Friday, October 19, 2012

Unsighted Oversight



As Attorney General of the United States, Eric Holder has been a busy, busy man - attempting to prosecute the intelligence officials who helped find Osama bin Laden, protecting the rights of the New Black Panthers to intimidate white voters at the polls, doing his best to bring terrorist "show trials" to New York, filing lawsuits against states which try to enforce immigration laws or prevent voter fraud, and shipping guns to Mexican drug cartels to use in spectacular, blood-drenched massacres. No wonder he's had no time to look into the massive number of high-level security leaks coming out of the Whitehouse!

But Mr. Holder has found time for an issue more important than any of those listed above. And that critical issue is, of course, "disability etiquette."

No, no - we're serious! Mr. Holder just made a speech in recognition of Disability Awareness Month in which he declares that all DOJ employees are now going to receive training on the government's new "disability etiquette" protocol which is filled with helpful tips for interacting with the differently abled.

 For instance, the government says when speaking to blind people, “don't be afraid to use common expressions that refer to sight, such as, ‘See you later.’” Although it's still wrong to say that you're "keeping an eye out" for Peter Falk movies, and highly questionable to say "Hi, good lookin!" to a woman swinging a white cane.

The government tells us that you shouldn't lean on someone's wheelchair (and who hasn't wanted to do that?) - especially if that "someone" is Stephen Hawking, because his computer voice will insult you with polysyllabic words you don't even begin to understand.

Additionally, you should not refer to a person with a psychiatric disorder as "crazy," or buy any quick-drying liquid adhesive unless it's sensitively labeled as "Psychiatric Disorder Glue."

And if you encounter a man with no arms and no legs, it is absolutely inappropriate to snicker and ask if his name is Bob, Art, or Matt. Although if he's crawling on the furniture, no one could possibly blame you for asking, "Are you Dustin?"

The list of government "disability etiquette" tips goes on and on - every syllable paid for with precious tax dollars despite the fact we're in a crippled economy. Or, um, a differently abled economy.

In all seriousness, Hope n' Change likes a lot of the suggestions on the list because we believe in mainstreaming people with disabilities and breaking down the social barriers which can hinder and stigmatize their lives. No one should be defined by their disability - period.

And to be perfectly fair, we don't expect Holder to invest too much of the DOJ's time on disability etiquette, because he'll soon be assigning DOJ personnel to more urgent matters. Like filing hundreds of lawsuits to challenge the election results when Mitt Romney wins the election.


Black people, however, can still tell this joke.

29 comments:

  1. Wow - didn't see THAT coming!

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  2. Grrrr... This is so typical of the entire obama bunch of cats. They are the kings and queens of smoke and mirrors; the list of idiotic statements would stretch to the dang moon and back! This waste of perfectly good oxygen should be in a jail cell awaiting his murder trial, but he's out there quacking about not offending people with your mouth??!! Does this remind anybody of the NASA / Muslim outreach thing?

    There is no doubt Pope Barry will absolve this weenie in his last days as alleged president, but I hope the next AG has the balls to indict his sorry ass, even if it won't stick.

    And, on a lighter point... Did anyone watch the Al Smith thing last night? Yeee Haw!! That was the most enjoyment I've had watching TV since the Broncos won the Superbowl (and that's been a while!).

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  3. I wonder if Eric the Unjust will do anything to recap these loses back for the good ole US Taxpayer - oops, No, much too busy defending terrorists, so sorry.

    http://blog.heritage.org/2012/10/18/president-obamas-taxpayer-backed-green-energy-failures/

    This sorry POS should at the minimum be disbarred, but preferably charged and tried for abuse of office.

    @Colby: I especially liked the redistribution comment, but stars to the hit on the media "I can see the headlines now, 'Barry Meets With Catholics, Romney Dines With Rich People'". Too true to be really funny.

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  4. Was headed over to the folk's last night, getting out of the car a neighbor of theirs was out. He asked if I'd been golfing recently, and sadly no, I'd only been out about 4 times all year. He allowed as that was still twice what he'd got in, and I offered "well, that's how it goes, we can't all be the President." He didn't respond, but he was busy w/ his yard, may not have heard, may have been annoyed - lotta 'white guilt' dems on the block, near as I can tell (that or true morons who BELIEVE the crap...)
    ANY way, Mom said it was a good thing hsi wife hadn't heard, she's daily praying for the president's re-election. "Never seen such a crooked, corrupt collection of people as these Republicans." 'scuse me? SecTreas a tax cheat? Atty Gnl refusing to putrescence NBP for voter intimidation, and giving guns (w/ OUR TAX $$!!!) to Mexican drug lords, etc... Big sis accusing TEA party and vets of potential terrorism, Pres's known ties to convicted, unrepentant terrorists... the list goes on (as well we all know). These are normal, successful people who apparently just live in some bizarro world. I don't get it..

