On August 28th,1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered one of the most powerful speeches in modern history. Commonly referred to as the “I have a dream” speech, King spoke bravely and wisely, and called for an end to discrimination.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, celebrated every third Monday in January, honors his birthday, which is January 15th. The day is one of only four United States federal holidays which commemorate an individual.
So, on this third Monday of January 2010, take a moment to listen again to (or reread) his iconic words spoken 47 years ago. The words are just as relevant and important now as they were then.
Here are some of our favorite brief Web stories from this week.
Some people had common sense.
A Nevada brothel will offer male prostitutes. Whoo hoo! Long live equality! Grab your GPS, ladies.
A Bloodmobile in Washington will give a pint of beer to each person that donates a pint of blood. It’s a win-win! Not surprisingly, the program has been so successful that it’s being expanded.
Saying it’s better to be honest than greedy, an NYC cab driver returned a purse with $21,000 in cash along with some jewelry to its owner. The Bangladesh native is a full-time college student and surely could have used the money. But, he did the right thing.
And, some did not.
Suri Cruise’s parents (you know who they are) bought her a $30,000 toy racing car. If they have more money than they know what to do with, I can make a few suggestions. Most involve me….
People keep talking to Rob Blagojevich. And, he keeps saying incredibly stupid things. Lay off media, and let this moron go away already.
The genius criminal who escaped from jail and then taunted the police via Facebook has, shockingly, been captured. Way to stick it to the man, dude.
One thing I’ve noticed about suburban shopping is that it’s hard to return a shopping cart. Why else would you see a parking lot like this:
Actually, it’s not hard to return a shopping cart. It’s fairly easy. There are cart return sections all over most parking lots. Some people just won’t expend the effort. In this particular photo, there were at least six parking spaces rendered unusable because of the unreturned carts.
I have also seen carts bang into cars, people, and buildings. All because someone wasn’t courteous enough to take two minutes to return the cart to a proper place. Come on, are we so lazy?
Not that anyone believes anything Pat Robertson says, but he’s really proven how hateful he is with his latest comment on the Haitian earthquake. While tens of thousands of people have lost their lives in Haiti, Robertson said they asked for it by making a pact with the devil:
“They were under the heel of the French…and they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, ‘We will serve you if you’ll get us free from the French,’” he said.
Robertson continued: “True story. And so the devil said, ‘OK, it’s a deal.’ They kicked the French out. The Haitians revolted and got themselves free. Ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other.”
I know what we’re cursed with, Pat. Having to listen to YOU, you old conservative, hate-slinging, ignorant windbag.
For the record, earthquakes are caused by the shifting and moving of the Earth’s plates. Not the devil. Not a curse. Not magic beans or any other hoodoo you can dream up. I’m pretty sure an elementary school child could tell you that.
But, while we’re focusing on him, let’s not forget some of Robertson’s other gems in the face of disaster:
In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Robertson said civil libertarians and gay rights groups bore responsibility for the strikes.
He has also said Hurricane Katrina was an expression of God’s wrath over abortion, and said Ariel Sharon’s stroke was God’s vengeance for Israel’s ceding land to the Palestinians.
I wasn’t aware that labia color was a huge beauty issue. Apparently, some feel that the color fades over time and becomes less “youthful” and pink. Older ladies, are you horrified? Do you feel less attractive now that you know this fact? Yeah, me neither.
But, nonetheless, someone created this product:
It’s called “My New Pink Button” and it is a genital cosmetic designed to change the color of your labia. It even comes in different shades depending on your skin tone. The cost: $29.95.
I’m all for decorating and bedazzling your labia, if you wish. But, do it for the right reasons (fun, sex, a lark). Don’t let the “you’re old and no one wants your old-looking labia” marketing ploy be the reason.
When was the last time a movie made you want to commit suicide? (Note: sitting through AI doesn’t count because *everyone* was suicidal after that movie.) Well, after seeing ‘Avatar,’ some moviegoers became depressed and suicidal because–Spoiler Alert!–the world depicted in the movie isn’t real. Gasp! What?!
On the fan forum site “Avatar Forums,” a topic thread entitled “Ways to cope with the depression of the dream of Pandora being intangible,” has received more than 1,000 posts from people experiencing depression and fans trying to help them cope. The topic became so popular last month that forum administrator Philippe Baghdassarian had to create a second thread so people could continue to post their confused feelings about the movie.
