Some quick notes

Dennis York steps out of the shadows briefly to send an open letter to the victims of Katrina.

Jessica McBride's readers referred here by this post, I think she meant for you to go here.

Blogging will be light to nil the next few days, with not an expected change until after Labor Day. Between the family's annual peregrination to Cincinnati for the Labor Day weekend fireworks and our company's efforts to get our branches up and running again in the hurricane affected area I've been a little busy.

With any luck we'll have photos from Cincinnati of the fireworks and the Holcomb Labor Day weekend pig roast.

But seriously

To my friends who are Marquette Alumni, faculty and current students, I gotta ask...

...I can't tell the difference, can you?

Actual Marquette mascot costume

Using my secret sources, I've managed to acquire a picture of the new Marquette mascot costume:

Marquette alumni upset at new mascot

Some of the Marquette alumni are so upset at the new Marquette mascot, some of them have proposed their own version of the Golden Eagle:

But will they get a federal grant?

It looks like Naked Boys Singing will be performed in Milwaukee after all.

The lawyer for the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center is trying to make arrangements to resume its performances of the show, which features nudity. Police shut it down August 18 in a dispute over whether the center needs a theater license. But attorney Richard Hart says the center received a letter Friday from the city's license division saying the center's nonprofit status meant it did not need a theater license after all.

Good news! The performances aren't just for gay men!

The NY Daily News says: "Bound to be a hit with gays, straights and EVERYONE in between!"

Oh, joy. Sixteen songs, 65 minutes of non-stop entertainment. That's right. No Intermission.

Strangely enough, I think I'll pass.

Memo to the producers: The policemen in back are not in costume.

Update! Apparently there's a less expensive shorter version of Naked Man Singing in Shower.

Being a guy, I don't clean shower curtains. I buy new ones. After a couple years and grungy looking curtains later, I decided it was time to replace them again. While at Target, I grabbed the clear ones.

For those interested, for five bucks I'll give you a map. You'll have to provide your own ladder.

CRG claims enough signatures to recall Nowak

As reported on WTMJ 620AM, CRG and Pewaukeeans for Better Government are reporting they have enough signatures for the recall of Pewaukee Mayor Jeff Nowak, well in advance of the September 7th deadline. The reasons for recalling the mayor can be found here at the Pewaukeeans for Better Government website.

Marquette adopts a new mascot

Behold: The new golden eagle.

Go here for actual drawings via Marquette Warrior.

Badger Carnival week 3

The third weekly Badger Carnival will be hosted by the Badger Blog Alliance this week. You can send your submissions via e-mail to badgercarnival-at-gmail-dot-com, or you can submit them via the carnival submit form. This a great way to get your blog more exposure as well as learn what other blogs are out there in the cheddarsphere. Every blogger in Wisconsin is invited to participate.

Casino politics

Owen at Boots & Sabers finds a great update on gambling in Wisconsin. The whole casino issue is wide open.

The owners of Dairyland Greyhound Park in Kenosha contend a 1993 state constitutional anti-gambling amendment makes continued operation of the casinos illegal. But a simultaneous effort is under way by those same owners to transform the dog track site into an Indian casino. Halfway between Chicago and Milwaukee, it has the potential to be a gambling gold mine.

Lurking in the shadows of the Sept. 7 arguments is the possibility the high court will reverse its 2004 decision in the challenge brought by Assembly Speaker John Gard, R-Peshtigo, and then-Senate Majority Leader Mary Panzer, R-West Bend.

In that case, on a 4-3 vote, the high court effectively ruled that the Indian compacts negotiated in 1992 and 1998 by Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson were all right, but that the 2003 compact renewals negotiated by Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle were in error.

New ID requirement

Someone should ask Governor Doyle why my box of Macaroni & Cheese needs more identification than someone trying to vote.

Alfonso Gutierrez smiles as boxes of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese tagged with tiny chips zip around a conveyor belt and pass under a reader that instantly displays information about the product.

"It's going fast," said Gutierrez, who heads a new UW- Madison research lab dedicated to helping businesses deploy technology that could one day replace the bar code.

Gutierrez was referring to the speed of the conveyor belt - 600 feet a minute, the speed Wal-Mart uses in its warehouses - but he could have been talking about the rapid acceptance of radio frequency identification, a technology that can revolutionize business but also erode privacy.

RFID uses a computer chip the size of a grain of rice to store data, which are transmitted wirelessly by a tiny antenna to a receiver. The chips, embedded in tags, now track pallets in warehouses and let drivers pass toll booths without stopping, but its potential is almost limitless.

So Trudeau thinks blogs are lame

In so many ways, Doonesbury really is old media. The strips are drawn well in advance. The commentary on events is weeks behind the blogs. And despite a nice website and a space in Slate magazine, Doonesbury really is created more for a newspaper media.

So perhaps it is not surprising that this week's theme is how little regard Trudeau has for blogs. Apparently blogs were only good as a tool for Trudeau to take swipes at our efforts in Iraq.

Well, Garry, this donut's for you. Bite me.

Do I really talk about UW-Milwaukee that much?

Public Brewery has added me to the blogroll, with the note, "One could chalk this up to UWM cronyism, though James Wigderson and I didn't overlap here."

Hey Paul, is the Alamo Cantina still there?

Does this mean she can go home now?

Cindy Sheehan meets "the President." (via The Corner)

Or will she have to wait until Geena Davis arrives?

(Update: Jessica McBride's readers, I think she meant for you to go here.)

Peacenik insanity

In case you only see the cropped photo, this Associated Press picture sums up the Sheehan-Sharpton experience. (Thanks to LGF)

You'd think they found Natalee Halloway or something.

Dallas Defense looks good, promotions better

The entirely revamped secondary of the Cowboys looked pretty good against the Houston Texans with two picks Friday and no bad burns. The rest of the defensedid a pretty good job containing Houston.

The first team offense is still sputtering, though the seven play 80 yard drive was a very good sign of the offense's potential. If the offensive line settles and they buy Bledsoe some time and we should see more drives like that one. However, the turnover by Houston right before the half yielded no points despite moving the ball down field. Confusion on third down right before the clock expires and Dallas misses the field goal. Memo to Bledsoe: When counting to four, don't include your thumb.

The Dallas Cowboys promotions department is already at midseason form. The Cowboys have a pizza promotion contest with Papa John's Pizza everyone will want to enter. Prizes include:

Six (6) TV Watching Parties for up to 20 people with free Pizza & Pepsi. Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders & Rowdy will deliver (6 winners).

I understand in Green Bay they have a similar promotion. Mike Sherman delivers a bratwurst while wearing a cheerleader's costume.

You thought we hated Phil Garner

Laurence Simon has the "Who Screwed Roger Clemens" bingo card.

Oh, and here's Garner's take on the last Clemens outing:

"How stupid can it get?" Houston manager Phil Garner said. "You just keep getting shut out, it's just stupid."

Funny how nobody in Milwaukee looks back on the Phil Garner era fondly.

Our Southern neighbors

Frank J. at IMAO explores the flatlands. "Illinois is currently experiencing rapid population growth because an Illinoisan's only natural predator is the Wisconsin State Highway Patrol."

Historic day

On this day in 1922, the first ever radio commercial aired on station WEAF in New
York City for the Queensboro Realty Company. Shortly thereafter, Paul Harvey starting hawking "CIT-ri-cale."

African American youth looking for an alternative

Here's a warning for Democrats and their long term prospects:

Lamell McMorris, an African-American political consultant who heads the Washington-based Perennial Strategies was quoted as saying that "Democrats are still relying on their civil rights record and are not pitching new ideas to young, professional blacks seeking to build businesses and personal wealth." He went on "as time goes on, you're dealing with a generation of individuals who, in their mind, are very far removed from the civil rights movement. 'You cannot keep going on this romanticized, ideological civil rights agenda and think you can reach out to African-Americans of my generation. What the Democrats have not been able to do is to come up with a new vision, a new voice, a new perspective, a way to reach out to younger members of the African-American community," he said. ''In that area, I think the Republicans have done a better job."

Juxtaposed to this Ken Mehlman, chair of the Republican National Committee was quoted in an interview saying "the question people are going to have is, who wants to build on the civil right movement's success -- closing the wealth gap, closing the health gap, offering people real access to opportunity?"

A foreign policy everyone could support

On this date in 1928, the United States signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact, an agreement among eleven countries (eventually sixty-two countries) to outlaw war.

The pact was the result of a French proposal to establish a treaty between France and the United States that would outlaw war between the two countries, and eventually cause the United States to take the side of the French in any European conflict. The United Staes in turn proposed the broader multi-lateral treaty, robbing it of any real meaning. The US Senate ratified the treaty 85-1 after they made clear that the United States was under no obligation to take action against treaty violators.

