This Just In ...
Kevin Fischer is a veteran broadcaster, the recipient of over 150 major journalism awards from the Milwaukee Press Club, the Wisconsin Associated Press, the Northwest Broadcast News Association, the Wisconsin Bar Association, and others. He has been seen and heard on Milwaukee TV and radio stations for over three decades. A longtime aide to state Senate Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature, Kevin can be seen offering his views on the news on the public affairs program, "InterCHANGE," on Milwaukee Public Television Channel 10, and heard filling in on Newstalk 1130 WISN. He lives with his wife, Jennifer, and their lovely baby daughter, Kyla Audrey, in Franklin.
THE TOP TEN FRANKLIN STORIES OF 2009: #1
To many, the announcement came as a stunning surprise.
How could this happen?
How could this happen here?
How could this happen to a Sendik’s?
It had opened with a bang during the summer of 2008.....
Never a Year Like '09
Goodnight everyone, and have a suite weekend!
It's Friday night. Time to unwind with our regular Friday night feature on This Just In.
The weekend has finally arrived. Well, actually it arrived about two days ago. But as they say, the show must go on.
The sun has set.
The evening sky has erupted.
Let's put controversy and provocative blogs aside for the rest of this week and smooth our way into Saturday and Sunday.
Tonight,
Ummm.
Uhhh.
Well.
You see.
Christmas is over.
New Year’s Eve is over.
“What are ya doin’ New Year’s….”
NO, NO, NO.
That’s done with.
Not to worry,
We still have an appropriate Goodnight Friday Night feature for you (And you thought, like most other bloggers we were going to take the easy, lazy way out).
The holiday season continues. And we feature tonight undying music that transcends December 25.
Glenn Miller did it. Les Brown did it. The Carpenters sans the voice of Karen did it.
It’s perfect for this weekend and this night.
Goodnight.
Sleep well.
Happy New Year.
And enjoy that we can take such classics and make them memorable today.
(BTW: Don’t forget Saturday to wake up with The Barking Lot and week-ends. I’d appreciate it. Now I know you slipped away from the bowl games, and thank you kindly)
Ladies and gentlemen,
Who says my blog isn’t classical??!!
The Barking Lot (01/02/10)
The Barking Lot is a regular weekly feature of this just in…Written by my lovely wife, Jennifer and me. It opens with the weekend dog walking forecast followed by the main blog from dog lover, Jennifer. Then it’s DOGS IN THE NEWS and our close. Enjoy!
THE WEEKEND DOG-WALKING FORECAST: We grade the weather outlook for taking your pet outdoors.
TODAY: Sunny with wind chills around -20. High of 12. "F"
SUNDAY: Mostly sunny. High of 17. "F"
My lovely wife, Jennifer has the week off.
The Barking Lot examined a kennel’s worth of dog issues during the past year and some of those turned up in PurinaCare® Pet Health Insurance’s list of the top stories of 2009.
The Houston Chronicle has another list.
So does PetMD.
And then there’s what one website calls “The best dog story……maybe ever.”
Watch.
Week-ends (01/02/10)
A look back at the people and events that made news the past week.
Week-ends is a regular weekly feature of This Just In...
HEROES OF THE WEEK
Jasper Schuringa..........MORE...............AND MORE
Kent Miller
Karl Pasco
Mike Burns
Jorge Orozco
Dan Eggleton
VILLAINS OF THE WEEK
Chris Matthews
Heather Ellis
Gregory Oras
Steven Clay Romero
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
"What we are focused on is making sure that the air environment remains safe, that people are confident when they travel. And one thing I’d like to point out is that the system worked. Everybody played an important role here. The passengers and crew of the flight took appropriate action. Within literally an hour to 90 minutes of the incident occurring, all 128 flights in the air had been notified to take some special measures in light of what had occurred on the Northwest Airlines flight. We instituted new measures on the ground and at screening areas, both here in the
DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano on CNN after the botched bombing of Flight 253.
"If the “system” had “worked,” the
If the “system” had “worked,”
If the “system” had “worked,” Abdulmutallab would have been barred from the
The “system,” like Napolitano, was an epic fail.
And as predicted, Napolitano also played the “lone nut” card — dismissing the Christmas Day jihadist as a single operator not part of “anything larger” despite his own testimony to the contrary.
She’s Obama’s biggest joker. And there’s no Blame-Bush loophole to weasel through anymore."
OUTRAGE OF THE WEEK
Why are we so bad at detecting the guilty but so good at our collective punishment of the innocent?
MOST UNDER-REPORTED STORY OF THE WEEK
The deficit no one told you about.
MOST OVER-HYPED STORY OF THE WEEK
Merry Christmas, sweetheart!
REMEMBER: Your suggestions/nominations for any of these categories every week are welcome, especially for HEROES OF THE WEEK. If you know of anyone in the community deserving of recognition, please e-mail me.
One Nation Under God
The most controversial painting pf 2009....
I know it's ********* freezing out there...
But, do yourself a favor.
Bundle up, run outside, and take a look at that phenomenal full moon!
Then quickly run back inside, cuss Kevin Fischer for making you venture outdoors, and fix a hot toddy.
Recommended Reading (01/02/10)
Here are, in my view, interesting, noteworthy columns and articles from the past week that I highly recommend (You will note that on occasion, I do not endorse the opinions of the author and may point that out. Despite my disagreements, I still feel the piece is worth a read).
Terror 2010
“A day after the attempted murder of 288 passengers and crewmembers in the skies over
“Gosh darn, I feel great to live in a country that gives full constitutional rights to a foreign national who, on a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, was tackled by passengers and crew as he reportedly was trying to blow up the plane.”
Happy Tea Party New Year
“It’s not that our president is dumb: but he is what the good ol’ Soviets used to call ‘nekulturny’: uncultured in the sense of being willfully ignorant of too many things that make our country what it is. And hostile to those things he doesn’t appreciate.”
Cultural Winners and Losers, 2009
"There were a few good moments sprinkled in with the outrageous and the tawdry in 2009. My choices for cultural winners and losers this year..."
Make Family Your New Year Priority
"As we begin the New Year it's time for
My Most Popular Blogs (01/03/10)
As I post every Sunday, here are the five most read blog entries of mine from the previous week. NOTE: some entries may have been posted prior to the past week.
1) Photos of the Week (12/27/09)
2) THE TOP TEN
3) THE TOP TEN
4) THE TOP TEN
5) Culinary no-no #147
Photos of the Week (01/03/10)
This image made available by IntelCenter and taken from a Web site frequently used by militants to disseminate their messages, purports to show Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. In a statement posted on the WebsSite dated Saturday Dec. 26, 2009, Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula has claimed responsibility for the attack on a U.S. airliner bound for Detroit on Christmas Day. In the statement, al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula said Abdulmutallab coordinated with members of the group, an alliance of militants based in Saudi Arabia and Yemen. (AP Photo/IntelCenter)
Passengers wait in line to check in at the Delta Airlines counter at Detroit Metropolitan Airport December 28, 2009 in Romulus, Michigan. Many passengers who failed to arrive early enough missed their flights due to long lines and increased security, caused by the failed Christmas Day attack of a Northwest Airlines flight on Christmas Day. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
Maryland Transportation Authority Police patrol the terminal at Baltimore Washington International Airport December 28, 2009 in Baltimore, Maryland. A passenger was detained after flying the previous evening from BWI to New York La Guardia Airport with a 4-inch-long firework. Security measures have been heightened at airports after a Nigerian man attempted a terrorist attack on a Northwest Airlines flight on Christmas Day in Detroit. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Los Angeles International Airport Police Officer Jerome Evans uses "K-9 Alda" to check baggage under increased security efforts in Los Angeles Monday, Dec. 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)
LEDs kill
Once again, a product/ concept trumpeted by the enviros as nothing short of amazing turns out to be a bigger bust than Dolly Parton.
Seven months ago, the New York Times gushed about light emitting diodes or LEDs claiming they could halt global warming:
“Studies suggest that a complete conversion to the lights could decrease carbon dioxide emissions from electric power use for lighting by up to 50 percent in just over 20 years; in the United States, lighting accounts for about 6 percent of all energy use. A recent report by McKinsey & Company cited conversion to LED lighting as potentially the most cost effective of a number of simple approaches to tackling global warming using existing technology.
