Open Thread ... July Fourth Weekend

Welcome back to the Open Thread, our blog's space for off-topic comments and discussion. If you've seen an interesting story somewhere else, feel free to post a link below.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Because of the holiday weekend, posting will probably be light to nonexistent. I'll try to pop in when I can and answer email, but we'll probably just use this thread as the OT for the entire weekend. Have a good weekend, everyone!

As always, please follow our standard rules: 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. If you need to reach me, send an email to jhart@kcstar.com.  Thanks again, and have a great day!

Image via icanhascheezburger.com!

Comments

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Good morning, Mr. Abbott and fellow Costellos!

Let's start the morning with a little sex. Teacher sends her 5th grade students home with a class retrospective DVD...and 6 seconds of the teacher copulating on the couch.

The Michael Jackson insanity continues as police procedures at the scene now come into question. Why wasn't the scene sealed? Why were moving vans allowed in? Why are the public and the media so obsessed?

[JUNGLE JIM]

Good morning, Keith.

If you don't get help at 2 Bunnies Psychiatric, get help somewhere...
UPDATE: Oregon woman obsessed with rabbits back in jail. An Oregon woman obsessed with bunnies has been ordered back behind bars after police found her in a hotel room with more than a dozen rabbits.

Washington County Circuit Judge Gayle Nachtigal ruled Thursday that 47-year-old Miriam Sakewitz violated her probation by having the rabbits. The judge sentenced the woman to 90 days in the county jail.

Washington County probation officer Bob Severe said Sakewitz had undergone a court-ordered mental evaluation but that no treatment was recommended.

[JUNGLE JIM]

Giving her the "gift" of love...
I 'was doing her a favor,' Fla. resort worker charged with sexual assault tells police. A 22-year-old Club Med employee accused of raping a vacationing woman last week was arrested after the victim, who was bleeding and bruised, was taken to a hospital, according to an affidavit released Wednesday.

Arrested on a charge of felony sexual battery with great bodily harm, Brandon Charles Wester denied forcing the 41-year-old victim to have sex, saying he thought he was "doing her a favor," the affidavit states.

Wester several times told police he thought he was "doing her a favor," before asking for an attorney. (<<

[Moral City USA]

Did everyone see that nice piece of sex sensationalism on Fox4News last night about the "Cyber Sex Trade in Overland Park"?

They interviewed a "former prostitute" (she is no longer a person) who first said how much money she made and how easy it was to post an ad. She went to the library took 10 minutes to develop and ad and the phone was "ringing 15 minutes later"

Later she said 90% of the girls work for someone else. WHAT? That does not connect. She posted the ad herself.

They went on to do some man bashing saying the Johns were married men "who just wanted to do something behind their wife's back". The women who willingly do this were "victims".

In the end, this was all about TV news ratings. Something to use sex for attraction. I am guessing that Fox News sold sex on a larger scale than anyone over this deal

[Tam]

Morning all.

I drew the short straw and had to come in for a half day today...boo freakin' hoo.

[James Hart]

Morning, everybody! My prayers are with those poor souls stuck at work today!

[Tam]

Yeah, thanks alot James. I can feel the outpouring of sympathy! It's oozing outta your pores...

; )

[James Hart]

No, no -- that's Kahlua.

[Tam]

Oh you DAWG. I could have gone all day without reading that. My mouth is watering...

I'm thinking Bailey's in my coffee this morning would have been good. ; )

[James Hart]

When I was in college, I was working at the student newspaper one day -- a weekend, I think -- and the girls in the yearbook office were really giggly. Turns out, they had travel mugs full of mudslides. Which probably made THEIR workday fly.

[Tam]

Oh, I'm sure of it. LOL

[James Hart]

Well, I'm going to check out for a while. I hope you have a good Fourth, Tam!

[Tam]

You too, James.

[John Boy]

Stuck at work. That would be me. Until 11:30 tonight, and again tomorrow. Oh well, at double time and a half, I wont cry. (Until payday, and Obama cleans out my pay envelope)
Thats part of being a contractor. Gotta work when the gubbamint wont.

