MetaFilter posts tagged with scandals

The Chuck E. Cheese Ouroboros

batmonkey — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 19:33:36 -0800

In 1977, Nolan Bushnell allowed Gene Landrum to bring Chuck E. Cheese [yt] to life as a family-friendly access point to Atari games. This, perhaps, explains the pizza. During a search for a unique attraction, Bushnell offended Aaron Fletcher. They then lost a potential major investor, Bob Brock, who was more impressed by Fechter's animatronic wizardry - or put off by the mascot: a giant rat [yt]. Brock instead created the competition, Showbiz Pizza Place*, which would soon surpass and absorb Chuck E. Cheese...by uniformly converting into CEC restaurants or closing completely. The ascendancy of the rat [.pdf] hasn't been without challenges and scandals, though. The effects of alcohol on adults and the child-filled environment have proven to be a contentious combination [nws; yt], leading to some changes and criticism**. While the germ issue may be overblown, it's true that the toys aren't the safest. Skeeball might lead to video poker. Chuck might be pro-military. The food [yt; 1:03] isn't the healthiest. And, most worrisomely, their Child Check program doesn't always work. Probably no killer gnats, though. And at least the condoms are unused. Despite bitter [nws], sometimes even frothing [nws], post-childhood assessments [nws] by the disillusioned and jaded, CEC/SPP [yt] speculation, collecting, monetisation, and inspiration*** abound. Some wonder [nws] if there's anything in it for the legendarily* disaffected [yt], long-suffering [yt] employees...beyond the shenanigans of their infamous, self-important, clueless and sometimes plain ol' famous patrons. Selling tokens to the nostalgic, maybe? It's surely not Chuck. Maybe General Tommy Franks (yes, that one) can turn it around. How the rat will come off in Leonardo DiCaprio's upcoming film is uncertain, but it looks like Gene will be just fine, regardless. [previously: *SPP/RAE post; **WSJ CEC violence article; ***Aaron Fletcher & Chris Thrash (update); Clapton @ CEC; shifting demographics?]

Van Doren Gives Answers

Knappster — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:22:11 -0800

When I stepped out the door of the caucus room, I saw a large crowd—members of the press, photographers, and bystanders. I realized that there was no way to avoid repeating my testimony. I was, I said, “foolish, naïve, prideful, and avaricious,” and added, “I have deceived my friends, and I had millions of them.” Charles Van Doren breaks his silence on the cheating scandal that inspired the movie Quiz Show.

The fierce urgency of cashing out now.

markkraft — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 18:42:53 -0800

Payback is a b*tch. Former presidential scandal Gennifer Flowers is putting the tapes of her recorded conversations with Bill Clinton -- which she was previously offered $5 million for -- up on the auction block. Asked about the timing of her announcement, she said “I don’t need to hurt Hillary. She is doing a fine job of that herself, along with her idiot husband. Karma is an interesting thing. If these two don’t get elected, and they are a team, it will be karma coming back to visit them. It's about time."

Diebold is dead. Sorta.

mathowie — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 23:57:04 -0800

Diebold Election Systems is no more (at least in name). Taking a page from the cigarette companies, Diebold is changing their name and hoping to reverse the downward spiral after their recent news.

The Illustrated Guide to GOP Scandals

trinarian — Mon, 14 May 2007 04:16:41 -0800

The Illustrated Guide to GOP Scandals

Wikitruth, wikidare, wikikiss...

PeterMcDermott — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 04:57:47 -0800

What is a wikipedian? Every so often a Wikipedian comes to their senses, sees a problem with the way things are operating, and tries to do something about it. Tired of seeing articles carelessly deleted, censored, and then cherry picked as to what is "encyclopedic enough", several Wikipedia members formed "Wikipedians against censorship".

Republican Mayor accused of gay sexual misconduct

Ignition — Sat, 07 May 2005 20:59:46 -0800

KXLY News 4 Mayor Jim West of Spokane Washington has been accused of sexual abuse of a male child. Mayor West announced in the local Spokesman Review newpaper that he plans on staying on as Mayor.

Larry Who-vis?

pieoverdone — Thu, 23 Sep 2004 10:41:43 -0800

Marisleysis will do your nails, Joey's back in prison while Amy sells crafts, and Gennifer is in Boobs! The Musical!

Busy busy busy, like bees

troutfishing — Tue, 23 Mar 2004 22:43:14 -0800

major ongoing scandals - a list "there have been an amazing number of investigations of Republicans since Bush took office, some of which directly involve the White House." Is this, in fact, an unusually long roster of scandals as compared to the scandal tallies of past presidential administrations?

Gimme that list!

CrazyJub — Thu, 17 Jul 2003 14:57:13 -0800

The other shoe is dropping for the Bush administration. Yes it's old news, but relevant to recent events. Cheney ordered to name members of energy panel. Ken Lay, pack your bags!

