Ben Shapiro takes on CNN's bully, Piers Morgan

The latest pro-life news

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 22, 2011

From Pro-Life Wisconsin...

And Wisconsin Right To Life (WRTL):

View in web browser

Another blogger attempts a week in review

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 22, 2011

And I can attest that’s not easy.

Check it out.

Wisconsin Parents Exercising Educational Choice

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 22, 2011

Now there's a shock.

Wisconsin Parents Exercising Educational Choice

1 in 4 Statewide and nearly 4 in 5 in Milwaukee, According to MacIver Study

[Madison, Wisc…] More than 260,000 Wisconsin K-12 students exercise some form of educational choice, according to a new study by the John K. MacIver Institute for Public Policy.

Ignore stranger danger at your child's own risk

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 22, 2011

Some so-called experts with the best intentions tell parents the belief in stranger danger is overblown, counter-productive, risky, even untrue. For example, here’s an excerpt from a piece on yellodyno.com:

Once upon a time, many years ago, Crime Dog McGruff said, "Strangers are a danger to our children. We must go out and teach all our children "Stranger Danger" and they'll be safe. So they spread the news far and wide.

Millions of dollars were spent to try to ensure every child in the kingdom knew not to talk to strangers. So parents all over the kingdom went to sleep at night thinking, "Our children are safe. We have taught them Stranger Danger." But one day an alert went out all over the kingdom.

"A Boy Scout, Brennan Hawkins disappeared from a Boy Scout camp in the Utah

UPDATE: Week-ends (08/20/11)

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 22, 2011

Week-ends

My OUTRAGE OF THE WEEK this past Saturday:

Conference aims to normalize pedophilia.

Here’s an update from the Catholic League.

2nd UPDATE: Week-ends (08/20/11)

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 22, 2011

Week-ends

Here at This Just In…, putting each Saturday’s Week-ends together is quite an undertaking. Invariably, you’re going to miss something.

Here is an amazing article that didn’t come to my attention until after Saturday’s publication. It goes under the category of HEROES OF THE WEEK:

Web technology

How do they keep from going comatose?

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 23, 2011

High school football is beyond popular in Texas. It’s a religion.

About that recall of Governor Walker...

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 23, 2011

May 25, 2011, from politicalwire.com:

“A new Public Policy Polling survey in Wisconsin finds 50% of voters would support the recall of Gov. Scott Walker (R), while 47% are opposed.

‘It's impossible to say whether Democrats will be able to sustain this strong anti-Walker sentiment all the way through the time a recall election would actually be held. But it bodes well for them that as Wisconsin has left the headlines, at least nationally, Walker's numbers have just continued to get worse at home’."

Almost three months later, August 16, 2011, from Public Policy Polling:

“When PPP last polled the question in May, Wisconsinites narrowly favored booting Walker from office before his current term is up, with 50% for it and 47% against it. Now that margin has reversed (47-50). Republicans, already almost unanimously against a recall, are now even more so (8% in favor and 89% opposed three months ago, and 6-94 now). On top of that, those in the middle of the fray, independents, have moved from 50-47 for a recall, just like the overall electorate, to 46-50 against.

On top of that, voters are not particularly upset with last week’s recall election results. 43% are happy with the outcomes, and 39% are unhappy. Since they took two seats but were unable to win a third for the majority, 17% of Democrats are happy, but 64% unhappy, and 19% not sure what to feel. Republicans are more unilaterally elated (73-13), and independents split at 41-38.”

PPP is recognized as a Democrat-leaning pollster.

A musical giant dies

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 23, 2011

Nostalgia

Think for a moment about how difficult a challenge it would be to sit down and write a song that actually became a successful recording.

Now imagine doing it over 200 times.

Jerry Leiber died Monday at the age of 78. Together with Mike Stoller, they formed a prolific songwriting team that endured for over 60 years. The duo wrote many classics for Elvis Presley.

From left, Mike Stoller, Elvis Presley and Jerry Leiber at MGM Studios in 1957. Photo: Business Wire

Leiber said this about The King:

“We feel that Elvis Presley was the high water mark of the 20^th Century. He’s legend. No, he’s myth. He’s in that celestial place for mythological figures. At the time, we just thought he was a white kid trying to make it as a singer.”

Leiber and Stoller’s first success was “Hound Dog,” written for Big Mama Thornton. Four years later, the song skyrocketed when Elvis recorded a somewhat sanitized version with an alteration of the original lyrics that upset Leiber, but only to a certain degree.

"To this day I have no idea what that rabbit business is about," he told Rolling Stone in 2009. "The song is not about a dog; it's about a man, a freeloading gigolo. Elvis' version makes no sense to me, and, even more irritatingly, it is not the song that Mike and I wrote. Of course, the fact that it sold more than seven million copies took the sting out of what seemed to be a capricious change of lyrics."

