- Should anyone really have to tell independent Australian
legislature candidate Bob Katter that his mic-drop of a new campaign ad went
about 10 paces too far? Katter, running as a man without a party, decided to
start his own party of a different sort when he filmed and released a campaign
ad suggesting he shot dead two political rivals. This train wreck of a
58-second ad did as much damage to the already dubious reputation of an
also-ran indie political candidate as can be done when it was posed online earlier
this week. In the ad, Katter paints the picture of a Western film parody in
which the big, dramatic scene finds him blowing smoke from a revolver barrel as
two men wearing stockings over their faces and shirts emblazoned with the names
of Australia's two major political parties lie spread eagle in the Outback
dust. While not actually showing him gunning down these two faceless
representations of what he seems to believe is wrong with is country, the
message is pretty clear and came after the two figures erected a sign
advertising "Australia for Sale." Katter’s counter? His anti-foreign
investment slogan: "Australia is 'NOT' for Sale,” with which he ends his
ad. For a country that banned automatic weapons and enacted strict gun laws 20 years
ago, it’s a regrettable moment and one Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull
condemned ahead of general elections on July 2. It’s sad because Aussies are
typically thought of as a walking party and guaranteed fun wherever they go,
but this is proof that every country has its insensitive, tone-deaf ass hats………
- The news is mixed, so it’s all about where fans of BBC
America’s sci-fi drama “Orphan Black” choose to focus. On one hand, the hit
series has been picked up for a fifth season, but the joy over that revelation
is tempered by news from BBC America that the fifth season will also be the
final season. “Orphan Black,” starring Tatiana Maslany, is a science fiction
drama centered on Maslany's character Sarah and her 'cloned sisters.’ Show
co-creators John Fawcett and Graeme Manson announced the fifth season and aid
that they are "excited to deliver an epic conclusion to the tale of Sarah
and her clone sisters" and that the past four seasons "have been a
phenomenal adventure.” The pair also expressed gratitude for those who have
faithfully followed their show, sprinkled with a nice dose of false humility.
“We are eternally grateful to our loyal fans who have loved the twists and
thrills of our weird little show. We are thankful to our partners at Temple
Street, and to BBC America and Space for their support and giving us the
opportunity to end on a high,” the two said in a joint statement, while BBC
America president Sarah Barnett praised the "genius" team of actors,
writers and producers who "have, time after time, taken us to a place of
awe, delight and utter shock and surprise." Barnett called Maslany’s
character Tatiana “a complete revelation” who has delivered “one of the most
remarkable performances on television.” Yeah, but if it’s that good, then why
is your network canceling it after the coming season……..
- It’s a small, yet growing trend in the restaurant
industry: gratuity-free dining. Some pricier establishments have gone to the
practice of boosting their prices and removing tips from the pay of servers,
which seems like a greedy move or even an outright cash grab that guarantees
the money will come in rather than relying on customers to feel the service
they received merited a 20-percent gratuity…and that’s mostly what it is. The
newest group of restaurants taking this stance is from Portland, Oregon and
these six high-end establishments are about to take tips out of the equation.
Park Kitchen, The Bent Brick, Farm Spirit, Le Pigeon, Navarre and Luce will
begin using a new “gratuity free” logo on websites, menus, social media and in
windows so customers know why their steak now costs $17.99 instead of $15.99
and why there’s no line on their bill for a tip. Restaurateur Scott Dolich says
the change is one he hopes will catch on on a larger scale. “My overall hope is
that this will slowly evolve in the restaurant industry,” Dolich said. “This is
really one of the last industries that has held onto tips.” Tips are often a
way for customers to respond to the quality (or lack thereof) of their meal and
especially the quality of the service they receive, but Dolich doesn’t like
that gray area. “There are mixed messages with tipping,” Dolich said. “Someone
can come in and tip 15 percent and think that’s good, but it leaves us
thinking, ‘What did we do wrong?” What did you do wrong? Maybe the steak was
undercooked, maybe the sauce was too salty, maybe the salad was subpar…or maybe
that person tipped 15 percent because that’s what they could afford. Dolich,
who owns Park Kitchen and The Bent Brick, claims the primary reason for
eliminating tips is his means of dealing with the rise of minimum wage,
especially in the wake of a recent federal court ruling that banned staff from
being able to share tips. As a result, these six eateries will raise their
prices by a whopping 18 percent, meaning there are now some much more appealing
options for dining choices in Portland than these six places……..
- In his quest to be the Sojourner Truth of ganja in the
NFL, newly minted free agent Eugene Monroe will not be silenced. Monroe, who
was released by the Baltimore Ravens after efforts to trade him to the New York
Giants fell through, insisted in a statement that his release won't deter him
from his campaign to get medical marijuana taken off the NFL's banned
substances list. "Despite the current uncertainties, one thing is for
sure: whatever happens in terms of my professional football career, I will
never stop pushing for the League to accept medical cannabis as a viable option
for pain management," he said. "I will do everything I can to ensure
the generations of NFL players after me won't have to resort to harmful and
addictive opioids as their only option for pain management." It’s worth
noting that Monroe is technically not advocating to let NFLers spark up
recreationally, although anyone who lives in a state where medical chron is
legal knows that there are a million and two ways for people to get medical
marijuana clearance when they don’t actually need it. Monroe says he can’t say
for sure whether the Ravens released him because he has been campaigning loudly
for the NFL to take medical marijuana off its banned substances list, but said
that in the past the team has distanced itself from him when it comes to the
cause and made it clear they “do not support my advocacy." A cynic could
argue that Monroe’s frequent injuries (i.e. his reason to like medical pot),
the presence of Ronnie Stanley, the No. 6 overall pick in this year's draft,
and his overall performance factored into Monroe's exit from the Ravens, as
opposed to the Great Ganja Conspiracy of 2016………
No comments:
Post a Comment