Video Surveillance Documents Crimes, Poor Fashion & Horrible Judgment

Every time a consumer pulls out of a gas station the natural inclination is to think that he or she has been robbed. Sometimes, they really have been robbed. The A.P. has reported that surveillance video shows a thief forcing a woman to fill his SUV with gas in Salt Lake City. The woman was pumping gas Sunday morning when a man allegedly stuck a gun in her back and ordered her to fill up his SUV. Salt Lake City police Detective Jared Wihongi said, "This is definitely not common." The woman put $15 of gas in the other vehicle's tank before her debit card reached its limit. Surveillance video showed two men in a large, white sport utility vehicle with Wyoming license plates. If caught, the crooks could face aggravated robbery charges (not to mention what other charges they may face for driving a gas guzzling SUV.) The woman didn't call police until about three hours later.

In unrelated video, a man in a pink shirt and beige ball cap was caught on video tape as he tried to get into the Pope mobile. What was he thinking? Pink and beige do not go together. Just ask Lindsey Lohan and her friend, Entertainment Tonight star Vanessa Minnillo, as they know all about getting caught on unflattering video.

Outrageous Divorce Settlement or Just Good Advice? Update 3-24-08

Grandma always advised that it is just as easy to fall in love with a rich person as it is a poor one. But this author's grandma was admittedly ahead of her time. By 1960, good old Grandma had already been married three times and was once again single. She died relatively pennyless as an example of good advice never taken. I wonder what the subject of today's story would say about Grandma's advice?
Michael Polsky's estranged wife was awarded $184 million Monday in Chicago. This appears to be one of the biggest divorce verdicts in U.S. history. Maya Polsky , a 55-year-old homemaker and art gallery owner, filed for divorce from her husband in 2003. Judge William Boyd ruled in October that Maya Polsky was entitled to half of the Chicago couple's assets. Her share was estimated at $176 million. However, on Monday, the judge amended his decision to include previously omitted assets that increased the value of her award to $184 million. Attorney, Howard Rosenfeld, said more than $170 million of the award is nontaxable cash. He said "She's very much satisfied with the court's decision. She thinks she was fairly treated by the court," The couple married in 1975 in Kiev, Ukraine. They arrived in the United States in 1976 with only four suitcases and $500 in cash. In 1980, they moved from Detroit to Chicago, where Michael Polsky became wealthy in the energy business. Michael Polsky 's attorneys may appeal Monday's decision. "He ...always believed that this shouldn't have been a 50-50 split," attorney Joseph Tighe said. David Meyer, a law professor at the University of Illinois said the Polsky case is "remarkable and historic" because of the size of the award and the split of the estate equally. "Gaetano Ferro, president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, said he wasn't aware of a bigger award in the U.S. Michael Polsky is now president and CEO of Invenergy Wind LLC, a Chicago-based wind energy company. This case has become the rally cry for some Marriage Strike Advocates.

Update 8-27: There is a separate article on Marriage Strike dated 7-28-07 in the Archives. LINK
Update 1-8-08: Best reason for a prenuptial agreement? Rupert Murdoch, developed his worldwide media empire when he inherited his father's Australian newspaper in 1952. He was married to Anna Murdoch for 32 years. They split amicably in 1998. The divorce was finalized in June 1999 when Rupert agreed to let his ex-wife leave with $1.7 billion worth of assets, $110 million of it in cash. Seventeen days later, Rupert married Wendi Deng. I wonder if he was smart enough to get a prenup?
Update 3-24-08 Heather Mills got 48.6 million from her split with Paul McCartney? Bet he wishes he would have had wings to fly away a heck of a lot cheaper!

Injured Comatose Man Awakens

On a positive scientific note, a real life Lazerus has risen to a better Warsaw, Poland. An injured man emerged from a 19-year coma and thinks "the world is prettier now." He injured his head in 1988 while attaching two train carriages. Gertruda Grzebska, 63, for years fed her husband Jan carefully with a spoon and moved his body to prevent bed sores. For 19 years he basically did not move or speak. "Now he spends his days sitting in a wheelchair and last weekend we took him out for a walk in his wheelchair," his wife said. "He was so amazed to see the colorful streets, the goods," she said. "He says the world is prettier now" than it was 19 years ago, when Poland was still under communist rule... He remembered shelves filled with mustard and vinegar only" under communism. (Poland shed communism in 1989 and has developed a market economy. )

On a less than positive scientific note, Robert Cooksey, federal microbiologist/father-in-law of the man quarantined with drug-resistant T.B., will be investigated to determine his role in the case. Mr. Speaker said his doctors and the CDC all knew he had resistant TB before he flew to Europe for his wedding. Robert Cooksey, who attended his daughter's wedding, provided "fatherly advice" about traveling. Speaker claims that the Fulton County, Ga., health authorities said that he was not a danger to anyone. Officials preferred that he didn't fly, but no one ordered him not to fly. However, despite warnings not to board another flight home, he flew back anyway. He tried to sneak home by way of Canada. He was federally quarantined May 25, after passing through the Canadian border. Speaker is now hospitalized for what could be a two-month period. (As a lawyer, one would hope Speaker knew better than to take such a risk. His expert father in law needed to give scientific advise, not fatherly advice!)

