Steven Slater, American Instant Folk Hero

Pulling A Steven-Slater: It's In The Way You Quit Your Job

Sometimes the job gets to the best of workers, especially when the job requires dealing with the public, and among the public are more than a few very difficult customers. I've been there.

Yesterday morning, Steven Slater, a flight attendant at Jet Blue Airline, came to the point when he said enough is enough and became an instant Internet folk hero.

Who hasn't had days like Steven Slater and who, working in the service field, haven't had to deal with a difficult customer or two and wanted to pull a Steven-Slater?

The Associated Press reported that a difficult passenger defied requests to stay seated, then accidentally hit Mr. Slater in the head with her luggage. "When the flight was still waiting to take off from Pittsburgh, two female passengers got into an argument over space in the overhead bins. That's when Slater was struck in the head. The dispute flared up again after the plane landed in New York when one of the women, who had been asked to gate-check her bag, was enraged that it wasn't immediately available.The woman was outraged and cursed him out a great deal. Slater addressed the passengers on the intercom. "Those of you who have shown dignity and respect these last 20 years, thanks for a great ride." Mr. Slater had a few choice words for the passenger who cursed him, then he took two beers from the galley and exited the plane using the emergency slide. This was a no-no. He was arrested;(since released), and has been arraigned on charges that seem bogus.' But might not be, depending the spin the Port Authority puts on the manner of his exit. The charges are criminal mischief, reckless endangerment and trespassing

The authorities have put the word out overnight that Mr. Slater is facing serious charges.They emphasize that pulling exit (a plane's) chute is serious The authorities certainly don't want workers pulling a Steven-Slaters.

Anyway, Mister Slater seemed relieved to having quit his job, and he has gathered many thousands of fans on Facebook from folks who understand what drove him to the point of quitting his job in such a dramatic fashion.

HBO's True Blood and Hot Gay Love - Take Note Target!

So... this is a little late (in internet times, anyway)... but how hot was the makeout scene between Eric and queeny latino Talbot? Its pretty hot when he kills him, too. I love when people in charge really get a feel for the fans - and throw them a bone (so to speak).

Check out the Youtube video of what I'm talking about here. The really good stuff happens around 6:15 in case you're at all interested! To give you a little background to it all - in case you have been living under a rock or something - King Russell and Talbot are lovers and have been for many years. Eric is a "Sheriff"of the vampires in Louisiana (where the story takes place) under the king. It was revealed in a previous episode that King Russell killed Erics' family and he just recently found out about this. He has been wanting revenge on the murder of his family for many centuries.

I know, I know... DRAMA!

Are you taking note of this Target? Do you have anyone on your staff who is gathering up hot masculine guys for a shirtless makeout (and eventual murder) scene in your commercials? Seeing as True Blood is doing a fantastic job of keeping the gays in love with them - I'm thinking maybe you should hire Ryan Kwanten (who plays Jason Stackhouse) to be in it - maybe along side of Isaac Mizrahi? Is that inappropriate and gross - the Isaac Mizrahi part? Maybe murder Isaac Mizrah on the commercial and then show a shirtless Ryan Kwanten?  I'm just throwing it out there and brainstorming so Target can get back in my good graces!

What does everyone think will happen next? I personally can not wait!

Rand Paul Was A Wild College Boy?!

A shocking story in GQ about Republican / Tea Party candidate for the U.S. Senate from Kentucky Rand Paul.

When Rand Paul was a student at Baylor, he was a member of a secret society, banned by the University, called NoZe that mocked Christianity and Baylor's Christian culture. A woman who asked to remain "anonymous" told GQ that in 1983, when Rand Paul was a student at the Baylor, he and a friend kidnapped her. "They knocked on my door, and then they blindfolded me, tied me up, and put me in their car," she told GQ. "They took me to their apartment and tried to force me to take bong hits.(Illegal drugs! Were they trying to get the girl doped up? And for what purpose?) She told GP that Paul and his friend had been smoking pot. Later, they tried to force her to worship a god they called "Aqua Buddha."

Mr. Rand Paul when he was a young man kidnapped a co-ed, blindfolded her, tied her up and forced her to to do unChristian things?! Was young Mr. Rand Paul a member of a secret hellish society? Or was this secret society just an innocent group of sophomoric idiots? Some folks are calling these Rand Paul kooky college days, and are saying kidnapping the young girl was just a frat prank.  Really?When has kidnapping a co-ed, blind folding her, been a frat prank?

I thought that Mr.Rand Paul was the Senate candidate from Kentucky with the crazy ideas about the Civil Rights law, and about dealing with illegal immigration by laying an electrified wire barrier along the border, and about getting rid of mine regulations, but yesterday, I learned that he was a pot smoking frat boy, whose pranks, included doing the bondage scene, kidnapping at least one co-ed,  and forcing her to do unChristian and heathen acts, like idol worship

A final quote from GQ -- "Nearly 30 years later, the woman is still trying to make sense of that afternoon. 'They never hurt me, they never did anything wrong,(sexually).  but the whole thing was kind of sadistic. They were messing with my mind. It was some kind of joke.' She hadn't actually realized that Paul wound up leaving Baylor early. "I just know I never saw Randy after that—for understandable reasons, I think..".

