Open Thread ... Sweet Merciful Friday

Thanks for spending part of your day on the Open Thread, our blog's space for off-topic comments and discussion. Or -- if you've seen an interesting story somewhere else -- feel free to post links in the thread below.

Please sign your comments, and please avoid profanity, as well as racially and sexually abusive language. And when you sign your comments, please use only one nickname. I read the OT, but if you need to contact me directly, my email is jhart@kcstar.com. Thanks, and have a great day!

Comments

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Good morning, Mr. Abbott and fellow Costellos! Since the OT is for "off topic" stuff, here's a couple of items to play with your mind:

Chicago hosted "Sexpo '08" this week. Organized by a guy named Larry Goone, it featured strippers, escorts and adult retailers. Like any convention, there were goodie bags filled with stuff. The plastic bags advertised Dr. Gregory Wiener, a Chicago plastic surgeon (save $200 off breast augmentation).

In Miami, the headlines say it all:

Miami Beach commissioner pushes smoking ban at beach
A commissioner wants to ban smoking on the city's sandy beaches, saying the cigarette butts are unsightly.

Well, so are old folks in Speedos or thong bikinis, but I don't hear about them being banned.

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Ben & Jerry's apparently won't take up PETA's call for making ice cream from human breast milk. "We applaud PETA's creative approach to bring attention to an issue, but we also believe that a mother's milk is best used by a child," said Rob Michalak, a spokesperson at the company's corporate offices in South Burlington. So not even kiddie cones only?

[Keith G. in P.V.]

The Star's headline says, "Emotions run high as teen is sentenced" as a 17-year-old girl gets a year's probation with some conditions and $15,000 restitution. Question for James, who has nothing else to do but look up this stuff ;-) How does this compare with similar teenage driver sentences?

Joke of the day: The Star covers the divorce between St. Luke's Health System and UnitedHealthcare, including this quote from Janet Fulgham, vice president of human resources for Lenexa-based Gear for Sports:

"If both parties would step back and say, ‘What’s good for the patient?’ we wouldn’t be here."

Having dealt with UHC, I could hold my breath waiting for that to happen but I'd turn awfully blue.

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Man hit by truck, then ticketed for jaywalking No word on whether the driver was ticketed.

[Searching]

Good Morning Everyone!

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Goooooooood morning, Searching! How are you this lovely morning? (I'm partly to mostly cynical, myself.)

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Good heavens! Statler and Waldorf on the upcoming debates.

[The_Golfer]

Good morning Keith, Search.

Keith - some folks talk about UHC and all the problems. I have had them for like 8 years, no problems at all. None. Am I just lucky or just not filing enough claims.

I can not see St. Luke's surviving very well without UHC. Sorry, but it will hurt their bottom line MUCH worse than UHC.

[Searching]

It's Friday Keith.. I am wearing my Ok, Ok.. I am here outfit.. lets make it good and make it fast!

[Searching]

Actually, one of the things I analyze is health insurance.. and UHC is one of the least plagued with problems. When there have been problems, the results have been reported as easily solved and customer service quite reasonable.

The only real problems being chronic patients... you know too many claims coming in at once.. their set up from regular claims to claims management... you know when a nurse is assigned to negotiate costs with providers... seems to be a little slow.

[The_Golfer]

Keith - the article, to me, shows that St. Luke's is the bad guy, they are the extremely greedy ones. IMO

[JUNGLE JIM]

Good morning, CSKC.

10-Year-Old Girl Kicks Would-Be Offender In Groin.

Need I say more?

[The_Golfer]

Field Goal!!!!

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Golfer, I've had good service and bad from UHC. And I've had good service* and bad from St. Luke's. As to who is greedy, UHC's history is replete with these struggles to re-up hospitals and medical practices. In the past months, UHC has been in dispute locally with Shawnee Mission and Liberty Hospitals, as well as St. Luke's. Are you saying the hospitals all took the same "greedy" pills? There's an easier common denominator.

UHC has a reputation (deserved?) for leading the industry in driving down compensation to providers. (They also have a reputation for generally very efficient claims handling.) I prefer good health care over payment efficiency, myself, but I'm only an insured, the least considered part of the health system equation.

*Service including but not limited to medical care. The whole "experience."

[JUNGLE JIM]

How about "Police looking to arrest...
SJ Police want to find man exposing himself.

[JUNGLE JIM]

"

[Searching]

Keith, Insurance Companies.. and No, I dont work for them. Are sick and tired of paying twice as much as they have to, because the illegals and indugents use the healthcare system at their will and dont pay.

So, providers jack up the price 2x + higher to compensate for nonpayment people. That really isnt fair.. medicare compensates providers for less than half of what they are asking for their services... So, insurance is left holding the bag on the high prices... can you really blame them?

Do you know the average provider only receives 38% of what they bill out? Yeah, they are going to stick it to the insurance companies that are mandated by laws and regulations in the area.

[JUNGLE JIM]

Missouri passed a law limitting damage awards. Doctors were leaving the state because of the outragous fees. How's that working out?

[JUNGLE JIM]

School staff failed to act on alleged sexual assault. Some Rainier Beach High School staff members seriously erred last year by failing to call police after a student alleged that she had been sexually assaulted on campus, according to a Seattle Public Schools internal investigation.

