People I Hate

Due to this week's jocularity surrounding the 100,000th visitor, PIH is a day late. Luckily for me, two of the year's biggest local stories came out today. Goody for me! Enjoy!

The Idiots Running Wimbledon

Personally, I think this chick should get a standing ovation instead of curled lips:

LONDON (Reuters) - Wimbledon is getting its knickers in a twist. Tatiana Golovin had the Wimbledon referee reaching for his rule book when she sought to appear on court wearing red underwear. Was she violating the "predominantly white" dress code laid down by the tournament that is such a stickler for sartorial etiquette?

Explaining the decision, a Wimbledon spokesman said on Thursday: "They were cleared with the referee in advance by the player. On the basis that they are underwear, they do not have to conform to the predominantly white rule.

Jesus H. Christ! What's the big deal? The underwear was red! it's not like it was yellow or brown!

Philadelphia Mayor John F - the electorate - Street

Yeah, I know this piece of crap is a regular here, but today he finally went over the top of the Bile-o-Meter. Check this out, and try not to suffer a brain aneurysm while you read it.

And so it goes for Mayor John Street in his quest for an Apple iPhone, which he said he plans to buy with his own money. After sitting and standing in line since 3:30 a.m., waiting for the device to go on sale at 6 p.m. today at an AT&T store, he responded to critics who lambasted him for wasting city time.

Just before his remarks, 22-year-old city activist Larry West of Mount Airy confronted the mayor.

"How can you sit here with 200 murders in the city already?" West asked.

Street announced: "I'm doing my job."

Can you imagine the wontons on this guy? In the midst of 202 (and rising) homicides, this tool is sitting outside in the rain - for over twelve hours - like some geek waiting for tickets to Star Wars: Episode VII. Naturally, this story made national news, and as usual, my city was portrayed in a less than positive light. January cannot come soon enough for this piece of filth. He is easily the worst mayor in Philadelphia's history.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson

You know, I could tolerate the fact that he nominated and aggressively backed his aide for one of the most prestigious awards in the department. She won, despite the fact she had no business even being nominated. I could also tolerate the fact that after the expected uproar from the front line troops - his front line troops - he called the officers "the most idiotic people in the world." But this I cannot tolerate.

Sylvester Johnson has proudly proclaimed that he is leaving the department in January. Since that announcement, he has become more of a lame duck that Street. Of course, the local media still fawns over him, especially in today's fluff piece in The Philadelphia Daily News. However, if you can crawl out from under the sunshine and lollipops during the author's ride-along with Johnson, two things immediately stand out.

During the ride-along, the author penned this interesting little tidbit:

With "Soul Street," XM Radio's old-school R-&-B station, on mute, Johnson drove Car One down Cumberland Street.

Who exactly is paying for XM Satellite Radio in the police commissioner's city vehicle? And while we're at it, why is the commish listening to "Soul Street" when he should be listening to the police radio?

A short while later, Johnson revealed that he is breaking the law:

Johnson calls his 10 grandchildren his "best buddies." Whenever he can, they gather at his 4,200- square-foot home in Bear, Del., that he shares with his wife. He spends weeknights at his apartment in Essington.

Is Johnson breaking the law? Because Philadelphia has a Residency Law for its city workers. And it has been challenged, all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court . . .

Philadelphia municipal regulation requiring city employees to be residents of the city held to be constitutional as a bona fide continuing residence requirement and not to violate the right of interstate travel of appellant, whose employment as a city fireman was terminated under the regulation because he moved his residence from Philadelphia to New Jersey.

After 16 years of service, appellant's employment in the Philadelphia Fire Department was terminated because he moved his permanent residence from Philadelphia to New Jersey in contravention of a municipal regulation requiring employees of the city of Philadelphia to be residents of the city.

Mr. McCarthy lost his battle. Since then, all Philadelphia city workers have been required to live inside the city limits. Many others have tried (and failed) to challenge the law, while countless others have been fired after they were found to have residences outside the city.

But wait, Wyatt! How can the commissioner reside in Bear, Delaware while working as the city's top cop?

That's what I would like to know. Unfortunately, since Simone Weichselbaum didn't bother to ask any follow-up questions, we may never know. I can tell you one thing: if I told a reporter that my family gathered at my home in Sea Isle City, New Jersey, I would be fired the next day.