Female Victims of Church Abuse speak up.

grimley — Fri, 13 Dec 2002 06:23:38 -0800

Female Victims of Church Scandals Speak. With all the news of Cardinal Law resigning, and the church trying to oust homosexuals from their ranks, I thought this article about the under-reporting of female victims of the scandal was timely.

mark13 — Sat, 03 Aug 2002 13:45:49 -0800

Worldcom staffers to enjoy all expenses paid cruise. Isn't that nice! You've just contributed to the biggest bankruptcy in U.S. history! What are you going to do now? Eat filet mignon and caviar!

owillis — Mon, 08 Jul 2002 13:49:43 -0800

The 'Gate-less Community "But something changed when George W. Bush became president. The current administration has not lacked questionable behavior: Karl Rove met with Intel executives in the White House even as he held a significant amount of Intel stock; Deputy Interior Secretary J. Stephen Griles, a former coal-industry lobbyist, intervened in an energy-exploration dispute on behalf of former clients; Dick Cheney met repeatedly with energy company officials who appear to have had a strong hand in formulating the administration's energy policy; and, of course, there is White. Yet each retains his job. Eighteen months into Bush's term, his only appointee to resign under a cloud is Michael Parker, the former civilian chief of the Army Corps of Engineers, and not over allegations of corruption, but for what this administration views as the one true deadly sin: disloyalty. (Parker publicly criticized the president's budget.) By contrast, two years into the Clinton administration, 10 political appointees had resigned; under the elder Bush, eight; under Reagan, 13. What has changed isn't so much the conduct of officials, but the standards by which they're judged. The "new tone" that George W. Bush brought to Washington isn't one of integrity, but of permissiveness."

sheauga — Sat, 29 Jun 2002 08:35:05 -0800

"Corporate sleaze carves into our trust," says Dan Gilmore of the San Jose Mercury News. Sheer greed, not CIA meddling, may indeed be the motive. NameBase investigates the social networks of these perps in Lies, Damned Lies, and Enron. "It appears that unlike the BCCI scandal, there are no major spook connections with Enron. What we have here, apparently, is an assortment of talented wheelin', dealin', cheatin' Texas oil cowboys. "

Ty Webb — Fri, 28 Jun 2002 10:02:33 -0800

Angered Bush to Give Speech on Corporate Reforms. Bush will devote his Saturday radio address to the subject of corporate responsibility and will travel to New York on July 9 to stress the need for better governing at the top level of American businesses.

muppetboy — Tue, 25 Jun 2002 18:30:33 -0800

How many more accounting scandals to go? A recent show "Bigger than Enron" on Frontline leads me to wonder, "How MUCH bigger than Enron?" Responses from viewers on that website include a number of accountants for big firms that insist that these practices are everyday business in accounting and that we have a lot more of this coming. Are we actually in the middle of the biggest market crash since 1929? What do you think? Just how bad could it get?

Ty Webb — Fri, 21 Jun 2002 09:35:46 -0800

Bigger than Enron. Why the largest business scandal in American history is just the tip of the iceberg--and why investors should care. PBS Frontline aired this expose of the Enron/Anderson scandal last night. Included in the report were details of how deregulatory fervor in Congress enabled these sheisters to invent profits out of thin air.

cell divide — Wed, 20 Mar 2002 10:38:25 -0800

God Changes Everything Let's say there was a school system or a chain of clinics on whose professional staff were a certain number of men who molested the children in their care and who, whenever this behavior came to the attention of their superiors, were shifted to another school or clinic, with parents and colleagues, not to mention the justice system, kept in the dark whenever possible...

Ty Webb — Tue, 22 Jan 2002 12:24:28 -0800

Crime in the Suites. William Greider claims that the Enron collapse demonstrates the failure of market orthodoxy.

busbyism — Thu, 17 Jan 2002 10:56:37 -0800

Bush approval ratings in low 80's; "disapproves" rising. Is the growing Enron debacle catching up with George W.? The president's job approval ratings, once above 90%, are now threatening to fall below 80%, while his disapproves are at their highest since 9/11.

By any measure, his numbers are still good--but they do seem to be heading south. Is this temporary? Or is it the anticipated post-attack "correction," as Franzen might say?

pmurray63 — Thu, 10 Jan 2002 08:33:07 -0800

The editor of CBS Marketwatch predicts that Enron is not Bush's Whitewater; it's worse. "Don't expect to see either Bush or Vice President Cheney directly linked to the financial shenanigans that brought Enron down. They won't be.... Enron won't bring down Bush.... But it will be a major thorn in his side through the rest of this presidential term, and it might even play a role in the next election, depending on what comes out." (via Drudge)

heybate — Fri, 14 Dec 2001 09:13:32 -0800

Can things at Notre Dame football get any worse? '"Due to a selfish and thoughtless act many years ago, I have personally embarrassed Notre Dame, its alumni and fans," O'Leary said in a statement released by the school Friday.' Oops.