h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It's not politics as usual in Allentown, Pennsylvania. But then, it never is, I guess.

There's a corruption trial going on in the eastern part of the Commonwealth: the mayor, Ed Pawlowski, is accused of shady contract dealing. He denies this, as does his lawyer, vehemently and with extreme prejudice toward the accusers, who are called various names. The mayor and his lawyer contend that the real corrupt officials are the ones testifying for the prosecution.

People are enjoying this, especially as federal wiretaps are involved. It got juicy when the defence tried to convince the jury about the meatball testimony.

It seems that an official named Strathearn and another official named Fleck were discussing meatballs over the phone. Fleck was promising Strathearn some of the meaty delectables, allegedly from Mrs Fleck's kitchen. Strathearn testified that yes, he received these meatballs - but he was disappointed that he only got four. As a bachelor during the time in question, he claimed, he was prone to carry Tupperware in his car, in hopes of scoring some home-cooked nourishment. Fair enough. We've been there. Pass the Tupperware, we think.

The mayor's attorney, however, insisted that the word 'meatballs' was code for a payoff. Au contraire, insisted Strathearn. "The meatballs were the meatballs were the meatballs." He added, grammatically, 'There was nothing to do with anything other than meatballs, period, paragraph.'

A Twitter user tweeted: 'This trial has generated my favorite line ever given in a court room.' The press compared Strathearn's statement to the famous Gertrude Stein dictum. Gertrude Stein was from Pittsburgh, so there's a tradition here. Some people may think that the defence has been reading too many detective novels.

Judge Sanchez had had enough, and called a recess. He also told the jury to ignore all this talk of meatballs. (Lots of luck.)

We suspect we know what the jury wanted for lunch. The spicy meatball sub is a favourite food in eastern Pennsylvania.



PS Read more at http://www.wral.com/testimony-in-corruption-case-hinges-on-the-meaning-of-meatballs-/17295215/

It's all happening in Allentown....meatball conspiracies, the man from Delaware and Ozzy Osbournes just announced a tour, guess where he's playing?

If we win the lottery tonight I'll see you on 30th August!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHnJp0oyOxs

In case that video's blocked where you are:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbWbrM2m8SQ

Ah, always thought that was a sad song...for an upbeat Joel ditty!

Yeah. Sad but true. Although they say it was really about Bethlehem, but Bethlehem didn't fit the metre...

Dmitri How dose a limbo skier get to be Priminster

...besides a student of the James bros. I'd thought Gertrude Stein was a next door neighbor of Isadora Duncan in tge San Francisco Bay area...

...she did get around, quite a bit...

Gertrude was born in Allegheny City, which is now called 'Northside'. She later moved to Oakland, California, but did not like it. She famously said, 'There's no there, there.'

Speaking of weird places, this just turned up on my Youtube, and I thought that Sasha, FWR, and the Prof might enjoy it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT0ay9u1gg4

I have to agree with Gertrude Stein's opinion of Oakland.

Even during the height of the hippie era, the was no 'there' there.

.....if that video wasn't so accurate it'd be funny....sure it's the same in a lot of places,

Southerners reply of the week so far - after saying good morning to him twice, thought the guy was maybe foreign, or perhaps deaf.."yes we've established its morning , can we just move on now?......no just a d*ck

Good one!

I do enjoy The Mash Report - I've been a fan of Nish Kumar since he appeared on Taskmaster A87880864

Interesting case about the meatballs - I like the examples in the article "And most people who say they have to see a man about a horse, for example, are not equestrians. "

I thought the fact that they needed to explain that said something about modern US newspaper readers....

Aha, FWR, you've hit it. Over here, though, you usually have to turn the map upside down. It's the Southerners who talk to strangers, and do the other weird things... Our major cities are in the north.