Waterboarding as a motivational tool
April 15, 2008
When it comes to humor, there is a fine line between funny and tasteless. There’s also a fine line between being topical and yesterday’s news. The lines intersect at different points, creating enough angles to exhaust a protractor.
That said, I present this story from Sunday’s Washington Post about a lawsuit in Utah. It begins:
No one really disputes that Chad Hudgens was waterboarded outside a Provo office park last May 29, right before lunch, by his boss.
That’s right – as part of a teambuilding exercise, Hudgens was held down by co-workers while supervisor Joshua Christopherson “poured water from a gallon jug over [Hudgens’] nose and mouth,” according to the story.
“You saw how hard Chad fought for air right there,” Christopherson reportedly told his sales reps. “I want you to go back inside and fight that hard to make sales.”
Christopherson’s actions netted him a two-week suspension, WaPo said.
Hudgens said he’d volunteered because “the last time we did a team-building exercise outside, we did an egg toss,” according to the story.
Putting aside the obvious questions (What would happen if you forgot Christopherson’s birthday? What if you took the last Sharpie out of the supply closet?), I leave you with quotes from the firm’s general counsel and its president:
- “I don’t know if this would even be an issue if it weren’t for Guantanamo Bay.”
- “How many times did the CIA even do waterboarding? Three times?”
- “But look at the damage it did to America’s reputation. And it’s going to hurt our image.”
I still can’t decide if those sound bites create obtuse or acute angles according to my humor geometry, but I’m pretty sure they aren’t right.
Danny Jacobs, Legal Affairs Writer
Sphere: Related ContentWay to go Post!
April 8, 2008
I may be breaking some ancient newsroom commandment by praising another newspaper, but among the six Pulitzer Prizes won by the Washington Post was one for public service for its series of stories exposing the mistreatment of veterans at Walter Reed hospital.
As the son of a veteran, and someone who has witnessed the shoddy treatment that this nation’s vets can be prone to receiving at the VA, I can’t help but be extremely happy for the Post.
In an age where many Americans will somehow find time to hear the latest news about Paris or Britney (we’re on a first-name basis at this point), yet be too busy to pay attention to boring things like war and choosing the next leader of the “free world,” it’s nice to see a newspaper get rewarded for fulfilling its natural — and vital — role as society’s watchdog.
FRANCIS SMITH, Special Publications Assistant Editor
Sphere: Related ContentAnimosity between Washington Post, Virginia bloggers?
December 27, 2007
A NoVa blogger posted over the holidays about the “simmering animosity that has been developing between the Virginia blogosphere and the Washington Post.” According to Prince William Co. blogger bvbl, WaPo is pushing sources not to talk to Virginia bloggers, threatening to cut off coverage.
The Post did launch LoudounExtra.com recently, but the site links to other area blogs run by bloggers not affiliated with the Post. They also have a “sponsored blogroll” on the bottom of the main post.com home page that links to blogs that participate in the ad sales program.
Why would WaPo do that if it felt blogs were competition?
JACKIE SAUTER, Multimedia Editor
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