It was the perfect compromise. "Outlaw" war but don't do anything about it.

Today such naivete and intellectual dishonesty falls under the rubric, "We're opposed to the war, but we support the troops."

Have you ever seen a grown man naked?

The Milwaukee Gay Arts Center (MGAC) is taking the city to court, upset because their production of "Naked Boys Singing!" was shut down by the cops because the MGAC didn't have the proper permit.

The ACLU is joining the lawsuit. What a dilemma it would have been had it been "Naked Boyscouts Singing!" But anyways, the suit alleges the cops are discriminating aginst the center because.... it's gay?

But wait. The MGAC claims they haven't needed a permit before. Was it because they were straight then?

The Associated Press reports, "Police spokeswoman Anne Schwartz said the citation was given for operating without a theater license and it had nothing to do with the show's content."

Has the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center paid any attention to what's been happening at the taverns lately? The record fines being handed out for overcrowding? Granted, there was not much chance of that happening at a production of "Naked Boys Singing!" So the police handed out a different ticket and shut the place down. What a shock.

If the MGAC lawsuit has any success, look for every tavern to suddenly claim they cater to gay clientele, or at least have gay bartenders.

In the meantime, while Milwaukee's police force is zealously enforcing licenses for theaters, more people are getting killed in the inner city. At least we have a sense of police priorities.

Just a pinch between the cheek and gum

Tennessee's Attorney General has discovered all crime has been eliminated from his state, all corruption has been eradicated, and now he wants to lecture pop stars on their bad habits. Country singer Gretchen Wilson has a new song, "Skoal Ring" and...

"...Tennessee state officials said she pulls a can of Skoal smokeless tobacco from her pocket during the song.

Shocking, just shocking.

That could violate the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement between U.S. states and tobacco companies forbidding tobacco ads targeting young people.

Tennessee's Attorney General Paul Summers said Wilson is a role model for youth, and he's asking her instead to "warn young people of the negative health effects of smokeless tobacco use."

There is nothing more earnest than those who would shut you up because it's good for the children. Last time I looked, some Country music star isn't a spokesperson for Big Tobacco, any more than they are for boozin', cheatin' husbands, dogs dyin', more boozin', cheatin' wives and gun racks.

But somebody's gotta ask, what is this attorney general gonna do when the Rolling Stones come to town? Ask that Keith Richards stand behind a curtain?

Senator Cipher

Wisconsin Senator Herb Kohl (D-Sporting Goods) has launched his new campaign re-election website. Believe it or not, it's time once again for the state GOP to recruit a sacrificial lamb a candidate to take on Herb and his millions.

Now the Senator wants your help against his yet-to-be-named opponent. His campaign needs stories. Little personal anecdotes or personal thoughts about the Senator. Now here's the hard part. Even though the campaign website doesn't say so, the anecdotes can't be about the obvious things like, going to The Kohl Center. Or, running into the Senator at a Milwaukee Bucks game and telling him who to hire as coach. Or even how much you liked the rootbeer milk at the Herb Kohl Dairy Barn at the State Fair.

Oooh, this is going to be a tough assignment.

A sense of perspective

The shameless promotion department informs me that sometime this weekend, possibly today, I'll pass 10,000 page views since I installed a stat counter March 3rd, 2005. That was really the beginning of taking this from an experiment to full-blown blog, and the shameless self-promotion began.

So I should be yelling, "Woo-hoo!" but then I saw this from Lance Burri at Granpa John's,

Is this for real? I was just looking through somebody else's blogroll and saw USS Clueless there, so I clicked over. As you may know, Steven DenBeste, the proprietor, retired from blogging last year.

There is one post at his site, dated from March of this year. Yet, the counter at the bottom claims "This page has been viewed 344 times today, 956 times yesterday, and 8624149 times since 20010726."

USS Clueless is currently ranked #171 on the TTLB Ecosystem. I'm currently ranked at #6387.

Now I know how John Ashcroft felt when he lost to Mel Carnahan.

We want the rest of the story

Ever get the feeling you're missing the punchline?

Conservative Cat has some advice on what not to do when called by the New York Times offering an 8 week subscription:

If this happens to you, just hang up: do not tell them you're a blogger and get your news from the Internet.

Apparently, there's some news that people just don't want to hear.

Wait, what happened next?

Jan prefers Marsha Marsha Marsha to Cindy Cindy Cindy

Cindy Sheehan will begin a less than lonely bus tour ending in the nation's capital when the President returns to Washington DC. They leave August 31st and expect to arrive in Washington D.C. on September 24th. No word yet how many Wars for Oil will have to be fought to keep the hippy caravan rolling but Sheehan thinks the sacrifice will be worth it so the networks and the MSM can continue to exploit a crazed woman's grief. She was quoted as saying, "Look! It's People magazine!"

How much could it be?

Byron York at National Review's the Corner is reporting British MP and Saddam Hussein apologist George Galloway will be touring the United States. At some of his speaking spots, sometimes it will be free, sometimes it will cost "a small admission charge."

I wonder if he expects his speaking fee to be paid in barrels of oil?

Carnival of the Badger, 2nd edition

This week's edition of the Carnival of the Badger proves the cute, furry little creature has some sharp claws and teeth. The trick to taming the badger is to apparently keep him well-supplied with food and drink. So read along as we introduce you to some of the more interesting blog postings of the Badger state.

Let's start with a sampling of the local product of choice from While Drinking, I... who visits Miller's 150th Birthday Party. Interesting crowd. I'm with you on taking it to 11.

Meanwhile, Paul Brewer of The Public Brewery caught the full moon over Irish Fest on Milwaukee's lakefront. Mashed potatoes in a cone? You thought I was fat before...

Paul at The Electric Commentary knows what he's doing at the grill with his beer products and his bratwurst. It's not too late this summer to get it right.

On the flip side of the ledger, Bill Christofferson of Xoff Files looks at our choices for entertainment in Milwaukee. Bodeans having loud obnoxious outdoor concert? City fathers say, yes! "Naked Boys Singing?" City fathers say, no way! Maybe it was the lyrics...

Speaking of entertainment options, Mike at Cooler by the Lake would like to check WISN's Mark Belling for ID and license to punditry. He sees Belling's hyperbole on the issue of voter ID requirements to be counter-productive. He raises a larger question about blogs and other media as well.

Hungry now? Planning on a Super George and chili? Check your credit card statements! Brandon at GOP3: The Triumvirate breaks the bad news to Marquette students who had the munchies last year. Apparently George Webbs charged extra and often, even when you haven't eaten there for awhile.

Joe Martin of The Theocrats has a What, me worry? attitude on growth and development in Dane County, figuring the market will be the best way to preserve the quality of life for the locals. Leave it to the developers and the home buyers to conduct suburban planning. Now that's faith.

Patrick at Badger Blogger explains the cause and effect of the likely loud finish to picking a fight with a cop. He also wonders at the press coverage and Robert Miranda's statements regarding the recent police shooting of a 17 year old.

Nick, of the World according to Nick, follows with a specific criticism of Eugene Kane's column in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel concerning the 88 (or more) murders in Milwaukeee. Kane misses who the real culprits are for the violence.

Sean Hackbarth of The American Mind reminds us of that queasy feeling when the water filtration plants aren't working properly. He takes us to New York where a certain bacteria has made a raging comeback and then brings us home to remember what it did to us here. Pass the Pepto, please.

Jay Bullock of Folkbum's Rambles and Rants takes us further afield to the deserts of Iraq (stretching our rules a bit), Texas and Russ Feingold. He asks, "Who's really mainstream on Iraq?" His answer, while not my answer, needs answering.

Bill Christofferson, who had a hard time deciding on which blog entry to submit, also weighs in on a different aspect of the War in Iraq - how it's being used at home. Specifically, he takes Wisconsin Right to Life to task for attacking a hospice for following a "living will" in the care and eventual death of Marine staff sergeant Chad Simon from Monona.

I take us on a trip to the City of Pewaukee, where the word "plumber" has reverted to it's 1972 definition.

Finally, Lance Burri, the widest read, most influential, most popular conservative columnist ever to emerge from Greater Metropolitan Baraboo, East side, North of the river, asks the question on the mind of many poll workers in Milwaukee County, Why have registration at all? No, he's not being sarcastic.

I'd like to thank Nick from the World According to Nick for coordinating this new venture and allowing me to host this week. It's been interesting. If you're interested in hosting the Carnival of the Badger, email Nick at schweitn-at-gmail-dot-com. Forgot to add: Next week will be hosted by Lance Burri.

