Jockstrip: The world as we know it.

Collector buys rare Obama doodle

CHICAGO, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- An Illinois memorabilia collector says he jumped at the chance to pay $2,075 for a doodle drawn by U.S. President-elect Barack Obama.

Wayne Berzon of Northbrook said despite the hefty price attached to the doodle created by the former U.S. senator for a National Doodle Day held by Neurofibromatosis Inc. in May 2007, his online auction win was well worth the cost, the Chicago Tribune reported Sunday.

"I'm not sure I would sell it for any price," the financial consultant said. "I mean, how many times can you put up a piece of original artwork by a president of the United States who also happens to have made history? It's a wonderful conversation piece."

The soon-to-be 44th president of the United States -- who resigned the Senate effective Sunday -- created the drawing for the charity, which raises money for tumor research.

The drawing features rudimentary likenesses of four Democratic U.S. senators -- Harry Reid of Nevada, Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, Charles Schumer of New York and Dianne Feinstein of California.

Christmas tree made whole again

MILWAUKEE, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Milwaukee's broken Christmas tree is standing straight and tall once more, and workers say it should stay that way through the holiday season.

The top section of the 45-foot blue spruce broke off Thursday morning as the tree was being loaded onto a truck to be taken downtown, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. The tree was cut in a city resident's front yard.

David Sivyer, the forestry manager, said the sections were reattached once the tree got to its destination in Red Arrow Park. Workers used steel rods and cable, along with straps.

"We want to eliminate any chance that it would fail and so we probably over-engineered it," he said. "But we wanted to do our best to salvage the tree."

The Alvarez family -- Gilberto, Virginia and their daughter, Yolanda -- had been trying to give the tree to the city for the past four Christmases. The tree is scheduled to be festooned with thousands of lights Monday and be ready in time for Thursday's lighting ceremony.

British teen sets off on global voyage

PORTSMOUTH, England, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- A British teen who has already set a trans-Atlantic record set off Saturday on a voyage that could make him the youngest person to sail solo around the world.

Michael Perham, 16, left Portsmouth at the helm of a 50-foot racing yacht, The Telegraph reported. He plans a 21,000-mile trip south along the coast of Africa, around the Cape of Good Hope and then east across the Indian Ocean and the Pacific into the South Atlantic.

Perham sailed solo across the Atlantic at age 14. His father followed him in another craft on that trip, but this time the young adventurer will be on his own.

He has received advice from psychologists on coping with solitude, and loaded several thousand songs into his iPod. He has also brought along some school work and other necessities.

"I've got loads of chocolate -- Dairy Milk, Toblerone, things like that are complete luxuries," he said. "Your calorie intake goes right up because you need it."

A U.S. teenager, Zac Sunderland, who began a circumnavigation before Perham, has broken off his voyage, although he plans to resume it next summer. Perham said he hopes to be back in Portsmouth by then.

Woman, 81, suspect in soccer star burglary

LIVERPOOL, England, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- An 81-year-old woman was among five suspects arrested on charges of stealing an Olympic medal and other valuables from an English soccer star.

The woman and four other people -- ranging in age from 19 to 45 -- were taken into custody Thursday night in raids on three houses in Liverpool, the Liverpool Echo reported. All were being held on suspicion of burglary.

Police said a bronze medal from the Beijing Olympics was recovered. Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva's home was robbed while the team was playing Athletico Madrid in England last week.

Investigators said a large quantity of suspected stolen goods was seized from the three houses. They were unsure if Leiva's collection of Brazilian and Liverpool shirts was among the items.

At least six other Liverpool players have been victims of burglaries -- so many that the team has begun offering advice on home security.