November 27th, 2008 | Posted in Strange
We’re all going to die, that’s just a fact of life that the realistic among us accept. Some of us even have a sense of humor in this regard, which can be reflected by the types of things we bequeath to those who are left behind. On the other hand, individuals who feel a bit slighted by life can offer a token of their anger or disillusionment in the form of a bizarre after death gift.
This is why there have been several stories of eccentric wills that have made their mark in history. These unusual gestures have provided us with laughter or food for thought, enabling us to look at matters of death in a different way.
Below is a list if the more noteworthy bequeaths that have struck a chord, or even a funny bone or two, with the living.
1. Bequeath to the cats – People aren’t the only lucky recipients of strange bequeaths. Take for instance the story of Jonathan Jackson of Columbus Ohio. Having departed the earth in 1880, his will stipulated that his family create a house that was to be enjoyed solely by cats. These lucky felines would partake in numerous “creature” comforts, including an exercise area, bedrooms, a dining hall, auditorium, a conversation room and roofs that were made so that frisky felines could climb them!
2. To the beat of a different drummer – An American hatter named S. Sanborn who died in 1871 bequeathed his body to one Oliver Wendell Holmes., SR for Harvard Medical School. He did ask that his skin be made into two separate drums that were to be presented to his friend Warren Simpson, so he could play the YANKEE DOODLE tune at Bunker’s Hill every June 17th at the crack of dawn.
3. Soul searching – literally – Most of us wonder if there is life after death. But James Kidd, and Arizona Miner who was declared dead in 1956 after disappearing in 1949, put his money where his mouth was. In his will, he asked that his $275,000 dollar estate be bequeathed to any organization that could prove the existence of the human soul. Hundreds of agencies applied, but the money was finally awarded to the American Society for Psychological Research in New York City in 1971 after its existence could not be proven.
4. Napoleon Master of Life and Posthumous bequeaths – Napoleon was just as apt at doling out his possessions after death as he was at barking out orders on the battlefield. With a large catalogue of his smallest properties mapped, he willed used toiletries to specific relatives, family members, descendants and even his faithful manservant.
5. Pink Monkeys and snakes – When Memphis Tennessee resident and alcoholic E.J. Halley died in 1910, he decided to leave a little something to everyone who had did him a good turn. One example was $5,000 for a hospital cook who “took snakes out of his broth.” A nurse was also given the same amount for removing a “pink monkey” from under his bed. Imagine … “of sound mind and body”.
6. Displaying a love of life – when philosopher Jeremy Bentham left this world, he decided to give his body to the University College London, where it is currently on display for any and all who decide to visit the hallowed halls he once roamed.
7. To be or not to be — In 1955 Juan Potomachi bequeathed his skull to the Teatro Dramatico Theatre so it can be used in the Shakespearean play Hamlet. The theatre happily complied since the request came with a $ 50,000 dollar price tag.
8. The great escape – Harry Houdini died in 1926 when his appendix ruptured. Shortly after this tragedy, he bequeathed books on magic and the occult to the American Society for Psychological Research but only if the research officer and editor, ASPR Journal, J. Malcolm Bird, resigned. Bird would not resign, so the books were left to the Library of Congress.
9. A gram worth of love – Famed scientist Marie Curie died in 1934, but astounded the world once more with a most unusual Bequeath. She willed a gram of radium to the University of Paris. She also stipulated that her daughter, Irene Curie, have the ability to use the gram at will to continue on her research.
10. I bequeath to you a party – Janis Joplin was a free spirit and with a bitter sweet existence that was exemplified by the instructions in her will. Made just two days before her death, Janis left $2,500 dollars for a night long party at her fave hangout in San Anselmo, California, for all her friends.
