Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee

[Guardian]

Tesco has been accused of religious discrimination after the company ordered the founder of a Jedi religion to remove his hood or leave a branch of the supermarket in north Wales.

Daniel Jones, founder of the religion inspired by the Star Wars films, says he was humiliated and victimised for his beliefs following the incident at a Tesco store in Bangor.

The 23-year-old, who founded the International Church of Jediism, which has 500,000 followers worldwide, was told the hood flouted store rules.

But the grocery empire struck back, claiming that the three best known Jedi Knights in the Star Wars movies – Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker – all appeared in public without their hoods. Jones, from Holyhead, who is known by the Jedi name Morda Hehol, said his religion dictated that he should wear the hood in public places and is considering legal action against the chain.

“It states in our Jedi doctrination that I can wear headwear. It just covers the back of my head,” he said.

“You have a choice of wearing headwear in your home or at work but you have to wear a cover for your head when you are in public.”

Read more here.

[From me]

Couldn’t he use “THE FORCE” to make the store let him wear his hood?

What do you think?

I couldn’t resist posting this!

[Dallas Morning News]

Making light of an advertisement that offered him a job as a store greeter, former President George W. Bush stopped by a Dallas hardware store Saturday morning and jokingly inquired about the position.The visit to Elliott’s Hardware on Maple Avenue, which store officials insisted was a surprise, drew the attention of about 100 customers, many of whom were attending seminars on organic gardening.

Bush, who moved into his Preston Hollow home a day earlier, walked in around 11 a.m. with an entourage of Secret Service agents. Wearing a light jacket emblazoned with the presidential seal, Bush signed autographs and posed for photos with customers and store personnel.

“Everyone was, of course, abuzz,” said Andrea Bond, Elliott’s marketing staffer. “Everyone started calling people on their cellphones. It was just amazing.”

Bush spokesman Rob Saliterman said the former president was “touched” by the warm response he got.

Earlier this month, the store ran a newspaper ad inviting Bush to work as a greeter when he moved back to Dallas. The ad touted the benefits for its part-time workers.

Read more here.

[From me]

Rumor has it he left there to apply at Wal Mart because they offered .25 an hour more.

[Telegraph]

[WJZ]

Looking to beef up your mojo this holiday season?  Burger King Corp. may have just the thing. The home of the Whopper has launched a new men’s body spray called “Flame.” The company describes the spray as “the scent of seduction with a hint of flame-broiled meat.” 

The fragrance is on sale at New York City retailer Ricky’s NYC in stores and online for a limited time for $3.99. Burger King is marketing the product through a Web site featuring a photo of its King character reclining fireside and naked but for an animal fur strategically placed to not offend. 

Read more here.

[From me]

Gives new meaning to “Have it your way!”

What do you think?