What Did They Say?

On my way to work this morning I was listening to one of the local talk radio programs. As has been the case for the last several months, the subject changed to a discussion about Bill Cosby. Inevitably, although in this instance it was a rather unique take, there was a joke made about Pudding Pops. It is one of those things that is both funny and stomach churning at the same time. However, it got me thinking about a few simple phrases that we might say during the day that can be taken in a completely different way depending on the person with whom you are having a conversation.

Talking to someone about how you remember Pudding Pops is one thing, mention Bill Cosby’s name and you just feel dirty. This doesn’t just apply to the recent headlines, in such a politically correct world, an innocent statement can be taken completely out of context. At time, innocuous moments need to be handled with kid gloves simply because someone might be offended even though what is said has nothing to do with race, gender, orientation, etc. The following are three examples of the things that I have heard said at the office.

This time of year it is pretty common for my colleagues to go on vacation. For most this usually means a trip to the beach where they spend at least some of the time laying on the sand and getting a tan. When they return to the office someone inevitably makes the statement “you’re really dark.” This comment makes perfect sense given the context and the person to whom they are speaking. However, for those without a means to censor themselves, this could easily be seen as a comment regarding race.

We have also had a lot of people come to the office lately for interviews. It is a process for sure. We have had a huge variety of people walk through the doors with different experiences and backgrounds. In one instance I recall one of these interviewees make a comment regarding one of my colleagues… they are really short. At this point, the person making the comment had only seen her back. This prompted their immediate ‘oh crap’ face followed by the question, “she’s not Asian, right?” Yep, a comment with little meaning behind it beyond an observation turned into a potential instance of racial profiling in about half a second.   

The last example caught all of us off guard. There is someone we work with called Richard. He is a man that enjoys traveling. There is also a second person we work with by the same name. After a quick call with the one that enjoys traveling about his recent excursions, someone made the comment “That Dick has been all over the place.” It took a second but we all ended up laughing about the double entendre. At the same time, we recalled one of our previous coworkers that would have definitely been offended… good thing she wasn’t there. Generally speaking, I guess it is also a good thing that Bill Cosby’s first name isn’t Richard!

Another Milestone

Last month I wrote about reaching a major milestone with this blog in that I finally accomplished the main goal that I set at the beginning of this experiment by posting a blog every day for an entire year. Well, as you have been reading, I have not stopped writing and posting. In fact, I have yet to dip under 400 words per post which, at times, is painfully obvious. I know that many of you are aware to these moments because over the weekend this blog surpassed 20,000 views.

Certainly, a lot of you read multiple blogs so I am uncertain as to how many actual readers are out there but it is a nice little milestone nevertheless. And it is one of those things that I really have no control over as all I can do it write, post, and do a little bit of dissemination through my social media accounts. The rest is up to all of you. So, really, this is your accomplishment.

It also got me thinking about how many times this blog is read and all of the views that I have gotten that are not tracked by the aforementioned stat. I know that I have a few people who receive my posts via email which doesn’t register in the total above. I am curious to know what the total really is but also what posts people enjoy reading versus those that they either delete or don’t bother finishing.

While this blog really is serving more as a journal or public diary if you will, I am not going to ignore those that read the contents on a regular basis. Obviously there is something that is interesting of else I wouldn’t have had so many views to date but what is it that you want to read about? You have taken the time to read about my views, time and again, but what are some of your opinions?

While I am happy with the progress that has been made on this blog, there is still something that is lacking… your voice. There are opinions on a variety of topics in the pages of this blog, some popular while others not so much but it should not be solely my opinion that is expressed. While I am sure that what I say represents some people it, by no means, represents everyone. So I open up the discussion to you. You can comment, email me, or write up a guest blog (even if it is of a completely opposite viewpoint). I want to make sure that there are more voices heard rather than just the sounds coming from my mind and mouth.

