WTF News and Commentary - April

[pryor15]

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an even better example, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv...district27.htm

A man uses the word "niggardly" and loses his job, because morons who don't know what the word means also don't know how to use a dictionary.

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The director of D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams's constituent services office resigned after being accused of using a racial slur, the mayor's office said yesterday.

David Howard, head of the Office of Public Advocate, said he used the word "niggardly" in a Jan. 15 conversation about funding with two employees.

"I used the word 'niggardly' in reference to my administration of a fund," Howard said in a written statement yesterday. "Although the word, which is defined as miserly, does not have any racial connotations, I realize that staff members present were offended by the word.


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am i the only one who wished the apology had been to the people of Washington, D.C. who have to live with officials and staff members in their government who lack a fundamental grasp of the English language?

[kerowo]

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[ QUOTE ]
an even better example, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv...district27.htm

A man uses the word "niggardly" and loses his job, because morons who don't know what the word means also don't know how to use a dictionary.

[ QUOTE ]
The director of D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams's constituent services office resigned after being accused of using a racial slur, the mayor's office said yesterday.

David Howard, head of the Office of Public Advocate, said he used the word "niggardly" in a Jan. 15 conversation about funding with two employees.

"I used the word 'niggardly' in reference to my administration of a fund," Howard said in a written statement yesterday. "Although the word, which is defined as miserly, does not have any racial connotations, I realize that staff members present were offended by the word.


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am i the only one who wished the apology had been to the people of Washington, D.C. who have to live with officials and staff members in their government who lack a fundamental grasp of the English language?

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Do we need to ban every word that sounds like a bad word? Donald won't be happy, neither will kickers.

[Mrs. Utah]

This story is really depressing but I am posting it anyway.

http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_102183113.html


""Some early intervention possibly could have helped," Stark said."


I am guessing most kids her age have no idea about safe haven laws. I am also always amazed when women hide their pregnancies. (some even in denial themselves even while in labor)

[TheDudeAbides]

WTF indeed! This makes me really sad. Obviously the girl in question has some serious emotional issues but wow.

Have you run into any girls who are actually in denial even when they're in labour? And I wonder how many times these types of stories could be avoided with proper education.

[Mrs. Utah]

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Have you run into any girls who are actually in denial even when they're in labour?

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Yes, its very strange because everyone around her is in a state of shock. Its bizarre.

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And I wonder how many times these types of stories could be avoided with proper education.

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That is what is so frustrating to me when I read this. I am guessing she had no idea that she had the safe haven law as an option.

Here is story about it.
http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_103224119.html

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Safe Haven education was originally intended to be promoted in schools and elsewhere. It has suffered difficulties in find adequate funding to do so however.

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Why wouldn't this just be part of the sex ed curriculum? How hard would it be to get pamphlets from the state to have available? [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[katyseagull]

I just read your story about the girl. Man that is terrible. Now I'm depressed. What a horrible decision on her part.

[FeliciaLee]

I never understood this whole phenomenon of denial. I'm too realistic, I guess.

I remember when I was about nine, my Mom came to me and asked how I'd feel if she divorced my father. I told her that I was okay with it. A year later she and my father were still fighting like cats and dogs, and I said, "I thought you wanted to divorce him a year ago! Can't you see this marriage is over?"

(Yeah, my Mom started being the baby when I was supposed to be a child, and still is. Imagine going to a nine year old for advice on a divorce, lol.)

So then she marries an alcoholic. I have to say, he snowed us pretty well. Even I had no clue until it was too late. But then, we were pretty much a non-drinking family, so I'd had no experience with alcoholism.

Obviously things spiraled out of control pretty quickly. And when the crap finally hit the fan, everyone was like, "He isn't an alcoholic..." All three of his kids, my Mom, my brother, they all denied it. I was like, "WTF is wrong with you people? You can stick up for him, you can call in sick for him, I'm not playing this game! This man is a raging drunk, can't you see it???"

Sure, I was a codependent, I don't deny that. But I was "the rebel," the one who took the heat off of everyone else. I let him abuse me, thinking that if he took out his hatred on me, everyone else would be safe. Yet I never for a minute denied what he was.

Fast forward to when I was 20. One of my step-sisters (yeah, they all ended up being trash) gets pregnant. Now everyone is denying this. No one will admit that she is pregnant. She was 19 at the time, FWIW. Her dad the dry drunk (he finally got help). My Mom, my other two step-sisters, my brother, her own Mom, her boyfriend. She is an utter toothpick, yet has this big belly pointing out. Um, what DON'T you see, people???

She was like seven months pregnant and I was screaming, "Can't you idiots see she is gonna have a baby? Why are you all denying this???"

Of course as soon as I said it, they DID all see it.

Unfreakingbelievable.

[katyseagull]

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I never understood this whole phenomenon of denial. I'm too realistic, I guess.



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I've always wondered how the families could fail to see a pregnancy. Sure maybe if a girl was really obese, then maybe i could see it. But like you point out, often the girls in question are kinda skinny so it boggles my mind.

About the alcoholism thing, I can't tell you the number of times I have heard people deny there is a problem when it seems like it's so obvious. Like my sister's always saying, how do they not see the giant red flag wavin' in their face?

I know this one woman who told me just last week that she didn't realize her husband was a drunkard when she married him. I was sort of incredulous. He passed out on the boat dock like ALL THE TIME and she is claiming she didn't know. Also, who drinks more than 12 beers a day? Come on now. These people in denial, are they just stupid or what is the deal?

[SoloAJ]

That story is really sad. I was entirely unaware that people went through denial of pregnancy (mother or others). It seems so weird to me. You're getting bigger and, if they were willing to take it, a test would tell them they have a baby inside them.

So weird.

That story is sad though. I'm not sure what the last line is supposed to mean. Intervention "could have helped?" Uhhh, intervention almost certainly would have helped in some degree.

Also, I don't think anyone mentioned this but 135 times? Absurd.

[Mrs. Utah]

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That story is really sad. I was entirely unaware that people went through denial of pregnancy (mother or others). It seems so weird to me. You're getting bigger and, if they were willing to take it, a test would tell them they have a baby inside them.

So weird.

That story is sad though. I'm not sure what the last line is supposed to mean. Intervention "could have helped?" Uhhh, intervention almost certainly would have helped in some degree.

Also, I don't think anyone mentioned this but 135 times? Absurd.

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I think most of times these women/girls know they are pregnant but cannot accept it, for whatever reason. Their minds take over. They become more isolated, gain weight, wear baggier clothes. Not everyone pops and has a huge belly, especially if they are not taking care of themselves.

It seems impossible to to image that a woman would be unaware of the changes going on. Its hard for me to believe but I have seen it.

I have also seen the parents of a girl, who brought her to the ER for severe abdominal pain and finding out that she is in labor and that they are going to be grandparents.

Its bizarre.

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I'm not sure what the last line is supposed to mean. Intervention "could have helped?" Uhhh, intervention almost certainly would have helped in some degree.


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That is why I highlighted it, it seemed such a silly, ya think? statement.

People will doubt it but I wonder if she went into a postpartum psychosis. Its one thing to hear about women who leave their babies or even throw them away, but to take a knife and stab her 135 times. Overkill, to say the least.
I would venture to guess that a psych defense will come from this one.