Many Who Engage in Class Warfare Rhetoric Earn Six Figure Salaries
MacIver News Service | February 10, 2011
A MacIver Investigation
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.
Our snow plow drivers have a tough job and do it very well
Guys, just don't let this happen to you...
Instead of plowing the streets, this driver was caught snoozing one morning last week from 9:30 to at least 11 on 14th Avenue near 149th Street during a blizzard that hit New York City.
Photo: New York Post
When the blizzard strikes, whatcha gonna blame?
Very soon, our area will look like this......
Of course, the reason for the upcoming onslaught of snow...
Globull warming.
The latest on the weather...
The city of Franklin has declared a snow emergency in effect from 5:00 pm Tuesday until 7:00 pm Thursday:
City Municipal Code 245-5.I. - Snow Emergencies; Parking During, states the following:
- A snow emergency is declared to exist when snow is falling at a minimum rate of 1 inch per hour or has accumulated to a depth of 4 inches or more.
- If a snow emergency arises between September 15 to April 15 of each year, the Mayor, or in his or her absence the Council President, shall declare a state of emergency to exist, and the duration thereof, and issue a public proclamation to that effect by radio, placards, or other means of communication.
- After such declaration of snow emergency has been declared, no person shall park any vehicle upon any street between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.
- The Chief of Police or any police officer within the Police Department may remove any vehicle from the street which interferes with snow removal equipment during any period of a snow emergency. Cost of removal shall be paid by the owner of a vehicle parked in violation of this section.
- No person shall operate, stop, allow to stand, park, follow, or in any other way locate any motor vehicle at a distance of less than 30 feet immediately from and to the rear of any City snow removal or snowplow vehicle.
Did you know that today was WWND?
That’s...Working While Naked Day.
The founder of Working While Naked Day, Lisa Kanarek, a
Kanarek says this “special” day is "dedicated to those who are working from home 'naked' -- stripped of the resources that millions take for granted in the traditional corporate workplace. Let's have fun. We work at home, and there isn't anyone there with us, so we can work naked, literally and figuratively."
Thank you for the clarification, Ms. Kanarek because Working While Naked outside the home? Not a bright idea.
To warm you and make you feel good through this blizzard (or at least, you guys)
Do you know this woman?
Of course you don’t. Admit it. People like you don’t generally have the occasion of meeting and knowing women like her.
She is a supermodel. Now there’s a shock.
She is 32-year old Marisa Miller from
Very lovely gal, indeed.
Now I could end the blog right here and now. But then, that would be a cheap, tawdry, gratuitous attempt at getting folks to read my blog now, wouldn’t it?
I ,of course, would never resort to such tactics.
There is a method and point to every single entry posted on This Just In…
So here we go.
We now take you to a Hoolywood affair where the beautiful Miller has been spotted giving us an opportunity to ask an extremely probing question.
Please watch and listen ever so intently.
And some of you thought she was going to be dumb.
We're done but before we go, to you Kevin Fischer-haters, those with zero sense of humor, fuddy-duddies, and various prudes, to complain (and why the hell would you?), please contact:
NOW Online Editor Matt Newman | mnewman@cninow.com | (262) 446-6616
I really hope you do (LOL) just to see where it gets you.
God Bless You Marisa Miller!
The latest on the weather.
State Representative Bill Kramer, COME ON DOWN!
I had to smile widely as I watched the annual State of the State address tonight delivered by Governor Scott Walker.
Sitting to his left and to the televised audience's right was state Representative Bill Kramer (R-Waukesha), the Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore.
How times have changed. Back in 2007, Kramer was an absolute newcomer to
Suddenly, Doyle said something that caught Kramer’s attention.
Kramer began clapping loudly after Doyle mentioned that oil companies were gouging taxpayers and will earn $310 million in profits within the next 24 hours. The governor was describing his plan to tax every barrel of oil that comes into
"I don’t know that I applauded for big oil," Kramer told the Waukesha Freeman. "I applauded for profits. Profits are a good thing. Profits are what make the country run."
Protocol and decorum be damned. Applause is natural at these speeches. Kramer’s response was terrific.
Kramer was ridiculed by the leftist state Capitol press corps. But he was described by some as “heroic” in his instantaneous response.
Tonight, Kramer didn’t sit in the back of the Assembly Chambers. He sat in the front of the front rows, inches away from Governor Walker. Kramer could stand and cheer and clap as loudly and as often as he wished, and he did.
Happy days are here again!
The State of the State: What a difference a year makes
Here are some excerpts from Jim Doyle’s State of the State address last January, his last as
“And we’ve brought a Spanish train manufacturer here to build high speed trains. With the Obama Administration’s support,
A total disaster.
“Let’s also pass legislation to create a Regional Transit Authority in southeast
Another horrendous idea from one of the worst governors in
“Four years ago, we became one of the first states to enact renewable portfolio standards. These standards require a portion of our energy to be produced from renewable sources.
$now clean-up will be co$tly
In
Ouch!
E-mails, I get e-mails: Cop humor
From a loyal reader and retired MPD detective.
God bless our police officers!
When do you really know that you are a police officer? Is it when you realize that you find humor in other people’s stupidity? Or is it when you know for certain that unspeakable evils will befall you if anyone says, “Boy, it sure is quiet tonight.” Is it when you’ve left more meals on the restaurant table than you’ve eaten, or when you come to the knowledge that discussing human dismemberment over a meal is a perfectly normal thing to do? Maybe it’s when you feel good when you hear someone say, “These handcuffs are too tight.” Here are 25 ways you can be pretty reliably sure that you’re really a cop.
1.) You have the bladder capacity of five people combined.
Witness your liberal free (hate) speech
WARNING: PROFANE LANGUAGE.
Here's an editorial that makes a lot of sense
No, it's not from the Journal Sentinel.
And it's about taxes.
Assembly Democrats play games with your insurance dollars
No one wanted
The 2009-11 state budget they concocted and approved resulted in unexpected and unwanted auto insurance hikes for many
1) The minimums for uninsured motorist coverage in
2) The underinsured motorist coverage minimums in
Just how much the changes have affected each driver is difficult to calculate because some drivers purchased more than the minimum requirement. There’s also driving records and previous claims to consider.
