be outraged at the outrageous

http://consumerist.com/5350273/bank-of-america-asks-armless-man-for-thumbprint

A Florida man was unable to cash a Bank of America check because the bank required a thumbprint, and he had no arms.

WTSP has the story of Steve Valdez, who tried to cash a Bank of America check written by his wife to him. He took the check to a BoA branch, presented two forms of picture ID, and was prevented from cashing the check because he couldn’t provide a thumbprint. The manager refused to accommodate Valdez, suggesting that he open an account if he wanted to cash the check.

(do read some of the comments, too, if you appreciate a good pun)

In 2006, a woman known only as V.M. in court documents gave birth to a baby girl, J.M.G., at a New Jersey hospital. During labor, V.M. “behaved erratically” and at some point refused to consent to a cesarean section, despite her doctor’s concerns about fetal distress. The obstetrician ordered an emergency psychiatric evaluation, which found that “V.M. was not psychotic and had the capacity for informed consent with regard to the c-section.” The staff then asked for a second opinion, but before the next psychiatrist could complete his evaluation, the baby was born vaginally. And healthy. Oops…Nevertheless, a social worker at the hospital contacted the Department of Youth and Family Services, and J.M.G. was removed from her parents. Eventually, a judge agreed with DYFS that V.M. and B.G.’s parental rights should be terminated. Documents recently released by the apellate court say flat out that at that point: “the trial judge found that J.M.G. was an abused and neglected child due in part to her parents’ failure to cooperate with medical personnel at the time of her birth. V.M.’s refusal to consent to a c-section factored heavily into this decision.” And still, V.M. lost the appeal.

continued at http://jezebel.com/5321226/not-wanting-a-cesarean-qualifies-as-mental-illness

By Laurie Ure CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) —While hundreds of thousands of disability claims lay backlogged at the Department of Veterans Affairs, thousands of technology employees at the department received $24 million in bonuses, a new report says.

Lawmakers want to know why some IT workers in the VA Department have received millions in bonuses.

A report issued by the VA’s Office of Inspector General said the department issued millions of dollars in awards over a two-year period in 2007 and 2008.

“The frequent and large dollar amount awards given to employees were unusual and often absurd,” the report stated.

The reports also called the payments “not fiscally responsible.”

...cont’d at http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/08/22/veterans.affairs.bonuses/index.html?eref=rss_mostpopular

I read a headline yesterday that so sickened me that I couldn’t open the article to read it. Be it drugs or mental illness, God, forgive her and cradle her child in your loving arms.

Bed, Bath & Beyond Will Not Let You Use The Phone To Call 911

from The Consumerist:

Bed, Bath & Beyond refused to let some customers use the phone to call 911 after they saw a toddler locked in a hot car in the store’s parking lot. The witnesses told the local news that the employees told them, ”...You cannot call no one, what goes on in the parking lot is not our concern.”

“I said, lady, there is a child out there in a hot car and it’s locked and it needs help. And I said, will you let us use your phone and call and she said no, we will not get involved.”

The Lexington police arrived, smashed the car window and gave the 3-year-old some water. The mother was arrested and charged with wanton endangerment. Meanwhile, Bed, Bath & Beyond has issued a statement about the incident.

“The customer did ask the store to contact the authorities, the store suggested that the customer, who had witnessed the situation, contact 911. We are pleased that the manner was addressed in a timely manner and will use this incident as a training opportunity.”

links:
Consumerist article: _ http://consumerist.com/5046738/bed-bath—beyond-will-not-let-you-use-the-phone-to-call-911_
Lexington, KY TV Station LEX18: http://www.wlextv.com/global/story.asp?s=8966246

McCain Assures Town Hall That Death Stalks The Supreme Court Justices

Earlier today [August 12, 2008], John McCain gave one of his famous Straight Talk Express Town Hall Extravaganza Applesauce Chat Revival Shows in York, Pennsylvania, and during the Q&A section, said something jarring with regard to his “conservative stance” on issues. Seeking to reassure the questioner that he has only the best intentions for fans of hardcore conservative judicial activism, he told the questioner that there were going to be two-to-three vacancies on the Supreme Court soon. This was, in McCain’s words, “According to people who decide these things.”