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  5. And no, the pub I was at had the tigers kicking Yankee butt, and the festivities after - so I didnt' really 'watch' any 'tv' ....

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  6. From the day it was passed, the Americans with Disabilities Act was a horrible example of political correctness that has cost American business billions of dollars in compliance and netted almost nothing of benefit. Another example of hidden taxation by forcing business to pay for things they don't need or want.
    @ Colby: I've never been a Broncos fan, but I am a huge Peyton Manning fan and really enjoyed watching his new team come back from that 24-0 halftime deficit to beat the Bolts 35-24. Of course, in Obamamerica, they have no right to celebrate because they didn't build that win.

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  7. Fat finger alert. Posted before I could get my whole nom de plume in there.

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  8. I've got to admit, "Are you Dustin?" made me laugh out loud. That was well played.

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  9. One of the first brilliant observations I made as a young econ student decades ago was that the better funded an organization gets, (private or government) the more it will waste on silliness at the expense of its primary mission. A good example might be large, tax-rich cities that can't seem to do simple things like keeping potholes filled while also spending millions on self-esteem seminars.

    Examples such as the above are just further evidence of this. Our Federal government has pretty much abrogated it's Constitutional responsibilities in favor of silliness like that. Clearly, the DOJ is vastly overfunded.

    You're absolutely correct, @Angry Hoosier. 20 years ago, those of us skeptical of the ADA said it wasn't really about wheelchair ramps, and ultimately it was going to devolve into this kind of make-work-for-lawyers silliness.

    If I was Romney, I'd be campaigning Congress on cutting their budget. Clearly, they don't have enough real work to do, at least under Eric Holder.

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  10. Stilton, ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha, lololol!

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  11. I remember a comedian talking about handicapped spaces as a % of total spaces - "do we REALLY need 8 handicapped spaces at the bowling alley? Really????

    See also "Potty Parity" laws - in Houston, back in the 80s, ladies were upset that they had to wait in long lines for the restroom at events at major stadium / arena type venues. So, law was passed (not sure if it was local level, or state) saying that there had to be 1.5x (or 2x, whatever) lady's rooms as men's. Did this result in more lady's rooms built? No. Men's converted to Lady's? No. blocking off a buncha men's so now we ALL have to wait in crazy lines? You betchya! Fookin' asshats, think they know what's best...

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  12. Stilton: On the subject of disability etiquette, I'm reminded of a very rude joke I read recently... well, rude in the sense that it disparages the Scottish: A man was sitting on a blanket at the beach. He had no arms and no legs. Three women, one from England , one from Wales , and one from Scotland were walking past and felt sorry for the poor man. The English woman said "Have you ever had a hug?" The man said "No," so she gave him a hug and walked on. The Welsh woman said, "Have you ever had a kiss?" The man said, "No," so she gave him a kiss and walked on. The Scottish woman came to him and said, "'ave ya ever been fluked, laddie?" The man broke into a big smile and said, "No".

    "Aye, well ya will be when the tide comes in."


    John the Econ: Nothing indicates a company gone fat with bureaucracy like all day classes meant to teach such nonsense as 'emotional intelligence' that will supposedly enable us finally, after all of these years, to listen, communicate and successfully interact with others. When I imagine an optimum future for these kinds of worthless freeloading scum-sucking corporate sons of whores, I don't think of homicide in as much as I think of insecticide. I mean really, if someone insists upon flinging poo and calling it 'progress', then I firmly believe then that I have permission to think much, much less of them. Must be time for my medication.

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  13. Although I think I'm aware of the latest news, this one got past me. Thanks for your commentary, Stilton, else I would have been unaware.
    As a former educator, the politically correct standards we had to enforce was way over the top. I remember having to separate the girls & boys into separate lines because ... who even knows - someone thought it best to separate them. Prior to that, the students were a much more cohesive group.
    Politically correct standards imposed by Big Brother serve only to divide people. This man ought to be removed from office, he's an obamanation!

