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An 11-month-old Tibetan mastiff named Hong Dong (Big Splash) broke the record for dog prices, going to a new home in China for 10 million RMB, which is £945,000 or about $1.5 million US.
Tibetan Mastiffs are huge and fierce guard dogs that have stood watch over nomad camps and monasteries on the Tibetan plateau for centuries.
They are thought to be one of the world’s oldest breeds, and legend has it that both Genghis Khan and Lord Buddha kept them.
More recently, however, they have become highly-prized status symbols for China’s new rich. The dogs are thought to be a pure “Chinese” breed and they are rarely found outside Tibet, giving them an exclusivity that other breeds cannot match.
Accordingly, prices have risen from around 5,000 yuan a puppy five years ago to the hundreds of thousands and even millions.
Hong Dong’s new owner will command high stud fees, as much as 100,000 RMB and may earn his money back soon. Link -via The Daily What
They do things differently in Abu Dhabi. The Christmas tree gracing the atrium at the Emirates Palace Hotel is decked with real gold and precious gems.
The hotel’s general manager, Hans Olbertz, was quoted in local newspapers Thursday as saying the 43-foot (13-meter) faux fir has 131 ornaments that include gold and precious stones such as diamonds and sapphires.
Olbertz told Dubai’s Gulf News that he worked with one of the jewelers in the hotel to create a “unique tree and experience for our guests this year.” The hotel may later contact Guinness World Records for a possible bid as the world’s most expensive Christmas tree.
No, most people in Abu Dhabi do not celebrate Christmas, but why let that little detail get in the way of going for a Guinness record? Link -via J-Walk Blog
People make mistakes all the time. Some, however, are bigger than others. Here are some cases where a simple misspelling, punctuation error, or forgetfulness cost someone millions of dollars.
Rogers Communications thought they had an ironclad five year contract with Aliant. However Aliant, being the grammar police that they are, saw it differently. They cited this sentence: The agreement “shall continue in force for a period of five years from the date it is made, and thereafter for successive five-year terms, unless and until terminated by one year prior notice in writing by either party.” Had the second comma not been there, Aliant would have had to honor the first five years of the contract before anything could be changed. But because of the comma, Aliant cancelled it early and almost tripled their prices, costing Rogers Communications $2.13 million.
From the Upcoming 
ueue, submitted by 
They call it “The Eighth Continent”, and this bathing experience starts at only $50,000 from the ME! Bath® company. You get a combination of glacier water and Hawaiian deep-sea water. Add Arabian Sidr Honey, Peruvian Pink Salt, Illipe Butter from Borneo, Murumuru Butter from the Amazon, Kokum Butter from India, Israeli Jojoba Oil, and 24-karat gold. The final price depends on whether you want to have this bath in a spa or in your home. Link -via J-Walk Blog
(image credit: Flickr user dieselbug2007)
The French Laundry Restaurant in Yountville, California may have food to die for, but can you pay for it? Chef and proprietor Thomas Keller was named Best American Chef by TIME magazine in 2001. The restaurant gets consistently top ratings. Still, when you see the prices of the meals, you might want to start saving up now if you ever want to eat there! The bill shown here is not the only one you’ll see in this post, and you’ll also get a “taste” of the portion sizes as the food is presented.
From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by 
Two ovens for the price of 10! Actually, the selling point of this TurboChef is its top oven, which purports to cook food 15 times faster than a normal oven. The company claims that the speed oven will cook a 12-pound turkey in just 42 minutes by using a patented combination of hot air and microwave technology. The bottom oven is a normal, high-quality convection oven.
This is part of Kitchen porn: 8 of the most outrageous food gadgets money can buy, from DVICE. There are plenty more cooking aids for people who have big bucks. Link -via Digg
What on earth possessed Rachel Hunter to create a $30,000 dog house for her pooch? From the looks of this list, she’s not alone, but seriously! There has to be some mortgage/pork barrel joke here
The size (and cost) of these canine abodes is nothing to bark about—especially considering all the thought and handiwork behind them. While we’re the first to admit that the dwellings are a bit over the top, we have to confess that we do tend to indulge in a little pet spoiling from time to time. From the über-chic French Chateau dog house to Rachel Hunter’s Mexican Hacienda dog house, this type of pampering may be outside our price range, but it’s still fun to dream. Check out the pet palaces below to discover new ways to let sleeping dogs lie.
From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by ahammel.
The Dovima, as the shoe is known, is beautiful (and slightly creepy) thanks to the rose pink-dyed taxidermy birds perched delicately on each toe. Each stuffed bird also has a crystal-encrusted head and is further complemented by 24 ct gold-coated mesh, silk, ribbons, and crocodile-skin rosettes. Plus every pair comes with special protective crocodile or snakeskin platforms that attach before you wear them to keep the shoes from ever touching the ground.
Link -via J-Walk Blog
