Man Killed After Being Pushed in Front of NYC Subway – ABC News

What is going on???

Man Killed After Being Pushed in Front of NYC Subway – ABC News.

Stupid product idea of the day: “Bic For Her”

Apparently there is a lack of feminine pens in the marketplace, but no worries: Bic has now filled that void (thank God!). Bic For Her pens… I know, ladies. It’s exciting.

Check out Jezebel’s article about this amazing new product … and the rave reviews these pens are getting on Amazon. 

Let’s continue to make molehills into mountains, shall we?

I’m sure many people will disagree with this post, but so be it. I’m so over the media (and extremely bored Americans) making HUGE deals out of little non-issues.

Case study #1: Chick-fil-A controversy

I admit, I probably hear a lot more about this issue than the average person because I live in Atlanta, where their headquarters is located. But now Dan Cathy’s stance on same-sex marriage has reached the national news, and several cities (Boston, Chicago, San Francisco) have vowed to ban the quick-serve chicken chain from opening new locations. That is ridiculous.

Every company in this nation has a founder. Every founder has their own set of personal opinions and beliefs. Are we really going to boycott every single company that doesn’t share our own personal opinions on matters such as same-sex marriage??

I don’t agree with Mr. Cathy, but I also realize that we live in America, and every one of us has the right to our own opinions. I do not agree with his opinions, and I may not donate my money to the same organizations that he does, but that’s okay with me. And how dare city mayors and politicians ban Chick-fil-A because they don’t personally agree with Mr. Cathy… your constituents can make their own decisions about what companies they want or do not want in their cities. That is absolutely RIDICULOUS.  

If you just CANNOT get over the fact that Chick-fil-A’s founder doesn’t support same-sex marriage, then just suck it up and stop eating there. But seriously, what did you expect? Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays because the company is so Christian-oriented. Don’t act as though you had no idea that the founder had strict Christian values.

Additionally, if you are going to make Dan Cathy’s religious opinions such a big deal, then go do your research and find out what other companies don’t share your own personal beliefs. So now you’re hardcore anti-Chick-fil-A because this issue has made the national news… well, if you really cared that much about this controversy, you would also boycott all other companies whose founders don’t share your same opinions. Don’t jump on this Chick-fil-A bandwagon just because the media is making it into a huge national headline. 

And again – I don’t agree with Dan Cathy. But the restaurant doesn’t discriminate against anyone and his beliefs are his own – they are not affecting anyone else. We had this same topic come up last month when Kraft’s Oreo brand went out of their way to support gay marriage. I thought that was awesome – but if you didn’t share this opinion, then you can just stop eating Oreos. Simple as that.

What I find amusing is that the Oreo brand actually made a Facebook image about gay marriage – which implies that the actual brand is advertising their beliefs. Chick-fil-A didn’t share any images or advertisements implying that they were anti-gay marriage… the founder just stated his opinion. But of course the media is making this Chick-fil-A controversy a much bigger deal. Interesting.

Shockingly, the ALL of the ladies of The View agree with me:

‘The View’ Co-Hosts Defend Chick-Fil-A After Chicago Alderman Announces Ban

And also, if you’d like to read another great opinion piece about this controversy, read this article from the Red & Black, The University of Georgia’s student newspaper. 

So, even though I still have a beef with Chick-fil-A over their use of peanut oil for their fried chicken (because I’m allergic… PS: pun intended), I will continue to enjoy my chargrilled chicken sandwich with waffle fries and Chick-fil-A sauce. Free speech, even if it doesn’t align with my own views, is something that I respect.

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Case Study #2: Mitt Romney’s Olympics gaffe

Okay. We all know that Joe Biden Mitt Romney seems to accidentally stick his foot in his mouth quite frequently. I don’t really understand how this seems to happen, as it seems like Romney has been running for President for the past 20 years. But of course, he said something during a Brian Williams interview that was seemingly minor, which then blew up into a international insult somehow.

According to this Fox News article:

“With the Tower of London lit up behind him, Romney questioned the readiness of the U.K. to play host to the world’s greatest athletes.

“You know, it’s hard to know just how well it … will turn out,” he speculated and went on to cite reports of logistical problems surrounding the planning, calling it “disconcerting.”

“The stories about the private security firm not having enough people … the supposed strike of the immigration and customs officials, that obviously is not something which is encouraging,” Romney stated.”

Could he have phrased that a little better? Yes. Sorry. Oops. Get over it. It’s not that big of a deal. President Obama has made multiple gaffes in the past as well. However, apparently Romney’s quote warranted this response:

“The candidate later walked his remark back, but British PM David Cameron addressed the comment at a press conference this morning in a not-so-subtle swipe at Romney’s stewardship of the 2002 Salt Lake City, Utah, Olympics.

“We are holding an Olympic Games in one of the most active bustling cities in the world and of course it is easier if you hold an Olympic Games in the middle of nowhere,” he quipped.

