Time now for the Sideshow!
For the second year in a row, the White House is celebrating its Big Block of Cheese Day on January 21. It’s a day the Obama administration sets aside to interact with citizens from across the country via social media.
So what does accessibility to the White House have to do with cheese?
Well, the idea behind the day originated back in 1837, when President Andrew Jackson had a 1,400-pound block of cheese hauled into the White House and invited citizens to an open house where they discussed national issues with the President and his staff…all while noshing on giant slabs of cheddar.
This year, the White House even enlisted the help of a few familiar faces from NBC’s “The West Wing” to spread the word that this year’s Big Block of Cheese Day will be “feta” than ever.
Next, an attempt by a sheriff’s office in Florida to spruce up the office décor wound up going to the dogs. Literally.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s office ordered a new rug for the entry way several months ago. But it wasn’t until this week that a sharp-eyed deputy spotted an error on the seal. Instead of reading “In God We Trust”, the $500 rug reads “In Dog We Trust.”
Department spokeswoman Cecilia Barreda says it was a rug manufacturer’s error and is in the process of being corrected.
And finally, Ayn Rand is known for her no-nonsense philosophy that has become an influence to libertarians these days. But if you thought she may have a soft spot when it comes to her own family…you would be mistaken. An excerpt from the book Letters of Ayn Rand reveal a very serious response from the philosopher to her 17-year-old niece’s request for $25. It reads in part:
%22If%2C%20when%20the%20debt%20becomes%20due%2C%20you%20tell%20me%20that%20you%20can%E2%80%99t%20pay%20me%20because%20you%20needed%20a%20new%20pair%20of%20shoes%20or%20a%20new%20coat%20or%20you%20gave%20the%20money%20to%20somebody%20in%20the%20family%20who%20needed%20it%20more%20than%20I%20do%E2%80%94then%20I%20will%20consider%20you%20as%20an%20embezzler.%20No%2C%20I%20won%E2%80%99t%20send%20a%20policeman%20after%20you%2C%20but%20I%20will%20write%20you%20off%20as%20a%20rotten%20person%20and%20I%20will%20never%20speak%20or%20write%20to%20you%20again.%22′
Lisa Crivelli