11. I leave you five cigars a day – Californian Robert Brett loved cigars—unfortunately his wife did not share this passion and incessantly nagged him to quit. She even went so far as to not allow him to smoke in their house. Upon his death, he obtained grave justice. His wife could obtain his massive estate—if she would smoke five cigars a day for the rest of her life…
And here was a particularly weird way to obtain a bequeath:
12. A roll of the die — Executed in 1921, Bermudian tycoon Henry Durrell left an estate that overlooked Hamilton Harbor to nephew Richard Durrell. While this is not an odd bequeath, the method of attainment was. Stipulated in the will, was that his three nephews, whom he loved equally, roll a pair of dice to see who would get the land.
As a modern society places more of an emphasis on living highly individualized lives, our last will and testaments will underscore this social trend. Not a bad thing, since life and death are all very personal events and we all have the right to define how we wish to live and what we wish to leave to others once we go.
This trend will most likely not end any time soon and in fact, some people will reach beyond the grave to ensure that others do their bidding. An example is someone who creates a will that stipulates the terms of an inheritance.
Who knows what the future will bring in this regard, but it will moist certainly be interesting and perhaps more than a bit bizarre.
Wc 1026
Resources:
http://www.trivia-library.com/c/weird-and-bizarre-last-will-and-testaments-part-1.htm
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/30/america/30leona.php
http://www.legalzoom.com/legal-articles/article13204.html
http://people.howstuffworks.com/9-strange-last-wills-and-testaments.htm
November 19th, 2008 | Posted in Strange
In today’s times, hidden stashes of money aren’t discovered very often. Sure massive offshore accounts surface routinely, but what about cold hard cash? A secret stash found just this month however by a charity worker in Glen Carbon Illinois got me thinking … what are the strangest places money has been found?
So, I did a little research, and here’s what I found:
1. In November of 2008, a charity worker found $7,500 stashed in a shoebox at a local Goodwill in Glen Carbon, IL. She turned it in to her boss who, in turn, told the company President. If the money’s owner is not found, Goodwill intends to use it for the charity’s job-placement efforts. Source
2. In Windber, PA, piles of old coins were found leaking out of a hole in an upstairs wall of a derelict house. Apparently, a previous homeowner threw the money into the hole. Some of the coins dated back to the late 1700’s, and the estimated total value found was near $200,000. Source
3. Bob Kitts, a contractor in Cleveland, OH, found $182,000 of Depression-era money hidden in a bathroom wall. He told the homeowner about it and they discussed splitting the money. But after not being able to come to an agreement on who should get how much of the found money, they ended up in legal battle over it. Furthermore, as the money was found with an envelope with a return address to a specific person, the family’s descendants also became involved in the court case. Source
4. In Wisconsin, November 2006, a sanitation worker discovered $1900 in an envelope on the underside of a desk at a drop off site for city garbage. He turned the money in, went through the waiting period, but never saw a dime of it despite the fact that it was never claimed. Source
5. Three Boulder Colorado children were walking through a field in February, 2005 where they came across a duffel bag full of moldy money. After being turned into the Boulder Police, the found money could not be placed as ever having been lost! So after the usual waiting period, the Police gave the money back to the parents of the kids who divided it fairly amongst themselves. One mother said it would be a great start on a college fund. Source
6 In 1865 during the moving of an old city graveyard, an Irish actress’ metal coffin with a glass
facing was found. Through the glass, workers were able to see that she was interred with thousands of dollars (later estimated at $5,000) worth of jewelry. She was still in full stage costume of her last theatrical appearance. Source
7 In 1890, a pot of gold was found under a house in Tiffin, Hancock County (USA). During a pest control effort (the house had rats!), a hole in the hallway floor was discovered. After pulling up some of the flooring, silver coin was found in small denominations of French, Spanish and Mexican coin – some dated as early as 1811. A further discovery revealed an old coffee pot buried beneath the house full of shiny gold American coins. It was estimated that approximately $50,000 was found. Imagine that amount in 1890! Source
So while DB Cooper’s hijacked $200,000 was never found, it still could be! You never know when found money will surface. So if you have forgotten boxes in your great grandma’s house, it may be worthwhile to have a look and see if there’s anything mysteriously old and valuable. Or maybe, your next home renovation will pay for itself! You never know.