In the Rainier Beach case, the girl, who is developmentally delayed, told one of her teachers and a security officer that she'd been pulled into a boy's bathroom and sexually assaulted, but neither adult called the police nor consulted with school administrators, according to the district's investigation.

[The_Golfer]

Liberty Hospital, from my one time experience there is a complete joke anyway.

But, like Search said, the hospital groups are demanding a larger piece of the pie because they are now forced to treat those without insurance. As the state run facilities are cutting back on those cases and sending them to other hospitals, mostly the ERs.

My prefered is NKC, always good, but I have seen this one taking on more under insured or no insurance patients. You can always spot them in the ER, they are the ones moaning and groaning the loudest and demanding things that have nothing to do with why they are there.

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

Twin Swedish Sisters go crazy on UK motorway!

There is also video of this incident on the site as well... mmmmm Swedish Twin Sisters.... Hot.

[JUNGLE JIM]

I had the state runs once. Imodium ADD cleared it tight up.

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

How would you like to be doused with gasoline and then have a teenage thug chase you with a lighter trying to set you on fire?

Yea, our brave lil arsonist/attempted murderer just wanted to stop the teeneager from snitching on him. Oh... He also tried to use a road flare to ignite the gasoline as well.

[JUNGLE JIM]

Sometimes, failure is a good thing.

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Searching, medical care is priced like new cars - sticker prices and sale prices, but with bigger discounts. And UHC doesn't cover the illegals and uninsured, so it's a non-issue for them. It's an issue for uninsured with assets.

My hemorrhoids bleed for the insurance companies. They're smarter than doctors. The know how to make more money. They're smarter than doctors. They know what treatments are appropriate. Instead of going to the doctor's office, I should go straight to my insurance provider for a consult.

Yes, those damage awards are rediculous. Until it's YOU they cut the wrong leg off of. What percentage of malpractice claims are settled in favor of the claimant?

[JUNGLE JIM]

Former mayor of Roy accused of theft again. The former Roy mayor who was ousted last year after police discovered a felony charge from 20 years ago is once again accused of stealing.
Kim Eldridge was charged with one count of theft in the first degree Wednesday. The new court filings allege she stole money from her homeowners association before and during the time she served as a City Council member and mayor.

According to court documents, Eldridge wrote almost $11,500 in unauthorized checks from the McKenna Meadows Homeowners Association account between 2003 and 2007.

[JUNGLE JIM]

Injured people have good lawyers on their side, and so should you?

[JUNGLE JIM]

Judge gives notorious sex offender a break. Gary Eugene Cherry left the Mason County court a "freer" man than when he walked in.

He will always be listed on the state's sex offender registry, but following this unique trial, his life just got a lot easier

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

The police may actually be quite smart in Wichita as they place stop stick in front of her back tires as they feared she'd drive off once she was woken up by the police while sleeping at a stop light.

She did take off, only to have her back tires deflate and was arrested on suspicion of DUI.

[J]

Morning all

[Keith G. in P.V.]

JJ, those Swedish twins are SMOKING hot! Speaking of which, Smoky sausage nearly stops traffic at Stockholm airport. Your story has legs (and darned nice ones, at that,) while mine doesn't. Just an overheated weiner.

[JUNGLE JIM]

That's why it's called "Kinky-naughty"...
Indecency Alleged At Public Library, Teens Targeted. A Corryville man was arrested Thursday after an incident at a Cincinnati library in which he was found within a department reserved for teenagers.

It allegedly happened around 2 p.m. at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County Main Library on Vine Street in downtown Cincinnati.

A Hamilton County Sheriff's Deputy says he saw 21-year-old William Sutherlin with his hand down his pants committing a sex act. Sutherlin was sitting in a section of the library known as the Teen Spot, which caters to young adults.

I love the smell of fresh book-binding glue in the morning.

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Eeeeeeeewe, JJ. I'm not reading anything you're publishing! LOL

Hello J and R2D2.

[JUNGLE JIM]

They look quite reserved to me, by jove.

[James Hart]

That's not glue.

Good morning, everybody!

[JUNGLE JIM]

I only publish to the 'net. So watch your keyboard.

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

Keith... You know I wouldn't miss a story about twin Swedish sisters.... ;)

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

Morning James! Whats the good word this morning?

I'm thinking.... Bailout... I'm still not for one... at all.

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Good morning, James! (My question this morning was purely rhetorical)

[JUNGLE JIM]

I'd take a bailout. If I had a boat.

[James Hart]

Keith: I'm not sure about the sentencing. I'm juggling a couple of things this morning, but if I get a free moment, will try to research.

R2: And then Washington Mutual goes under! I want things to go back to the way they were -- I don't want to have breaking news on my morning NPR update. It's very disrupting to wake up to!

[JUNGLE JIM]

It's like what happened to George Bailey, without the Frank Capra.

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

isn't JP morgan buying out Wamu? Breaking news should only come after pancakes in the morning.... It should wait until 11:30am EST like congress rushing to the hill to work on a financial bailout. ;)

[James Hart]

Re: the Waldorf and Statler editorial ...

Sometimes, when I get a really cranky email, I imagine the person writing it is actually one of those two guys.

[J]

I hope the Royals lay an egg this weekend to help out the Twins.

[JUNGLE JIM]

Teacher On Bond After Cocaine Arrest

MADISON, Wis. -- A second-grade teacher in Walworth County is free on bond after a cocaine arrest on school grounds.

