Lest you be focusing just on the more serious stories in the financial press, here's a brief recap of some weird financial news:
- Have you ever received a bill that was larger than you expected? It happened to Yahaya Wahab recently. The Malaysian man was settling his late father's affairs, and paid his dad's phone bill of $23. But then he received another bill from Telekom Malaysia, along with notices from its collection agency. How much do they say he owes? $218 trillion. (Read Dayana Yochim on $600 cell phone bills.)
- Pop culture can drive corporate culture. British Airways has reportedly issued a new rule insisting that its flight staff lay off the sudoku puzzles during takeoffs and landings. The phenomenally popular numbers-in-a-grid puzzles have also been credited for a surge in pencil sales in England, and not a small surge, either -- 700% in six months.
- For those who need a reminder, good things often happen to companies that do the right thing. This past December, an employee of See's Candy, a Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRKa, BRKb) subsidiary, lost a diamond ring when bagging some chocolates for a customer. Another Berkshire company, Helzberg Diamonds, offered a reward for the ring -- a diamond ring from one of its stores, priced up to $2,500. Well, a customer found it, returned it, and collected her reward -- which she donated to charity. The happy outcomes included lots of good publicity for the firms, a win-win-win outcome.
- Those invested in oil-and-gas companies such as ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) might want to consider panicking, since it seems that new energy sources are being developed everyday. For example, we now have urine-powered batteries. So far, actually, auto gasoline isn't in any danger. The "pee-powered" batteries currently generate around 1.5 volts, and may help usher in inexpensive, disposable home health tests (such as for diabetes).
- Finally, if Brunswick (NYSE:BC) ever wants to sell off its bowling division -- perhaps to focus more on its marine and fitness units -- it might want to consider a contest. That's how a North Dakota bowling alley is trading hands. Its owner is holding a tournament, requiring a $250 entry fee. The winner gets the bowling alley. The owner, Darin Bail, says that whoever bowls closest to his or her average will win, thereby permitting low scorers to have an equal shot. (Brunswick is also part of Seth Jayson's interesting "Lazy Portfolio" -- check it out.)
If you think these stories are just plain odd, and you crave some serious stock investment ideas, check out our suite of stock and mutual fund newsletters , which deliver promising recommendations each month. Or just curl up with an informative and amusing Fool book .
Longtime Fool contributor Selena Maranjian owns shares of Berkshire Hathaway.