The British press doubled down on the hit with headlines reading, “Who invited you?”

The Twitter hashtag #Romneyshambles then sprouted up, inviting tweeters to take shots at the visiting U.S. politician.”

Geez. Chill out people. Now every news station is bringing on politicians and PR pros to dissect Romney’s comment. Rand Paul, being interviewed by CNN yesterday, continually kept calling this a “non-issue” and tried to focus on more important issues, but of course Romney’s gaffe is a sensational story that just cannot be dropped.

What’s interesting is that there IS, in fact, an issue with the security at the London Olympics. So Romney’s comment was not completely out of left field and unwarranted.

President Obama’s “you didn’t build that” comment to business owners seems to be a bit more insulting than former Gov. Romney’s Olympics security comment, but of course the media didn’t run with that one.

 

What is WRONG with people??

Every week there seems to be a new story about a parent accidentally leaving a child in a sweltering hot car – and there is usually not a happy ending. Come on now people. There is absolutely no excuse for this!

2 Ind. children left in hot cars; 1 dies – USATODAY.com.

Rainbows & Oreos

I just came across this article on ABC News:

Oreo Pride: Rainbow-Stuffed Cookie Sparks Boycott

America’s favorite cookie is stirring up more than milk today after Kraft Foods posted a gay pride Oreo on the cookie’s Facebook page.

Oreo posted the photoshopped picture of an Oreo cookie stuffed with rainbow-colored layers of frosting Monday evening with the caption “Proudly support love!”

Over the past 17 hours more than 157,000 people have “liked” the image, 40,000 people have shared it and 20,000 have commented on it.

But while many of the comments were supportive, some Facebook users pledged to boycott the cookie because of the post.

“I’ll never buy Oreo again,” one commenter wrote.

“Disgusted with oreos,” wrote another. “Being gay is an abmonitation in GOd’s eyes i wont be buying them anymore.”

Basil Maglaris, a spokeswoman for Oreo’s parent company Kraft Foods, said in a statement that the image was part of a “series of daily ads reflecting current events in a fun way using images of OREO cookies and milk.” Kraft is not planning to sell the rainbow-stuffed Oreo in stores, Maglaris said, as it was created solely for the advertising campaign in honor of Pride month.

“We are excited to illustrate what is making history today in a fun and playful way,” she said in an email to ABC News. “As a company, Kraft Foods has a proud history of celebrating diversity and inclusiveness.  We feel the OREO ad is a fun reflection of our values.”

Want more off-the-cuff politics? Check out OTUS on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @OTUSNews.

Other images in the Oreo ad campaign, which celebrates the cookie’s 100^th birthday, include a parody of the No. 1 hit song “Call Me Maybe,” depicting an Oreo and glass of milk next to tweaked lyrics.

“I just met you and this is crazy, but here’s some milk so dunk me maybe,” reads the ad,  also posted to the Oreo Facebook wall.

Oreo is the latest in a string of juggernaut brands to show support for the LGBT community.

In honor of Pride month Target launched a line of gay pride t-shirts, and the proceeds went to support the Family Equality Council, a Washington D.C.-based gay rights advocacy group. The pride shirts sold out in less than a month.

Ben & Jerry’s, a longtime supporter of LGBT causes, renamed its apple pie flavor “Apple-y Ever After” in scoop shops throughout the U.K. in March, while the British government was debating legalizing same sex marriages.

The Vermont-based ice cream company re-vamped its peanut butter-filled pretzel flavor in 2009 when same sex marriage was being legalized in Vermont, swapping the “Chubby Hubby” name for “Hubby Hubby.”

Oh boy. Brace yourselves for the hate-spewing holier-than-thou crowd. Reading the comments on Facebook & ABC News article has been entertaining, to say the least.

As you can tell from some of these comments, these people are really intelligent:

RSM: Your comment makes no sense. Neither does your math. And learn when to use apostrophes. (Please notice this post is directly below “PROUD HOMOPHOBE.” Nice.)

BOZOISPREZ: Keepin’ it classy. By the way, it’s Kraft, not craft. You should know that, since you seem so well-educated and everything.

TIM: Oh, Tim. Don’t get your panties all in a wad.

And a couple more observations I’ve made:

1. You guys do realize that you’re getting worked up over a photoshopped picture of a rainbow cookie, right? (Oh, and these are not real, by the way. So those of you that insist you will not buy these rainbow Oreos once they come out? Yeah, keep waiting…)

2. For those of you that say you are going to boycott Oreos and never eat them again? That’s probably a good thing. After all, we are a disgustingly unhealthy and obese nation… So maybe this can be the start of your new diet.

3. Those of you that say you’re going to boycott all Kraft brands? Have fun with that. (Here’s your list, just to make it a bit easier on you.)

Oh, ignorance. What can I say? Haters gonna hate.

