Fed Up With Stupidity

Arrested For Playing Chess?

2010-11-18T05:18:00.000-08:00

The NYPD arrested a group of men for playing chess in a park with stone chess and backgammon tables. This was next to a children's play area and signs posted made the area off limits to anyone unaccompanied by children. The NYPD defended the actions of the officers. Read the story here.

First in all fairness, the officers were trying to clean up an area that has a drug trafficking problem. This occurs next to a children's playground. Okay. Fair enough. I think we can all get behind that.

However, this was a PUBLIC park and set up specifically for that purpose. The chess area is separated from the playground by a fence. Little children are not known for playing chess and backgammon. Adults are. Adults with small children do not have time to play chess while their little one's play in the park. They have to watch the kiddies.

These men are not bothering the kids. Based on the reports, they are not dealing drugs. They were simply playing chess in a public area. Why would anyone want to harass folks doing that?

Shame on the NYPD. Do you agree?

How To Communicate With An Idiot

2010-09-27T08:27:00.000-07:00

I've been out of action for a while, but I thought I'd provide a little humor courtesy of Dilbert.

How To Buy Congressmen

2010-06-28T16:46:00.000-07:00

This is a cool discussion of how the political system is manipulated by special interests and how the people pay the price. It doesn't matter what your political position may be, this is worth watching. Check it out now.

Speak The Language Or Your Fired And Breastfeeding Sucks

2010-06-27T13:10:00.000-07:00

I apologize in advance for the (mini)rant that's about to occur.

Freedom of speech. We talk a lot about it in this country, but do we really believe in it? Think about it for a minute. Our democracy was founded on the principle of accepting all sorts of different people and insuring that those differences could not be trampled by the majority. We have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right NOT to be discriminated against based on race, religion, sex, etc.

Our laws intentionally place very few restrictions on speech. We have the right to express our opinion even if we are a minority of one. We also have the right to tune out the opinions of others if we don't want to listen. But freedom of speech has subtle enemies everywhere. For example, the political correctness movement has at its heart the notion that their is a "correct" way of saying things. Others are viewed with disdain for failure to conform to the politically correct standard. This is just a simple example of the broader "that's not the way WE do it" mentality that creates an us vs. them dynamic.

Don't misunderstand me. I respect your right to your own opinion. I respect your right to choose to be around those with similar beliefs to your own. Even if we disagree, I will defend your right to say what you wish to say. Censorship, in any form, is evil and a threat to the very fabric used to create this country.

That is why the two stories I read today pissed me off!

The first story was about 4 hospital nurses from the Philippines who were fired for speaking in their native language while on their break. Read the story here. This followed a 2005 case where a hospital fired 5 hispanic housekeepers who said "hasta la vista" (see you tomorrow) as they left work for the day. In both cases, the hospitals had a policy that only English was to be spoken.

The second story involved the deputy editor to a parenting magazine who offered a dissenting article with an explanation why she did not want to breastfeed and her strong personal feelings against the practice (including calling it creepy). Read the story here. This one really stirred the pot within the breastfeeding community.

Who cares what language is used to shoot the breeze on a work break? Who cares about a dissenting opinion on a topic of interest to parents? Have we really gotten so weak that we cannot stand any ideas/actions/people different than our own?

Seeking to fire the nurses or the editor simply because they are different is just wrong.

Naked Woman Escapes From Psych Eval

2010-06-23T08:41:00.000-07:00

I am just going to post two quotes from the story. You can read the full details here (and its worth it).

"A woman was undergoing a mental evaluation Tuesday after police say she stole two vehicles, including a police cruiser, and led officers on a chase through two Salt Lake City suburbs — all while naked."

So, I'm thinking that the evaluation results are pretty clear.

But the police weren't so sure. "It appears there may be mental issues involved."

Hmmmmmm . . .

Punish Bad Kids And Dept Of Education Will Investigate

2010-06-16T08:47:00.000-07:00

This just in from the WTF zone . . . Some students who defaced school property were forced to clean toilets as a punishment. Some parents are in an uproar and the department of education is now investigating. Read the story here.

One parent stated "They're here to get an education, not to learn how to do janitorial work."

Point taken.

However, if little Mr. Troublemaker is not made to face some consequences for his serious transgressions, he will likely end up behind bars. Schools are required by law to admit children and children are required to attend. There must be some consequences for bad behavior or anarchy rules and education diminishes. My guess is that the parents who oppose the punishment handed down by the Dean of the school have no control over their little princes and princesses. Then their undisciplined kids become a problem for everyone at school.

And as a side note, when did it become a crime to do a little hard or dirty work? The kids who are following the rules do not have to do these tasks.