The political landscape has changed. A Republican governor, Assembly and Senate oppose what transpired in those 2009-11 budget deliberations.
On Wednesday, the state Assembly considered Assembly Bill 4, the Consumer Choice in Auto Insurance Act that would have repealed the state budget provision that increased auto insurance costs for thousands of
It is likely that the insurance regulations that raised rates will be repealed eventually. But the tactic by Assembly Democrats is telling.
Why would they not want a vote on this legislation? Why would they object to the lowering of insurance rates for consumers all across the state?
The move was petty and shows which party is truly out of touch in dealing with the current economic climate that is plaguing our state.
Another snow update from Franklin Alderman Steve Olson
Dear Friends and Neighbors:
Remember the end of January, 1996? Very similar weather and… the Pack was in the Super Bowl. I believe we’ll have the same outcome!
Just an update on the storm and some details:
Don’t forget that trash pickup for you Thursday folks will be Friday and us Friday folks will get picked up on Saturday.
The Department of Public Works continues on clean-up with crews working on straight time, normal hours. There are two big tasks that they’re working on now. The first is pushing the snow piles back from the curb (or in a lot of cases, to the curb). You can imagine the difficulty in these tasks because the crews are very concerned about dumping new heavy snow into cleaned out driveways and they’re also concerned about damage to mailboxes from the volume of snow getting moved. It will take some time.
To accomplish this task the crew is using our one highway snow blower attachment for a front end loader. It’s a super sized version of a two stage blower. The problem is that we have only one blower and it moves very slowly. But you’ll be seeing it.
Some tidbits for your pregame party:
Between 4:00pm Tuesday and 1:00pm Wednesday, the Franklin Police Department answered 185 calls for service. Of those, 141 were for stranded motorists. Some of those motorists were taken to the Franklin Municipal Court for a warm place to wait for a ride or a tow and to have a hot cup of police coffee.
The Department of Public Works has used 1070 tons of salt on our roads this season to date. We budget for 1800 tons during a season. Over the past couple of years we’ve been using alternate technologies to manage street ice including one of the first uses of a beet brine. Beet juice is mixed with a salt brine that’s spread on the roadway prior to a weather event. The mixture reacts with the moisture and prevents the snow and ice from bonding with the pavement making the plow operations much more efficient and better for the environment. You’ll see streaks down the road when the solution is applied.
And finally, between Tuesday and Wednesday we spent about $13,500 in overtime for DPW and Water Department equipment operators to help keep the roads clear.
So… as always, feel free to forward this e-mail and call or e-mail with questions or needs.
Thanks and GO PACK.
Steve
E-mails, I get e-mails: Home Security System
1. Go to a secondhand store and buy a pair of men's used size 14-16 work
boots.
2. Place them on your front porch, along with a copy of Guns & Ammo
Magazine.
3. Put four giant dog dishes next to the boots and magazines.
4. Leave a note on your door that reads:
Bubba,
Bertha, Duke, Slim & I went for more ammo and beer. Be back in an hour.
Don't mess with the pit bulls; they attacked the mailman this morning and
messed him up real bad. I don't think Killer took part, but it was hard to
tell from all the blood. Anyway, I locked all four of 'em in the house.
Better wait outside, Be right back.
Cooter
Don’t forget to wake up Saturday to our weekly dog blog, The Barking Lot.
We poor unfortunate souls on the south side
Here we are approaching the biggest weekend of the entire pro football season and alas, we rubes and slobs south of
No sports bars.
No places that serve beer.
No places that serve wings.
No places with TVs.
No places with “vibe.”
Today’s Weekend Cue in the daily paper featured a nice piece on local Super Bowl parties. “Close your eyes and smell the wings, taste the cold” the sub-headline read.
Carol Deptolla and Stanley A. Miller II highlighted, count ‘em, 14 establishments that will be hopping on Sunday. Not one of the places profiled is located on the south side of
You see, we don’t eat wings, drink beer, watch sports on TV, or like to have any fun on the south side.
This isn’t the first time the Journal Sentinel expense account stopped short of street signs with the letter “S”. Did you know that there are very few places to get a good breakfast on the south side, or that are worthy of review by the paper?
On a rare occasion, a Journal Sentinel critic pulls out MapQuest and finds her/his way to our side of town. But not often enough. And when I say our side of town, I’m not just talking Bay View or the shadows of Allen-Bradley.
Happy 100th, President Reagan
He was one of the greatest
Reagan was dubbed, “The Great Communicator,” and for good reason. Here are some of his memorable quotes:
Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.
Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed there are many rewards, if you disgrace yourself you can always write a book.
The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would hire them away.
The government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'
Thomas Jefferson once said, 'We should never judge a president by his age, only by his works.' And ever since he told me that, I stopped worrying.
To sit back hoping that someday, someway, someone will make things right is to go on feeding the crocodile, hoping he will eat you last--but eat you he will.
I have left orders to be awakened at any time in case of national emergency, even if I'm in a cabinet meeting.
I have wondered at times about what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the
The taxpayer: That’s someone who works for the federal government but doesn’t take the civil service exam.
Government is like a baby: An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.
We’ll all do the job as if there will never be another election. In other words… we’ll take no actions or make no decisions that are based on how they might bear on or affect an election. Whatever we do will be based on what we believe, to the best of our ability, is best for the people of this country.
Abortion is advocated only by persons who have themselves been born.
Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today's world do not have.
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the
How do you tell a communist? Well, it's someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It's someone who understands Marx and Lenin.
I don't believe in a government that protects us from ourselves.
I know in my heart that man is good. That what is right will always eventually triumph. And there's purpose and worth to each and every life.
If you're afraid of the future, then get out of the way, stand aside. The people of this country are ready to move again.
No arsenal ... is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.
People don't start wars, governments do.
If we ever forget that we’re one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.
And finally, during a microphone check in 1984:
My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you I just signed legislation which outlaws
The mainstream media was highly offended, a sure sign the line was hilarious.
