News of the Weird, June 6, 2010
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Chuck Shepherd
Jun 7, 2010, 6:18:13 AM6/7/10
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WEIRDNUZ.M165 (News of the
Weird, June 6, 2010)
by Chuck Shepherd
Copyright 2010 by Chuck Shepherd. All rights reserved.
Lead Story
* America What a Country! In 2007, after a stay in the United
States distinguished mainly by his acquisition of a long police
record, illegal immigrant Cecil Harvey, 55, was deported to his
native Barbados. However, according to records revealed by the
New York Post in May, Harvey received, in late 2009, one last
remembrance of America: $145,000 from the city of New York in
settlement of his lawsuit over having once been held at Rikers
Island jail for about a month longer than the law permitted. [New
York Post, 5-9-10]
Ironies
* Betty Lou Lynn, 83, was mugged, and had her wallet stolen, in her
new hometown of Mount Airy, N.C., in April. Lynn is the actress
who played Barney Fife's best girl, Thelma Lou, in the "Andy
Griffith" TV show and had lived in Los Angeles until she became
alarmed at the city's crime rate. She decided in 2007 to move to the
quieter, peaceful Mount Airy, which was Griffith's birthplace and
the model for the TV town of Mayberry. [USA Today-Mount Airy
News, 4-30-10]
* Gary Null filed a lawsuit in New York City in April against the
maker of a nutrition supplement called Ultimate Power Meal,
alleging that he had suffered constant pain, kidney damage, and
internal bleeding from the product's recommended daily regimen.
"Ultimate Power Meal" is one of the "health" supplements packaged
under the label of . . Gary Null, a nationally prominent pitchman for
homeopathic remedies. Null is suing the manufacturer who
supplies the product on which Null affixes his "Ultimate Power
Meal" label. (According to consumer advisors at Quackwatch.org,
Null is "one of the nation's leading promoters of dubious treatment
for serious disease."). [New York Daily News, 4-28-10]
* According to court records cited by the Washington Post in April,
Rene Fernandez, 45, will plead guilty to one count of a DUI-caused
injury in connection with a 2009 traffic accident in Montgomery
County, Md., that severely injured a retired county judge and his
wife, both in their 80s. Fernandez and the judge, Edwin Collier,
had met previously, in 1998, when Judge Collier pronounced
sentence on Fernandez for DUI. At that time, Judge Collier
released Fernandez on probation, even though Fernandez had been
arrested for DUI twice in the previous three months. [Washington
Post, 4-10-10, 4-14-10]
Compelling Explanations
* Paula Wolf, 41, was arrested in Stevens Point, Wis., and charged
with hitting four pedestrians at random with projectiles on April
21st. In Wolf's car, police found a blow gun, a slingshot, and a
bucket of rocks, and after questioning, Wolf told police that she just
"liked to hear people say 'ouch.'" [CBS News-AP, 4-22-10]
* Lame: (1) The reason career criminal Kevin Polwart gave for his
brief February escape from New Zealand's Auckland Prison was to
demonstrate that he posed no threat to society on the outside (and
thus that he should be parolled). (Instead, authorities added nine
months to his sentence.) (2) A judge in Scotland went lenient on
George McIntosh, 53, who had been convicted of embezzling the
equivalent of about $87,000 from two pro golfing organizations.