These are very sad times for the Franklin School Board

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 23, 2011

It's tough to be a Chicago sports fan these days

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 24, 2011

Just ask one.

9/11 IMAGES: "Powerful and disturbing"

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 24, 2011

In the days ahead, we’re about to be inundated with various news items about the 10^th anniversary of 9/11. That’s as it should be.

Collectively as a nation, America has forgotten much about the events and ramifications of 9/11. We need far more reminders than what we’ve seen or heard.

The Philadelphia Inquirer has compiled an amazing photo gallery commemorating this anniversary. There are 174 pictures worth a look.

UPDATE Culinary no-no #115

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 24, 2011

Culinary no-no's

Just this week I ventured out for lunch to a nearby Greek joint.

Great food.

I ordered...

Franklin can't even get Halloween right

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 24, 2011

In communities all across America, local units of government are quickly and easily dispatching a simple order of business:

What day are we holding Trick or Treat and at what time.

Easy? Really easy.

Not so in Franklin, WI, one of the best places to live in America, until you get your property tax bill.

At the August 16th Franklin Common Council, one of the no-brainers on the agenda was Trick or Treat for 2011. As Klinger once said in M*A*S*H, “a piece of baklava.” Toledo’s finest son obviously never paid a visit to Franklin.

Resident Franklin curmudgeon, Alderman Tim Solomon suggested that the hours that have traditionally been on a Sunday from 4-7 be changed to 1-4. There was also talk about overlapping with surrounding communities.

Alderman Steve Taylor in his ultimate wisdom said Franklin should find out what all its neighbors are doing before a decision was made. Great suggestion! What other ideas should we ask Oak Creek, Hales Corners, Muskego and Greendale permission for before we vote?

Excuse me, but who cares what they’re doing in Muskego.

Taylor’s motion was seconded so that means a final decision on…

TRICK OR TREAT

Won’t be made until the September 6^th meeting of the Common Council.

Oy vey.

Isn’t it amazing that even on a measure as painfully, brutally obvious as Halloween the Franklin mayor and Common Council can’t get it right?

This does give you, the Franklin populace, the opportunity to tell your elected officials when you want Trick or Treat hours, 1-4, or 4-7.

It’s more than likely that Trick or Treat in Franklin will be held on SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30.

More cluelessness from the Franklin Common Council. There was discussion at the last meeting about a potential Green Bay Packer game conflict. When, oh when would the Packers play?

NOBODY

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Remember, Friday is National Dog Day

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 25, 2011

My wife's Barking Lot blog this past Saturday:

I’ve heard so many people accuse Hallmark of “making up holidays” just to turn a profit. Obviously the Marketing Dept. of the largest greeting card company did not hold a meeting and dream up Sweetest Day.

I’m on the opposite end of the spectrum: I don’t think Hallmark makes ENOUGH “occasion” and “holiday” cards. I clearly remember when Kevin & I got married and I wanted a card to give to my mother in law on our special day. There are plenty of cards for wives and husbands to give each other, and an ample assortment for parents to give their children. Why, then, couldn’t I find a single card that expressed my sentiments of being the luckiest woman in the world not only for marrying my husband but for getting the best MIL ever? Finally I settled for a card that I found as appropriate as possible but to this day, I still feel like Hallmark missed a great opportunity. (Clearly I can’t be the only person who loved their MIL so deeply.)

I know that there are sympathy cards available for the loss of a pet. However, with the almost 80 million dogs owned in the United States and an estimated $50 billion spent on them, I really do think Hallmark is missing the boat not offering more dog-specific cards.

I think the good folks at the Gold Crown Company could make money paw over fist if they’d develop a few cards for National Dog Day. What a fabulous holiday and great excuse (as if you need one) to spoil your four-legged friend! The founders of this holiday offer fifty ways to celebrate.

The Manslater

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 25, 2011

Is America Turning Left?

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 25, 2011

By guest blogger Thomas C. Reeves

A few years ago I wrote a piece on the eventual victory of the Left in America. Almost all of the most relevant indicators pointed in that direction: The mainstream media, the public schools, colleges and universities, and the major Protestant denominations were dominated by liberals. There were numerous stories of the federal government increasingly cracking down on free speech and thought. The traditional family and marriage were widely ridiculed. Porn was commonplace and available to all. Much of popular music was anarchic. Tattoos and assorted clips and mutilations were routine.   The welfare state had hooked millions. Secularism seemed to dominate. The election of Barak Obama, a man of stern leftist ideology, seemed to seal the argument.   America appeared to be on its way toward becoming modern-day England, a nearly bankrupt nanny state that flouts its political correctness and base culture while at the same time being unable to defend itself against the internal violence generated by its own leftist commitments.

