Monday Open Thread

Filed in National by on February 15, 2010

It’s Monday and it’s time for an open thread. I’m hearing that we will get more snow tonight. They are calling for only 2-4,” which in a normal year would cause a panic but now we consider that a dusting.

PR disasters in the age of Twitter:

Kevin Smith, the writer and raconteur, was recently booted from a plane for being too fat. He’s a big guy, but not so big he doesn’t fit in an airplane seat — so this looks like some weird, nasty, rude policy being pushed by Southwest Airlines. It’s an injustice, but it’s also hilarious, because Kevin Smith is the kind of guy who can turn it into a 1½ hour rant.

It’s also amusing because Smith has 1½ million followers on Twitter, and he tweeted the whole escapade. He has far more followers than Southwest Airlines, and while maybe they’re trying to say their side of the story on the airline’s blog, Smith’s readers have melted their blog down.

Joe the Plumber thinks he was used by McCain, and doesn’t like Sarah Palin anymore:

Too funny:

Wurzelbacher touched on several different points during his speech, and many of them were surprising. He said he doesn’t support Sarah Palin anymore. Why? Because she’s backing John McCain’s re-election effort. “John McCain is no public servant,” he told the room, calling the 2008 Republican nominee a career politician.
I pointed out he’d just be plain old Sam Wurzelbacher of Ohio — Joe the Plumber wouldn’t exist – without McCain. His response was blunt. “I don’t owe him s—. He really screwed my life up, is how I look at it.”

Wurzelbacher said, “McCain was trying to use me. I happened to be the face of middle Americans. It was a ploy.”

So Joe the Plumber traveled around the country solely because McCain touted him as the everyman. McCain is responsible for unleashing this know-nothing on the nation and now he’s complaining that people have figured out he’s a phony. I’m so sad for him.

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Opinionated chemist, troublemaker, blogger on national and Delaware politics.

Comments (21)

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  1. anon says:

    delawarepolitics is back after being down for a few days. I was starting to think it was a mercy killing.

  2. cassandra_m says:

    So I followed UI’s link about the Kevin Smith story (is he wearing a denim skirt in that picture????) and found this story about the challenges of young people blogging about science. There’s lots of links to and encouragement of these young writers, which is awesome. Encouraging science minded young people is worthy and important for all of us.

  3. Jason Z says:

    It’s a good day to be an Evil Conservative: Climategate U-turn as scientist at centre of row admits: There has been no global warming since 1995

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1250872/Climategate-U-turn-Astonishment-scientist-centre-global-warming-email-row-admits-data-organised.html#ixzz0fdQRg81u

  4. Lizard says:

    “He’s a big guy, but not so big he doesn’t fit in an airplane seat”

    actually he is so big that he needs two seats. He even purchased two seats for his trip, but then wanted to take an earlier flight and tried to squeeze into one.

  5. But the reality is that he met the requirements set by Southwest — he could fit in that single seat with both arms down.

  6. Come out to the Newark Library between 5 and 7 tonight for Matt Denn and Lisa Diller’s discussion of the stimulus funding in Delaware. Should be interesting.

  7. JoeThePlummer just started following me on twitter. Somehow I doubt it is THE JTP.

  8. Marc Trane says:

    De2010 is saying Copeland is out http://de2010.com/us-house/one-man-out/

  9. MJ says:

    I wonder what took Steele so long – he’s going to meet with the teabaggers – http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/15/AR2010021502211.html?hpid=topnews

  10. cassandra_m says:

    Michael Steele making an appointment to get teabagged seems like TMI, really.

  11. Jason330 says:

    This country does not need manufacturing jobs.

    http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2010/02/labor-underutilization-rate-by.html

    Thanks Bill Clinton! Thanks George Bush! Heck of a job guys!

  12. The Kevin Smith incident seems to be heating up:

    Less than 48 hours after Smith was booted off of a Southwest flight (supposedly for being too plump, even though he fit well into his seat and there was a fatter guy on the same plane) the “Cop Out” director has become a hot commodity on the talk show circuit.

    That said, Smith’s appearance of choice may be “The Daily Show.” Yes, it’s in New York, but that’s only three days via Greyhound bus. Specifically, Smith has tweeted a challenge to Southwest: The airline would bring its seats to Jon Stewart’s set. If Smith sits in them with ease, the airline must re-train its staff and, per Smith, “admit you lied.”

    As for the airline, its cold, tin heart will go on. Despite Southwest’s apparently inconsistent applications of its policy, its smug blog treatment of the incident (“Not So Silent Bob”? Really?) and its blithe disclosure of a regular customer’s travel preferences, industry experts have applauded the company for its handling of Smith.