Katie Lussenhop, 25, appeared in court on charges of possessing cocaine in Walworth Elementary School's parking lot.

She is free on a $5,000 signature bond.

The school administrator said the school does intensive background checks on all of its employees.

Mugshot here.

[James Hart]

J: Wait -- is there some "postseason" competition? I wouldn't know. The Royals never end up there.

R2: Yep, JP Morgan is buying them out.

[JUNGLE JIM]

Plop plop, fizz fizz...
Man relieves self at bus transfer station

[The_Golfer]

They always seem to play bad in Minneapolis, so...

But they do have one of the best September records this year...

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

Oh man.... I just read on the wash post about how Palin has stated "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq.... *facepalm*

[JUNGLE JIM]

Today is a really great day for headlines...
County Executive Worried About Drunken-Driving Problems. When it comes to alcohol consumption, Wisconsin is the worst, according to Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk.

"We're the worst state on binge drinking, the worst state on underage drinking, and the worst state for the percentage of fatalities from drunk drivers," said Falk, who on Wednesday announced a series of budget initiatives designed to help curb the county’s most intoxicating problem.

"There are 800 alcohol-related car crashes a year," said Falk. "In a county like ours, 800 a year -- 40 percent of the traffic deaths in our county -- are alcohol-related; that is just a tragedy."

[JUNGLE JIM]

If sahe says it's so, it must be so. Why would anybody declare that if it weren't true?

[JUNGLE JIM]

I meant "she", saheeb.

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Well, it's a long, long time
From May to December (isn't that when the World Series ends?)
But the days grow short
When you reach September.

Yeah, short for the Royals. They don't know what playing in October is like.

[The_Golfer]

Yeah, but they did show some promise this year.

A 12 game losing streak in May and a 7-20 August did them in. Else, .500 ball. And the Twinkies and the Sox would have each lost more games(to the Royals), so you never know.

[James Hart]

Hey, what are the details for next week's meetup? Is it Monday or Tuesday?

[Searching]

Insurance is the one that ends up taking the ultimate hit.. I by no means am an insurance company advocate.. but I do see i my trade, just how much of hit they end up taking for the hospitals and doctors, due to uninsured and indigents.. believe me, that are not getting off light.

[Keith G. in P.V.]

James,

Tuesday, Sept. 30
Bulldog (do not confuse with Bahubbahubba's)
5:30 P.M. (I think)

Patty and I may do a Bob Dylan immitation. Bring ear plugs.

[JUNGLE JIM]

Last I heard, Tues. 9/30. Bulldog. 1717 Main. 5.5ish PM.

[JUNGLE JIM]

We'll have to watch all along the watchtower.

[JUNGLE JIM]

(Note I said watch, not listen.)

[James Hart]

Searching: I feel bad for people who don't have health insurance, but it's a little annoying to see people rely on the ER as their primary care physician.

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Searching, you're going to have to do a lot of explaining to come close to convincing me the insurance companies are taking that hit. They just pass it on to me as an individual or my employer, depending on who purchases the policy. Yes, hospitals want to pass on the costs in their fees, whether insured billings or direct payments.

I think hospitals should be required to build glass dumpsters where they dispose of patients who can't or won't pay.

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

Oooh... a meetup next week? Hmmmm I may be able to arrange tuesday next week. I don't believe the GF and I have plans, so I should be able to sneak away. :)

[JUNGLE JIM]

How about "State probes real estate firm of bilking"...
Firm accused of bilking Muslims probed by state.

[Patty PV]

Good morning everyone!

Keith - billing us as doing Dylan duets may dissuade some folks from attending. Let's just surprise 'em all.

[JUNGLE JIM]

How about ...that parked in...
Teen busts cop in hadicapped spot.

Photo included of the angry young man....

[Keith G. in P.V.]

James, I agree the ER is overused as primary care. But not all of that is due to the boogyman "uninsured." I can't tell you how many times I've seen physicians send patients to the ER because the doctor can't squeeze them into their day's schedule. Do NOT get sick after lunch, you'll never get in to see a doctor that day.

Which is why drug stores are hosting/running walk-in "urgent care" clinics. The hospitals should be doing more of that in conjunction with their ERs, and with extended hours like 9 to 9, not just 9 - 5.

[Jellybean]

I didn't know you guys get together for cocktails sometimes. I'd like to join in one of these days!
Of course, as the only responsible parent of two little ones - it may be awhile before I can. (They can't hold their liquor or sing Dylan worth a darn so I won't take them to the Pub with me).

[Keith G. in P.V.]

OK, Patty. I'd tell you my lips are sealed, but you know me well enough to realize I'd explode if that were true. So I'll go to political mode and obfuscate.

Patty and I will lead a discussion about singer/songwriters and the listening experience.

[JUNGLE JIM]

Is there a text version available?

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Maybe we could do a youtube posting, JJ

[JUNGLE JIM]

Report says nurse surprised by survival of patient who got morphine. An employee at a Woodstock nursing home where six people suspiciously died marveled that a female resident was still alive after being given a potent narcotic, a state report contends.

"I can't believe she's still alive with all the morphine I've given her,'' a nurse allegedly told other employees in 2006, according to the report by the Illinois Public Health Department.

[JUNGLE JIM]

/videowebsites

UPDATE: FBI searches Lane Bryant for fresh clues. The FBI scoured Tinley Park's Lane Bryant store on Thursday, hoping to find fresh clues to solve a nearly 8-month-old murder case.

