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I saw this article & immediately thought of Col Man. This is Col Man Stuff, I thought! I miss those weird little stories! So wherever you're hiding, Col Man, it's time for your return. I'm posting this story merely to fill the gap you've left! It IS a temporary gap, isn't it?

Religious rarebit ragged
November 18, 2004 - 8:09AM


Diane Duyser holds a 10-year-old grilled cheese sandwich that she says bears the image of the Virgin Mary.
Photo: AP

Diane Duyser holds a 10-year-old grilled cheese sandwich that she says bears the image of the Virgin Mary.
Photo: AP

The eBay auction of a cheese sandwich said to bear the image of the Virgin Mary has drawn cheesy spoofs, including victuals meant to resemble the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Owner Diana Duyser, 52, of Hollywood, Florida, insists that what looks like a face on the grilled sandwich she kept by her bedside for the past 10 years "is the Virgin Mary, Mother of God" and that the sacred snack is miraculously mould-free.

But the legions of Mary-sandwich spoofers evidently do not have much faith in her claim.

Dozens of items inspired by the apparitional sandwich were listed on the eBay internet auction house today.

Among the most unorthodox offerings were an "Ariel Sharon pork chop", "Yasser Arafat on a falafel" and a "George W Bush tortilla".

There was also the "Virgin Mary's used gum in grilled cheese", the "Virgin Mary condom" and, from the junk-food-loving icon himself, the "Elvis - NOT Virgin Mary - better grilled cheese sandwich."

Some listings were more serious but simply included the words "not Virgin Mary grilled cheese" in their description to draw internet users searching for Duyser's real thing, item number 5535890757.

Others capitalised more directly on the sudden fame of the iconic listing, peddling items such as the "I ate the Virgin Mary grilled cheese. It was sacridelicious" T-shirt, and sliced cheese to make fresh Virgin Mary sandwiches.

Some of the bidders also appeared to take the allegedly miraculous offering lightly, particularly the one who placed the highest bid allowed by eBay, for $US99,999,999 ($A129.58 million).

EBay is allowing Duyser to screen bidders to help her weed out the hoaxers.

The auction house itself had initially described the snack sale as a joke and cancelled bids, which had reached $US22,000 ($A28,508).

But amid widespread media attention, eBay reversed its decision, allowing Duyser's sandwich to go back on sale Tuesday.

The listing has a picture of a sandwich bearing what appears to be the image of a woman's face and a message from Duyser.

"I made this sandwich 10 years ago. When I took a bite out of it, I saw a face looking up at me; it was Virgin Mary starring (sic) back at me. I was in total shock; I would like to point out there is no mould or (disintegration)," Duyser said.

She said the sandwich, preserved in a plastic box, has brought her "blessings."

"I have won $US70,000 ($A90,700) (total) on different occasions at the casino nearby my house; I can show the receipts (sic) to the high bidder," Duyser said.

AFP