Inventor sues AOL & Google, alleging racism

John Ishmel Henry of Soso, Mississippi, who invented the vibrating toilet seat, filed a lawsuit in May claiming that “he was called and depicted as a n—-r on two of the Internet service provider search engines, AOL and Google.”

Costco, the mega-box store giant, reportedly pulled thousands of “Cuddle Me” toys—black baby dolls wearing a cap with “Lil’ Monkey” on the front, next to a stuffed monkey. The set also includes a half-peeled toy banana and baby bottle. According to news reports, some parents found the whole thing racist. The Costco website shows African American, Latino and white babies with a panda. The toy is made by Brass Key; a spokesperson for that company said the offensive meaning was not “within their realm of thinking.”

“We’re dumbing down the Naval Academy,” Bruce Fleming, an academy English professor, told the Washington Post in response to the recent swearing in of the U.S. Naval Academy’s most racially diverse class ever. From its most diverse applicant pool, the number of African-American students grew from 6 to 10 percent, and Latino students from 10 to 14 percent. Fleming also complained that “We’re dumbing down the officer corps.”

Is racism the “resident evil” in some video games? “Left 4 Dead 2,” set in post-Katrina Orleans, has players fighting their way through crowds of zombies, many of whom appear to be African American. The game “Resident Evil 5” transports players to the heart of the African continent as a white person to attack zombies who are black. Then there’s “Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood,” with players as Confederate soldiers battling Union troops, but no chance to play for the other side.

What’s in a name? Sometimes, more than the creators bargained for. Gazprom, a Russian company, and Nigeria’s state-operated NNPC formed a joint oil and gas venture. They named it Nigaz (pronounced “nye-gaz”). In response, the group “Nigerians No NIgaz,” has formed on FaceBook, saying that Nigaz could be pronounced in a way that might offend black people.

‘Chia’ Obama Cut from Walgreens Walgreens removed the “Chia Obama” from its Tampa, Fla., and Chicago stores, explaining that the ceramic-plant figure of the Commander-in-Chief with a green chia Afro is “inappropriate for sale.” Walgreens spokesman Robert Elfinger told Wired.com that, “We got some complaints from people that they thought it was racist.”

Video: Old Navy Mannequin Commercial- Nudes

Video: Old Navy Mannequin Commercial- Butts

An auto shop ran a want ad for a mechanic in the Alburquerque Journal that included “no chile peelers” among the qualifications listed. James Sanistevan, the owner of the auto shop said there is nothing racist about “chile peelers,” saying that he considers it to mean “being lazy.”

Video: President Obama’s “swagga” on CNN.