McIntosh claimed that his medication for Parkinson's disease had
made him "compulsive[ly]" generous so that he needed to embezzle
money in order to buy gifts for his friends. [New Zealand Press
Association, 2-8-10] [BBC News, 4-7-10]
The Litigious Society
* In April, George Black's lawsuit to be compensated for his injuries
was permitted to proceed to trial, following an Ontario Superior
Court decision. Black was playing third base (the "hot corner") in a
softball game in Hamilton when he lost track of a line drive in the
sun. The ball hit him in the head, smashing his glasses into his face
and causing serious trauma to his eye. Black figures his injury is
the fault of the owner of the softball field, for failing to put up any
kind of shade to block the late afternoon sun. [Globe and Mail, 4-2-
10]
* Melanie Shaker filed a lawsuit recently against the Fases Salon in
Chicago for her 2008 injuries, which she incurred when she fell
through the salon's front window and badly slashed herself. She fell
after losing her balance while attempting to kick her husband during
a quarrel along Sheffield Avenue following dinner (and, of course,
drinks). Shaker suffered deep cuts to her arm, back, and feet, which
she now says was the salon's fault in that they had neglected to use
"safety glass" in their front window, which would not have shattered
into glass shards. [Sun-Times Media Wire, 5-1-10]
* Jo Ann Fonzone's four-year quest to divorce the rock singer David
Lee Roth (of Van Halen) continues, according to a May report in the
Morning Call of Allentown, Pa. Roth, through his publicist, denied
any connection whatsoever to Fonzone, who has filed nearly two
dozen lawsuits against various people who she claims have done her
wrong, including Hollywood executive Cary Woods and MTV CEO
Judy McGrath, who each has been accused of trying to steal
Fonzone's identity. Judges have noted that Fonzone's claims are
unaccompanied by any "evidence" (such as a marriage license to
Roth, or even photographs of the "couple" together), and most
judges who have heard her claims regard the lawsuits as "frivolous."
Said a court records chief, of Fonzone's prolific filings, "When [the
clerks] see her, they all want to run." Fonzone actually has a law
degree, from Western State University in Fullerton, Calif. [Morning
Call, 5-9-10]
I Demand My Rights
* In April, warehouse workers at the Copenhagen, Denmark,
brewery that makes Carlsberg beer went on strike after the company
cut back on its allowance of providing up to three free beers per
shift, which workers thought made their mundane jobs easier to
take. As of April 1st, only one beer per shift was provided, and only
at lunch. (The previous "right" belonged also to delivery drivers,
according to a Reuters report, but it was not clear how that right
squared with drunk-driving laws.) [The Province (Vancouver,
B.C.)-Reuters, 4-8-10]
Least Competent Criminals
* Not Ready for Prime Time: (1) John Campana, 18, was detained
by police after they found him with several pieces of expensive
jewelry in Gainesville, Fla. As they were questioning him about
where he got the jewelry, Campana (according to the police report)
started shaking and sweating, and then fainted. (He was charged
several days later with burglary.) (2) Jason Robinson, 22, was
arrested at a Burger King in Pine Bluff, Ark., in May after robbing
the restaurant manager at gunpoint. As the manager handed over
the day's proceeds, Robinson set his gun down on a counter to grab
the money. Not surprisingly, the manager picked up the gun and
shot Robinson in the leg. [Gainesville Sun, 5-3-10] [KFSM-TV
(Fort Smith)-AP, 5-19-10]
People With Issues
* Recurring Theme: Police in Austin, Tex., executing a search
warrant in May, discovered an elaborate, three-story tunnel complex
extended as far as 35 feet underground, beneath the home of Jose
Del Rio, 70, which he apparently dug over at least a two-year
period. Police also found 19 guns, plus ammunition, batteries, and
compressed gas (which presented a serious safety hazard). The
property showed signs of caving in and posed a threat to adjacent
property, as well. Police noted that Del Rio (who neighbors said
"kept to himself") was cooperative during the search although he
offered no particular explanation for the tunnels. [Austin American-
Statesman, 5-12-10]
A News of the Weird Classic (April 1994)
* The New York Daily News reported in April (1994) on a
cellblock fight between prominent New York mass murderers Colin
Ferguson and Joel Rifkin while they were awaiting trials at the
Nassau County jail. (They were later convicted.) Reportedly,
Ferguson was using a telephone and told Rifkin to be quiet.
According to the Daily News source, Ferguson told Rifkin, "I wiped
out six devils [white people], and you only killed women." Rifkin
allegedly responded, "Yeah, but I had more victims." Ferguson then
allegedly punched Rifkin in the mouth. [Syracuse Herald-Journal-
New York Daily News-AP, 4-11-94]
Thanks This Week to Jim Scott, Amber Donges, Peter
Swank, Hal Dunham, Steve Dunn, Muiris Dore, and Sandy
Pearlman, and to the News of the Weird Senior Advisors and Board
of Editorial Advisors.
