I want them to be the ambassadors, and be the representatives for our city,” said Dafna Gauthier.

The proposal also calls for drivers to take a cabbie quiz testing their command of the English language.

ome are hoping the changes go through, but Mahmoud might beg to differ.

“You don’t tell them after 25 years or 10 years you need to take a test,” he said.

The quiz would include directional questions: One city official says a cabbie didn’t know how to take her five blocks from City Hall to the Capitol.

VIA cbslocal

'Rock paper drivers': Bored motorists stuck in traffic play classic game against each other Yahoo News

When you’re stuck in traffic, you’ll do almost anything to pass the time.

And when these two motorists found themselves going nowhere in a big jam, they decided to entertain each other - by playing ‘Rock-paper-scissors’ through the window.

A third motorist, also stuck in the queue, filmed the two drivers squaring off in the battle of wits.

The driver of the rear car took an early lead, winning two consecutive rounds with his ‘scissors’ against the other motorist’s paper, and then using stone to beat scissors.

In the 24-second clip, the rear brings their arm back inside the window to seemingly call it a day, only to be coaxed out for another go.

On the third occasion, the front driver comes out on top by producing scissors.