Open Thread ... Wednesday

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: I'll be manning the blog this morning, but Sara will be minding things this afternoon. Posting will vary from light to nonexistent Thursday and Friday, owing to the Thanksgiving holiday. Fear not -- there will be new stuff, though the turkey will make us logy and less prolific.

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, just send an email to jhart@kcstar.com. Thanks again, and have a great day!

Comments

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Good morning, Mr. Abbott and fellow Costellos. And best wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving and (hopefully) a long weekend.

Here's what happens when reporters fail at critical thinking: David Klepper reports from Topeka that Kansas takes a critical look at its tax breaks. The lede:

Every time a new mother buys baby formula or diapers, the state of Kansas gets a cut. But sales of Viagra are tax-free.

Duh! No Viagra, no babies. Viagra generates decades of taxable sales. Often 4 score and 7 years or more.

Now, I'll read Mike Hendricks' column today.

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Do you need 3 guesses to name one story in the Star this morning. Evidence mounts in Mohler case. The story has now moved to page A6, the Star passing on the opportunity to appeal to the prurient interest of its readership.

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Non Sequitur has shown me the way to make money on the internet.

James, it's a long holiday weekend. Let's do lunch next week and negociate this, ok?

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Christmas is 1 month away. Should I adopt my Oscar the Grouch persona now or is it too early? Advise me, fellow bloggers and bloggerettes.

[The Golfer]

Good morning Keith and all to follow!!

Not yet Keith, it is mine for now. I am the on-call this week so I HAVE to come to work on Friday. And I was at work until 6:15 last night. A nice 11 1/2 hour day.

Actually, I am glad the Mohler case is off the front page, it had started to drag and I changed the channel on TV whenever it came on.

[Tom K]

Any number of news outlets are buzzing over leaked Emails about global warming. Hackers took the emails from the Climate Research Unit of East Anglia in England. These people generate the information that our EPA and the IPCC rely on to decide whether we need policies to fight global warming and they are why the EPA declared carbon dioxide to be a pollutant. The scientifically literate know that plants need carbon dioxide to grow.

So it turns out that these scientists have knowingly been concocting a fraud for a long time and have exchanged emails about it.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/11/24/taking_liberties/entry5761180.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody or http://tinyurl.com/y9cmyrk

As reporters keep digging they keep uncovering more and more damning evidence that the global warming thing is fraudulent.

Anyway, Obama should not sign the "cap and trade" treaty that would further damage our economy. Al Gore should probably be locked up for fraud. We are being forced to suffer lowered wages and higher energy bills, and it looks like the bills could still increase, over a predicted phenomenon that was proven fraudulent before the information came out about these emails. I'm hoping that this turns out to be an 11th-hour rescue and that they stop this stuff with the environmental treaties that are designed to damage America.

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Golfer, sorry to hear you're stuck over the holiday. I'll yield the Oscar persona to you until 7a.m. Tuesday. But I think I'm going to claim it after that. Hah, Bumbug!

[The Golfer]

By then, I will either be in a better mood or a coma from all the food. LOL

And they are saying we have a shot at 60 on Saturday!!

And, believe it or not, I have already finished most of my Christmas shopping for my daughter. New Moon items and Barnes & Nobles gift cards. Now for an iTunes gift card, should then be done. That is what she wants, that is what I am getting.

Now to found out about Great-nieces/nephews. And 1 nephew still not a teenager.

[Searching]

Good Morning Everyone! Went home last night took a nap until 5:30.
Watched Dancing with the Stars last night.
Whitney Houston should rethink the whole come back thing. Her voice was monotone and her backup singers hit all the high notes for her. She can only ride for so long on her Disco Queen status from 30 years ago...

[Searching]

She's no Tina Turner.

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Good morning, Searching. Hope you're feeling seriously better.

[Searching]

Anybody need any painting done? My totally wonderful nephew needs the work. He has finished all the buildings on my compound (and it looks wonderful). His boss generally doesn't have much work in the winter and he needs to make it through until spring.

[You're a Mean Drunk R2D2™]

Good morning and Happy Thanksgiving to all!

[Searching]

Hey R2!

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Good morning, R2D2

[The Golfer]

Bonded and certified Search?

[The Golfer]

Oh, morning Search, R2.

[Searching]

Hey Keith, you comment just magically appeared!

[Searching]

Yes golfer. And Good Morning to you.

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Huh? Which one? Typebad is seriously irritating me these days. Guess I just hit a lucky streak yesterday morning...it carped on me now and then for the rest of the day.

Searching, are you off Friday?

[Searching]

keith, the one where you hoped I was seriously better.
Yes, I am off on Friday, and Saturday, and Sunday, and Monday, and Tuesday. Yeah, I dont come back until next Wednesday. This way I get 6 days off in a row and only use 2 vacation days.

[Searching]

I knew one afternoon wasnt enough to recover. But I also knew I just had to make it until Wednesday and then I would have some time off.

[Searching]

I just found this. Apparently Ozzy is showing it at all of his concerts.

