God bless Rick Santelli

Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 18, 2012

z

E-mails, I get e-mails: Your daily dose of drama

Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 19, 2012

E-mails, I get e-mails: The new union logo

Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 19, 2012

A STUNNING pronouncement from Franklin's school board president

Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 19, 2012

Despite the results of the recent Franklin School Board elections where voters sent a strong message they demand fiscal responsibility and the sentiments of the vast majority of Franklin taxpayers, the arrogant, power-hungry Franklin Public School administration is hell bent on pursuing an obscenely expensive, unnecessary “Facilities Master Plan.”

A color, multi-page newsletter about the Master Plan has been sent to Franklin households. Mine came in the mail today.

Page One is a lengthy introductory message from Franklin School Board President (maybe and hopefully not for long) Debbie Larson. Larson informs that the Master Plan has been developed based on feedback from public workshops and listening sessions. The fact is the odds are overwhelming if you are from Franklin and are reading this, you didn’t attend or participate in any such workshops or listening sessions. Doesn’t matter to the tax and spend bunch currently running our school system.

Larson writes the main components of the Master Plan include remodeling the middle and high school, moving sixth-grade students to the middle school, creating facilities that enhance student learning in a safe environment (there’s no definitive data or proof how they’ accomplish this,) and creating flexible learning spaces that are cost effective, energy efficient, and utilize technology to support personalized learning.

Folks, the above are what are referred to as “glittering generalities.” It all sounds nicey-nicey, yet there’s nothing concrete to back up what they’re promising.

Now we get to the extremely revealing and shocking part of Larson’s pitch. Oh, this is good. She writes:

‘If the entire Master Plan was implemented at one time, the cost would exceed $100 Million.”

STOP RIGHT THERE!

The $100 million-plus price tag is an item I blogged about on March 20, 2012.

OK. So Larson concedes to the astronomical cost. But being the tax and spender Larson is, she just can't help herself. This is very revealing. Larson continues, with faux concern:

"We realize that during these difficult economic times, it is not realistic to implement the entire Master Plan at one time."

Please. Like she really cares.

Larson goes on, and this is key. Read carefully:

"Therefore, our goal is to implement the Facility Master Plan in phases, based on the priorities of community AND willingness to financially support the project."

Larson obviously must think we're all a bunch of ignoramuses. 

It's painfully obvious the administration supports a full-blown $100-million plus facilities plan, whether it's all at once, or drawn out over time.

Who the hell are they trying to pull the wool over?

As always, they will use a  bogus survey to sell their scheme (Hey, we asked, this is what the public wants). It's interesting the survey questions ask participants to gauge their support for a particular component of the Master Plan: High, Medium, or Low. The option of ZERO, not going through with a particular component at all is not offered to anyone filling out the survey.

Readers are steered toward participating online. That is also interesting. It's been documented that a huge majority of Franklin residents do not have children attending our public schools. A lot of them might not have computers and might object to any or all of the Master Plan. Could this survey be set up to prevent this faction from weighing in?

Out of touch Debbie Larson has played her hand. She needs to be dumped as president at the next school board meeting. Then she and a few other board members need to be voted out of office next April.

We began to take back our school board and administration this month. We can't stop now.

Goodnight everyone, and have a clean-cut weekend!

Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 20, 2012

“If you want to stay young-looking, pick your parents very carefully.”
Dick Clark

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.

This week, memories of...





“Like the soap opera, American Bandstand represents the transference of a successful radio format to burgeoning arena of American television. Unlike the soap opera however, the radio broadcast format of playing recorded music developed as popular entertainers from radio migrated to the newer medium of television. Initially located in the margins of broadcast schedules, the format of a live disk jockey spinning records targeted toward and embraced by teenagers soon evolved into the economic salvation of many radio stations. For one thing, the programs were relatively inexpensive to produce. In addition, the increased spending power of American teenagers in the 1950s attracted advertisers and companies marketing products specifically targeting that social group. Not the least of these were the recording companies who supplied the records without cost to stations, often including economic incentives to disk jockeys to play their products. In effect, the recorded music was a commercial for itself. Given the convergence of these factors, the teen record party became entrenched as a radio format during the 1950s and throughout the 1960s, eventually developing into Top Forty Radio.

For these same reasons, this format became highly lucrative for local television stations to produce as well.

American Bandstand first aired on the ABC network on Monday, 5 August 1957, becoming one of a handful of local origination programs to broadcast nationally. Initially, the program ran Monday through Friday from 3:00 to 4:30 P.M., EST. Almost immediately, the show became a hit for the struggling network.

The foundation of American Bandstand's success rested with its ability to adapt to shifting musical trends while maintaining the basic format developed in the 1950s. As a result, Dick Clark helmed the longest running broadcast program aimed at mainstream youth to air on American network broadcast television.”
The Museum of Broadcast Communications


Elvis never appeared on Dick Clark’s TV shows. But many other teen idols did, especially when Elvis was in the Army. We turn loose our musical trip this week with one of them, an Elvis-lite. Couldn’t really sing. Didn’t have great moves. Fabian was so bad that he was good. Loved him.