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  14. @Mike Porter: Classes in "emotional intelligence"? Sounds like something created by people with lots of emotion, but not much in the way of intelligence. But they were just intelligent enough to come up with a program to legitimize it and then sell it to some equally mindless manager.

    Back in the boom years of the '80s, I knew plenty of people getting majors in this kind of corporate hokum. By the end of the decade with an economy slowing down, their employment prospects looked rather dim.

    You really have to wonder how bad things really are if people are still employed spewing that stuff.

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  15. Every time something like this comes out of the "0 Zone" (which is almost multiple times daily), I have to paraphrase Martin Sheen in "Apocalypse Now!"

    "The bullshit stacks up so high around here you need wings to stay above it"

    They can implement all the crap they want, I will always reserve the right to "Call a spade a spade and handle it by the handle." That's my definition of "shovel ready"!

    And as for the libtard neighbors, I think Jack Nicholson summed it up in "A Few Good Men" when he said, "You can't handle the truth!"

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  16. @Stan da Man- Isn't that a quote from Helen Keller?

    @Colby- The whole "disability etiquette" thing was handy for me to hang a few jokes on (and entirely factual), but of course the underlying point is what a terrible and corrupt AG Holder has been (and continues to be). I'd like to see him put on trial for a long list of things, but doubt it will ever happen.

    And the Al Smith dinner with Mitt roasting Barry was hilarious. Mitt was definitely drawing blood with a number of those zingers!

    @SeaDog52- Like Mitt told Barry in the first debate, the government shouldn't be in the business of picking winners and losers in the "green energy" business - but Obama seems to only pick losers. And a suspicious number of them have political ties to the Whitehouse. Chances of Holder looking for illegalities? Zero.

    @Pete D- Rather than praying for election results, I wish that woman was praying for insight...or maybe just a subscription to the Wall Street Journal. I have no doubt that a lot of Obama's supporters are good, well-meaning people. But it's easy to be comfortably (even smugly) deceived, and takes effort to become informed.

    And as always, I hope there's a special place in Hell for the MSM that tells lies to good people.

    @Angry Hoosier Dad- Like many other government programs, the Americans with Disabilities Act started with a good idea which then metastasized out of control. It would be great if everything, everywhere was set up to accommodate every conceivable disability - but businesses simply can't afford to do it. And when government gets involved, common sense goes out the window.

    @Greg- I'll admit that the "Dustin" joke is my own original contribution to the armless/legless genre, though I'd previously used it over at Johnny Optimism.

    @John the Econ- The DOJ shouldn't receive a dime in funding over what it needs to do real work. But in order to keep the money flowing into their coffers (which is bad for taxpayers), the DOJ creates makework projects or files crazy lawsuits (which is additionally bad for taxpaying businesses).

    The fact that Holder has additionally turned the DOJ into a corrupt political instrument is all the more reason to downsize the DOJ dramatically.

    @MadJack- I like your enthusiasm!

    @Pete D- The prevailing theme is the lack of "reasonableness" (is that even a word?) when it comes to finding the balance between enhancing access for people with disabilities and the economic realities imposed on businesses.

    And your example of the "Potty Parity" laws is painfully funny because it's true.

    @Mike Porter- I've heard a variant of that joke before, but liked yours much better. I'm definitely putting that one in my mental rolodex!

    @Irene Peduto- I'll admit that this story was a bit in the weeds (albeit current and accurate) but I felt like doing something a little lighter and different today to get away from the presidential race. And with so much important DOJ business being either ignored or corrupted, it truly does annoy me when Eric Holder - who famously referred to Americans as "cowards on the subject of race," wants to lecture us about sensitivity.

    And just so Mr. Holder knows that he's inspired me not to be a coward, I'll state flat out that he's a despicable, hate-mongering racist.

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  17. @John the Econ- Good points. And it strikes me that if lawyers want to make things more accessible, why don't they start by translating "terms of law" from Latin to English?

    @Necron99- A lot of people can't handle the truth, especially if a big part of that truth is that they were badly deceived in 2008.

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  18. @Angry Hoosier/John the Econ:

    I worked for a Regional Bell, and upon breakup, the management consultants found a gold mine - HR must have hired every consulting company in the book, but my favorite was the "Red Space/Blue Space" version where you were supposed to invite the irate customer into your 'Blue Space' - I swear I believed they wanted us all to wear Mood Rings! The consultant started of with the infamous "Money Is Not A Motivator" spiel, where upon one of my foreman commented that "Maybe, but lack of money was one hell of a motivator".