LED lighting was once relegated to basketball scoreboards, cellphone consoles, traffic lights and colored Christmas lights. But as a result of rapid developments in the technology, it is now poised to become common on streets and in buildings, as well as in homes and offices. Some American cities, including
LEDs are more than twice as efficient as compact fluorescent bulbs, currently the standard for greener lighting. Unlike compact fluorescents, LEDs turn on quickly and are compatible with dimmer switches. And while fluorescent bulbs contain mercury, which requires special disposal, LED bulbs contain no toxic elements, and last so long that disposal is not much of an issue.”
Minor detail. LEDs are dangerous.
The lights don’t burn hot enough. So when a heavy snow blankets traffic lights that use LEDs, the snow doesn’t melt making then far more difficult to see. The result is a rash of traffic accidents around the country in cities that use LEDs in their traffic signals.
“As far as I'm aware, all that can be done is to have crews clean off the snow by hand,"
I’ll bet.
Now the New York Times says the LEDs are hazardous.
Even so, bureaucrats who claim that even though it costs a whopping $515 to replace an LED that they still save money aren’t giving up on the lights.
Maybe serious consideration should be given to dumping LEDs because to breathlessly quote one of the liberals’ prime defenses, “If we could save just one life……”
2009 YEAR-END EDITION OF WEEK-ENDS
Every Saturday, I present Week-ends, a look back at the people and events that made news the past week.
This is a special Year-end edition of Week-ends.
HEROES OF THE YEAR
They came and assembled, young and old.
Hard working, taxpaying parents with children in strollers.
Senior citizens in wheelchairs.
Veterans of the Armed Forces.
Mocked and ridiculed by Democrats and the liberal news media, they exercised their constitutional rights, begging and pleading to get their country back.
Standing tall and proud, these are the HEROES OF 2009.
Jon Sanders and Doug Giles write great pieces about these true Americans.
VILLAINS OF THE YEAR
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (Md.) who insulted the aforementioned HEROES OF 2009 by writing in USA Today, August 10, 2009:
“These disruptions are occurring because opponents are afraid not just of differing views -- but of the facts themselves. Drowning out opposing views is simply un-American.”
QUOTES OF THE YEAR
"You lie!"
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) to President Barack Obama as he addresses a joint session of the U.S. Congress at the U.S. Capitol Sept. 9, 2009 in Washington, DC. Obama addressed the joint session to urge passage of his national health care plan.
Culinary no-no #148
Hopping into This Just In’s version of the Way Back machine, we set the time for December 21, 2008.
Culinary no-no #91 dealt with crummy airport food and the great promise that some and possibly more airports were dramatically improving the quality of their dining options.
Perhaps the nation’s airports should best worry about maintaining some level of quality and safety at the restaurants they already have.
Over the past year,
They found problems, folks.
Problems with.....
And with....
And I'm afraid to say....
YUCKIMUNDO!
One of the chief culinary no-no's in airports are those all too convenient and reasonably priced, already prepared turkey, chicken or tuna sandwiches.
What you don’t realize as you heed the airport’s instructions and Grab ‘n’ Go is that your turkey on wheat has been sitting in a cooler that’s nowhere near as cool as it should be.
Not cool.
Grab ‘n’ Go? More like, hands off and keep going.
Workers aren’t washing their hands after handling raw meat and poultry. One of the reasons they’re not cleaning up: not enough soap.
And then, there’s the whole vermin problem, and we’re not talking famed
According to
This can all be explained by the spinmeisters who pull out all the usual excuses.
These are isolated incidents.
We’re doing an audit of our coolers.
Oh, not to worry, we got rid of the rodents.
And my favorite: The rodent problem isn’t as bad as it is with restaurants citywide.
When my wife Jennifer and I travel early out of
We both hit the Burger King for a breakfast croissant.
Those should be pretty safe stops, right? Well, how do we know for sure?
We’ve hit a Cousin’s the night before a flight and wrap the subs to take along the next day. Now those, I trust.
Just how safe is the food at
Maybe some enterprising journalist could look into the matter.
Carol?
To close, I repeat how I ended Culinary no-no #91 just over a year ago:
“Culinary prognosticators swear airports will substantially upgrade their fare in 2009. I’ll believe it when I see it.
In the meantime, in one phrase, the New York Times sums it up nicely: 'No one likes to eat in airports.'
So unless absolutely, positively necessary, why the hell bother?”
Let the year-long celebration of ELVIS' 75th birthday begin
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PHOTOS OF THE YEAR: 2009
Here are my selections for Photos of the Year for 2009:
20) THE BEAUTY PAGEANT WINNER
The face and body that had lefties apoplectic.
Carrie Prejean.
If you have to ask why she made the list.......
Another Prejean shot??!!!
Well, no.
That sure looks like her, though.
The MJS Scorecard: The Final Analysis
EVERY SUNDAY DURING 2009 I REVIEWED THE MOST COVETED EDITORIAL PAGES OF THE WEEK BY OPINION-MAKERS AS WELL AS THE MOST WIDELY-READ, THE SUNDAY “CROSSROADS” SECTION OF THE MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL. I KEPT TRACK OF THE CONSERVATIVE AND LIBERAL PIECES CONTRIBUTED BY NON-JOURNAL SENTINEL WRITERS AND KEPT A RUNNING SCORE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
It should also be noted that this exercise was a categorization. Most, if not all of these articles submitted to, or solicited by the Crossroads staff were well-written, thoughtful, and provocative. I enjoy reading them as I have every Sunday for as long as I can remember. The weekly compilation was an ideological scorecard, not a writing critique.
Here is the final tally:
MJS SCORECARD:
YEAR TO DATE: Liberal-119, Conservative-89
The percentages:
Liberal- 57%
Conservative – 43%
If this was an election, it would be a blowout.
When I started this project as a year-end list that many news consumers seem to lap up, it was suggested that, to be fair, I include the Journal Sentinel columnists and review the paper every day. I didn’t have the time to do it, but if anyone wants to conduct a local daily review of not just the paper but local radio and TV, a la the national Media Research Center or News Busters, that would be a worthwhile and popular resource.
Can you imagine if, as some critics of the scorecard proposed, that I toss into the equation writers like Ricardo Pimentel, Jim Stingl, Lauren Walker, and Eugene Kane? The liberal numbers would skew even higher. But it’s not just the sheer numbers that raise eyebrows.
My focus was on the invited guest columnists on Sunday. It was rare that the paper ran a blatantly liberal piece and paired it with a view from the opposite conservative side in the same edition. Generally, when Crossroads runs a conservative piece on a hot issue, the opposing view is published on the same page, adjacent to the conservative submission.
This is a major problem with the Crossroads section. The last Sunday of 2009 was one of the most glaring examples. Liberal pieces included a defense of Planned Parenthood caught on video making horrendous claims to patients, a call for a think tank to set parameters for the election of the next governor, a blast against capitalism, and a former school board candidate’s claims that certain education reforms would reduce property taxes (they will not). The articles begged for rebuttal. There was none.
Editors at one point got lazy during 2009. I wrote that for several weeks, Crossroads was publishing conservative George Will’s nationally syndicated column. That was an easy way out to try to reflect some semblance of balance. After I wrote about it, Will disappeared from the Crossroads pages.
Editors of the paper boast it is not a liberal publication. I have some descriptions for that assertion: laughable, insulting, untrue.
One could certainly argue my year-long summary was merely a fait accompli. My tracking is but one barometer. If some truly objective judge could be found, and please don’t suggest a journalism professor, to monitor the paper daily, the findings would be even more tilted.
The worst revelation in my view to take away from this exercise is that there is very little effort or intent to achieve balance. Many weeks there weren’t any conservative pieces at all in Crossroads.
I close with this. I was reading through the Journal Sentinel’s editorial page policies and I saw this goodie:
“We are conservative on fiscal issues. We believe that the power to tax must be vigilantly checked. The government that governs best is frugal and levies taxes reluctantly.”
Really!
I guess that’s why the fiscally conservative editorial board wrote this gem last year.
Great headline, guys!
They’re not conservative, but they sure are funny.
