Attempts @ Humor Cost a Press Secretary and an Actor Their Job

It seems that Gov. Barbour’s press secretary tries to be humorous in his morning emails, and comedian Gilbert Gottfried, the voice of the AFLAC Duck, thought it was already time for “Japan” jokes:

From RollCall:

The press secretary for Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, a potential GOP presidential candidate, has resigned following off-color jokes he made in an e-mail Friday, Barbour’s office said Monday.

Dan Turner compiled morning roundups for Barbour’s staff and “allies,” and Friday’s e-mail made light of the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan and poked fun at former Attorney General Janet Reno, Politico reported Monday.

Under the section that noted historic events that fell on March 11, Turner wrote that in 1968, “Otis Redding posthumously received a gold record for his single, ‘(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay’. (Not a big hit in Japan right now.)”

He also wrote: “In 1993: Janet Reno was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate to become the first female attorney general. (It took longer to confirm her gender than to confirm her law license.)”

It was not the first time that Turner made such jokes in the morning e-mail, Politico reported.

http://www.rollcall.com/news/-204114-1.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Aflac Inc. has fired comedian Gilbert Gottfried, the voice of the Aflac Duck, for insensitive remarks he tweeted about Japan after the major earthquake and tsunami on March 11.

Gottfried tweeted: “Japan is really advanced. They don’t go to the beach. The beach comes to them.” He also posted: “I just split up with my girlfriend, but like the Japanese say, ‘They’ll be another one floating by any minute now.”

“Gilbert’s recent comments about the crisis in Japan were lacking in humor and certainly do not represent the thoughts and feelings of anyone at Aflac,” Aflac Chief Marketing Officer Michael Zuna said in a statement. “Aflac Japan — and, by extension, Japan itself — is part of the Aflac family, and there is no place for anything but compassion and concern during these difficult times.”

Gilbert Gottfried canned as Aflac Duck voice | Atlanta Business Chronicle

From Japan, The Pictures Say It All

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1365229/Japan-earthquake-tsunami-Fears-massive-death-toll.html

Tragedy Grips the Pacific Rim: US Braces for any AfterMath of Japan’s 8.9 Earthquake & Tsunami

     The pictures and the videos basically say it all. At 2:46 PM Japan Time, an 8.9 Richter Scale earthquake shook through Japan, and in its aftermath, the tsunami affects are raging tragedy through Japan, and its thunderous waves have impacted Hawaii, and the West Coast of the US braces for the unknown.

     The tsunami wave that struck Japan was 23 feet at some points.

      The nuclear plants in Japan are being closely watched, with reports of fires on the premises. There are no reports of any leak issues, and they are being closely monitored. Cooling systems procedures are now being applied. There has also been reports of a dam breaking in Japan.

     From Los Angeles, to Orange County, to San Francisco, Oregon, and Washington State, evacuations and advisories are being implemented. Some schools and beaches have been closed. The Coast is being closely watched, with the tsunami wave being expected after 11:00 ET.

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