TresSugar

An Offer You Can't Refuse!

GiggleSugar — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:00:00 -0700

Robert is looking for a "girlfriend/housemate." And look at this - he will accept "all nationalitys." Get in line, Robert.

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Charging Obese Flyers For Two - Reasonable or Ridiculous?

TresSugar — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 05:46:00 -0700

"Passengers requiring extra space" might be a sugar-coated way to describe overweight individuals, but there's nothing sweet about United Airlines' new policy for such flyers. The airline announced yesterday that larger travelers will have to pay twice as much for a flight.

If you cannot fit in a single seat, buckle a seat belt property, or put the armrest down when seated, then you'll have to buy two tickets. United says it has the safety and comfort of all passengers in mind.

In Canada, obese air travelers have a legal right to an extra seat at no extra cost. The one-person-one-fare policy is considered a guarantee against discrimination. Maybe it's time for the US to have the same law.

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Have You Ever Had a Psycho Ex?

TresSugar — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:00:00 -0700

A 51-year-old Concord, CA, pilot was arrested for stalking his ex-girlfriend. He wasn't hiding behind the bushes or peering over a parked car - he was flying over her neighborhood in his plane! He'd been given a restraining order earlier in the day for dropping offensive flyers, and when police received complaints that he was at it again, they threw him in jail.

The news clip takes a lighthearted approach to stalking (WTF?!), finding it too irresistible not to say that "love was in the air." But stalking is not about loving too much - it's about someone needing to reassert control. It's a form of abuse and can leave psychological scars for the women (and they're usually women) being stalked. Has an ex ever refused to accept the words "I'm breaking up with you"?

SF Flyers May Pay For Their Carbon - Would It Fly With You?

LibertySugar — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 10:00:11 -0800

San Francisco International Airport will soon be populated with kiosks where green, and presumably well-off, travelers can buy indulgences for their environmental sin of air travel. The machines give travelers a chance to buy carbon offsets by calculating their trip's carbon footprint, along with the cost of an investment necessary to reduce general environmental impact by the same amount.

Once the travelers pay, they get receipts telling them which projects they have sponsored. All you need is a credit card to save the planet!

Offsetting a trip to Europe would cost about $36, while a two-hour trip would only cost $4. Would you participate?

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Holy Sex Seminar! Church Teaches Believers How to Get Down

TresSugar — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 08:30:00 -0700

Is your sex life a bore? Then New Hope Church in Florida is here to help. The church sent out colorful flyers to 25,000 households inviting them to attend seminars on "how to have the great sex that God created you to enjoy!"

Dressed in jeans and armed with a Bible, the church's Pastor leads the lectures. He personally approves of getting busy while listening to Christian music, and recommends using the Bible to teach your kids about sex.

Many in the community feel the Sunday sex and marriage sermons are inappropriate, because they're held at an elementary school. But the pastor says there shouldn't be anything controversial, since (good) sex between married believers is holy. Amen?

To see video of the pastor at one of the sermons, read more.

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Italian Union Calls For Boycott of Jewish Shops Over Gaza War

LibertySugar — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:00:00 -0800

Rivaling Italian politicians on the left and the right can agree on one thing: They are outraged by a recent call to boycott Jewish-owned shops in response to Israel's actions in Gaza. A trade union tied to retail and food businesses handed out flyers calling for a boycott of "shops in central Rome linked to the Israelite community" and apparently listed streets populated with Jewish shops as "sales dirtied by blood." Now Italian political leaders have called the boycott "criminal," and the Italian Jewish community plans to sue the union under antiracism laws.

The trade union defends the boycott. To see why, read more. Union officials point to Israel's "military force against unarmed civilians" as reason to protest Italian businesses tied to the Middle Eastern country. Today, far from Italy, both Israel and Hamas rejected a UN call for a ceasefire as the war continued.

It's not uncommon for activists to call on consumers to stop supporting countries they believe violate human rights, such as China. But given Italy's history of anti-Semitism and the nature of the flyers, do you think this boycott amounts to criminal racism?

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First Class Upgrade? Swedish Hostel Sets Up in 747 Jet

CitizenSugar — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 03:00:08 -0800

Next time you jet over Stockholm, Sweden you may consider spending the night at Jumbo Hostel, an old Pan Am jumbo jet that has been converted into a hostel. Economy class beds go for $40 a night. For that price you get to share a room, flat screen TV, and luggage compartment with two other friendly ~~flyers~~ sleepers.