Help stop a Washington takeover of the Internet
A couple of months ago I told you about the FCC's regulatory power grab, boosted by the radical left, to gain control of the Internet and potentially our whole communications system. With Glenn Beck's help, we exposed the White House Czar charged with technology policy, Susan Crawford, and she was forced to resign. Unfortunately, the left's effort to take over the Internet continues. The Federal Communications Commission is moving ahead with proposed "Open Internet" rules, which would give federal regulators vast new powers, and ultimately lead to government control of the Internet.
The stakes are huge, and will help determine outcomes on all the other issues we care about. That's because as long as the Internet is free, we can use it to communicate, educate, and organize. This is what's at stake as the FCC moves forward with its ridiculously misnamed "Open Internet" rulemaking.
Please click here to file official FCC comments opposing a
"Open Internet" is the left's latest marketing language for what they used to call "net neutrality." It is an outgrowth of the larger so-called media reform project of radical left-wing activists like Robert McChesney, the Free Press founder who explained his goal to SocialistProject.ca: "What we want to have in the
"Open Internet" or "net neutrality" sounds simple - force phone and cable companies to treat every bit of information the same way - until you realize that modern networks are incredibly complex, with millions of lines of code in every router. Making sure services like VoIP, video conferencing, and telemedicine (not to mention the next great thing that hasn't been invented yet) get priority may be necessary to make the Internet work, but the government is considering regulations that will make it illegal to prioritize traffic.
These networks cost billions of dollars to build and maintain, and if there is uncertainty about getting a good return on that investment, private investment will dry up. And then government will step in, spending billions of our tax dollars on a government-owned and controlled Internet.
Although Susan Crawford is gone, the White House Internet power grab goes much higher, to President Obama himself. He said on the campaign trail: "I will take a backseat to no one in my commitment to Net Neutrality."
Please click here to file official FCC comments opposing a
Thanks for all you do.
Phil Kerpen
Vice President and Director of Policy, Americans for Prosperity
Chairman, Internet Freedom Coalition
A different kind of aborted baby photo: Who took those pictures and how?
THANK YOU FOR CLICKING TO READ DESPITE THE NATURE OF THE BLOG TITLE.
One summer in the mid 90’s, I was out there every day covering the massive protests for WTMJ Radio.
Both sides came out in full force: the anti-abortionists from all across the country countered by almost as many in support of abortion rights. I had no trouble getting interviews. I was also scorned and verbally attacked by protesters from both persuasions.
The atmosphere was ugly: Crying, screaming, yelling, a total disregard for the police. Many pro-life protesters intentionally got arrested.
One middle-aged pro-life gentleman upon noticing me walked right up and stood directly in front of me, strategically placing his graphic sign with picture of aborted baby where I couldn’t help but see.
After acknowledging the man with a pleasant, “Good morning,” he looked around at his colleagues and yelled, “You see. You see. That’s the media for you. He won’t even take a picture of my sign.”
I calmly explained to the Rhodes scholar that the machine around my shoulder was a tape recorder. “I work for WTMJ RADIO,” I informed him, “So I would be more than happy to get your thoughts on tape.”
He walked away disgusted.
After several days of the same outrage, the same slogans, the same misuse of children, the same rush to get arrested, I had also become disgusted with both elements. I especially questioned the use of those familiar signs we had seen so many times and still see today, the gruesome pictures of aborted fetuses.
My view is that this graphic, in your face tactic on the part of the most passionate pro-lifers can and does backfire on the movement and the cause.
That was the middle of the 1990’s during a summer that pro-lifers around the country picked
Now it’s 2009. Pro-life activist James Pouillon has been murdered and
As he works on the story he meets Monica Miller, a key pro-life activist and organizer who is now Director of Citizens for a Pro-life Society in South Lyon,
Miller told Cave that she took about half of the pictures of aborted babies that can be found online.
Cave turned those photos into a front page story.
Think about that. The New York Times featured a front page story about the origin of aborted baby pictures seen at anti-abortion protests. Miller called it “a coup.”
LifeSiteNews.com reports, “To find the aborted babies Miller and her companions search through biohazardous waste, where they find the remains of the fetuses among bloody surgical papers, gloves, and surgical instruments. They also have found the medical records of women who have gone to the abortion mills, records improperly disposed of by the abortion facility itself.”
The New York Times reports, “The process was a challenge: the fetuses, hard to handle; the scent of the formaldehyde solution, enough to burn the nose. Shooting could only be done up close. She recalled renting expensive macro lenses to get within millimeters of the fetuses. She pointed to one of her snapshots showing a tiny hand with visible wrinkles. ‘In order to get that detail,’ she said, ‘you need to get a camera right on top of that’.”
Miller, who was arrested many times during her stint in
"We photograph those babies because we needed to show their humanity. It should shock us. It should completely outrage us that this is happening. These are human beings we're talking about, thrown out in the trash,” said Miller.
But here is where the story takes an interesting twist. The focus and image of Miller’s photography has changed.
As LifeSiteNews.com reports, “Miller's latest photos have focused less on the gore of abortion and more on the fine details and features even the youngest aborted children have. ‘I want to show there's beauty and humanity in the unborn child,’ she said. ‘There should be a sense of pity’."
While I commend Miller’s passion over the years, I’ve always been concerned about the beyond civil disobedience and yes, the pictures that can result in lost support. The latest move by Miller could very well garner more emotion and sympathy.
Read more in the New York Times and LifeSiteNews.
Here comes the snow
Keep in mind folks, this is the NWS winter storm watch.
The Craig Koplein forecast is that snow totals could range anywhere from a trace to 15 inches.
BONUS CRAIG KOPLEIN COVERAGE:
Craig predicts the Packers will beat Arizona this weekend in the NFL playoffs IF the Cardinals don't win.
Craig says you can take his fearless prediction "to the bank."
"Breast cancer screening should begin at age 40 and earlier in high-risk patients"
So claims the Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) and the
Read more details here.
God bless you, Mom
My mother, Audrey Fischer passed away this morning from complications that developed after her successful hip surgery.
To all who called, sent cards or flowers, prayed or offered support, on behalf of my family, I thank you very much.
My mother was an incredibly kind, sweet person who will be dearly missed.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
The last two weeks have been very difficult, and while blogging was temporarily a therapeutic distraction, I will now be taking some time off from writing to tend to my lovely mother and our family.
Please continue to keep my mother in your thoughts and prayers.
I love you, Mom!
UPDATE: FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS
Friday, January 8: Visitation from 4-8 pm
Max Sass Funeral Home
60th and Layton
Saturday, January 9: Visitation from 8:15 - 9:15 am
Max Sass Funeral Home
60th and Layton
Funeral processional to St. Anthony’s Church, 9th and Mitchell
Mass of Christian Burial-10:00 am
Celebrant: Father Tom Wittliff
More details in Thursday's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and online at the newspaper's website under obituaries: www.jsonline.com
UPDATE: The obit notice. Please consider signing my mom's guestbook.
God looked around his garden and found an empty space.
He then looked down upon the earth, and saw your tired face.
He put his arms around you and lifted you to rest.
God's garden must be beautiful, He always takes the best.
He knew that you were suffering, He knew you were in pain.
He knew that you would never get well on earth again.
He saw the road was getting rough, and the hills were hard to climb.
So He closed your weary eyelids, and whispered "Peace be thine.”
It broke our hearts to lose you, but you did not go alone, for part of us went with you the day God called you home.
My Most Popular Blogs (01/10/10)
As I post every Sunday, here are the five most read blog entries of mine from the previous week. NOTE: some entries may have been posted prior to the past week.
1) God bless you, Mom
2) Culinary no-no #148
3) Cartoon of the Year-2050
4) PHOTOS OF THE YEAR: 2009
Photos of the Week (01/10/10)
State Sen. Lena Taylor and Rep. Pedro Colón (right) listen Tuesday to Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett answer questions about their proposed MPS mayoral-control bill during a hearing of the Senate Education Committee at Milwaukee Public Schools’ central office. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel photo: Kristyna Wentz-Graff
Archbishop-designate Jerome E. Listecki sprinkles the congregation Sunday with holy water during a reception and solemn vespers at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist on Sunday. Journal Sentinel photo: Benny Sieu
In this image released by the White House, President Barack Obama meets with his national security team in the Situation Room of the White House Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2010, in Washington about the failed attempt to destroy a Detroit-bound U.S. airliner on Christmas Day. (AP Photo/The White House, Pete Souza)
U.S. Army National Guard Specialist Pedro Montero of the 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team holds his daughter Jaelyn Montero, 11mths, as they say goodbye to each other during a deployment ceremony on January 5, 2010 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The ceremony, honoring the Florida National Guard?s 1st Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment, is the first in a series of company-level and battalion-level deployment ceremonies taking place this week throughout the Florida. The event honored 600 of the nearly 2,500 members of the Florida National Guard's 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team who are being deployed to Kuwait and Iraq, the largest single-unit deployment of Florida National Guard since World War II. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
The keys to today's big game...