(Also linked at the ubercarnival).

Take two triple cheeseburgers and call me in the morning

A lady of the biggie size has filed a complaint because Dr. Terry Bennett, in an effort to spare her future health problems, told her, well, she's a twinkee or two over the limit.

Bennett said that it's a lecture he gives to many of his overweight patients.

"It's your weight, ... and there's dozens of programs," Bennett said. "You don't have to come in here. You can join Jenny Craig. You can go see Weight Watchers."

Bennett said he tells obese patients that their weight is bad for their health and their love lives.

Look, what is a doctor supposed to do? Ignore the cause of her health problems? The patient isn't the doctor's wife asking him if the dress makes her look fat, she's in there for medical help. And with that usually comes advice from the doctor we don't want to hear.

Things like, "Drinking like that can kill you." Or, "Eating a double cheeseburger from Kopps with a side order of onion rings three times daily will kill you." "Smoking three packs of filterless Camels per day will kill you." Or even, "Living like Keith Richards will kill everyone except Keith Richards."

I say this not as a member of the thin and healthy set, but as a member of the "afraid to fly Southwest Airlines" group. I'm a couple of Hostess Ho Hos extra on the scale, too. Okay, I'm a full-scale model for demonstrating the gravity effect of a large mass on a box of donuts.

So let me give some advice to the easily offended fattys of the world. See a fat doctor. They're less likely to recommend the celery broth diet. And price out ahead the extra large coffins. But don't drive up the cost from health care complaining because some healthy doctor wants you to be healthy, too. It's kinda their job.

the unstated policy

The Racine Journal Times has an interesting policy: print only those letters that match the Democrat Party's talking points. Real Debate has the original letter and the author's response to the Racine Journal Times' rejection, but I want to just focus on what the Racine Journal Times said.

The following note was sent to Mr. Geason by Steve Lovejoy of the Racine Journal Times:

Bob,
I remember getting this now. Sorry, but you're the one who's shading the truth here. The fact is Doyle signed the budget which contained both the gas tax reduction and the elimination of the Soc. Security tax. You are correct that he did not propose them - but neither did he veto them. The GOP-controlled finance committee COULD NOT have enacted them without Doyle's signature. As to the education funding, the GOP budget version did increase school spending by something like one percent. Using his veto powers Doyle increased the amount earmarked for schools by something like 2 or 2.5 percent. That's the truth, Bob. If you want to rewrite your letter and have it square with the facts we'll be glad to run it.

Starting with accepting the Doyle Administration's spin regarding the gas tax reduction and the elimination of the Social Security tax, Lovejoy makes it clear the only way to interpret events is from the DPW talking points.

I love the "...by something like one percent" and "...something like 2 or 2.5 percent." Then the editor asks the letter writer to "square with the facts" when it's clear the editor is unsure of what the facts even are!

In the end, the letter writer is asked to rewrite the letter to conform to Lovejoy's opinions and misinformed guesses. Not exactly inviting letters to the editor.

Let's contrast that with what I believe are the letter policies for most newspapers. (The two journalism experts who read this blog can correct me.) Most newspapers prefer letters that are readable, short (roughly 200 words or less), and not the result of some mass-mailing-sign-here campaigns. Newspapers would like to print letters written to them and them only and not letters that have already appeared in other newspapers. The letters cannot have foul language and cannot be libelous.

What the Racine Journal Times did does not constitute "censorship." After all, it's their barrel of ink (until Gannett buys them). In fact, had the editor rejected the letter because it appeared in two other newspapers, I would say his decision was perfectly sound.

However, that is not what happened in the case of this letter. The Racine Journal Times editor makes it clear he is only interested in letters that conform to his views. When confronted with a letter with a contrary point of view, he actually has the nerve to ask the author to re-write the letter to match the editor's views.

Perhaps the Racine Journal Times should give up the pretense of having an open forum letters page and instead encourage letters only from those who believe as the editors do regardless of the facts. Apparently it's the unstated policy.

Final Badger Carnival Reminder

Submissions are due by 8ish this evening. You can e-mail them to badgercarnival-at-gmail-dot-com, or you can submit them via the handy-dandy Carnival submit form.

The carnival is a collection of blogger posts from bloggers all around Wisconsin. Pick your best, as long as it has something to do with Wisconsin. Politics, culture, festivals, beer, whatever...

Everyone is asked to participate, regardless of race, gender, creed, political philosophy or favorite cut of beef.

This is a chance to share with other bloggers and a wider audience some of what you're capable of. Don't forget!

In case you lost track

Before you draft your fantasy football team, you might want to start here. Print it out and then use it to update your fantasy football "preview" magazine written last January.

A symbol for the Beijing Olympics 2008

Somehow I don't think it will become the official symbol, but it's the one I'll be thinking of.

Tactical nuke

Little Green Footballs has the countdown on. Markos Zuniga of Daily Kos promised yesterday to nuke the Democratic Leadership Council, the more moderate wing of the Democrat Party.

Two more weeks, folks, before we take them on, head on.

No calls for a truce will be brooked. The DLC has used those pauses in the past to bide their time between offensives. Appeals to party unity will fall on deaf ears (it's summer of a non-election year, the perfect time to sort out internal disagreements).

We need to make the DLC radioactive. And we will. With everyone's help, we really can. Stay tuned.

Because, as everyone on the looney Left knows, winning elections only takes the most ideologically pure fraction of the Democrat Party.

Badger Carnival

Just another quick reminder:

Submissions to the Badger Carnival are due Wednesday at 8pm Wisconsin time. You can e-mail them to badgercarnival-at-gmail-dot-com, or you can submit them via the handy-dandy Carnival submit form.

The carnival is a collection of blogger posts from bloggers all around Wisconsin. Pick your best, as long as it has something tho do with Wisconsin. Politics, culture, festivals, beer, whatever...

Everyone is asked to participate, regardless of politics, background or type of cheese preference.

State GOP overreached

Apparently the Republican Party of Wisconsin jumped the gun in yelling "fraud" in nine cases. U.S. Attorney Steven Biskupic said the nine cases were the result of clerical error, not fraud. However, he expects more charges to be brought in the future, and it doesn't change the cases where he has already brought charges.

Meanwhile, Sean at The American Mind feels an apology is appropriate from the state GOP to those at the residence where the GOP held the press conference.

The state GOP has egg on their faces. They should apologize to Stuart and Gayle Schenk and their son Joseph. Earlier this month the party held a press conference in front of their house. Next time they have evidence they should let the professional investigators check it out before blabbing to the press.

I hate to say it, but Sean's probably right. Unfortunately, because of the GOP's clumsiness their cause of election reform is hurt just a bit. It will probably make Wisconsin blogs, myself included, a little more skeptical of GOP claims until someone else verifies them.

Unfortunately, there are enough verified claims of illegal ballots cast to make election reform, including requiring voter id, an immediate need.

The 'boys

Cowboy report: they didn't look too bad last night as they beat the Seattle Seahawks 18-10. Demarcus Ware looked very good, forcing two fumbles, recovering one, making an interception. Now that's what a first round pick should look like. I see definite improvement on the defense, and the offense finally scored a touchdown. Given the field position the defense gave them the offense should've scored more than one. Even the "A Train" looked decent.

Backup QB Drew Henson finished 4-of-10 for 38 yards and an interception. He's a loooong way from being an NFL Quarterback.

Roll out the barrells

I heard this on the radio, I read it on Lakeshore Laments. I still don't believe it. Former Wisconsin Governor and HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson is thinking of running for President in 2008.

Can you imagine a Thompson presidency? Orange barrels -EVERYWHERE. And in light of the Kelo decision, do you know how much asphalt he'll be able to lay down?

And watch out for Tommy the health nut. Tommy's acquired the nanny-state "it's good for you" disease. Lawsuits against fast food, cigarettes banned everywhere, mandatory jogging.

He might even ban cheese.

Besides, if you think the current President's a big spender, wait until you get a load of Tommy with a federal budget to play with. This has gotta be stopped now - before it's too late.

School Daze

Not that I'm trying to relive my past or anything, but in recent months I've been contacted by a few friends and acquaintences (I had no enemies) from college and gotten updates on their whereabouts and activities. So if I may turn a nostalgic eye towards UW Milwaukee for a moment as they prepare to return to the classroom...

Student newspapers recently were dealt a blow to their First Amendment rights when an appeals court ruled that limits on high school newspapers could also apply to college newspapers that are funded as a student activity. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel incorrectly states this would exempt the UWM Post because, "Daily newspapers at UW-Madison and the UWM Post retain stronger first amendment protections because they receive no university funding." The UWM Post pushed that line back when I was a student (when a "laptop" is what a grad student sat on). However, the Journal Sentinel should run a retraction because, unless the UWM Post has moved their offices (they haven't), they occupy some fine office real estate in the student union rent free. So much for independence.