If you're the type of person that can never sleep on an airplane, you might want to upgrade to the more spacious cockpit, which goes for $420 a night and offers a panoramic view of the airport. As for the overall experience, a spokesperson for Jumbo Hostel told me that "the reaction from our guest have been 99.9% positive," and that the onboard atmosphere is "very tranquil."

Would you stay in this novel hostel? If you can't get on a real plane to Sweden you may be in luck - the company will expand with a franchise program starting this year. Sleeping pills and eye cover not included.

View 10 Photos ›

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Should Hybrid Drivers Get Special Parking Perks?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:30:30 -0700

I get the need for handicapped parking spots. I might even get "family" parking, or close spots for expectant ladies - but this? This could be the "slippery slope" my dad always warns me about. Some stores are now offering preferential parking for those driving hybrid cars.

Being an eco-avenger behind the wheel lands you closer to the door in Austin, Chicago, and a handful of cities trying out the program. Los Angeles has allowed hybrids (and cars that get more than 45 mpg) to park for free for three years already while Houston flyers with hybrids get to park at airports for free, and New York City is toying with the idea of allowing hybrids to buck the parking meter.

While the jury's out on whether parking perks lead to efficient car purchases, some of the states with plans underway, like Texas, New York, and California, already lead the nation in states with the highest hybrid sales. It might be more of a mental boost than a planetary benefit - the marketing specialist at Houston's Ikea says there's no enforcement on the hybrid-only slots, but people like the spirit of it. It's about promoting awareness. "The company's philosophy is to be green conscious, and we'd like our customers to think that way, too."

What do you think? Right track or what's next!?

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Ad-Rageous: Giuliani's Religious Credentials?

LibertySugar — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 03:04:41 -0800

In a recent Florida flyer, Giuliani's campaign takes a break from discussing his 9/11 record, to tout his religious credentials. The NY Daily News featured the ad and asked New Yorkers: "Do You Recognize This Man?" The flyer points out that Giuliani:

Fought on the front lines of the culture wars and won: He cleaned up Times Square, driving out prostitutes and pornography, making it safe for families.
Pioneered initiatives that increased adoptions by 113 %, while the number of abortions in New York City fell faster than the national average.
Fought to stop the use of public funds for the desecration of religious symbols and values.

This is a bold angle for Giuliani, who has a socially liberal record and a few marriages to his name. Just in case the religious appeal doesn't work, America's Mayor also released a television ad in Florida, which claims that while the world wavered on 9/11, he never did. To check out that video, read more.

Saving Cats and Helping People? It's GOOD News Time!

CitizenSugar — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 06:00:09 -0700

This story caught my eye and made me say "aw!" the other day (ask Liberty, it's true) and now it's got a happy ending.

Patches, a beloved family cat in Ogden, Utah was going to die unless it received an operation to repair its spinal cord. Unfortunately, the operation costs $500. Aspen, 10, and her brother, Skylar, 8, hatched the brilliant plan to sell lemonade, hoping the proceeds would be enough to help Patches. But at 50 cents a cup, they were still having trouble raising the cash.

Patches future changed when a local newspaper ran their story and readers around the country, from New York, North Carolina, Texas and Arizona clamored to offer money. An Ogden resident has offered to foot the whole bill. Purr.

Charity doesn’t stop at house pets. To find out how a disfigured man might get the surgery he needs, read more.

James O’Neal has worked the register at Kingsgate Safeway in Kirkland, WA for seven years. He suffers from neurofibromatosis, the same genetic disorder that afflicted the famous Joseph Merrick, known as The Elephant Man. Though many customers were taken aback at first by James’ disfigurement, they soon appreciated his courage to face people and then grew to admire and even love him.

O'Neal is such an inspiration that one customer has offered to spearhead raising the money needed for surgery to repair the deformity. Katie Knopf realized that James’ insurance won’t cover the extensive work and has launched a website asking for donations. Kinko’s has donated 1,000 flyers kicking off the effort and the Safeway where O'Neal works has pledged the first $10,000. She hopes to raise the $50,000 to rid O'Neal of his burden for good.

It's nice to see neighbors helping neighbors.

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