Man Buys Dinner for his Mugger

When Julio Diaz stepped off the New York City subway platform after work one night, he was simply planning to walk over to his favorite local diner for a meal. But when a teenage boy approached him with a knife blade gleaming in his fist, Diaz, a 31-year-old social worker, knew the evening was about to take a more dramatic turn.

read more | digg story

Girl... you'll be a .. uhm.. female person.. individual.. soon.

Today I've been thinking about the lack of a good solid term for a young woman around my age. In casual terms, if I were relating a story to someone about a man my age to someone, I would inevitably refer to him as a "guy" (i.e.: "I saw this guy wearing a Def Leppard shirt.") --or in extreme circumstances "dude" (ie.. "This dude tried to run me off the road today!").

But for the life of me, I can't seem to find a comfortable match for a woman. "Woman" just seems so formal, and "young woman" only works if the storyteller is, himself, old. "Girl" sounds too young or too condescending, and "gal" a little too square-dance. "Lady"? come on, that sounds creepy. "Chick" is right out.

So, what's a guy to do? Once again, the English language has failed me.

Will Rush Limbaugh Be Indicted for Voter Fraud?

Voter fraud? Probably not. A sad, sad commentary on the joke American politics have become? Absolutely.

read more | digg story

Brain-damaged woman at center of Wal-Mart suit

This has to be one of the saddest stories I've heard in a while. Woman wins a big settlement after an accident, then Wal-Mart's benefits plan sues the woman for every bit of it. I'm sure there was money included in the settlement for her long-term care, but thanks to Wally, it's gone. On a personal level, I can't stand to step foot into Wal-Mart and haven't in a long time. About a year ago, I went to a Wal-Mart to return a movie that was a gift purchased at a Wal-Mart, though I didn't have a receipt. They took my driver license number and then told me I was black listed from returning because I had made so many large returns in the last 6 months. I tried to inform them that I hadn't stepped foot into a Wal-Mart in over 2 years. I called several stores where the returns happened (nowhere near me) but the managers of those stores were less than helpful. I finally gave up. Wal-Mart cares more about money than people, privacy, and America's well-being. Please don't shop there.

read more | digg story