- Apparently altruism and philanthropy have their limits. Robert Wyland, 51, is a California artist who agreed back in 1994 to help out the marine programs of his home state by creating an image to be used on what has become one of California’s most popular specialty license plates. Under the terms of a handshake deal with the state, Wyland painted a picture of a Pacific humpback whale with its tail rising from the misty ocean waters. The state made $40 million from sales of the plate and everything was going along just fine….until Wyland figured out how much money was being made and decided he wanted a piece of the action. He’s now demanding 20 percent of the revenues from sales of the humpback whale specialty plate for his art foundation, saying he never intended for the deal with the state to be permanent. I guess it was just valid until a lot of money started rolling in, eh Bob? If this thing had made $4 million instead of $40, I have a sneaking suspicion you wouldn’t feel the same way. Wyland and the state are now in negotiations on a new deal, but nothing has been decided at this point. “They’re saying, ‘We can get anyone to paint a Picasso.’ Well, you could, but it wouldn’t be a Picasso,” Wyland declared. Nice to know that you and your sizeable ego are alive and well, Mr. Wyland, it’s just too bad that your concept of giving without demanding something in return isn’t.
- This is just sad. By sad, I mean that it’s freaking hilarious and I’m incredibly amused by the fact that disgraced pitcher and alleged 15-year-old-girl dater Roid-ger “Pocket Rocket” Clemens is hurting for money to the point that he’s selling off cars to pathetic, lowlife ‘80s rockers to pay for his legal fees. As he inexplicably continues his defamation lawsuit against his former trainer Brian McNamee because McNamee confirmed/alleged that Clemens did indeed use steroids during his career, Roid-ger is racking up some major legal bills. To offset those expenses, he has pawned off one of his cars, a Bentley, to Poison front man Bret Michaels. Being the star of a sleazy, pathetic reality dating show on VH1 must pay well enough, because Michaels was able to buy Clemens’ whip and he loves it. “Bret is a big fan of Roger’s. The car is great,” one of Michaels’ reps was quoted as saying. Wonder how many Botox-ed, surgically enhanced Rock of Love skanks you can pile into that Bentley….
- What’s the problem here? So Thomas Lutz and his Philippines-based company stole nearly $100 million from the U.S. military’s health insurance program, what’s the big deal? Yes, they took money from a program designed to help the brave men and women who defend our country and put their lives on the line on a daily basis. Is that any reason to sentence Lutz to five years in jail and to order he and his company, Health Visions Corp., to pay back the $99.9 million they thieved? According to a federal judge in Madison, Wis., the answer to that last question is yes. The judge has ordered Lutz to jail and the money he helped steal paid back, a clear sign that this judge is a bit overzealous in applying the law. Well, either that or Lutz is a despicable scumbag who siphoned money from a program designed to benefit those most deserving of it, one or the other….
- Gotta love it when rich, spoiled people fight over pointless things. The clash between actor Robert De Niro and the Historic Districts Council of New York over alleged unapproved modifications to the penthouse of De Niro’s new 88-room luxury hotel in downtown Manhattan. Preservationists argue that the penthouse as it was ultimately constructed is 1,100 square feet larger than it was shown to be on the original design that the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission approved back in 2004. Those opposing De Niro want the commission to force him and scrap the entire penthouse and start over on it, an endeavor that would cost he and his partners an estimated $1.5 million. De Niro countered with a flimsy excuse of his own. “We did it so it would fit into the neighborhood….if there are any minor mistakes, my apologies for it because in any creation there are mistakes.” While I don’t think you should be forced to change the penthouse, Bobby D., you argument is pathetic. You’re not disproving what the other side is saying, you’re merely saying, “Whoops, my bad.” Problem is, adding an extra 1,100 square feet to a penthouse isn’t a small, accidental mistake, it’s a deliberate change. Now maybe you wanted to make the place bigger because the $625 and up you’re charging for rooms in your hotel isn’t quite enough. Either way, it’s always amusing when rich people with nothing better to do fight over trivial matters. Good times…..
- Never has a presidential administration failed so miserably on so many fronts. Aside from the debacle in Iraq, the failure to gain control in Afghanistan, the sagging U.S. economy, the decreased level of border security and the total failure of W.’s educational programs, it turns out that he and his crew have also been busy violating the law as it pertains to the rights of the detainees at Guantanamo Bay. The Supreme Court ruled this week that five White House, Pentagon and Justice Department lawyers followed orders from W. and Dick Cheney to reinterpret or disregard U.S. and international laws governing the treatment of prisoners during war time. The five lawyers, who arrogantly called themselves the “War Council,” held secret meetings in one another’s offices and concocted ways to prevent detainees from challenging their detention in federal court. David Addington, Alberto Gonzales (“I do not remember…..I do not recall….I do not remember that…”), William J. Haynes II, John Yoo and Timothy E. Flanigan comprised this deceitful, devious group and in addition to preventing detainees from their day in court, they also made it all but impossible to prosecute soldiers and officials for alleged crimes committed at Gitmo and other U.S. detention facilities. Thankfully the Supreme Court has stepped in and ensured that America will actually live up to the standard that every other freaking civilized country in the world is held to in dealing with prisoners, finally. All of the conservative, alarmist talking heads out there who are decrying this decision as the end of civilization as we know it…you all need to shut it and stop defending the worst administration and president in the history of our country.
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