But there is a strong argument to the contrary, and one of the best sources to consult for documentation is the Gallup Poll. After surveying more than 10,000 adults across the United States in the first half of 2011, Gallup and USA Today/Gallup reported numbers that should encourage conservatives and perhaps curtail a bit of leftist triumphalism. Today, 41% of Americans call themselves conservatives, 36% say they are moderates, and only 21% declare themselves to be liberal. What that appears to indicate is that 77% of the public does not share the leftist agenda that dominates much of contemporary American life. The sweeping Republican gains of 2010 are perhaps a reflection of this poll data. In my own "purple" state of Wisconsin, Republican victories were stunning, and included the ouster of ultra-liberal Senator Russ Feingold, in office since 1993.

Data about the two major political parties are also revealing. Among Democrats polled, 39 percent were moderates, 18% were conservative, and 5% were "very conservative." Liberals came in at 29% while 9% were "very liberal." That means that even in the party of Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid, 62% are not closely identifying with the leftist agenda. (As of August 16, according to Gallup, a mere 13% of Americans approved of Congressional activity. Obama's popularity in early August dropped to 39%; this is in the Jimmy Carter league.)

Among Republicans, 21% told pollsters that they were "very conservative," 50% called themselves conservative, 24 % were moderate, and 3% were liberal. Therefore , 71% of Republicans are neither moderate nor liberal. Is there still a culture war in America? Of course, even though it largely involves the better educated (self-declared or actual) who attempt to mould public opinion.

Among independents, 44% describe themselves as moderate, 27% are conservative, and 8% are "very conservative." Only 14% of independents are liberal, and a mere 6% are "very liberal." There again we see the Left as a distinct minority.

That the hard Left stands at 6% nationally should be remembered the next time you read the New York Times, watch CBS News, and go to the movies. America is a largely conservative and moderate nation.         Ideology in 2011, Gallup tells us, is almost the same as it was in 2009 and 2010. Data from 1992 to the present shows a modest increase in political polarization, however. The percentage of moderates has declined from 43% to 36%, while the combined liberal and conservative categories have climbed from 53% to 62%.

How does one explain the leftist domination of the culture and a public that by large numbers appear to reject much of what it hears and reads. A great many on the Left simply dismiss the general public as incapable of understanding "truths" propounded by "the brights." And the pomposity is not limited to the professoriate.   On a more serious intellectual level, there must be reasons, many of them complex, for the popularity of the Right and Middle in contemporary America. Let me briefly suggest four.

I'm hardly the first to think that the Internet has liberated the minds of millions. One does not have to accept the liberal line in the major media as there are tens of thousands of web pages devoted to a wide range of opinions on every subject. You watch what you are, and the variety is endless. The issue of authority, while perplexing, is not insurmountable. National Review Online and Townhall, for example, present first-rate commentary and analysis designed for conservatives and others who simply want a point of view that the major networks and tax-supported PBS and NPR will not present.

I think too that Fox News and Fox Business News have opened the doors of intellectual opposition to millions. No, the Fox outlets are not "fair and balanced." In fact, they present favorable and informed views of conservatism, libertarianism, and capitalistic doctrine to a degree that liberals have rarely tolerated in the mainstream media or on campus. It should not be surprising that Fox is extremely popular with millions who watch cable and satellite programming.

A third suggestion is not so easily documented. It may be important that colleges and universities rarely require courses in the liberal arts and social sciences. This limits the powers of ideologues to mould minds. Aren't there any conservative professors, say of history or anthropology? A huge quantity of literature and data answer this question with a resounding "not to speak of." Their exclusion, in the halls of tolerance, is deliberate.

In the fourth place, it is illusory to think of all America as secular. Almost as fast as liberal and "progressive" churches are dying, conservative churches are prospering and growing. And not all of them are Protestant and Evangelical; conservative and traditional Catholics have made major steps in recent years to reclaim and beauty, dignity, and orthodoxy of the past. They own and operate the two major Catholic media outlets on television and radio and publish a very large assortment of books and magazines. Monastic orders that embrace traditional styles of worship and doctrine are beginning to thrive here and abroad.

True, there remain a great many areas of American life where liberal thought and morals thrive. One thinks immediately of abortion, political correctness, a dominating federal government and horrendous debt.   But let us refuse to demonize the Left. It has achieved a great deal in the past; it's a history that should not be ignored or twisted. Still, let us not forget the Gallup polls telling us that conservatism, moderation, patriotism, and religious faith still represent the majority view in this country, however unacceptable it may be to the "brights."