One ‘Avatar’ fan had this to say:
“Ever since I went to see ‘Avatar’ I have been depressed. Watching the wonderful world of Pandora and all the Na’vi made me want to be one of them. I can’t stop thinking about all the things that happened in the film and all of the tears and shivers I got from it,” Mike posted. “I even contemplate suicide thinking that if I do it I will be rebirthed in a world similar to Pandora and the everything is the same as in ‘Avatar.’ “
GET A GRIP, people! I wanted to live in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory but you didn’t hear me boo-hooing about it. In simple terms: here’s the line; on one side is reality, and on the other side is what you see in movies and on television. See the difference now?
Photo: CNN/Getty Images [Thanks to Christine L. for the link!]
Then, the EZCracker is here to solve all your egg-cracking problems!
Really? Is this how pathetic we’ve become? Cracking an egg is neither difficult nor time consuming. I think this product should only be purchased by amputees and people with severe arthritis. Anyone else who owns one has surely lost his or her dignity.
What’s next? A product that will shovel the eggs into our mouths for us? I can hear the informercial now…. “Using a fork is hard! And, how many times have you poked yourself in the eye? Well, put down that fork because now we’ll do it for you….”
Here are some of our favorite brief Web stories from this week.
Some people had common sense.
A couple in Washington is collecting aluminum cans in order to pay for their summer wedding. Getting hitched ain’t cheap, so kudos to this enterprising couple. I can’t wait to see how they pay for the honeymoon.
An interactive media company in NYC developed a video to entice potential interns. When working for peanuts, a quick video of your responsibilities helps–especially if it looks fun. This makes the want ads seem so 1990s.
And, some did not.
While giving an interview on Good Morning America, Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of NYC, said there was never a domestic terror attack on G.W. Bush’s watch. Really, Rudy? Did you forget about 9/11, which happened when YOU were mayor? More absurd than this ridiculous partisan sniping, GMA’s correspondent did NOT call Guiliani out on it. Just nod and smile while you’re on camera. No need to actually think.
A woman in Ohio punched though a McDonald’s drive-thru window because McNuggets weren’t available. Man, what’s in those things?! We know the nuggets are good, but punching the window…wow.
Some British researchers concluded that the female G-Spot is subjective, so therefore must be a myth. No physical exam was performed. Instead, the women (all twins) were asked whether they believed they had a G-Spot or not. 56% of the women said yes, but no pattern between twins emerged so the researchers concluded those 56% were misinformed about their bodies. The study seems anecdotal and not very thorough. It’s a sad commentary when such shoddy methodology is used, especially on such a delicate subject. If it’s going to be proven or disproven, do it right.
PETA finds ridiculous ways to grab headlines. “No publicity stunt too low” should be the group’s motto. In true form, PETA members have taken their nonsense to an elementary school in Florida. In protesting the pending arrival of the circus, PETA arranged for a person in a bloody elephant costume to walk around at the end of the school day. Yes, an elephant with a bloody ear. Not surprisingly, the article says the elephant wasn’t a big hit with the kids. (You think?)
PETA’s issue is the treatment of circus elephants, which Ringling Brothers denies:
“We have never been found in violation of the Animal Welfare Act, which overseas the care and treatment of animals including, the Asian elephant.”
Really, PETA? Is traumatizing the children who might attend the circus the best way to accomplish your goal?
This story lacks common sense in so many areas that it’s hard to know where to begin.
A Connecticut mother left her two small kids in the car while she ran an errand. Big deal, right? Well, what if I told you it was in freezing conditions and the car was off? Bad. Really bad. Has this woman never heard of frostbite or hypothermia?
We can assume she left her 3-year old and a 1-year old to freeze their buns off in the car while going on a SUPER, IMPORTANT errand. Perhaps picking something up at the store, dropping of a letter at the Post Office, paying a bill, or maybe bringing peace to the Middle East.
Nope. She had to go sit in a tanning bed. Yep, getting a fake tan was that important.
Daily Dose of Common Sense cuts through the crap, hype, and pseudoscience to tell it like it is. Part science, part news, and part, er, common sense, this site may be harsh sometimes but it's just tough love.
On August 28th,1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered one of the most powerful speeches in modern history. Commonly referred to as the “I have a dream” speech, King spoke bravely and wisely, and called for an end to discrimination.
Not that anyone believes anything Pat Robertson says, but he’s really proven how hateful he is with his latest comment on the Haitian earthquake. While tens of thousands of people have lost their lives in Haiti, Robertson said 
It’s called “
When was the last time a movie made you want to commit suicide? (Note: sitting through AI doesn’t count because *everyone* was suicidal after that movie.) Well, after seeing ‘Avatar,’ some moviegoers became depressed and suicidal because–Spoiler Alert!–the world depicted in the movie isn’t real. Gasp! What?! 
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