WhiteBoard News for Friday, October 3, 2003

Houston, Texas (San Francisco Chronicle):

From Lear jets to mermaid suits, Neiman Marcus is offering up another collection of wondrous and whimsical holiday gifts for wealthy shoppers. 

The luxury retailer showed off items from its 77th annual Christmas book on Tuesday. Some entries are expected to sell out quickly, including 50 models of the new BMW 645Ci coupe, at $75,170 each. 

Neiman Marcus officials admit it's difficult to gauge demand for other offerings, such as his-and-hers robots. The opera-singing, hip-hop-dancing robots are priced at $400,000 a pair. 

"They prompt the question (longtime company chairman) Stanley Marcus always wanted people to ask: Who would buy one of those?" said Brendan Hoffman, chief executive of Neiman Marcus Direct, the retailer's catalog and Internet unit. 

The catalog has 503 items, from that Lear jet priced at $12.7 million to a silver-plated paperweight for $15. 

Neiman Marcus won't say how much the catalog brings in each year, and Hoffman declined to say whether last year's book earned more than the 2001 edition. 

The company prints about 90 catalogs a year and some with wider circulation and lower prices, such as its chef's book, officials said. 

But the Christmas book is the Dallas-based retailer's signature catalog, and Hoffman predicted a good year despite the sluggish economy. 

"We are very optimistic it's going to be a terrific holiday season," he said. "Neiman Marcus has had several good months in a row." 

The Christmas book, of course, is aimed at affluent shoppers who aren't much affected by the economy. 

How else to explain a $10,000 mermaid tail with faux pearls? The fantasy gift was designed for the WB television series "Charmed." 

"I've never worn a tail suit before," allowed Misha Sturns, a fashion model from Dallas, as she worked her feet into the outfit. 
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Memphis, Tennessee (Memphis Commercial Appeal):

Sometimes the best way to a man's heart is through his rib cage with an 8-inch butcher knife. 

Shirley Martin pleaded guilty this week to misdemeanor assault for stabbing boyfriend Larry Henry during an argument in March. She was sentenced to two months in jail, which she already served before making bond. 

According to police reports, Martin, 42, stabbed Henry in the right side of the chest because she thought he was looking up the skirt of another woman. 

Martin was initially charged with felony aggravated assault, but was allowed to plead guilty to a lesser charge because Henry told investigators he did not want to press the matter.

"They've worked out their differences," said state prosecutor Tiffani Taylor, "and they plan to get married next month." 
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Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (Reuters):

An 80-year-old man lived up to a reputation for being "tough as nails" when he decided that burning 40 percent of his body was not a big enough problem to seek immediate medical help, police say. 

The man, who was already recovering from hip surgery without the aid of pain killers, was removing an old oil tank from his Burnaby, British Columbia, home on Tuesday, when sparks from his grinder ignited fumes. 

The man then went inside his house, cut off his burned cloths and hair, took a bath to cool down and applied skin lotion to his burns before deciding to call an ambulance. He was waiting outside wearing his coat when it arrived. 

"He did think about driving himself to the hospital, but decided against it since he was shaking so badly," said Const. Phil Reid of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. 

Police did not release the man's name but said he was recovering in a hospital "in good spirits, laughing, talking and blaming the incident on his stupidity." 
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Berlin, Germany (Reuters):

A German TV network's regular early morning film of a burning log is playing havoc with night owls and even tricked a woman into calling out the fire brigade. 

A spokesman for police in the northern town of Luebeck said on Thursday that the woman woke up thinking her television was on fire, called emergency services and alerted her neighbours. 

"Fire services rushed in and extinguished the 'blaze' using the television remote control," the spokesman said. 

Sabine Kreft of the Super RTL network said the "burning log" video which runs from three until six in the morning is popular, promotes congeniality, but is distinguishable from a real fire. 

"Once I heard an old lady poured water on her TV. But most people should really be able to tell the difference." 
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Chow
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