    “This shouldn’t have a lasting impact on Southwest’s business, just because they handled the issue swiftly,” aviation branding expert Shashank Nigam, of the company Simpliflying, tells the Ministry. “Southwest Airlines is a brand that can withstand such minor blips like Kevin Smith.”

  13. cassandra_m says:

    United Airlines rolled out the SOP smug treatment for that guy whose guitar their baggage handlers broke, too. Then he wrote a song about it that got huge You Tube and media play about their bad behavior.

    Then United contacted the guy and offered him compensation.

    I’m betting on Smith to get his pound of flesh. So to speak.

  14. Mark H says:

    “I’m betting on Smith to get his pound of flesh”

    I agree. Interestingly enough, he has a new film opening soon. Here’s the thing…Smith knows he’s fat. And Southwest may have picked on the wrong Fat Guy. At the least, SW’s response was pretty bad considering their uneven enforcement of this policy.
    I thought that Southwest should have claimed that the pilot saw Jersey Girl. That would have been enough reason to not allow Smith to fly 🙂 And it would have shown that SW had a sense of humor about this situation

    BTW, It’s now hit his wikipedia page

  15. Jason330 says:

    CSI on Channel 3 right now. Don’t want to ruin my perfect record of never having seen CSI. Next…
    “Castle” on 6…What is this some show about Mike Castle? No? Looks like another CSI…Next…
    XXI Winter Olympics…figure skaiting….ZZZzzzz..It is not CSI, which is something…keep moving…
    American Experience on PBS, The history of the Kennedy family. Marilyn Monroe sining happy birthday to Jack…can you imagine if they had Fox News back then? Next…
    Fox 29 News…..Holy shit…the terrorist are going to fuck our shit up! Head for the hills. Next…
    Eye Witness News on CW Philly News…how to get a flat belly.. that’s news? Next…
    Cristina on Unavision….how I wish I spoke SPanish. Next…
    Oh Futurama Comedy Central …..ding ding ding..we have a winner.

  16. Jason330 says:

    Project Runway on Lifetime…I’m thinking that old guy is gay…maybe come back to this…
    Diners Drive-Ins and Dives on food Network….Guy What’s his name eats greasy food and raves…Next..
    10 Grand in Your Hand on DIY…I’m never gonna install kitchen cabinets…next…
    Three Sheets on FLN…a guy drinks his way through Europe…Not wathcing that..I lived it!!…next…
    Keeping Up w/ The Kardashians…What a bunch of Morans…Next
    Clean House…The Black Woman from Reno 911 cleans up a pack rat’s house…AND HER LIFE…next…

  17. Jason330 says:

    1 vs 100 on GSN…Guy from Full House runs some quiz show…first question about Seth Rogin…Next..
    Pawn Stars on The History Channel….I guess they are all out of history…Next…
    The Golden Girls on WE…still crappy after all these years….Next..
    The Body Guard on AMC…Whitney Houston’s best movie…Next…
    Blue Car on IFC…Info says”A teacher encourages a troubled student to enter a poetry contest”…doesn’t sound very sexy…next…

  18. Jason330 says:

    White Men Can’t Jump…nah (racist)…BBC News…nope, they do actual news, it might hurt my head…Family Guy…why aren’t you funnier?….College B-Ball…Texas A&M…like that is an actual college….nope…PBA Bowling…yeah right…Womens B-Ball…Who is UConn crushing tonight?…Oklahoma…good….next.

  19. Jason330 says:

    Tin Cup …Don Johnson plus Kevin Costner = sizzle…Next…
    Lady Gaga Takeover on Fuse….why isn;t DL live blogging this?…Next…
    Tommy on VH1…I like the Who, but hate Tommy…funny that…Next…
    Dirty jobs, the Ultimate Cakeoff…Who Wants to Marry My Dad?…Cops…Nancy Grace…Nope, nope, nope and nope…
    Keith Olberman,,,very earnest and probably good, but I’m not in the mood….next…
    The Weather Channel….God no…

  20. Jason330 says:

    Oh man his teabag movie is better than anything on TV. Compare Palin’s ideas about setting up a wingnut police state with Mike Castle’s.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHItY5Anj3s&feature=player_embedded

  21. Jason330 says:

    This pretty much covers it.

    http://vagabondscholar.blogspot.com/2010/02/american-political-insanity-explained.html

    Now I’m going back to not paying attention to politics. Someone email me if something surprising happens.