Thomas C. Reeves is a retired UW-System professor living in southeast Wisconsin. Among his dozen books are Twentieth Century America: A Brief History, and biographies of John F. Kennedy, Joseph R. McCarthy, Fulton Sheen, Walter J. Kohler, Jr and Chester A. Arthur. I am proud to call Tom Reeves my friend.

Previous guest blogs by Reeves:

Why Fire Teachers?

Do We Need More College Graduates?

What Do Professors Want?

We pause this meeting of the Franklin Common Council for a moment of pettiness

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 25, 2011

“We’re starting off on a bad foot.”
Franklin alderman Kristen Wilhelm at the beginning of the August 16 Franklin Common Council meeting

I’ve covered or been involved in politics for over 33 years, attended countless meetings, and I have never witnessed what happened at the last Franklin Common Council meeting. At first blush, it may not sound like a big deal, but there’s a larger issue at play. If you listen to the audio of the very beginning of the meeting found on the city’s website, you’ll hear the following:

City Clerk Sandi Wesolowski takes the roll call and gets to Alderman Steve Olson.

Wesolowski: “Alderman Olson has sent an e-mail requesting to be excused.”

Wesolowski then calls on Alderman Tim Solomon when Alderman Ken Skowronski interrupts.

Skowronski: “Why?”

An unknown individual is clearly heard snickering.

Mayor Tom Taylor: “I told the clerk I think it’s probably proper that Council excuse its own members.”

Alderman Kristen Wilhelm: “He’s excused as far I’m concerned.”

Skowronski: “I asked a question. Why?”

Wesolowski: “He’s unable to make the meeting.”

Skowronski: “That ain’t an answer.”

Alderman Steve Taylor: “When are we going to bring a policy, something forward…”

Skowronski: “May I ask a question. Does the council excuse or does the mayor?”

Wilhelm: “Let’s just take the roll and move on. We’re starting off on a bad foot.”

Amen, Kristen, and congrats for exhibiting common sense, not once, but twice in those opening exchanges.

Again, if you listen to the audio, it’s apparent from Alderman Skowronski’s tone that his heart wasn’t melting with genuine concern for Alderman Olson’s well-being. I’ve never seen this at a public meeting, ever.

For 15 years I worked in the Wisconsin state Senate. Here’s the procedure. Senator X informs his/her leader that he/she can’t attend a floor session of the Senate. On the floor when the roll is being taken, the leader politely requests a leave of absence for that senator. The Senate President then asks the body if there’s any objection. There never is and the session continues. A policy debate or personal squabble would never break out or be allowed to.

After listening to the Franklin Common Council audio, I requested pertinent e-mails on the matter from City Hall. Here’s the first that got this ball rolling:

From: Steve Olson [mailto:steve-olson@wi.rr.com]
Sent: Friday, August 12, 2011 10:03 PM
To: Sandi Wesolowski
Subject: Council Meeting, 8/16/11

Sandi:

I will be out of town and unable to participate in the Council meeting of 8/16.

Ald. Olson

That was followed by:

From: Sandi Wesolowski
Sent: Monday, August 15, 2011 9:57 AM
To: Tom Taylor
Subject: FW: Council Meeting, 8/16/11

From: Sandi Wesolowski
Sent: Monday, August 15, 2011 9:26 AM
To: 'Steve Olson'
Subject: RE: Council Meeting, 8/16/11

I will inform the Mayor.

The big question on this Friday night is...

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 26, 2011

Packers or Brewers?

The answer is obvious.

Brewers.

The Brewer game actually means something. The Packer game does not.

But I’ll bet the majority of televisions tonight will be tuned to the green and gold.

MUST SEE/MUST HEAR: Hurricane Irene

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 26, 2011

Hurricane storm surge team leader Jamie Rhome center, speaks on a conference call with east coast National Weather Service forecast offices from the National Hurricane Center in Miami as they review the track and intensity of Hurricane Irene on Friday, Aug. 26. The hurricane warning was extended into the Chesapeake Bay as far as Drum Point, and existing warnings remained in effect from North Carolina to New Jersey. A hurricane watch was in effect even farther north and included Long Island, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, Mass. AP photo by Jeffey Boan

Goodnight everyone, and have a paw-fect weekend!

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 26, 2011

Nostalgia

“This was a song I did on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1912. (Loud, thundering screams). You ain’t nothin’ but a...(pause with more loud, thundering screams). You don’t know what I’m gonna do yet (even more loud screams).”
Elvis Presley during a live concert at Madison Square Garden in New York, June, 1972.

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 smooth our way into Saturday and Sunday.

Today (Friday) was National Dog Day.

Ahhhh, dogs. What lovable creatures.