Buy a condom, have sex, save the world
That’s the bizarre view of a young misguided woman writing in the student newspaper, the Daily Cardinal. Brittany Schmidt says no one should be embarrassed to buy condoms and that college students having sex should be having more and more sex.
“There are many different reasons why college students engage in sexual behavior. Reasons like love, pleasure and fun are all great answers, but what if I had a better incentive for you. Why should college students be having even more safe sex? Because you, yes, even you who feels awkward walking out of the store carrying a box of condoms, can still do some good in this world.”
You see, if college students simply buy a certain brand of condom, the manufacturer will send another free condom to
Schmidt adds, “Using a condom shows the trust between two people and their mutual respect for their future.”
No, it shows naïveté.
Brittany Schmidt, meet Doug Giles.
Goodnight everyone and have a super weekend!
It's Friday night.
Time to unwind.
The weekend has finally arrived.
Let's put controversy aside for the rest of the work week and smooth our way into Saturday and Sunday.
Tonight, music that's of superior quality, great, excellent; first-rate.
After all...
We start out with a bang.
A colossal piece composed by and led by a legendary conductor.
"You will believe a man can fly."
No cheerleaders at the Super Bowl??!!
Let me get this straight.
We can...
But we can't have cheerleaders at Super Bowl XLV?
Sad but true.
The Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers, possibly for obvious reasons, are two of the six NFL teams that have no professional cheerleaders. Thus, no cheerleaders roaming the sidelines Sunday.
This makes no sense. On Media Day, the NFL invites every media yahoo to the stadium.
Fox Sports radio personality Victor Jacobs looks for someone to interview. Journal Sentinel photo: Mark Hoffman
But the NFL brass and PR machine can't find a single cheerleader?
In Big D?
Can't they just pick up the phone and call some numbers?
Because isn't
The Barking Lot (02/05/11)
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: Cloudy. A little warmer. High of 27. "F"
SUNDAY: A few snow showers. High of 31. "F"
Or is walking in this weather all that bad?
Here’s my lovely wife, Jennifer with this week’s main blog:
This football season, I have taught Kyla to throw her arms up in the air when Daddy yells “Touchdown!” It is adorable, and she thinks she is pretty cool when she does it. Right now, she and I have about the same working knowledge of a football game… We can both toss our arms up when someone tells us our team did something good. I hold out hope for our little girl that Daddy can, someday, teach her the basics. Then she won’t have to say “Who’s winning… the green & gold team or the black & gold team?” like her Mommy.
Week-ends (02/05/11)
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
Snow plow drivers, local police, emergency responders, and good neighbors like Betsy Nelson and Todd Herrington ...MORE
Sean O'Hara
Spencer Pass
Timmy Miles
Max
Philadelphia Eagles players DeSean Jackson, Todd Herremans and Jamaal Jackson
VILLAINS OF THE WEEK
Julie Schenecker
Alexandra Tobias
Milagros Angeles
Donna Ambrosio-Ruglio
Courtney Bowles
Norma Ruth Casini
Arlington Public Schools
Food Liberation Army
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
“NEAR ZERO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AND DRIFTS OF 4 TO 8 FEET POSSIBLE. TRAVEL TO BECOME DIFFICULT IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE. POTENTIAL FOR PARALYZING BLIZZARD WITH LIFE THREATENING CONDITIONS.”
The National Weather Service forecasting this week’s blizzard.
“'When you go back home, take this weather back with you’. That's what a few Texans told me today. With a smile, of course.”
Lori Nickel of the Journal Sentinel, covering the Super Bowl in frigid
“If we are going to move our state forward, we have to be honest and agree that we no longer can afford to rely on short???term fixes that only delay the pain, compound the problems, and lead to ongoing financial uncertainty.
States, like Wisconsin, are left with two choices: one is to raise taxes, continue to hinder our people with burdensome regulations, and kick the difficult choices down the road for our children and grandchildren; the other is to do the heavy lifting now and transform the way government works in Wisconsin.
Some states will choose the easy way out.
As I mentioned, our neighbors to the south chose to deal with their budget crisis with major income and business tax increases. At the same time, they pushed the most challenging decisions off for another day – and, probably, another tax increase.
We quickly saw the result of their actions. States, including our own, which are committed to holding the line on spending, began circling
We can use our budget challenge as an opportunity; an opportunity to reduce government and to increase flexibility. To ensure that all sectors of our economy contribute equally, so that the entire state benefits. We are
Governor Walker in his first State of the State address.
“As a result, we are recommending that you or your staff notify the local authorities about any open town hall meetings that you will host in your district. Notifying the local authorities provides them an opportunity to complete an assessment of the meeting and any potential need for staffing at the event.”
Charles A. Tubbs, Chief of Police, Wisconsin Capitol Police in a correspondence to all Wisconsin legislators
"For
WI Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen
“If a surgeon had performed an operation in the middle of the night without consulting the patient, or worse, consulting the patient and was told to stop ... this would be malpractice. That is how Obama, Reid and Pelosi wrote and passed Obamacare.
Why is it surprising that legislation so written also forgot to ask the question....is this constitutional? That is a question Obama has never asked himself about his big government ideas.
The legislation must be totally repealed and/or struck down. Then real reforms are possible.”
Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform. A
“This decision has no more legal effect on Obamacare than the two decisions by other judges upholding it, the decisions by other judges to throw out challenges to it, or the decision by Judge Henry Hudson to more narrowly attack Obamacare. Lower court rulings on something this significant will only be important if they are upheld by appeals courts, and ultimately, the Supreme Court. The Vinson decision makes it much more likely that the SC will hear the case, and soon.
As a question of politics, though, this is not good news for Obama. It gives his opponents even stiffer backbones than they had yesterday.”
Jeremy Mayer, Associate Professor in the
“Judge Vinson's decision is devastating for the Obama administration. Not only did Judge Vinson invalidate the entire law (unlike the Virginia decision which invalidated only the mandate and severed the rest of the law), but he did so in a thorough 78 page opinion that went through the history of the Commerce Clause and each of the arguments used by the Obama administration to extend the Commerce Clause to inactivity.
While no one can predict how the Supreme Court will rule, the decision was a serious piece of judicial writing, and comes at precisely the worst time for Democrats, as the House already has passed the repeal bill. This may increase pressure on Democrats in the Senate, and on the Obama administration to expedite an appeal to the Supreme Court.”
