Another book club selection

In November 2007, Keith Sampson who is a maintanence man and student at Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis was reading a book during his break. A coworker who was black said she was offended by the book.

Sampson’s shop steward later told him the book was like bringing pornography to work. The university’s Affirmative Action Office “investigated” Sampson and wrote him a letter saying that he “demonstrated disdain and insensitivity to [his] coworkers” and ordered him not to read the book in their presence.

So what is this racially offensive book that is so inflammatory as to be considered contraband at an institution of “higher” learning? Well that would be Notre Dame vs. the Klan: How the Fighting Irish Defeated the Ku Klux Klan by Todd Tucker.

The problem that IUPUI has is that the book is not advocating support of the KKK. It describes events that occured in May 1924 where Notre Dame students got into a street fight with the KKK. Apparently IUPUI doesn’t understand that the KKK is religiously biggotted as well as racially biggotted. And that a book that documents a defeat of the KKK is not a book advocating KKK positions. Idiots.

So with great enthusiasm I have selected my next pick for Jason’s Super-Fantastic Bookclub!^TM. Go pick up Notre Dame vs. the Klan: How the Fighting Irish Defeated the Ku Klux Klan and read it. You’ll be a rebel because it turns out that it is a banned book by at least one university.

Update:
I just searched IUPUI’s library catalog. Tucker’s book is part of the university collection. Currently it is checked out until 3/31/08. Makes me worry for that patron. He or she may be next in line for a harrassment investigation.

S&1+!

My boss of five years got fired today.

He is one of the best managers I’ve ever worked for and definitely my favorite. I’m not sure the employees know what they might be in for. As coworker of mine said, “people need to be careful what they wish for.”

If you see this, good luck boss. I pray you land someplace where they will appreciate what you do (and will pay you A LOT of money for doing it). I miss working for you already.

I’m “explosive”

Hey road ragers, good news. You aren’t criminals, you just have a disease – “Intermittent Explosive Disorder” according to some new “research.”

Or maybe its just another excuse for bad behavior…

Scott Savage: “threat to society”

OSU-Mansfield is investigating referrence librarian Scott Savage for sexual harrassment. The reason? He suggesting the book “The Marketing of Evil” for the freshman reading list. His accusers call the book homophobic and claim they now feel “threatened” on the campus because he suggested the book.

This is a case of the thought police on the loose. They don’t like the way Mr. Savage thinks so they have falsely accused him of sexual harrassment.

I did a quick search and discovered the book is not even available through the university library.

But is available through OSU-M’s online bookstore.

So wouldn’t that indicate that the bookstore employees are more “threatening” than Mr. Savage?

Anyway, once again it is liberals who show they are the ones who stifle freedom of speach. There are none so intolerant as the “tolerant”.

SF governors condemn catholic church

The San Francisco board of governors has passed a resolution criticizing catholic beliefs. The board demands the former Archbishop of San Francisco who now serves at the Vatican to withraw the directive that “Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of San Francisco stop placing children in need of adoption with homosexual households.”

In addition the board claims that the church’s position is “an insult to all San Franciscans” apparently even those San Franciscans who support the church’s position.

The resolution concludes by saying, “Archbishop Neiderauer and the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of San Francisco to defy all discriminatory directives of Cardinal Levada.”

Clearly this is an unconstitutional attack on the catholic church. No government is allowed to use its power to prevent the free exercise of religion. The city government does not have the right to demand the catholic church to change its beliefs or practices.

The resolution is non-binding. Is there any doubt that if the city did have the ability to make the resolution binding that it would?

(hat tip: Roman Catholic Blog)

Democrats in the Twilight Zone

Vice President Chenney appeared on Fox News today to talk about his hunting accident over the weekend where he shot his friend with birdshot.

The White House press corps seems to livid over the fact that the story broke through a local newspaper in Corpus Christi, TX. Of course the Democrats are trying to jump on this.

The situation is becoming absurd. Hillary Clinton of all people said, ” “A tendency of this administration — from the top all the way to the bottom — is to withhold information …” She apparently said this with a straight face and no sense of irony. Yes, this is the same Hillary Clinton that found files  in her White House closet a year after they subpeonaed. The same Hillary that was involved in the delaying the release of Vince Foster’s suicide note.

I’m amazed how she can say these things without any regard for her own history. She has gotten all the way to the White House and then into the Senate doing it though. I now know why I could never be in politics. I wouldn’t think people would be stupid enough to fall for it. Hillary clearly doesn’t have that issue. And it works for her.

Search engine blindness

Yahoo! has been accused of releasing information to the Chinese government which led to the a Chinese dissident being imprisoned for eight years.

Google is releasing a Chinese version of their site that will censor search results (in spite of their “don’t be evil” motto).

Today, Google produced a video commenting on Michelle Malkin. Michelle Malkin pointed out that Danish Imams had fabricated some offensive cartoons about the Muslim prophet Muhammed and blamed the cartoons on the Danish newspaper that previously printed a series of 12 cartoons. In the video, Google said it is not clear how much of Malkin’s theory is true.

What? Michelle Malkin provided links to news organizations to back up her statement. How does Google not know how to verify this information? Do the people at Google not know how to click on links? First, the three pictures did not run in the original Danish newspaper; they should be able to verify that through their own search engine. Second, there is absolutely no doubt that one of the fabricated pictures taken from a French newspaper story about a pig calling contest and had nothing to do with Islam or Muhammed until the Imams claimed it did.

I’m sick of both Yahoo! and Google at this point. (Yes, I know Google owns blogger who hosts this blog. I’m working on it.)

Update:
By the way, if you are concerned about Yahoo! helping to jail Chinese citizens, you can call their media relations at (408) 349-3300.

Update:

This was written when the blog was hosted by Blogger. Obviously I’ve since moved it.

Jerks in Italy

Why is “protesting” now a synonym for jerk? Yesterday, anti-globalization protestors took the Olympic torch from an athlete running the torch in Italy.

In the past, protesting meant drawing people’s attention to your cause. Now it seems to mean demonstrating how much of an ass you are. Why do these people think that will change anyone’s mind. The only thing it proves is that anti-globalization is the position of selfish people. Who wants to join that movement?

Saddam didn’t do it?

I think there is a special place in hell for mass murders. I think that place has an adjoining room for the lawyers who defend their attrocities.

Most ridiculous iPod accessory

Anyone who has an iPod knows you need a case for it. The problem with the new iPod is that none of the cases from the previous generation iPods fit it because they moved the headphone jack from the center to the right side.

So Apple’s solution? A sock. Yep a sock which they call “stylish” and “fun”. Really, it is half a sock. They do come in packs of six though. You have your choice of various colors too!

So what do you pay for this innovation in iPod protection?

29 fricken bucks! Yep, that’s $29 for six half-socks. What a bargain. I think that breaks down to $2 for the six half-socks and $27 for the Apple logo sewed on to each one.