All The Small Things

Authorities have recovered a stolen 18-carat gold bookmark that reportedly was given to Adolf Hitler by his longtime mistress, Eva Braun.

Christian Popescu, a Romanian national, was arrested on Tuesday outside a Bellevue Starbucks after trying to sell the bookmark to an undercover agent for $US100,000 ($A152,850), according to papers filed in US District Court.

Federal prosecutors said the bookmark was among several items taken in an auction-house heist in Madrid, Spain, six years ago. At the time, some antiquities experts questioned its authenticity.

The bookmark is engraved with a portrait of Hitler as well as an imperial eagle and swastika, and its inscription indicates that Braun gave it to Hitler to console him after German forces surrendered at Stalingrad.

"My Adolf, don't worry," it reads, adding that the loss was "only an inconvenience that will not break your certainty of victory. My love for you will be eternal, as our Reich will be eternal. Always yours, Eva. 3-2-43".

Regardless of its authenticity, federal agents said its theft broke the law.

"Artifacts of historical significance are not souvenirs for illegal sale to the highest bidder," Leigh Winchell, special agent in charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement's office of investigations in Seattle, said in a statement.

Popescu made an initial appearance in federal court on Wednesday, where he was represented by a public defender who left without speaking to reporters.

The operation began when ICE learned a man was trying to sell the bookmark in the Seattle area. An informant contacted Popescu, who confirmed he had the bookmark and provided pictures. Popescu told the informant he wanted $US150,000 ($A229,270) for it.

Spanish authorities estimated the bookmark was valued at between $US13,000 ($A19,870) and $US17,000 ($A25,980), according to court documents.

Investigators set up a meeting with Popescu at a Starbucks coffee shop in Bellevue, where the Romanian man showed an undercover agent the bookmark, charging papers said. He was arrested in the parking lot as the agent paid him $US100,000. ($A152,850).

Popescu is being held on one count of sale or receipt of stolen goods. A detention hearing was set for Monday.

US Attorney Jeff Sullivan said agents are still investigating how the bookmark arrived in Seattle. Five people were detained in Tuesday's operation, but only Popescu was arrested and charged, he said.

In 2002, three thieves walked into the Duran Subastas auction house in Madrid during work hours and stole the bookmark along with several pieces of jewellery from a glass showcase.

 

 

Isn't it weird when a story just makes you scratch your head like that? The guy stole an artifact from an auction house, then got arrested and told that you can't just sell the artifact to the highest bidder... but isn't that what Auction Houses DO???

Only in America.

So I've been emailing back and forth with a very nice girl on here who contacted me when I left and then came back... and I haven't written back to you in forever because I am clearly the worlds most shit penfriend, and now my email has corrupted and I have lost your email address!!

 

Can you pretty please please email me again - I'm also wondering if you are on facebook? If so, you can totally use my email to search and add me, I'm a way better facebook friend than I am penpal. I promise!!

 

 

(I totally realise that this is of no interest to anyone else, but its important to me and its my blog so ner ner ner eat my shorts etc.!)

So Mrs. Macca was so kind as to point out to me that this blog has been getting a bit... boring lately.

Its true, sorry to say! I've been so busy / happy lately that there isn't a) any time or b) anything interesting to say! But here are some small things to keep you happy Mrs. Mac...

A little story about Bad Service:

After a full morning perusing other peoples stuff at garage sales on the weekend, Ellvis and I decided that we would have a lovely lunch at a local cafe. So we went into the cafe, took a seat and placed our order with the waitress.

Shortly afterwards, another waitress arrived with our beverages. Ellvis's coffee, and my pot of tea. She put the drinks down, and asked me if I needed milk. I said, yes please. I then added, I asked for extra milk.

She snapped back at me "Yeah, well I only have two hands." Clearly she was not having a good day / was a shithouse waitress.

She bought the milk out and then went over to the next table where she had a very obvious conversation about myself and Ellvis with the couple sitting there. She then went and bought a childrens colouring in book for the girl of the couple, and again, had a very pointed, obvious and audible conversation with the girl about us.

The service was shithouse, long story short I guess. Why do people like this enter the service industry?????

More importantly - WHY DO THEY ALWAYS HAVE TO WAIT ON MY TABLE!!!???

I let her know at the counter when she took our payment that I had been less than impressed with the service that she offered us. Terrible. I'm taking my usual stand and telling EVERYONE.

 

Other than that, I'm just disgustingly happy really. Ellvis is a wonder and delight to me, and takes up a lot of my time. Plus its the end of the year now, five weeks till Christmas etc. Its just a busy time of the year.

There was one other thing I wanted to record for prosterity though... Oh shit, make that TWO THINGS!!!

 

Ellvis told me that he LOVES ME.

(I asked him if he'd said it by accident.) (He said no, then he repeated it.)

(AAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!! JOY!! DELIGHT!! SMILES!! SUNSHINE!! HAPPINESS!!)

(I said it back... but not straight away. I let him wait a bit ;) I'm mean!!)

 

 

The other thing is not so nice, but kind of funny.

There is this lady I've been helping for a while now. I was at her house, and her MIL came in. Older lady, in her sixties I'd say.

The MIL started getting stuck into the lady, verbally abusing her. I went and stood behind the lady, asked the MIL to leave.

She told me that noone here likes me, that I'm an interfering little bitch, and that if I didn't stay out of her way she was going to punch me in the face.

 

Yep.

 

Sass.

 

Making elderly ladies threaten physical violence since 2008.