William A. Jacobson, Associate Clinical Professor of Law,
Sean Hannity confronting radical Imam Anjem Choudary on his TV show.
“You root for the Packers in this Super Bowl because every now and then the game needs to have on top the little team nobody can seem to hate.”
Rick Reilly, ESPN.com
“The question posed Tuesday to practice squad nose tackle Jay Ross will go down in Super Bowl infamy.
‘Some lady asked me,’ Ross said, ‘what I do with my jock strap and what goes in it.’
Ross could have told her he used it to carry his lunch and she probably would have nodded and walked away. But he played it straight.
‘I told her I put my cup in there to protect my jewels,’ he said.
Did she know what he was talking about?
‘I hope so,’ he said.”
From a Gary D’Amato column in the Journal Sentinel, covering Media Day at the Super Bowl.
OUTRAGE OF THE WEEK
Planned Parenthood assists with underage sex trafficking.
MOST UNDER-REPORTED STORY OF THE WEEK
The race for Milwaukee County Executive. Dear news media: This is a big deal.
MOST OVER-HYPED STORY OF THE WEEK
Mother Nature wipes the Packers off the front page. This marks a rare occasion when the hype was warranted.
STRANGEST, MOST UNUSUAL STORY OF THE WEEK
One official called it "stupid smoking."
REMEMBER:
Recommended Reading - The SUPER BOWL edition
There’s been a deluge of Super Bowl material. Here are a few columns I recommend to get you primed for the big game:
Pack Mentality
"You root for the Green Bay Packers in this Super Bowl because Steelers fans want their team to win but Packers fans need their team to win. They need it like air."
"Sitting in front of a computer all the way from
That’s just it, though;
There’s no trophy for being exciting
"The secret to making the Super Bowl? Play plodding, boring football and stay away from nail-biting, fourth-quarter comebacks."
"You don't think Steelers linebacker James Harrison is bitter, do you? About the $100,000 in fines he received this season from the NFL office because of helmet hits that commissioner Roger Goodell and his staff believed were against the rules?Bitter doesn't even begin to describe
Media Day a scary scene
"With the frozen Metroplex littered with jack-knifed trucks, spun-out cars, and flopping pedestrians, the global media still managed to turn Jerry Jones' bulti-billion-dollar playpen into just another stage for the annual exhibition of journalism burlesque."
"Tis the season when goofy Super Bowl bets multiply like potholes on a
Also suiting up: Bieber, Babies and Bud
"The true high-stakes gamblers are betting $2.8 million to $3 million on 30-second ads they hope will pay off with high ratings.
Here are some of the most anticipated ads."
Culinary no-no #206
THERE ARE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF FOOD
BLOGS, BUT ONLY ONE CULINARY NO-NO!
We’re a day earlier with this week’s Culinary no-no simply because the world more or less stops this Sunday afternoon and evening.
No elaborate 38-paragraph installment this time around. Short and sweet…well, maybe not so sweet.
Here are some SUPER Culinary no-no’s.
How about some "fat, salt and crunch" for your party Sunday?
And for those of you who thought the cupcake craze was dead.
Finally, since this is a special weekend, we break with Culinary no-no tradition. I'm not sure this is the "ultimate" Super Bowl sandwich as the chef calls it, but it sure looks yummy to me!
1999: First came the blizzard, then the big football game
Between Saturday night, January 2, 1999, and Sunday morning, January 3, 1999, a blizzard dropped 15.4 inches of snow on
On that Sunday afternoon, The Green Bay Packers were out west playing the
Remember?
San Francisco lost the following week to Atlanta. Atlanta would lose in the Super Bowl to Denver.
My Most Popular Blogs (02/06/11)
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) State Representative Bill Kramer, COME ON DOWN!
2) Culinary no-no #204
3) A snow update from Franklin Alderman Steve Olson
4) The latest on the weather
Photos of the Week (02/06/11)
KF NOTE: This was a challenging week deciding which pictures made “the cut.” There were literally dozens and dozens of photos to choose from the blizzard, the Super Bowl, and protests in
A car landed vertically in a snowbank in an accident involving several vehicles on Interstate 93 north of Salem, N.H. No one was injured. Photo: Tim Jean / The Eagle-Tribune via AP
Lake Michigan in Fox Point looks like a frozen barren landscape. A rare lakeshore flood warning was in effect until 6 p.m. Wednesday along Lake Michigan from Sheboygan south to the Illinois border with waves of 10 to 16 feet. Journal Sentinel photo: Kristyna Wentz-Graff
A newspaper delivery truck is stuck on Interstate 43 Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011, in Grafton, Wi. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)
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Sam Lozoff shovels out a delivery car Wednesday morning in front of the Jimmy Johns store on S. Kinnickinnic Ave. in Bay View. Journal Sentinel photo: John Klein
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Walking was the only way people could get down many Milwaukee side streets Wednesday morning. E Bennett Ave had snow thigh deep making it impossible to move cars from the curb. Journal Sentinel photo: John Klein
People enjoy high waves from Lake Michigan, Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011, in Milwaukee. The area was under a blizzard warning and some freeways were shut down. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)
Snow wave. Photo submitted to jsonline by Erin, Milwaukee.
Recommended Reading (02/06/11)
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).
Super Bowl ad targets wrong audience
"While many Americans will park in front of their televisions to watch football on Super Bowl Sunday, others will tune in just to see the commercials. Unknown to most Americans, one commercial will be seen only by members of the
* “Nobody gets married anymore, Mister”
"Within my lifetime, single parenthood has been transformed from shame to saintliness. In our society, perversely, we celebrate the unwed mother as a heroic figure, like a fireman or a police officer. During the last presidential election, much was made of Obama’s mother, who was a single parent. Movie stars and pop singers flaunt their daddy-less babies like fishing trophies.
