TresSugar

Mother-in-Law Can't Take a Joke, Sues Comedian

TresSugar — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:30:00 -0700

Well, a comedian who just happens to be her daughter-in-law!

It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, but comedian Sunda Croonquist’s mother-in-law Ruth Zafrin was not kidding when she filed a lawsuit against Sunda for telling so many jokes about her. Croonquist capitalizes on their ethnic differences in her envelope-pushing jokes - she is half-black and half-Swedish, was raised Catholic, and married into a Jewish family.

A typical joke goes something like this. On a first visit to her mother-in-law Ruthie’s house, Croonquist says, "I walk in, I say, 'Thank you so much for having me here, Ruthie.' 'The pleasure’s all mine,' she replies, 'have a seat.' Then she whispers, 'Harriet, put my pocketbook away.'"

Zafrin filed the lawsuit (along with her daughter and her daughter's husband), when material on Croonquist's website made it easy for people to figure out the in-laws' identities. Croonquist is accused of "spreading false, defamatory and racist lies" in comedy club routines that have even been aired on Comedy Central. Croonquist agreed to remove any offensive comments on her website but refused to pay a settlement. (Her husband's law firm is handling her case. Awkward!)

Zafrin isn't exactly giving mother-in-laws a good name. It seems that there would've been a less alienating way of handling this, like, say, asking Croonquist to cut it out! Who do you think is in the wrong?

Louis Vuitton Is Suing Darfur Charity?

LibertySugar — Thu, 01 May 2008 10:00:37 -0700

Fashion conglomerate Louis Vuitton is suing 26 year old Nadia Plesner for using a LV look-alike handbag on a t-shirt and poster she designed to call attention to tragedies in Darfur. All the proceeds are donated to the charity "Divest for Darfur."

Constant media attention given to insignificant topics motivated the independent artist's "Simple Living" pieces. She explains on her website:

My thought was: Since doing nothing but wearing designerbags and small ugly dogs appearantly is enough to get you on a magasine cover, maybe it is worth a try for people who actually deserves and needs attention.

Louis Vuitton caught wind of the campaign and sent Nadia a cease and desist letter. She declined and responded: "Sometimes recognizable objects are needed to express deeper meanings, and in their new form they become more than the objects themselves – they become art."

Do you think less of LV for trying to stop a good cause, or is the company justified in defending its brand against an unfair connection to genocide? Should the law provide Nadia the freedom to express her outrage, and make money for charity while she's at it?

Source

Front Page: Yankees Win Its 27th World Series

TresSugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:00:57 -0800

Fans celebrated after the Yankees won their 27th World Series last night, beating the Phillies seven to three in game six. - New York Post
The UN is relocating 600 of its staff members in Afghanistan after the workers there suffered an attack by the Taliban. - AP
Rihanna told Diane Sawyer that it was a mistake to go back to Chris Brown after he beat her. - PopSugar
Glenn Beck might save the publishing industry, as he carves out on-air time to interview authors of thrillers. - New York Times
A sex tape allegedly prompted dethroned Miss California Carrie Prejean to settle a lawsuit against pageant officials. - CNN
Kidnap victim Jaycee Dugard, now reunited with her family, may have Stockholm syndrome. - SF Gate

Woman Infected With Herpes Wins $7 Million Lawsuit!

CitizenSugar — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 00:01:23 -0800

A California woman has won $7 million from a man she sued for giving her herpes. She accused him of not disclosing his 25-year-old infection before having unprotected sex with her.

Seventy-seven-year old Thomas Redmond, who founded the Aussie line of hair care products, must pay fifty-six-year-old Patricia Behr $4 million in compensatory damages and $2.75 million in punitive damages. She also gets to keep the 2004 BMW he bought her as a gift.

The lawsuit alleged that Behr suffered stress and humiliation thanks to the defendant. The jury seemed to agree with her. Maybe Redmond should sue the person who gave it to him. Although I'm not sure what the statute of limitations is.

While the man's dishonesty is extremely troublesome, I can't help but be shocked by this verdict. At what point do we take personal responsibility for our sexual relations, even when we choose to have them with someone who turns out to be a liar?

Source

Front Page: Recession Spooks Halloween Shoppers

TresSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:00:46 -0700

Halloween spending is down 15 percent this year compared to last according to the National Retail Federation. - KSFM
Drug companies might be coming closer to a miracle pill that helps patients safely lose weight. - USA Today
Dick Cheney is accusing President Obama of "dithering" by failing to make a decision yet about sending thousands more troops to Afghanistan. – LA Times
By welcoming married Anglican priests into the Catholic Church, the Pope might be setting up an end to celibacy among Catholic priests. - New York Times
A new wave of mortgages should be headed toward foreclosures soon. – Wall Street Journal
A new lawsuit alleges that Bernie Madoff financed a cocaine-fueled work environment and a culture of sexual deviance at his former company. - CNN

Have You Ever Had an Office Affair?

TresSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0700

You don't have to be a late night comedian like David Letterman or Jimmy Kimmel to have an affair at work. Office romances are so prevalent these days that companies are asking in-office couples to sign "love contracts" to protect themselves and the company from lawsuits should something go wrong.

So how many people are finding love at work? According to a recent survey, 60 percent of employees in America have had an office relationship. That's up from 47 percent in 2003. Do you count among the people who have dipped their pens in the company ink?

Gay-Friendly Curriculum Sparks Lawsuit From Parents

TresSugar — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:00:00 -0700

The decision by a California school district to introduce gay-friendly curriculum has been met with a not-so-friendly reaction. Parents are suing the Alameda Unified School district, alleging that inappropriate curriculum is being forced on their children.

Once a year, students in kindergarten through the fifth grade would be taught about LBGT issues. Kindergartners would learn about the harm caused by teasing or using the word "fag," while older students would learn about stereotypes based on sexual orientation. Certain parents are particularly upset because they would not be allowed to opt their children out of the lesson.

Do you agree with teaching students at school to be more tolerant, or should these lessons be learned at home?

Oklahoma Prepares to Put Abortion Details Online

TresSugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 06:00:00 -0700

Starting Nov. 1, any woman who has an abortion in Oklahoma will have to fill out an extensive questionnaire that will subsequently be posted online. Supporters of the law say that the information will help healthcare officials reduce the number of abortions. They also reason that the answers must be posted online so academic researchers can access the data.

As you can imagine, the logic behind these assumed advantages, along with the entire premise of posting extensive information about individual abortions online, is flawed for various reasons. Here are a few:

Even though the questionnaire does not ask for name or address, the first eight questions alone most likely would be enough to identify a woman in a town of 200 or less.
The data will not be suitable for academic research because of the way it is collected. Since a woman could fill out a questionnaire each time she sees a doctor about seeking an abortion, her data could appear to represent more than one patient.
The questionnaire contains loaded language, such as: "Was there an infant born alive as a result of the abortion?"

Luckily, those opposed to the questionnaire and database have filed a lawsuit that will hopefully prevent the dubious law from going into force. What do you make of all this?

Discriminating Carrie Prejean Sues For Religious Discrimination

TresSugar — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:00:00 -0700

Before she infamously said anything about gay (or opposite) marriage, beauty queen Carrie Prejean claims that Miss California pageant officials told her to stop mentioning God. In a move that is keeping her name in the headlines, the dethroned Miss California is now suing pageant officials for religious discrimination.

Carrie claims she was fired as Miss California because she voiced her faith-based opinion that gay marriage should not be legal. Apparently, Carrie sees nothing ironic about using her religious beliefs as rationale for voicing antigay sentiments, and then claiming to be a victim of discrimination herself.

The lawsuit names director Keith Lewis and Shanna Moaklar as defendants, and also claims that the pair improperly revealed that they paid for Carrie's breast implants. Shanna's attorney had some strong things to say about the suit. He countered, "Ms. Prejean's unfortunate and bigoted statements are responsible for any public humiliation or damages to her reputation that she has claimed to have suffered." As for whether she was fired for her religion, officials cite her unwillingness to make appearances as the basis for her dethroning.

Regardless of whether you agree with Carrie, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does prohibit employers from discriminating against individuals because of their religion in hiring or firing. Do you think Carrie has a case?

Front Page: Same-Sex Lawsuit, Stimulus Signed, Iran Visits

CitizenSugar — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 06:48:28 -0800

A lesbian couple from Englewood, CO, are the first to legally challenge Colorado's recently passed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Their motion claims the amendment violates their constitutional right to equal protection. The couple's lawyer says, “The American system does not allow for the tyranny of the majority. Marriage is a fundamental right, which should be for all Coloradans, not just some Coloradans.” The 2006 ballot initiative that allowed Coloradans to vote on the issue, passed by 55 percent. Nine states offer benefits to same-sex couples, and 26 states have constitutional bans on same-sex couples.
President Bush has signed the $167 billion economic stimulus package. Checks are expected to be sent in May, with rebates of up to $600 for individuals and $1,200 for couples, plus $300 for each child. Rushed through both houses of Congress in record time, Bush said of the plan, "we have come together on a single mission, and that is to put the people's interest first."
Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is planning a historic visit to neighboring Iraq. The trip will be the first ever by an Iranian leader, and marks improving relations between the countries following their eight-year war in the 1980s and the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime. The two countries are set to talk about "bi-lateral relations and joint projects."