What do you think?

Dilbert On How To Make Statistics Work

2010-06-11T09:24:00.000-07:00

This just struck me as funny: Dilbert On Statistics

Female Priest Refused Church Burial

2010-05-22T06:28:00.000-07:00

A female Catholic priest who was ordained last year died of cancer. The Archdiocese is refusing to let her be buried in the church in which she served. Read the story here.

Now I know I am risking going straight to hell for this, but . . .

The policy of the Catholic church is to EXCOMMUNICATE (?!?) women who seek ordination. Let me say that it is just stupid to take people who aspire to serve at the highest levels of an organization and THROW THEM OUT. However, I understand and respect the right of any organization to make its own governing rules.

In fairness, this female priest was "ordained" by a group over the church's objection and strict ban. Since she showed no signs of repentance before death, the church in which she served has denied her the dignity of a funeral at the parish where she served.

If what she did was soooooooo bad, why didn't the church toss her out on her butt when she was ordained? Why wait until her death to turn their back on someone that supported them wholly and holy? Where was the damn compassion in that act? It is this type of arbitrary BS that has folks leaving the church rather than supporting it.

What do you think?

Wear The Flag, Get Kicked Out Of School

2010-05-07T08:52:00.001-07:00

Some high school students were kicked off campus for wearing American flag t-shirts, bandanas, etc. while at school. They did not violate school policy, dress code, or the law in doing so. In fact, any other day the school would not have noticed them. But they wore these things on Cinco de Mayo, and some folks took offense to their apparel.

School officials asked them to remove the offensive garments. The kids refused. They were sent to the principal, yet still refused to take it off. They were then told that they were being defiant and suspended. Fortunately, the school board did not agree with the suspension nor the handling of the incident. Read the story here.

Three thoughts . . .

1) WTF were these officials thinking?

2) Then there is the pesky free speech argument. The courts have already ruled that students are not required to check their free speech at the door. Many people find some of the apparel that students wear offensive, but that does not give us a right to ban them.

3) Finally we are forced to remind folks that this is America. Patriotism is not a crime. Free speech and expression are not a crime. And Cinco de Mayo is NOT a U.S. holiday!

I am reminded of a quote from the movie Stripes . . . "Lighten up Francis!"

What do you think?

Zoo Visitor Ignores Warnings And Loses Fingers Feeding A Bear

2010-03-08T08:29:00.000-08:00

The predictable happens. A Wisconsin woman ignored zoo signs and attempted to feed the bears. She lost two fingers and had two others partially severed. Read the story here.

A statement released said that alcohol was a factor. Really?!?

How many people do you know that think "let's get drunk and go to the zoo"? Oh well. Live and learn.

Man Beaten With His Own Bat During Parking Dispute

2010-02-17T08:25:00.000-08:00

This headline says it all. Read the story here.

Okay . . . who throws a bat during a fight?!? This person may just as well have handed the bat to his opponent and said "Please use this to kick my . . ."

What do you think?

Homeowner Takes Unique Revenge Against Developer

2010-01-22T14:41:00.000-08:00

Sometimes we get so fed up with stupidity that we decide we are not going to take it any more. That is exactly what happened when a Seattle area homeowner decided to fight back against a developers repeated broken promises.

His innovative solution? Graffiti his own home!

You should really see the pictures by clicking here. Now, nobody wants to be his neighbor. I don't know if his solution will ultimately work, but you've got to admire his creative attempt.

What do you think?

Missouri Cracks Down On Milk Hustling Sisters

2009-12-22T07:37:00.000-08:00

The Bechard family owns and operates a farm in Missouri. They sell raw milk (it hasn't been homogenized and pasteurized) to their customer base. You can pick some up at the Bechard farm or they will fulfill your order in the parking lot of a local grocery store in Springfield. Their truck has the milk that has been pre-ordered by customers who would pick up their order on the appointed day.

In April, two health inspectors approached the Bechard sisters who were fulfilling customer orders. The inspectors asked if there was any extra milk for sale. It was the end of the day and a couple of customers had failed to show up for their milk, so the sisters sold the milk to the undercover inspectors. Now the Attorney General for Missouri has filed a lawsuit against the Bechard family to prevent them from distributing milk. (WTF?!?)

Missouri law makes it OK for dairy farmers to sell milk on their farm, deliver milk to customers, and set up a distribution point for pre-paid orders. They are NOT allowed to sell raw milk off of their farm (as the sisters had done). Now we've seen some stupid sting operations (a la the Lemonade Stand), but this one is taking some heat from locals who are wondering if this is really the priority for the Attorney General.

What are they going to claim - this is a starter crime?