[Tam]

That sucks JB, real bad.

But if your office has windows maybe you can catch some fireworks tonight.

[Keith G. in P.V.]

On the plus side, JB, it's a living! I inaugurated my day off...with 6 loads of laundry. I don't need a wife, I need a laundress. I still have to match socks, which to me is equal to waterboarding. It IS torture.

[John Boy]

No windows (Only on my pc..lol)...walls all around. But, I can go outside, or to the break room, which does have windows. Actually, there IS a window in my area, but all I can see is servers, wiring, etc. No outside windows. But, hey, the double time and a half will come in handy. I knew what I was getting in to when I signed on as a contractor, so I cant complain.

[John Boy]

At work now. Boy, James wasnt kidding about posting being light. But it figures. Wife's sister and her boy friend just came through last night, left this morning on their way to the lake. (of the Ozarka bottled water..lol)

[Keith G. in P.V.]

LOL@John Boy. I wouldn't drink anything out of the Ozarks...too little modern plumbing. I only buy premium Fiji Water, 4 bottles a year. Once a year. Then refill them at the sink at home.

Not criminal: Palin resigns as Governor. Speculation will be rampant over the coming weeks as to why. It won't knock MJ off the front pages, though.

[Patty PV]

Keith, read the latest Vanity Fair. I think she read it, and decided she'd show us who he boss of her is. Her predicted strategy is to build up her base nationally so she can make a run in 2012. But as the article pointed out, she has few people in her camp willing to tell her like it is. We'll see what happens as time goes by.

In her announcement today, she referred to people making mean comments about Trig, her baby with Downs' syndrome. What was that all about? I know there have been tasteless jokes about her daughter, but haven't heard one about her son.

[Patty PV]

I meant, who THE boss of her is. Not sure that was Freudian . . .

John Boy, sorry you are stuck at work today. I slept in really late, until 10:00 am, which I never, ever do. It was ridiculous. But, there were a couple nights last week when I simply couldn't sleep, and I think it all caught up with me.

Tomorrow I hope the weather lets me get up and do some weeding. The flagstone patio is done, and now we have the landscaping bricks to get and finish up. Don't know if that will all happen this weekend or not.

[James Hart]

I'm really surprised Palin is resigning. I've read some pundits who think she is preparing for a national run this way -- it frees her to travel more and do fund-raising -- but I think it's probably going to cripple her, if that really is her strategy. She's only served two years and six months as governor, a first-termer.

I suspect she's probably trying to focus more on her family. It sounds like they're dealing with some big stuff (teenage mom, special-needs kiddo who's maybe a year old) that needs to be handled out of the public spotlight.

[Patty PV]

James, you have a point, but - time will tell.

She made the point of saying the world needed more Trigs, not fewer. I really think she will concentrate on public speaking events in small-town America, amongst people who embrace her message, to prove she has staying power.

[Keith G. in P.V.]

I know there's always a desire to tie a local someone or something to a national story. The Star tried today in FYI with these brief paragraphs:

On that day in Hollywood, there he stood, just a few feet away from Hanis.

“No one was allowed to talk to him, really,” she recalls.

She was just happy to breathe the same rarefied air.

It had fallen to her to write the official proclamation for the day: “Today we declare Michael Jackson as King of Pop in Hollywood.”

Yes, in 1993, Kathy Hanis of Westwood breathed air rarified by Michael Jackson as they read her writing: “Today we declare Michael Jackson as King of Pop in Hollywood.” Maybe the Star should have hired her instead of Ernest Hemingway.

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

James... Here's a conspiracy theory for you on why Palin resigned hastily today. She's about to be served federal charges for embezzlement. You heard it here first. :)

The reason why I say that and why it's not her making a national run for office (which I originally thought) is because of how poorly her speech was. You would think someone with national plans would have had a speechwriter come up with a great speech for her. This one seemed quckly slapped together as if it were done in a rush. I would think that someone quitting to focus on a national run would have known when she was quitting and would have had a speech prepared well in advance.

