Disgruntled Star Editor Takes Constructive Revenge

Earlier this week the Toronto Star announced, among other changes, that it was planning to outsource some one hundred in-house, union editing jobs. In the press release issued by the union in the wake of the announcement, union chief Maureen Dawson explained that "Journalism is a collaborative effort, the product of a team of reporters, photographers and editors working in concert to produce the kind of activist agenda that has served Star readers and our community so well for so long...To remove a critical element of that work is to shortchange everyone who depends on it."
Now, one (apparent) editor at the Star has decided to show us all the benefits of collaboration. An extensively marked-up copy of Publisher John Cruickshank's internal memo announcing the changes was sent to Torontoist by a self-described "intermediary who was asked to send this for a friend who works at the Star" this morning; it's, allegedly, "the work of a Star editor."
Here's the whole thing:


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Washinton Satate Reporter Actually Measures Noodles In Campbell's Soup [Nifty]

Reporter Actually Measures Noodles In Campbell's Soup [Nifty]: "

32' of noodles is about 10 yards, so a reporter from KING5 in Seattle decided to lay them out, end by end, starting at the 10 yard line of a fooball field, to see if he could score a noodley touchdown. We applaud this effort.

We have to say we're not surprised by the results. We trust that Campbell's understands chicken soup manufacturing.

Let Jesse Buy It: Noodles [KING 5] (Thanks,Cherise!)

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Iowa Feline Catches Swine Flu [H1N1]

Iowa Feline Catches Swine Flu [H1N1]: "

When you're home sick, snuggling with a pet can have tremendous healing powers. 'Plus,' you might say to yourself, 'at least Fluffy can't catch this awful swine flu I have.' Well....not so fast. It's not common, but a cat in Iowa has been diagnosed with, and recovered from, swine flu.

The 13-year-old indoor cat in Iowa was brought to the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center at Iowa State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, where it tested positive for the H1N1 virus. ...

'Two of the three members of the family that owns the pet had suffered from influenza-like illness before the cat became ill,' said IDPH Public Health Veterinarian, Dr. Ann Garvey. 'This is not completely unexpected, as other strains of influenza have been found in cats in the past.' Both the cat and its owners have recovered from their illnesses.

Perhaps this is the cue for pet stores across the country to set up displays of tiny paper masks and bottles of paw sanitizer.

Cat catches swine flu [Washington Post]
Protecting Pets from Illness [Iowa Department of Public Health]

(Photo: htby)

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Walmart Goes Crazy On Couple Suspected Of Shoplifting [Walmart Is Your God Now]

Walmart Goes Crazy On Couple Suspected Of Shoplifting [Walmart Is Your God Now]: "

Walmart can try to spin itself as being on the side of good all it wants, but if it ever suspects you of shoplifting, you may find that you're powerless to fight back. In the case of a couple accused of shoplifting some Bic lighters in Niles, Illinois this past August, Walmart detained them, the police came and cuffed one of them, their two kids were taken to a security room, and—after a review of security footage proved the couple's innocence—they were banned for life from all Walmarts. To top it off, Walmart's legal team has sent the couple a letter asking to be reimbursed for 10 times the value of the lighters, even though the police determined no shoplifting had taken place.

(It's unclear whether the couple ever actually paid for the Bic lighters in question—the article only specifies that the footage shows they scanned the package of lighters but that the scanner didn't register it.)

The couple in question is gay and their sons are adopted, which may have introduced a whole new level of emotional reactions on both sides of the dispute. The men say their children told them that while they were being held in the security room, the security staff threatened the kids and 'had made disparaging remarks about Paolucci and Hitchcock's lifestyle.' It's not a stretch to imagine that such an attitude, if it existed, carried over into any face-to-face interactions. Meanwhile, the police who showed up and cuffed Paolucci, then forced the two men into the backs of different squad cars, claim that the men were causing a disturbance when they arrived at the scene.

Still, no amount of pro-gay or anti-gay outrage makes it okay for a retailer to place paying customers in such an abusive situation, especially when the retailer's own security footage—which was immediately available for review—shows that if there was any inventory issue it was due to a malfunction of the scanner. But Walmart can get away with it because it can afford to:

Asked if they intend to sue Wal-Mart, Paolucci said he and Hitchcock probably won't because other attorneys have advised them Wal-Mart historically 'plays hardball' and isn't prone to settle cases out of court.

'We could spend a couple million dollars to sue them,' Paolucci said.

But that doesn't mean there won't be court action. Paolucci and Hitchcock e-mailed The Tribune a copy of a letter from a law firm representing Wal-Mart seeking 10 times the retail price of the items the store still claims were shoplifted by Paolucci. The letter states the matter will be dropped if Paolucci submits the $158.40 payment.

Fortunately, the men seem to have enough money that they can afford to never shop at the discount retailer again, even if they weren't banned for life. If you're not part of a wealthy two-income family, though... well hopefully Walmart will look down favorably upon you when your post-checkout time comes, so long as you act contrite and respectful of their security team's authority.

(Oh yeah, now I remember why I don't want a Walmart anywhere near where I live.)

'Niles couple banned from Wal-Mart after dispute over BIC lighters' [South Bend Tribune] (Thanks to Shanon!)

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(Photo: Brave New Films)

United Says No Track Suits In First Class [Dress Codes]

United Says No Track Suits In First Class [Dress Codes]: "

How casual is too casual for an airplane's first class section? If you paid for first class, and a bald guy in a Puma running outfit sat down across the aisle from you, would you honestly feel short-changed? United seems to think it's inappropriate.

MyFox Atlanta DC says that Best Buy vice president Armando Alavarez's first class upgrade was revoked last week, after the gate agent saw he was wearing a Puma running outfit. He said he frequently checks his suits and wears more comfortable clothes for the flight. You can see by the photo or the video clip below that his Puma running outfit was in excellent shape.

For those who don't want to watch the video (are you sure? you'll miss Alvarez talking about his Puma running outfit!), MyFox DC says Alvarez wrote a letter to United to complain about having his upgrade revoked, but he hasn't heard back from them. The network says it contacted their customer service department three times but never heard back, either. I'm pretty sure you have to write a hit YouTube song to get United's attention these days, Alvarez; you might want to see if Best Buy can hold a United Hates Puma Running Suits sale or something.

'Man Denied First Class Seat on United' [MyFox Atlanta] (Thanks to Diasdiem!)