Author Archive

There’s this thing in the print business called the “standing head [line].” A good example of a standing head is this one found in Newsday.com today: Vermont Town Backs Bush Impeachment The link to the site is at Newsday.com NEWFANE, Vt. — In a white-clapboard town hall, circa 1832, voters gathered Tuesday to conduct their community’s business and to call for the impeachment of President Bush. Newsday reports that the article, after the four hour annual town meeting, approved 121-29 in balloting by paper, calls on Vermont’s lone member of the House Rep. Bernie Sanders, to file articles of impeachment against the president, alleging that Bush misled the nation into the Iraq war and engaged in illegal domestic spying. The Vermont town of 1,600 dedicated a half hour of the four hour annual town meeting to the referendum.

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“Customers and different people were telling me that they have a hard time trying to communicate with them about the work they want done on their yards. I just want to let people know they at least can communicate with me when I do work on their property.” Meet Mike Gray, a 50 year old father of two who works as a heavy equipment operator for a road department. On the side, Mike Gray owns a lawn service business; he tows around a trailer that he uses to carry lawn mowing equipment for his business. Here’s the full story from the CBS television affiliate in Denver. Gray’s problems started when he decided to put a sign on the side of his trailer that reads “Lawn Services Done With Pride!! By An English Speaking American.” The sign also gives Gray’s phone number and the lettering is over a background of an American flag. “Some of your conduct … is reprehensible and discriminatory to our non-English speaking and/or Hispanic workforce. You are in violation of … guidelines which ensure a workplace free from harassment and sensitive to the diversity of employees.” Ouch. Diversity is good. Language is good. English is a language. Continue reading →

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Rosapepe v. Giannetti So there he was, Jim Rosapepe, at a Maryland Italian restaurant. Choking to death. Jim is a member of the University of Maryland system’s Board of Regents. He is also a candidate for public office. He is challenging State Senator John Giannetti in the Democratic primary for the suburban Washington district. Time was ticking quickly. All seemed lost for Rosapepe. A mere chunk of seafood stood in the way of a fate, perhaps, even worse than death, that of a chance at political life. Enter John, Good Samaritan. Unflinchingly, Good Samaritan John recognizes the universal sign of choking and proceeds to adminster the Heimlich maneuver and voila! Success. Jim Rosapepe will live to run another day. Continue his run for office. And the person Rosapepe will be challenging for that political seat? John. Good Samaritan John. State Senator John Giannetti.

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