Thorns & Roses: The Worst, Best & Most Absurd

Oh, we will be fooled again  |  Thorn

And, again, the sirens are calling out to the city and state, this time promising to bring professional basketball to Louisville… with no taxpayer support. The lead siren said in a Courier Journal story “he doesn’t envision” public financing would be involved. But in the same story, the state Economic Development director seems to bend: “There should be private dollars at stake. They should bear the appropriate amount of the risk.” And, then, a reality check from Neil DeMause, whose “Field of Schemes” explains how franchise owners (ab)use public incentives: “Lots of cities and team owners say we’re not going to use public money even when they intend to use some kind of public money.”

No, mitch is miserable  |  Absurd

After Republican felonious coal baron Don Blankenship lost his U.S. Senate primary bid, Mitch McConnell’s people tweeted this meme, doctored from a Netflix series, “Narcos” poster.Blankenship had called McConnell “Cocaine Mitch” in a TV ad because cocaine was found on one of his wife’s father’s ships in 2014. A McConnell campaign spokesman told CJ that Mitch liked the joke. “If you don’t have a sense of humor these days you’re destined for a miserable existence,” he said. “Suffice it to say Senator McConnell’s sense of humor seems to be thriving.”

CJ scoop: priest bites dog  |  Absurd

CJ ran a story about a priest who was going “on retreat” for having what the paper termed “an inappropriate relationship” with… an adult! The reporter even called the priest’s home. This is news fit for print?

#theworstpackagingever  |  Absurd

Papa John’s is now selling its garlic sauce, packaged in what you might find at AutoZone. We are sure this will save Papa’s stock.

This article appears in May 16, 2018.