But SCOTUS justices have lifetime appointments! So, who are “people” that “decide these things?” Absent any other explanation, one has to assume that McCain is in close contact with the Grim Reaper himself. It makes me wonder what McCain knows of the plans that Pestilence and Famine have for America between now and the year 2013. Naturally, you can pretty much assume that McCain is following War on Twitter.

see the original post at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/12/mccain-assures-town-hall_n_118478.html

President George Bush: ‘Goodbye from the world’s biggest polluter’

By Robert Winnett, Deputy Political Editor and Urmee Khan, Telegraph.co.uk

The American leader, who has been condemned throughout his presidency for failing to tackle climate change, ended a private meeting with the words: “Goodbye from the world’s biggest polluter.”

He then punched the air while grinning widely, as the rest of those present including Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy looked on in shock.

Mr Bush, whose second and final term as President ends at the end of the year, then left the meeting at the Windsor Hotel in Hokkaido where the leaders of the world’s richest nations had been discussing new targets to cut carbon emissions.

One official who witnessed the extraordinary scene said afterwards: “Everyone was very surprised that he was making a joke about America’s record on pollution.”

Mr Bush also faced criticism at the summit after Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian Prime Minister, was described in the White House press pack given to journalists as one of the “most controversial leaders in the history of a country known for government corruption and vice”.

The White House apologised for what it called “sloppy work” and said an official had simply lifted the characterisation from the internet without reading it.

Concluding the three-day event, leaders from the G8 and developing countries proclaimed a “shared vision” on climate change. However, they failed to bridge differences between rich and emerging nations on curbing emissions.

from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/2277298/President-George-Bush-%27Goodbye-from-the-world%27s-biggest-polluter%27.html

Teacher accused of burning cross on student’s arm

(CNN)—School administrators in Ohio voted Friday to begin the process of firing a middle school teacher accused of burning a cross into a student’s arm and refusing to keep his religious beliefs out of the classroom.

The Mount Vernon School Board passed a resolution to terminate the employment of John Freshwater, an eighth-grade science teacher for the past 21 years.

Freshwater, according to an independent report, used an electrostatic device to mark a cross on the arm of one of his students, causing pain to the student the night of the incident and leaving a mark that lasted for approximately 3 weeks.

According to the Ohio Department of Education, the student’s family has filed a lawsuit.

Freshwater was also reprimanded several times for refusing to move his Bible from his classroom desk and teaching creationism alongside evolution, according to the 15-page independent report. The report also cites evidence that Mr. Freshwater told his students that “science is wrong because the Bible states that homosexuality is a sin and so anyone who is gay chooses to be gay and is therefore a sinner.”

The Board of Education of the Mount Vernon City School District met in special session Friday to address the case.

Freshwater has the option to contest the process by requesting a formal hearing before the Board of Education. Neither Freshwater nor his attorney could be reached by CNN for comment.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/20/teacher.cross/index.html?eref=rss_mostpopular

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) Police released chilling surveillance video of a hit-and-run accident in hopes of catching the unidientified[sic] driver who ran down a 78-year-old pedestrian, paralyzing him, and to show the callousness of bystanders who did nothing to help.

The gripping one-minute video shows the violent May 30 accident and bystanders’ apparent lack of sympathy. No one rushes to Angel Arce Torres’ aid, and no one bothers to stop traffic as Torres lays motionless in the street.

continued at: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-06-05-hit-run_N.htm?csp=34

It wasn’t the first time:

From Time Magazine, published March 6, 2008, 2 and 1/2 months ago:

TIME: Can you envision a point at which, if the race stays this close,Democratic Party elders would step in and say, “This is now hurting the party and whoever will be the nominee in the fall”?

CLINTON: No, I really can’t. I think people have short memories. Primary contests used to last a lot longer. We all remember the great tragedy of Bobby Kennedy being assassinated in June in L.A. My husband didn’t wrap up the nomination in 1992 until June. Having a primary contest go through June is nothing particularly unusual.

from: http://www.time-blog.com/swampland/2008/05/hillarys_bizarre_rfk_comment.html