MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP, N.J.-

This is one of those laugh out loud moments. It was after hours at a PNC bank in New Jersey. The internal bank alarm sounded and police rushed to the scene. Through the windows of the bank police were able to see at least one person inside. The area was sealed off and three nearby apartment buildings were evacuated as a precaution.

Police negotiators used bullhorns and the telephone in an attempt to make contact with whoever was inside the bank. After repeatedly failing to make contact the SWAT team was instructed to enter the bank, where it identified the assailant as a cardboard figure used for advertising. It was not known what actually set off the alarm.

The moral of the story: While all the city police are busy arresting the cardboard figure, hurry up and rob the bank across town.

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 Jordan -

This is for all you hopeless romantics out there, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

This is for all you hopeless romantics out there. Like so many other millions of people worldwide a Jordanian couple, Adnan and Jamila met on the internet and fell madly in love. Using the amazing internet as a vehicle of love, their relationship sizzled as the two young lovers shared dreams, goals, hobbies, values, and made wedding plans for the future. What better love could there possibly be? They had each found their soulmate.

There was only one small problem…..both of the lovers were already married, Adnan to Sanaa and Jamila to Bakr. They were each in a seven month break from their respective spouses, giving them both the time to find their perfect love on the internet, each other. Determined to be together Adnan and Jamila plotted escapes from each of their unhappy marriages, knowing they would be together forever.

So far so good? Well sure, but you know there’s a catch. And the catch occurred on the day they could no longer take it and had to meet in person. They agreed to meet at a bus depot and further plan their wedding. But there would be no wedding necessary, not for these two. They were already married, Adnan was Bakr and Jamila was Sanaa. So much for living happily ever after.

The moral of the story: When you meet someone on the internet and decide you are in love, it’s a wise idea to ask for a picture before you plan the wedding.

(Thanks to my friend who pointed out this story is exactly like the classic song Escape by Rupert Holmes. Watch the video below.)

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LAWRENCEVILLE, Georgia-

In an economy that gets tighter and tighter each and every year, with no end in sight, it seems like fewer and fewer companies are giving out yearly bonuses anymore. And the companies that still are, seem to be continuously reducing what “they say” they are able to distribute amongst employees. There is a debate: are bonuses a right or a privilege? In different cases both are true. Some people have bonuses built into their pay structure while others have bonuses that are given as a ‘true’ bonus at the end of the year as a Holiday/Christmas bonus. Commonly now, even end of the year bonuses, which are truly customary, and by no means obligatory for companies, have become an expectation by millions of employees worldwide.

So what about those bonuses that are not required, but companies just give them out because they want to. That’s what happened to 180 employees in Gwinnett County, Georgia. They were given bonuses but ‘after the fact’ county officials decided the bonuses were overpaid. The county’s chief financial officer, Aaron Bovos said a project was started to, “clean up receivables and to eliminate outstanding obligations”……….What the hell does that mean? The county actually wanted to collect back $39,000 in bonuses it paid to 180 employees. County officials blamed it on a payroll anomaly when the county adjusted employees’ payroll cycles. If distributed equally, do the math, that’s $216 dollars per person. Not thousands of dollars each, but still a lot of money, hell, it’s a car payment.

Employees were told they could apply the money to vacation leave or make a cash payment……..So here’s my thinking, I’d go tell the County of Gwinnett to pound sand, or more accurately to, kiss my a—!!! And that’s what I feel any and all of the 180 employees should tell them. But the county asking for these people to return these bonuses is not the real kicker here…….let me lay that part of it on you now. This ‘payroll anomaly’ did not occur on last years payroll, not even on the payroll from two, five, nor even 10 years ago. How about 16 years ago! The GREAT county of Gwinnett, Georgia is asking 180 employees to return a bonus they received in 1994. Are you kidding me? If I were the county’s CFO, Aaron Bovos I’d be embarrassed and ashamed to even ‘think’ about the “clean up receivables and to eliminate outstanding obligations” project. To top off the already ridiculous, I’m sure the county paid someone $40,000 for one year’s salary to uncover this huge clerical mistake.

Question for all you Gwinnett County executives: are any of you the slightest bit embarrassed and ashamed that YOUR county is asking for money back that it GAVE away years and years and years ago, when Bill Clinton was still in the first part of his first term in office? (Wow, that really puts it into perspective).

