I Heard a Nutty Bush Supporter Bombed a Building in NYC?

[stepnw1f]

Where is the article folks?

[stepnw1f]

1. nevermind...

[NYCGirl]

2. Here:

LIVE LINKS at ORIGINAL ARTICLE

http://www.gothamist.com/archives/2006/07/12/gas_line_at_doc.php

Authorities found a hose that was attached from a gas line to the area where a home once stood at 34 East 62nd Street, making them believe that the line had been tampered. The building's owner, Dr. Nicholas Bartha, who claimed he would blow up the building in an email, is still at Weill Cornell Medical Center with third degree burns after being found in his building's rubble on Monday. Bartha had been in the middle of a messy divorce, and had been ordered to sell the four-story townhouse to pay ex-wife Cordula Hahn over $4 million. The NY Times looks at Bartha's divorce and how his family was driven away by his behavior, apparently "bursting into angry tirades" when his daughters would call him. And others say he had been acting strange lately, with a fellow doctor saying, "He went from being a socially acceptable oddball to being unacceptable." Hahn, who now lives in Washington Heights, only told reporters, "It's tragic."

The Observer speaks to Bartha's real estate broker, Mark Baum, who received the 14 page bizarre suicide email on his Blackberry and then called the police to say he had information (and floorplans!) about the house in the explosion. Baum said he had received strange emails from Bartha before (though nothing mentioning explosions) and thought the townhouse was worth $6.2 million. But now it seems like taking the building down may have increased the value, as a potential buyer wouldn't have to demolish the building or get rid of tenants.

The Post talks to a patient of Bartha's who says the doctor was odd and also looks at how the 22 year old Parks employee injured by the explosion is doing - apparently 100 fragments of glass, wood and stone were embedded in her. The Daily News talks to Bartha's receptionist, who wasn't at the building because of a delayed R train.

[northzax]

3. ironic, isn't it?

the guy blows up his house so his wife doesn't get it, and ends up making her more money.

[NYCGirl]

4. This guy doesn't seem too big on reasoning — whatever mental abilities

he might have once had are gone.

It's sort of like an even stranger version of "War of the Roses."

[Warpy]

5. There seems to have been some sort of mental illness

at work here, quite possibly associated with substance abuse.

The good doc was acting very much like an amphetamine addict: rigid, paranoid, delusional, emotionally labile and extremely right wing.

In any case, he's given himself additional time on earth with severe burns and the best care our healthcare system has to offer, and I can't think of a worse curse to lay on anyone.

And yes, he did just make his ex wife richer, even if he survives. Her half of the property just went up by at least a million.

[northzax]

6. seems almost more Obsessive-Compulsive to me

he had his entire self worth and identity tied up in an object (his house) and went over the line trying to avoid separating from it.

From the Times article I read yesterday, the ex-wife gets 25% of the house, he keeps 75%, and that's only because he appealed a previous decision that gave her nothing and it was overturned. I figure the plot is probably woth $7million right now, without construction and tenants. not bad.

hopefully the money will go to pay for his time in an institution where he can get some help. (and of course, to compensate the woman injured in the attack, and the city's expenses as responders)

[zbdent]

7. Same guy who burnt his lips ...

ahh, it's too old a joke ...

[Ian David]

8. Dr. Nicholas Bartha donated $250 to Bush in 2004

Dr. Nicholas Bartha donated $250 to Bush in 2004
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1612086&mesg_id=1612307