A Unique Kind Of Divorce Payout

Men, if your Wifey has this look, watch out. (HT UK Telegraph)

There are a number of reasons why a man would have to shell out some coin to an ex-wife, but this one's pretty unique. From the UK Telegraph:

The 51-year-old man was fined under article 215 of France’s civil code, which states married couples must agree to a “shared communal life”.

A judge has now ruled that this law implies that “sexual relations must form part of a marriage”.

The rare legal decision came after the wife filed for divorce two years ago, blaming the break-up on her husband’s lack of activity in the bedroom.

A judge in Nice, southern France, then granted the divorce and ruled the husband named only as Jean-Louis B. was solely responsible for the split.

But the 47-year-old ex-wife then took him back to court demanding 10,000 euros in compensation for “lack of sex over 21 years of marriage”.

The ex-husband claimed “tiredness and health problems” had prevented him from being more attentive between the sheets.

But a judge in the south of France’s highest court in Aix-en-Provence ruled: “A sexual relationship between husband and wife is the expression of affection they have for each other, and in this case it was absent.

“By getting married, couples agree to sharing their life and this clearly implies they will have sex with each other.”

Very interesting. I didn't think the lack of marital sex would have a pricetag on it. If we used that line of reasoning here in the US, I'm pretty certain that in most cases, it would be the men taking their ex-wives to court wanting compensation for lack of sex. Given the current US culture, most of those cases would either be tossed out or side with the woman, because according to the radical feminazis, asking for sex from your wife is oppressive and all men are rapists.

Background Intel:

UK Telegraph: Frenchman ordered to pay wife damages for lack of sex

Patriotic Kicks & Gloves Create A "Fine" Day For NFL Players

The heart of the matter. (HT Yahoo Sports)

Pictured above are the cleats and gloves that Chicago Bears Linebacker Lance Briggs will wear in the season opener on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. Other players are following suit.

However the NFL may have an issue with this and may levy fines to those who wear the patriotic apparel. From Yahoo Sports:

Players expressed confusion over why the NFL would deny them the chance to commemorate the 10th anniversary of 9/11 by wearing different cleats when the league provides pink apparel (including shoes) to be worn by teams to promote breast cancer awareness each October.

I have to side with the players on this one. You provide pink apparel for them to wear for the entire month of October, but you won't let them wear the red, white, and blue for one day in September?? Something's wrong with that picture. I agree with Doug Farrar this is "a simple and honorable gesture. Not a fineable offense."

Background Intel:

Yahoo Sports: NFL players may be fined for wearing unauthorized 9/11 tribute gear

Outright Maternity Fraud In The UK

With the high number of occurrences, this could be a real mag. (HT

This is one of the most outrageous maternity fraud stories I've come across. From the UK Daily Mail:

A man who had his sperm frozen in case he became infertile was astonished to learn that his ex-wife had tricked an IVF clinic into twice making her pregnant.

He then had to pay £100,000 towards the upbringing of the son and daughter he had known nothing about.

The father, a 57-year-old retired haulier, is now demanding a change in the law to ensure no other parents go through his torment.

The astonishing story begins in 1999 when the man was about to have drug treatment for crippling arthritis.

He stored sperm at the Bourn Hall Clinic in Cambridge to ensure that he and his wife, who married in 1979, could have a child if the treatment left him infertile.

In June 2000 the couple decided to divorce and weeks later she visited the clinic and forged his signature, allowing doctors to create embryos from his frozen sperm and her egg.

She gave birth to a girl in June 2001, claiming it was the result of a one-night stand, and a boy in September 2003.

When the boy needed hospital treatment for a hole in the heart, his mother’s sister phoned the haulier to reveal that both children were his.

‘When the girl got older my ex-wife texted me saying she wanted to see her father. The children asked their mum where they came from and she told them, “The freezer”.’ In 2007 the ex-wife demanded he pay an extra £100,000 after she fell into debt.

A judge ruled that a settlement he made after the divorce, in which the woman kept the family home, was unfair because it did not take the two children into account and the man was forced to pay out the cash. He says he has also spent almost £200,000 in legal fees over the years.

Let me see if I have this straight: She forges her ex hubby's signature so she can have children, then she wants him to bail her out? Nice. I also disagree with the judges decision. I believe the divorce settlement was fair because at the time of the divorce there were no children. They came later as a result of the ex-wife's dishonesty. The woman's take? you'll love this:

I don’t believe I have done anything wrong. It was getting later and later for me and I wanted to have a child. If I had not done it then I would not be blessed with my children. I have no regrets.

Given that the UK legal system allowed you to fleece your ex-husband, I'm sure you don't.

Background Intel:

UK Daily Mail: 'Father' ordered to pay £100k for children he never knew he had after ex-wife tricked IVF clinic into using his frozen sperm

Sinkhole Hits Home

The Intruder. (HT Yahoo News)

Here's something you don't want to see at home. From Yahoo News:

Here's something you never want to hear: "That loud booming sound is coming from inside the house!"

