The best things in life NEVER come free

[The Hollywood NeoCon]

See if you can guess how this story ends...

Soon after becoming homeless in 2007, the former plumber, Steven Schulman's legs were crushed by an 18-wheeler as he slept near the parking lot of a market. The accident hobbled him and left him struggling to recuperate. Despite requiring a walker and an orthopedic boot, he boarded half a dozen buses and two trains from a convalescent home to the Irwindale, Calif., headquarters of the trucking company responsible for his injuries.

He was hoping to be compensated for the accident, but his request was met with laughs. His subsequent attempts to take legal action on his own foundered, but a chance encounter with a high-profile attorney took Schulman from skid row to a Los Angeles courtroom.

In September, a jury awarded him almost $700,000 in the accident.

In the months that followed, Schulman wasted no time spending his fortune. He took frequent trips to fine sushi restaurants, hollering for sake refills and filets. He adorned his new apartment with flat screen TVs and sports memorabilia.

When a lightly used black Corvette he purchased went missing, he didn't wait longer than a couple of days to replace it with a brand new red Corvette. The misplaced Corvette was later recovered -- and he kept both. He burned through more than $200,000 of his lawsuit money (from a total of $350,000 after lawyer fees, loans and other costs) in less than a year.


"Maybe it is trying to make up a little for lost time. Yeah, so what?" Schulman had said to a Times reporter. "I think I deserve it."

Of course he believed that, so I doubt anyone here is surprised to learn that he was found dead late Tuesday afternoon. The 55-year-old was discovered in his San Fernando apartment beside several empty bottles of King Cobra malt liquor Tuesday morning, said his attorney, Gary Casselman. Neighbors grew concerned when they heard his dog, Pebbles, whimpering behind the door. Their attention had already been piqued, Casselman said, because they hadn't seen Schulman walking the massive German shepherd mix outside the apartment complex.

Now I'm not saying that instant wealth leads to tragedy per se, but I am saying that if a man lacks the capacity to take responsibility for his life, be he wealthy or poor, nobody should be surprised when just about everything he touches turns to shit. Predictably, the comments section at the Los Angeles Times is filled with grief-stricken Angelenos wondering why Schulman's lawyer didn't do more to look out for his unfortunate client.

My response, were I he, would be, "You can't fix stupid."

[The Hollywood NeoCon]

By the way, in case you're interested, Pebbles the dog was adopted by Casselman, Schulman's lawyer.

[DumbAss Tanker]

By the way, in case you're interested, Pebbles the dog was adopted by Casselman, Schulman's lawyer.

Well, sounds like everything turned out OK, then.

 :innocent:

[thundley4]

Well, sounds like everything turned out OK, then.

 :innocent:

I was worried that the dog had to be put down.

[Mike220]

Well, sounds like everything turned out OK, then.

 :innocent:

Yup. That's all I cared about.

[Eupher]

Sounds like the kind of guy that would otherwise be on welfare.

So it's no skin off society's nose that this scumbag is pushing up daisies.

Glad to hear the dog made it through that ordeal. I'm sure he's better off with the lawyer.

[The Hollywood NeoCon]

By the way, in case you're interested, Pebbles the dog was adopted by Casselman, Schulman's lawyer.

That's exactly why I made the separate post about Pebbles. If the guy wanted to go down in flames like a junkie, no reason an innocent puppy should suffer as a result.

[Chris_]

Some people just can't be helped, no matter how much money you give them.  Glad to hear the dog is okay.

If someone wants to pay the $400 pet deposit at my apartment, I'd be more than happy to adopt a dog.  Just sayin'.

[NHSparky]

C'mon, anyone really surprised by this?  Hell, what is it, something like 1/3 to 1/2 of all lottery millionaires are bankrupt within 2 years?

And an unemployed plumber?  Seriously?  How bad do you have to be to NOT have a serious income as a plumber?

[The Hollywood NeoCon]

C'mon, anyone really surprised by this?  Hell, what is it, something like 1/3 to 1/2 of all lottery millionaires are bankrupt within 2 years?

And an unemployed plumber?  Seriously?  How bad do you have to be to NOT have a serious income as a plumber?

Makes ya wonder if the ones who don't go bankrupt are conservatives. 

[NHSparky]

Makes ya wonder if the ones who don't go bankrupt are conservatives. 

Don't know too many people play it very often.  I don't--I see it for what it is--a tax on people who suck at math.  The only time I buy ONE Powerball or MegaMillions ticket is when the jackpot is above the odds of winning, which for the Powerball, is about 200 million to one.

I think I won $3 once.

[vesta111]

Sounds like the kind of guy that would otherwise be on welfare.

So it's no skin off society's nose that this scumbag is pushing up daisies.

Glad to hear the dog made it through that ordeal. I'm sure he's better off with the lawyer.

EUPHER, first the dog lived with a bum that most likely fed him rib eye every night  took him for walks, and spent time with him riding in corvetts head out the window.

Living with a lawyer that has no time to walk him but most likely has found a tax loop hole to charge off the cost of cheap dog food, if he remembers to feed him, and vet care if he remembers to get his shots etc.

One saving grace, the dog has it better then the lawyers wife, thats for sure.

[Eupher]

Don't know too many people play it very often.  I don't--I see it for what it is--a tax on people who suck at math.  The only time I buy ONE Powerball or MegaMillions ticket is when the jackpot is above the odds of winning, which for the Powerball, is about 200 million to one.