“Someone called, a friend of mine, and told me; and it’s like your heart stops. It’s just your heart stops for a second, because like my wife and I feel that you never think Dick Clark would ever leave us. It’s shocking.”
Fabian











“It meant everything to do Dick’s show. This was a time when there was no youth culture — he created it. And the impact of the show on people was enormous. You knew that once you went down to Philadelphia to see Dick and you went on the show, your song went from nowhere to the Top 10.”
Paul Anka











"He was laughed out of the studio. They said to him, 'Who wants to watch kids dancing in Philadelphia?'"
Music historian John Jackson on the reaction Clark got when he suggested his local TV show go national.


I’ve heard Frankie Avalon tell the story about his very first record. Avalon claims that he walked into the recording studio and held his nose, literally. Yes, the man who gave us "Venus," while voicing “De De Dinah,” was squeezing the proboscis. “A lot of parents held their noses, too,” Avalon joked.











"If you were on the Clark show with a new record, it was almost like Dick Clark giving his blessings and saying, 'This record is gonna be a hit.' "
Brenda Lee

"Only God is responsible for making more stars than Dick Clark.”
Tony Orlando

"If someone cannot fill your shoes, you are a legend. And Dick Clark was a legend."
Donny Osmond



 







“Nicknamed ‘America's oldest teenager’ for his fresh-scrubbed look, Clark and ‘American Bandstand’ not only gave young fans what they wanted, it gave their parents a measure of assurance that this new music craze was not as scruffy or as scary as they feared. Buttoned-down and always upbeat, polite and polished, Clark came across more like an articulate graduate student than a carnival barker.”
The LA Times



  







"He's my guy. We saw each other six weeks ago, and I can't even believe he is gone. When you get older you want to spend time with the people you are close to, and you keep putting things off because you always think you are going to have another day. You need to always tell your friends how much they mean to you. That is what I learned from this situation... I gave him a hug and told him everything I have and everything I am I owe to him."
Paul Revere of Paul Revere and the Raiders


That’s it for this week.

Have a great weekend.

And as Dick Clark always signed off, “For now, so long.”






 

 

The Barking Lot (04/21/12)

Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 21, 2012

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:  You will wake up to chilly temperatures. Don't let the abundant sunshine fool you. High of 49.  "D"

SUNDAY:  Afternoon showers. High of 49.  "D"


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

In my youth, I owned a Basenji mixed breed & Springer Spaniel mixed breed.  Neither were my personal choices.  I couldn’t pick out a particular breed when I was two years old (Basenji, Sugar, from parents) or when I was in fourth grade (“inheriting” my late grandfather’s dog, Springer Spaniel, Skippy.)  Both dogs were wonderful in their own special ways and I have said many times I would gladly own a Basenji again.  Sugar had the most amazingly agreeable personality and sweet demeanor PLUS she didn’t bark or shed; and Skippy was clearly smarter than a fifth grader despite grand amounts of drooling, shedding, and ear infections.

I don’t know how much of my pets’ appeal was due to breed, personality, or the fact that they were mine and I simply loved them.  My taste in breeds has changed somewhat through the years mostly because of dogs I have known and some education & insight along the way.  I have come to realize a few things about my future pet:  she will NOT be the kind to demand two walks per day; she will NOT visit the salon more often than I do; she will NOT fit in to my handbag; she will NOT be a breed that will increase our homeowner’s policy premium.  She WILL be noted for being great with kids; she WILL be large enough for me to see her before I step on her; she WILL have traits that allow her to be trained easily; she WILL be a dog everyone loves to be around.

With those broad generalities as guidelines, I’m pretty open to any sort of breed and regular readers of The Barking Lot know I clearly favor a rescue/mixed breed as my future adoptee.  So I’m not sure what that actually says about my personality and tendencies.

I like to think of myself as low-maintenance, no-drama, easy-going, easy to please, fun, and somewhat intelligent.  So, what kind of dog matches those descriptors?  I’m not really sure.  But I do know that I’ll want to see more of what Dr. Lance Workman has to say before I head to the shelter!  You can also read more here.
---Jennifer Fischer 


Thanks, Jennifer.

Time now for DOGS IN THE NEWS, canines that made headlines the past week.


Barking Lot update: The dog we wrote about last week has died. Here's hoping the attackers are found, prosecuted, and punished severely. 


Barking Lot update: Lex


9-1-1 caller gives wrong address, police shoot man's dog.


Dangerous dogs are big problems for police.


Does Cisco deserve justice? Austin cops apologize.


Judge gives dog on death row a reprieve.