Meanwhile, I'm pleased to discover that the student government at UW-Milwaukee is still a mess. We hit upon the perfect solution prior to my leaving college. So any enterprising young student at UWM who wants fame and glory, here's your chance. Run for student government president on a platform to abolish student government. In one fell swoop you get to reduce student fees (thus lowering tuition), end student government corruption, and you get to put on your resume you were UWM student government president. Heck, that's more than the Democratic candidate for Congress in the 1st district can boast.

Mike Sherman gets new life

Okay, somebody 'splain it to me. Mike Sherman is getting a two-year extension on his contract, according to Packernews.com. What was it about the pre-season and training camp thus far that said to the Green Bay Packers, yup, give this guy an extension.

Badger Carnival

Just a quick reminder:

Submissions to the Badger Carnival are due Wednesday at 8pm Wisconsin time. You can e-mail them to badgercarnival-at-gmail-dot-com, or you can submit them via the handy-dandy Carnival submit form. The carnival is a collection of blogger posts from bloggers all around Wisconsin. Pick your best, as long as it has something tho do with Wisconsin. Politics, culture, festivals, beer, whatever...

I'll post the Carnival on Thursday, August 24th. Everyone, regardless of political persuasion or personal grooming habits, are invited to participate

The enemies list

"Always with the drama," as Tony Soprano would say. Welcome to the City of Pewaukee, where a recall effort is underway to recall the the mayor, Jeff Nowak, for various claims of misdeeds in office. In response, one of Nowak's henchmen on the city's common council alderman David Mokros distributed a list of police contacts to the home of recall effort leader Barbara Whitcomb after a Common Council meeting.

Mokros claimed the papers were left in his mailbox by person or persons unknown. Since Mokros attempted smear of a recall leaders, attention has turned to him, demanding he either resign, or he'll be recalled next.

Now we learn on Friday, first from Mark Belling on WISN radio, it was the Mayor himself who requested the information from the City of Pewaukee police department. Nowak claims he has no idea how the papers ended up with Mokros, but he says a new shredder policy is getting implemented. Apparently this means means the disposal previously of sensitive personal information by the city was to place it in random aldermen's mailboxes.

The next step, of course, is to find out who else ended up on Nowak's enemies list. Who else does he have files on, and why? Meanwhile, Nowak and his G Gordon Liddy-like henchman should resign from office - immediately. If they don't resign, then these two buckets of scum should be recalled.

maybe the NCAA should open casinos

The NCAA has "clarified" its position on "offensive" Indian nicknames. Honest Injun. It seems if that if a university can demonstrate support from the local tribe and threaten legal action, the NCAA will generously allow the offending university to keep their nickname. From the Washington Times:

The National Collegiate Athletic Association created some wiggle room yesterday in its recent decision to ban American Indian imagery, announcing that it would give latitude to universities whose "namesake" tribe supports the mascot.

A newly formed staff committee charged with reviewing appeals to the Aug. 5 ruling will take into account the university's relationship with the tribe as a "primary factor," according to a statement released yesterday by the NCAA.

The announcement was good news at the home of the Fighting Sioux -- the University of North Dakota, whose president fired off a letter last week announcing his intention to appeal the decision and, if necessary, take the matter to court.

Not everyone is happy, of course. One Vernon Bellecourt, president of the National Coalition on Racism in Sports and Media, a petty tyrant with letterhead, doesn't care what any tribal council thinks. All that matters is that he and few other racial hustlers are "offended" and he's looking for scalps.

Mr. Bellecourt called the Seminole council members "hang-around-the-fort Indians," a reference to American Indians who were friendly with the U.S. Army and set up camp near their forts during the 1800s.

"The tribal leaders don't speak for all Seminoles, and there are Seminoles who oppose the use of the Seminole name as a sports mascot," said Mr. Bellecourt, a member of the Objiwe Nation in Minnesota.

Mr. Bellecourt apparently believes it is he, and only he that has the right to speak for Native Americans. Only he is of sufficiently pure ideology to see the evil of the Pale Face and their Indian collaborators. But does he even speak for the Ojibwe, his own tribe?

The Central Michigan Chippewas really demonstrate what having an Indian team nickname should be all about. Student atheletes are taught the heritage of the Chippewa, and their history as an Ojibwe tribe.

More than 400 Central Michigan University student-athletes learned about the history and cultural heritage of the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe this past Sunday night.

Joe Sowmick, Director of Public Relations for the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe, and Renee Dillard, Cultural Education Consultant for the Grand River Band of Ottawa, spoke to the student-athletes about the history of the Ojibwe people, the formation of the Chippewa name and the various cultural elements of their tribal heritage.

This marked the first time in school history that the entire group of CMU student-athletes were part of such an educational session.

"It was a great presentation," said CMU assistant athletic director Nick Williams. "It was an important message and it was an interesting evening for everyone involved.

"It was a real honor for CMU athletics to be a part of an educational opportunity like this. CMU athletics not only represents the university but the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe as well when we wear the Chippewa name on our jerseys.

"The more our administration, coaches and student-athletes know about Ojibwe history and culture the better we can represent the great partnership that we have with the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe."

The event was one of many activities that take place between CMU athletics and the tribe. CMU is also involved with the Anishnabe Athlete Youth Association and works to promote education and athletics to tribal youth throughout mid-Michigan.

Bellecourt and his followers would rob the universitioes of their chance to teach the pride and the history of the tribes they take their names from. Rather than work with the universities to get rid of offensive mascots, Bellecourt would rob the university of any positive association with the tribaql names.

In it's place, what would we have left? A few tribal names attached to ugly casinos and bingo halls? If Bellecourt really wanted to clean up the image of the American Indian maybe, just maybe, he might want to end that rather seedy connection instead.

Happy 150th Miller Brewing

My friend StB tells the story of a woman so desperate to see Bon Jovi she stopped at Hooters the other day and bought $60.00 in beer in a vain hope to win tickets. It’s enough to drive a man to drink. Fortunately for my friend he was already at the bar.

Ya see, Miller Brewing is celebrating its 150th anniversary by violating the Second Law of Wigderson Economics: Free tickets are stupid. They gave away all the tickets to Bon Jovi, and now the scramble is on. Apparently a lot of people just could not get enough of him campaigning for John Kerry last year.

Somebody should’ve introduced the desperate beer-buying woman to the world of ticket brokers and Ebay. For approximately $200 she would have sure tickets and peace of mind. The downside? It’s Bon Jovi.

Now I need that drink.

Can't blame the NCAA for this

The Tennessee Volunteers will no longer be represented by Davy Crockett and his rifle. They like puppies instead.

Referred to as ''secondary'' logos, the newly created symbols incorporate various images of Smokey, the school's blue-tick hound mascot.

A secondary logo that is a capitalized Vols in orange block letters with Tennessee in white above it will replace two old symbols featuring Davy Crockett and his rifle and a star with the word Vols.

Two of the new logos feature a Smokey puppy sitting next to a Power T and a Lady Vols T. (emphasis added)

Over at the Countertop Chronicles,

It was bad enough when the campus went dry.

I guess that the only message I can take after learning that UT is dropping Davey Crocket and his rifle from official merchandise is we no longer care about our heros. Hell, they might as well change the name of the team from the Volunteers to the Oppressed Draftees.

My advice to the Countertop, don't give the administration any ideas.

Today is Gene Roddenberry's birthday

{Tony Kornheiser voice} Happy birthday to the late Gene Roddenberry. Born on this day in 1921, his creation of Star Trek gave millions of young males an excuse to stay home and live in their parents' basements. As his remains float in orbit I'd like to think he's got a good view of the stars his creation encouraged us to explore.

The travels of Benedict XVI

Brad at Letters in a Bottle / The Island Pundit has some first hand accounts of the Pope's trip to Germany here and here.

Pope Benedict XVI's arrival by boat on the Rhine was awe-inspiring today. We waited along the banks with throngs of World Youth Day pilgrims - including Iraqis, Chinese, Australians, Namibians, and Maltese. People climbed the sycamore trees lining the bank Zaccheus-style. Planes, helicopters, and zeppelins droned overhead, and German special forces boats patrolled the river. A parade of at least five big Rhine cruise boats preceeded the Papal Barge (Papst Boot?). All the bells in Cologne were ringing. The Italians whipped up a rousing cheer of 'Benedetto' as the Texans across the river laid out huge Lone Star Flags on the East Bank of the Rhine. It was something to truly something to see.