The moral of the story: If you currently serve in some “official” capacity for the County of Gwinnett, Georgia, save your bonuses, someday they’re gonna want them back.

© 2010 StrangeRush.com

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MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota-

She lives in apartment # 904 and he lives in apartment # 902. Their front doors are only separated by a one foot wide, red door frame. She’s old enough to be his mother. She is 59-year-old Mary Johnson and he is 34-year-old Oshea Israel. Looking at how happy they look in their picture together, it could definitely be assumed they are mother and son. But they’re not related in any way and they’re not lovers either.

The friendship between Mary and Oshea could definitely be considered somewhat of an anomaly. Mary is, and always has been, a law-abiding, Christian woman who lives by the word of God. Oshea is also a man of faith, but it wasn’t always that way. Oshea was hardly even a young man when he got himself into serious trouble, the worst kind of trouble imaginable. In February of 1993, when Oshea was merely a 16-year-old boy, he was at a party, where he became involved in an argument. The man he argued with was 20-year-old Laramiun Byrd, whom Oshea shot and killed. Oshea was tried and convicted as an adult and was sentenced to 25½ years in prison for the murder of Laramiun Byrd.

Mary Johnson met Oshea Israel while he was serving his time in prison. And their friendship blossomed from there. Their relationship is definitely classified as unusual, being that Mary Johnson’s only son (and only child) was also shot and murdered (by a man named Marlon Green). Considering Mary endured her own son’s murder, then herself befriended a murderer, is nothing less than remarkable.

Oshea Israel only served 17 years of his sentence. During his time in prison, Oshea met with Mary on numerous occasions and their bond grew. So much so that after being released, Mary spoke to her landlord, and Oshea moved in right next door. As time went on they became closer and closer and Mary now calls herself Oshea’s “spiritual mother”. She helps guide him on his spiritual path to forgiveness, trying to help him forgive himself for the great sin he committed at only 16-year-old, before he became a man of God.

However, Oshea has not been so quick to forgive himself for his grave mistake. He often thinks back to that fateful day in 1993, before he changed his name to his new spiritual name, Oshea Israel……back when he was still Marlon Green.

After Mary’s son was killed, she wanted justice. She wanted the animal that had killed her only child to rot in prison for the rest of his life. But a few years ago Mary decided she wanted to finally meet the animal face to face. But she wanted to meet him, not to chastise him, but to see if somehow the Lord would help her to find it within her own heart to forgive. And the process of forgiveness began. From that day on, Mary and Oshea met regularly and she became his spiritual mother.

Mary said, “Unforgiveness is like cancer, it will eat you from the inside out. It is not about the other person and it does not diminish what he’s done. But the forgiveness is for me.”

Mary is a very unique person. There are not many people out there who could do what Mary has done: forgive the man who murdered her own son, graciously take him in as her neighbor, and become his spiritual mother. You’re a beautiful woman, Mary Johnson, StrangeRush.com has a lot of respect for you.

The moral of the story: “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” – Lewis B. Smedes.

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SANTA ANA, California-

Every so often an event comes along that really gets my blood boiling. This insane incident happened on a Sunday afternoon in late August of this year. It was about 2pm in Santa Ana, California, aboard a small cruise boat called the Queen.

A 35-year-old man named Sloan Briles was on the 90-minute scenic cruise of Balboa/Newport Harbor with his girlfriend and six and seven year old sons from his prior marriage. At some point during the excursion, Sloan Briles and his girlfriend got into an argument. According to witnesses, Mr. Briles proceeded to walk to the front of the boat to cool off, and was followed by his upset seven year old. Witnesses stated that Briles then struck his son several times and ordered him to stop crying or he’d “throw him overboard.” The boy said, “Stop Daddy, you’re hurting me.” Soon after, Briles did exactly as he said and tossed the boy into the harbor. He then jumped in himself in an attempt to retrieve his son. The captain had to make a sharp turn to avoid hitting both father and son. The father was unsuccessful in getting his son, instead the boy was rescued by another pleasure boat touring the harbor.

Deputies investigating the case indicated that the boy (and father) were both very lucky they were not hurt or killed from being hit by the boat they were on, or one of the other boats in the vicinity. The boat that picked the boy up created a huge safety risk in rescuing him. Luckily, other than future trust issues with daddy dearest, the young boy was pulled unharmed from the water. When police arrived at the scene, they determined Briles was under the influence of alcohol and he resisted arrest. He was arrested and charged on two felony counts of child endangerment and resisting arrest.

