Orange County Chick-fil-A Cashier Fired for Racist 'Ching' and 'Chong' Receipts

At Orange County Register, "Chick-fil-A fires cashier who mocked Asians":

A Chick-fil-A restaurant in Irvine has fired a cashier who typed the names "Ching" and "Chong" onto the receipts of two Asian customers – an affront that has flashed through the blogosphere in recent days.

The company quickly issued a media statement distancing itself from the "inappropriate and unthinking behavior" of its employee. The woman, identified only as Lia on the undated receipts, was immediately dismissed, according to the statement.

A UC Irvine student posted a picture of the receipts on his tumblr blog late last week. He wrote that the cashier never asked for the names of the two men when she took their order, and instead typed "Ching" and "Chong" into the "Guest ID" field on their receipts.

"Racism is still alive these days, people," wrote the blogger, who identifies himself only as Kelvin on his tumblr page.

The "angry asian man" blog picked up the story. Then the OC Weekly did. By Tuesday, national media were reporting on the "Ching" and "Chong" receipts.

Continue reading. Continue reading.

I can't believe people like that. But you have to stand up against that kind of racism and bigotry. Unfortunately, progressive racism of the same stripe is pretty common online. I discussed it at Zilla's in the comments regarding the disgusting bigotry of Walter James "Racist" Casper III.

Naked Man Chased by Police Dog

Boy, everything's available via YouTube these days, and this was in Southern California as well.

At London's Daily Mail, "He's got some cheek! Naked man tackled by police dog 'after stealing limousine'."

Angels Sign Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson

Now that's what I'm talking about!

At Los Angeles Times, "Angels take it from the top with Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson":

They snag the most feared slugger and ex-Texas ace in what may be biggest one-day free-agent splash in MLB history. Team officials say it shows owner Arte Moreno's desire to win; teammates are giddy.

The Angels made perhaps the biggest one-day free-agent splash in baseball history and transformed themselves into legitimate World Series contenders Thursday, spending about $331 million to acquire the game's most feared slugger and one of its top pitchers.

Within a span of two frenzied early morning hours at the winter meetings, the Angels reached agreements in principle with first baseman Albert Pujols on a 10-year, $254-million deal and left-hander C.J. Wilson on a five-year, $77.5-million deal.

Bridesmaids in recent free-agent pursuits — the Angels failed in bids to sign Mark Teixeira, Carl Crawford and Adrian Beltre the last two winters — the Angels nabbed the two stars with a massive investment that was $144 million more than the $183 million Arte Moreno paid to buy the team in 2003.

"I can't say in my wildest dreams I thought I'd be sitting here today," Angels General Manager Jerry Dipoto, less than two months into the job, said at a news conference to announce the moves. "It's a tribute to the aggressive nature and quality of our ownership.

That's my team. I'm looking forward to next season. But the Angels are known for making the big off-season deals, especially for sluggers --- Mo Vaughn comes to mind --- so let's hope Pujols helps the Angels win a championship before he becomes an albatross.

Angels Aggressively Pursue Albert Pujols

Well, let's hope they're successful.

At Los Angeles Times:

The Angels, perhaps sensing they are about to lose free-agent pitcher C.J. Wilson to the Miami Marlins, jumped head-first into the bidding for slugger Albert Pujols on Wednesday night, according to two people who are familiar with negotiations but not authorized to speak about them publicly.

It appeared Pujols would be headed back to the St. Louis Cardinals after the Marlins reportedly pulled their offer, believed to be for 10 years and more than $200 million, off the table earlier Wednesday. The Cardinals are believed to have offered Pujols a nine- or 10-year deal for at least $200 million.

The Chicago Cubs are believed to be the only other team in negotiations with Dan Lozano, Pujols' agent, but it was unclear Wednesday night how aggressively they were pursuing Pujols.

And at USA Today, "Angels offer Albert Pujols 10 years, at least $210 million."

Test-Driving the 2012 Porsche 911

I mentioned that I worked valet parking back in the '80s. It was a fun job. Valets get to drive the world's best cars, and in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa (South Coast Plaza), there's no shortage of fabulous vehicles. The thrill of a Mercedes wears off pretty quickly, but I never tired of the Porsches.

In any case, I'm reminded of all this with the review at Popular Science, "Driven: The All-New 2012 Porsche 911" (via Instapundit).

Yep, best 911 ever. The new 991 is larger, faster, sportier, more efficient, and basically makes the last generation look as outdated as a four-button ventless suit with double-pleated pants. We loved the drive of the new version and feel it is the telos of the 911 model range. With its near-perfect blend of style, speed and technology, it's a surefire winner. Until the next all-new 911 comes out and starts the cycle anew.

Note: The video features owners taking possessing of their new cars at the El Toro Air Station in Irvine earlier this year. Saddleback Mountain can be seen at just after 1:00 minute at the clip.