Fun_People Archive
10 Apr
WhiteBoardness - 4/9/98

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From: Peter Langston <psl>
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 98 15:18:29 -0700
To: Fun_People
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Subject: WhiteBoardness - 4/9/98

X-Lib-of-Cong-ISSN: 1098-7649
Excerpted-from: WhiteBoard News for Thursday, April 09, 1998

Boston, Massachusetts:

The IRS claims Graham Knowland hasn't paid his 1996 taxes. The 45-year-old
state employee insists that he has - and even offers the canceled check to
the IRS to prove it.

Tough, the IRS says.

The Internal Revenue Service has labeled Knowland a tax evader even though
he's shown the agency the check he wrote for $2,600.

"This really floored me," Knowland said. "I have paid this tax in good
faith, the government deposited my check and has now lost the money."

IRS spokeswoman Diane Stackhouse confirmed that her agency received
Knowland's $2,600 check and deposited it at Mellon Bank. But she said that
Knowland's financial institution, BankBoston, "paid it out to someone else."

BankBoston spokesperson Bruce Spitzer said HIS records show the check went
to Mellon and was cashed. It would be beyond BankBoston's control, he said,
if Mellon failed to put the money in the IRS account.

Still, the IRS is holding Knowland responsible for getting to the bottom of
the mess.

"I asked the woman from the IRS, `You want me to find the money?"' he said,
"and she replied, `Yes, that's about it."

Mellon Bank officials said they didn't have enough information to comment
Monday on the missing money.

Knowland said he hoped things are sorted out by tax day, April 15.
==========

Harare, Zimbabwe:

Zimbabwean women donned miniskirts and took to the streets of Harare on
Tuesday to protest against sexual harassment.

About 100 women participated in the march, which was organized after an
incident two weeks ago in parliament in which a male MP intimidated a female
counterpart and had to be prevented from assaulting her.

"Not only is the Zimbabwean society plagued with a high incidence of gender
violence in the home, the workplace, the streets, but violence has entered
our most respected and highly esteemed institutions, our parliament," said
Selina Mumbengegwi, head of the Women's Action Group.

A fellow MP had to physically restrain MP Solomon Mujuru, a former army
chief and a hero of Zimbabwe's war of independence, from punching outspoken
MP Margaret Dongo following a verbal slinging match in the house.

In several recent incidents, young women in miniskirts and tight-fitting
slacks have been stripped and sometimes assaulted by young men at busy bus
stations.

Zimbabwean men say they prefer traditional dress, but the women's movement
argues that traditionally women simply wore loin cloths or nothing at all.
===========

Los Angeles, California:

Gasps were heard at the press screening of Kevin Bacon's latest film, "Wild
Things," when he emerged nude in a shower scene. The thing is, his full
frontal nude was by accident. Blame it all on his co-star Matt Dillon.

The scene was supposedly the best of the takes of that particular shot, in
which Dillon was supposed to have blocked Bacon's private parts. Editors
said it was the best scene though, and Bacon left it in.

"My contract says no frontal nudity, but I was also executive producer,"
Bacon jokes. "I'll have to sue myself."

© 1998 Peter Langston