For obvious reasons there’s an enormous amount of public outrage at Sloan Briles for his despicable act. But instead of keeping his damn pie-hole shut and waiting for his day in court, the disgrace to humanity decided he would prolong this 15-minutes of fame and try to ‘explain’ what happened by doing an interview with KTLA 5‘s Carolyn Costello.

During his interview with Costello, Briles shows absolutely zero credibility and gives a completely different account of the incident than many of the 80 witnesses on the boat. Anyone who has any training in determining when someone is lying, can easily see Briles has made up a completely fictitious account, trying to downplay the severity of his actions.

(Please watch the following YouTube video before reading on.)

Here are some direct quotes from the interview (and me;-)

Costello: “You threw your son off a boat, where you trying to kill him?

Briles: (In a smart-ass tone) “Yeah, I was trying to kill my son”….pause for dramatic effect….“No, of course I was not trying to kill….we were playing in the, in the, shallows.” (with an added hand gesture for emphasis).

The StrangeRush guy: No Slick Sloan, you were NOT playing in the shallows, the shallows is where it’s safe to toss your kid in the water. You were in the harbor where several other boats were driving around and could have hit your son……but unfortunately for humanity they missed your sorry ass.

Costello: (Wasn’t recorded but apparently she asked Briles what happened.)

Briles: “I…I…thought, we, you know, I discussed it with him, we jumped in together and just thought okay it’d be funny, ha ha ha. We were just screwing around, just…just horse playing.”

The StrangeRush guy: And according to MANY other passengers (80 or so) on the boat you are a complete liar. And while watching the interview it’s obviously true.

Costello: “He was not crying?”

Briles: “First of all, he does not cry. I don’t, I…I…I haven’t seen him cry in so long.”

The StrangeRush guy: Yeah, you’re right, most seven-year-olds don’t cry. Not even when their dad’s been smacking them around.

Costello: Why would some make that up that he was crying and that you were hitting him if that wasn’t true?

Briles: “B…B…B…Beats me, it’s not true though. I don’t, I don’t hit my kids, there’s no reason for me.

The StrangeRush guy: Ummm, okay Tough Guy……don’t you mean “Beats him” because there’s a nasty rumor going around that many witnesses actually saw you hitting your son (but they’re all probably conspiring against you).

Costello: “People are saying it’s a big boat, what if he went under the boat and drowned?”

Briles: (With a confident arrogance) “It’s doesn’t work like that…….sorry.”

Costello: “How does it not work that way? I’m thinking a little kid goes overboard and the boats moving that the kid could either get hit by the front of the boat or sucked into a propeller.”

The StrangeRush guy: Hmmmm, Slick Sloan has made a lot of good points….but I’m gonna have to side with Carolyn Costello on this one. What an idiot to even say such a thing, “It doesn’t work like that,” he has no idea what he is even saying.

Briles: “No…..we were on the fan tail, we were on the back, okay…..the bow. We jumped off, well prior to them actually slipping.”

The StrangeRush guy: Ah ha, caught you in a lie, loser. So were you on the back or the bow? There is a difference you know, say about 30 feet in this case. Witnesses all say you were on the bow. And for the record, Sloan, you may have jumped off the boat, but your poor son sure didn’t. To jump, at least one foot must be on the ground.

Costello: “If you hadn’t been drinking do you think you would have done it?”

Briles: “ABSOLUTELY!!! Was water, you’re in the water……what….do you go to water just to look at it?”

The StrangeRush guy: Woohoo, I get a two-part bonus statement. So obviously, you’re just as much of an idiot when you’re sober as when you’re drunk; and believe it or not, millions of people travel to watery destinations every year just to look and not touch…..but I do understand the water was shiny and impossible to resist throwing your crying son in it.

Costello: “In his clothes though…….you threw him in in his clothes?:

Briles: “Well, um we have more clothes (sarcasm). I mean, is it that tough….I mean do you want me to strip him down?

The StrangeRush guy: So in summary, I’m thinking next time Slick Sloan Briles decides to do a public interview he really should stand in front of the mirror for a few hours and rehearse his lines so he doesn’t look like such a liar. The reality is he made a life altering mistake and should have just kept his damn mouth shut. Now he looks even worse for trying to lie his way out of it.