The Chicago office of the FBI has been working with the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force since a man shot dead five women and injured a sixth Feb. 2 at the women's clothing store in the Brookside Marketplace shopping center, 191st Street and Harlem Avenue.

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

Hmmm.... McCain will be "Unsuspending" his campaign on Saturday... Just in time to miss the debate. ;)

[JUNGLE JIM]

Freud says it's all your mother's fault...
Study finds women wield power at home.
SURVEY | They make more of the big decisions....

[JUNGLE JIM]

As I watched ex-#1 USC go down, I swear I saw a "suspended capaign" commercial highly critical of B. Obama.

[JUNGLE JIM]

campaign, too

[JUNGLE JIM]

Meeting with fellow elitists or letting cameras peak at your pretty puss is not campaining.

[Jellybean]

I'm just thankful that on the drive home from work Sean Hannity will explain it all to me.

[James Hart]

Keith, Patty: You mean you guys WON'T do the Hendrix version of "Watchtower"? Damn!

[Jellybean]

Hendrix occasionally enunciates a few words. It's very disconcerting.

[JUNGLE JIM]

Argo to Key Laytion...
Government probes chelation-heart disease study. The largest alternative medicine study the government has ever launched has stopped enrolling people while officials investigate whether participants were fully informed of the risks and are being adequately protected, The Associated Press has learned.

More than 1,500 heart attack survivors are involved in the research, which tests a controversial treatment called chelation. It is mainly used to treat lead poisoning.

[Keith G. in P.V.]

JJ, the first half of Oregon State - USC game was just amazing. I couldn't believe it at first.

[Keith G. in P.V.]

James, Patty has indicated I should keep our plans under wraps. But my instrumental talents are limited to electronic feedback, if that answers your question.

[James Hart]

Yes!

[Patty PV]

Just kidding Keith - I thought we might actually scare folks away if they thought we would be singing . . .

[James Hart]

Ohh ...

[Searching]

OK, why do you think that your health insurance premiums are so high.. it is the only way for them to stay in business. Why do they have to pay 100%, while Medicare pays less than 50% of the bill?

Because, they are regulated to take the hit.. I have to remind you .. I am no fan of insurance.. but they do pay most of the bills.

James, I feel somewhat sorry for the uninsured.. some cant help it.. jobs going oversees, unforseeable injuries, no long or short term disability to pay while they heal.. But the rest of the population are just a suckage from the pockets of the working man/woman. .. Even McDonalds, Waffle House and 7-11 offers healthcare coverage.. but that would mean going to work everyday.. and lets face it.. they just not going to.. I would say they just dont want to... but none of us want to... but.. we do!

[JUNGLE JIM]

Maybe they hired too many people to deny claims.

[JUNGLE JIM]

And working at 7-11 @ $5.85 per hour for 3 6 hr. shifts comes to about $105/week. After paying rent, utilities food etc. irsurance is easily affordable.

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

James... I read an article stating that those on the McCain campaign are stating that Palin isn't ready and has no clue for the debate next week.

[James Hart]

R2: Do you have a link?

[JUNGLE JIM]

Not quite a Culture Club song. Who would ever hurt a diety?
Or probe a postulated preternatural?
EX-CON HELD AS 'JESUS RAPIST'! A homeless ex-con was arrested yesterday in the brutal rape and robbery of a woman in her Brooklyn apartment building, police said.

Ralph DiMassi, 39, accosted the woman in the Bay Ridge building at 9 a.m. as she left for work on Sept. 17, cops said. DiMassi allegedly hit her with a screwdriver and dragged her to the basement, where he raped and robbed her, cops said. Then he shouted, "Jesus, forgive me." DiMassi, who was picked out of a lineup, was ratted out by a pal arrested on Staten Island for shoplifting. He fingered DiMassi for the rape, saying he "did something bad to a woman in Bay Ridge last week."

[JUNGLE JIM]

Something bad...

[Jellybean]

What do you do when you hit 60+ and you want to work, you need the insurance - but no one wants to hire you because they know it'll raise the company's premiums?
Is that when I college educated man/woman with 40 years in a white collar career goes to work for the Waffle House?

It scares the heck out of me. I'm only 40 but, 20 doesn't seem that long ago - so 60 must be just around the corner.

[JUNGLE JIM]

I get to post mermaid-related stories 2 days in a row...
'LI'L MERMAID' PLUMMET SUIT! An actor in Broadway's "The Little Mermaid" who was badly injured when he fell more than 30 feet to the show stage filed a lawsuit against producer Disney yesterday.

[Searching]

Well, if you have 40+ in a white collar job.. where did the job go? where is the 401k plan. where is your savings. If the answer is you spent it.. didnt save it.. then yeah.. if that is what you have to do to make ends meet.. then pucker up your lips and say.. "Welcome to Walmart"

What else are you going to do?

[Searching]

Youre only other choice it to give up and become a problem to your children or society. So.. take your pick.

[Searching]

People who make 105.00 a week dont pay rent or utilities and you are paying for their medicaid... and you cant make me feel sorry for them.

I worked too hard to go to school and scrimp and save my way through college to feel sorry for someone who doesnt at least try and figure out their way in this society.

