Category: Oddball

Channeling Joseph McCarthy

~ Boohunney ~ 3 Comments

U.S. Congressman Allen West of South Florida at a rally yesterday at Florida Atlantic University made the claim that 80 members of Congress are members of the Communist Party. West offered no names or evidence, but, later said he was referring to the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Congressman West is some what known for his outrageous claims including stating that, “If Joseph Goebbels was around, he’d be very proud of the Democrat party, because they have an incredible propaganda machine.” He also claimed he was the modern Harriet Tubman. “So I’m here as the modern-day Harriet Tubman, to kind of lead people on the Underground Railroad, away from that plantation into a sense of sensibility.”

There is strong support among Tea Party members for West to be the GOP nominee for vice president. His outspoken ways are clearly admired by the Tea Party. However, a GOP insider said that is very unlikely because he would be very hard to control in a campaign setting.

West, considered a war hero by some, was relieved from military duty in 2004 after an attempted murder investigation involving an Iraqi officer that ended his 22 year career.

Update and correction: West’s office said in a statement to CBSMiami.com:

The Congressman was referring to the 76 members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.  The Communist Party has publicly referred to the Progressive Caucus as its allies.   The Progressive Caucus speaks for itself.  These individuals certainly aren’t proponents of free markets or individual economic freedom.

I previously written Congressman himself said he was referring to the Congressional Caucus.

Hmm

~ susie ~ 1 Comment

This explains why I make friends everywhere I go!

Common knowledge says spewing out profanity-laden language to let out your frustrations at work isn’t the best idea. That may be a misguided assumption, as a study published in the Leadership & Organization Development Journal has found that dropping a couple f-bombs on the job can actually go a long way. (h/t Business Insider)

The use of expletives in the workplace helps enhance group solidarity and serves as a mechanism for stress relief, according to the study conducted by researchers at the University of East Anglia. Researchers said that the interpretation of cuss words is more relevant than the “simplistic literal meaning.” The study acknowledged, however, that not all swearing is beneficial, such as that used to bully peers.

That good ol’ Mountain Dew

~ odd man out

You think maybe PepsiCo picked the wrong expert to discredit the man who claims he almost swallowed a dead mouse while drinking from a can of Mountain Dew?

Mountain Dew drinkers know their distinctively yellow beverage of choice is packed with caffeine, but a new lawsuit might get them thinking about what else is in there.

PepsiCo, the drink’s manufacturer, is being sued by Ronald Ball of Wisconsin, who claims in a 2009 lawsuit that he opened a can from a vending machine, tasted something foul, and spat out a dead mouse, acccording to MadisonRecord.com.

Ball, who is seeking damages in excess of $50,000, claims he then sent the mouse to Pepsi, which destroyed the mouse’s body.

However, Pepsi is now moving to dismiss the case, citing testimony from an expert who claims that acid used when the drink is bottled would have caused the rodent to transform into a “‘jelly-like’ substance,” according to LegalNewsline.com.

Mountain Dew’s mouse-dissolving capabilities may also be helped by another ingredient in the bubbly beverage: brominated vegetable oil (BVO), a chemical that Gizmodo points out is banned in Europe and Japan, but is allowed in limited quantities in sodas like Mountain Dew, Squirt and Fanta Orange.

BVO is added to soda for the purpose of giving it more consistent flavoring.