From the
And the
Heard at my mom's funeral....
Father Tom Wittliff had already made a few serious references to the Holy Father at my mom’s funeral service Saturday before he made this final comment:
“The Pope is not going to be too happy with our Packers Sunday……….when they beat a bunch of Cardinals.”
Vintage Father Tom.
Aaron Rodgers coughs up 13 points and the ballgame...
On the first and last offensive plays of the game, Aaron Rodgers commits turnovers that lead to points (Though he was stupendous in-between).
And how about that vaunted Packer 3-4 defense??!!
Can't blame ol' #4 for this one.
(FYI: As you watch the video, keep in mind that prior to the 2008 season, officials were permitted to issue five-yard penalties for minor incidents where players illegally grabbed a face mask of another player. In 2008, the rule was changed to remove all incidental face mask penalties and only issue 15-yard penalties for major face mask violations).
Culinary no-no: The Audrey Fischer edition
I DEDICATE THIS INSTALLMENT OF CULINARY NO-NO TO MY DEAR MOTHER WHO PASSED AWAY ON WEDNESDAY. THIS IS A RE-POSTING OF CULINARY NO-NO #138 FROM NOVEMBER 9, 2009.
I was filling in for Mark Belling on Newstalk 1130 WISN because he was having throat/laryngitis problems. Pretty tough to handle a three-hour radio talk show when you are unable to speak.
Shortly after the familiar DUM DUM DUM……DUM Belling show open, I mentioned why I had been summoned to take over. And before getting into my first substantive topic, completely adlibbing, I began to talk about remedies for such ailments and some childhood memories.
When older brother Greg or I would start to have sore throats or even flu-like symptoms when we were kids, Mom (who by the way is the best Mom in the world and by no means was embarrassed when I mentioned her on the most listened to radio program during afternoon drive in the state of Wisconsin or now about the true story I’m about to tell) would scoff, laugh, and say, “No problem.” Actually, I think there might have been a mischievous chuckle.
Mom would rustle up a cereal bowl, yes, the same kind of bowl I’d eat my Frosted THEY’RE GREAT Flakes out of, and start peeling.
And peeling.
And peeling.
Uhh, Mom, what are you doing?
And peeling.
Excuse me. Mom. I’m not that sick.
And peeling.
Mom, why are you crying?
And peeling.
HEY! MOM! I FEEL BETTER!
Mom would take those onions and place them in the bowl.
Then sprinkle sugar and honey over them.
And then warm them for hours, overnight.
The next day, Mom fed the syrupy liquid by the spoonful to the ill son.
It had a sweet flavor, but the taste of onions was inescapable. To a young lad, this wasn’t Hi-C or Bosco or a Coke or Pepsi. This was Mom’s medicine that God knows I had never heard of or seen anywhere else except on Mom’s stove.
For weeks after I mentioned Mom’s elixir, I heard about it wherever I went.
“How’s that onion juice?” a male voice boomed in the salad dressing aisle at Pick ‘n’ Save. The question was followed by a snicker and sinister laugh, as if to say, “My mother never forced that junk on me.”
Mom’s onion juice that she defended at a family get-together not long after the WISN broadcast and swears by to this day isn’t funny stuff.
Today, everyone is concerned about:
1) The flu
2) The swine flu
To get a shot(s) or not. That is the question.
What if I forego the shots.
Can I ward off the flu using remedies like my Mom’s that she probably picked up from her Mom, so it’s probably 90-100 years old?
Can I use family traditions, mythological cures, and rumored cures to get me through?
What about onion juice a la Mom Fischer?
Forget submerging an onion in everything but the kitchen sink. What about just a plain old onion all over the house?
How about garlic? You’ll keep the Bela Lugosi-type’s away but what about the flu?
What about herbs like elderberry?
Chicken soup?
My view:
Mom’s onion juice, because it was jazzed up wasn’t all that bad. Her chicken soup, with dumplings, not noodles, was the best in the universe. To this day, I rarely get more than some tonsillitis, making me available for when the phone rings: Mark can’t speak!
Onions, packed in sweet syrupy juice, chicken soup with huge dumplings, hot tea with brandy or lemon………don’t get me wrong.
They all taste good (they do). They all feel good.
Problem.
They are administered AFTER the patient is already sick.
The experts all claim no matter how Mother Teresa-like your mom was, her remedies are just, like all those liberal solutions, feel good measures.
Once you’re sick, again, according to the experts, it’s simply a matter of time before you recover.
Message to this blogger: If you’re already feeling under the weather, onions soaked in 40-year old cognac won’t matter. Pass me the pizza and tacos, pass on Uncle Mortimer’s advice from the Civil War.
Don’t believe me?
Read more in the Wall Street Journal that reports:
"There is no scientific evidence that any herbal, homeopathic or other folk remedies have any benefit against influenza."
But try telling that to Mrs. Fischer.
You're so right, Al!
Global Warmists’ Mouths Frozen Shut
"Apparently the alarmists have gone into hibernation…perhaps because world-wide record breaking cold would expose errors so great that even the 'mainstream' news would have to call them out as full of (much needed) hot air."
Excuse me, but suddenly Halloween is a headache???
Yes, it’s a perennial problem.
The car or van pulls up in front of your house. Out jump several kids who make a beeline for your front door.
They’re not from your neighborhood, or the next neighborhood. Heck, they’re not even from your zip code.
Generally I have found this bunch to be mute and unappreciative.
Is this a big deal on Trick or Treat? To some, you bet who have complained to their suburban mayors and village presidents.
Last fall, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, residents in Hales Corners got slammed by these outsiders.
The problem was that Hales Corners was among a handful of municipalities that held Trick or Treat hours on an off day or time, in this case, October 25, 2009. Just about everyone else held their begging time on October 31, 2009.
That set off the light bulb in a lot of sly, and yes, greedy parents and kids who saw the wonderful opportunity to have not one but TWO Trick or Treat days, not in their own backyards, but in the more affluent neighborhoods. So they come by the car and vanloads. And I’m sorry, the words, “Thank you” never pass their Milky Way-eating lips.
While this practice has become common and quite noticeable, mark me down as one who does not get his nose bent out of shape. On my list of priorities, I can’t begin to pinpoint how low this is on the ledger.
But having licked all our tax, spending and unemployment problems, area officials plan to meet today to discuss a uniform Trick or Treat day/time.
Ideally, each municipality should, as it has in the past, be able to choose its own Trick or Treat hours that best suit the community.
I empathize with the elderly woman referred to in the Journal Sentinel that had to run out and buy more candy last year, but the solution is not to call the city or village hall and complain. The answer is buy more candy next time, and when you run out, you run out, and just stop answering the doorbell. The youngins from the big city will survive.
Finally, if suburban officials must come to an agreement on this most pressing issue, let’s hope they get it right and select the only true, appropriate time for Trick or Treat…… at night, October 31, every year.
UPDATE from jsonline
Was it a face mask or not?
The NFL says the no-call........
Was correct.
That will be of no consolation to heartbroken Packer fans.
In a nutshell, when you score 45 points, you should win just about any NFL game.
That is, unless your defense lays a colossal egg.
"His statement was especially hurtful"
U.S. Senator Russ Feingold said the above, not about Harry Reid, but about Trent Lott at the end of 2002. From The Patriot Room:
"Sen. Russ Feingold Thursday called on Sen. Trent Lott to resign as GOP leader over comments Lott made last week about Strom Thurmond's pro-segregationist 1948 presidential campaign. 'Given the tragic history of race relations in this country, and the role the 1948 campaign played in it, his statement was especially hurtful,' Feingold, D-Wis., said in a statement." ("Feingold Calls On Lott To Resign As GOP Leader," The Associated Press, 12/12/02)
So what about it, Russ? Are you going to call for Harry Reid’s head, too?