[JUNGLE JIM]

Note to self: Olga Negron is not Michael Stipe...
UPDATE: Mother Of Man Killed In Taser Incident Cries Out. The NYPD has admitted violating guidelines in the use of the stun gun and punished two officers involved in the incident, but it's no consolation for the victim's grieving mother, Olga Negron.

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Opinion lede of the day? Dana Milbank in the Washington Post:

Sen. Ted Stevens, his career and his freedom in jeopardy, did the honorable thing as he went on trial yesterday on corruption-related charges. He blamed his wife.

I guess chivalry isn't what it used to be.

[Keith G. in P.V.]

James, please! I begging. No more schitzenperps stories. Please.

[James Hart]

But Keith! We still have 45 minutes before lunch!

[Jellybean]

Well, Searching, I don't think it's that difficult to end up jobless these days - No matter WHAT experience you have. Then, if you're looking for work at an age that's redflagged by insurance companies, it's going to be tough out there.
Sure, I have savings, an IRA, a 401K, some I Bonds, equity in my home, and a handful of other investments. But, it's not enough to send 2 kids to college and retire at 60. And, frankly, I think I'm doing better than most.

[JUNGLE JIM]

She's got the look...
N.Y. Bank Teller Thwarts Would-Be Robber. Police said a bank teller in suburban New York had a simple question for a would-be robber: "Are you serious?"

[JUNGLE JIM]

David Rodriguez, not Ritchie Petrie...
New Rochelle Cop Admits Sexual Conduct With Teen. police sergeant who is married to a New York City television news anchor has admitted in court that he used his authority to engage in sexual contact with a 17-year-old girl.

New Rochelle Sgt. David Rodriguez pleaded guilty Friday to official misconduct.

The defendant was not accompanied to court by his wife, Darlene Rodriguez. She appeared on WNBC-TV on Friday morning.

[Jellybean]

Wheeee! The debates are gonna happen! I'm stocked with Margarita's and I've washed my "Jimmy Carter in 80" T-Shirt. I'm ready to be informed and entertained!

[Searching]

I have the same, but when it is time to do without.. it is time to do without.. if you lose your job and the only one you can get is greeter at walmart.. well, then your kids.. too will have to bite the bullet and pay or earn their own college education...

It may be tough.. but they will be better for it. They will know what to do when times are tough.

[James Hart]

I think Jellybean and Searching both make good points. If you get fired at 50+ -- then your career opportunities can be pretty limited, unless you've got specific expertise. Even so, there's a good chance you could end up with lower pay. This is happening to more and more people. No matter how smart you are, no matter how careful you are, it can happen.

That said, I think the vast majority of people don't really budget their money as carefully as they could -- so that, when disaster finally strikes, they've got breathing room. (Doesn't sound like Jellybean is in that boat, though.)

[JUNGLE JIM]

They should have gone with Allstate...
Police: Couple Leaves Toddler At Hotel For Heist.

[James Hart]

Jellybean: It's pretty weird how excited I am to see this debate happen. I'm making chicken burritos ...

[winkyb2me]

Dinner at James' house. What time should I bring over the Chablis?

[Jellybean]

I only have savings because I'm cheap when I'm sober. ;-)

[JUNGLE JIM]

Was it Gen. Colin Powerll that said "You break it, you buy it"?
Pottery Barn worker arrested in return scam. A Hempstead man is under arrest Thursday after making what police said were "fraudulent returns" to debit cards while working as a cashier at a Pottery Barn store in Roosevelt Field in Garden City.

Nassau County Police said the total amount of fraudulent returns and "unauthorized sales discounts" attributed to Christopher Celestin, 21, of Fairview Boulevard, Hempstead, over an 11-month span amounted to more than $26,500.

[James Hart]

We'd have to rig it like a drive-through. No way is the entire Open Thread fitting into my small, though tasteful apartment!

[JUNGLE JIM]

powell

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

I'm back.. James, here's the Link. Yea, I know it's a DailyKos link, but if some really feel that way about Palin, it's not going to be pretty in the VP debates where the Gaffe machine will make her look silly and stupid.

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

I'll ahve to find the rules, but I fully intend on having a Debate Drinking game.. I'll post them in the OT once I find them all. :)

[JUNGLE JIM]

But Keith! We still have 45 minutes before lunch!
Posted by: James Hart | Friday, September 26, 2008 at 11:16 AM

But only 21 min. to move the OT back to the top....

[James Hart]

JIM: Somebody needs to hit refresh ...

[JUNGLE JIM]

And nobody can afford the gas it takes to drive around my small but tasteful waste. But that's neither here nor there. Weel, okay, it is there

[JUNGLE JIM]

.

[Jellybean]

Ted Stevens' lawyer needs JJ's "Women weilding power" survey for evidence.

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

Tsk tsk.. JJ forgot the closing Italics tag. :)

And hey, gas is dropping... Independence has it as low as 3.06 right now. :)

[Keith G. in P.V.]

R2, I bought a new 1.75 liter bottle of scotch. My rule is:
1 drink for each question
1 drink for each answer
1 drink for each rebuttal
1 drink for each obfuscation
1 drink for each bald faced lie
1 drink for each time I yell at the TV for asking a stupid question
1 drink for each time I yell at the TV for a stupid answer

I don't remember the debate the next day.

R2, don't drop gas around a cop. It will get you charged with felony assault.

[JUNGLE JIM]

I did not. I just clicked post before I was ready ;)

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

Ok... Here's a starter list, which we will add on for the drinking game.

