Sideswipe

From the packaging for a leather cellphone cover bought at the Avondale markets.

A Michigan court in Howard v. Family Independence Agency has ruled that a state agency did not violate a social worker's First Amendment rights when it fired her for trying to perform an exorcism instead of calling 911 after a client had a seizure. Michelle Howard, a religious woman, decided her client's seizure was "demonic in nature". She prayed over the client and anointed her with water. The court ruled that she "was not terminated for merely praying at the office," but for violating agency rules. Amen to that.

When a male manufacturing employee with 35 years' seniority was asked to relinquish his seat to a woman who came to the plant to conduct an audit, he patted his knee and offered: "I have a place for you to sit right here." The company discharged him for violating its "zero tolerance" policy against sexual harassment. An arbitrator, in Lyon Workplace Products, ordered the employee reinstated, noting that his conduct was "typical of workplace behaviour", and "the auditor must realise that the shop floor is entirely unlike high tea at the Savoy".

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Readers may be interested to note that in Roald Dahl's autobiography Boy, he talks about the headmaster at his school, Repton, who used to deliver vicious beatings to his pupils. This man went on to become the Archbishop of Canterbury and crown Queen Elizabeth.

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Follow-up to the testimonial ad for Fatbusters, in which a woman claims the product saved her marriage ... "For the first time ever, my husband actually told me I was beautiful." Reader Lee Macdonald believes beauty comes only in small packages: "He had never told her she was beautiful, but still loved her enough to marry her. Isn't that true love? Or is it lying to someone and judging them on appearance that counts? If he was honest, maybe she respected him for it. Also, I'd never tell someone they are beautiful if they are not, it is dishonest, and fat people who believe they are beautiful are deluded, no matter how lovely their personalities are. Obesity is not healthy, or sexy, or attractive (to 98 per cent of people). It is not 'OK to be fat' as our media often portrays, it is (in 98 per cent of cases) a sign of greed, gluttony, low self-esteem, poor self-motivation, a lack of self-respect and pride, unhealthy and dangerous, and a burden on our health system. Because of this, it is unattractive. For all but an unfortunate few, there is no excuse for being fat in this day and age with the education and food available. Telling a fat person they are beautiful is wrong, as is telling bulimics they look sexy. You don't build confidence with lies, you build it with results."