That's what one Inocenta Hernandez from Guatemala City learned after a sudden noise caused her to run outside, thinking there had been an explosion nearby. When she realized the problem was inside her home, she returned to find a gaping, three feet wide, 40 feet deep sinkhole beneath her bed.

Hernandez, 65, was relieved that the damage was only to her house, and hadn't harmed her grandchildren, who had been playing near the bed. This was a little too close to home, but she couldn't have been too surprised that a sinkhole had visited her city.

Guatemala City is prone to spawning giant pits, which are often caused by tropical rain storms. Sinkholes are natural depressions in the earth that can range anywhere from a few feet to hundreds of acres wide, and measure a shallow foot to 100 feet deep.

Glad to see her and her grandchildren were not harmed. Sinkholes are serious business. They strike without warning. There is one thing. If you notice that there's low water pressure in your home, check with your neighbors to see if they have the same issue. There could be a water main leak/break and that could lead to a sinkhole as this story shows.

Background Intel:

Yahoo News: That sinking feeling: Woman finds giant sinkhole under her bed

Lifesaver At The Ballpark

Great things can happen here. (HT baseballpilgrimages.com)

Everyone knows that heroes are made at the ballpark. Few are made in this fashion. From the Washington Post:

The vendor in question was Emmanuel Marlow, a 49-year old D.C. native who now lives in Bowie. He’s done the vending thing at FedEx Field, RFK Stadium and Nats Park, selling beverages and performing guest services for Rocket Man, one of the contractors at area sports venues.

Marlow’s “day” job — which begins at 3 in the morning — involves caring for patients with Parkinson’s; he helps bathe, shave, massage and feed several such patients. He also said it’s in his nature to help people; he once took a free CPR class at UDC, figuring it might come in handy. And he listened carefully during his vending training session, when his supervisor, Terrie Smith, encouraged her employees to be vigilant at all times as they walked the stadium.

“I didn’t realize they were listening that much to what I was saying in my vendor meeting,” Smith said with a laugh when I asked her about that session.

At the game in question, Marlow told me that he was selling beer when he noticed a little boy in the crowd, coughing, gagging and turning a strange color. The fans in that section seemed to be panicking, but no one had taken charge of the incident.

“I guess they never had experienced a first-aid situation,” said Marlow, who had once worked a game at FedEx Field when a patron had a mild stroke. “[The boy] was actually going to a new color. I knew I needed to jump in and do it. There was no time for hesi­ta­tion. It had to be done right then and there.”

And thus, remembering his UDC training, Marlow indeed performed the Heimlich on the boy, who had a piece of chicken lodged in his throat. It took three thrusts, but the chicken was dislodged.

“I was impressed,” said Smith, the supervisor, who found out about the incident later. “I was like, ‘he did?’ He was just calm with it, didn’t come back and say ‘I did that.’ ”

The boy was examined by officials after the incident. His mother, Marlow said, spent 10 minutes hugging the vendor, crying and thanking him. And like my e-mailer wrote, Marlow confirmed that he quickly resumed selling beer, joking that his manager that day “was like great job, go back to work.”

“I was just glad I was there and knew what to do and did it; that’s the best thing that happened,” Marlow told me. “His mother’s not grieving over a lost child. That’s the most important thing.”

Indeed it is. It's good to know that there are always good samaritans out there.

Background Intel:

Washington Post: Nats vendor performs Heimlich on choking child

Another Lawsuit For The Ring

The Prize. (HT ABC)

Another engagement ring lawsuit has hit the newswire. From ABC:

California business owner James Mekalian is suing his former fiancee, Nichole Grazioli, for the return of a $53,000 diamond engagement ring and a 2006 Hummer, according to court documents.

In court documents filed August 19 at California Superior Court for the County of Fresno, Mekalian, the owner of a truck and tractor company, alleges he presented his former fiancee with a "valuable engagement ring and vehicle" after the two agreed to marry. The civil suit accuses his ex-fiancee of deceit and fraud for keeping them after they split.

Grazioli declined to comment on the lawsuit and complaint. "I'm seeking legal advice right now and I can't say anything at this point in time," she told ABCNews.com.

According to court documents, in April 2011, Grazioli broke off the couple's engagement. When Mekalian requested the return of the ring and 2006 Hummer, court documents state, Grazilio refused.

From what I understand about the law, If Mekalian did not give her the ring on a holiday or a special occasion, then by law, she has to give the ring back. We'll see.

Background Intel:

ABC: California Man Sues Former Fiancee For $53K Engagement Ring

A Loyal Girlfriend

The Happy Couple. (HT UK Telegraph)

Pictured above is British comedian John Cleese and his girlfriend Jennifer Wade. Wade is doing something that I have yet to see an American woman do: Helping her man pay off his ex wife. That's standing by her man.

Here's the money quote. From the UK Telegraph: "She told me she could sell ashtrays to non-smokers. She looks nice and she is, in the best sense of the word, a sensible and extremely vibrant English lady. Thank God, he’s not with another American." That came from one of Cleese's acquaintances. Proving that not many foreign men want American wives either.

Background Intel:

UK Telegraph: John Cleese’s girlfriend Jennifer Wade helps pay for his wife’s divorce deal