Luckily, the boy’s mother filed an emergency restraining order to keep Briles away from her boys, and according to Briles that is the tragedy in all this…. (actually moron, the real tragedy was when your mother birthed to you 35 years ago).

Sloan Briles did everything he possibly could to prove to humanity what he really is……an absolutely loser, who should have his reproductive organs ripped out. Hey Sloan, good luck in ever having your son trust you again (that is if you ever actually see him again) and good luck in finding an impartial jury.

The moral of the story: Land based, supervised visitation rights only.

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MANHATTAN, New York-

One of the things I love about writing StrangeRush stories is that I live in America. And once I think I’ve seen it all, something new happens that makes me really happy I write about strange stuff. Capitalizing on human stupidity is a great portion of what keeps me going……..so here’s a great one, hot off the presses……..and one of the best stories to come across the StrangeRush desk in a while.

One of the biggest days in anyone’s life is their wedding day. The actual wedding comes and goes in the blink of an eye, but the memories last a lifetime. The very best way to keep the memories alive are to have good wedding pictures. Maybe that’s why being a wedding photographer can be very lucrative and expensive, depending on what side of the equation you are on. There is an old saying, “You get what you pay for,” and hiring the cheapest photographer (for any occasion) is not always the best idea.

It was November of 2003 and Todd Remis and Milena Grzibovska were ready to tie the knot. They were in love and ready to begin their lives together. While planning their nuptials, one of the biggest concerns they had was finding a quality photographer. As all couples do, they wanted quality photos that would last. They walked into the studio of H & H Photography. At the time, H & H had been in business for nearly 60 years and was highly regarded in the Bronx, New York area for their quality photo shoots of numerous types of occasions.

Satisfied with what they saw and the reputation of H & H, the happy couple signed up for a $4,100 photo and video package for their wedding that was scheduled for December 28^th the following month.

It was a small wedding with fewer than 40 guests and it went off without a hitch. About a month later, the newlyweds entered H & H’s gallery where they went over the photos. Todd Remis expressed dissatisfaction with the product he paid $4,100 for, but reportedly left with 400 photo proofs taken at the wedding.

In 2009, six years after the ceremony, Todd Remis sued H & H Photography just before the statute of limitation was about to run out on him. His lawsuit claimed that H & H Photography had missed very important aspects of the wedding. He alleged the three H & H photographers working their wedding had completely missed the last dance and bouquet toss. Furthermore, he alleged they were supposed to receive the full six-hours of the wedding on video, but they only got two hours.

So here we have a disgruntled groom, knocking on the door of the statute of limitations, filing a lawsuit six years after the fact for what he felt was botched wedding photography. I wasn’t there and I have absolutely no idea if H & H messed up on their part of the bargain. Maybe they did, maybe they didn’t. But so much time had passed and nothing legal had been done, so why after six years had passed did he finally take legal action? Could it have been that in 2008 Todd Remis lost his job and was looking for any way to make ends meet? I’d imagine if he somehow won the lawsuit and got his $4,100 back, it could help out financially. Likely not, considering the cost of filing the lawsuit would easily surpass $4,100 in legal fees.

The reality is that Todd Remis suing to win back the $4,100 is really an afterthought in this whole charade. And this is where this story gets really bizarre. In addition to wanting the cost of the wedding photography back, Remis also sued for an additional $48,000 so he could fly everyone back in, who attended the wedding in 2003. He wants to recreate the exact wedding as it was then, and have another photographer take pictures and video it. YES, you did read that correctly.

As absurd as that idea sounds (and is), recreating a wedding with all players involved, over eight years after the original event……..hold on because it still gets even stranger. In 2008, Todd Remis and his wife Milena Grzibovska separated and eventually had (what he called) an amicable divorced in 2010. She reportedly returned to her native land of Latvia, and now resides there.

Without a doubt, this is one of the most ridiculous lawsuits I’ve ever heard of. But if you follow the crumb trail through the forest, they only lead to one place. Todd Remis filed his law suit just as the statute of limitation was about to run out on him…….one year after he and his wife had separated. Now he wants to recreate his wedding with his ex-wife eight years later? It’s quite obvious: It was not an amicable divorce and Todd Remis is grasping at straws trying to win back his ex. With all the media coverage of this crazy story, she’s obviously heard about his ploy by now, and I’m going to put words in her mouth and say she must be laughing her ass off and glad she divorced this strange guy.