Let's see what kind of non-hypocrite, maverick you really are.
Welcome to the Franklin School District! Survey says........SUCKERS!
Well, isn’t this special!
FranklinNOW.com reports the Franklin School District is sending out surveys to Franklin residents because……..are you ready for this......school district officials want to know how you feel.
My heart be still, would someone please hand me a box of Kleenex!
Oh, those wonderful, warm, compassionate school people! I mean, I ask you, is there no end to their kindness?
They love us so much they’re not sending out just one survey.
No, no, no, no, no!
They’re sending out at least three!
GASP!
OMG!
My word, I don’t even care how much it costs! The love everybody, the love, the caring for people in the district.
Where is that Kleenex!!!
FranklinNOW.com reports, “The initial survey is geared toward getting comments about school district programs. Results will help officials make decisions about budget and future programming, according to a news release. Two other surveys will be mailed out later this year focusing on operations, facilities and school district buildings.”
Franklin School Board member Janet Evans writes on her blog that the survey is coming, please take the time to fill it out, it’s SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO important, yada, yada, yada.
That’s the current form of Janet Evans blogging, the walk the line, toss out the school district talking points, that more or less the school district is all fine and rosy. I wonder what the old Janet Evans would have written, the Janet Evans who gave an honest, candid, insightful look behind the spin the district was and is now giving.
You get a more to the point assessment at Bryan Maersch’s blog who sees the surveys as merely a tactic by the school district to gather all sorts of ideas it can have on record to point to and suggest, look, look everybody, this is what the district residents want. By golly, that costs money! Translation: Big fat school tax increases.
My take follows.
These surveys have major flaws for two reasons:
1) THE TIMING
Excuse me. If you really wanted, as Janet Evans writes on her blog, “responses (that) could have an impact on future decisions the District makes regarding 'fiscal, instructional, and operational planning and decision-making'......."
THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE SENT THE BLASTED SURVEYS OUT
BEFORE YOU VOTED TO APPROVE A BUDGET IN A RECESSION
THAT RAISED OUR PROPERTY TAXES!!!
2) THE INSINCERITY
Does the school district think we are really this stupid, that we can’t see through this entire charade? (The answer is yes, they do).
They’re trying to come across looking as though they really care about what you have to say and about communications between taxpayers and the district. If they really cared about what you felt, they would have had the guts to set up a table in City Hall at tax time and meet face to face with the people they screwed.
Fill out a survey, or three, or 300 and tell these deaf mutes you hate what they did to you and their merry tax and spending ways. Do you really, really, really think they are going to listen?
It’s insulting. It's an absolute joke.
My advice? Deposit this garbage where it belongs, in the trash, because that’s what it is. Phone and/or send these board members correspondences that you’re unhappy with their fiscal irresponsibility and if they don’t stop, you’ll vote for someone else.
Surveys? Polls? Gimme a break! They’re meaningless.
These stick up artists will rob you blind every chance they get no matter what you say on any non-binding questionnaire.
Don’t waste your time on this government waste. Toss the survey in the trash. Instead, give the School Board members a good, well-reasoned, thought out piece of your mind.
And then watch, and pay close attention to what these highway robbers do, and make them shake and shiver come election time.
Making President Obama keep his promise
With back-room dealing and political payoffs at a fever pitch on the attempted
So, I'm asking you to sign a petition to President Obama and Congress demanding that the secret negotiations end and that ALL health care meetings take place before the C-SPAN cameras -- just as President Obama promised during his campaign for President.
CLICK HERE
Our goal is simple: show the Obama Administration and members of Congress that the American public is focused like a laser beam on the vote buying, political payoffs and secret negotiations rampant as Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Reid and President Obama attempt to force their unpopular health care takeover on a nation that has clearly said "THANKS BUT NO THANKS!"
The mainstream media and the politicians in
But think about this for a moment. On Christmas Eve they held the supposedly "final" vote in the Senate on health care and they won it. Well, we're now weeks down the road. Still, the House and Senate versions of the legislation have not been melded into one package that's ready for the President's signature. They still don't have the votes. And, they know beyond any doubt now that the American people oppose this legislation -- poll after poll makes this fact clear. That's why they're meeting in secret. It's why they are desperate to make sure the details and the political giveaways do not leak out.
Our job is to force them out into the open. You may remember former Sen. Everett Dirksen's motto that Congress does not "see the light until they feel the heat." Let's make them feel the heat on this crucial issue of "transparency" by having tens of thousands of Americans sign this petition demanding that President Obama keep his promise by having all of the health care negotiations take place in front of C-SPAN cameras.
By the way, here are two of President Obama's promises on the topic:
"That's what I will do in bringing all parties together, not negotiating behind closed doors . . . and broadcasting those negotiations on C-SPAN so that the American people can see what the choices are, because part of what we have to do is enlist the American people in this process." January 31, 2008
"I respect what the Clintons tried to do in 1993, in moving health reform forward, but they made one really big mistake, and that is they took all their people and all their experts into a room and then they closed the door. We will work on this process publicly. It will be on C-SPAN, it will be streaming over the net." November 14, 2008
Clearly, the congressional leadership wants to keep their wheeling-and-dealing behind closed doors. When asked about the President's promises, Speaker Pelosi said "there were a number of things he was for on the campaign trail." The liberal Speaker of the House dissed a liberal President because he promised to let the American people see what their elected Congress was up to on an issue as important as health care. Pretty amazing.
Let's hold their feet to the fire.
Tim Phillips
It's fast and easy to sign this petition demanding President Obama and Congress keep their promises and let C-SPAN cameras cover the health care wheeling-and-dealing.
CLICK HERE
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Making Pres. Obama keep his promise
With back-room dealing and political payoffs at a fever pitch on the attempted
So, I'm asking you to sign a petition to President Obama and Congress demanding that the secret negotiations end and that ALL health care meetings take place before the C-SPAN cameras -- just as President Obama promised during his campaign for President.
CLICK HERE
Our goal is simple: show the Obama Administration and members of Congress that the American public is focused like a laser beam on the vote buying, political payoffs and secret negotiations rampant as Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Reid and President Obama attempt to force their unpopular health care takeover on a nation that has clearly said "THANKS BUT NO THANKS!"
The mainstream media and the politicians in
But think about this for a moment. On Christmas Eve they held the supposedly "final" vote in the Senate on health care and they won it. Well, we're now weeks down the road. Still, the House and Senate versions of the legislation have not been melded into one package that's ready for the President's signature. They still don't have the votes. And, they know beyond any doubt now that the American people oppose this legislation -- poll after poll makes this fact clear. That's why they're meeting in secret. It's why they are desperate to make sure the details and the political giveaways do not leak out.
Our job is to force them out into the open. You may remember former Sen. Everett Dirksen's motto that Congress does not "see the light until they feel the heat." Let's make them feel the heat on this crucial issue of "transparency" by having tens of thousands of Americans sign this petition demanding that President Obama keep his promise by having all of the health care negotiations take place in front of C-SPAN cameras.
By the way, here are two of President Obama's promises on the topic:
"That's what I will do in bringing all parties together, not negotiating behind closed doors . . . and broadcasting those negotiations on C-SPAN so that the American people can see what the choices are, because part of what we have to do is enlist the American people in this process." January 31, 2008
"I respect what the Clintons tried to do in 1993, in moving health reform forward, but they made one really big mistake, and that is they took all their people and all their experts into a room and then they closed the door. We will work on this process publicly. It will be on C-SPAN, it will be streaming over the net." November 14, 2008
Clearly, the congressional leadership wants to keep their wheeling-and-dealing behind closed doors. When asked about the President's promises, Speaker Pelosi said "there were a number of things he was for on the campaign trail." The liberal Speaker of the House dissed a liberal President because he promised to let the American people see what their elected Congress was up to on an issue as important as health care. Pretty amazing.
Let's hold their feet to the fire.
Tim Phillips
Just how bad was the Packer pass defense?
According to ESPN.com:
Kurt Warner, Brett Favre and Ben Roethlisberger combined for in four games against the Packers this season: 99 completions in 138 attempts (71.7. percent) for 1,397 yards, 15 touchdowns and no interceptions. That works out to a passer rating of 140.2.
Should sex offenders be confined beyond their prison sentences?
