Culture

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders used her official Twitter account to call out a restaurant she was asked to leave, she says because she works for President Donald Trump. Supporters have unleashed a bevy of vengeful comments and reviews, while others question her choice to use her platform to take down a small business.

After an employee at the restaurant shared the incident on social media, Sanders told her version of the story with on the @PressSec Twitter account.

“Last night I was told by the owner of Red Hen in Lexington, VA to leave because I work for @POTUS and I politely left,” her tweet from her White House account reads. “Her actions say far more about her than about me. I always do my best to treat people, including those I disagree with, respectfully and will continue to do so.”

Last night I was told by the owner of Red Hen in Lexington, VA to leave because I work for @POTUS and I politely left. Her actions say far more about her than about me. I always do my best to treat people, including those I disagree with, respectfully and will continue to do so

— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) June 23, 2018

Sanders has not made further comment about the incident, but the restaurant’s co-owner, Stephanie Wilkinson, did. “This feels like the moment in our democracy when people have to make uncomfortable actions and decisions to uphold their morals,” Wilkinson told The Washington Post. Wilkinson said she consulted her employees before asking Sanders if she would step aside for a private conversation. “I explained that the restaurant has certain standards that I feel it has to uphold, such as honesty, and compassion, and cooperation. I said, ‘I’d like to ask you to leave,’” the restaurant owner continued. Sanders and her party left without any issue and they were comped their meal. According to The Washington Post, the negative reviews of the restaurant started after a waiter’s post gained traction online.

Just because Sanders is a public figure doesn’t mean she can’t give a restaurant a bad review; however, the bad review is her personal opinion. She has a verified personal Twitter account with over 223,000 followers but her bad review is nowhere to be found on that account. Instead, she chose to use her official White House account with just over …read more

Source:: Refinery29

Separating parents from their children should horrify us all

All week, I’ve been haunted by the family separations at the US border. The reports are chilling: Children taken screaming from their parents’ arms. The siblings separated in their camps and instructed not to hug or touch each other. The babies and toddlers taken to Tender Age shelters cared for by strangers. Who will help those babies sleep at night? I wondered. How can any of us sleep at night?

Thinking about being separated from my own toddler makes me physically ill. I’m not exaggerating to say that if my children were taken away from me and I didn’t know their fate, it would be nearly impossible for me to function. I know many parents feel the same way.

Although it appears that Trump has signed an executive order to end migrant family separation, as I write this there is no plan for reunification of the 2300 kids being held in camps without their parents right now.

Lawyers in the US report that reunifying parents with their children is proving to be a logistical nightmare.

Some of these children may never see their parents again. The parents who made the heartbreaking decisions to leave their home countries (riddled with gang violence and poverty) to make dangerous treks to the US border.

The parents who did this all in the false hope of an America that no longer exists — the land of opportunity that has turned callous and cold. It is now a land that punishes people who have the audacity to hope for a violence-free, poverty-free life for their children — and treats them with disdain when they ask to be let in.

I cannot think of anything else this week than the issue of separating a child from his or her parents.

Indeed, I am also reflecting on our own country’s abysmal history and present practice of taking Indigenous children away from their parents. (See Kent Monkman’s epic, devastating painting “The Scream” for a visual portrayal of the state removing Indigenous children to take them to residential schools.)

Residential schools are in the past, people say. And you’ll hear the argument that foster homes are better than internment camps. And yes, there are wonderful, well-meaning foster parents who do good work. Who change lives.

But according to our province’s Children’s Services 2016-2017 annual report, 26 kids died in a single year while receiving services.

And I have spoken to …read more

Source:: Edmonton Journal – Lifestyle

Vinne Paul, a veteran musician in the heavy metal music industry and a founding member of the band Pantera, died this week from unknown causes.

He was 54 years old.

The drummer’s death was announced by Pantera on Saturday via Twitter, as the group simply posted the following message:

Vinnie Paul Abbott aka Vinnie Paul has passed away.

Paul is best known for his work as the drummer in the bands Pantera and Hellyeah. No further details are available at this time.

The family requests you please respect their privacy during this time.

Paul helped create Pantera in the 1980s, along with his brother, guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott. Their father a famous country and western songwriter and producer named Jerry Abbott.

The group enjoyed mainstream success with second lead singer Phil Anselmo.

Throughout its career, Pantera earned four Grammy nominations and charted nine albums on the Billboard 200, including its 1994 album Far Beyond Driven, which debuted atop the chart at the time of its release.

After Pantera split up, the Abbott siblings formed Damageplan in 2003.

However, the band was performing in December 2004 when Dimebag Darrell was shot and killed onstage during a concert in Columbus, Ohio.

Since 2006, Paul was the drummer for Hellyeah, a heavy metal band that included Mudvayne vocalist Chad Gray and Nothingface guitarist Tom Maxwell.

In the wake of Paul’s passing, some major names in the music business have shared their condolences on social media.

Alice Cooper Tweeted the following:

“Terribly saddened by the news of Vinnie Paul’s passing.

“Vinnie was a beloved fixture in the rock and metal communities and we will miss seeing him out on the road. His impact on heavy music is immeasurable. Rest In Peace Vinnie, condolences to your family, friends and fans.”

And then there was this from Slash:

“Tragic news about Vinnie Paul today.

“He was one of the warmest people I knew. A truly good & fun friend. We’re going to miss you more than you could possibly have known. RIP buddy.”

And this from Bret Michaels:

“Vinnie – You will be missed! You were an amazing human being & we had many great times together. A toast to you my friend, my prayers are with you!”

And this from Dave Mustaine of Megadeth:

“I just woke up in Belgium to the news that my friend Vinnie Paul has passed away. Another metal hero taken too soon. Say hello to Daryl for me.

“Rest In Peace, my dear friend.”

“Gutted to hear about the nicest …read more

Source:: The Hollywood Gossip