I suppose I commend the man for trying, but I also have to say he’s an absolute idiot for the way he’s going about it. Judging from what I’ve heard and read in the general media, just as I am, the rest of the world is also laughing at Todd Remis.

A judge in the State Supreme Court, Justice Doris Ling-Cohan, did allow the case to proceed to determine if there was an actual breech of contract. However, she did dismiss some of Remis’s claims in the lawsuit, such as: “infliction of emotional distress”……..Infliction of emotional distress? Are you frickin’ kidding me, Todd? What kind of crap are you trying to pull here? The reality is you’re crazy and your wife knew it. Now you file the most idiotic lawsuit in the history of the United States trying to win her back……..I’m more worried about her emotional distress……..poor thing having to deal with you for five years.

During court testimony the brilliant Mr. Remis stated, “It was unfortunate in its circumstances, but we are very much happy with the wedding event and we would like to have it documented for eternity, for us and our families.” (Yeah, well I’m very much happy Todd Remis gave me this amazing story to write about.) What he’s really saying is this is a desperate plea to get his ex-wife back but the families really have no interest in seeing it ‘documented for eternity’. Furthermore he testified, “I need to have the wedding recreated exactly as it was so that the remaining 15 percent of the wedding that was not shot can be shot.” Now that’s a little more honest, Todd……..’I need’ not we need. And to that last statement, the 87-year-old owner of H&H Photography, Curt Fried chuckled and said it best, “He wants to fly his ex-wife back and he doesn’t even know where she lives.”

I find this lawsuit a huge joke and an insult to the American Justice System. It’s been said that anyone can sue anyone for any reason at any time……..but it’s too bad there can’t be a line drawn in the Judicial sand.

The moral of the story: Divorced means it’s OVER……..get over it and move on.

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SEATTLE, Washington-

Family dynamics (and a lack there of) constitute a large part of StrangeRush.com content. And this story’s going to make your head spin.

In 1995 Trisha Conlon and John Cushing Jr. married. Their relationship was consistently up and down and after 10 years it finally ended in divorce. During their time together, Trisha and John had two sons, Stephen and Sam.

In many broken marriages, one or both parents eventually ends up remarrying, usually causing a bitter custody battle. And in the case of Trisha and John it was no different. After the divorce, John Cushing Jr. married Kristine Cushing and the two settled down on Vashon Island, Washington, just southwest of Seattle. Trisha Conlon also remarried and lives in Silverton, Oregon. Trisha is very upset about having split custody of their boys and is heavily contesting the arrangement they have and is currently fighting within the court system for full custody of her sons.

NEWS FLASH, Trisha……John is entitled to move on with his life and remarry whomever he chooses and have joint custody of your sons. What on Earth would ever make you think otherwise? He’s a retired Lieutenant Colonel Marine fighter pilot and by all accounts has been a good father to your boys. Come on, Trisha, get with the program. Being divorced and having joint custody of children is part of the “American Way” so get over it.

Is the problem for Trisha that she lives 200 miles away from her boys when they are with their father? Sure, it’s a factor in her unhappiness with the situation. But not surprising, the biggest issue for Trisha is her hatred and distrust for the boy’s stepmother, Kristine Cushing. Not surprising, as many parents don’t like their kid’s ‘other’ stepparent…….it’s nothing new.

But you know something…….Trisha may be onto something here. Something that puts her hatred and distrust at a whole new level. The fact is, the new step-mommy, Kristine Cushing, has a history…….a very dark history that sheds light on why Trisha does not want her boys living under the same roof as Kristine (and probably no where near the lady at all).

Back in 1991, Kristine Cushing was suffering from a debilitating heart condition and her marriage at the time was breaking down. She was prescribed and began taking Prozac for depression. Despite her issues, she was known by friends as “super-mom”……..that is until Kristine took a .38 caliber-handgun and killed her eight and four year old daughters as they slept.

Kristine Cushing blamed the killings on a bad reaction to Prozac. A jury found her not guilty by reasons of temporary insanity. In 2005 Kristine Cushing received an unconditional release after serving four years in a mental institution and 10 more years of psychiatric monitoring. Soon after, she hooked up John Cushing Jr. and began a new life, with Trisha Conlon’s boys as her new step-children.