Unreasonable Expectations and Entitlement

Some of the news that I have heard on the radio on my way to and from work the past couple of weeks has really made me wonder about the mentality of the general population. Some of the many cases that are flowing into the legal system are downright appalling. The sad thing is that much of these insane stories aren’t even a few exceptions to the rule. But I won’t go any further without at least sharing some of the information on each story so let’s start with a lawsuit that has captured a worldwide audience. Here is the BBC News account of a New Jersey teenager suing her parents and, thankfully, losing:

IN ASSOCIATION

A teenager in the US who is suing her parents for cash after leaving home has lost the first round of her legal case.

Rachel Canning, 18, has demanded $650 (£390) in weekly child support from her parents at a court in New York.

The cheerleader also wanted her private school tuition fees, a college fund and her lawyers' fees paid.

Her parents said their daughter voluntarily left home because she did not like their house rules.

Retired police chief Sean Canning and his wife, Elizabeth, said they had asked their daughter to be respectful at home, keep curfews, help with chores and end her relationship with her boyfriend.

At a family court hearing in New York on Tuesday, Miss Canning, from New Jersey, was told her parents would not have to pay child support or her legal costs.

Judge Peter Bogaard warned that her suit could lead to a "slippery slope", asking: "Are we going to open the gates for 12-year-olds to sue for an Xbox? For 13-year-olds to sue for an iPhone?"

The next case is actually one that I don’t really have a problem with but the case speaks more of a problem in our internet based society. Trolling has become a serious issue with little repercussions during many cases. All you have to do is scroll down through the comments on most news stories and you will see a wide variety of comments from all different angles.

While I have no issue with someone having an opinion that they can back up, I do take issue with people that post anonymous comments with the simple purpose of attacking someone else. The question is whether the charges will stand, no matter how distasteful the comments and objectives of the poster really are. One such situation recently came to light on Philly.com which could prove to be an interesting case to follow over the next few months.

A warning to people who post comments online: Anonymous is not forever.

A Philadelphia judge has ordered the owners of Philly.com - who also own The Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News - to disclose the identity of a person who posted a comment online.

The ruling came in a defamation suit filed by John J. Dougherty, the powerful head of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

In October 2012, Dougherty sued over a comment posted two months earlier on a Daily News blog that described a public feud involving Dougherty. The comment identified Dougherty by his well-known nickname, "Johnny Doc," and called him "the pedophile."

Dougherty sued the anonymous poster, and his lawyers subpoenaed Philadelphia Media Network, Philly.com's parent company, to supply the person's identity.

Mark Block, a spokesman for Interstate General Media, corporate parent of PMN, referred all questions to Eli Segal, an attorney for the company.

Segal said that after receiving the subpoena, the company contacted the anonymous poster to make sure he or she got notice of the lawsuit and hired a lawyer. He said lawyers for Dougherty and the person who posted the comment presented their arguments to Common Pleas Court Judge Jacqueline F. Allen.

On Feb. 26, Allen ordered the news company to disclose the poster's identity, along with any comments he or she posted from Aug. 10, 2012, through this January.

And finally, the true WTF legal case of the past week that I will list in this post is a case out of Denver, Colorado. This is a case where the only explanation for the audacity of the lawsuit is the fact that marijuana is now legal because you have to be higher than a hippie on the International Space Station. The only other explanation is that the lawyer has a huge set but that can easily be ruled out by the fact that he is able to walk. The inevitable lawsuit is by a man who was saved from certain death during a flood back in September who is suing his rescuers.

This is a complete load of crap and is definitely in the running for WTF of the week. Without further delay, I leave you with this report from the Denver Post about the greed, self-centeredness, and entitlement that exists in the populous…

A Broomfield man who was rescued from his submerged car during the September floods has filed papers indicating he might sue his rescuers and first responders.

Roy Ortiz was rescued by North Metro Fire Rescue District and others who responded to the scene after his car was washed off the road on Sept. 12. He says crews took too long to respond to the accident after he became trapped in his upside-down car near the intersection of U.S. 287 and Dillon Road in Lafayette.

He also claims the road should have been closed, thus the accident that left him trapped in the submerged car would never have happened.

No lawsuit has yet been filed, but Ortiz's lawyer, Aurora attorney Ed Ferszt, has filed a legal document that is a typical precursor to filing a lawsuit against a government agency.

All of these things have to change but, unfortunately, this is not the worst problem that we face in the legal system. But that is another post for another day.