Too Pretty to Work Here

Did you hear the one about the Iowa Supreme Court ruling that you can be fired for cause from your job because you’re just too pretty and tempting?

Standing by a December decision, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled Friday that a male dentist who fired a female assistant because she was too attractive and threatened his marriage did not commit sex discrimination.

The all-male court ruled against Melissa Nelson, who sued her former employer James Knight, alleging Knight’s wife told Knight to fire Nelson because “she was a big threat to our marriage.” Knight fired Nelson in January 2010 after more than 10 years working for him, later testifying that she was not fired for performance reasons.

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Are You an Ohio Drunkard or Just an Iowa Cyclones Fan?

I love the peril of unintended consequences.  Ohio, in order to scarlet letter drunk drivers, requires the convicted to change their license plate to one that consists of an obnoxious yellow background and red alphanumeric identifiers.  The result is a modern day Mark of Cain and an identifiable public shaming.

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How Find My iPhone Works from Afar

Janna is currently in Iowa visiting her mother.  I miss her heaps, and I am happy to help whenever the call for assistance arrives from the Midwest into my Google Voice Inbox via SMS.  Janna has her iPad with her and her creaky, water-soaked-and-barely-usable, iPhone 3G.  Her 3GS was stolen.  We skipped the iPhone 4 in indignant principle.  We will move up the iPhone 4S or 5 or whatever it will be when it is announced.

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Gay Equity

Are Gays finally on their way to not just being equal in America, but to also having some equity in a society that has generally forsaken them?

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Midwestern Muslims and Iowa Immigration

Yesterday, we investigated the failure of Nebraska’s fiftieth out of fifty Safe Haven law to protect teenagers from dumping by misbegotten parents.  Today, we learn about another Midwestern mudfest flinging scorn and rage against Somali Muslims who wish to say evening prayers during work hours at a Grand Island, Nebraska meatpacking plant.  So far 86 people have been fired in this face off between commerce and religion.

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