Makes you wish you were there. Meanwhile, DAD29 passes along how some unwanted wall decorations were taken care of.

Apparently on Monday Planned Parenthood did an all-out promotion, and plastered all the subways and railways in Cologne with pro-condom posters. But from the hour the pilgrims started arriving, the posters started coming down.

A John Roberts nomination note

Interesting item in the Wall Street Journal “Washington Wire”: “Blogosphere Bodes Well for Robert’s Confirmation Prospects”. The item claims, “…even on liberal sites, dialogue was ‘primarily neutral’ from July 19-Aug. 1.”

However, conservatives need to be ready.

Some liberals, encouraged by the Schiavo case, argue Democrats can make more progress pressing Roberts on right-to-die issues than on abortion. "It’s the dog that hasn’t barked yet," says Oakland, Calif., attorney Jon Eisenberg, author of new book, "Using Terri: the Religious Right’s Conspiracy to Take Away Our Rights."

I always have to ask, who is using Terri Schiavo?

Now she wants her privacy

Cindy Sheehan, weeping mother, possible anti-semite, icon of the conspiracy theory Left, has returned home to take care of her ill mother. We wish her mother well. However, we almost had a stroke, too, when we saw the headline on Drudge, "Cindy Sheehan Requests Privacy".

I plan on returning to Camp Casey very soon, but while I'm in Los Angeles please respect that my sister, brother and I are here focusing on our mother, while the moms in Crawford focus on Bush.

Now she wants her privacy? That's like a teacher's union saying, "No, we're paid enough right now." We await the arrival of People magazine.

Calling all Wisconsin bloggers

Submissions to the Badger Carnival are due Wednesday at 8pm Wisconsin time. You can e-mail them to badgercarnival-at-gmail-dot-com, or you can submit them via the handy-dandy Carnival submit form , created by Conservative Cat.

I'll post the Carnival on Thursday, August 24th. Everyone, regardless of political persuasion or personal grooming habits, are invited to participate.

The tragedy in Gaza

Young Israeli soldiers are forcing their fellow Israelis to leave behind their homes as Israel evacuates Gaza and hands it over to the Palestinian Authority, at least in theory. In practice, there really is no “Palestinian Authority”, just a recognized body with a name masking the anarchy and terror of Palestinian life. Hamas, Fatah, Islamic Jihad, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, those are the real powers struggling for control, a struggle so deadly for so little.

It’s a grim task, the removal of “settlers”, people who brought what little material prosperity there is in Gaza. Sadly, were the Palestinians able to cobble together any manifestation of a civilization, were they able to demonstrate any tolerance for their neighbors, this tragic day need never have happened.

We need to understand why it is necessary for the Israelis of Gaza to leave behind their homes to the bulldozer. To stop the targeting of Israeli citizens, the state of Israel has erected a security barrier and has begun to withdraw behind it. How dare Israel defend itself from us! And the Palestinians rage from beyond the barrier, deprived of their opportunities to send women and children as human bombs to kill innocent civilians.

More effective than any “agreement” with the Palestinians, more effective than any “road map,” the security barrier saves lives. But it also means Israel has to pull back from areas they can no longer protect. These are the areas being ceded to the nominal control of the Palestinian Authority.

Americans tend to think of borders like we think of our own border with Canada. A flash of some paperwork and a smile for the customs officer and we’re on our way. Maybe we think of Mexico, where the crossing is slightly more complicated, the border crossing leading to a more alien world. A few Americans have experience with a border crossing in Europe. Again, a flash of the paperwork, maybe a bit more hassle, and then we’re on our way. Not a thought is given to the amount of civilized behavior required between states to make such a crossing of national boundaries so orderly or normal. Even a long history of hostility and suspicion between the United States and Mexico has given way to mutual cooperation (though recent experience indicates there is much work to be done).

The Israeli experience with borders is entirely different. From the beginning Israel has found itself surrounded by hostile states. Internally, the partition of Palestine and subsequent wars with Israel’s neighbors has created an internal population relatively alien and even hostile to the modern Western state of Israel, even as this alien population enjoyed the benefits of not being ruled by Israel’s despotic neighbors.

Israelis experience two types of borders: the external border of barbed wire and armed sentries; and an imaginary line that separates Israel proper from the “occupied territories.” The “occupied territories” were those taken by Israel in the 1967 war, commonly referred to as the West Bank and Gaza, but to many Israelis the West Bank was the ancestral homes of Judea and Samaria.

When I visited Israel in 1985 (before the Palestinian Intifadas) crossing over into the West Bank was less significant than crossing the Wisconsin-Illinois border. To curb Palestinian violence, first came security checkpoints. Then those weren’t enough. And now, the pull back and the security barrier.

Americans need to understand, too, what would happen if the Israeli army pulled back and left the settlers behind. The settlers would be slaughtered – man, woman and child.

Contrast that with Israeli behavior. After the Israeli borders are secured by the pull back and the completion of the security barrier, there will be no mass expulsion of Israeli Arabs. There will be no government-sponsored reprisals against Israeli Arabs. They, too, will have the benefits of living under the protection of the Israeli flag. Their fellow Arabs across the barrier will not know such peace.

Hamas and the other Palestinian terror groups are celebrating today. Across the Gaza territory a darkness is about to fall with the end of civilization there. The rest of us should weep.

Feingold's folly

For one moment, let’s seriously look at Senator Feingold’s proposal to bring all the troops home from Iraq by December 31st of next year. Most of us would love for it to happen. In fact, it’s even possible it could happen by then. Then again, our mission in Iraq may take a little longer.

But can we ask the junior Senator from Wisconsin why he didn’t say Christmas? There’s at least a song for that deadline. Was he afraid of the wrath of the Freedom from Religion foundation? Okay, how about Thanksgiving? Or Halloween? Setting that deadline might be a little too scary for the Iraqis. Okay, let’s go the other way. How about setting a deadline of Groundhog Day 2007? Easter???

Okay, we know the answer. The Senator needed to pick a day, any day, to use for his grandstanding. End of the year next year sounds good enough.

After all, actually setting a deadline means that regardless of the situation, we would come home. No matter how many terrorists, no matter how unstable Iraq is, no matter the threat to our national security, we would pull out.

That’s not a plan for victory, that’s planning a victory party for the terrorists.

Of course, it’s not a serious proposal. It’s merely a Presidential wannabe trying to appeal to the worst of his party’s base. It’s slimy, it’s despicable, but it’s not serious.

So the Senator stands in the US Senate and says, “Come home, America!”

After all, it worked so well for President George McGovern.

So just how much is too much?

Like the fatman at the buffet suggesting a diet to his thin companions, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tells the suburbs experiencing rapid growth in construction to keep the lid on spending. In an editorial titled, "Hold that line on spending":

For the past few years, municipal and county officials in this area, sensing the growing frustration of property taxpayers, have for the most part held the line on taxes and spending.

They need to try to keep that streak alive this year.

Of course, they haven't completely found the low-tax low-spending regimin palatable. "But taxpayers have to be reasonable as well." Yes, fatman, and there's always room for dessert.

So tell us, oh tax glutton, what spending do you oppose? What possible spending have you shown any inclination to cut? Tighten your belts taxpayers while the government, cheered on by the Journal Sentinel editorial page, consumes more and more.

Is he ready for some football?

Marco Rivera may play monday night for the Dallas Cowboys in their pre-season game at Seattle.

Parcells said he expects Rivera, who has been resting a "twinged" hamstring, to play Monday. "I'm trying to convince everybody as quick as possible, but I've also got to be smart," Rivera said. Parcells said if Rivera was only "close" to being ready to play, he would hold him out of the game.

I just thought you Green Bay Packer fans might like to know these things.

1st weekly Badger Carnival

From the shameless promotion department, the first weekly Badger Carnival is up, a collection of interesting posts from Wisconsin bloggers, at the World According to Nick. This week's tour of the Wisconsin Bloggers took a slightly red tint.

Next week the Wigderson Library & Pub is hosting the Carnival. All are welcome to submit blog entries regarding anything to do with Wisconsin, liberal or conservative, politics, entertainment, gambling, boozing (this is sounding more like the Wigderson Christmas Party), sports, festivals, the EAA, whatever. E-mail entries to: badgercarnival-at-gmail-dot-com by Wednesday, August 24th 10:00pm-ish.

In the meantime, check out the current Badger Carnival to see what some of your fellow Wisconsinites are finding interesting.