None of this is lost on my students. In today’s urban high school, there is no shame or social ostracism when girls become pregnant. Other girls in school want to pat their stomachs. Their friends throw baby showers at which meager little gifts are given. After delivery, the girls return to school with baby pictures on their cell phones or slipped into their binders, which they eagerly share with me. Often they sit together in my classes, sharing insights into parenting, discussing the taste of Pedialite or the exhaustion that goes with the job. On my way home at night, I often see my students in the projects that surround our school, pushing their strollers or hanging out on their stoops instead of doing their homework.”
Talking with the president
“As some readers might know, your humble correspondent (that's me) will be conducting a live interview with President Obama a few hours before the Super Bowl game begins on Sunday. The chat is scheduled to last about 12 minutes and is fraught with danger. For me, not for the president.”
Tawdry details of ObamaCare
"If you would like to know what the White House really thinks of Obamacare, there’s an easy way. Look past its press releases. Ignore its promises. Forget its talking points. Instead, simply witness for yourself the outrageous way the White House protects its best friends from Obamacare."
* - Especially recommended
UPDATE: No cheerleaders at the Super Bowl??!!
That's right.
In case you haven't heard...
The reaction in living rooms across
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"What if it's just the beginning?"
The Chicago Tribune speculates the Green Bay Packers could be very, very good for a very, very long time.
Read why...
The most important Super Bowl play may not have even been in the Super Bowl
If not for a single play during a game back on December 19, 2010, the Green Bay Packers may not have gone on their incredible run beginning at the end of the season right through the playoffs and Super Bowl.
The New York Giants appeared headed for the playoffs when they blew a 31-10 lead to
To: Desean Jackson
Fr: Packer fans
Re: Thank you
"Oh say" can't we just get it right?
America’s national anthem is sacred. There is none like the Star Spangled Banner, deserving always of the utmost respect and honor.
Yet our country insists on trivializing this homage to patriotism in the pursuit of celebrity. The latest disgraceful display came prior to Sunday’s Super Bowl from vocal butcher Christina Aguilera.
It’s been widely reported how Aguilera screwed up one of the lines. One report suggested it was a case of stage fright. Such a blunder is inexcusable. I have chosen not to put the video of Aguilera on my blog (it's very easy to find). The sad reality is that millions of Aguilera worshippers will watch, fawn, and foolishly believe this is the way the anthem is to be treated.
Young, blond and attractive, Aguilera is forgiven by too many for messing up a song of great magnitude and that’s almost as disgusting. Aguilera is one in a long line of white female singers desperately trying to sound like a black soul singer. The end result is an awful warbling designed to emulate Mariah Carey, but failing miserably.
True, some vocal experts have suggested changing the national anthem to “
The NFL had so many choices including military and law enforcement officers that have wowed audiences with their performances.
There’s a young autistic girl down in
Let's suppose, now just play along, that the Detroit Lions had won the Super Bowl
Of course, that would be....
Number of riots in
1) Zero
2) Priceless
Pete Kosovich for Franklin alderman, 4th district
The following is a guest blog written by Pete Kosovich who is running for alderman in
Hi, I’m “Peko” Pete Kosovich
Owner of Peko TV in
Thirty + years
I’m a family man, married to Sherry for 33 years. Our daughter Kimberly is now a nurse in ICU at Elmbrook Memorial.
I believe family & God are the nucleus of a strong
I am active in “The conservative movement”. I believe in free market economics, less government, and in a strong work ethic. I believe
My qualifications are: Business owner since 1980. I’m a Member of St. Paul’s Church in
I remain active and committed to
Authorized & paid for by Friends of Pete Kosovich, Sherry Kosovich Treasurer
KF NOTE: I am supporting Pete Kosovich because he has the proper understanding of fiscal responsibility and the appropriate respect for Franklin taxpayers, unlike his opponent. Pete Kosovich will provide the much-needed friendly voice for the Franklin taxpayers that has been sorely missing the past several years with the exception of Steve Olson. Olson needs help on the Common Council to fight the tax and spenders. Pete Kosovich will be that tool for hard-working families and taxpayers struggling to make ends meet whose voices have literally been ignored at Franklin City Hall. Please join me in supporting Pete Kosovich!
The Kevin Fischer "Whippersnapper Hall of Fame"- Inductee #21
Our next inductee is the incredible Lila Rose.
An April 2009 LA Times article described Rose as “a 20-year-old UCLA history major with a little voice and a bold plan to expose what she and many abortion foes see as Planned Parenthood's wrongdoings. Since 2006, Rose has orchestrated undercover ‘stings’ at Planned Parenthood clinics in
Rev. Patrick Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition said, "There is this stereotype of who we pro-life leaders are, and for the most part it would be white middle-aged religious men trying to impose their will on women. So now with Lila, you bring this young, fresh college student that completely blows any stereotypes away. No one is going to accuse Lila of being mean, vindictive and harsh."
Rose’s latest sting at a Bronx Planned Parenthood showed a staffer offering assistance to an actor posing as a human trafficker.
You can read Rose’s recent articles on Big Government. Rose’s work could eventually lead to a defunding of the corrupt, despicable Planned Parenthood.
Rose will appear at a Wisconsin Right To Life event in
THE KEVIN FISCHER "WHIPPERSNAPPER HALL OF FAME"
1) The Conservative Casanova
2) American Sweetheart
3) Eva Lorraine Molina
4) Matt Kallerud
5) Hannah Giles
6) Jillian Bandes
7) Jonathan McCoy
8) James O’Keefe
9) Jackie Seal
10) Jill Metzler
11) Ron Fournier
12) Jake Shafer
13) Bree McMahon
14) Keli Carender
15) Jessica Watson
16, 17 and 18) Christopher “Kreece” Fuchs, Xavier Helgesen and Jeff Kurtzman
19) Vanessa Jean Louis
20) Zack Goodman
21) Lila Rose
UPDATE: Here's an editorial that makes a lot of sense
The Beloit newspaper editorialized in favor of a bill to make it more difficult for Wisconsin lawmakers to approve tax increases, a great piece of legislation.
Today, the state Senate approved Assembly Bill 5, 20-12, with Julie Lassa the only Democrat vote in favor. The other Democrats voted against making it tougher to take more money out of your wallets.
Governor Walker now gets the legislation that he will sign.
It’s truly a new day in state government.