Any time McCain says:
"my friends"
"Prisoner"
"POW"
"country first"
"bipartisan"
"judgment"
"Hanoi"
"surge"
"we're winning in iraq"
"Iran"
Mispronounces "Ahmadinejad"

----Take a shot

anytime Obama says:

"look"
"change"
"new direction"
"future"
"folks"
"whutchu lookin' at sucka?"

---take a shot

Drink and sing "Bomb Iran" to the tune of The Beach Boys "Barbara Ann" every time someone says Iran.

[Jellybean]

Glad I had Dictionary.com - There's a new word in my vocabulary as of today "obfuscation". I love it.

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

ahhh.... james, can you delete my first of the double posts. ;)

Thanks!

Also... Take a drink whenever a bald faced lie comes out. :)

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

Jellybean.... Any time I'm in a political debate with someone, Obfuscate comes up frequently... Use enough big words, you will win any argument. :)

[JUNGLE JIM]

I hear KC Parks 7 wreck is going build a park for the obfu-skaters.

[Jellybean]

I have been known to use loquatiousness to wear down an opponent.

[Searching]

Not as long as we have a computer and wikipedia.. LOL

[JUNGLE JIM]

via cincinnati.com, The Enquirer reports the following in toto...

Wrong purse prompts woman's arrest

A 48-year-old Walnut Hills woman had a fashion crisis Thursday morning when she switched purses before going to court where she was to be sentenced for possession of cocaine.

It had nothing to do with style.

Belinda Goodgame didn’t realize the purse she switched to contained crack cocaine, which resulted in her being arrested on a second charge of possession of cocaine when deputies found it when she came to court.

Goodgame explained the mix-up to Hamilton County Municipal Judge Ted Berry this morning.

Berry didn’t comment on the unusual excuse. He set bond on the charge at $2,500.

Goodgame’s sentencing in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court on the first possession charge has been postponed.

[Jellybean]

The only problem with a Friday night debate is that I'll have to wait until Monday afternoon for Sean Hannity to explain it to me - I'll go the whole weekend without knowing what my opinion should be. sigh.

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

Just listen to Wolf Blitzer.... How could a guy named Wolf not be trustworthy?

[JUNGLE JIM]

You mean American voters have to be told without making up their own minds? I'm shocked, SHOCKED!

WLWT TV5 in Cincinatti reports:

School Makes Boy Wash Off Makeup; Mom Claims Discrimination

A Butler County middle school told an eighth grade boy to wash off his black lipstick and eyeliner, and his mother said she's contacting a lawyer.

Mindy Ball is looking into possible legal action because she said the public school system in Hamilton is discriminating against her son because of his gender.

She said boys should be allowed to express themselves by wearing makeup.

Thirteen-year-old Matt Allsup said he agrees with his mother and said the makeup he wore to Garfield Middle School on Monday was nothing "extreme."

But school board Vice President George Johnson said a boy wearing lipstick is disruptive to the educational process, in violation of the district dress code.

Matt said he doesn't intend to wear makeup to school again.

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

Here's a rather funny article from that "liberal" source National Review and Kathleen Parker,a highly liberal columnist (As noted by Palin now.) Link. And writes a rather scathing bit about how Palin is clearly out of her league.

[Jellybean]

Well, yesterday Sean explained how only a jerk would debate tonight and that McCain had too much integrity for that. I just don't know what to think of today's breaking news until he gives me the "truthiness" of it this afternoon.

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Too many rules there, R2D2, and you'd actually have to pay attention. With my way, you just start drinking with the first question and keep going as long as you can.

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

Yea, but that would take the fun out of it. :)

[JUNGLE JIM]

Then McCain was for integrity before he was against it?

[Jellybean]

I prefer an "illegal smile" before a debate. Keeps me from getting cranky mid-way through.

[Jellybean]

I dunno, JJ - I can't listen to Hannity until AFTER work. I'm sure he'll explain it so we's all cin understand. I might even get a bruise from nodding my head so vehemently in agreement that I smack it on the steering wheel.

[JUNGLE JIM]

Thanks, young not-wrinkley dude...
Paris Hilton portrait shown in New York City gallery is made of porn.

"I have been known to use loquatiousness to wear down an opponent."

Posted by: Jellybean | Friday, September 26, 2008 at 12:08 PM

Jellybean, is that a new brand of baby oil? ;-)

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

Holy cow! McCain has a time machine to announce that he has already won tonight's debate! I really hope that he shares taht technology with us to let us know how the bailout plan works. ;)

[aqua]

my bad... ;-)

[JUNGLE JIM]

That only happens in Diet Pepsi Max commercials.

[JUNGLE JIM]

Only if your opponent is a baby....

[Jellybean]

Thanks Aqua, you reminded me!
Today's shopping list:
(1)Econo-size Baby Oil
(1)Large tarp or shower curtain

Thanks!

[Keith G. in P.V.]

I done fell on my butt laughing at Parks & Wrecks building something for us obfus skaters. Obfuscation is a favorite tool of political prestidigitationists. It often involves my wallet. Ventriloquism is another tool often used...stick you hand up someone else's butt and make their lips move. Like McCain says Obama.... And Obama says McCain....

[aqua]

I wonder how Obama will do without his teleprompter tonight.

The debate should be very interesting.