Bangladesh

My friend came to me
With sadness in his eyes
Told me that he wanted help
Before his country dies
- George Harrison, Bangladesh

We don't yet know the toll, but according to CNN the count so far is 350 bombs detonating nationwide, 115 people so far injured.

Bangladeshi authorities said they had received reports of bomb blasts from 36 districts across the country.

Jamayetul Mujahedin, an Islamic militant group, claimed responsibility for the attacks in leaflets distributed around many of the blast sites.

I'll never understand why bloodthirsty animals are always so willing to announce their guilt, but there you have it. Another front on The War on Terror.

Can you hear me now?

The Indian Point nuclear power plant can't seem to get their emergency sirens working. How will the little school kiddies know when to hide under the desk?

For the third time in less than a month, the four-county emergency siren system at the Indian Point nuclear plants did not work properly yesterday, the result of telephone line problems that were still not fixed by late in the day, Westchester and Rockland county officials said.

The good news is that plant officials say they could activate the alarm system from the plant.

Rockland's deputy commissioner for emergency services Dan Greeley said the problem appeared to be with a Verizon telephone line, a relay point that connects the four counties and the siren network with Indian Point via computers.

Verizon workers still were trying to rectify the problem last night, county and Entergy officials said, though the cause had not been determined.

It's advertising like this that Verizon just can't buy anywhere.

Jim Steets, a spokesman for Entergy Nuclear Northeast, the plants' owner, said the sirens could have been activated from Indian Point, so the system still would have functioned in the event of an emergency. He said Entergy employees would be the first to know if something happened at the plant and would automatically activate the sirens.

First to know? Ya think? "Hey Homer, is the core supposed to be burning like that?"

Matt Groening told the story once on C-SPAN about he and the other writers from The Simpsons were invited to tour a nuclear power plant because the nuclear industry wanted to dispell some of the myths about nuclear plant safety being made fun of on the show. Groening said he and his writers walked out of there with more stories than they could believe.

I'm a believer in nuclear power. Really. However, in my former life as a product support specialist for hydraulic magnetic circuit breakers, I heard some things that made me want to dig a bunker in my backyard.

But hey! If you want to give running a nuclear power plant a try, just click here.

A Doyle tax in your tank

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle isn't all evil. Sometimes he even sides with Big Oil.

The Governor announced this week he is in favor of repealing the minimum markup law on gasoline. This may give added impetus to a bill sponsored by State Senator Dave Zien (R-Eau Claire) and State Representative Jeff Wood (R- Chippewa Falls). Unfortunately, as Michael Bie, spokesman for AAA Wisconsin, tells the Wisconsin State Journal, consumers could only expect to save about 1 cent to 2 cents a gallon.

But it is a start to understanding that government does contribute significantly to the cost of gasoline.

I'd be more impressed if the Governor and the Legislature would repeal the 32.9 cents/gallon tax on gasoline in this state. The tax, which automatically increases every year so the legislature doesn't have to go on record as supporting it, was created ostensibly for road repair and road building. In recent years both parties have been raiding the fund to go to "other budget priorities" with Governor Doyle taking the biggest grab.

The first budget priority of any level of government needs to be the taxpayer, and right now Wisconsin taxpayers are paying $.11 more per gallon of gas than our neighbors in Minnesota thanks to a tax without representation for an undefined purpose. Wisconsin voters have plenty of politicians to hold accountable, starting at the top.

I may have to renew my subscription

Are they still running that awful Boondocks cartoon? From the shameless self-promotion department: the inkless and finger-stain free edition of the Journal Sentinel gives a brief mention of the Wigderson Library & Pub, "James Wigderson trains a humorous and critical eye on the people and news events from Waukesha to Washington D.C."

As Marcus at Blogger Beer would say, it's an "extra big dose of linky-love."

Keeping above the fray

County Supervisor Jim Dwyer has stated the 22 year-old arrest of his opponent State Representative Dan Vrakas is not an issue in the Waukesha County Executive race. Very big of him, kinda reminiscent of Senator Russ Feingold promising not to allow outside soft money to be spent in his 1986 race against Mark Neumann. The damage done, Dwyer even volunteered he had been arrested 40 years ago for disorderly conduct in Milwaukee.

We await the next personal attack on Vrakas by a third party Dwyer will have to disavow.

Ride the tiger

Well, I guess the band must be getting back together, because as expected Town of Delafield Chairman Paul Kanter has announced he is not running for Waukesha County Executive. According to the Journal Sentinel, "Kanter, a federal prosecutor in Milwaukee, said becoming a county executive would disrupt his career and family life too much at this point." He then muttered inaudibly under his breath, "Besides, I'd get my ass kicked. Thanks for the free press."

Notice to other non-candidates: The deadline for nomination signatures (500) is this Tuesday, which effectively ends the publicity-seeking opportunity for non-candidates. Get your press releases out soon.

Mokros in the muck and mire

In the City of Pewaukee, a group of citizens are trying to recall the mayor, Jeff Nowak. In retaliation, alderman David Mokros distributed a list of police contacts to the home of recall effort leader Barbara Whitcomb after Monday’s Common Council meeting.

How scummy. How pathetic.

In Waukesha, Roger Danielsen was driven from the school board, forced to resign, for releasing the police record of the daughter of Chris Lufter, an opponent of last spring’s spending increase referendum.

Mokros, not that he’s shown any sense of decency so far, should resign immediately. If he’s not willing to resign, the mayor and Mokros’ fellow aldermen should ask him to resign. Failing that, Mokros should be recalled.

Gee, I wonder who they voted for?

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is reporting four more
people were charged with casting illegal ballots. If
we keep this up, do you think all those groups who
think Bush stole Ohio will think Kerry stole
Wisconsin? naaaaah.

Anyways, the four casting illegal ballots are
convicted felons and therefore not elgible to vote:
Ethel M. Anderson, 41; Correan F. Edwards, 33; Jiyto
L. Cox, 30; and Joseph J. Gooden, 38. All are
Milwaukee residents. Each face a possible $250,000
fine and five years in prison, though those penalties
are about as likely as me becoming Pope.

Let all the poisons in the muck hatch out

I couldn't help but think of Robert Graves when I heard Bruce Murphy of Milwaukee Magazine dredged up a 22 year old arrest and a ten year old Journal Sentinel story regarding the arrest of the then 28 year old Dan Vrakas on cocaine possession. State Representative Dan Vrakas is the front runner to replace Dan Finley as Waukesha County Executive but, as I warned the other day, look for Dwyer's partisans to stop at nothing to try and tear Vrakas down.

Let all the poisons...

There has not been any allegation Vrakas has avoided responsibility for this arrest. There has not been any allegation Vrakas has repeated his crime, or has broken any law since the arrest occurred. In the 14 years he has been in the state legislature, there have not been any allegations regarding his conduct in office. And far from hiding from the issue, Vrakas has been honest and direct with his constituents regarding the arrest.

...in the muck...

Bruce Murphy tries to justify digging in the mire by asserting this story would have become an issue in the campaign eventually. However, he doesn't say who would've made it an issue. Vrakas' opponent? Were there plans by Dwyer to use this? Why doesn't Murphy say so? Because Murphy knows he already did the dirty work.

Grasping that his say-so isn't enough justification to roll in the slime Murphy tries to justify his article by alleging that if this happened to former Milwaukee acting mayor Marvin Pratt it would be an issue, even as it is unlikely to be an issue in the Vrakas/Dwyer race. Neat trick. In two sentences Murphy manages to make morally equivalent the ethically challenged Pratt (whose sins took place during his campaign) and the relatively squeeky clean Vrakas, stating the only difference between the two is their race. Pratt owes Murphy for this - big time.

Sensing that still isn't enough, Murphy makes the charge that Vrakas will be punished in this race for his 20 year old cocaine possession arrest because he doesn't allow cancer patients to ingest "medical marijuana." For Murphy to make any logical sense, Vrakas would have had to assert cocaine possession is okay but a cancer-plagued grandma can be busted for her brownie mix. Memo to Murphy: What are you smoking?

...hatch out!

Unfortunately, this is only the beginning of the smear job. Right now in Madison people are looking for any business deal, any personal conflict, any budget vote that could possibly make Vrakas look bad. For the rest of the campaign, we should keep in mind this excerpt from the editorial that appeared in the Lake County Reporter:

The point here is that Vrakas is a legislator, not a Saint. And he is one of the most conscientious legislators we have ever ran into. He listens, is responsive, is hard working, and seems to be generally in tune with his constituency. In our experience, Vrakas is a man of good character too. Part of gaining maturity for all of us is making mistakes. Human beings learn best when they make mistakes and we think Vrakas learned from his; you need only get to know him to tell that. There are lawmakers who have cavalierly broken the law and again and again and again and who seem to think they are above it. Those are the people who should be held up to public ridicule, not this man. Somewhere along the way, we have to realize that little soundbites and specks from someone's long ago past do not make up character. The media are great at picking out the small thread and by human nature we infer that they have defined the whole cloth. It feeds the suspicions that we all harbor about politicians but to draw on an isolated incident of this good man's past is unfair.