OK, what are you suing about?


Judge makes award in dog's death.


Senator pushes to speed up military adoptions.


The Department of Defense is testing canine therapy as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.


Fallen officer's son gets service dog.


Dog lovers blast Ann Romney.


Paying the price of a fat pet.


Street dogs find homes.


Dog taking over your bed?


Tina...nice!


Malcom has a night job.


George has a dog's life.


Another update on a concept Jennifer blogged about a long time ago: Dog TV. 


The ten best Obama ate a dog images.


THAT'S IT FOR DOG IN THE NEWS.

HERE'S OUR DOG PHOTO OF THE WEEK:




Captain Owen Beynon Brown of the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery introduces his dog 'Lord Percy' to 'Tango' the horse prior to an inspection in Hyde Park in preparation for 2012 State Ceremonial on April 19, in London, England. Photo: Oli Scarff / Getty Images


That’s it for this week.

Thanks for stopping by.

Please tell a fellow dog lover or two or three about us, ok?

We close with our closing video.





THE UPDATE.

Don't forget, Sunday is Earth Day!

Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 21, 2012

ZZZZZZZZZZ

Do we need a John Doe for the John Doe?

Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 21, 2012

By Tom Wolff 
Freedom Weekly
 

Read more

Earth Day is a joke

Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 21, 2012

According to George Carlin.

WARNING:

Lots of bad language in Carlin's hilarious and on-the-money routine.

You've been warned.

There's profanity, but it's so funny.

 

Read more

Photos of the Week (04/22/12)

Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 22, 2012

1) Gary Gladwin looks over his wrecked property where he stored a 1937 Chevy, in Thurman, Iowa, Sunday, April 15, 2012. A large part of the town in the western part of the state was destroyed Saturday night, possibly by a tornado, but no one was injured or killed. Fremont County Emergency Management Director Mike Crecelius said about 75 percent of the 250-person town was destroyed. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)


2) Ottaway Amusement employee Chris Letterman walks around the Century Wheel in a parking lot near the corner of Kellogg and Greenwich in Wichita, Kansas, Sunday, April 15, 2012. The Ferris wheel and another ride toppled over on Saturday night during the tornado outbreak. "You're looking at 2 million dollar, squished," Letterman said. (AP Photo/The Wichita Eagle, Mike Hutmacher)


3) Barbara Cline and her dog Daisy sit on the steps of her home in the Meadow Lake Beach neighborhood near 55th and Clifton, Sunday, April 15, 2012. The roof was blown off the home. More than 100 tornadoes had been reported across the region by daybreak, according to the National Weather Service. (AP Photo/The Wichita Eagle, Travis Heying)


4) Rescue workers carry a survivor named Sandeep out from the rubble of a factory three days after it collapsed in Jalandhar, India, on April 18, 2012. Photo: Channi Anand / AP


5) A Pakistani soldier works with a sniffer dog to search for avalanche victims on April 18, 2012. Photo: Aamir Qureshi / AFP - Getty Images


6) George Zimmerman takes the witness stand, Friday, April 20, 2012, during a bond hearing in Sanford, Fla. Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester says Zimmerman can be released on $150,000 bail as he awaits trial for the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting of Martin. He claims self-defense. (AP Photo/Orlando Sentinel, Gary W. Green, Pool)


7) The space shuttle Discovery, attached to a modified NASA 747 aircraft, takes off headed for its final home at The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida April 17. Photo: Joe Skipper / Reuters


8) People gather at the base of the Washington Monument to watch as the U.S. space shuttle Discovery, on the back of a NASA 747 transport jet, flies over the National Mall on its way to its permanent display at the Smithsonian Institution, in Washington, April 17. Photo: Jonathan Ernst / Reuters


9) The space shuttle Discovery, riding atop a NASA 747 transport jet, does a final fly-by over the White House as tourists an Washingtonians watch and take pictures in Washington, April 17. Discovery will go on display at the National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center. Photo: Jim Bourg / Reuters


10)  A beautiful prominence eruption shot off the east limb (left side) of the sun on Monday, April 16, 2012. Such eruptions are often associated with solar flares, and in this case an M1 class (medium-sized) flare did occur at the same time, though it was not aimed toward Earth. This event was seen by NASA’s SDO satellite. Photo: NASA


11) President Barack Obama sends off participants of the Wounded Warrior Project's Soldier Ride, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington D.C. on April 20.  Photo: Jason Reed / Reuters


12) John E. Brennan stands naked after he stripped down while going through a security screening area on April 17 as a protest against airport security procedures.  Photo: Brian Reilly / AP


13) The Weed Fairy smokes a massive marijuana joint right at 4:20 p.m. as thousands take part in the annual marijuana 420 smoke off at Dundas Square in Toronto, Canada on April 20. Photo: Nathan Denette / AP


14) An apprentice uses burning incense to drive bees away from She Ping's face during a world record attempt in Chongqing Municipality, China, on April 18, 2012. The Chinese beekeeper covered his body with 73 pounds (33.1 kg) of bees — that's an estimated 331,000 of the creatures. Photos: China Daily via Reuters


15) This year, for the first time, the University of Miami set up a "Fan Favorite" category for its underwater photo competition. Internet users could vote for their favorite among five pictures. Todd Aki's photo of a jellyfish took the prize, snaring 599 of the 1,221 votes cast.  