[JUNGLE JIM]

Brazillian proverb: Bird in hand is better than 200 in bag...
Man nabbed at airport with 200 birds in bag. Brazilian authorities detained a Portuguese man at Sao Paulo's international airport with 200 birds in his bag, police said on Thursday.

Driver with $2 million speeding fines nabbed. Transport authorities in Brazil have caught up with a speed-loving Brazilian driver who clocked up nearly $2 million in fines, local media reported.

[The_Golfer]

Fortunately I have to work this evening so I won't have to watch the deadbates. (Spelled correctly). LOL

There is ESPN, FSN, HBO, etc. These 2 will be drain on human normality.

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

Aqua... I'm sure that Obama will do quite well tonight. ;)

You know, he didn't actually suspend his campaign like McCain did so he's prepared. Of course McCain probably has been cramming lots over the past couple of days.

But at least McCain isn't going to be a coward now and drop out an dtry to weasel out of the debates.

This is a very important election.

BTW, my Mom, is a big Republican and will be voting for Obama this year. ;)

[Keith G. in P.V.]

aqua, I expect McCain to win the debate, especially if he shows up. He's already got an internet ad saying he won. If Obama uses a teleprompter well, however, he could be the next Sarah Palin celeb. He could talk about foreign policy experience looking across Lake Michigan.

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

My "revised" drinking game:

We're having 10 people total over and buying a few 12-packs of nice beer.

Teams are assigned at random, 5 people on team RED and 5 people on team BLUE.

Team RED selects 6 words. Team BLUE vetos one. Whenever Obama says one of the 5 remaining words, one person on team BLUE takes a 1 second chug.

Team BLUE does the same with the 6 words, team RED vetoes one, and drinks whenever McCain says one of the remaining 5.

EACH TEAM selects 1 word as a social word, when said by the moderator.

So far, here's my word lists that I'm trying to cut down since I don't know what team I'm on tonight.

For McCain:
Friends
Terror
Change
Senator
President
Bush
Liberal
Democrat(ic)
Economy
Bailout
Experience
Oil
Energy
Iran
Ahmadinejad

For Obama:
Um
Change
Bush
Bailout
Economy
Republican
Terror
Afghanistan
Oil
Energy

Moderator:
Opponent
Terror
Middle East
Iraq/Iran
Economy
Bailout
Oil

[JUNGLE JIM]

BREAKING NEWS ALERT!

Shots Fired Near 39th & Broadway, Standoff Ensues. Kansas City, Missouri Police are shutting down streets in the area of 39th and Broadway after shots were fired in the area. A standoff has ensued. There is at least one shooting victim. FOX 4 has a crew on the scene.

[JewwellsP]

"Well, if you have 40+ in a white collar job.. where did the job go? where is the 401k plan. where is your savings.."

Just had to comment, you just never know.
My mother had $387,000 when she went to live @ St. Mary's manor in B.S(8/2001).
In 4/2005 she moved to Little Siters of the Poor, she was out of money.
Don't kid yourself, you can save & save. When your cost's run $4-6,000/month. It doesn't take long to use it all up.

Yes insurance companies are a racket & not a drop of common sense.
example-woman 50yrs old gets mamogram in Feb. 2008. In Septemeber 2008 she feels a lump when doing her self exam. So she makes appointment @ DR.
Dr. wants her to get mamogram, insurance won't cover more than once a year. Patient has to cover.
Dr. perscribes medicine, insurance company says you don't need it.

I do agree with the billing issue, if you sign a contract for $55.00 office visit. Why does the Dr. office bill $83.50?
I experinced the same thing with St. Joe & Mast Ambulance though too. Their contract are for $$, yet they billed Blue Cross $$$$.
We currently have UHC here at my work, I hate UHC.
I spent almost 10 hours trying to get a $83.00 bill paid. All because of UHC. I have had planty of fun dealing with BC/BS over the years too though.
Common sense is not common in the insurance industry. Besides, if they are not making cash, how do they pay so many lobbyist's & politician's?
How do they sponser so many sprots teams & events?

[JUNGLE JIM]

Police seek tips fo find man's (non-leprosy-related) tips...
Valet robbed in Plaza parking garage.

[JewwellsP]

Yes, Sprots teams.. LOL

[Jellybean]

Yep - Our city has been taken over by the savages.

I'm not understanding the collage of Paris made from porn. Does that mean that he cut out dirty pictures and pasted them together to look like Paris Hilton? So if you looked close you could see nekkidness? Is that what it is? If not, what the heck is it?

[aqua]

R2, I'm glad you got the debates all figured out. I guess I don't need to watch now. If you mom is a big republican whom I'm assuming wants less government and taxes, why would she switch parties? The platforms of each party have not changed.

I'm sorry, but I am very leary of anyone who states that they are from one party but are now choosing another.

I can understand if someone wants to claim to be an independent, but to me that means they just don't want to be held accountable to their chosen party and be free to take pot shots from a sniper position.

[JUNGLE JIM]

He wasn't doing the monster "mash"...
Dance teacher sentenced in tango touching case. Tango instructor Charles Gale has received a suspended one-year jail sentence and nine months probation for misdemeanor assault in a case in which he was charged with sexually touching a dance student.

[Searching]

Obama sucks... cant you tell your mom that? Democrats want to micromanage our lives, tax the crap outta it and then take our guns and leave us defenseless... WTH?