First, they get you hooked on raw milk. Then, fresh fruit. Finally it's broccoli and then you are healthy for life . . .

What do you think?

Learning From The Mistakes Of Stupid Criminals

2009-11-25T09:21:00.000-08:00

I do not condone drug use. However, I am a big advocate of learning from mistakes - especially the mistakes of others. It saves us from painful experiences.

Today we have the opportunity to learn from another stupid criminal (is that an oxymoron?). A motorist was stopped by police for speeding. The officer noticed the strong smell of weed coming from the vehicle. The idiot had not yet finished the joint, so he ate the rest of it to get rid of the evidence. Read the story here. The officer was able to obtain some of the weed from the suspect's mouth before he was arrested.

Maximum conviction for weed in the car: 180 days in jail and a $2000 fine.

Maximum conviction for destroying evidence: 2 to 20 years in jail and a $10000 fine.

Sometimes people take a bad situation and make it a whole lot worse . . .

Dumping Debt On Our Children

2009-11-19T19:59:00.000-08:00

Something really pissed me off today. I'm going to talk a little politics, but I think you will agree with me regardless of your political affiliation.

Take a look at this chart and you'll immediately understand what I mean. It's time to take a hard look at our political system in this country.

1) In the past 37 years, every administration regardless of political party has increased the level of government spending. Clearly both parties are horrible at managing taxpayer money.

2) Politicians cannot be re-elected by voting for budget cuts. Every cut take money away from *someone* who will be pissed at election time. Politicians who advocate budget cuts are charged with not caring about the poor or the elderly or children or national defense, etc. So the budget must continue to rise as new programs are added while nothing is deleted.

3) The government is an expense that produces nothing. While there is a need for some national programs, the government simply takes taxpayer dollars and redistributes those funds. Government produces nothing. Government is inefficient. Our tax burden, both as a percentage of income and percentage of economic output continues to rise over time. This is an unsustainable trend.

The chart shows future national debt levels based on projections by the Congressional Budget Office AND the White House. The numbers are a nightmare and likely understated! Government projections have a long history of being too optimistic.

As citizens, we need to make it clear to our leaders that enough is enough. We cannot continue to fund everything for everyone. Our tax burden is among the highest among industrial nations and growing every year. This is not only going to affect our children, but likely will put *us* into an economic depression if we allow it to happen. Perhaps a Balanced Budget Amendment is necessary. Perhaps a tax revolt a la the Boston Tea Party. I don't know the answer, but I know that our leaders are rapidly driving us toward a cliff and it's pissing me off!

What do you think?

Don't Forget To Roll Down Your Window And Take Your Homework!

2009-11-06T08:01:00.000-08:00

Today I came across not one, but TWO stupid criminal stories.

First, a man was caught for attempting a drive by shooting because he forgot to roll down his window before firing his gun. Click here for the story.

Second, here is another set of geniuses. Two kids cut out of school to break into a nearby home. The homework for one of the kids dropped out of his backpack as they were leaving the scene of the crime. Click here for the story.

Is it just me, or are criminals getting easier to catch as our educational system declines?

Cop Beats Up Special Needs Student For Untucked Shirt

2009-10-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

The title says it all. A Chicago police officer broke the nose of a special needs student for not having his shirt tucked in while at school. (Read the story and see the video here.) The school has video of the altercation.

Besides the obviously disturbing actions of the officer, the school did NOTHING in response to the incident. Their statement was that "the physical restraint of a student sometimes becomes necessary. In such instances, AFL and its staff are committed to employing techniques that are safe, effective, and which conform to best practice standards."

Do safe, best practices include slamming a child against a locker and breaking his nose?

What do you think?

Facebook Can Get You Arrested

2009-09-20T14:00:00.000-07:00

I must confess that I enjoy "stupid criminal" stories. This one came to me today . . .

A 19 year old burglar was caught after robbing a home. Apparently he checked his Facebook account from the home computer during the robbery and forgot to log out. Read the story here.

I always new that addictions to social media sites could get you into trouble!

Yes They Were Naked, But It Wasn't A Strip Search

2009-09-06T15:49:00.000-07:00

I've heard of some weird denials before, but this one has me scratching my head again.

A student at Atlantic High School in Iowa found that $100 was missing from her purse after gym class. Five girls were asked to disrobe in front of the student and a counselor to prove their innocence. Four of the girls were down to their underwear and asked to lift their bras and pull their waistbands away. The other girl was completely naked.

There are two things to keep in mind . . .

1) Iowa law makes it illegal to strip search in schools.
2) Even if it wasn't, in June the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that no school official has free rein to do intimate searches of students.