    ADA, let me count the number of ways I have seen it abused, usually like all the rest of the touchy/feely stuff, by the ones who were in the most danger of being terminated for production, quality, or attendance issues. My favorite was a clerk that we had picked up to save them from being laid off. First she wanted a special clerical chair to the tune of $1400, when she couldn't get that she filed an ADA suit because she had to walk up a flight of stairs - she wanted an elevator built! Unfortunately her lawyer didn't do research to find out that the building we were in was exempted from ADA as it was classed utility/machinery, not office. So in light of the fact that she couldn't climb stairs, we only had one location that could accommodate her pay grade, 75 miles away. It was that or we didn't have a job for her, we'll notify your attorney when one becomes available.

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  19. Another 'Green Energy/Chevy Volt Success:
    "HOLLAND, Mich. (WOOD) - Workers at LG Chem, a $300 million lithium-ion battery plant heavily funded by taxpayers, tell Target 8 that they have so little work to do that they spend hours playing cards and board games, reading magazines or watching movies."

    Full story:
    http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/target_8/Volt-no-jolt-LG-Chem-employees-idle

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  20. "There is no doubt Pope Barry will absolve this weenie in his last days as alleged president, but I hope the next AG has the balls to indict his sorry ass, even if it won't stick."

    Even better, Mexican law enforcement publicly slap the cuffs on Holder at say 12:30 PM on January 20, per an executive order signed at 12:15.

    Hey, I can dream can't I?

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  21. @SeaDog52- I hadn't heard of the whole "Red Space/Blue Space" thing before, but now that I have I'm tempted to swear a blue streak.

    And regarding the woman who wanted the special chair and elevator, it's abuses like this which make employers reluctant to take a chance on anyone else.

    And I'm stunned but not surprised by your link to the LG Chem story, where workers have nothing to do except play board games (on taxpayer money). Holy crap.

    @rickn8or- I'd love to see Mexico grab Holder and prosecute him. Great thought!

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  22. Wow, good news for the Obama / Biden camp today! Joe has just pulled in a huge portion of the Iran veteran's vote.

    Mike Porter gets the "coffee spewed on the keyboard" award for the day!

    @Stilton,
    Mitt roasting Barry was awesome. Then Barry followed up by roasting himself. I was sort of amazed at how many self deprecating jokes he told and how few were aimed at Mitt. Mrs. Colby commented that it almost appeared like BO had given up, like when he pointed out that this was his last campaign. Strange behavior for a narcissist... Then again, he did plop the big "We got Bin Laden" thing out there. Pathetic.

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  23. @John: you forget that one of the first things these "touchy-feelies" are instructed in is "methods of entrenchment". They are still employed during bad times because hey have made it legally impossible for organizations to exist without their "help".

    And, in terms of government, it's just not well-funded ones pissing money away on silliness. Case in point: the city I live in is considered pretty well funded. It has been engaged in a program where they buy "art" ("art", here, mostly refers to bits of scrap metal standing on end and welded together; paint or discernable theme optional) and position it about the commercial district of the city where it can best drip rust stains into the pavement. The amounts of money spent on this is, INHO, enormous, egregious, and enough for me to withhold my vote for the entirely republican elected city administration. This fits your point well. A bit to our east is a little borough that has never been well funded. I guess they liked the concept of having more money than they could spend (even though they have never experienced that) because they have their little collection of weldments ruining their pavement as well.

    @Stilton: Per the quadruple amputee jokes, you left out "Mike" (hangs from a tether over a stage) and "Frank" (guest of honor at most cook-outs).

    @Pete D: Simple, classic example of the law of unintended consequences - likely not what the "potty parity" law was intended to produce. But, better, it's an apt demonstration of all things socialistic: instead of improving conditions for the ladies, it worsened them for the men, thereby ensuring a more equitable spread of misery...