Wow, I think I owe Trisha an apology. I can absolutely see why she would fight tooth and nail to try and keep her boys as far away from Kristine Cushing as humanly possible. The court debate is whether Kristine Cushing is a threat to Trisha’s boys or whether she has served her time and been rehabilitated. As of this time, the court system commissioner has sided with John Cushing Jr. and his deadly wife Kristine, citing: “Despite the serious history in this case there is no presentation of a current threat to the children.”

Ya gotta love the American court system. I understand there are protocols and laws that need to be followed, but at what point do you state the obvious? If she became temporary insane once, why couldn’t it happen again……temporarily, that is? If someone sexually abuses a child they are rightfully not allowed around children again, but when they murder a child they are? It all seems pretty obvious to me and if I were in Trisha Colon’s shoes I’d do the exact same thing.

So what does John Cushing have to say about his wife’s history? Well, he wholeheartedly stands behind his wife Kristine and does not see her as a threat to his sons. After all, he’s a Lieutenant Colonel, so he must be of exceptional intelligence. He says his wife, Kristine poses no threat because she is fully recovered and he emphasizes that ‘no crime was ever committed’……that’s because she was found insane, she still murdered two innocent children, her own children, come on John, get with the program!!!

You must be wondering if John Cushing knew about his new wife’s sinister past when he met her after she was ‘rehabilitated’? And you thought you had heard all the twists to this crazy old story. Well, I must say he sure did know about what she had done. Only because before marrying Trisha Colon, John was first married to Kristine……the two girls she killed were also his daughters. Yes, you read that correctly. Evidently, John Cushing Jr. kept in contact with Kristine while she was institutionalized and after she was released married her for a second time.

Somehow I find it rather amazing that a man with this kind of sense was able to make it to the level of Lieutenant Colonel in the Marines Corps. Insane or not, Kristine Cushing’s actions were and are unforgivable and John Cushing Jr. is an absolute idiot for ever even talking to the ‘temporarily insane’ woman again.

One word sums this ordeal up…….disgusting. And you should have a sickening feeling in your stomach.

The moral of the story: If it happened once, it could happen again.

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LAUDERHILL, Florida -

It was a Thursday, April Fools Day, 1976 and Barbara Cosgrove was driving her beautiful, three day old Lincoln Mark IV over the Brooklyn Bridge. At the time the bridge was being painted, and about 200 feet above, a tarp hung that helped prevent paint from falling onto the cars below. Heavy rains caused the tarp to give way, sending an extreme amount of water crashing onto Barbara Cosgrove’s new luxury ride, smashing the hood and windshield. Barbara recalled that she screamed so loud that she caused damage to her own eardrums. She then turned off the car and passed out.

Unfortunately, Barbara did have a brief hospital stay, but upon being released she and her insurance company wasted no time in filing a claim against the Belt Painting Co., which was doing the paint work on the bridge. She had hoped there would be an eventual settlement, but as time went on nothing came of it. In July of 1978 Barbara wrote a letter to her attorney asking him to pursue the settlement, but for unknown reasons she never mailed it. She eventually gave up the idea of a settlement as a lost cause.

Time passed and Barbara and her husband moved on. From time to time she thought about the accident and the claim against the Belt Painting Co., but as more years came and went the incident pushed itself further from her memory. In the time since the accident she had moved to Miami Beach and then to Lauderhill, Florida, where she has spent the last 15 years. Sometime in the mid 1980s Barbara and her husband got divorced, and she was able to keep the furniture from the divorce settlement.

In early 2010, 34 years after the accident on the bridge, 85-year-old Barbara was at home with a friend, who asked to see a picture of Barbara’s ex-husband. Barbara went into the bottom drawer of a nightstand she had received from her divorce settlement, looking for a picture. Barbara said she had been in the drawer thousands of times over the years. But this time she pulled out something different, something she had never seen before. It was an envelope, whose corners were eaten away by time. Inside, Barbara found the shock of her life. On the piece of paper in the envelope was the date January 23, 1978, a year and a half after the bridge accident and six months before she wrote the letter to her attorney. The paper inside the tattered envelope wanted something from Barbara, it wanted her signature. But not just any signature, it wanted her to endorse the check that was inside, a check for $17,500, the settlement she had at some point received for the accident. The settlement she had no memory of receiving. Printed on the check it read, VOID if not cashed within 60 days.

