Once Again, Who Cares?

When the media hasn't been talking about Jennifer Wilbanks this week, they've been all over the American Idol scandal going on right now.  Corey Clark, a wannabe contestant from the 2nd season, is blabbing all over town about how he was coached by American Idol judge Paula Abdul, and how they had an affair that lasted a few months.  In spite of Abdul's efforts, Clarke was kicked off of American Idol after the show's producers found out he "failed to disclose his criminal history," said a Fox spokesman.  Clark was arrested and did some jail time for assaulting his sister and four police officers.  Looks like the coaching really helped him, didn't it?

This scandal has been made public this week because Corey Clark wrote a book about all of this, and as we all know, scandal sells.  ABC really stirred up the hornet's nest this week when they dedicated an entire episode of Prime Time Live to the American Idol scandal.  (Did I mention this is the May ratings sweeps?) They showed pages and pages of cell phone bills that listed hundreds of phone calls between Abdul and Clark.  Did I forget to mention that Paula Abdul bought the kid a cell phone, and told him not to give the number to anybody because it was their "special phone"?

Just like they did with the Jennifer Wilbanks drama, the media has gone crazy with the Amerian Idol scandal.  Once again, I say who cares?  I don't think adorable Paula Abdul would seduce a PAT like Corey Clark.  I know that phone records don't lie, but I have a hard time believing that Abdul would be so stupid to do something like this. Clark came across as an opportunist, and since he has no apparent talent, I think he figured that since he would be able to sell any records, he could sell some books.  I don't think this will hurt American Idol - it's too huge.  Unless they come out and say it was all rigged like professional wrestling, I think the show will go on for years. 

Paula Abdul Update                                                                                                This just in:  Paula Abdul will appear on this weekend's episode of "Saturday Night Live."  Everybody please tune in.  I'm sure they'll have a hilarious sketch about Corey Clark and his alleged "Paula-tics".

 

Who Cares?

Up until this week, when anyone said the phrase "runaway bride", you thought of the Julia Roberts movie.  Not any more.  Now we think of Jennifer Wilbanks.  In case you haven't read the newspaper nor watched the tv news in the past week, Jennifer Wilbank is the bride that ran away a few days before her wedding.  Her disppearance sparked a nationwide search; law enforcement officials thought it might be another Lacy Peterson or Lori Hacking case - a young woman goes out jogging and never returns.  I'm thinking this was the reason for the media frenzy over this case.

Here's a quick re-cap of the case:  Wilbanks called 911 and her fiance, John Mason,  from Albuquerque, saying she'd been kidnapped.  The more she talked to law enforcement officials in New Mexico, the more her story began to unravel.  She first said it was a spur of the moment thing - she simply had cold feet.  But after hearing all of the shenanigans she pulled to orchestrate this, I think she has a cold heart, too.  A week before she disappeared, she bought a bus ticket to Albuquerque.  She left the house to supposedly go jogging, went somewhere and cut her hair off so she wouldn't be easily recognized, and then started her bus journey across the country.  She stopped in Texas, and then took another bus to Las Vegas, where she stayed a couple of days. While in Vegas, she stayed at Treasure Island.  I wonder if she got to see the big pirate show?  After a couple of days in Sin City, she got back on a bus and went to Albuquerque.  Does this sound like a spur of the moment case of cold feet to you. 

All in all, I have to say who cares? I'm tired of hearing about it, and even more tired of seeing her face in pictures on the news and on the internet.  I'm gonna have to side with the camp that thinks Jennifer Wilbanks should be prosecuted for making this up.  Wilbanks could face a misdemeanor charge of false report of a crime or a felony charge of false statements. The misdemeanor carries a penalty of up to a year in jail; five years in prison is the maximum sentence for the felony.  Duluth, Georgia, the town where she lives, is considering suing her for the cost of the manpower hours used in the search for her.  They've estimated the cost to be around $60,000.  I think she should cough up the cash for that, too.  But I guess that's going to be a small price to pay, compared to the what she's going to face from her family and friends. 

If I could talk to Jennifer Wilbanks, my first question would be "Why?".  When you realized you had cold feet about the wedding, why didn't you just tell your fiance "I have cold feet and need some time to myself."  I'm sure your fiance and your family and friends would have understood.  Instead, you cooked up this kidnapping story and put your fiance and your family through hell.  For a few days, they didn't know if you were dead or alive.  Your fiance was probably grilled by the police as a possible suspect in your alleged kidnapping. 

It's just sad that we get so wrapped up in stories like this. 

 

 

Medly Of Songs Played On The Ice Cream Truck At Cox's Park

I took the day off of work for my annual Steamboat Race party at Cox's Park.  It was a gorgeous day - you couldn't have asked for better weather.  In an effort to make a buck, the ice cream truck started making the rounds at about 11:00 this morning and was still going strong when we left at 8:00 tonight.  After listening to him come through the park for 9 hours, I have the medly of songs played on the ice cream truck memorized.  I should - I heard it over and over and over. 

