Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check

Guilty Pleasures:

Many of the personal belongings of imprisoned Ponzi schemer BERNIE MADOFF are in new hands after an auction this weekend.
   Hundreds packed the Sheraton Hotel and Towers on Seventh Avenue in Manhattan, while more than a thousand online bidders also participated. Among the purchased items:
   --RUTH MADOFF's 10.5-carat diamond engagement ring went for a cool $550-thousand
   --Her French diamond earrings went for the next highest price, at $135-thousand
   --A lot containing Madoff's monogrammed velvet slippers went for six grand
   --A collection of Bernie's unused boxers and socks: $1,700
   --A 1917 grand piano: $42 grand (The 81-year-old buyer said it make for an "interesting conversation piece.")
   Other items included boxers, Prada pantyhose, cuticle scissors and even bottles of shampoo.
   One woman wanted a Tabriz antique rug simply because her father had sold it to Madoff 10 years ago, and he felt it was important to bring it back into the family. Price: $30-thousand.
   "I bought these things because I admire him in a way," said one bidder, who bought a bar set for $22-hundred and a set of boxes, plates, and vases for $625. "When I look at this stuff, it will be a reminder of the good and the bad side of people."
   This was the second auction of Madoff goods organized by the the U-S Marshals Service. They expected to rake in $1.2 million; they netted more than $2 million.
   Madoff, who is serving 150 years in prison, was arrested for swindling investors out of $65 billion. (Maiman)

A Qianlong-period vase has set a new record for Chinese ceramics, selling for 53 million pounds ($85.6 million) at auction last Friday in the U-K.
   The double-walled vase, which is 16 inches tall and features a small fish motif, was uncovered in a dusty west London attic by a brother and sister clearing out their late parents' home; the vase had been in the family since the 1930s, and had previously spent several decades perched precariously on a narrow bookshelf.
   "I can't breathe," said the sister as the bidding climbed higher. "I just wish this had happened 30 years ago."
   The final selling price was reached only after a heated bidding war between several Chinese buyers, prompting speculation that Poly Culture & Arts, a deep-pocketed Chinese government agency, had sought to secure the vase for its collection. Art experts said the sale pointed to the increasing willingness of Chinese institutions and businessmen to spend vast sums to repatriate the country's artistic heritage.
   "There is no logic to what they will pay," said one art dealer. "If they want something, there is no stopping them."
   Editor's note: Terrific! I've got tons of things that are made in China. Let the bidding begin! (Maiman)

Idle gossip & unconfirmed rumors:

Two of JON and KATE GOSSELIN's kids are in big trouble. People magazine reports that six-year-old COLLIN and ALEXIS were expelled from a private school in Pennsylvania and are now being taught at home. One source says the situation is "grossly overstated" but it's a "challenging time" in their children's life. (Lee)

LINDSAY LOHAN got out of rehab over the weekend, but it was just a day pass from the Betty Ford Center for good behavior. She used the time to go back to her West Hollywood condo, where her dad, MICHAEL, showed up with dinner. Then, Lindsay loaded her car with some items from the condo, and returned to Betty Ford around 11 pm.

Stars and their movies:

Here's a hot one: looks like former President BILL CLINTON will play himself in a cameo in "The Hangover 2." The Hollywood Reporter says the former President shot his part Saturday in Bangkok, where he was also scheduled to deliver a speech on clean energy.