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My Favorite Nazi 6.8
| One phrase you don't want to hear your doctor utter after a successful Caesarean section: "I did such a beautiful job, I'll initial it." However, this is what Manhattan doctor Allan Zarkin allegedly said after completing one recent procedure--after which he apparently carved his initials, AZ, in three-inch-high letters on the abdomen of patient Linda Gedz, who was still sedated. The doctor, now dubbed "Dr. Zorro" by hospital staff, is being sued by the horrified Gedz; he has agreed to suspend his practice while the Manhattan District Attorney's Office conducts an investigation. |  |
Monkey Trial Offer -5.7
The sex police strike again: Mississippi lawmakers are considering legislation that would not only prevent male strippers from performing naked, but would outlaw any man from appearing in public in an aroused state. The new law would define nudity in such a way that it includes "the showing of covered male genitals in a discernably turgid state." No word on whether or not the law would cover heavy metal stars who stuff socks in their pants to impress the fans.
Billy Clubbed 5.3
England's Department of Education is embarassed--er, embarrassed--about an illiterate poster recently sent to teachers around the country in an attempt to promote literacy. The poster, BBC News reports, encouraged students to learn about writing "though [sic] their own work" and urged teachers to focus on "vocabluary." A spokeswoman for the department blamed lax proofreading for the mistake. At least some of the teachers who were sent the poster noticed the errors and called in to complain. But not everyone realized the problem, BBC News noted: "Several schools had phoned saying they could not see what was wrong with the spelling."
Hair Today 7.3
The High Court in Glasgow, Scotland recently sentenced a couple of heroin addicts to five years each in prison for the "revolting crime" of neglecting their 5-year-old child. Their daughter was discovered sleeping in a lice-infested bed, wearing a cast that had been left on so long that ulcers and boils found festering under the plaster will likely leave her leg permanently scarred.
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Credit:
Terry Laban
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The judge in the case was disgusted by the squalor of the child's surroundings, but he was outraged that workers sent in to investigate the family somehow managed not to notice the suffering child over the course of numerous visits. However, according to the London Daily Telegraph, the social workers did manage to notice and rescue a "dirty and smelly" monkey they found running about the house.
David Futrelle is a contributing editor of In These Times.
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In These Times ©
2000
Volume 24, Number 7 |