In this AP photo, Savannah Pearce plays with her dog Sabali during the Pooch Plunge at the Lawrence Aquatic Center in Lawrence, Kan., Monday, Aug 22, 2011. Dogs are allowed in the pool the day after it closes for the season. Some call it "Drool in the Pool."

The best cartoons of the week

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 27, 2011

Political Cartoons by Glenn Foden

Political Cartoons by Michael Ramirez

Lefties stage obnoxious protest at successful Milwaukee choice school

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 27, 2011

2011 POO Awards - Week 2

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 27, 2011

Each week during this year’s high school football season, I’m giving out a weekly POO Award to the Wisconsin high school football team that committed the most egregious act of poor sportsmanship by trying to humiliate its opponent.

POO stands for Piling On Offensively (Or if you prefer, Pouring it On Offensively).

Week 1
Luck 73, Birchwood 22

Week 2
Coleman 63, Sevastopol 13

The Barking Lot (08/27/11)

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 27, 2011

The Barking Lot

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: Mostly sunny. High of 77. "A"

SUNDAY: Mostly sunny. High of 75. "A"

Here’s my lovely wife, Jennifer with this week’s main blog:

By mid-July, retailers everywhere have back-to-school specials. From spiral notebooks to notebook computers, from tote bags to bed-in-a-bag ensembles, every store has something to offer kids & parents.

Week-ends (08/27/11)

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 27, 2011

Week-ends

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

Lesley Reed

Michael King

Jeffrey Richards

Nicola Gleeson

Beth Krohn

Jen Mcken

Charles Higby

Jerry Lieber

Joey Vento

Web technology

VILLAINS OF THE WEEK

Messmer vandals and protesters

The state of Illinois

West Coast quake victims

Patrick Kocsis

Alicia Bouchard and her husband

Massachusetts State Police

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

"You've got an unemployment rate that is still too high, an economy that's not growing' fast enough. For me to argue, look, we've actually made the right decisions, things would have been much worse had we not made those decisions, that's not that satisfying if you don't have a job right now. And I understand that and I expect to be judged a year from now on whether or not things have continued to get better.”
President Obama

"I'm not afraid of anybody. This is a tough game. You can't be intimidated. You can't be frightened. And as far as I'm concerned, the Tea Party can go straight to hell."
California Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA)

"We've had Democrats calling American citizens 'terrorists' and 'hostage takers,' and now an elected Democratic representative says that we can 'go straight to hell.' The president and all leaders of the Democratic Party, who have called for civility in the past, are neglecting to censure their own. Is civility only required from their opponents? Perhaps it's time for a new-NEW era of civility. ... The president's silence on these latest violations of civility has been deafening, but not surprising."
From a statement by Mark Meckler and Jenny Beth Martin, who lead the Tea Party Patriots, suggesting President Obama should step in to put a check on the overheated rhetoric.

"The totality of the facts and the circumstances and all of the evidence that I reviewed did not support my filing criminal charges."
Sauk County District Attorney Patricia Barrett, a special prosecutor has ruled that neither Supreme Court Justice David Prosser nor fellow Justice Anne Walsh Bradley will face criminal charges for an altercation this summer involving the two. Bradley had said Prosser put her in a "chokehold" during a June argument over a case in her chambers. Others have said Bradley came at Prosser with fists raised and he put up his hands to block her or push her back.

"Justice Anne Walsh Bradley made the decision to sensationalize. I was confident the truth would come out and it did. I am gratified that the prosecutor found these scurrilous charges were without merit. I have always maintained that once the facts of this incident were examined I would be cleared. I look forward to the details becoming public record."
Justice Prosser

"My focus from the outset has not been one of criminal prosecution, but rather addressing workplace safety. I contacted law enforcement the very night the incident happened but did not request criminal prosecution. Rather I sought law enforcement's assistance to try to have the entire court address informally this workplace safety issue that has progressed over the years.”
Justice Bradley

“You have no safety net. Your policy has been one which I fully understand — I’m not second-guessing — of one child per family. The result being that you’re in a position where one wage earner will be taking care of four retired people. Not sustainable.”
VP Joe Biden on China’s one-child policy.

“I’m deeply troubled by the comments reportedly made by the Vice President yesterday regarding China’s reprehensible one-child policy, which has resulted in forced sterilizations and coerced abortions and should not be condoned by any American official. No government on Earth has the authority to place quotas on the value of innocent human life, or to treat life as an economic commodity that can be regulated and taken away on a whim by the state. I hope and trust that the Vice President didn’t actually say what has been reported, and that a correction or clarification from the White House will be forthcoming. The Obama administration should be focusing on jobs for the American people, not encouraging foreign governments to utilize abortion as a means of population and deficit control.”
John Boehner

"’All Things Considered’ (on National Public Radio), perhaps one of the most ill-named programs in the history of radio. Conservatism is never considered. It is only besmirched, assaulted, and rhetorically dismembered.”
Brent Bozell of the Media Research Center

“I can only assume that Ald. (Ken) Skowronski’s inquiry of WHY I was not in attendance was in heartfelt concern for my well being and an abundance of worry. To believe in any other motivation would mean that the question came from arrogance, anger, a need to pick a fight or some other nefarious reason.