Pranksters Go Wild: Jackass 3-D

Trailer Review

There have been two wildly commercially successful "Jackass" movies. If the first one hadn't been commercially successful, "Jackass 2, " and now "Jackass 3D," would not have been made. These flicks are not somebody's artistic statement, unless that somebody is from a bizarro world. "Jackass-3D," is made to be more successful than the first two, because it was filmed in 3-D!

Quoting the hype, thus spate the producers, 'technologically advanced 3D cameras" were used to make the third flick in the series. In so many words, the producers are saying: Come and watch it, you idiots, and see stuff thrown at you from the screen. Why? Well, why not? What else was 3D made for? Seriously.

If you are one who feel the need to ask any of the following questions: What is so funny about watching somebody slip on a banana peel, or trip over their shoe laces, or doing what a carnival monkey does, or worse?, then you don't like the Internet prank videos, and the Jackass movies aren't for you. Which are the Internet prank videos on mega-steroids, cranked up to the nth power. The Jackass movies are for people who like to watch Internet pranks, and want to watch them on the big screen. And frankly, are for folks who don't ask a lot of questions, are for folks who go to the movies to react to what they see on the screen in a primal way, and are not for folks who go to the movies to think, which is an excellent reason for going to the movies, and it is alright to go to the movies and not have to think. Movies are for entertainment too, for sitting back and letting ones inner kid out to have a scream of laughter.

If the trailer "Jackass 3-D," is any indication of how the flick's gonna be, the pranksters are going for the big scream! The belly shout and the belly giggle too, by showing funnier, stupider visual jokes, scenes of people doing very idiotic things --and dangerous stunts.

There's a warning at the end of the trailer to all the jackass wannabes, that the flick is the product of the real professional jackasses, dudes who get paid to do dangerously stupid things in movies, dudes who are called, stunt men. The producers, like wary uncles warning their little brat nephews and nieces, who are watching their every move -- Don't you do this, just come to the flick house and watch us act like jackasses. The producers warn their jackass fans and their fans dumb little buddies not to attempt anything from the movie, or in the trailer.

The trailer is an Internet pranks video scream. Excellent trailer. should help haul the latest Jackass flick to success.

Patricia Neal , R. I..P.

Patricia Neal has died. She passed yesterday, Sunday, at her home in Edgartown, Mass., on Martha's Vineyard.. She died -- the Associated Press reports, "surrounded by her family." She had lung cancer. She was 84.

What do I remember about Patricia Neal off the top of my head? She won an Oscar for "Hud," a film released in 1963, which also starred Paul Newman, who also should have won an Oscar for the film. She was married to Roald Dahl, the English writer of children books, (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory). They got divorced (in 1983). Mr. Dahl is no longer with us, (died in 1990). She was the female lead in the science fiction classic, "The Day the Earth Stood Still, " which starred Michael Rennie. She was the kid's mom. This is he first movie I remembered seeing her in. I saw it on television. I was impressed, obviously, by the robot.. I thought, Ms. Neal played a good kid's mom, which is saying, I thought she was an effective actor.

After doing a little checking and remembering.--- She starred in Robert Altman's "Cookie's Fortune." She had a long career on the screen, movies and television, and the Broadway stage.

Patricia Neal , R.I.P.

Ieshuh Griffin

Anybody can run for office and anybody can say anything,  -- almost.

Ieshuh Griffin is an independent candidate, running to represent the east side of Milwaukee and parts of Glendale. in the Wisconsin state Assembly. She wants to describe herself on the ballot as "NOT the 'whiteman's bitch.'"

The Associated Press reports --"State law allows independent candidates to have five words describing themselves placed after their names on the ballot as long as it's not pejorative, profane, discriminatory or includes an obscene word or phrase."

Last month, an all-white panel of retired judges on the board that regulates elections said no. Maybe they aren't hip? The retired judges ruled the phrase "whiteman's bitch" to be a racially charged. (Could be considered sexist too.)

Candidate Griffin criticized the all-white panel for not appreciating the significance of her proposed ballot slogan. (If there was a more diverse panel, with, say, a couple of African-American church ladies, Candidate Griffin may have received a sermon.)

Anyway, Candidate Griffin said, the phrase was the phrase she wants to use, and she has a right to use it, because the phrase is protected free speech. So she filed a suit in the federal court. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Randa, dismissed Candidate Griffin suit, not on the merits, but because, Candidate Griffin filed " a habeas corpus action and those require the person bringing it to be in custody. (She must have her self for a lawyer). Judge Randa said Candidate Griffin's claims should be brought in a civil rights lawsuit. Yesterday, Thursday, Candidate Griffin filed a motion to get Judge Randa replaced due to "judicial disability." (What? He's doesn't understand colorful, earthy street speak? So he's disable?)

