Friday, May 20, 2011

Liars and Fliers and (who?) Cares, Oh My

Another week with some interesting topics for hanging around our virtual water cooler.  A lot of this week's chat fodder has to do with people that have said and done things that have come back to bite them in the butt, so to speak. 

First the REST OF THE STORY concerning the breakup of Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Turns out the Terminator was busy in the governor's mansion with more than official business. 

 In the last several days, we find out that he has been keeping it under wraps that he had a child with a member of the household staff during the time he was Governor of California.

Well, isn't Arnold a dirty dog!!  According to some news reports, his ex-mistress threatened to go public as she was fired from her employment.  (Note to all dogs out there...if you get a subordinate pregnant, you might want to make sure she has job security) Of course, this story changes daily. Today some of the reports say she just retired from her job and everyone is on friendly terms.  (friendly???? Call me crazy...but I doubt it)


In 2003 after an incident in which he was accused of groping women, Arnold made a statement "I behave badly sometimes."  (very well put, Arnold)  New York Times reporter, Robin   Abcarian  stated on the Today Show this morning that The NY Times  stands by the 2003 story that called him a " Serial Sexual Groper".  (Wouldn't that make a person proud to have that as your tag line?  Just think you could have a Twitter account [at]serialgroper)

___________________________________________________



Another dirty dog ..err....skunk in the news is French business man, Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Strauss-Kahn, managing director of the International Monetary Fund is accused of attacking a housekeeper at a New York hotel.  He is being held at Rikers after bail was denied.


____________________________________________




do I look like a casino boss to you?

Another lawsuit is in the news this week.  A San Diego mother is suing Chuck E. Cheese's chain of restaurants for $5 Million because she believes children could develop a serious gambling habit by frequenting the eateries.  Debbie Keller contends that the games within the restaurants are actually illegal gambling devices, similar in nature to roulette wheels and slot machines. 


 Eric Binink, Ms. Keller's attorney, told the San Diego Union Tribune the the money is a secondary issue and his client is asking for a jury trial.   (I am thinking Ms. Keller is taking a gamble by bringing this case to court and finding a jury that would think this is worth 5 million)


_________________________________________________



Southwest Airlines is back in the news.  Kenlie Tiggeman, a 30 year political strategist is saying that an employee at the Dallas based Southwest Airlines said she was "too fat to fly". She and her mother were both asked to by 2 tickets to accommodate their size.  Part of Ms. Tiggerman's  complaint deals with the fact that the gate agent discussed this in front of a number of other travelers.  (OK, I think that you aren't much of a gentleman to discuss a lady's weight in front of a crowd.  You are really, just asking for TROUBLE)


This issue has come up previously as well.  A spokesman for the airline said that if a person can fit into the seat between the armrests they can fly with one ticket.  If they need additional space they need to purchase a second ticket.  However, if the flight is not full, the second ticket price will be refunded.

Ms. Tiggeman is saying that at 268 pounds she does fit into the seat.  Also, she noted that on past flights she was not required to buy 2 tickets.  

Note to Southwest:  If you are going to charge by weight, you need to have a weight chart so we can all check the "fat or thin" surcharge.  Shouldn't the small, light people get a discount if those that are heavier are having to pay extra based on weight. 


__________________________________________

A consumer advocacy group is asking McDonald's to fire Ronald McDonald.  (no one's job is safe, any more).  According to The Chicago Tribune, Corporate Accountability International,  cites that the "Chief Happiness Officer" is enticing children to eat unhealthy foods that  is resulting in the growing epidemic of childhood obesity.  The group is planning events in a number of US cities to bring attention to the  problem of "cradle to grave" marketing that is luring children into eating unhealthy foods.
A McDonald's spokesman said that Ronald is a beloved brand ambassador that is the "heart and soul" of McDonald House Charities.  McDonald House provides housing for families of critically ill children so that they can stay near the hospital or care facility where the child is being treated. More than 4 million children benefit from this charity annually.


OK, my blogee friends, those are of few of the topics being talked about this week. 

What are your thoughts?  Weigh in....oops, sorry...and give me your comments on any, some or all of the Friday topics. 



The Good for the Day......I love that Whack-A-Mole game at Chuck E. Cheese. 


The Bad for the Day..... I am thinking we shouldn't blame Ronald for making our children fat unless he has his big ole red shoe on your chest while holding you down on the ground force feeding you Big Mac, Fries and a Shake.  Parents need to take control of what and how their children eat and adults need to take responsibility for themselves.


The Weird for the Day... A man wanted to take  his pony  for a ride on the train in Wales but was denied access even though he purchased 2 tickets. (one for himself and one for his pony)
Poor, sad pony, wants to go for a ride on the train!!!


A song that has Arnold in mind.


8 comments:

Bodaciousboomer said...

I guess I'll go ahead and put it out here first. I too had sex with Arrrrrnold. It wasn't that good.

Cheryl P. said...

Hi Michele, You naughty, naughty girl. Sounds like Arrrrnold, did get around a bit. If there is any itching or burning anywhere, I would get it checked out. Yesterday another girl is claiming she was also having a fling with him.

Annie (Lady M) x said...

Blimey O'Reilly, I have experienced the misfortune of sitting next to someone who weighed (I guess) nearly 300lbs on a flight. It was a misery because they spilled into at least a third of my seat. Given that aircraft seats are a fixed size, it makes sense to charge people extra if they can't fit into one.

It isn't a 'fattist' point of view. It is a commercial one.

Annie (Lady M) x said...

P.S. I totally agree with you about McDonalds - they are not forcing burgers down the throats of unsuspecting children. Those children are being taken there by their parents and therein lies the problem!

Cheryl P. said...

Hi Annie,
The "eating healthy" battle rages on here constantly. I am of the mind that we each have to take personal responsibility for what we eat, and if we live a healthy lifestyle. Likewise, for parents to be in control how they feed their children. (ok, parents of teenagers, you can't control them so much as far as their food choices all the time. They are SNEAKY)


I, too, have had the misfortune of being crammed next to larger people in an airplane. With just 17 or 18 inches of leg room even the tall big guys that aren't overweight kind of spill over the seat. There is no way a person weighing around 300 can allow for someone next to them to be comfortable.

Cheryl P. said...

Thank you, Karen for stopping by my blog. I appreciate it. I know what you mean about driving past restaurants that all but beg me to stop. Unfortunately for me at McDonalds , I am relegated to the Southwestern Salad or the yogurt parfait. There was a time I could of gobbled down a Big Mac and not been able to visibly see it the next day. Those days are long gone.

Cheryl

Iluvbeingagrandpa said...

I'd let the pony ride the train, they let us ride for years, decades and forever....jeesh

Cheryl P. said...

I am thinking this pony might leave his calling card on board the train. Not a good commute for someone trying to get to work.