Time to hand out some Weasel of the Week awards.
First stop, Times Square in New York. Amidst all the fuss over topless women panhandling, and wearing paint over their exposed breasts, one "desnuda", Maria Diaz, went so far as to bring her two year old daughter with her, and had the toddler go topless as well.
SAY WHAT? WHAT HAS THIS WORLD COME TO?
According to an article in Wednesday's NY Daily News, Child Protective Services has been called in, which spells more trouble for Diaz than the rest of the "painted ladies". It's all about making as much money as possible with these ladies, but don't you think they'd be better off putting their talents and assets to better use? Like, with legitimate employment?
I just don't get the appeal.
Remember, too, that these women are working the same area as a bunch of costumed hustlers who are using the appearances of well known comic book characters, plus Elmo from Sesame Street, without any sort of licensing from Marvel/Disney or Sesame Workshop. If Dumb Donald Trump wants to complain about something, let it be these freeloaders.
Next, we go across country to Irving, Texas, the former home base of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys (who now play in Arlington). I'm sure you've heard the story by now. Ahmed Mohamed, 14, designed and created a homemade clock to bring to school. His classmates loved it. The teacher in his class liked it. Another teacher, the school principal, and everyone else? Not so much.
Seems someone panicked and thought the clock was a bomb, and called police. Ahmed was arrested, then had the charges dropped when the cops got a reality check and realized they made a mistake. Ahmed was suspended through today, and, at last report, was considering transferring from MacArthur High in Irving. The principal's office is trying to avoid any accountability for the mistake they made, and clueless Mayor Beth Van Duyne thinks they were just following protocol. The case has gotten the attention of President Obama, who invited young Mr. Mohamed to Washington.
Are we that paranoid in the Southern part of the country? It certainly seems that way, and Mayor Van Duyne and the moronic administrators at MacArthur High get the Weasel ears, along with Maria Diaz. What is wrong with the ingenuity of a teenager interested in science? Nothing, except for the fact that Ahmed fell victim to racial profiling, just because of his Muslim faith.
In addition to the Weasel ears, the faculty at MacArthur should sit through marathons of Dexter's Laboratory, Johnny Test, and any of Don Herbert's Mr. Wizard programs, or even Bill Nye the Science Guy to get the picture.
I saw the desnudas and cartoon characters the last time I was in NYC, several weeks before the topless women suddenly became controversial. I was surprised that it seemed to be legal. As for the costumed folks, wearing one of those costumes all day in the summer doesn't sound exactly like "freeloading" to me. In any event, all those characters seem to be working for an employer, and it wouldn't surprise me if Disney actually gets some kind of kickback behind the scenes.
ReplyDeleteI despise these freeloading panhandlers - who are only different from the squeegee set by their outrageous costumes. We have them in LV (many invading from L.A.) and only now has the City of LV finally started putting limits on them! We have had people topless (many visitors were NOT pleased to see that - especially with their families in tow) others harassed them for tips. Two of them used to beg for cash from tourists - until they decided to kill a couple of Metro officers in a CiCi's Pizza last year. Others are drug dealers in disguise (if you see people in a bunny or panda costume, run!).
ReplyDeleteAs for the little clockmaker - may I remind you that the "clock" looked like a suitcase bomb and I understand why a lot of people were nervous that it could have been real. This link will show you the picture:
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=texas+boy+clock+looked+like+bomb&view=detailv2&&id=30B8AB6A03B52AB6713B62EBB38441670A1FE543&selectedIndex=1&ccid=fsF0yAR3&simid=214087041247&thid=HQ.214087041247&ajaxhist=0
I would like to add that the kid and his family are muslim and therefore are trying to poke the bear by claiming discrimination. If someone left that "clock" near you, you'd think it was an explosive device too! No weasel ears deserved here unless you're the kid or his family.
The kid aspires to be a real-life Tom Swift, and if he had made, oh, I don't know, a less threatening-looking apparatus, and I can't think of one now, I don't think there's any fuss.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the desnudas belong in Miami.......
Tom Swift nothing!! (Actually, I think you mean Tom Sawyer). More info has seince come to light with this muslim family: Daddy had tried to run to president of his native Sudan, he had previously been associated with the Obamas and purposely tried to make a cry for "discrimination against muslims" complaint in the media. This was a set up - I have no doubt.
ReplyDeleteTom Swift was the boy scientist whose books came from the same factory as the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. To compare young Mr. Mohamed to a contemporary like, say, Dexter (and his lab) would probably not have gotten the reaction I'd expect....
ReplyDelete