“I didn’t raise taxes once"
No, Jim Doyle did not say that, though it sure sounds like something he'd try to falsely claim.
The quote (lie) is from the great Taxer-in-Chief. He said it to Bill O'Reilly during their Super Bowl interview.
Naturally, it's garbage.
Obama hell-bent on rail
President Obama is unaware or doesn’t care that the country is beyond broke. Determined to jam high speed rail down
In typical liberal tax and spend fashion, the White House won’t commit as to how the high sped rail fetish will be funded. Like the
Obama’s pledge to spend tons of money we don’t have is a feeble effort to make good on his ridiculous transportation statement made during the State of the
“Within 25 years, our goal is to give 80 percent of Americans access to high-speed rail.”
One of my favorite bloggers, John Hawkins says that’s crazy talk:
“Let's say you want high speed rail to actually REACH 80% of the population. Well, you're not going to be able to just hit the big cities. You're definitely going to have to reach medium size cities as well. So locally, for me, that would mean connecting to a city like
But, let's say you take another approach and just hit the bigger cities. So, in N.C., you might run high speed rail to Charlotte and the Raleigh-Durham Triangle. Well, if that's the case, then you've got to wonder how useful it would be to people across the state. Personally, it would be a 4 hour drive for me to get to the station. From that point, how much does it help to have a train going 100MPH as opposed to my car going 70MPH on the highway? If you're talking about a trip to somewhere like D.C., after the time you'd probably spend waiting for the train, it might shave an hour off the trip. But of course, then once I got to D.C., I wouldn't have a car. That's enough of a disadvantage that it probably wouldn't be worth it to take the train. ‘But, John, what about the longer trips?’ Ehr -- that's what planes are for. Why would I get on a train and go to LA or
Some states like
In
No thank you.
States and the country as a whole can’t afford Obama’s big train set. The more states that wise up and reconsider this boondoggle like
No wonder Franklin is NOT a tax hell!
Franklin Mayor Tom Taylor and 5 out of 6 members of the Franklin Common Council claim our city is NOT a tax hell. And now we learn they have good reason.
Of course, it’s very easy and convenient to say
Just take a look at these numbers (ZOWEEE!) supplied through the investigative work of
For the record, I paid $8,000 in property taxes last December for my
Hey, Mayor Taylor? Any of you aldermen? Care to trade? After all, our taxes aren’t bad at all, right? Apparently not if it’s YOUR property tax bill.
Chris Abele's Donations all Lean Left
Chris Abele's Donations Lean Left
February 8, 2011,
But what ideas will Abele bring to the job of Milwaukee County Executive and whose ideas does he value enough as President and CEO of the Argosy Foundation to contribute thousands of dollars to? The answers do not ring of bipartisanship.
Labor Leaders Living Large
UPDATE: $now clean-up will be co$tly
Recently, I blogged that
That’s about $186,000 per inch.
Congratulations to Franklin's Sam Kortes!
Lost in the excitement about football and basketball is a very bright spot in local high school wrestling.
Franklin boasts one of the best teams in the area and has the top-ranked wrestler in the state.
A "snowpocolypse" day?
From the "You can't make this stuff up" file...
The mayor of (where else?)
What the heck is a "snowpocolypse" day, you ask?
Read...
Keep in mind that climate change (globull warming) has hit Madison very, very hard.
A potential Culinary no-no that could really hurt
Friday nights.
All over town.
Seeing is better than reading.
The promo for a Milwaukee Public Television documentary...
Yes, feast your eyes...
Got reservations VD Monday? Might want to cancel
The conventional wisdom is you stay away from restaurants on Monday nights.
Here’s more (just scroll down).
So what’s the alternative? Stay home?
The all-knowing Milwaukee Journal Sentinel this week reprinted a piece from thekitchn.com about a home-cooked Valentine’s Day meal that includes big-time beef. The website writes:
“We are firm believers in staying in on Valentine's Day. It is not a good night to eat out; restaurants are crowded and prices are inflated.”
Good point.
“But if you stay in, you want to keep it simple and classic, and what's more classic than a good steak, simply prepared? Add a loaf of bread, a salad, and a bottle of wine, and you have an extremely easy and delicious meal.”
OK. Sounds good.
“But how to cook the steak?”
Sorry, but that doesn’t seem to be a difficult question. Oh, no.
“We love grilled steak, but some of us don't have grills, and it is a little cold outside. Well, here is an absolutely foolproof, easy, and quick way to make a steak indoors, in the oven.”
Good sportsmanship isn't dead after all
I’ve written extensively about poor sportsmanship in high school athletics. Every once in awhile, there’s an example of good play that deserves recognition. It happened this week during a girls basketball game in
Milwaukee North was playing at Milwaukee School of Languages (MSL). North suited up only five players. You knew it was bound to happen. Sure enough, in the second quarter, a girl from North fouled out leaving the team with only four girls to play against their opponent’s five.
MSL head coach Gary Huven made the decision to take one of his girls off the court and also play with just four players the rest of the way.
Nice move.
MSL defeated North, 73-22.
Governor Walker Explains Compensation Changes in Email to State Employees
Governor Walker Explains Compensation Changes in Email to State Employees
Goodnight everyone and have an award-winning weekend filled with amour!
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.
Tonight, we gear up for Sunday’s big awards show in
We begin with a vocalist who turned 61 last Sunday. In February of 1992, she won the Grammy for Album of the Year. Here’s a selection. Translated, it means "do not forget."
The Barking Lot (02/12/11)
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: Afternoon snow showers. The "massive" warm-up predicted a few days earlier unfortunately doesn't hit today. High of 31. "D"
SUNDAY: UPDATED: Partly to mostly cloudy. High of 43. Nicer. "B"
My lovely wife, Jennifer has the week off. I think she might be running around searching for my Valentine's present, but I am not holding my breath.
Here's a timely blog from Wendy Diamond, TV Personality, Pet Lifestyle Expert, Endangered and Animal Rescue Advocate. Diamond writes:
"What are you going to give your furry four-legged Valentine? Lots of puppy love, of course, but your pup is going to be begging for some treats all day long. There’s no harm in giving a few extra treats on this special holiday, but remember there are some 'treats' that should never be given to your dog."