Let me be clear (again). I do NOT report to any of you. Not the mayor, not the council president or any other alderman. My reasons for not being at the meeting are mine and mine alone. No one has the privilege of asking WHY I was not at the meeting unless they are a resident of the 1^st Aldermanic District. The fact that I chose to let the Director of Clerk Services know that I would not be in attendance was and is a courtesy, extended out of respect for the body.

Let me also be clear. There is no ordinance in place that gives permission or assigns the duty of ‘excusing’ anyone on any board or commission or the council from anything. To think that a peer would have such authority shows just how self important our Council has gotten.”
Franklin alderman Steve Olson in an e-mail to Franklin’s mayor, aldermen, city attorney and city clerk after Alderman Skowronski repeatedly asked at the August 16 Franklin Common Council meeting why Olson was not in attendance.

“The Milwaukee Brewers are the hottest team in baseball after sweeping the New York Mets at their place for the first time in their history. Miller Park is the place to be this summer and will draw over 3 million fans.

We have one man to thank for this: visionary former state Sen. George Petak. It was his vote that allowed Miller Park to happen. Yet the people in his district voted him out. Yes, he was recalled. But these people just allowed state Sen. Robert Wirch, a man who abandoned his job and ran out of state and hid, to keep his.

My family and I are enjoying a tremendous Brewers season and love to tailgate at Miller Park. We look forward to an exciting post-season. In the back of my mind, I will remember the courage of one state senator, who helped make this all happen, and the cowardice of another, who was rewarded. And that is the real ‘shame, shame, shame’."
Keith Best of Waukesha in a letter to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

OUTRAGE OF THE WEEK

Get credit for being a pervert on your college application.

MOST UNDER-REPORTED STORY OF THE WEEK

Is America turning left?

MOST OVER-HYPED STORY OF THE WEEK

Hurricane Irene...the attention is deserved, except for junk like this.

STRANGEST, MOST UNUSUAL STORY OF THE WEEK

They didn't tell their parents...but they're sure to find out.

Marriage proposal gone wrong.

Rogue panda on rampage?

That’s it for this week. We close with the latest from NewsBusted…

UPDATE: Culinary no-no #240

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 27, 2011

Culinary no-no's

Last week’s Culinary no-no #240 featured a discussion about well-known celebrity chef Paula Deen.

Her name and an interview clip came up today on NPR’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!

The audio is 2:38 into the segment…

So, you say you wannabe a TV pundit?

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 27, 2011

You Did It...Thank You!

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 28, 2011

You Held the State Senate and We're Continuing the Work to Save Lives

Click here to make your gift online.

My Most Popular Blogs (08/28/11)

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 28, 2011

Photos of the Week (08/28/11)

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 28, 2011

Photos of the Week

1) Grand Central Terminal is deserted in New York City on Aug. 27. Metro North has suspended service and Amtrak is running on a reduced schedule due to Hurricane Irene. Photos: Jonathan D. Woods / msnbc.com

2) A sightseer captures the dramatic storm clouds above the New York City skyline as Hurricane Irene approaches Saturday. Photo: Jonathan D. Woods / msnbc.com

3) People crowd a Whole Foods store in Manhattan before the arrival of Hurricane Irene on Friday in New York City. Photo: msnbc.com

4) Police walk through an area which is under mandatory evacuation orders in the Rockaways, N.Y, in preparation for Hurricane Irene. Photo: msnbc.com

5) Arseni Flax, center, and his mother Nelly wait for their subway train to leave as they bring along their parakeets while evacuating the Coney Island section of New York, Aug. 27. Photo: msnbc.com

6) Manhattan is hit by Hurricane Irene on Sunday, Aug. 28. The hurricane hit New York City’s skyscrapers with fierce winds and threatened to flood the financial district after killing ten people along the East coast on Saturday. Photo: msnbc.com

7) Waves crash onto a road as Hurricane Irene arrives, August 28, in Southampton, New York. Irene is expected to move through the area today with heavy rain and high winds. Photo: msnbc.com

8) Two men explore a street flooded by Hurricane Irene on Aug. 27 in Manteo, N.C. Photo: msnbc.com