October 21st, 2008 | Posted in Banks, Strange
Banks are in the business of making money. For them to make money, they need your business. So, to get your business, often banks will offer incentives to get you to open an account with them; things like higher interest savings rates, no fees, and unlimited transactions are all examples of ways financial institutions get you to try and bank with them. Seems reasonable enough, and getting the best deal for your money is always a good idea, whether you’re investing onshore or offshore.
Some banks though, have taken the idea of incentive promotion to an entirely different level. From the excessive to the downright bizarre, when it comes to getting your business, some banks are not against thinking outside the box.
1.) Free Cars!
Banesto, a bank in Spain, has recently started offering cars to people opening new accounts with them. If you invest between $26,400 -$235,000 for 24 to 36 months, Banesto will give you a free car. (The more money you invest, the nicer the car you get.) The catch? Your money is locked in for the contract time, and you won’t get one penny of interest for the duration of time your money sits in the bank. This deal means you’re exchanging the potential for growth on your money for a depreciating asset, but it’s still cool to get a car from a bank.
2.) Free Guns!
As Michael Moore let us know in Bowling for Columbine, North Country Financial Corp offers guns for savings. The 26 branches of the financial institution offers a deal where if you have $869 or more to put in a 20 year certificate of deposit, you can have your choice of six Weatherby shotguns or a limited-edition rifle, a promotion that’s been running for over 10 years. Gun enthusiasts from all across America have taken advantage of the deal, letting the marriage of guns and banks continues on in its strange way in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
3.) Free Cassettes!
Back in 1985, Midland Bank (now HSBC) in England wanted to attract students to their accounts so they needed to come up with a promotion to appeal to them. Of course, being the mid-1980s, the priorities of the young were clear. So Midland Bank jumped on the opportunity and offered four TDK blank cassettes for opening an account with them. These were, after all, the days of the mixed tape.
4.) Free Movie Tickets! (Just for you though)
Barclays bank knows that students care about having fun, so if you open an account with them, you can treat yourself to a night at the movies on them once a month for six months. Unfortunately though, the deal is only for one movie ticket, so you might be going by yourself. Not to worry though, if you sign up for a credit card through Barclays, you’ll get two free tickets a month, so you won’t have to sit by yourself at the show.
5.) Free Paper Shredders!
Fidelity bank in Fitchburg, Massachusetts loved the idea of educating their consumers when they were coming up with their idea for an incentive gift. That’s why they decided to give their consumers a free paper shredder when they became customers. Not only is it a useful household item to have, it also reminds people of the dangers of identity theft.
6.) Free Ipods!
If you deposit $1,500 and make two online bill payments a month for a year, Citibank will give you a 512Mb Ipod Shuffle. Unfortunately, you won’t get the shuffle until three months after you make the first two bill payments. Even more unfortunately, if you miss a payment in a month, the bank will charge you $99. Apparently, there’s no such free think as a free Ipod.
7.) Free Curry!
It’s a fact of life that people in England like their curry. That’s why Lloyds Bank knew that it would be a good lure to attract students (who always need to eat) to their bank. If you open account with Lloyds, instead of getting things like lower fees or overdraft protection, you’ll get 12 vouchers for two curries.
8.) Free Wallflowers concert!
In 2005, Netbank decided the best way to attract new customers to their business was to offer a free, exclusive concert with the Wallflowers. In order to receive your tickets, all you had to do was open a checking account with $500 and sign up for a Visa check card, open a money market account with a minimum deposit of $1,500 or open a 1 year Certificate of Deposit with a minimum deposit of $1,500. Seems like a lot of effort to move your money around, but hey! Free Wallflowers concert!
If you ever hear again that banks are run by stodgy, conservative types with no thought to the creative process, look at this list, and know, that for some bizarre reason, there was a bank out there that offered curries for cash.