Nom de Plume

Blogger, UWM Journalism Lecturer and television pundit Jessica McBride has been taking issue with how she is described in the blogosphere by those critical of her or her points of view. See here, here, and, well, here. Most specifically the offender is Bill Christofferson, who is obsessed with whether she calls herself Mrs. Paul Bucher, Jessica McBride or McBride-Bucher, or whatever.

Is there anyone left, right or indifferent that doesn't know Jessica McBride is the wife of Waukesha District Attorney Paul Bucher?

I thought it was those enlightened people on the left that encouraged women to keep a separate identity when they got married, but Christofferson's support for Islamic radicals is apparently more than opportunistic. (Cheap shot, I know. I should erase it, but....)

For the record, the Wigderson Library & Pub doesn't give a damn if someone wants to call themselves Alan Bourdillion Traherne. As long as it ain't libel it's printable. Regardless of name, I retain the right to ask annoying questions while sometimes stooping to unreasonable childishness.

I was surprised both Christofferson and McBride engaged in idle speculation of the true identity of Dennis York. York, partly as a result of this speculation, has decided to withdraw from blogging.

I have mixed feelings about anonymous blogging, but I understand why people blog anonymously. The downside of an anonymous blog is that the blogger has to take extra care in supporting the things said on the site, as they've removed their credibility of authority. The upside is that the author is free to speak his/her mind without jeopardizing their position or the position of their employer.

In the short time there was a Dennis York, his blog often provided interesting insights into the workings of Madison. Unfortunately, his blog got too successful (something that hasn't happened to me yet, dammit) and the speculation began.

So I'll miss "Dennis York", unless he wants to feed his material to me.

Dwyer's in, but with friends like these...

Waukesha County Board Chairman Jim Dwyer announced today he is running for Waukesha County Executive, as expected. He promised to protect the County's bond rating, an issue that will surely electrify the voters.

Meanwhile, nine members of the County Board thought enough of Dwyer that they announced their endorsement of his opponent the same day Dwyer announced his candidacy. The Vrakas nine are: Dan Pavelko, Walter Kolb, Genia Bruce, Jean Tortomasi, Keith Harenda, Jeff Morris, Andrew Kallin, James Behrend, and Rodell Singert.

Also, County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus has scheduled the election to be held on October 18th, with a possible primary on September 20th. Candidates will have until August 23rd to file their nominating papers. That means that non-candidates only have eight days to announce they're not running in order to get a free mention in the newspaper.

And finally, blogger Jessica McBride, wife of State Attorney General candidate Paul Bucher, drinks the Vrakas Kool-aid and signs onto the campaign. (Waukesha DA Paul Bucher hasn't announced an endorsement.) She also details some of Jim Dwyer's flaws, such as his opposition to TABOR.

Only in Wisconsin...

Sometimes when you leave a good party early, the party doesn't want you to leave. Waukesha Alderman Emanuele Vitale was the unfortunate victim of an accident leaving the Wisconsin State fair Wednesday night.

As Vitale, 70, readied to leave the Wisconsin State Fair on Wednesday night, a half-barrel of beer getting hand-trucked by a grounds employee toppled across his right leg and rolled over his left ankle, he said Thursday.

The blow to his foot felt "terribly painful," and his ankle swelled, Vitale said.
He was taken by ambulance at about 8:30 p.m. to West Allis Memorial Hospital, where X-rays came back negative, he said. On Thursday he was back on his feet, though limited to hobbling around.

The Waukesha Freeman's headline, "Beer barrel injures Waukesha alderman at state fair" is definitely an only-in-Wisconsin headline. The Wigderson family wishes the alderman a speedy recovery.

Let slip the dogs of war

Waukesha County Board Chairman Jim Dwyer is expected to announce his candidacy for Waukesha County Executive on monday. Lest anyone think think this will be a nice, friendly political campaign, I discovered someone in Madison this morning googling "Vrakas arrest".

Look for both campaigns to get plenty of outside help as the Democrats would love to place one of their own in the supposedly non-partisan position, just as Republicans have certainly enjoyed controlling the County Executive office in Milwaukee County. I think people in Waukesha will be shocked at the amount of money spent in the campaign.

Memo to the Vrakas Campaign: don't make any stupid pledges regarding campaign spending or campaign rhetoric. You'll find the promise being enforced on only one side: yours.

Take it easy on the meds, would ya?

Wow! One win in the pre-season because the other team's kicker has the yips and Packer fans are calling their travel agents to plan their trip to the Super Bowl. Woo! Hoo! Let the mania portion of manic depression fly! Next week we'll be back to talking them in off the ledges.

Comings, goings, whatnots

First, Nick Schweitzer has proposed and is launching a Carnival of the Badger. More details at The World According to Nick. If you've never participated in a blog carnival before, basically you select a blog posting that fits the theme of the carnival and the host of the carnival gathers the links together on his/her site. I'm doing a poor job of explaining it but it's a great way to expose your blog to other people. The first Carnival of the Badger will appear August 18th, and then the Library & Pub will host it August 25th. The deadline for submissions will be around 7pm the Wednesday before. Anyone interested in hosting the carnival should contact Nick (schweitn-at-gmail-dot-com).

Next, and I have to laugh at this, but wisopinion.com/wispolitics.com has decided to add me to the blogroll. You can stop sending them nasty e-mails (if anyone did). I got a note from Mike Schramm after the blog posting I did regarding their mishandling of the Finley announcement telling me I was added to their blogroll. That was not my intent, but we'll take this as evidence that at least one journalist isn't thin-skinned.

I separated out most of the Wisconsin blogs on my blogroll, but a few blogs I wasn't able to because Bloglines couldn't find the rss feed. That includes Charlie Sykes, which I'll take as an indicator of how well Journal Communications is doing these days.

I'm working on a project for that donation button you see to the left. However, it does work and it does take donations right now. Maybe a few html lessons...

In the meantime, if you don't feel like making a donation, then buy stuff at Wiggy's Warehouse. Lotsa stuff. Buying stuff will make you feel good. There's even NASCAR stuff. Of course, if you have too much stuff, Wiggy's Warehouse can help with that, too.

Eat the whole thing

Scripps Howard has a story today asking everyone to clean their plate or no dessert.

Timothy Jones, a University of Arizona archaeologist, says that makes the results of his studies of how much food is lost and thrown away very timely. For the last eight years, Jones has spearheaded a government-financed study that has documented how more than 40 percent of food grown in the United States is lost or thrown away - at a cost of at least $100 billion annually to the economy and over-taxing the soil and environment.

He said Americans - from the farm to the kitchen - aren't aware of the huge amounts of food losses, and cooks often don't think about the food they waste. Jones said even the experts were wrong - by a factor of two, in fact - in guessing how much food is lost through the food chain, and he said at least half of the food discarded isn't really bad and could have been safely consumed.

Seinfeld did a little exploring of this topic once:
[Monk's Diner]

JERRY: So lemme get this straight: you find yourself in the kitchen. You see an éclair, in the receptacle. And you think to yourself, "What the hell, I'll just eat some trash."
GEORGE: No, no. No, no, no. It was not trash!
JERRY: Was it in the trash?
GEORGE: Yes.
JERRY: Then it was trash.
GEORGE: It wasn't down in, it was sort of on top.
JERRY: But it was in the cylinder!
GEORGE: Above the rim.
JERRY: Adjacent to refuse, is refuse.
GEORGE: It was on a magazine! And it still had the doily on.
JERRY: Was it eaten?
GEORGE: One little bite.
JERRY: Well, that's garbage.
GEORGE: But I know who took the bite. It was her aunt!
JERRY: Well, you, my friend, have crossed the line that divides Man and Bum. You are now a Bum.

Somehow, I'm not ready to do my part for the economy and do a little dumpster diving. If for no other reason, besides avoiding becoming a bum, the government says I'm too fat as it is. Tell those skinny model types they're the ones hurting the economy, dammit.

America's team invades Guatemala

Former Dallas Cowboy Gary Hogeboom is apparently a contestant in this Fall's "Survivor: Guatemala." A fifth round draft pick, Gary Hogeboom was part of the post-Staubach era with Danny White with whom he competed for the starting job. Hogeboom is now a real estate developer and does mission work. His family denies he's a contestant.