During my years at WTMJ in the 1990’s, I reported extensively on state Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) and her Sexual Predator Bill to allow the state to continue to confine sexually violent predators after they have served their full prison sentences if they were deemed to still pose a dangerous risk to society.
Darling’s legislation was approved and signed into law making
The constitutionality of six state sexual predator laws was called into question and reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court in
Leroy Hendricks had a long record of sexually molesting children and was scheduled for release from prison. At the time, Hendricks said the only way that he would stop attacking children would be if he would die. A state doctor determined that Hendricks suffered from pedophilia, was not cured, and harbored uncontrollable sexual desires for children when he felt stressed. A jury ruled Hendricks was a sexually violent predator and he was confined indefinitely after completing a 10-year prison term.
The State Supreme Court in
"What is the state supposed to do, just wait until he goes out and does it again?" Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist asked.
Then in 2004, Senator Darling authored legislation (Senator Mary Lazich and Representative Jeff Stone were co-sponsors) that made changes to
Under the previous law, prosecutors were required to demonstrate that a sex offender was "much more likely than not" to commit a sexually violent act if released. All too often, offenders were sent back onto the streets without having made the proper progress in treatment.
Under the law signed in April 2004, a court may not order that the sexual predator be placed on supervised release unless the offender has received treatment and made substantial progress. In addition, the state would be able to civilly commit dangerous sex predators who are likely to re-offend, placing into statute the standard of dangerousness used in other states.
So the patients are never really cured.
The cost of confinement for a sex offender is four times that of locking up a murderer in Waupun.
"Yeah, it's expensive, and yeah, it's difficult," said Senator Darling. "But it's the right thing to do at this point in our history. These people are not considered safe to be on the street."
Sand Ridge Director Steve Watters considers the policies about sex offenders to be successful since he regards the public as opposed to the patients as its "main customer."
"We're here to try to make
Many offenders stay confined but many don’t. The State Journal examined state records and found that, “In 2006, 1,464 sex offenders about to be released from prison were eligible for commitments because of the nature of their crimes. Eligible offenses include first- and second-degree sexual assault and sexual crimes against children. But more than 90 percent of them instead were released into the community on supervision. Between 1997 and 2006, nearly 1,500 sex offenders specifically classified as high risk were released from prison after serving sentences for two or more commitment-eligible crimes.”
The newspaper reported that officials consider civil commitment to be “the best compromise between protecting the public while still offering treatment and hope of release to those who can be helped. And its legal basis seems firm, after a 1997 U.S. Supreme Court case out of
Fast forward to today.
Once again, the highest court in the country is reviewing civil commitment of sex offenders, but this time with a different twist. The feds are the focus of attention.
In 2006, Congress passed the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act. One of the law’s provisions allows the federal government to civilly commit anyone in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons whom the Attorney General certifies to be "sexually dangerous." Thus, the person's confinement continues after the expiration of his prison term, without proof of a new criminal violation.
Graydon Comstock had been sentenced to 37 months for receiving child pornography. Six days before his scheduled release, the Attorney General certified Comstock as sexually dangerous. Three years later, Comstock remains confined in a medium security prison, as do more than 60 other similarly situated men in the Eastern District of North Carolina alone. Comstock and several others are challenging their confinements as going beyond Congress's constitutional authority.
So far, they have won in both the district and appellate courts. The
CNN.com has more details on
Sex offenders cannot be cured, rehabilitated or saved. When they are released, the odds are they will re-offend. Current laws have saved thousands of children from being molested.
This is an important one, folks, and I don't have to remind Franklin residents what a hot-button item this is. There is probably no issue more important than the safety of our most prized and most vulnerable possessions: our children. Supreme Court justices selected by the president will now consider this crucial case.
It is yet another important example that elections matter.
The media's guide to political parties
Trent Lott has got to be shaking his head
"Master Racists Jackson and Al-Not-So-Sharpton will avoid this issue because Reid is a Democrat, which means you get an automatic free pass for making dumb comments. However, had Reid been a Republican and made these dumb comments about Obama, Jackson and Sharpton would have called for marches, demanded he resign, been on all the talk shows, declared how America is still deeply divided and racist, and demanded new suits and per diem increases. Jackson and Sharpton continue to be two-bit, racist punks on parade."
The Year of My Mother
My mother died a week ago today. My father died 25 years ago today.
I have some comfort in knowing that finally, they are together again in heaven watching over us, protecting us, and guiding us so that we, too can rejoin them and share in their joy.
The outpouring of support for my mother and my family has been incredible and continues with an ongoing flood of e-mails, phone calls, and cards in the mail. God bless each and every one who took time to pay respect. Your kindness is greatly appreciated.
The pain my family still suffers is excruciating. In addition to pictures and videos, I still have my mother’s voice on our answering machine that I will never erase. Our hearts remain heavy.
How do you repay the sweetest woman God ever put on this earth for her many years of selfless sacrifice and devotion? You don’t.
My blessed mother will never be forgotten, a notion so impossible because of the countless memories she left to her survivors.
For me, blogging has now become, at times, daunting. It is also essential therapy.
I am dedicating my blogging during 2010 to my lovely mom. Throughout the year, I will share stories and qualities about her I hope you will enjoy. As you know, I’m not a fan of daily diary-type blogging. I’m pretty sure people don’t care at all what I shopped for at the grocery store and what I intend to do with it. My goal with this yearlong series that will appear at random will serve a purpose of stirring emotion and inspiring, and rekindling sweet memories.
Trust me, she wouldn’t like all the fuss and attention.
Sorry, mom, and God bless you!
The latest from Rehorst
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Happy New Year!
With the new year we have now added additional tour times and extended tasting room hours.
Franklin's sex offender ordinances continue to work
The Franklin Police Department recently received information that a registered sex offender moved into
The offender moved out of
Next time, Harry....
Harry Reid's Negro Problem
"Reid has also picked up an endorsement from the United Light-Skinned Negro College Fund. And Tiger Woods is considering endorsing him. He is the one light-skinned half-black guy right now who's thrilled with Reid's comments."
The Vikings use "charm, shoe leather, a private jet, clever legal maneuvers and gobs of cash"
Two-thirds of respondents to a jsonline.com poll question say now that the Packers are out of the playoffs, they will not cheer for the Vikings and Brett Favre.
Probably not.
But Packer fans will watch the purple and gold with great interest.
The Wall Street Journal is responsible for the quote used in the title of this blog.
How about this?
The paper reports, “While most NFL teams have very few imported stars, half of the Vikings' current starters were drafted or signed by other teams.”
The Vikings are extremely aggressive in pursuit of players they want, so aggressive that at times they will pull out a little white, and I do mean white, lie:
“It never snows here.”
It’s an interesting read.
Candidate makes big spelling mistake
She is the poster child for how not to run a campaign.
Think this is no big deal? Guess again.
Friday night, it's InterCHANGE
Here are the topics up for discussion on InterCHANGE on Milwaukee Public Television Channel 10 on Friday night at 6:30 with a repeat Sunday morning at 11:00. If I can shake this mammoth cold and cough I caught a few days ago, I’ll be on hand to discuss the following:
1 –
The devastating earthquake that struck
2 – Dying Babies.
Why are so many babies dying after “co-sleeping” with adults in
3 – Mark McGuire.
So after many years Mark McGuire finally comes clean and admits using steroids. Will the others (Sosa, etc.) come clean as well? Do you admire McGuire for finally telling the truth? Should his records stand? How much are the fans who engage in athlete hero worship be blamed for the steroid era? How much should major league baseball be blamed for encouraging it, or at the very least turning a blind eye toward the problem as attendance revenue skyrocketed? Is the steroid era over?
The Year of My Mother- Jimmy Dean
"THE YEAR OF MY MOTHER" IS A YEAR-LONG SERIES OF BLOGS DEDICATED TO MY DEAR, SWEET MOM WHO DIED IN EARLY JANUARY OF THIS YEAR. I PLAN TO DEVOTE SPECIAL BLOGS THROUGHOUT 2010 TO MY MOM WITH SPECIAL REFLECTIONS AND MEMORIES THAT I HOPE WILL INSPIRE READERS AND CAPTURE THE TRUE SPIRIT AND CHARACTER THAT WAS THE GREATEST WOMAN I HAVE EVER KNOWN.