[Patty PV]

R2 - interesting. I thought she had done this quickly with few people there to make a point - but - she was poorly spoken, and she spoke too fast, and was clearly unrehearsed. She has able to speak well in the past, if not interview well, and on this occasion of all occasions, you think she would make sure it was a good speech. But, if you're right, what was embezzled? And if that were the case, why didn't she bow out quietly?

[James Hart]

I've learned not to question R2's abilities as a news forecaster ...

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Maybe she feels she's losing leadership on the family values issue. Rather than having an affair, she's resigning and hoping to focus on national issues like coastal security and foreign relations with Canada and Russia.

[Patty PV]

This time he might be accurate . . . of course, there have been false rumors about this family before. HOWever . . .

Expect the situation to get ugly fast.

And that’s the latest news on the federal indictments in the Sarah Palin embezzlement scandal.

The embezzlement scandal involves the massive, $12.5 million sports complex that Sarah Palin pushed through during her last term as Mayor in Wasilla. Federal investigators believe the price of the sports complex was inflated to provide free building materials and labor for the Palin home being constructed nearby.

The sports complex’s contractors and architect have strong links and ties to Palin. Spenard Building Supplies was one - they are the largest building supply company in Alaska - and they also supplied labor & materials for the Palin’s home being built at the same time on nearby Lake Lucille.

Spenard Building Supplies was also the supplier and contractor for ex-Senator Ted Stevens cabin. This one building supply company was in bed with Palin, Stevens, the Wasilla sports complex, and is also a major financial contributor to Palin.

The sports complex was being constructed at the very same time as the Palin’s home and at one point Spenard filed a contractor’s lien for labor and materials on the home. Both structures, it is said, feature the “same windows, same wood, same products.”

Todd Palin told reporters during the presidential election that he built the two-story, 3,500 square-foot, four-bedroom, four-bath, two-story wood house by himself, with the help of contractors he described as “buddies.”

Federal investigators have been looking into this since last October and now indictments on charges of public corruption and embezzlement are imminent.

It appears that the construction of Palin’s home may have been some sort of quid pro quo arrangement for the massive influx of money from the Wasilla Sports Complex project into the building supply company.

Sarah Palin was then running for Lieutenant Governor, a major step-up position that could further reward those contributing to her campaign, particularly those that were involved with the Wasilla sports complex and the mysteriously inexpensive construction of Sarah Palin’s palatial cabin on pristine Lake Lucille.

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

Like I said, I have no evidence or facts. I would imagine it would go back to her house that was built in 2002 and the freebies they got from the contractor who built the sports arena there that also happened to be Todd's friends.

This is just speculation, but nothing else really adds up to me on this with Sarah and her sudden resignation. With how rushed it is, I would wonder if we'll hear something as early as next week on it.

Keith, I must be tired because I can't tell if you are being serious or sarcastic. :)

Also, I would think that if she were quitting due to focusing on her family, she would have done that long ago when Trig was an infant. I'm sure that would have been the most difficult stage for her to take care of Trig that young. Then again, she did have a nanny and others helping to care for him as well.

I just have a gut feeling that there is something fishy going on and that it's trouble with the law barking up that pitbull's skirt.

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

uh oh, I think you forgot to close a tag there Patty. :)

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

Well, I tried to close the Italics tag. :) Guess James will have to fix it. :P

[Patty PV]

Sorry guys! The italics are is gone from my screen . . . and I did close the tag, but this has happened once before. Woe is me.

I've seen the pictures of the supposedly palatial house at Lake Lucille, and it's really not all that impressive. At best, it looks like a run-of-the-mill Alaskan fishing camp. You'd think if it fell off the back of a truck, so to speak, it would look lots better than that.

While she was mayor, she made sure there was no record of the contractors involved in building the house. You can bet they stick with the story that hubby Todd built it with some buddies. You betcha.

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

You betcha, don'tcha know!