[JUNGLE JIM]

Whatever happened to Randolph Scott, what's happened to the industry.
Men Accused Of Prostituting 15-Year-Old Online. Two men wanted by Aurora police on charges of allegedly prostituting a 15-year-old girl online were taken into custody this week, Aurora police announced Thursday.

Wesley Matthew Barbosa, 27, of Farmington, N.M., and Randolph Scott Clark, 25, of Aurora, are accused of running a child prostitution operation on the Internet. An investigation in 2007 revealed that the suspects used a popular free Web site to advertise the "services" of the girl, but after prosecutors filed 27 counts against them, they disappeared, police said.

[Searching]

Jewells situations like your mom's is exactly what government help should be for.. not any of this . I lost my job.. I'm not going to work for that much, group of people.. or the I will just keep spitting out kids and get a raise people.

Or, I am so high, I just cant function in society people.

[Searching]

Sorry, or the I just crossed the border again people!

[James Hart]

Searching, actually if you read up on the matter, Obama's plan calls for keeping tax levels the same for families making less than $250K.

[Searching]

James, come on.... where do you think the money for all those programs is going to come from.. he says onething now and then boom.. I am paying out half my paycheck so the ghetto can get a hand up.... again.

Socialized medicine would be a complete joke in this nation.. you cant even get decent help without beotching in this country even when you ARE a paying customer.

[Jellybean]

I am a strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment. But, it doesn't do me much good without the rest of my Civil Liberties - which have been suspended indefinately by the current administration.
McCain cannot win the vote of many "independents" like myself without distancing himself - way, way, way distancing himself - from the disasterous administration of the past 8 years.
And that he has not done.

[James Hart]

Actually, numerically, more white people are on welfare than blacks.

[JUNGLE JIM]

Oxnard man faces 210-year sentence for sexually abusing Cambodian girls. The young girl stood at the podium in a cavernous federal courtroom in downtown Los Angeles, 8,000 miles and a world away from her native Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

A prosecutor offered her a wooden footstool to stand on so she could better see the judge, but the girl declined.

She eyed the defendant, who had done unspeakable things to her and six other girls. He was seated just a few feet away with a smirk on his face.

The girl, 14, rocked back and forth, seeming to summon the courage to speak, and then, in a voice so faint it could barely be heard, she did.

"I don't want any other children to be like us," she told U.S. District Judge Dale S. Fischer through a translator. "Please don't allow this to happen again."

[Keith G. in P.V.]

"Obama sucks... cant you tell your mom that? Democrats want to micromanage our lives, tax the crap outta it and then take our guns and leave us defenseless... WTH?"

"McCain is a lying, cheating bastard...tell Daddy not to vote for him. Republicans want to stick their noses into our crotches, force us to worship THEIR WAY only, and piss away our money in Iraq and giving tax breaks to Hedge Fund operators."

There are good and valid points of contention on both sides of the aisle. Or you can close your brain and use one of the above.

[JUNGLE JIM]

Man sues police over beating he says caused brain damage. A Huntington Beach man is suing the city's police department alleging that officers beat him, causing permanent brain damage.

The lawsuit states that officers pulled Stephen McDaid's car over at midnight on April 8, 2007 in downtown Huntington Beach. Officer Z. Pricer began to swear at 41-year-old McDaid and told him to get out of the car, the suit said.

McDaid alleges that officers wanted revenge because he had insulted Pricer weeks earlier, saying the officer needed training in compassion for the elderly. No further information was given in the suit about that previous meeting.

[Searching]

And what are the percentages on that james? What percentage of blacks are on welfare? What percentage of whites.. and let's make it good for the conversation.. lets say between the ages 20-55.. working age....

[James Hart]

Searching: I'll grant you the point about the higher percentages. But if you're going to complain about providing welfare, you can't blame it all on one race.

[Jellybean]

I grew up in the hills and hollers of SE Missouri (near the bootheel) There were no blacks, no hispanics, no beige, no yellow, nothing but pearly white folks. And LOTS of welfare.
And ironically enough, they were bigots. I have no idea what those imbred hillbillies thought they were looking down on - but they were total bigots.

[Searching]

keith.. there are .. which is why I am studying up on the other candidates.. Whether or not they win.. I will not be party to a win on either party.

Until America votes in someone from another party, dems and rep will do as they damn well please because no matter what.. they got a 50/50 shot at the presidency.

Aqua... My mom is a life long republican... But because of policies that have invaded the Republican party over the years, she hasn't voted republican in a presidential election since 1984.

In 1986 when the farm crisis hit, it nearly destroyed the lives my parents had at that point when many farmers went from being worth over a million or two, to bankrupt. My parents fell into the bankrupt category and had to sell off most everything they owned just to pay off debts and were lucky to get out without owing anything, but no longer had the equipment or land to farm on and they had to go back to working hard in the middle class.

Sure, they worked themselves back up to being wealthy again, but at no help from the Republicans. When Clinton took office in the 90's, my parents began to succeed again instead of just scraping by.

The college funds that they had for myself and my brothers in the 80's were gone, due to policies by Reagan and really paid attention to the policies and what they'd do for them. The democrats have been on their side far more often then the republican's have. The stocks that my parents have gained over the years have slide considerably over the past 7 years under Bush and do not want to see them continue.

She's not switching parties, because she does believe in the core values they have... But they haven't expressed them for a very long time now, republican politicians are not true republic