Wrestle a gun away from a Wal-Mart shoplifter. Your reward: get fired.

Saw this nugget in The Consumerist today:
Four loss-prevention associates were fired for violating company policy when they wrestled a gun away from a suspected shoplifter - in their own back office. Since Wal-Mart's policy AP09 instructs associates not to engage armed criminals, the store went ahead with the firings, regardless of the result. Crappy, but within their rights.
-X

if Geno's Steaks had police

Dallas hears you, Joey Vento, and ups the ante.

Dallas police officers issued tickets for "not speaking English" to 39 motorists over 3 years. Turns out the citation in question was only to be used as a Federal violation issued to commercial drivers, but the fact that this exists at all as a driving offense is disturbing.

-P

Dawn Stensland out at Fox29

Dawn Stensland is out at Fox29 as of year's end, according to her tweet (as reported here by Michael Klein of the Inqy.

That's a shame, because we much prefer Dawn over her replacement and current co-anchor, Kerri-Lee Halkett. Former new anchor Dave Huddleston is co-anchoring the 11:00 PM slot for KYW3, while former sports anchor Don Tollefson is working part time for ESPN 950 (WPEN).

Walter Cronkite

Walter Cronkite passed away today at age 92. The anchor of the CBS Evening News from 1962 to 1981, Uncle Walter distinguished himself via four major events: President Kennedy's assassination; the Vietnam War, the Space Race, and Watergate. For kids today who didn't know him: people would actually sit down and watch him at 6:30 every weeknight. And people trusted him. That's all you need to know.

Palin quits; Obama animated

Holy cow. Didn't see this coming, even with a blistering article in next month's Vanity Fair about her background and behavior on the campaign trail last year. Gov. Palin will not seek a second term, and will resign July 26th. While a PAC (SarahPAC) was set up in her name, it's not clear whether funds raised there will go towards paying off her existing legal expenses, or towards a possible 2012 presidential run.

A press release from the Governor's Office noted her accomplishments, including "ushered in ethics reform" and "reduced Alaska's dependence on federal earmarks by nearly 85 percent." Apparently irony is not one of the Deputy Press Secretary's stronger points.

In unrelated news, Disney has unveiled a robotic Obama at Walt Disney World's Hall of Presidents in Orlando.

Lord, if this is a test, I fear I may fail

Saw two billboards last week in Camden/Pennsauken for Seabrook House, a Philly area rehab center. The one on eastbound NJ Route 38, just east of the 38/70 split, was followed by a billboard for Canal's Liquor: "CHEAP BOOZE AND PLENTY OF IT!" Another Seabrook billboard, southbound on US 130 not too far from the first one, was followed by an ad for Rolling Rock Light. Someone either has a punishing sense of humor...or the placement was just random. Though I'm too much of a cynic to see a coincidence at work here. ;)

-X

Asshole Editors

Was reading one of Smerconish's columns on philly.com last night. One of the targeted ads at the bottom of the page said:

Get Comfortable with Preparation H

'Nuff said.

-P