[Patty PV]

Goodnight all - we'll see what the weekend news cycle devotes to all this. There is the separate issue of Keith Olbermann publicizing emails about Todd Palin's membership in AIP, as well. And the Vanity Fair article brought up issues about Sarah's lack of ethics. It could be that all the chickens have come home to roost on the same holiday weekend.

Happy Friday!

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Good morning, Mr. Abbott and fellow Costellos. Happy 4th of July. Let's not forget the day and the reason.

R2D2, when in doubt you're safe assuming I'm being reasonably sarcastic.

Patty, the chickens has come home to roost in my 'fridge, soaking in buttermilk. I'm frying chicken later today.

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Weird crime? Spontaneous combustion? Galveston police are stumped as 30 palm trees burn in 60 days. Maybe it's revenge for the city's Hurricane Ike-damaged tree removal program.

I can hear Glen Campbell singing

Galveston, oh Galveston
I can see your palm trees burning

[JUNGLE JIM]

I can see your butter churning
I can see yoour students earning in the sun
At Galveston, at Galveston...

[JUNGLE JIM]

A tribute to America in words and pictures...

Jose can you sea by the Don's early light

[JUNGLE JIM]

What so proudly we hailed at the twilights' last gleaming?

[JUNGLE JIM]

Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilious fight

[JUNGLE JIM]

Oar the ramparts we watched were gallantly streaming?

[JUNGLE JIM]

And the rocket's red glare the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

[JUNGLE JIM]

Oh, say, does that star spangled banner yet wave o'er the land of the fee and the home of the brave?

[JUNGLE JIM]

State high court: Juvenile crimes are 'strikes'. A judge can sentence an adult felon to life in prison under California's "three strikes" law because of past convictions in juvenile court, where there are no jury trials, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

UPDATE: Sevier County prosecutors drop rape, kidnap charges. She claimed rape. He claimed fantasy.

The pizza guy didn't know better, and authorities ruled it too close to call.

Sevier County prosecutors on Thursday dropped charges against a software engineer accused of kidnapping an Atlanta stripper from a jog and raping her at a rental cabin outside Gatlinburg.

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Jungle Jim, that is BEAUTIFUL! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[Patty PV]

Excellent, JJ! Thank you!

Keith, I love fried chicken - my mom made the best fried chicken in the world, and on birthdays when she asked "What would you like me to fix for your dinner?" I always said fried chicken! But, I never learned how to do that, and can only do it right if I fry it in the pressure cooker.

Tonight we're going to smoke some chicken, and ribs. My beloved read Garrison Keillor's column today, so we're going to the store to get potatoes to make potato salad.

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Patty, I've never been consistent with my fried chicken. It's always been fairly decent fresh from the pan; sometimes alright cold, other times soggy and greasy and lousy.

I'm trying a melding of several recipes today. Brined, then a buttermilk soak overnight. I'm using a lard and butter combination instead of my usual Crisco solid. Remember: If I can do it, it can't be difficult. I'll let you know how it turns out.

From the continuing Illinois University admissions scandal, a girl gets off the waiting list and into school. What's interesting is how typical the "you do me a favor, I'll do you a favor" game seems to play out. Is this the justification for publicly financed elections?

[AH]

Wonderful JJ.

Keith you may have problems with the butter burning better to just use lard. When ever I have tried the brineing on anything I find it is much too salty for me. If yours is not too salty give the proportions later. Maybe you and Patty can get together tomorrow for leftovers. Potato salad is good the first day but better the second.

[Keith G. in P.V.]

AH, I used 4 tablespoons of kosher salt in 6 cups of water (recipe called for 6 tbs.), then omitted salt from the flour mix. I also soaked the chicken in plain water for an hour after brining, then rinsed well. I thought it left plenty of salt without being overpowering. I had trouble with the lard/butter combination...first batch browned too quickly, had to lower the heat. Next batches did better.

Saw Aretha Franklin on "Capital 4th". Please, Aretha, go on a diet, get lapband surgery. The weight has taken your breath away. But, man, she can still sing!