State Department Chief Diversity Officer John Robinson has published a warning to State Department employees that if they want to “go Dutch” or “hold down the Fort,” they had better find another way to express it. Those phrases are now deemed offensive.
Continue reading “State Department: As A “Rule of Thumb” Don’t “Hold Down The Fort””
There is an interesting free exercise case developing in Fairfax County, Virginia (where I live). The Church of the Good Shepherd has been informed that it may have to remove its sign after violating country rules that prohibit electronic signs from being changed more than twice a day unless they are giving weather reports. An inspector informed the church that it had posted three different messages in one day and thus stood in violation of the law. The church is objecting on religious freedom grounds — citing the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. Matthew 12:39 warns that “an evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign” and it appears that Fairfax County has found one.
There is a bizarre and tragic sports accident in Düsseldorf when judge Dieter Strack, 74, at a javelin event was struck and killed by a javelin thrown by 15-year-old boy.
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage has finally caught up with Richard Eggers, 68. The company filed the Des Moines worker after discovering that he has a criminal record. In 1963, Eggers used a cardboard dime at a Laundromat. His crime spree came to an end in July when the company fired him as part of its effort to stay in conformity with banking regulations to get rid of employees guilty of “transactional crimes.” I suppose using a cardboard dime at a laundromat must constitute a form of money laundering.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R. S.C.) is always good for a sound bite (though civil libertarians are still smarting from “free speech is a great idea, but we’re in a war.”). Now Graham has identified the greatest threat to the GOP: the declining numbers of “angry white guys.”
Continue reading “Help Wanted: Angry White Guys”
There is another claim of excessive force and abuse against officers with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) after two officers who were allegedly caught on surveillance camera (shown below) slamming a nurse, Michelle Jordan, 34, on the ground twice after a traffic stop. Not only is the basis for the action in doubt, but the two officers are shown giving each other a fist bump afterwards.
A Florida appeals court has ruled that George Zimmerman is entitled to a new judge. In a 2-1 decision (below), the Fifth District Court of Appeal ruled Judge Kenneth Lester has to go. Zimmerman accused Lester of “gratuitous, disparaging remarks” he made as part of his bail bond proceedings. Lester accused Zimmerman of “flout[ing] the system” when he failed to report outside donations. That would normally not result in a forced recusal but Florida is one of the states that makes disqualification mandatory when the motion is “legally sufficient.”
There is a bizarre lawsuit this week against Continental Airlines by a gay couple who say that the airline caused them emotional distress after baggage workers removed a dildo and taped it to the outside of their suitcase. Christopher Bridgemann and Martin Borger say that the sex toy was openly displayed to other passengers when they picked up their luggage.
The video below is causing a great deal of public anger showing St Paul officer Jesse Zilge macing, kicking, and hitting suspect Eric Hightower, who is slammed face first on to the hood of a cruiser.
If you are looking for a nice outfit to go with that Hitler wine, you might try the Hitler clothing store in Ahmedabad, India. The owner of the Hitler clothing store, Rajesh Shah, is under criticism for the use of the name but has said that he will not change it unless someone reimburses him for the new sign and re-branding costs. Here is the incredible part of the story, Shah says that he had no idea who Hitler was. “Hitler” is used in India to simply refer to someone who is strict.
Continue reading “Hate Couture: “Hitler” Clothing Store Opens In India”
I am waiting for the news story that after a Christmas dinner, the owner disappeared in a gas explosion due to a stove being turned on during the night . . . only a cat was found alive outside wearing Christmas bells.
This week the public continued to get signals from our leaders that we may be in for yet another war. This time it would be Iran. In an interview this week, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) uttered the words that many peace advocates fear: “regime change.” In response to public moves by Israel to attack Iran “before the U.S. elections,” Lieberman took to the air to assure the public that “we” can defeat Iran and “hope and pray” for a regime change. Sounds tragically familiar.
Continue reading “Lieberman Predicts Victory in War With Iran With A Prayer For “Regime Change””
There is a truly bizarre story about of Nebraska where the parents of three-and-a-half year old Hunter Spanjer have been told that their son is violating the school’s policy against guns in school by making his fingers look like a gun. I have previously written (and here) about the lunacy of zero tolerance rules, including the gun drawing and finger gun violations. The difference in this case is that Hunter is deaf and the motion is the sign language for his name which involves crossing his forefinger and index finger and moving his hand up and down. When the situation was explained to Grand Island Public Schools administrators, they came up with a solution that only a bureaucrat would view as reasonable. According to the parents, they were asked to change their son’s sign name. There is now a Facebook page (shown here) to let Hunter keep his name.
Atlanta math teacher Shayla Smith is now without a job after she allegedly admitted to cheating on tests for students to improve performance of her students, Smith allegedly explained that the illegal assistance was needed because the students were “dumb as hell.”
For Storage Wars star Dave Hester, this might be one that deserves more of a “Yuuuk” than a “Yuuup. When a storage locker in Florida was auctioned off, the new owner found the interior that an unpleasant odor. He then uncovered a gruesome scene of human organs in drinking cups, Tupperware and other containers saturated in formaldehyde. Police say that the locker belonged to former medical examiner in Florida, Dr. Michael Berkland. Berkland was fired from the Medical Examiner’s Officer in Pensacola in 2003 after working there since 1997.