9) One of two people rescued from a sailboat, right, uses a line to make their way onto the beach on Willoughby Spit in Norfolk, Va., Aug. 27, after they and another person were rescued from the boat that foundered in the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. A rescuer, left, waits for the second person to exit the boat. Photo: Bill Tiernan / The Virginian-Pilot via AP

10) Firefighters work to remove the body of an 11-year-old killed when a tree fell and severely damaged this home in Newport News, Va., on Aug. 27. Photo: msnbc.com

11) Jackie Sparnackel has to abandon her van and her belongings after she ventured to check out the storm-damaged pier in Frisco, N.C., on Aug. 27. Photo: msnbc.com

12) Margene Jezo of Kitty Hawk goes for a 6-mile jog as Hurricane Irene lashes the Outer Banks in Kitty Hawk, N.C, Aug. 27. Photo: msnbc.com

13) Defying mandatory evacuation orders and a curfew, summer residents Pam Cooke, left, and Jody Bowers share a laugh as strong winds puff up Jody's jacket as they venture out to the beach in Kill Devil Hills, N.C., Aug. 27. Photo: msnbc.com

14) Traffic backs up at The Washout at Folly Beach as people come out to watch the waves created by Hurricane Irene and cheer on the few surfers that came out on Friday in Folly Beach, S.C. Photo: msnbc.com

15) Kira Woolard, 4, a resident of Craven County, looks outside during the midst of Hurricane Irene, from the Brinson Elementary School shelter, facilitated by the American Red Cross, near New Bern, N.C. About 100 people, many from more rural, low-lying areas or mobile home parks took shelter in advance of the storm which hit the area Saturday. But more were expected as people fled damaged homes. Photo: Margaret Cheatham Williams

16) The hurricane-force winds of Irene rip the siding off of homes in Nags Head, N.C., on Aug. 27. Photo: msnbc.com

17) Lounge chairs are stored in a pool in Ocean City, Md., on Aug. 27 in order to keep them from blowing away. Photo: msnbc.com

18) Cory Ritz braces himself as a wave bursts on Aug. 25 in Boynton Beach, Fla. Irene caused high surf along the Florida coast. Photo: msnbc.com

19 A message is left for Hurricane Irene on one house, as a resident boards up another on Aug. 25 in Nags Head, N.C. Photo: msnbc.com

20) Office workers gather on the sidewalk in downtown Washington, Tuesday, Aug. 23, moments after a 5.9 magnitude tremor shook the nation's capitol. The earthquake centered northwest of Richmond, Va., shook much of Washington, D.C., and was felt as far north as Rhode Island and New York City. J. Scott Applewhite / AP

21) A bride in her wedding dress runs from the courthouse in Lower Manhattan in New York August 23. Timothy A. Clary / AFP - Getty Images

22) People who came out on the street after an earthquake look up at a window that cracked during the quake on Market Street in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Aug. 23. Alex Brandon / AP

23) Debris covers the isle at the Miller's mart food store in Mineral, Va., Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011. A magnitude 5.8 earthquake hit the area which was felt up and down the east coast. Steve Helber / AP

24) Joe Alonso, Chief Mason at Washington's National Cathedral, attempts to piece together the fallen pieces from a stone spire that collapsed during an earthquake, August 24. A 5.8 magnitude quake rattled the U.S. East Coast on Tuesday, sending tremors as far as Canada, damaging well-known buildings in the nation's capital and sending scared office workers into the streets. Washington's National Cathedral, host to state funerals and memorial services for many U.S. presidents, suffered damage with three spires in the central tower breaking off. Jason Reed / Reuters.

25) The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is seen Monday, Aug. 22, 2011 in Washington, ahead of its dedication on Aug. 28. Charles Dharapak / AP

26) Wing walker Todd Green falls to his death after losing his grip performing a stunt.during an air show at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township, Mich. August 21. Source: AP/The Macomb Daily

27) The body of a gunman lies in the woods after a shootout with soldiers in Zirahuen, near Morelia, Mexico, on August 24. Photo: Leovigildo Gonzalez / Reuters

28) In this combination of three photos, former first lady Nancy Reagan is helped by Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., as she stumbles at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., Tuesday, Aug. 23. Library spokeswoman Melissa Giller told KNBC that the 90-year-old former first lady wasn't hurt. Jae C. Hong / AP

29) Margaret Hagenbaumer, left, and Martha Cardwell, volunteers at the First Baptist Church in Carthage, Mo., clean and sort photos and other personal documents found among rubble after a powerful EF-5 tornado. destroyed a large swath of nearby Joplin, Mo. on May 22, 2011. The church has taken on the task of preserving thousands of lost photos and reuniting them with their owners. Photo: Charlie Riedel / AP