[The Golfer]

Search - now you just bragging. And here I am stuck at work today, Friday, Monday, and Tuesday. Boo-hoo-hoo!! LOL

[Searching]

I have 3 more months to "use it or lose it" my vacation time. But I am going to make it last until the very last minute. Taking advantage of all I can.

[Keith G. in P.V.]

[passes Golfer 2 shirtsleeves - one for the tears, one for the runny nose] Don't confuse 'em, Golfer.

[James Hart]

Good morning, guys! How are things going?

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Hey James! Good day so far - I'm half asleep. Picked my daughter up at Union Station last night, fed her, took her home...got to bed at midnight. 3:30 came early. Feels like we went on Daylight Savings Time last night.

[Searching]

And so... the family invasion begins..LOL

[Searching]

Morning James!

[Keith G. in P.V.]

She lives here, Searching. She'd been in Dubuque with her boyfriend and his family for a few days. I'm expecting to see her move within the next year...it's gonna break my heart. She's my bud, my most special date, my fave dinner companion, and typing this brings tears to my eyes. Thank goodness I shave my head...otherwise I'd tear my hair out.

Can I borrow back the left sleeve, Golfer? I need it worse than you at the moment.

[Searching]

I got one you can use Keith...:(

[James Hart]

Did she say how it was to travel by train for Thanksgiving?

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Oh, chit, Searching...thank you. I don't know how you do it - maybe you're more sane than I am (that's a hellacious admission). But there are litterally wet lines down my cheeks. :-( I'm bummed.

But I'm gonna be thankful tomorrow for every moment with her.

[rhonda]

Good morning, all.

You grouches try to remember that this is "Complaint Free Wednesday" (see Hendricks column linked above by Keith).

It didn't pass, put it's a good idea anyway.

[Pat the Rat]

Good morning James and the gang.

Glad you're feeling better Search.

I wish you 18 holes at 60 degrees, Golfer.

The rest of you, just be safe and be well this Thanksgiving. I hope you all eat good and have a great time.

[rhonda]

put=but

[Searching]

Keith. sometimes, it is really, really, really hard for me with my daughter so far away.
I have to put my chin up and remind myself that I was raising a self sufficient independent woman.. and I have completed that task.
Asking her to be less and come running home so MOM will feel better is counter productive to the objective.

She still needs me once in awhile, You should see how fast this aging woman turns into an Olympic runner for just such an occasion. LOL

[Keith G. in P.V.]

James, it's just different. (She and I took the train to Chicago this summer.) The seating is far superior to an airplane, even first class. The food is just as bad as airline food. The ride isn't as good as a good flight, isn't as bad as a bad flight. Not the screaming noise of the jet engines, but the clickety-clack of the rails. And of course there's like 7-8 stops between here and Chicago. It's 7 hours, which is faster than driving, and not all that much longer than flying when you count security and baggage and travel time to and from the airport.

[Keith G. in P.V.]

LOL @ Searching. Know what you mean. I wouldn't want her to be that tied to me. She needs, she's earned, her own life. It's MY problem, not hers.

An umbilical cord is a one way street. Kids have four of 'em: one to Mom's navel, one to Dad's heart (and my Ex's too), and one to Dad's wallet. Medical practicioners only cut the first one.

Golfer, you have been warned. ;-)

[The Golfer]

Morning James!!

But it is like 10 to 12 hours to Memphis. Slightly longer than driving. And I have to get from St. Louis to some place in Illinois to pick up the southbound train.

Had a friend do it several years back with her kids and related the trip. Love to do it, but they need the occassional express.

[James Hart]

Just promise me that you aren't going to keep your kids prisoner, "Misery"-style. :)

[Keith G. in P.V.]

LOL! @ James. Nope, can't do that. They get more expensive as they get older and closer, a grand incentive to loosen the ropes.

[Searching]

I dont think you have to worry about that out of anyone here. We all love our kids.
Besides, I have always stated that Teenagers were invented so when it is time for them to leave.. you are ready.
Hardest part? In their eyes you start getting smart again.. right about then.

[The Golfer]

Already know that. The first one was cut prematurely with the death of her mother at the age of 6. The one to Daddy's heart will only be cut with my death. And I have invested her money, so maybe I can limit the last one. What is the 4th one?

[The Golfer]

Doubt seriously if mind will be gone after teenage years, she wants to either be a medical examiner or a forensic anthropologist. First one after Alex on CSI:Miami, the second after Dr Temperance Brennen on Bones.

And I have to say 2 solid role models.

[rhonda]

On a different subject....

A gorgeous photo of the first couple. Jaw-dropping gorgeous.

[The Golfer]

I was speaking more figuratively with the first umbilical cord with her Momma by the way.

[The Golfer]

You know, she just is not all that attractive to me, not sure why.

Now if Obama was married to Halle Berry...
I would wonder why he would want to be president and have to leave her behind.

lol

[Pat the Rat]

So when your adult kid gets drunk out of his gourd and swings on you, do you cold-cock him and teach him a lesson he wont remember when he sobers up, or do you just suffer through the minor injuries you sustain trying to get him out the door?

I'll settle for opinions if nobody has "been there, done that".