RMN FLAMING IDIOT AWARD VII

It is time for the seventh ever RMN Flaming Idiot Award.  This is an award given to those individuals who have distinguished themselves with behavior that demonstrates an IQ with a decimal point in the front.  The type of individual who might have a family tree that doesn’t fork and has only one set of DNA.  As we all know these people are everywhere and especially in positions of power.

RMN Flaming Idiot Award VII is bestowed upon U.S. Capitol Police Sergeant Kimberly Schneider and all members of that organization involved with the arrest of people selling lemonade on August 20, 2011 on U.S. Capitol grounds and the jurist who required them to be tested for drugs after their arrest.

According to FBI crime statistics criminal activity is down in our country.  Does this mean that such police officers now have time to concentrate on more serious crimes such as lemonade stands?  (Should Sergeant Kimberly Schneider or any member of the U.S. Capitol police be reading this the following is referred to as sarcasm.)  It’s comforting to know when any of us visit our nation’s capitol we will be safe from the scourge of lemonade stands that could just occur at any time and provide us with a cheap cold refreshment.  I’m certain none of us realize the extreme danger these police officers encounter when shutting down a lemonade stand.  The nation can now rest in peace knowing law enforcement is on the scene to protect us form such danger.

Of course should I hear the explanation of what happened from U.S. Capitol Police Sergeant Kimberly Schneider in person, I would have to wear sunglasses least I be blinded by her brilliance.  She said they were arrested for failure to obey a police officer, unlawful conduct and vending without a permit.  Huh?  If arresting taxpaying citizens for having a lemonade stand isn’t unlawful conduct it should be deemed as such. 

Who knew selling lemonade on a national lawn, paid for by taxpayers, is on the same criminal level as someone who is a thief, assaults or vandalizes another person? 

“What were you arrested for?”

“I beat a person took his wallet and stole his car.  How about you?”

“I had lemonade stand.”

“You bastard; I hope you get the death sentence.”

The selling of lemonade on the U.S. Capitol lawn was a protest in reaction to the number of lemonade stands that are shut down by police all over the country.  August 20 has now been designated as National Lemonade Freedom Day.  What’s going on?  Kids have been selling lemonade at lemonade stands for decades and now it’s an issue?  Do police these days have such little real police work to do they feel it’s necessary to shut down kids' lemonade stands?  I’m sure if they look real hard in their neighborhoods they’d probably find some real criminals to arrest.  A little effort would go a long way.

What’s real upsetting here is the message it sends to children.  Do we now say to our children “I know you’d like to earn a little money for yourself but if we have a lemonade stand some insane public officials will shut it down?  If we refuse to obey the stupid politician they’ll have police could come and arrest you and put you in jail with real criminals.”

I would have to say this is not a good way to inspire the next generation to pursue entrepreneurship.  It might also give them a rather distorted view of lemonade.

Meg McLain, Will Duffield and Katherine Dill were the ones arrested by the U.S. Capitol Police for selling lemonade.  The three were dubbed “Lemonistas.”  They pleaded not guilty on Oct. 4 to “sale of goods on U.S. Capitol grounds, ” a crime that could’ve had them in prison 180 days.  They also faced an additional 180 after being held in contempt of court for refusing to submit to a urine test for drugs.  Huh?  I thought the arrest was for selling lemonade not illegal drugs.  Is lemonade an illegal drug?  The court demanded the three submit to weekly drug testing and a substance abuse class.  FOR SELLING LEMONADE?  Huh? 

I think it’s the jurist involved with this decision I would want tested for the usage of illegal drugs.

The story does have a happy ending.  A judge dropped all the charges against Meg McLain, Will Duffield and Katherine Dill.  I can only imagine what the court system would look like with a jury trial for selling lemonade.

“Do you deny selling lemonade?”

“No.”

“Are you saying you’re guilty of selling lemonade?”

“Is there a law against it?”

“Um, ah, well, uh, let me get back to you on that.”

It looks bad enough these people were arrested in the first place.  I do believe there is a better use of resources than to arrest lemonade selling taxpaying citizens.