Candidate Griffin said of the judge, "He doesn't have the authority to tell me what to file or when to file." (I think she is her own chief adviser too.)

Candidate Griffin said that she has kept her option open to file a civil rights lawsuit after the Nov. 2 election, "if she's not able to get the ballot language approved". In the meantime, the AP reports, "she appealed the judge's decision rejecting her habeus corpus action, (and she said) a lot of people are telling me they support my stand.."

I wonder how many are a lot.

David J. Lieberman, "Get Anyone To Do Anything"

Sub-titled "And Never Feel Powerless Again," this book takes a "command and conquer" approach to life.  The more I read, the more I realized that… I don't really have a need to learn how to get anyone to do anything.  I'm not a sales person, and I no longer work in a corporate environment where winning arguments and driving the conversation is important.  Lucky me!

I checked this book out for a laff, expecting to find a lot of cheesy salesman style Jedi mind trick advice.  My biggest surprise was that most of the book was actually fairly reasonable.  

For example, on the section "Get Anyone To Say What He's Really Thinking," the advice is to ask "What do you think?"  And then when they say "Oh it's great," as of course they will, you follow up with another question.  "What would it take to make it REALLY great," for example, or "What would you have done differently?"

This is the kind of coping strategy that I often wished came with Life, when I was younger and fumbling my way through the world.  I think that's a common experience for socially inept computer geeks like myself.  Half of the advice in this book I would whole-heartedly recommend for socially awkward people looking for a primer on conversational tactics.

Unfortunately, the other half of the advice is just… just terrible.  I don't see how anyone can put some of these tactics into effect, without being the greatest actor in the world.  For example, if you suspect your husband of having an affair with his secretary, Lieberman recommends that you bring up something that alludes to this crime.  

"Casually, maybe over dinner, she would say, "Gee, you know what, honey?  My boss, Jim, I think he may be having an affair with his secretary."

That's the kind of thing that goes over a lot better in the movies than it does in real life, trust me.

The problem here lies in teasing apart which advice falls into which category.  Is it good advice to ask the receptionist to draw a smiley face beside your message before they pass it up to the boss?  A smiley face will make the message stand out, certainly, but it isn't the most professional thing in the world.  If I ever received a "While You Were Out" message from someone who had asked the receptionist to draw a smiley face on it, it would certainly give me pause.

Other tactics are downright car salesman sleazy.  Best way to get someone to return your message?  Say "I appreciate what you've done… Please give me a call, I'd like to thank you personally."  

Hey, that's great!  And when they call me back I can be all "Thanks for returning my call, that's so awesome!  So what kind of financing do you want on that Toyota?  You know, the owner's daughter has her eye on that model, so you'd better snap it up now!"  (Lieberman elsewhere advocates a time limit to encourage a sense of urgency.)

There's some good stuff in here, but I strongly advise you to keep your wits about you.  Unless you're a high pressure salesperson, in which case: Here's a spoon!  Eat up!

Rudy's Daughter Shoplifter?!

New York City's former mayor and former candidate for the GOP nomination for President, tough guy, Rudy Giuliani -- his daughter has been busted, the charge is misdemeanor shoplifting. The young Miss G is accused of snatching a hundred dollars worth of stuff at a beauty supplies store in Manhattan, according to the NYPD. The New York cops say that Miss Caroline Giuliani was seen on security cameras pocketing items. See the video.

Well, the girl has a rich daddy, who got rich cashing in on 911, and on being this really tough New York City mayor. Tough on crime, tough on anybody else, who he thought he could get tough on. His daughter is an alleged thief, but she shouldn't be judged on who her daddy is, and likewise. Just because his daughter got hauled in by the New York cops, he shouldn't be judged by her alleged misdeeds. The girl is a student at Harvard, for goodness sakes! Her daddy is embarrassed. Nobody is happy about this, not even the zillions of New Yorkers, whom Giuliani railed against for not properly raising their kids

Well, daughters embarrassing their famous daddies are making the news this week, and Giuliani's embarrassment could have been worse. Laurence Fishburne's daughter made a porn flick.

Chupacabra-esque Greta Van Susteren Intentionally Racist?

So it looks like Fox "News" and their celebrity wine opener Greta Van Susteren are up to something fishy again. I'ts not enough to terrify the elderly on a daily basis but now they have the gall to be openly racist on the air? How hard is it to tell two completely different looking, news worthy, older African American women apart? Granted the "news" over on Fox is not journalism at its best but have somebody take a minute away from the propaganda machine to discern who is who! It is not like it was a late night mugging and you picked the wrong guy because they "all look the same" ... or is it?

In any case Greta Van Susteren and Fox "News" are racist plain and simple - they have even done this kind of thing before. Click on Greta's face to read the full story, watch a video of the "mistake", and decide for yourself. If you can't tell the difference between Sherrod and Waters maybe your a racist, too.

Also - in case you were wondering - a Chupacabra (Spanish, from chupar "to suck" and cabra "goat", literally "goat sucker") is a famous creature that has her own show on Fox - for now.

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