I think I won $3 once.

Well, I suck at math but I don't play the lottery. I played it once, back in 1995. Bought $20 worth of tickets in the Michigan lottery and won $100.

As badly as I suck at math, I know enough not to mess with that track record.

[Eupher]

EUPHER, first the dog lived with a bum that most likely fed him rib eye every night  took him for walks, and spent time with him riding in corvetts head out the window.

Living with a lawyer that has no time to walk him but most likely has found a tax loop hole to charge off the cost of cheap dog food, if he remembers to feed him, and vet care if he remembers to get his shots etc.

One saving grace, the dog has it better then the lawyers wife, thats for sure.

Vesta, lawyers are people too (as much as it pains me to say that). If he didn't give a shit about the dog, he wouldn't have taken him. Stop dreaming and look at the expressed facts as we know them, not what you would like them to be. 

[Celtic Rose]

EUPHER, first the dog lived with a bum that most likely fed him rib eye every night  took him for walks, and spent time with him riding in corvetts head out the window.

Living with a lawyer that has no time to walk him but most likely has found a tax loop hole to charge off the cost of cheap dog food, if he remembers to feed him, and vet care if he remembers to get his shots etc.

One saving grace, the dog has it better then the lawyers wife, thats for sure.

Wow.  Have you ever known a lawyer in real life, and not just from the media?  That is a mighty large brush you are painting with. 

[IassaFTots]

Well, I suck at math but I don't play the lottery. I played it once, back in 1995. Bought $20 worth of tickets in the Michigan lottery and won $100.

As badly as I suck at math, I know enough not to mess with that track record.

Yeah, I wouldn't touch that either.  I do throw a few dollars at the lotto, when I am feeling like it, or if the jackpot is gargatuan.  And I promise, if I ever did win, that I wouldn't throw it away, destroy my life or be irresponsible.   

[Celtic Rose]

Yeah, I wouldn't touch that either.  I do throw a few dollars at the lotto, when I am feeling like it, or if the jackpot is gargatuan.  And I promise, if I ever did win, that I wouldn't throw it away, destroy my life or be irresponsible.  

That's how I play too.  Once it gets over $150 million, I start playing a few dollars worth.  I see it as paying for the chance to dream about winning the lottery with a chance of it coming true    I've got my plans all set for when I win, and I certainly don't plan on being bankrupt at any point  

[IassaFTots]

That's how I play too.  Once it gets over $150 million, I start playing a few dollars worth.  I see as a paying for the chance to dream about winning the lottery with a chance of it coming true    I've got my plans all set for when I win, and I certainly don't plan on being bankrupt at any point 

See.  That is why we need to win.  To show the DUmmies we can do it right!     Good luck to ya!

[DumbAss Tanker]

Don't know too many people play it very often.  I don't--I see it for what it is--a tax on people who suck at math.  The only time I buy ONE Powerball or MegaMillions ticket is when the jackpot is above the odds of winning, which for the Powerball, is about 200 million to one.

I think I won $3 once.

I buy a $2 ticket on the plain-old million-dollar lotto twice a week, generally.  It's purely for the entertainment value of the fantasy and a trivial expense to me.  I don't have any expectation of it really ever paying off, but it's a fun fantasy.  There are a lot of shoestring-budget retirees and low-pay workers I see buy $20-$50 worth of instant games and big jackpot (Powerball, etc.) tickets each time though, which is dumber than a box of rocks.  I don't need the $2, they really do need that $20 or $50. 

[The Hollywood NeoCon]

I buy a $2 ticket on the plain-old million-dollar lotto twice a week, generally.  It's purely for the entertainment value of the fantasy and a trivial expense to me.  I don't have any expectation of it really ever paying off, but it's a fun fantasy.  There are a lot of shoestring-budget retirees and low-pay workers I see buy $20-$50 worth of instant games and big jackpot (Powerball, etc.) tickets each time though, which is dumber than a box of rocks.  I don't need the $2, they really do need that $20 or $50. 

That's exactly how the old lady and I do it. $2, twice a week. Keep it simple.

[vesta111]

Wow.  Have you ever known a lawyer in real life, and not just from the media?  That is a mighty large brush you are painting with. 

Rose, We have interesting people up here, we have a female Judge that is married to a lawyer that swindled old timers out of their life saving, for one. He was debarred but she still  has not in any way helped to make restuition for his actions.   Mom knew one of the people and they died as she said of a broken heart.

Sparky or Zeit. are better then I am at searching but both remember the Kittery Lawyer that went to jail for involvement in the dealings of a health spa using 13 year old girls for prostitution in a small town that operated over 25+ years    [ Small town but the police had no idea what was going on in all that time.  Truckers coming in from all over the country seemed to know about it. ]

Just so happens that that Lawyer was in charge of Moms finances --She was about 80 at that time and she coincidental was a neighbor of him.

Mom had changed lawyers  a few years before as he was too busy with his venture to spend time on small change management.

When he got out of Prison, that very day she began to notice dozens of cars parking at his house, a welcome home party she thought.

YAH we have some interesting people up here Lawyers, Doctors, Artists, World known Authors  and Educators ----   sooner or later one of them will get in BIG trouble.

Being raised Yankee the mantra was----Never totally trust another and most important don't completely trust yourself.

Shakespeare wanted to kill all the lawyers, I just want them ---some at least in Jail.