Jockstrip: The world as we know it

City refuses break on $10,000 water bill

BELLEVUE, Wash., Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Bellevue, Wash., city officials told Leslie Schofield they are sorry her water hose leaked, but she still must pay the bill -- $10,000 for 1.4 million gallons.

Schofield, who received the bill in May, has been unsuccessful in convincing Bellevue officials she should receive a discount for the water that flowed into Lake Washington for weeks or months, the Seattle Times reported.

The City Council earlier this week also rejected her request to be charged the wholesale rate.

"Wholesale is fair," Schofield said at the meeting. "There is no loss (to the city), there just isn't profit."

However, city officials said their policy on leaks from unburied water sources is clear: If they leak, the owner pays for the water used.

"We really feel bad for her," Utilities Director Brad Miyake said. "It's really unfortunate. But our policy is very straightforward."

The best offer from Bellevue so far: Schofield can pay $1,000 per month until the bill is paid.

Martini on the rocks, a $13K diamond ring

NEW YORK, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Melissa Beck got the best martini of her life at New York's Algonquin hotel -- the drink came on the rocks, with a 1.85-carat diamond engagement ring.

The New York Daily News reported Wednesday Westchester County resident Joe Imperato, 28, popped the question at the hotel's Blue Bar Tuesday, taking advantage of their new "Martini on the Rock" deal.

The martini ran him $13,000, including the square-cut diamond ring from the hotel's jeweler, Bader & Garrin.

Beck's response was definitely good, the Daily News reported, even though she's not a longtime martini fan.

"Oh, my God!" Beck gasped as Imperato got on one knee and asked her to marry him. "Yes! Omigod!"

And despite her antipathy for the taste of martinis, "This one," she said, "is going to taste great."

Lefties may be looking for a good fight

LONDON, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Researchers at France's University of Montpellier say being left-handed gives people an advantage in hand-to-hand combat, The Independent reported.

Charlotte Faurie and Michel Raymond believe the more violence there is in a pre-industrial society, the greater the advantage of being left-handed. That was based on a comparison of homicide rates in eight native societies around the world, from the Inuit of the Arctic to the Yanamamo Indians of the Amazon. They found as the measure of violent aggression increased in each society, so did the proportion of men who are left-handed.

It is also established that left-handers often have an edge in sports such as tennis, boxing or baseball, where there are dual confrontations between opposing competitors. Other sports, such as gymnastics, show no such bias.

Alexander the Great was left-handed, as was Billy the Kid, Napoleon, John McEnroe and Jack the Ripper.

However, it is also known left-handers tend to suffer more health problems and are at greater risk of serious accidents compared to right-handers.

Queen Elizabeth hosts drag queen

LONDON, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- It was queen against queen at the British royal's Christmas party and as always Queen Elizabeth, although at first taken aback, kept her cool.

With his Wizard of Oz-style dress, heavy make-up and artificial flower in his blond shoulder-length hair, artist and sometimes drag queen Grayson Perry said he undoubtedly stood out among the 500 guests gathered at Buckingham Palace, the Sun reported The real queen seemed momentarily dazed by Perry, who produces ceramic art and prints.

"She asked me what I did, and when I explained she seemed more comfortable," he said. "But I don't think she could believe her eyes when she saw me."

Perry's psychotherapist wife Philippa told the newspaper she was used to her husband's obsession with cross-dressing, and preferred it to him being obsessed with soccer.