The superintendent for the school district denied that it was a strip search! He also said "According to our board policy, it was an allowable search." You can read the story here.

How can one possibly deny that it was a strip search when one of the students was completely naked? And does the "board policy" fail to recognize Iowa law or Supreme Court rulings?

I do have a solution. Let's make the superintendent stand out in front of the Iowa state capitol. He can then disrobe while onlookers search for any signs of common sense or decency. We just won't call it a strip search and that will make everything OK.

Crime Crackdown: 10 Year Old Fined For Lemonade Stand

2009-08-19T10:24:00.000-07:00

The New York Parks Department struck a blow against major crime by giving a $50 fine to a 10 year old girl for operating a lemonade stand without a license. Read the story here.

In cracking down on this crime, they used 3 agents! Is it any wonder that kids grow up having less and less respect for law enforcement? Do you think that the people of Riverside Park will sleep easier at night knowing that the authorities have come down hard on this type of neighborhood crime? Suddenly, I'm feeling much better about my tax dollars at work . . .

What do you think?

Honey, Which Gang Should Our Baby Join?

2009-08-06T17:04:00.000-07:00

I've heard about parents fighting over which school their children should attend. Ditto for church, day care, and extracurricular activities. But here is another issue that makes me scratch my head . . .

Patrons at a Hollywood Video store witnessed a man tearing up the area around the checkout counter as he argued with the teen mother of his child. They were members of different gangs - she was with the Crips and he was with the West Side Ballers. They were arguing over which GANG their 4 year old child would join when old enough to do so!!! Read the story here.

Now I'm not one who generally prefers to get DHS or the court system involved in people's lives, but this is ridiculous. The phrase "detrimental to the well being of the child" keeps coming to mind as possibly neither of them is fit to be a parent.

What do you think?

How NOT To Throw A Banquet

2009-07-31T09:44:00.000-07:00

Celiac disease is an intolerance to gluten (wheat) that can range from moderate to severe. A group of youths from across Europe were attending a summer camp in Germany for sufferers of celiac disease. The Swedish Celiac Youth Society arranged to throw a banquet at the Swedish Embassy to show their support for difficult condition endured by these children.

Preparations were made. Each participant filled out forms requesting gluten-free food. The luncheon was lovely.

Until . . .

A few hours later, all of the attendees became ill with some having to be hospitalized. Apparently, the food was NOT gluten-free. You can read the full story here. The embassy was sorry for the outcome, but insisted that it was not their fault.

Talk about adding insult to injury. You just honored those with severe allergies to gluten by feeding them gluten?!? And no one seems to want to accept responsibility for the problem.

With friends like these . . .

Prostitution Suddenly Immoral With Fixed Rate Pricing

2009-07-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

I will try to be somewhat delicate with this topic.

Prostitution is legal in Germany. The current economic environment has affected everyone and in German brothels business is down 30%. To combat this, some brothels have turned to fixed rate offers modeled after "all you can eat" buffets (no, I'm not making this up. You can read the story here.) For one price, you get all the working girls you can handle.

This has set off a firestorm of controversy over the innovative promotional tactic. In a country where prostitution is legal and well tolerated, "flat-rate sex is an immoral development which cannot be tolerated."

Without taking sides on the issue of prostitution, I see this argument as absurd. You can buy-one-get-one and that's OK, but buy-one-get-more-than-one suddenly becomes immoral???

I can't wait to see the religious justification for this argument. What do you think?

At Liberty With The Flag, At Odds With The Police

2009-07-13T13:19:00.000-07:00

I have seen too many stories lately dealing with "authorities" pitted against people's "free speech". Today's head scratching tale comes from Wisconsin.

A man was flying the American flag upside down in protest of his village board's decision not to grant his restaurant a liquor license. He had been doing so since the middle of June. Hours before the village's July 4th parade, local police officers took down the flag under the advice of the District Attorney. They returned the flag the next day. (Read the full story here.)

I am reminded of a quote from the movie The American President. "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours." Freedom of expression cannot simply be reduced to freedom of approved expression without damaging all of us. Freedom requires that we must also defend the rights of those whose speech we do not agree with.

In our Wisconsin story, the local authorities admitted that flying a flag in this manner was not illegal. They simply chose this one day to flagrantly censor a citizens right to free speech in protest of his local government. Whether you agree with the flag protest or not, consider how "free" you would feel if the government decided to forcefully silence YOUR criticism of the way they conducted their affairs.

This is a clear case of government overreach. They should be slapped with a hefty lawsuit to remind them of our constitutional boundaries. What do you think?

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"The test of democracy is freedom of criticism." ~David Ben-Gurion