Camptown Races
Ol' Susannah
My Old Kentucky Home
Mary Had  A Little Lamb
Happy Birthday
Rhapsody In Blue
It's A Small World
Theme From "Love Story"
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Que Sara, Sara
How Much Is That Doggie In The Window

Another Airline Horror Story

My cousin from California was here for a few days to take care of some family business, and she flew back home Sunday afternoon.  Actually, she started to fly back home early in the afternoon, and didn't make it home until early yesterday morning.  The reason for the delay? The toilet on the plane was clogged.  This wasn't just an ordinary clog; the stainless steel toilet was clogged with a pair of underwear.

Details are sketchy, but I think it happened on a Southwest Airlines flight from Chicago to Oakland. The plane was grounded at Midway for over 2 hours, while maintenance professionals attempted to remove the underwear.  My cousin reported that they had to pull it out piece by piece.  The flight attendants, nor the captain, mentioned if it was men's or women's underwear. And they didn't say what style they were, either.  I'm guessing the culprit was a pair of plain ol' cotton draw's that accidentally fell into the toilet during an initiation into the Mile High Club. 

My cousin said that Southwest made no efforts to compensate the passengers for this pathetic delay.  She said they didn't offer any free meals or any type of compensation.  Like the Southwest Airlines cardboard box o' crackers they serve in lieu of a meal would have smoothed over having to sit on the floor by the door to the loading gate for 2 hours, but the gesture would have been appreciated.  My cousin said that they didn't even offer the passengers free cocktails once the plane took off, to help mellow them out after waiting. That might have been a smart move on the airline's part - imagine a plane full of pissed off people being offered free drinks; they would have probably cleaned out the ol' liquor cabinet.

Gas Price Update

Most expensive  Speedway, Greenwood Road  $2.21

Least expensive  Krogers, Dixie Highway $2.15 with Kroger card, $2.18 without

Derby 101

Derby week is finally here. It's the one week of the year that Louisvillians live (and in some cases, leave) for.  It's our equivalanet of Mardi Gras, Super Bowl and spring break week all rolled into one.  The majority of Louisvillians don't go to the Kentucky Derby, nor do they ever intend to go.  We all just like the events, parties, and traditions that are a part of the Derby Festival.  For the uninitiated, let me explain a few things about Derby week.  Here's the 4 C's of Derby Week.

Chow Wagon  The main form of entertainment Derby week.  I've never actually seen a wagon at the Chow Wagon, but there is a lot of chow.  And beer.  For those not brave enough to go, the Chow Wagon is downtown on the water front, and it's basically a huge fenced off area with a bunch of food and beer vendors.  It's the place to go to get your Italian sausage and elephant ear fix.  It gets pretty crowded at night, so if you're claustrophobic, you might want to stay at home.

Central Avenue  The street where Churchill Downs is located. Avoid it at all costs this week.  By Thursday afternoon, you won't be able to get within two miles of Central Avenue.  Back in the day, they would block off Central Avenue on Derby Eve, and it would quickly turn into a redneck version of Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras, minus the beads.

Cash  Something you will need a lot of during Derby week, especially if you go to Churchill Downs.  You'll be gouged for everything: parking in someone's yard, paying the price of a six-pack for one draft beer, paying the price of a pack of hot dogs AND a pack of buns for one hot dog, etc.  I think you get the picture.  You'll still need lots of cash even if you don't go to the Derby.  You'll want to eat, drink and get overpriced official Kentucky Derby merchandise at the Chow Wagon or at any of the official Derby Festival events.

Camera  You'll want this with you everywhere you go Derby week.  Trust me - you'll see some interesting sites.  One Derby Eve about 8 or so years ago, I saw someone dressed as Catwoman, complete with the black patent leather suit.  If I'd only had a camera.  You'll see lots of mullets Derby week, too.  In fact, one was spotted today by a co-worker.  I know he wishes he had a camera with him today.

Link Of The Week

Before the days of Mapquest and Travilocity, all we had to rely on were old school maps, and if you or your family were members, AAA Triptiks.  The Triptiks were the travel bible when me and my family took our cross-country trips to California back in the day.  Each page had all of the exits marked, usually with a blue magic marker, and they also showed the staple of gas, food, and lodging. 

I read an article in our newspaper the other day about a site that gave you information about interstate exits, and the gas, food, and lodging that were by the exit.  This was too good to be true.  I had to check it out for myself.  Sure enough, it's simple, and very easy to use.  Just check out http://www.travmatrix.com and see for yourself.

Let's say your're travelling down south. You have a fondness for the trendy Cracker Barrel restaurants, but you also want to find a hotel that will accepts pets.  Travmatrix is the place for you. 

TravMatix was created in 1999 by Ashland businessman David E. Carter, who got frustrated on a trip to Florida when he couldn't find a hotel that would accept his dog. When he discovered that no one had compiled that sort of detailed information about businesses along interstate highways, he created a company to do it.

One drawback to this is that Travmatrix only recognizes places that are right on the exit - if a restraurant, gas station or other place of business is a half mile from the exit, you're out of luck. But I think Travmatrix will get you through.