It’s a shame something like this has to happen.  Freedom isn’t free and sometimes you have to take a stand to let those in power know when they’re out of line.  I don’t know what the real lesson is here.  All I know for sure is come August 20 I hope to be operating a lemonade stand as I hope everyone does.  I can only hope that between now and then law enforcement officers around the country are forced to attend Lemonade Stand Sensitivity Training.  If not I can only imagine the lawsuits that may follow.

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DOING THINGS THEIR WAY

            Everybody loves someone who succeeds despite intense odds against them.  We all especially love someone who does things their way and has no fear when breaking the bonds of conventional thought on their way to achieving a dream.  This is why I believe people tend to enjoy hearing about a man from Los Angeles who has done things his way Hollywood style.

            Dennis Woodruff cruises around Los Angeles in cars that he has personally decorated with a constant theme of advertising himself and his movies.  It seems that 20 years ago Woodruff arrived in Hollywood and like all aspiring actors he tried to get acting rolls in movies.  After visiting over 200 casting agencies he faced only rejection.  He figured if nobody would cast him in movies he’d just go ahead and make his own movies.

Article about Dennis Woodriff“Wannabe Actor Writes, Directs and Stars in His Own Films, Makes $400,000 aYear”

            A one-man movie crew Dennis Woodruff does the work a regular movie would take hundreds of people to do.  He is the producer, screenwriter, director and star actor.  I wonder if he argues with himself for a better deal.  He does all the movie’s editing, special effects, casting and even operates the camera.  It doesn’t stop there.  Once the move is made he also sells and distributes it.  To date he has made 24 movies and has been able to sell over 100,000 copies from the back of his unique cars.  He’s become quite a popular movie seller to the many tourists who regularly visit Los Angeles.

            His movies run quite the spectrum.  Some could easily considered documentaries such as “Horror Stories from the Laundromat” and “What is Art” which covers graffiti around Los Angeles.  Other movies he provides some special effects such as his movie called “Spaceman” which was such a huge success he had to make the sequel “Spaceman Returns.”  For those who laugh at his movies or how he promotes them according to Dennis Woodruff he makes around $400,000 a year.

            The vehicles he’s decorated can be refereed to as a style of “Self promotion gone wild.”  He has his name, picture and listings of his movies on the outside of his cars.  He has more than one vehicle.  They are decorated with everything from a huge head to various items you may find at a garage sale and just about anything you can think can be attached to a car.

            Dennis Woodruff is an inspiration to all those who dream of making movies for a living but fear failure.

           There is another man from Canada who has taken the theme of doing things his way to extremes.  Jean Beliveau who is from Montreal recently completed a walk around the world.  For the past 11 years he has spent his time walking through 64 different countries in South America, Africa, Europe and more. 

Article about Jean Beliveau: “Meet The Man Who Spent 11 Years Walking Around The World And The Woman WhoWaited For Him To Return” 

            This epic journey started on August 18, 2000, after Beliveau’s neon-sign business went bankrupt.  He felt he was experiencing a mid-life crisis and decided to find a way to escape his routine.  When he told his girlfriend he planned to walk around the world she felt he was trying to end their relationship.  Beliveau told her that was not the case.  For eleven years she supported his walk emotionally, financially and flew to wherever he was once a year to be with him.

            He was able to say with 1,600 different families during his walk and remembers eating snake in China, a close call with a puma in a South American desert and being escorted by armed soldiers in the Philippines. 

            Now that he’s completed his journey he plans to spend more of his time with his family and to begin writing a book.  He claims everything he experienced has made him appreciate the little things that life has to offer.  I’m sure many people think about doing what Jean Beliveau accomplished.  Jean Beliveau is obviously the type of person who does more than just think about doing something.

            While the news media is filled with stories about people who blame others for their situation in life, it’s good to know there are also those who take responsibility for themselves and work to make a difference in their own lives.  These are the people who look inside themselves for guidance and not to angry people whose victim status gives them self esteem.  These are people who ignore what others say can’t be done and dare to do things their way.

Here is a link to the article.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2036467/Penniless-actor-Dennis-Woodruff-makes-250k-year-homemade-film-sales.html