I wish you all could have met my mother. She was from what Tom Brokaw accurately described as “The Greatest Generation,” meaning she was just the best.
I will have a lot to say between now and the end of the year, but for now, I will simply begin by saying that my mom made a mean one of these….
There was something about it, almost like a masterpiece. The intricate preparation, the loving care as it was placed into the oven, the irresistible aroma that filled the house.
And then, the critical moment when oven door was opened and pie was delicately removed.
“Keep your hands off!” Mom yelled, like a proud artist refusing to see any harm done to her wondrous creation.
And finally, hours later, the pie had settled and cooled enough for greedy paws to dig in. It was marvelous, with just enough extra cinnamon. The crust was perfection.
The last few years, my mom loved the apple pies from Pick ‘n’ Save. That speaks highly for that grocery store bakery, or was it just that she didn’t have to toil and bake anymore?
In 1976, country star Jimmy Dean did a spoken word recording that became a big hit.
Called I.O.U., it was dedicated to the beauty of moms and released just a few weeks before Mother’s Day. It sold millions.
For those who never had the extreme pleasure of meeting my mother, if I had to put it simply and concisely, I would point to that Jimmy Dean recording of over 30 years ago. He said, in part:
“And one thing, Mom,
I will never ever forget,
When there were only two pieces of apple pie and three hungry people,
I noticed that you were always the one that suddenly decided that you really weren't hungry any how ...”
That was my mother.
God bless you, Mom!
The MJS Editorial Board needs more writers/thinkers like this
From the Your Opinion section in today’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
HARRY REID
Apologists
Top 100 US liberals and conservatives
The Telegraph has the rankings, and a prominent Wisconsinite is quite high among conservatives.
Hateful lefty blogger continues to make a complete fool of himself
Goodness knows I could use a good laugh after the past two weeks and lo and behold, who comes through?
That would be hateful lefty attack blogger, union hack,
Every time he writes, speaks, or is photographed....
(Isn’t the above a real beauty?), he completely embarrasses himself.
Last November, one of his constant targets, Charlie Sykes took the well-dressed, highly groomed Liebenthal to the woodshed for making incredibly cold and callous statements about Sarah Palin and her special needs child.
Then recently, Sykes and the Journal Sentinel’s Patrick McIlheran handed Liebenthal his hat for making yet another untrue smear against Scott Walker.
The comments made by readers on Charlie’s blogs are a riot.
Now Liebenthal is moaning and groaning on his blog because he has to start using his 12 furlough days and wants us to believe that it’s actually costing taxpayers to park his big fat can at home on the couch for awhile. The selfish moron doesn’t understand or care that people who pay his salary are getting terminated.
As a state employee, I must take 16 furlough days imposed by Governor Doyle before the end of this year. I stated on television and on my blog that I welcome this unpaid vacation because others have it much worse, taking pay cuts or pink slips.
For this guy….
To cry like a baby shows his total ignorance of the times.
He’ll never get it.
But at the very least he’s good for……
More than a few laughs.
Bad numbers continue for Obamessiah
"A year into his tenure, a majority of Americans would already vote against Pres. Obama if the '12 elections were held today, according to a new survey."
It didn't take long for the American people to figure out this guy is in way over his head.
Bring on the weekend!
Looks like our sllloooooooooooooooowww January thaw continues.
And if you love football, the next two days are a pigskin smorgasbord.
Our regular weekend features return after some were pre-empted last week as we paid respects to my mom. They begin very soon tonight with our Friday night Goodnight musical segue into the weekend with a song-filled send-off that’s a week late, but still appropriate.
Wake up Saturday morning to The Barking Lot.
We’ll have the amazing story of this dog…
Also Saturday, our weekly week in review, Week-ends. Ryan Longwell of the
Will be mentioned in one of our highlighted stories.
Recommended
On Sunday, My Most Popular Blogs, Culinary no-no, and Photos of the Week. This picture DID NOT make the final cut.
Entertainer "Detox" performs at the California Entertainer of the Year's "Heel" Hate, One Stiletto at a Time! event on January 12, 2010 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
WOW!
She (or he) is still a lot better looking than.....
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Thanks for stopping by this weekend!
Goodnight everyone, and have a weekend fit for a King
It's Friday night. Time to unwind with our regular Friday night feature on This Just In.
The weekend has finally arrived.
The sun has set.
The evening sky has erupted.
Let's put controversy and provocative blogs aside for the rest of this work week and smooth our way into Saturday and Sunday.
We missed last Friday night because of funeral services for my mom. That happened to be the 75th birthday of Elvis Presley. So tonight, we pay homage to the King.
Elvis wasn’t just a rock ‘n’ roller. He was a master of the ballad.
Here he is with an obscure but lovely number from the film, “Spinout” singing to Diane McBain.
The Barking Lot (01/16/10)
The Barking Lot is a regular weekly feature of this just in…Written by my lovely wife, Jennifer and me. It opens with the weekend dog walking forecast followed by the main blog from dog lover, Jennifer. Then it’s DOGS IN THE NEWS and our close. Enjoy!
THE WEEKEND DOG-WALKING FORECAST: We grade the weather outlook for taking your pet outdoors.
TODAY: Skies will turn partly cloudy. High of 37. "C"
SUNDAY: Mostly sunny. High of 37. "C"
Now that's above average for this time of year, but hey, it's still winter.
Here’s my lovely wife, Jennifer with this week’s main blog:
Bones, or a bowl of milk? Bark, or meow? Patch of grass/tree/fire hydrant or litter box?
So which are you…? A dog person or a cat person? Or do you consider yourself to be both? For years I considered myself to be “both” because I grew up owning and loving dogs AND cats. If it had four legs, a tail, and whiskers, I loved it; I didn’t care if it barked or meowed. Now I consider myself a TOTAL dog person, no question!
In my single days, my apartment allowed cats but not dogs. While that is common, it never made much sense to me. I always felt a cat could cause just as much damage as a dog, just in slightly different ways. Occasionally I would consider getting a cat or two but I never did. Kevin isn’t a cat lover and I was more serious about being with him than being with a cat. (Knowing we would get married “some day” I couldn’t imagine growing fond of my cat and then giving it up for adoption.)
My best friend Michele has liked only two cats, ever: my sweet and obese Tommy from my childhood and her grandma’s
A team of researchers at the
Part of the study at U of T included a questionnaire to measure personality inclinations, and matched those traits with pet preference. I think studies like this are interesting but can’t help mutter “duh” at the basic generalization and conclusion that dog people are more outgoing and cat people are more neurotic.
While the above article does not mention it, I’m sure they also researched if dog people socialize with dog people, and cat people with cat people? I would find those results quite interesting as well. I can be, and AM, friends with both dog people AND cat people… just like I am friends with both Republicans and Democrats. But I couldn’t marry a Democrat any more than I could marry a cat person!
---Jennifer Fischer
Thanks, Jennifer.
It is time now for DOGS IN THE NEWS, canines that made headlines the past, in this entry’s case, the past TWO weeks.
Canine rescuers have converged upon
Soldiers in Afghanistan want a
Demand justice for Buddy.
Angel is a hero. Here's a video news report.
Another autistic child helped by dog, another school that won't allow the dog in class.
Roland was going blind, until....
Dog cancer vaccine to be marketed.
The trooper repeatedly kicked a drug-sniffing dog. Now he wants his job back.
Airport dogs fail the sniff test.
Homeless in
The need to adopt greyhounds is on the rise.
They thought the dog was deaf. Turns out they weren't speaking to the dog in the right language.
Dog with plastic bag on head rescued by police.
Overweight owners tend to have overweight dogs.
Has your dog been acting strange lately? It might have...
Why do those dogs have wrinkles?
Even in recession, dog walkers' hands are full.
The world's oldest dog dies.
Elijah never barks at
OUCH! A dog really shouldn't lick a shredder.
What happens when dogs never leave the home?
Seems lots of dogs love LAW AND ORDER.
That's it for this week.
We close as we always do with our closing video.
Thanks for stopping by!
Enjoy!
"Belles of the Brawl"
For a typical
Dad and I would never miss the Pro Bowler’s Tour on ABC with Chris Schenkel announcing. Just before bowling, you could watch Roller Derby.