You can read the entire piece here.
It's my turn now with DOGS IN THE NEWS, canines that made headlines the past week.
Animal activists go after dog sledding. MORE.
Anatomy of sled dog massacre: PART ONE.
She wanted to have custody of dog she tried to mail.
Michael Vick is back in the news.
Jury fails to reach verdict in burned dog case.
Owner upset after dog put down by animal control.
A woman who complained about waste left by someone else's dog was punished for not picking it up herself.
A jar of peanut butter and a dog...
Are dogs enemies to wildlife?
Military dog finds a new home.
Deaf dogs make great pets.
Please bury me next to my...dog?
World's smartest dog?
Trying not to get attached to an adopted dog isn't easy.
A dog just might be a teen's best friend.
Best Super Bowl ads? A doggone tie.
Meet Pilot, a very, very, very good dog.
New breeds at Westminster this year.
Who will win at
That's it for this week. We close as we always do with our closing video.
If I was watching the Westminster Dog Show, I'd be rooting for this dog...
Week-ends (02/12/11)
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
Averie Carrion
Ann Timson....MORE.
James McAbee
Derrick Oakes
Spencer Pass
James Geer
Vicky Litz
Bianca Vera
VILLAINS OF THE WEEK
Ingmar Guandique
Julian Maynard Saunders
Aredeshir Fardin
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
"That's where it belongs. It is the Lombardi Trophy. Lombardi is viewed as one of the greatest ever to coach and we get to bring it back home, so we are very proud of that.”
Packer cornerback Charles Woodson
“And I watched the game with that whole mind-set and not once during the game did that mind-set change, not once during the game did I think the Steelers had a prayer. (interruption) What do you mean the Packers let 'em back in? Oh, come on, the Packers let 'em back in, the third quarter you're talking about here? The second half, games ebb and flow like that, there's always momentum shifts, but the Packers have never trailed by more than seven points in a game all season. They don't let people back in the game. And, remember, I saw the Packers in
Rush Limbaugh
“I will fervently oppose any attempt to change residential streets in my district.”
Green Bay Alderman Chris Wery, whose district borders Lambeau Field, said that although he also is proud of the Packers, renaming a street for Packer coach Mike McCarthy would be an "unnecessary expense and hassle for our residents."
“Currently, state, school district and municipal employees who are members of the
Currently, state employees pay approximately 6 percent of annual health insurance premiums. This bill requires that state employees, again including myself and my cabinet officers, pay at least 12 percent of monthly premiums, which is still less than half of what the private sector pays.
We all recognize that these are historic times that require us to rethink how government operates. I ask that we continue to work together to do what is necessary to bring the state’s spending in line with our taxpayers’ ability to pay.”
Governor Scott Walker announcing proposals to address a state budget shortfall.
“When people say well we just have to pay less in wages whether it’s private sector or public sector, I think they’re mentally retarded to say something like that.”
John Gage, President of the American Federation of Government Employees
“Conservatives have been doing something that the New York Times didn't have the guts to do: We've been coming up with ways to deal with this problem. Of course, the New York Times and other liberals do actually have a plan in mind -- they just don't want to say what it is because they know it'll be unpopular. What they really want is for these states to go bankrupt and for the federal government to just pick up the tab. In other words, liberals bankrupt these states, the taxpayers in the more responsible states pay for it, and then business will go on as usual.”
Blogger John Hawkins
“You can have three police calls a month and the city can characterize it as a nuisance property. You have 865 in a 2 year period! "How can people expect you to run the county when you can't run an apartment building?"
WTMJ’s John Mercure in a heated discussion with
"I have poor people there who don't know how to solve their problems and I'm working with them and trying to help them solve their problems. I prefer them to call the police to solve their problem versus hurting or killing someone!"
Lee Holloway responding to Mercure.
“The outpouring of support can be a logistical nightmare: (Congressman Gabrielle) Giffords’s district office has logged nearly 20,000 contacts in the month since the rampage. They deal with these challenges by answering the oft-repeated question: What would Gabby want?”
Politico
"The path to prosperity isn't through solar panels and high speed trains. It's through releasing individual freedom. Our rights come from nature and God not government. This is the time. This is ours, 2012 is ours."
WI Congressman Paul Ryan
“Does it disturb you that so many people hate you?”
Bill O’Reilly in an interview with President Obama
“In this month of African-American history where we're trying to celebrate what is good and great, it certainly seems ridiculous that Pepsi would utilize this kind of humor. It was not humorous. It was demeaning -- an African-American woman throwing something at an African-American male and winding up hitting a Caucasian woman.”
Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) blasting a Super Bowl ad.
Have you ever spoken to an LGBT group or attended an LGBT event before?
Yes. I call them ‘Ann Coulter book signings.’ You have no idea how many of my fans are gay.”
Ann Coulter in a response to one of several questions submitted by a reporter.
OUTRAGE OF THE WEEK
1) We learn more about Kermit Gosnell.
2) Oregon man dies outside ER after delay in treatment.
MOST UNDER-REPORTED STORY OF THE WEEK
The union bosses that dare to criticize Governor Walker...
MOST OVER-HYPED STORY OF THE WEEK
Egypt. The mainstream media stumbled all week trying to:
A) Understand the story
B) Get the story right
STRANGEST, MOST UNUSUAL STORY OF THE WEEK
This story had the world by the, AHEM.
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.
When pro wrestling comes to Green Bay, the script writers pull off a winner
Pro wrestling may indeed be theater.
But pro wrestling is drama. Pro wrestling is virtues and values. Pro wrestling is the human spirit willing victory over defeat. Pro wrestling is good vs. evil, hero vs. villain. Pro wrestling is triumphing over adversity.
High stakes were written all over the card when World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and its televised program “Smackdown” came to Titletown,
The special guest referee, Vickie Guerrero has more than an axe to grind with Edge (She's his ex and is now Ziggler's boyfriend!). Here’s more set-up for this soap opera from wwe.com:
“Prior to the main event, the self-appointed Special Guest Referee Vickie Guerrero reaffirmed that Edge’s Spear was still banned. If he opted to use it against Dolph Ziggler, he would be disqualified and the 'acting' GM’s bleach-blond boyfriend would automatically become the new World Heavyweight Champion.