* * * * *
Are you ready for News of the Weird / Pro Edition? See it every
Monday at http://NewsoftheWeird.blogspot.com. Other handy
addresses: WeirdNews at earthlink dot net,
http://www.NewsoftheWeird.com, and P.O. Box 18737, Tampa FL
33679.
by Chuck Shepherd
Copyright 2010 by Chuck Shepherd. All rights reserved.
Lead Story
* America What a Country! In 2007, after a stay in the United
States distinguished mainly by his acquisition of a long police
record, illegal immigrant Cecil Harvey, 55, was deported to his
native Barbados. However, according to records revealed by the
New York Post in May, Harvey received, in late 2009, one last
remembrance of America: $145,000 from the city of New York in
settlement of his lawsuit over having once been held at Rikers
Island jail for about a month longer than the law permitted. [New
York Post, 5-9-10]
Ironies
* Betty Lou Lynn, 83, was mugged, and had her wallet stolen, in her
new hometown of Mount Airy, N.C., in April. Lynn is the actress
who played Barney Fife's best girl, Thelma Lou, in the "Andy
Griffith" TV show and had lived in Los Angeles until she became
alarmed at the city's crime rate. She decided in 2007 to move to the
quieter, peaceful Mount Airy, which was Griffith's birthplace and
the model for the TV town of Mayberry. [USA Today-Mount Airy
News, 4-30-10]
* Gary Null filed a lawsuit in New York City in April against the
maker of a nutrition supplement called Ultimate Power Meal,
alleging that he had suffered constant pain, kidney damage, and
internal bleeding from the product's recommended daily regimen.
"Ultimate Power Meal" is one of the "health" supplements packaged
under the label of . . Gary Null, a nationally prominent pitchman for
homeopathic remedies. Null is suing the manufacturer who
supplies the product on which Null affixes his "Ultimate Power
Meal" label. (According to consumer advisors at Quackwatch.org,
Null is "one of the nation's leading promoters of dubious treatment
for serious disease."). [New York Daily News, 4-28-10]
* According to court records cited by the Washington Post in April,
Rene Fernandez, 45, will plead guilty to one count of a DUI-caused
injury in connection with a 2009 traffic accident in Montgomery
County, Md., that severely injured a retired county judge and his
wife, both in their 80s. Fernandez and the judge, Edwin Collier,
had met previously, in 1998, when Judge Collier pronounced
sentence on Fernandez for DUI. At that time, Judge Collier
released Fernandez on probation, even though Fernandez had been
arrested for DUI twice in the previous three months. [Washington
Post, 4-10-10, 4-14-10]
Compelling Explanations
* Paula Wolf, 41, was arrested in Stevens Point, Wis., and charged
with hitting four pedestrians at random with projectiles on April
21st. In Wolf's car, police found a blow gun, a slingshot, and a
bucket of rocks, and after questioning, Wolf told police that she just
"liked to hear people say 'ouch.'" [CBS News-AP, 4-22-10]
* Lame: (1) The reason career criminal Kevin Polwart gave for his
brief February escape from New Zealand's Auckland Prison was to
demonstrate that he posed no threat to society on the outside (and
thus that he should be parolled). (Instead, authorities added nine
months to his sentence.) (2) A judge in Scotland went lenient on
George McIntosh, 53, who had been convicted of embezzling the
equivalent of about $87,000 from two pro golfing organizations.
McIntosh claimed that his medication for Parkinson's disease had
made him "compulsive[ly]" generous so that he needed to embezzle
money in order to buy gifts for his friends. [New Zealand Press
Association, 2-8-10] [BBC News, 4-7-10]
The Litigious Society
* In April, George Black's lawsuit to be compensated for his injuries
was permitted to proceed to trial, following an Ontario Superior
Court decision. Black was playing third base (the "hot corner") in a
softball game in Hamilton when he lost track of a line drive in the
sun. The ball hit him in the head, smashing his glasses into his face
and causing serious trauma to his eye. Black figures his injury is
the fault of the owner of the softball field, for failing to put up any
kind of shade to block the late afternoon sun. [Globe and Mail, 4-2-
10]
* Melanie Shaker filed a lawsuit recently against the Fases Salon in
Chicago for her 2008 injuries, which she incurred when she fell
through the salon's front window and badly slashed herself. She fell
after losing her balance while attempting to kick her husband during
a quarrel along Sheffield Avenue following dinner (and, of course,
drinks). Shaker suffered deep cuts to her arm, back, and feet, which
she now says was the salon's fault in that they had neglected to use
"safety glass" in their front window, which would not have shattered
into glass shards. [Sun-Times Media Wire, 5-1-10]
* Jo Ann Fonzone's four-year quest to divorce the rock singer David
Lee Roth (of Van Halen) continues, according to a May report in the
Morning Call of Allentown, Pa. Roth, through his publicist, denied
any connection whatsoever to Fonzone, who has filed nearly two
dozen lawsuits against various people who she claims have done her
wrong, including Hollywood executive Cary Woods and MTV CEO
Judy McGrath, who each has been accused of trying to steal
Fonzone's identity. Judges have noted that Fonzone's claims are
unaccompanied by any "evidence" (such as a marriage license to
Roth, or even photographs of the "couple" together), and most
judges who have heard her claims regard the lawsuits as "frivolous."