One of the big stars was Joan Weston, the “Blonde Amazon.” You had to tune in each week if just to see what color hair Weston’s nemesis, Ann Calvello was wearing.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has a front page piece today proclaiming that “Roller Derby is back.”
Well, it’s been back for awhile and I’ve promoted the
Enjoy this vintage footage of Weston and the fiery Calvello.
Week-ends (01/16/10)
A look back at the people and events that made news the past week.
Week-ends is a regular weekly feature of This Just In...
HEROES OF THE WEEK
Our country
Frank Thorp
Bree McMahon
(KF Note: If you read but one HERO story, make it this one about McMahon.......MORE)
"Dear Hero"
TJ Lyon
Jake Meinert
Jeff Seegmiller
Jacob Ratliff
Sukhwinder Singh
Miep Gies
Wynona Ward
Jeron Lewis
Sully
Dogs ....... and more dogs
VILLAINS OF THE WEEK
Rembert Weakland and the Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Bradley Tucker
Steven Clay Romero
Michael Vick
Tiara Davis
The ACLU
Florida's legal system
NFL officials
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
"They're gone. They're not there anymore."
Democrat candidate for U.S. Senate In Massachusetts Martha Coakley at a debate, claiming there are no terrorists left in
He believed the nation was ready to elect a "light-skinned" black man "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one."
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in a quote made during the 2008 presidential campaign captured in the new book, "Game Change" by journalists Mark Halperin and John Heileman.
"I deeply regret using such a poor choice of words. I sincerely apologize for offending any and all Americans, especially African-Americans, for my improper comments."
A busted Harry Reid
"I mean you call here and ask, ‘Where do I get off suggesting that we don't donate to
National talk show host Rush Limbaugh to a caller about making donations to
"And you know, Kristi, something happened a long time ago in
“They were under the heel of the French, uh, you know Napoleon the 3rd and whatever, and they got together and swore a pact to the Devil.
“They said, 'We will serve you if you'll get us free from the French.'
“True story.
“And so the Devil said, 'Okay, it's a deal.’
“And, uh, they kicked the French out, you know, with Haitians revolted and got themselves free.
“But ever since they have been cursed by, by one thing after another, desperately poor.
“That
“Dominican Republic is, is prosperous, healthy, full of resorts, etcetera.
“
“Same island.
“They need to have and we need to pray for them a great turning to God and out of this tragedy I’m optimistic something good may come. But right now we’re helping the suffering people and the suffering is unimaginable.”
Rev. Pat Robertson speaking on the Christian Broadcasting Network’s “700 Club” about why he thought an earthquake hit
“Your lives are not worth those of the lowest, meanest, poorest of those victims still lying under that rubble in
MSNBC’s hateful lefty Keith Olbermann to Limbaugh and Pat Robertson.
"In the course of several campaigns, I started to believe that I was special and became increasingly egocentric and narcissistic."
Former presidential candidate John Edwards in a TV interview during August 2008 as reported in the new book, “Game Change.”
"They fought outside in the parking lot. Elizabeth was sobbing, out of control, incoherent. As their aides tried to avert their eyes, she tore off her blouse, exposing herself. 'Look at me!' she wailed at John and then staggered, nearly falling to the ground."
More from “Game Change” about John and Elizabeth Edwards and a fight they had at the airport in
"Top Ten Signs There's Trouble At NBC. 10) "Lineup has more holes than the
David Letterman
“Good to see everybody. You know, it is good to be back. We were off for Christmas, and apparently so was the Department of Homeland Security.
I guess you heard about that kid that tried to blow up the plane on Christmas Day with a bomb he had hidden in his underwear. Before he could get the bomb lit, some hero passengers grabbed him. They dragged him into first class. See, I had no idea that’s how you got upgraded on Delta. I thought it was a point system.
He tried to detonate the bomb in his underwear. Fortunately, it didn’t go off and his underpants just caught fire. Al Qaeda calls that “a wardrobe malfunction.”
After it was announced that Senate Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry may go to
Rush Limbaugh is O.K. after being released from a Hawaiian hospital after a heart scare. Fox News sent flowers; MSNBC sent cheese fries.
Actually, no one knows what caused Rush Limbaugh’s chest pains. But if you’re Rush Limbaugh, it could have been a number of things. I mean, the economy’s getting better, the health care bill is going to pass; the Republicans are having trouble raising money. It could be any one of those things.
And scientists now say that within 40 years, robots will be doing most of the jobs we don’t want to do, especially illegal robots from
Jay Leno
OUTRAGE OF THE WEEK
Obama-Praised Gay Activist Says God is a “Sinful Homophobic Bigot”
The No-Fly list.
Those scanners.
MOST UNDER-REPORTED STORY OF THE WEEK
Unions, Obama cut backroom deal
MOST OVER-HYPED STORY OF THE WEEK
I heard someone was leaving American Idol???
STRANGEST, MOST UNUSUAL STORY OF THE WEEK
I bet you've always wanted to know this....
Men DO ask for directions.
Yes, criminals are very, very, very dumb.
REMEMBER: Your suggestions/nominations for any of these categories every week are welcome, especially for HEROES OF THE WEEK. If you know of anyone in the community deserving of recognition, please e-mail me.
Obama's 1st year #'s
Compiled by the Associated Press.
Recommended Reading (01/16/10)
Here are, in my view, interesting, noteworthy columns and articles from the past week that I highly recommend (You will note that on occasion, I do not endorse the opinions of the author and may point that out. Despite my disagreements, I still feel the piece is worth a read).
When Conservative Felonies Become Liberal Misdemeanors
“Why in matters of stupid behavior do liberals and Democrats often get second and third chances from the media and general public not accorded to their conservative and Republican counterparts?”
Croakley
“Michael Barone, co-author of the Almanac of Americans Politics, wrote yesterday: ‘If Republican Scott Brown wins this election -- and every day his chances look better -- Democrats might conclude that Martha Coakley was a Republican plant’……”
Harry Reid's race problem
"I am having a difficult time determining what it was that Mr. Reid said that was so offensive."
The "Responsibility Tax"
"Mr. Obama's new 'Financial Crisis Responsibility Fee'—please don't call it a tax—is being sold as a way to cover expected losses in the Troubled Asset Relief Program. That sounds reasonable, except that the banks designated to pay the fee aren't those responsible for the losses."
Top Ten Best Things that Happened for Conservatives in 2009
Remember?
Top Ten Quotes from Barack Obama in 2009
“Since we're in the midst of such a historic presidency, it behooves us to actually catalogue some of the more notable utterances of our esteemed President in 2009.”
What airport security costs you
“The federal government plans to beef up airport security, but that costs more than it might seem.”
Who was Pro Football's Money Player?
"Which player was most valuable in a monetary sense — performance per dollar of his salary?"
UPDATE: Dear Mom, thank you so very much--Sincerely, Tim
I invite you to read this blog of mine from May of 2008.
That heartwarming story will be made into a :30 ad/message to be broadcast during this year’s Super Bowl.
The details for now...
4 NFL playoff games = 42:52
NFL Playoff football galore this weekend.
Four, count ‘em, four big games.
You will sit, and eat, and watch, and sit, and watch, and watch, and watch, for what…….
The Wall Street Journal reports the numbers have been crunched and in an average NFL football game, there is actually only 10 minutes 43 seconds of real action.
That’s less than some pro wrestling matches.
The saddest part of this investigation is that when it comes to these…..
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My Most Popular Blogs (01/17/10)
As I post every Sunday, here are the five most read blog entries of mine from the previous week. NOTE: some entries may have been posted prior to the past week.
1) Excuse me, but suddenly Halloween is a headache???
2) Sen. Russ Feingold gets blasted at
3) Welcome to the
4) TIE
Heard at my mom's funeral....
Was it a face mask or not?
Racine Bonfire Tea Party Draws 3,500
Wisconsin GrandSons of Liberty
We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution." – Abraham Lincoln
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release!
Contact: larryg@wisconsingrandsonsofliberty.com
Phone: 414-465-8683
Initial crowd estimates ranged from 2000 to 2500, but passenger counts from the buses used to shuttle the attendees indicate well over 3,000 people attended the Tea Party.
Temperatures were in the high 20's all afternoon but that did not diminish the enthusiasm of the crowd. People were still arriving at 3:55pm for an event that was scheduled to end at 4:30pm.
Read more in the Racine Journal Times and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
MORE.....
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