30) Soldiers from the Army Old Guard photograph headstones, in Section 15, as they take part in Task Force Christman to photograph and catalog more than 219,00 grave markers and the front of more than 43,000 sets of cremated remains at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., Wednesday, Aug. 24. Night after night this summer, troops have left their immaculately pressed dress blues, white gloves and shiny black boots, photographing each and every grave with an iPhone. Army Spc. Matthew Caruso, 24, of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., shows the Apple iPad and spreadsheet which is used to keep track of which headstones the Army Old Guard has photographed at Arlington National Cemetery. Photos: Cliff Owen, AP

31) Vice President Joe Biden meets a Mongolian wrestler during Mini-Naadam, or Mongolian wrestling performance, in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, Monday, Aug. 22. Photo: Andy Wong / AP

32) An aerial view shows the land art installation by Polish artist Jaroslaw Koziara as a part of the Land Art Festival on the field between Horodyszcze (Poland) and Warez (Ukraine), on Tuesday. The giant fish was created by seeding different kinds of plants on the field between the Polish and Ukrainian border. Wojciech Pacewicz / EPA

33) Spc.Felix Duron of Lake Station, with his wife Mindy, smiles at his 1-year-old daughter Lillian while holding his 2-month-old son Felix, Jr., whom he met for the first time after arriving at a welcome home celebration at the VFW Post 9323, Wednesday, Aug. 24, in Lake Station, Ind. The 656th Transportation Company returned home after serving about a year in Afghanistan. Photo: Stephanie Dowell / AP

34) A pair of ring-tailed lemurs enjoy frozen watermelon for lunch at the Bioparco Zoo in Italy on Aug. 21. Due to very high temperatures over the past few days, zoo staff have provided animals with extra portions of frozen fruit to help them cool down. Photo: Giorgio Cosulich / Getty Images

35) In this cover image released by People magazine, TV personality Kim Kardashian is shown in her wedding gown on the Sept. 5, 2011 issue of People. Kardashian, 30, married NBA player Kris Humphries, 26, on Saturday, Aug. 20, 2011, near Santa Barbara, Calif. (AP Photo/People)

36) This is a shot of Sun Life Stadium… while the Marlins--Reds game is going on Wednesday. There are not many fans in the seats – one in attendance counted 347 on hand. Photo: Hans Deryk/AP

37) A Street entertainer lays down on a bed of nails during a performance on the Royal Mile to promote their shows during in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival on August 24, 2011 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Photo: Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images

38) Governor Scott Walker reads "Oh, the Places You'll Go" by Dr. Seuss to students at Milwaukee's Messmer School Friday. Journal Sentinel photo: Jeff Sainlar.

Culinary no-no #241

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 28, 2011

Culinary no-no's

THERE ARE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF
FOOD BLOGS, BUT ONLY ONE CULINARY NO-
NO!

Maybe it’s a wedding anniversary.

A birthday.

A dinner at a posh restaurant.

An arts event.

A fundraiser.

A cocktail party.

The joy of a new job.

A get-together with friends.

Simple unwinding at the end of a long day.

Whether alone, with a special someone, a small or large group of relatives or friends, this calls for…

The great grape.

Chris Jelepsis, president of Sonata Wine, an importer of Greek wines to the United States says:

“Wine is great because it has style. There’s just something different about drinking wine than beer or liquor. Sure, each of these close alcoholic relatives have their great qualities, as well; but you probably won’t find anyone dining for two over candlelight, clinking glasses of Zima (ok, ok – I know they’re out there, but it might surprise you, right?). There’s a certain aesthetic pleasure associated with ordering a bottle, looking at the label, watching it pour into a glass, smelling the aromas, and tasting.”

MUST-SEE VIDEO: Time lapse video of 9/11 Memorial

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 29, 2011

The latest pro-life news

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 29, 2011

From Pro-Life Wisconsin.

And Wisconsin Right To Life...

Photo of the Year?

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 29, 2011

It's right up there...

Add this to the list of items requiring an ID

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 29, 2011

In Washington D.C., identification is necessary to receive free, potentially life-saving sandbags.

Ironically, Washington D.C. does not require an ID for voting.

And Georgia Congressman John Lewis essentially plays the race card by calling photo ID a “poll tax.” Mark Hemingway takes that argument apart.

What's the last job you'd give to a sex offender?

Posted by Kevin Fischer on Aug. 29, 2011

I often say that the fight against sex offenders never stops, and with good reason. It’s bad enough that they’re out there, enabled by a fair number of sympathizers. It’s even worse when the government, aided by tax dollars, subsidizes them to be near kids.

The state of Illinois actually has been paying sex offenders…to baby-sit.

Naturally some government bureaucrat is downplaying the mess.

It’s a stunning, outrageous story.