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The recently-opened New Roc City retail center in New Rochelle, N.Y., is probably the first to combine a grocery store and rooftop thrill ride, but the idea is not as crazy as it sounds. "You think having a ride on the roof might be silly, but it's brilliant, if only because it has drawn a lot of attention to the project," said one observer. Cappelli Enterprises and New Roc Associates opened the project in September. ... Long rumored to be searching out physical locations, Amazon.com is discussing with The Home Depot a plan for the online retailer to set up return kiosks in Home Depot stores. ... Movie buffs in Canada may no longer have to trudge as far as their local Blockbuster for their fix. Blockbuster Canada is rolling out 300 movie video vending machines on college campuses, office buildings and retail stores. ... First it was human organs, now it's human infants. Not long after online auction site eBay halted an auction of a human kidney, the online selling service put a stop to the sale of a soon-to-be born infant. The kidney had drawn a bid of more than $5.7 million; the baby around $100,000. The company claims both offerings were hoaxes. ... Crime and punishment: Two men convicted of an armed robbery in a Qom, Iran, shopping mall were publicly hanged. In Norway, meanwhile, a 16-year-old who was charged with 28 violations including assault, burglary and illegal drug possession, was banned from the local mall, reports said. ... Looking for an environmentally sound holiday gift? Neiman Marcus' annual "His and Hers"offering in its Christmas Book this year is the preservation of ecologically endangered land in the name of the recipient. Price: $200,000. ... The shaking and pounding during an ICSC breakfast in September at Pinot Bistro in Studio City, Calif., wasn't an earthquake — someone had climbed onto the roof of the restaurant to cover the skylights, washing out the slides being described by speaker David Sorenson of Urban Retail Properties.

— Jon Springer