Our long, regional nightmare is finally over

WISN 1130AM will finally, finally name their morning show host when they announce the winner of the Milwaukee’s Next Talk Star contest tonight at State Fair at 7:30PM. Jerry Bott will do the announcing, so expect a long, pointless, boring introduction, about as long as this contest has been going on. (I think this contest started during the Carter Administration. Someone look it up for me.) I may actually see this as I will be at the fair this evening.

Yeah, they must be really excited, making the announcement late on a Friday.

In the meantime, Steve “The Homer” True’s program is getting bumped back to 9:00pm weeknights to accommodate WISN’s desire to have Sean Hannity immediately follow Mark Belling. Tim Cuprisin of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel speculates this in part the result of True’s contract ending at the end of this year.

If you were planning on getting rid of Glenn Beck and moving Weber & Dolan to compete with Charlie Sykes on WTMJ, and if you were planning on moving Sean Hannity to the 6-9pm slot, then wouldn’t it have made sense to move Steve True to the mornings? You would have an established radio personality in your morning slot, his program would be a good lead-in to Weber & Dolan, he’s veteran enough that if something important happens he could handle straight news if needed, a sports talk program in the morning would be virtually alone.

But that’s just me.

Good luck to whomever won the WISN radio contest. You have an unenviable task ahead of you.

French Flambe, or Greenpeace Jubilee

So let me get this straight. Greenpeace, the guys on the rafts stopping international whaling by getting in front of the harpoon, are afraid of the harsh rhetoric of Stuart Carlson, so much so they are demanding MSNBC fire him? So upset are they that he dared to praise the French for protecting their national interests that they have filed a complaint with the FCC?

You may recall the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior. The French were resuming nuclear testing when the eco-terrorist group Greenpeace decided to sail their boat out into the test zone to interfere with the tests. The French, with a rare sense of the national interest, decided not to let some save-the-whale types dictate a country's foreign policy.

The French really faced then two choices: confrontation on the high seas or sabotage in the harbor. Unfortunately the French chose to mine the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland Harbor. The operation killed Greenpeace member Fernando Pereira. One could argue that a confrontation on the ocean may have resulted in possibly more dead Greenpeace members. We'll never know.

However, Carlson's comments are not beyond the pale and Greenpeace deserves no apology. They had no authority and no right to interfere with France's nuclear test. Such matters are to be resolved by states and not by international bandits. If on that day in July, 1985, Tucker Carlson found newfound respect for the French then that's just tough for Greenpeace.

The First Amendment applies to the law-abiding Tucker Carlsons of the world as well as to the law-breaking Greenpeace.

Courthouse whales

The Shepherd Express is reporting the Artist known as Wyland is threatening to sue if the whale mural on the Milwaukee County Courthouse annex is destroyed. No word if he's asked Greenpeace to sail down I-43 to get between the whales and the wrecking ball.

Back in 2004, Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker said he would support saving the whales if private donations paid for it.

And now, the rest of the story

An update on how Dennis Shook and Wispolitics.com jumped the gun and announced Jennifer Finley is running for Waukesha County Executive.

I spoke with Mike Schramm, the managing editor of Wispolitics.com, and this was following two e-mails from Dennis Shook under whose byline the story appeared. I’ve managed to piece together a story, but I’ll leave it to journalists, journalist wannabes, journalism professors and journalism school dropouts to decide this case.

In his first e-mail to me (in response to an e-mail I sent to his Waukesha Freeman editor), Shook indicated he was asked by Wispolitics.com to indicate what he expected to happen. When Finley announced her “surprise” and endorsed Vrakas, Shook said he was called by Wispolitics.com and he told them what really happened and they corrected the piece under his byline.

I responded via e-mail his article was in the past tense and it clearly stated Finley was in fact running. There was nothing speculative about the following:

The wife of Waukesha County Executive Daniel Finley announced today she will now seek to succeed him.

Finley announced her run in a 9 a.m. press conference this morning in front of the Waukesha County Courthouse.

I also pointed out how absurd it was to write an article like this ahead of time when the internet was abuzz with the probability of a “surprise” at Finley’s announcement.

Shook then sent me a second e-mail indicating the “wispolitics people had a deadline and were trying to meet it”. When they called him he told them the biographical information was good but what actually happened at the announcement wasn’t. “I guess nobody is perfect.”

Before I could e-mail him back, I got an e-mail from Mike Schramm, managing editor at WisPolitics.com, asking me to call him. I shot back an e-mail to him,

Mr. Schramm: According to Dennis Shook, he was asked to write the article
ahead of time in order to meet a deadline. Is that correct? James Wigderson

He then sent me another e-mail asking me to call him. After a day of playing phone tag, I spoke with Mike Schramm and he told me the Shook article was only supposed to be the start of an article, the background, waiting for the quotes from the conference, and it was not to see the light of day until he had a phone call from Shook. Wispolitics.com, because of its subscription service, does have a deadline of around 9:45 am (good for bloggers to know), and yes they were trying to beat the clock. But the story was not supposed to get published until the phone call from Shook. Until then, it was part of “production”. Schramm indicated if anyone is at fault, it was him. Somehow the story mysteriously appeared on the site.

He said I still sounded skeptical and I pointed out that I would’ve let the matter drop (having gotten a good laugh out of it) until I got the first e-mail from Shook with the odd story, which was followed by another odd story, which was now followed by a third version of events. I then brought up the Mitch Albom case, and Schramm said this was nothing like the Albom case. Albom wrote the story on a Friday for publication Sunday. What happened with the Finley announcement was the story was written ahead of time, which he then assured me was a common practice, with the intent of publishing after the event after he received a call from Shook with more details from the event.

Schramm claims he thought only the incorrect headline had made the “front page” of wispolitics.com when they pulled the article at 9:20am. The corrected article was up at 9:45 am. I pointed out I was able to read the whole thing, that I had not done any special search, that the article was there in its entirety and listed in the side bar. He seemed bewildered how that could’ve happened, but volunteered he “must’ve hit the wrong button.”

As I said, I now leave this to a jury of their peers – and their bosses. By the way, everyone should be proud of me. I didn't ask Schramm to list me in their blogroll.

Thanks for coming to the fair but we still hate you

In the August 10th Waukesha Freeman, the Best of Show commercial vendors winners were named for the Waukesha County Fair.

• "Best Outside Vendor" went to....Younger's Woodery for it's chain saw wood creations.
• "Best Food Vendor" went to.... Water Street Brewery-Lake Country. (I gotta admit I was rooting for the corn dog guy.)

And finally....

"Best Arena Vendor" goes to....

Aurora Health Care!

"Thanks for the health checks and the golf lessons. Now get out!"

Barbara Bel Geddes, RIP

Most people will remember her for role as the Ewing matriarch on the television series Dallas. I was too young to appreciate Dallas when it was on the air, and when I got older I discovered old movies instead. Among them is the Hitchcock classic Vertigo.

Bel Geddes played Midge, the girl we were all rooting for, the girl who was left to pick up the pieces when Scotty fell apart. She was sophisticated, intelligent and safe. She loved Scotty and Scotty fell in love with another woman, twice, the same woman in disguise, no less. It could've been a soap opera plot but in Hitchcock's hands it was far more subtle, more sophisticated.

Bel Geddes was perfect for the part, just as Suzanne Pleshette was as the other woman in The Birds. But Bel Geddes' role was a little more innocent and a little more vulnerable.

Bel Geddes died Wednesday of lung cancer at age 82.

The sounds of blogging

Current blog activity level.
Normal blog activity level.

Shhhh. I'm trying to work here.

How many killers murdered this child?

A cruel reminder Hobbes was correct when he said life in the state of of nature is "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short." For a 2-year-old boy named Roshaun Basey his life was all those things, especially short.

While the family said the boy, whom they called Ro Ro, was loved, his family also told 12 News reporter Nick Bohr about abuse by a man who also lived in the home.

"Yeah, he hit Ro Ro before. He whipped all the kids, but he hit Ro Ro harder than he hit all the other kids because Ro Ro was just bad. But Ro Ro ain't nothing but 2 years old," Roshaun's aunt, Erica Thomas, said.

"He'd whip Ro Ro with a belt and stuff. One time, he hit Ro Ro with an extension cord, and I got mad," Roshaun's aunt, Dominique Thomas, said.

The same man was watching Roshaun when family members said he called out that the boy wasn't breathing after falling off this bed.

"We ran to the kitchen, and we laid him down on the floor with a pillow, and we were trying to wake him up, but he wouldn't get up," Erica Thomas said,

He had suffered a broken neck.

More than just the suspect in custody is responsible for this little boy's death.