Read Online Uncle John’s Heavy Duty Bathroom Reader@ by Bathroom Readers’ Institute - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Bathroom Readers’ Institute
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Fielding’s novel was announced, many industry-watchers in the U.K. (including Fielding herself) hoped that British actresses Helena Bonham Carter or Kate Winslet would play Bridget. Winslet was busy with other movies, and Bonham Carter wasn’t interested in a romantic comedy. With those two out—and to the horror of British fans of the book—the producers picked rail-thin American Cameron Diaz to play the slightly overweight Jones. But the director, Sharon Maguire, wanted an unknown for the part. So she auditioned another American, Renée Zellweger, then best known for her roles in Jerry Maguire and Nurse Betty . “If you go with me and we get this wrong,” Zellweger told the director, “we are so busted.” The actress spent months perfecting her British accent and gained nearly 25 pounds for the role. It paid off: Zellweger was nominated for an Oscar and, perhaps more importantly, she received rave reviews in England.
What did Princess Diana and H.G. Wells have in common? Both were high-school dropouts.
STRANGE LAWSUITS
These days it seems that people will sue each other over practically anything. Here are some real-life examples of unusual legal battles .
T he Plaintiff: Craig Clark Show, 49, from Portland, Oregon
The Defendants: The Idaho State Police
The Lawsuit: In 2009 Show was riding his motorcycle through Idaho when he was pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving. He could only watch helplessly as the cops searched through all of his stuff…including a Native American medicine bag that had been blessed by a medicine woman, who told him the bag had to remain closed or its powers of protection would run out. The police opened it…and Show’s life started going downhill (for one thing, he was charged with a DUI), so he sued the police for the destruction of the bag’s mystical properties, seeking $25,000 in damages.
The Verdict: Perhaps there were protective powers in that bag—just before the court case was to begin in early 2010, Show fell seriously ill. The trial will resume after (and if) he recovers.
The Plaintiff: Sherri Perper, 56, of Queens, New York
The Defendant: Forum Novelties, a costume store
The Lawsuit: Perper went to a Halloween party in 2008 wearing a clown costume that she bought from Forum Novelties. But she couldn’t quite figure out how to walk in the oversize clown shoes. At some point, she tripped and crashed to the floor. It may have seemed funny to her fellow partygoers, but Perper wasn’t laughing. In fact, she was in agony…and she blamed the shoes. According to her lawyer, she sustained “severe fracture injuries” to both of her legs. Claiming that the clown shoes were “defective and dangerous,” Perper is seeking unspecified monetary damages.
The Verdict: Pending.
The Plaintiff: Gabriela Nagy, of Toronto, Canada
The Defendant: Rogers Wireless, a cellular phone company
The Lawsuit: In 2006 Nagy set up a business phone with Rogers Wireless in her maiden name. A year later, her husband (not named in court documents) added Internet and land-line services to the account, for which he received a bill—in his name—that included all the calls made on her line. And he noticed that she’d called one particular number quite often. It turned out she was having an affair, and it was her boyfriend’s number. Result: Her husband divorced her. She also claimed she was too depressed to go to her $100,000-per-year job and was fired. Nagy is suing Rogers for $600,000 for not respecting her right to privacy.
Sexism? Bad drivers? Men are 41% likelier than women to be stopped for speeding.
The Verdict: Pending.
The Plaintiff: John Brandrick, 62, from Cornwall, England
The Defendant: Royal Cornwall Hospital (RCH)
The Lawsuit: In 2005 Brandrick went to RCH complaining of acute abdominal pain and was told he had pancreatic cancer. He was given less than a year to live. Brandrick quit his job, stopped paying his mortgage, emptied his bank account, and bought lavish gifts and
What did Princess Diana and H.G. Wells have in common? Both were high-school dropouts.
STRANGE LAWSUITS
These days it seems that people will sue each other over practically anything. Here are some real-life examples of unusual legal battles .
T he Plaintiff: Craig Clark Show, 49, from Portland, Oregon
The Defendants: The Idaho State Police
The Lawsuit: In 2009 Show was riding his motorcycle through Idaho when he was pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving. He could only watch helplessly as the cops searched through all of his stuff…including a Native American medicine bag that had been blessed by a medicine woman, who told him the bag had to remain closed or its powers of protection would run out. The police opened it…and Show’s life started going downhill (for one thing, he was charged with a DUI), so he sued the police for the destruction of the bag’s mystical properties, seeking $25,000 in damages.
The Verdict: Perhaps there were protective powers in that bag—just before the court case was to begin in early 2010, Show fell seriously ill. The trial will resume after (and if) he recovers.
The Plaintiff: Sherri Perper, 56, of Queens, New York
The Defendant: Forum Novelties, a costume store
The Lawsuit: Perper went to a Halloween party in 2008 wearing a clown costume that she bought from Forum Novelties. But she couldn’t quite figure out how to walk in the oversize clown shoes. At some point, she tripped and crashed to the floor. It may have seemed funny to her fellow partygoers, but Perper wasn’t laughing. In fact, she was in agony…and she blamed the shoes. According to her lawyer, she sustained “severe fracture injuries” to both of her legs. Claiming that the clown shoes were “defective and dangerous,” Perper is seeking unspecified monetary damages.
The Verdict: Pending.
The Plaintiff: Gabriela Nagy, of Toronto, Canada
The Defendant: Rogers Wireless, a cellular phone company
The Lawsuit: In 2006 Nagy set up a business phone with Rogers Wireless in her maiden name. A year later, her husband (not named in court documents) added Internet and land-line services to the account, for which he received a bill—in his name—that included all the calls made on her line. And he noticed that she’d called one particular number quite often. It turned out she was having an affair, and it was her boyfriend’s number. Result: Her husband divorced her. She also claimed she was too depressed to go to her $100,000-per-year job and was fired. Nagy is suing Rogers for $600,000 for not respecting her right to privacy.
Sexism? Bad drivers? Men are 41% likelier than women to be stopped for speeding.
The Verdict: Pending.
The Plaintiff: John Brandrick, 62, from Cornwall, England
The Defendant: Royal Cornwall Hospital (RCH)
The Lawsuit: In 2005 Brandrick went to RCH complaining of acute abdominal pain and was told he had pancreatic cancer. He was given less than a year to live. Brandrick quit his job, stopped paying his mortgage, emptied his bank account, and bought lavish gifts and
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