The Hills are alive. . . .with teh Burning Stoopid. . . .

. . . and like the Von Trapp clan, it's a bunch of growing little burning stoopids today. . .

So, first, it's a visit to the architectural stoopid.  In this case, the new headquarters of "The People's Daily" newspaper in Bejing.  You've seen pictures of pets that look like their owners ?   Hmm, reporters are generally dicks, so what does their building look like ???

You guessed it. . .

I

It seems that Chinese Media  LOVES wierd buildings, China Central TV's building is reportedly called "Underpants". . . 

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Of course, when it comes to style, for the wierd and stoopid, you have to look in Japan.  Where, apparently, not only does The Devil Wear Prada, it looks more than a little like the Devil IS Prada. . .

Meet Rina Bovrisse.  Formerly, Retail Sales Manager at Prada New York and Prada Japan.

Soon after arriving in Tokyo, she was told to lose weight, change her hair and dress, and that she was too ugly to meet visitors from the Prada home office in Italy.  And she was directed to fire 15 senior employees, for being "too old, too fat, or too ugly". . .

Rina did what any professional would do, first she complained up her chain, and then she complained to the Japanese Government.  And had her claim dismissed by a judge who stated that discrimination was "acceptable for a luxury fashion label". .

OK, so she lost.  It's awful, and genuinely sexist, but it was done.  But THEN, Prada counter-sued Ms. Bovrisse for "damaging the Prada brand". . .

Since then, there's been something of an upswell of international support for Ms. Bovrisse, and even the UN is getting involved. . . .

Hint to Prada: when at the bottom of a deep hole. . . STOP DIGGING. . .

Our last smoldering tidbit of teh burning stoopid comes back home, and looks like it may have lobotomized that most all-American of organizations, the Boy Scouts. . .

Now, the Scouts do some pretty amazing things, and Eagle Scouts in particular are generally some really good kids.  They usually go on to do great things, many of our more prominent business, political, and military leaders were Eagle Scouts first. . .

But as of July 2013, not only must a Eagle Scout be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.. . . he must also show obeisance to the Gods of Green.

Why, you ask ??  As of this years' Jamboree, one of the required merit badges for Eagle will now include Sustainability.

Yep.  A merit badge on Global Warming, Resource Depletion, and other shibboleths of the Enviromental movement.  I'm not going to take on the fiction of "Global Warming" here, I'll let Anthony Watt and Lord Monckton do the heavy lifting for me, they're the experts here. . .

Because, what idiots THINK is "Global Warming" is really. . . .teh Burning Stoopid. . . .