    Per ADA, I'm off work and getting a rather late start today due to a "grand mal" migraine which descended upon me last night, and has rendered me more useless than usual this morning. I recall efforts to add migraine - something that is very difficult to even definitively diagnose to ADA. Could you imagine the abuse that would have created? It would be much like the "soft tissue injuries" supposed whiplash victims reap millions from in auto accident claims. And just how would a company accommodate migraine beyond simple sick days? Turn the lights off and make everyone tiptoe and whisper? Provide sensory deprivation cubicles for the sufferer? I say, enough is enough. Handicapped parking, wheelchair access, and similar at public places makes sense. Having to retain or hire those for tasks/positions they are physically unable to accomplish just to fulfill some government mandated percentage is the formula for ruin, as demonstrated time and again. It is just as bad a welfare as they are often not contributing to the enterprise outside of keeping the government lawyers at bay by collecting a salary.

    @rickn8or: I'm pretty sure the Mexican "government" was complicit in this. How else do you explain why there has been nothing from Meh-Hee-Co condemning the US or seeking "International Relief" of some sort? As bad off as our economy is, I'd expect them to seek some means of soaking the US for remunerative relief over these crimes - if they could do so without exposing their involvement...

    As for the roast, I missed it. BUT I have to say that I respect someone that can be self-deprecating and never would believe the narcissist in chief capable of such a thing. He has just multiplied the level of respect I have for him as a person by a factor of two. Unfortunately, two time zero is still zero. Did the twins (his teleprompters) attend the event with him? That would explain it, if they did. It's not self-deprecating to read someone elses jokes about you in public...

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  24. @ Pete D

    In reference to "potty parity":

    A cap company near Fort Worth couldn't afford to build enough restrooms for its employees -- so it fired 30 female workers instead.

    The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is suing Pro-Line Cap Co. in White Settlement, accusing it of discrimination.

    A Pro-Line attorney doesn't deny that the company flushed the employees from their jobs rather than pony up for more porcelain for its female work force.

    But the attorney said the company was responding to a complaint from another federal agency, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which cited the company for having too few toilet facilities for women and told them to rectify the situation.

    Women made up 95 percent of its work force, but the Pro-Line plant had but one restroom for its 80 workers at the time of the OSHA citation. He said Pro-Line simply couldn't afford to build more bathrooms.

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  25. @Emmentaler Limburger, the jurisdiction I live in has an over 10-year backlog on street paving. And yet with a totally out-of-whack budget, they still find money to spend on bogus "arts" projects.

    I'm sorry, but if you are flirting with bankruptcy and can't even keep the streets paved, you have no business blowing money on "art".

    Why are Republicans such freekin' wimps on this stuff?

    And as for the ADA: What's the point of being a "VIP" if everybody is a VIP?

    At the rate they are expanding what qualifies for being "disabled", soon there will be few of us left who will not be classified as such.

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  26. Oh no! Does this mean Darth Holder will go after Johnny Optimism and his crew of merry pirates? Will this drive the Wheeled Wonder underground and into a drugged filled paranoid rebellion against the govt? Can even Johnny maintain a happy face under the oppressive tyrannical threat from the Sheriff of Naughty-ham?

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  27. It's fortuatous that you blogged about this Stilton. A few days ago I read an article in our local paper DOJ Holder.

    An exerpt:
    By DIANA WEST, Universal Uclick Syndicate
    I tweeted recently about shocking news in The Daily Caller that Attorney General Eric Holder, as a Columbia University student and leader of the Student Afro-American Society (SAS), participated in the armed takeover of a vacant campus ROTC office.
    The takeover lasted five days in the spring of 1970. The online news site added: “Department of Justice spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler has not responded to questions from The Daily Caller about whether Holder himself was armed — and, if so, with what sort of weapon.”
    Holder himself has acknowledged participating in a separate takeover of a college dean’s office until SAS demands were met — for starters, transformation of the ROTC office into the Malcolm X Lounge.
    The Columbia Daily Spectator of April 23, 1970, published the group’s reasons, including: “Columbia’s general contempt toward the beliefs of black students,” “Columbia’s lack of concern for the welfare of black people,” “the general racist nature of the American society” and “the right of black self-determination.”


    There's more revealing facts about Eric Holder in the article but I think y'all get the idea. Obama, Eric Holder, and all the others in this Administration, are just a bunch of street gang criminals, race-bating, hate-mongering, "I Hate America", gonna stick-it-to-da-man racists. They should all be in jail not writing policy or anywhere near our Constitution.

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  28. @Sparky Hudson, Amen. They should ALL be arrested and tried for treason.

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  29. I just now realized what the punch line is for that joke that black people can still tell. I don't know why I didn't...uh, "see" it before.

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