In the peak of the heated championship showdown, Vickie attempted to spear Edge herself, only to hurt her ankle. The Ultimate Opportunist seized the moment and hit the banned Spear on Ziggler two separate times.”
So, the special referee becomes injured. What now? This is a championship match, with no referee. Man oh man, what is going to happen?
Here’s the entire match. The good anti-climactic stuff begins to happen about 10:00 in if you’d prefer not to watch it all (But you should for the full effect).
Remember, this match took place last night, in
Hmmmmm….
My Most Popular Blogs (02/13/11)
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) Pete Kosovich for Franklin alderman 4th district
2) No wonder Franklin is NOT a tax hell!
3) Governor Walker Explains Compensation Changes in Email to State Employees
4) Photos of the Week (02/06/11)
Photos of the Week (02/13/11)
Jordan Taylor, who had 27 points and led the Wisconsin Badgers comeback, is mobbed by fans after beating No. 1 and previoulsy undefeated Ohio State Saturday at the Kohl Center, 71-67. Photo: Joe Koshollek for the Journal Sentinel
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Fans rush onto the court after Wisconsin's win over No. 1 Ohio State. Photo: US PRESSWIRE
Green Bay Packers Mark Tauscher, who played for Wisconsin, and Chad Clifton wave to the crowd during a timeout. Photo: Joe Koshollek for the Journal Sentinel
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak begins to make a televised statement to his nation in this image taken from TV aired Thursday Feb. 10, 2011. Following more than two weeks of protests, anti-government demonstrators have been given hope by official statements suggesting that President Mubarak may step down after 30 years in power. (AP Photo/ Egypt TV via APTN)
Tens of thousands of Egyptian anti-government protesters crowd Cairo's Tahrir square on February 10, 2011 amid rumors that President Hosni Mubarak appeared to be on the brink of stepping down. PATRICK BAZ/AFP/Getty Images
Recommended Reading (02/13/11)
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).
Walker plan fair; offers solid footing for the state
"Let me be blunt:
Gov. Scott Walker is asking state employees to lend a hand in balancing the budget.
Under this plan, no public workers will lose their jobs or be forced to take furlough days."
Admit it, you wished you lived in Wisconsin
“It's not just that
What taxpayer-funded union bosses think of us
"This public employee union boss, who is paid with your tax dollars, actually called folks like you and me 'mentally retarded' for working to cut spending.
Voter ID? How about candidate ID?
"I think common sense suggests that the vast majority of people without IDs are too disengaged from society to ever vote anyway. Telling a man without an ID that he can’t vote would be like telling an Eskimo in
Not really a problem."
More f-bombs for your iPad
"When you can't even count on the Muppets to behave in front of children, the world has become sick enough to make your head spin."
De-fund the predators of Planned Parenthood
"Planned Parenthood is a $1-plus billion business that rakes in one-third of its budget from government grants and contracts at both the state and federal levels. Congress has interrogated banking, energy, health insurance, tobacco and oil execs — treating them like serial killers before the cameras. When will they finally de-fund a corrupt industry that has real blood on its hands?"
New Climate Alarmist Movies About To Hit As Animals Freeze To Death And Barry Eats Well
"Remember around 15 years ago, when the alarmists were still somewhat rational, and they came up with the brilliant plan to ‘spread awareness’, rather than actually taking action in their own lives? And, if Something Wasn’t Done, winters would be a thing of the past and we would all burn? Flash forward to today, and, nothing has changed."
Liberal bouquets for dead conservatives
“If liberals are going to celebrate Reagan, they might try to account for the fact that they fought his every move, alternating between derision and slander in the process.”
And you wonder why health insurance is so expensive
“The opening line in a New York Times piece caught my attention. It is typical of how government, once it gets control of something, then begins to expand it (and make it more costly for everyone) as it sees fit. Note the key falsehood in the sentence…”
How to Avoid the Left Ruining Your Valentine's Day
"It’s that time of the year again—chocolate hearts, flowers, mushy cards, and romantic dinners are the talk of the town. That’s right, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. And rather than write you a love letter—I’m really more of a boot camp/horror film kind of girl—I’ve decided to offer some advice on how to avoid having the Left ruin your February 14."
I'm thinking of an old friend today, Obie Yadgar
Some of my most cherished memories from my time in local radio were the years I worked with Obie Yadgar at WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio.
Photo: OnMilwaukee.com
I anchored the all-news morning drive and Obie would follow with his midday classical music program.
Between the end of my program and the top of the hour news that preceded Obie, he and I had about two and half minutes to promote his show. Not that it was a problem, but Obie told me that beyond the first selection, he had no idea what he had in store for the audience, that his choices just flowed and were quite spontaneous as the show progressed. So our morning “chat” as we and the audience affectionately called the segment usually featured an unrehearsed discussion about anything and everything under the sun.
Obie was not the stereotypical classical music host. He was not snobby or elitist. He didn’t use a phony or affected nose in the air delivery. And he had a great sense of humor that helped the two of us bond and develop a great on-air chemistry.
That sense of humor made for some wonderful “live” memories. Obie is short for Obelit. He more than once told me and the audience that he was “Assyrian with an emphasis on the ass.”
On another occasion, he was all giddy talking about his favorite dream where he finds himself “floating in a room full of boobs.” I don’t think I ever laughed so hard on the air. This was public radio and its classical music impresario for heaven’s sake!
I thought of Obie today and another body part when I read the birthday section on the last page of the local section of the Journal Sentinel. Famous actress Kim Novak is 78 today.
I can’t for the life of recall why Obie and I were talking about Kim Novak one morning, but in typical Obie fashion, he blurted, “She has the most gorgeous back.”
Can’t say that I disagree.
Obie, my dear friend, I sure miss those days.
Wisc. Liberal Group Invokes Violent Imagery in Government Labor Dispute
Wisc. Liberal Group Invokes Violent Imagery in Government Labor Dispute
Critical Hearing on Gov. Walker's Budget Repair Bill TOMORROW
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