It is highly unlikely that Barbara will ever get her money. The company that wrote the check, The Home Insurance Companies of Manchester, N.H., was declared insolvent and was liquidated in June 2004. After the check was found and Barbara was interviewed she went on record saying, “When the money wasn’t deposited, why shouldn’t they have followed up and said ‘Why haven’t you cashed the check?’ “

Oh, Barbara…….Barbara, Barbara, Barbara……that’s not the way the real world works, dear. The company sent you the check, it’s not their responsibility to nudge you and remind you not to forget to spend their money. When you never cashed the check, it just meant the highest ranking corporate officers in the company got the Christmas party of their lives in 1978. I really don’t want to pick on you too much, Barbara. I know you’ve been through enough with this, but, my dear, what the hell happened? You’re older now and I know you feel awful about it, so I’ll try to take it easy on you, but I just have to ask one thing, “Why did you give it up so easily and why didn’t you mail that letter to your attorney?”

And there’s one more thing I have yet to mention. Ask anyone, $17,500 is A LOT of cash in 2010, but imagine what it was worth in 1978. Do I even dare tell you? You know I’m going to. I checked several online inflation calculators and we’re talking an inflation change of 235%. $17,500 in 1978 is equal to $58,630.10 in 2010. That one’s gonna sting a little.

It appears as though the longest April Fools joke in the history of mankind, a 32 year long epic prank, was pulled on Barbara Cosgrove by none other than fate itself.

The moral of the story: Barbara, I know hindsight is a bastard, but ya probably should have sent that letter to your attorney on that fine Summer day in 1978, he probably could have told you to check your nightstand drawer.

© StrangeRush.com

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WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -

When I was a kid in the 1980′s my family took semi-frequent vacations and road trips. I can still hear my Dad yelling at me and my sister from the driver’s seat, “If you two don’t stop arguing I’m gonna turn this car around and we’ll go home.”

“No Daddy, please don’t, we’ll stop,” My gullible little sister would desperately plead. I guess it never occurred to her that we were in the middle of BFE, 200 miles from home, 175 miles from Disneyland, already $300 deep into the vacation, and Dad took a week off work. Nothing short of a Category 5 hurricane ripping through Central California in mid-February was gonna turn us around. Nevertheless, his empty scheme worked……..at least until we were 220 miles from home.

Fast forward 20-something years……and there’s a new threat commonly making the rounds. Something that was too severe and drastic for the 1980′s. “If you two kids don’t stop fighting I’m gonna stop this car and make you both get out and I’ll leave you here.” Had my Dad ever pulled a line of crap like that on me I would have laughed in his face.

My Dad’s intense, but he’s no lawyer from Manhattan. That’s where this mommy of the year award nominee comes into the picture. She proposed that very commonly used, modern threat on her 10 and 12 year old daughters, then did exactly what she said and left them on the side of the road, inhaling her exhaust fumes as she sped off. They were dropped in a busy area of office buildings and shops in White Plains, NY, three miles from their home, where any perv could have grabbed them and they’d have been gone forever. At least mom could have flipped them a buck or two for bus fair and a popsicle in case it got hot.

Eventually, the 12 year old was able to find her mother, but the very upset 10 year old became separated from her big sis and was later picked up on the side of the road by drivers passing by, where she was promptly turned over to the police. When mommy eventually got home, and found a two minute opening in her busy attorney schedule, she had the nerve to call police and report her youngest missing.

Thank God she was arrested when she went to the police station to claim her daughter.

The moral of the story: If you don’t want to your children to have SERIOUS abandonment issues as adults, by GOD don’t leave them on the side of the road to fend for themselves. It’s a SICK world!!!

(This post is dedicated to my Dad. Love you, Dad. Thanks for all the great trips:)

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DENTON, Texas -

This one really leaves you scratching your head. When a young lady reported to her job at the local Pizza Patron on a Friday night, she had no idea that the shift would probably be the scariest moments of her life. How many people can actually say they have been robbed while at work? Three disguised assailants came into the Pizza Patron. While the robbery was in progress another Pizza Patron worker made a bold move and struck one of the robbers, knocking him out, and knocking off his wig and sunglasses.

It was at that point that the first young Pizza Patron worker realized it was her father behind the disguise and the other two brilliant bad guys were none other than her mother and husband. The three genius assailants were able to escape, but were all apprehended within 14 minutes of the robbery.

It was later determined that Pizza Patron worker had no idea what her loving family was up to. She was just the lucky one who was born and raised into such a winning family, then decided to marry equally well.

The Moral of the story: You know you’re white trash when you rob your own wife/daughter’s work place.

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