Criminal Stupidity is Shared in the UK

Kentucky in the U.S. apparently does not have a monopoly on crime thought to be a product of inbreeding. Our U.K. readers have shared with Legal Pub that according to the A.P., a ridiculous argument over balloons elevated into bodily injury. Now, one person is in the hospital and two others need Barristers to defend criminal charges. Brad Freeman and Shawn Asher went to the in south-central Kentucky home of Charles Murphy and his 14-year-old son to ask if their balloons had been stolen from another birthday party. The four began to argue. Murphy allegedly hit Asher in the head with a piece of pipe. Murphy's son then allegedly demonstrated his qualifications to play in the big leagues by hitting Asher with a baseball bat. (Wonder if it was a Louisville slugger?) Freeman and Asher drove away. Asher was taken to Marymount Medical Center in London and was later flown to University of Kentucky Hospital, where he was in serious condition. Murphy and his son were charged with first-degree assault.

While the violence is unforgivable, the reason for all of the violence is equally unforgivable.

Complete Invalidation of Chemical Drug Testing

The A.P. is reporting a new study from Rome that may completely invalidate blood testing used to confirm parol violation for drug offenders who travel to Italy. Researchers discovered what makes "la vita so dolce" in Rome. Italy's National Research Council confirmed that there are traces of cocaine and cannabis in the air of the Eternal City. (No wonder that pious man wears a silly hat and always seems so happy.) The discovery appeared during a study of air quality in Rome, Taranto, and Algiers. In Rome, there were clear traces of cocaine and cannabis (as well as nicotine, caffeine and benzopirene). "The highest concentrations of cocaine were found in the center of Rome and especially in the area of the University of La Sapienza," said Dr. Angelo Cecinato. The maximum concentration of cocaine in Rome was 0.1 nanograms per cubic meter. There were small traces of the drugs found in Taranto and none in Algiers. (This definitely explains why Rome is such a popular vacation spot.)

Intollerable Negligence Inspires Future Commercials?

Two infants lives inexcusably ended in Waterford, Pa. Two infants drowned after wandering away from home while their teenage baby sitter napped. The baby sitter put the girls down for a nap Wednesday and then the baby sitter fell asleep. When the sitter awoke, 20-month-old Jenna Walker and 2-year-old Maggie Kovski were gone. The baby sitter discovered the girls floating in a small fishing pond 100 yards from the home. The 18 year old baby sitter performed CPR without any success. Coroner Lyell Cook declared the deaths accidental; however, that does not preclude criminal charges if the baby sitter was negligent or reckless. (Will these senseless deaths become a marketing bonanza for No Doz, Mountain Dew and energy drinks?)

A little further south in Miami, the A.P. is promoting Chili! A manager at Wendy's was shot several times in the arm trying to protect chili sauce. A man in the drive-through wanted 10 packets of chili sauce and the store limit is three. When the manager came out to speak to the customer, the condiment demanding customer shot the manager in the arm. The customer along with his female companion fled the scene. (Is this superior secret sauce worth its weight in gold or is another man trying to generate attraction by being a bad boy? Or perhaps it is an example of the proposition that "behind every great man is a woman?")

Desperate Dating in Wisconsin?

Both CNN and the A.P. have reported desperate dating tatics in Milwaukee. Had this thief read God is a Woman, he would have known that robbing a woman isn't the best way to capture her heart. Two men robbed a U-Haul store in Milwaukee around 3 p.m. Sunday. But instead of fleeing, one man stuck around and tried to strike up a conversation with a female store clerk. "He ...was trying to get the female employee's number," U-Haul general manager Patrick Sobocinski said. " His line of , 'Hey baby, you're pretty fine."'was not working! According to Sobocinski, one robber put his hands around both employees' waists and demanded money. The robber then grabbed the cash. The workers were forced to the ground and then he fled, but his accomplice stayed to ask one of the clerks whether she'd go out with him. The clerk turned him down. (Had she read the book, she would have said yes and asked for his number!)