True Love: Priceless

Jennifer Wilbanks, the "Runaway Bride" still hasn't found what's she's looking for. And apparently that's about $500,000.

LAWRENCEVILLE, Georgia (AP) -- The runaway bride is taking her former fiance to court, claiming he took advantage of her hospitalization to defraud her of her share of the proceeds from a book deal about their adventure.

Jennifer Wilbanks' lawsuit follows a dispute in recent months over personal items -- such as a new vacuum cleaner, a ladder, a gold-colored sofa and various wedding shower gifts,

She claims ex-boyfriend John C. Mason never returned the items.

Wilbanks, then 32, ran off four days before she was to be married in a lavish wedding in 2005. She turned up in New Mexico, claiming she had been abducted and sexually assaulted.
She later recanted, saying she fled because of personal issues, and pleaded no contest to telling police a phony story.

She was sentenced to two years' probation and performed community service that included mowing the lawns at public buildings.

In a lawsuit filed September 13, she and her lawyer said that while she was hospitalized and under medication, she granted Mason power of attorney to negotiate the sale of the couple's story to a publisher in New York, and Mason struck a deal for $500,000.

But she said Mason used the money to buy a house in his name only, and later evicted Wilbanks from the home.

She is seeking $250,000 as her share of the home, and $250,000 in punitive damages for alleged abuse of the power of attorney.

I find the use of the word "defraud" amusing, and I somehow suspect that $500,000 isn't going to bring her amazing happiness.

hln

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Open Letter to Those Who Live on Glenpark Drive

Hello. My name is Heather. I live near you. I drive down your street to access my cul-de-sac. And, far too often, I encounter a small white dog, poodlish in breed.

If you own this small white dog, please keep it out of the street. It looks like a very nice animal, too nice, likely. See, it wants my car to pet it. This is the fourth time I have encountered it in the street. Considering that I'm halfway looking for the dog, he is still safe from my vehicle. I'm certain, though, with this continued street-dwelling behavior, that the dog will not persist in such a safe state for too long; others' driving is not so white dog wary.

The dog sat in the direct center of the street today. He would not move by provocation of a horn blast. He would not move when I put my car in park, stepped out of it, and approached him. I had to scowl and growl (yes, that rhymes) at the dog to get him to budge.

This trusting behavior does not bode well for the dog. Street bad. If this is your dog, please promptly remove him from the street and, perhaps, confine him to a yard. Is this so difficult to comprehend? If I encounter the dog again, I plan to scoop him up, determine his parentage, and confront you, irresponsible dog owner. If the confrontation is not to my liking, your sweet little dog will be placed with a rescue organization of my choosing.

Thank you. You are warned. That is all.

hln

Posted by: hln at 06:50 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Project Planet

You've seen them on vacation and on business trips. They're the little cards that inform you that the hotel staff doesn't really want to wash your linens. They read a lot like this (text taken off of a Project Planet card).

The Project Planet program is an effort of this hotel to protect the environment through conservation of water and the decreased use of detergent.

If you are staying with us more than one night, as part of the Project Planet program, we will launder your linens every three days.

If you would prefer not to participate in this program, simply leave this card on your pillow and linens will be changed today.

As always linens are automatically changed after every guest check-out.

©1996

Printed on recycled paper. Laminated to reduce waste.

Okay - great idea. Now, environmentally conscious hotel, where's my recycle bin? Even one in the lobby would be good. But, no, none of that. Hotels - especially those that give you free papers in the morning, really ought to be doing that. And then hyping the heck out of it - after all, the hotel chain is obviously "environmentally conscious."

That's something that's always irked me.

hln

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Addiction. It Isn't Just for Addicts Anymore

Chocolate and BBQ. Yeah, you're addicted; admit it.

CNN reports that it's possibly so. How silly this is, I'm not sure I can enumerate. Addiction - can't live without. Physical DEPENDENCY. Not mere euphoria. Sorry.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- People who say they are addicted to chocolate or pizza may not be exaggerating, U.S.-based scientists said Tuesday.

A brain scan study of normal, hungry people showed their brains lit up when they saw and smelled their favorite foods in much the same way as the brains of cocaine addicts when they think about their next snort.

"Food presentation significantly increased metabolism in the whole brain (by 24 percent) and these changes were largest in superior temporal, anterior insula, and orbitofrontal cortices," they wrote.

These areas are associated with addiction.

An estimated 30 percent of Americans are obese, meaning they have a body mass index of more than 30. This ratio of height to weight usually works out to being about 30 pounds overweight for a woman and 35 to 40 pounds overweight for a man.

I'm only 31, but I'm pretty sure that chocolate's been prevalent around American society for a good deal longer than my lifetime. How is it that people who partook/continue to partake of said chocolate can do so without being obese? How do I do so today? (Mmm, Hershey's kisses). Unexplained.

Obesity. For those people who blame suburbia and video games, I would like to remind that you that America is a free country, and you do have a CHOICE of what you do in your spare time. That choice may be Grand Theft Auto today and a 20 mile bike ride tomorrow, or both on one day, or, I dunno, sleep, reading, vandalizing viaducts, blah blah blah. Choice. Human beings.

<tangent>Pretty soon, nothing will be your fault. Nothing! Genes explain it all. All nature; no nuture. Waiting for the article on genes and terrorism. Think that'll be out in about 3 years?</tangent>

hln

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