“China is the world’s 3^rd largest country, and with over 1.3 billion people, the most populous. For decades China remained closed off to the outside world, either struggling through the troubles of civil war or due to the secretive nature of its Communist government… In between these polished golden skyscrapers and beneath the looming financial might are the people who keep the cities ticking, the average citizens who provide the work – and oil the gears of the newest kid on the superpower block. Because of the population density and its associated issues, the citizens of China’s most populous city, Shanghai, have developed their own means of ensuring progress. Here is a glimpse at some of the most innovative means used.” w/ photos

“If you don’t think coupon clipping is worth it, you have to check this out. This lady got over $250 worth of food for $6. Get with the program.” — SGTdopushups

“The driver of this lorry had a miraculous escape after his vehicle was left suspended over a 200ft drop… by a single punctured tire. The man lost control of his vehicle along a major road, clipped the concrete wall of a bridge and the heavy lorry rolled over as it slid perilously close to the edge. A passerby caught the moment on camera as the momentum of the lorry carried it into the barrier and flipped it over the top. But thanks to the punctured tire and pieces of torn sheet metal on the ground near the diesel tank, the lorry was somehow pinned in place suspended upside down over the deep gorge below. Rescuers tentatively approached the vehicle and managed to pull the driver to safety, despite the fact the tire could have given way at any time. The barriers on the bridge are clearly too low to be an effective safety measure for lorries and it is unknown if the vehicle was recovered, or allowed to fall into the gorge.” w/ photos

“A fox, believed to be the biggest ever found in Britain, has been caught and killed after it apparently ate a family’s pet cat. The giant creature was twice the normal size of its species and weighed 26.5lb – or nearly two stone. It was 4ft long – the same length as an average seven-year-old child and about the size of a coyote, dingo or Iberian lynx.” w/ photo + video

“Wildlife officials are trying to determine what caused more than 1,000 blackbirds to die and fall from the sky over an Arkansas town. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission said Saturday that it began receiving reports about the dead birds about 11:30 p.m. the previous night. The birds fell over a 1-mile area of Beebe, and an aerial survey indicated that no other dead birds were found outside of that area. Commission ornithologist Karen Rowe said the birds showed physical trauma, and she speculated that “the flock could have been hit by lightning or high-altitude hail.” The commission said that New Year’s Eve revelers shooting off fireworks in the area could have startled the birds from their roost and caused them to die from stress.” w/ photos

“A dog in Germany has given birth to 17 puppies, leaving their owner thrilled but fatigued after having to feed them with a bottle for several weeks because their mother couldn’t cope with the demand. Owner Ramona Wegemann said Monday she barely slept for more than a couple of minutes without interruption during about four weeks in an ‘exhausting’ struggle to make sure all of the purebred Rhodesian Ridgeback puppies would survive. She said when she was “finished feeding the last puppy, the first was hungry again.” Wegemann’s dog Etana gave birth to eight female and nine male puppies in Ebereschenhof, which is near Berlin. At least five times a day, Wegemann gave the dogs a bottle with special milk because their mother’s nipples could have never coped with the demand, and when the puppies were not hungry, they wanted to be entertained, she said.” w/ photos

“Surrounded by examples of decadent wealth, Abu Dhabi is probably the only place where an $11m Christmas tree might not seem a little over the top. Dubbed one of the ‘most expensive Christmas trees ever’, the glitzy Emirates Palace hotel has unveiled the 40ft evergreen in its gold-leaf bedecked atrium. Decorated with traditional silver and gold bows, baubles and white lights, the tree is also decked out in necklaces, earrings and other jewellery giving it its record value. It holds a total of 181 diamonds, pearls, emeralds, sapphires and other precious stones according to Khalifa Khouri, owner of Style Gallery which provided the jewellery. Hans Olbertz, general manager of the hotel, said: ‘The tree itself is about $10,000. The jewellery has a value of over $11million – I think 11.4m, 11.5m.’ He added that the hotel would apply to the Guinness Book of World Records to find out if its tree is the most expensive ever.” w/ photos

“A normal day in the life of Chuck Norris.”

“Ha Wenjin, a dog lover from China, has given up her job, sold her house, car and jewelry to take care of over 1,500 dogs and 200 cats. The middle-aged woman says she started out with just a few dogs that she could tend to in her spare time, but as their number kept growing, she had to give up her career and spend her entire day caring to the dogs’ needs. Before she knew it, she practically had her personal animal shelter, complete with 10 workers who look after the dogs, and 2 more who take care of the cats. LIFE Magazine first reported on Ha Wenjin‘s amazing animal shelter, in 2006, and the resourceful woman managed to keep the facility outside Nanjing running until now. She had a number of volunteers coming in at least once a week to check on the dogs, and people donated most of the food. But now, the 1,500 dogs and 200 cats have to move to a new home, as Chinese government officials reclaimed the land the shelter is built on, and threaten to close the place down.” w/ photos

“To some it’s just a bunch of bird pictures. To others, John James Audubon’s ‘Birds of America’ is a rare blend of art, natural history and craftsmanship, unique enough to sell for more than $10 million at a London auction — making it the world’s most expensive book. Some of the world’s wealthiest book collectors had been anticipating the auction for months: it represents a chance to own one of the best preserved editions of Aubudon’s 19th Century masterpiece, with its 435 hand-colored illustrations. The book sold for $10,270,000 at a Sotheby’s auction to an anonymous collector bidding by telephone, the auction house said. Each individual picture is so valuable there have been some fears the volume could be broken up and sold as 435 separate works of art. Experts believe that unlikely: the tome is probably more valuable intact. And collectors hold Audobon in such reverence that the notion of ripping apart a perfect copy would be akin to sacrilege.” w/ photo