Said a court records chief, of Fonzone's prolific filings, "When [the
clerks] see her, they all want to run." Fonzone actually has a law
degree, from Western State University in Fullerton, Calif. [Morning
Call, 5-9-10]
I Demand My Rights
* In April, warehouse workers at the Copenhagen, Denmark,
brewery that makes Carlsberg beer went on strike after the company
cut back on its allowance of providing up to three free beers per
shift, which workers thought made their mundane jobs easier to
take. As of April 1st, only one beer per shift was provided, and only
at lunch. (The previous "right" belonged also to delivery drivers,
according to a Reuters report, but it was not clear how that right
squared with drunk-driving laws.) [The Province (Vancouver,
B.C.)-Reuters, 4-8-10]
Least Competent Criminals
* Not Ready for Prime Time: (1) John Campana, 18, was detained
by police after they found him with several pieces of expensive
jewelry in Gainesville, Fla. As they were questioning him about
where he got the jewelry, Campana (according to the police report)
started shaking and sweating, and then fainted. (He was charged
several days later with burglary.) (2) Jason Robinson, 22, was
arrested at a Burger King in Pine Bluff, Ark., in May after robbing
the restaurant manager at gunpoint. As the manager handed over
the day's proceeds, Robinson set his gun down on a counter to grab
the money. Not surprisingly, the manager picked up the gun and
shot Robinson in the leg. [Gainesville Sun, 5-3-10] [KFSM-TV
(Fort Smith)-AP, 5-19-10]
People With Issues
* Recurring Theme: Police in Austin, Tex., executing a search
warrant in May, discovered an elaborate, three-story tunnel complex
extended as far as 35 feet underground, beneath the home of Jose
Del Rio, 70, which he apparently dug over at least a two-year
period. Police also found 19 guns, plus ammunition, batteries, and
compressed gas (which presented a serious safety hazard). The
property showed signs of caving in and posed a threat to adjacent
property, as well. Police noted that Del Rio (who neighbors said
"kept to himself") was cooperative during the search although he
offered no particular explanation for the tunnels. [Austin American-
Statesman, 5-12-10]
A News of the Weird Classic (April 1994)
* The New York Daily News reported in April (1994) on a
cellblock fight between prominent New York mass murderers Colin
Ferguson and Joel Rifkin while they were awaiting trials at the
Nassau County jail. (They were later convicted.) Reportedly,
Ferguson was using a telephone and told Rifkin to be quiet.
According to the Daily News source, Ferguson told Rifkin, "I wiped
out six devils [white people], and you only killed women." Rifkin
allegedly responded, "Yeah, but I had more victims." Ferguson then
allegedly punched Rifkin in the mouth. [Syracuse Herald-Journal-
New York Daily News-AP, 4-11-94]
Thanks This Week to Jim Scott, Amber Donges, Peter
Swank, Hal Dunham, Steve Dunn, Muiris Dore, and Sandy
Pearlman, and to the News of the Weird Senior Advisors and Board
of Editorial Advisors.
* * * * *
Are you ready for News of the Weird / Pro Edition? See it every
Monday at http://NewsoftheWeird.blogspot.com. Other handy
addresses: WeirdNews at earthlink dot net,
http://www.NewsoftheWeird.com, and P.O. Box 18737, Tampa FL
33679.
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