If you don’t know who Eddie Haskell, Wally and Beaver Cleaver are… the photo above is sad but doesn’t make you want to blow your brains out. [Thanks, Lew. Thanks a lot.]
Not so High Life
Not so long ago, if you felt like your employer wasn’t doing you right, you could write a letter to the president and try to get a reporter to listen to (and publish) your story, but that was about it. Good chance you wouldn’t get heard. In 2007, you make a little video and put it on YouTube.
“A David and Goliath battle pits a union local against the parent of Miller Brewing. Judy Burnick is business manager of the Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 35 in Milwaukee. In Madison Tuesday, she said workers are concerned that they’ll no longer be eligible for pension benefits under terms of a new contract offer by South African Breweries, Miller’s parent company. The union has filed complaints, with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Equal Rights Division of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. Burnick said the union members know that the only way they are going to get a fair shake in retirement is through their pension plan. The workers have gone so far as to post a video on YouTube, aimed at Norman Adami, the president and CEO of South African Breweries North American operations.”
When I watched the (semi-goofy) video, only 5,000 others had done so. But I’ll bet you a cold Miller High Life that one of them was Norman Adami.
“Science Fiction Punk Psychedelia”
“I google-image searched “Hippy Witch” and came across this picture. I think it’s a fantastic image!!
Anyway, I’m a musician and I wanted to use it as the sleeve for a single I’m doing for a label called “HoZac.” The name of my “band” is Blank Dogs, it’s a home-recording thing and this picture fits the sound perfect. I guess I’d describe it as “Science Fiction Punk Psychedelia.”
It wouldn’t be used ironically, or poked fun at, I just think it’s a super-great photo and I was wondering if I could get your permission to use it. It’s an indie label and they wouldn’t be able to pay anything for it’s use, but maybe you think it’d be cool!”
Dilbert: Make a spreadsheet
Bong Hits for Jesus
“Today the U.S. Supreme Court considers its first major dispute on student free-speech rights in nearly 20 years, a case about the power of school authorities to censor what they viewed as a pro-drug message at a school-sponsored event. At issue is whether a high school principal in Juneau, Alaska, violated a student’s free-speech rights by suspending him for unfurling a banner that read “Bong Hits 4 Jesus.” Student Joseph Frederick says the banner’s language was designed to be meaningless and funny in an effort to get on television as the Winter Olympic torch relay passed by the school in January 2002. But school officials say the phrase “bong hits” referred to smoking marijuana. Principal Deborah Morse suspended Frederick for 10 days because she said the banner advocated or promoted illegal drug use in violation of school policy.”
— Reuters
Update: (5:53 p.m. Central) Supreme struggles with case. I’m gonna leave the masthead up for another day. I kinda like it.