Meet Constance McMillen, an 18-year-old senior at Itawamba County Agricultural High School and the scourge of ultra-conservative proms everywhere.

Considering Mississippi is the only state that still incorporates the Battle Flag of the Confederacy to their state flag and has a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage that passed 86% to 14%, this shouldn’t come as a big surprise. Nonetheless, the severe over-reaction by the town and school district is so thoroughly disappointing we still found ourselves saying wtf.

According to Shelia Byrd of the Associated Press:

“Constance McMillen didn’t believe that her Mississippi school district would really call off her senior prom rather than allow her to show up with her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo.

“On Thursday, a day after the Itawamba County school board did just that, the 18-year-old lesbian high school senior reluctantly returned to campus greeted by some unfriendly looks, she said. ‘Somebody said, “Thanks for ruining my senior year.’” Ms. McMillen said.

“The district announced Wednesday that it wouldn’t host the April 2 prom. The decision came after the American Civil Liberties Union demanded that officials change a policy banning same-sex prom dates because it violated students’ rights. And the ACLU said the district’s not letting Ms. McMillen wear a tuxedo violated her free-expression rights.

“The ACLU filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Oxford to force the school district to sponsor the prom and allow Ms. McMillen to bring whom she chooses and wear what she wants. District officials didn’t return numerous calls by The Associated Press seeking comment Thursday…

“Ms. McMillen said she didn’t want to go back to Itawamba County Agricultural High School in Fulton the morning after the decision, but her father told her that she needed to face her classmates, teachers and school officials. ‘My daddy told me that I needed to show them that I’m still proud of who I am,’ she said in a phone interview. ‘The fact that this will help people later on, that’s what’s helping me to go on.’

“A school board statement said it wouldn’t host the event in Fulton ‘due to the distractions to the educational process caused by recent events,’ but never mentioned Ms. McMillen or her girlfriend, who also is a student at the school….

“The school district had said it hoped that a privately sponsored prom could be held. Ms. McMillen said that if that were to happen, she’s sure she would be excluded. ‘It’s a small town in Mississippi, and it’s run by an older generation with money. Most of them are more conservative, and they don’t agree with it,’ she said.

“Fulton Mayor Paul Walker said he supports the school district’s decision and knew of no private efforts to host the prom. ‘I think the community as a whole is probably in support of the school district,’ he said of the town of about 4,000.”

Read the full article here

posted by: Harold Johns III

“In a triumph of art, science and architecture, Argentine artist Tomás Saraceno’s site-specific exhibit 14 Billions scales a Black Widow’s web up to magnificent proportions. Currently on display at Stockholm’s Bonniers Konsthall, 14 Billions is an extension of the work he showed at the 2009 Venice Biennale called ‘Galaxy Forming along Filaments, like Droplets along the Strands of a Spider’s Web.’

“The Frankfurt-based artist worked in collaboration with astrophysicists, architects, engineers and spider researchers to create a stimulating series of installations with 14 Billions as the focal point. A massive undertaking, the project took two years to complete with the black rope spanning 400 cubic meters, consuming much of Bonniers Konsthall main gallery.

“Saraceno’s work looks to scientific study which uses the imagery and structure of spider webs to map the origin and structure of the universe. Referencing these studies, the sculptural pieces explore the delicate balance between ourselves and the earth.” (source: Cool Hunting)

posted by: Harold Johns III

According to Consumer Reports (published March 5, 2010):

“Here we go again. A seemingly random list of recently recalled dips, soups and snacks apparently have a common ingredient—a flavoring agent recalled Thursday by the Food and Drug Association. All the foods contain hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) paste or powder distributed by Basic Food Flavors of Las Vegas. Salmonella has been detected in the plant’s processing equipment.

“Already 56 foods have been recalled and the FDA anticipates that the list will grow. To keep consumers informed, the agency has created a searchable database of foods containing the tainted HVP.  On the list are dips, dressings and dressing mixes, snacks and snack mixes, soup mixes and some pre-packaged meals. At this writing, no illnesses have been associated with the recall.

“The FDA reported finding salmonella in one production lot of HVP after inspections at Basic Food Flavors following a customer complaint. The agency collected and analyzed samples at the facility and confirmed the presence of Salmonella Tennessee in the company’s processing equipment. The recall includes all hydrolyzed vegetable protein in powder and paste form produced there since Sept. 17, 2009.”

Read the full article here

The list has since grown to 94 products and now includes brand names like Walmart’s Great Value brand, Safeway, Reser’s, McCormick and Trader Joe’s.

The FDA’s recall list and searchable database is here

Learn about the signs and symptoms of Salmonella via WebMD

posted by: Harold Johns III

Meet Thomas Burso, aka Epic Beard Man, aka Tom Slick, aka Vietnam Tom, the 67 year old, self-proclaimed “motherfucker” who recently became an internet sensation after a YouTube video of his fist fight with a fellow bus passenger went viral on February 16. The video has since received more than 3.7 million views and is still causing heated, sometimes racially charged debates to break out all over the web. And since his display of old man strength, Burso has inspired video game parodies, various YouTube video responses, an Epic Beard Man Facebook fan page, a twitter account, t-shirts, several photo mashups and most recently a two part documentary about Burso himself.  So much has already been said of Epic Beard Man, the only thing left to do is let the videos and links speak for themselves.

This is the video that got it all started.

• Watch Lyanna Washignton, the woman who captured the fight on camera, in an interview with CBS5 explaining how it all went down from her perspective here
• Read what Micheal, the man who was beaten by EBM, had to say about the incident here
• Watch EBM’s description of the what happened here
• Watch bonus footage of EBM after he exited the bus here
• Watch a Mortal Kombat parody of the fight here

Part one of the I am a Motherfucker documentary about EBM:

• Watch EBM get tasered at the Oakland A’s game like he described in part one of the documentary here

Part two

posted by: Harold Johns III

In an attempt to lose weight most people start by reducing their fast food intake, but thanks to a rather ironic cross-promotion between Weight Watchers and McDonald’s, that might change.

According to the Associated Press:
“McDonald’s is hardly an ideal dining location for anyone struggling to stay slim. But the fast food chain scored a PR coup today when Weight Watchers agreed to endorse some of its products in New Zealand – a move met with outrage by nutritionists and obesity experts…

“As part of the deal, which the company says is the first of its kind in the world, McDonald’s will use the Weight Watchers logo on its menu boards and Weight Watchers will promote McDonald’s to dieters…

“Several items on the fast food giant’s menu – the Filet-O-Fish, Chicken McNuggets and Sweet Chilli Seared Chicken Wrap – have been approved for the Weight Watchers diet in McDonald’s 150 New Zealand restaurants. Each meal is worth 6.5 points on the program, which assigns points to food items and allows dieters to consume 18 to 40 points each day to achieve their goal weight…

“But nutritionists and obesity experts said the menu items were a marketing ploy to lure customers into the restaurant. ‘It’s all about sales,’ said Jane Martin, senior adviser of Australia’s Obesity Policy Coalition. ‘It implies this food is healthy … when often it is high in fat and salt. Chicken McNuggets are Chicken McNuggets whether it’s got Weight Watchers on it or not…

“The fast-food chain, widely criticized for selling a high-calorie, high-fat menu that includes super-size meals, was ‘making every best effort to generate a change in behavior, to create an awareness in consumers about making healthy choices’, McDonald’s New Zealand managing director, Mark Hawthorne, said.”

Read the full article here

posted by: Harold Johns III