Highly Unpleasant |
 |
It's No Joke |
  By Mark Splutter WASHINGTON, Nov. 7-- “We’re sick and tired of people complaining that the World Bank doesn’t do enough for ordinary people,” said an exasperated Carolyn Anstey, Communications Director of the World Bank. “So we’re offering free—that’s right completely free—giant bagel-size toasters to anyone who plunks down eight or ten billion USD,” she said. These were not ordinary toasters, she pointed out. “These are top-of-the-line Brownamatics. With Cool-Side Technology,” she said. Bank officials are hoping that this offer will take the edge off protests which have made Bank meetings so difficult in recent years. One Vice President who asked for anonymity said, “It’s about time the Bank thought about modern marketing. Especially since we heard that the Inter-American Development Bank is offering blenders.” But Kevin Danaher of Global Exchange, one of the Bank’s most persistent opponents said his group couldn’t be bought off with cheap appliances. “To shut us up would take some really great stuff from Sharper Image,” he said from San Francisco. Meanwhile, lines began forming as soon as the Bank made the announcement |
   By Doug Bugman
WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 -- Under pressure from Native American and civil rights groups, the Washington Redskins has reluctantly approved a name change. "We think this new name retains some of the old Redskins sentiment," said team owner Daniel Snyder, "but it should quiet those critics who believe that the old name had racist connotations."
Local fans are split on the change. Brent Strickland of Germantown, Maryland said he'll always think of the team as Redskins. "To hell with the politically correct gang. There was nothing wrong with Redskins'other than it was degrading, racist and offensive," he said.
But Bonnie Loomis of Annandale, Virginia said, "I like the change. Filthy Savages is new and in-your-face. It's kind of an XFL thing. It's deeply offensive...and it's still racist."
Coach Steve Spurrier said he didn't care. "I think we've shown that we can lose to any team that can put more than 14 points on the board, no matter what we're called."
© The Washington Pox 2002
|