Buster Archive

This morning’s White House release of President Barack Obama’s long form birth certificate will, of course, do little to derail the “birther” movement, which will now analyze the document with the kind of verve previously directed toward those Texas Air National Guard memos faxed to CBS from that Kinko’s in Abilene.

So here’s a few nutty points about the birth certificate sure to be seized upon by the nonbelievers:

• If the original document was in a bound volume (as reflected by the curvature of the left hand side of the certificate), how can the green patterned background of the document's safety paper be so seamless?

• Why, if Obama was born on August 4, 1961, was the “Date Accepted by Local Reg.” four days later on August 8, 1961?

• What is the significance of the smudges in the box containing the name of the reported attendant?

• David A. Sinclair, the M.D. who purportedly signed the document, died nearly eight years ago at age 81. So he is conveniently unavailable to answer questions about Obama’s reported birth.

• In the “This Birth” box there are two mysterious Xs above “Twin” and “Triplet.” Is there a sibling or two unaccounted for?

• What is the significance of the mysterious numbers, seen vertically, on the document’s right side?

• Finally, the “Signature of Local Registrar” in box 21 may be a desperate attempt at establishing the document’s Hawaiian authenticity. Note to forgers: It is spelled “Ukulele.”

Meet Michael Podniestrzanski.

The Florida man, 23, was arrested last night after an argument over the new HBO fantasy show “Game of Thrones” turned violent.

As will happen during shows “based on medieval times,” Podniestrzanski and his cousin “got into a verbal altercation” over which of the cable program’s characters was going to win, according to a Manatee County Sheriff’s Office report.

“Game of Thrones,” which premiered last Sunday night, is based on the first book in a series of “epic fantasy” novels written by George R.R. Martin.

With the argument between Podniestrzanski and Joshua Ross escalating, Podniestrzanski allegedly “took a swing at” his kin. After scuffling for a bit, Podniestrzanski’s cousin “ended up getting thrown in to the front window during the altercation.”

Podniestrzanski was arrested for misdemeanor domestic battery and transported to the county jail, where he is currently being held.

The McDonald’s employee who stood by and videotaped the beating of a patron at a Maryland restaurant has been fired, according to a statement released this afternoon by the franchise owner.

Vernon Hackett, 22, was canned in the face of a torrent of publicity about the brutal April 18 attack, which Hackett filmed on a cell phone and uploaded to his YouTube channel. The video has prompted widespread criticism of McDonald’s workers who did little to help the victim, Chrissy Lee Polis, a 22-year-old transgendered woman.

Mitchell McPherson, owner of the suburban Baltimore McDonald’s where the beating occurred, said today that, “the crew member who made the video is no longer employed with my organization.” He added, “Appropriate action regarding other employees will take place as warranted.”

As seen below, in Facebook messages yesterday, Hackett, pictured above, acknowledged filming the assault, denied the victim was transgendered, and claimed he had “No Hate For Anybody…No Matter Tha Gender/Race Or Sexual Preference.”

A 14-year-old girl has been charged as a juvenile in connection with the assault, while criminal charges are pending against an 18-year-old woman. Hackett--who has deleted his Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube accounts--has not replied to several TSG messages.

UPDATE: McDonald’s fires worker who videotaped brutal attack.

A McDonald’s worker has taken credit for filming and uploading to YouTube the latest viral video to capture a brutal assault at a fast food restaurant.

The employee, identified as Vernon Hackett on social network accounts, posted the video clip to his YouTube page earlier this week. According to his Facebook page, the 22-year-old Hackett, pictured at right, has worked for McDonald's since September 2009 .

The April 18 assault, seen below, took place at a McDonald’s location on Kenwood Avenue in Rosedale, Maryland, a Baltimore suburb. According to the Baltimore County Police Department, a 14-year-old girl has been charged as a juvenile in connection with the assault, while charges are pending against an 18-year-old woman. “The incident remains under investigation and the State’s Attorney’s Office is reviewing the case,” added investigators.

Police said the assault victim "appeared to be having a seizure" when officers arrived at the McDonald's at around 8 PM. The victim suffered cuts to the mouth and face during the attack and was transported by medics to Franklin Square Hospital for treatment, according to a police report (click to see page 1 and page 2).

The police report identifies the victim as 22-year-old Chrissy Lee Polis, who appears identical to Christopher Lee Polis, whose rap sheet includes convictions for disorderly conduct, property destruction, and prostitution, according to court records. The civil rights group Equality Maryland has identified the McDonald’s victim as a transgender woman.

Polis told police that she was walking to the restaurant’s bathroom when she “got into a verbal argument with two black females” who “began punching her in the face with their fists and pulling her hair.” A female bystander told cops that when she tried to break up the fight, the suspects punched her in the face, which “caused her to become disoriented.” Police noted that the woman, who declined medical treatment, had “redness around her right eye which is consistent with someone punching her in the face.” 

A manager at the Rosedale McDonald’s said she was “not allowed to speak to a reporter." In a corporate statement this afternoon, McDonald’s said it was “shocked by the video from a Baltimore franchise,” and called the incident “unacceptable, disturbing and troubling.” The firm added, “We are working with the franchisee and the local authorities to investigate this matter.”

As seen above, in a Facebook posting, Hackett contended that the woman seen getting beaten in the video was actually a man "dressed lik a woman" who got into a confrontation with female patrons when he refused to leave the women’s bathroom at the Baltimore-area eatery. Hackett claimed that the victim faked a seizure and, when cops arrived at the restaurant, “he got right up.”

In other Facebook messages sent Friday by Hackett (see below), he acknowledged filming the fight, denied the victim was transgendered, and claimed he had “No Hate For Anybody…No Matter Tha Gender/Race Or Sexual Preference.” Hackett exchanged messages with Facebook users who wrote him to express anger about the video and his gleeful play-by-play.

Hackett did not reply to TSG messages sent to his Twitter and Facebook pages, which he subsequently deleted late this morning. He also has deleted his YouTube channel.

A Pennsylvania woman hid prescription pills in a newborn baby’s diaper in an attempt to smuggle the drugs to her boyfriend locked up in a county jail, investigators allege.

Acting on a tip that Jennifer Young, 24, would try to smuggle contraband into the Delaware County lockup, guards carefully monitored her April 9 visit to inmate Randy Sanchez, who is facing a variety of felony charges and is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.

When Young handed the baby over to Sanchez, a guard spotted the inmate removing an item from the newborn’s diaper. As officers approached Sanchez, he dropped something on the floor. Guards recovered the finger of a latex glove that contained five Xanax pills and four-and-a-half Suboxone pills.

According to a criminal complaint, Young admitted that she “did pass the package to Sanchez via the baby,” adding that, “it was the second time she had done this.” Sanchez also said it “was the second time they did this,” saying that he was “using the Xanax and selling” the Suboxone, which is used to combat opiate addiction.

Young, seen in the above mug shot, was charged with drug possession and smuggling narcotics into a correctional facility. Sanchez and the unnamed minor were not charged.