Disturbing story, amazing response

Yesterday I was extremely depressed after reading the article about the NY bus monitor who was bullied to tears by students. As if reading about it isn’t bad enough, there the entire attack was caught on camera & uploaded to YouTube.

I heard about this story for the first time yesterday morning… and it was hardly in the national news at all. A fund for the bus monitor, Karen Klein, had just been started and had just reached the $5,000 goal.

I woke up this morning to see this story on CNN, MSNBC, ABC News, and all other major news outlets. And that vacation find for Karen? As of right now, it’s at $146,847. The support for this woman has exploded over the past 24 hours. It gives me chills just thinking about it.

Below I’ve pasted a CNN article about the bullying, the outcry, and the outpouring of support. You can find the video on any news website… but I am not going to post it because it was just too hard for me to watch.

Middle schoolers bully bus monitor, 68, with stream of profanity, jeers

By Faith Karimi, CNN

(CNN) — A profanity-laced video of middle school students in upstate New York verbally abusing a bus monitor is sparking an outpouring of support as strangers worldwide rally to her side.

Students taunted Karen Klein, 68, with a stream of profanity, insults, jeers and physical ridicule. Some boys demand to know her address, saying they want to come to her house to perform sexual acts and steal from her. Another said, “you’re so fat.”

One comment from a boy aboard the bus was especially painful. He told her that she does not have family because “they all killed themselves because they didn’t want to be near you.” Klein’s oldest son took his own life 10 years ago, according to CNN affiliate WHAM.

The bullying continues unabated for about 10 minutes in the video, reducing Klein to tears as a giggling student jabs her arm with a book. Recorded by a student Monday with a cell phone camera, the brazen example of bullying went viral and spurred international outrage.

The incident occurred in Greece, New York, near Rochester. Klein is a bus monitor for the Greece Central School District and the harassers hail from the Greece Athena Middle School, media reports said.

Teens charged in alleged bullying of student who later committed suicide

Klein described her tormenters “regular, normal kids” and “one on one, they’re OK.”

“Just don’t get a bunch of them together. That’s when the trouble starts,” she said.

As the intimidation unfolded, she said, she tried her best to disregard the harassment and didn’t hear everything that was uttered. But she said the hazing hurt deeply. At one point, she said, she told two children, “I am a person too. I shouldn’t be treated this way.”

Klein told WHAM that she doesn’t know if bullies can be charged. But, she said, “they should have some form of punishment.”

CNN attempts to reach all parties involved Wednesday were unsuccessful.

The video prompted an outpouring of support and a fundraiser by an international crowd funding site that had gathered more than $100,000 by early Thursday.

Teen expelled for using stun gun against bullies

“Let’s give Karen a vacation of a lifetime. Let’s show her the power of the internets and how kind and generous people can be,” the fundraiser’s organizer said on the website. The organizer did not respond to CNN requests for comment on the website.

The school district said its bullying team and the local police are conducting an investigation.

“We have discovered other similar videos on YouTube and are working to identify all of the students involved,” the school district said in a statement.

Teen says bullies beat him, sues New York schools

It did not elaborate on whether the additional videos are related to Klein’s case.

“While we cannot comment on specific student discipline, we can say that students found to be involved will face strong disciplinary action,” the school district said.

The students are minors, according to the school district. CNN does not name minors involved in alleged crimes unless they are charged as adults.

Officials involved in the investigation will hold a news conference Thursday.

Klein said she hopes the spectacle “might help other people.” And, she said, she hopes that these children “get their share of someone bullying them.”

“I hope what goes around comes around,” she said.

Obesity is “exceeding our planetary limits” … literally

MSNBC: Report: World’s population is 17 million tons overweight.

Here are some of my favorite little gems from the article:

•  ”Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said increasing levels of fatness around the world could have the same impact on global resources as an extra half a billion people.”
• “Despite only making up five per cent of the world’s population, the United States accounts for almost a third of the world’s weight due to obesity, the researchers found.”
• “If every country in the world had the same level of fatness that we see in the USA, in weight terms that would be like an extra billion people of world average body mass,” he added.
• “We often point the finger at poor women in Africa having too many babies. But we’ve also got to think of this fatness thing; it’s part of the same issue of exceeding our planetary limits.”

Creepy!!

AOL Government: “Are Hackers Peering Through Your Laptop Webcam?”

A reminder of why you should NEVER text and drive

Too many people still do it — I was almost side-swiped by a woman who was texting and driving this morning! While you’re at it, don’t put on mascara or eat an entire meal while driving either…

Zombie Apocalypse?

What is going on this week???

First we have the story about Rudy Eugene, a Miami man who (possibly high on bath salts?) ate the face off of a homeless man for an agonizing 18 minutes.

Now we have a news report about Alexander Kinyua, a Maryland man who killed his roommate and then proceeded to eat his heart and brain.

This is seriously disturbing stuff…