16) Yellownose gobies (Elacatinus randalli) peek out from a bolder brain coral near the Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire, in a photo taken by Todd Minthz. The picture took first place in the Macro category of the 2012 Annual Underwater Photography Contest, hosted by the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science. Marcello Di Francesco took third place in the Macro category for this picture of an Emperor shrimp (Periclimenes imperator), taken in the waters near Indonesia's Ambon Island. The third-place photo in the Wide Angle category is this view of soft corals and anthias fish in Fiji's Bligh Water. The picture was taken by Bill Lamp'l, a Florida-based diver and photographer. Douglas Kahle took first place in the "Fish or Marine Life Portrait" category for his picture of a juvenile sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), as seen in the waters off the Caribbean island of Dominica.


17) A penguin dives into the water in a pond at the zoo in Frankfurt, Germany, Friday, April 20, 2012.(AP Photo/Michael Probst)


18) Two dozen fox hounds from the Mill Creek Hunt Club in Old Mill Creek, Ill.pause during an exercise outing on the grounds of the 2012 Midwest Horse Fair in Madison, Wis., as presenters and participants prepare for the opening of the annual three day event on April 19. Photo: John Hart / Wisconsin State Journal via AP


19) Self-portraits by 200,000 children are projected April 19 onto Buckingham Palace to form portraits of Queen Elizabeth in central London.  The portraits were collected by the Prince's Foundation for Children and the Arts to celebrate the nation's children in the run up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Photo: Andrew Winning / Reuters


20) A woman rests next to an antique music player on display for sale at Panjiayuan flea market in Beijing, China, April 14, 2012. (Vincent Thian/Associated Press) 


21) Owen Cooksley, age 8 from Philadelphia, looks at the album in his father's hand on the fifth annual Record Store Day at Main Street Music, April 21, in Philadelphia. On Record Store Day, new and limited edition vinyl records become available for the first time drawing buyers to their local record stores. Photo: Alex Brandon / AP


22) Singer Willie Nelson poses beside a statue of himself during its unveiling in downtown Austin, Texas April 20, 2012. The eight-foot bronze statue, which weighs about 2000 pounds, was created by sculptor Clete Shields. Photo: Julia Robinson / Reuters


23) Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Philip Humber, center, is mobbed by teammates after pitching a perfect game against the Seattle Mariners, April 21, in Seattle. The White Sox won 4-0. Photo: Elaine Thompson / AP


24) Dayan Viciedo of the Chicago White Sox catches a child running on the field before the start of the seventh inning during a game the Baltimore Orioles on April 19 in Chicago. Photo: David Banks / Getty Images


25) Garrett Chamberlain participates in the youth archery league at Targeteers Archery in Saddle Brook, N.J on April 13, 2012. In schools and backyards, for their birthdays and out with their dads, kids are gaga for archery a month after the release of "The Hunger Games." Photo: Charles Sykes / AP


26) Tomofumi Takagi, of Japan, performs with his dough during the freestyle event, part of the Pizza World Championships, in Salsomaggiore Terme, northern Italy on April 18. Photo: Marco Vasini / AP


27) A model from the Boston Rock Gym "walks" face first down the face of the newly opened Revere Hotel Boston Common in Boston, Massachusetts April 18, 2012. The vertical fashion show showcased the hotel's uniforms, which were designed in partnership with students at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, as well as Spring/Summer 2012 looks from British designer label Ted Baker London.  Photo: Brian Snyder/Reuters


28) Children dressed in traditional Bavarian costumes dance for Pope Benedict XVI during the Pontiff's 85th birthday celebrations in the Clementine Hall on April 16 in Vatican City, Vatican. Numerous visitors joined Pope Benedict in the celebrations, including his older brother and the premier of his native German state of Bavaria. Benedict, who took that name following his election on April 19, 2005, was born as Joseph Ratzinger on April 16, 1927 in the town of Marktl am Inn, Bavaria. Photo: Alessia Giuliani-Vatican Pool via Getty Images


29) Jeremiah Taleni, right, gives a Shaka, a Hawaiian greeting gesture, as he shares a laugh with the Dalai Lama after presenting him with a gift of a paddle from the Kailua High School student body. Photo: Pillars of Peace Hawaii via AP


30) German Chancellor Angela Merkel is a perfect perch for these lories, or Rainbow Lorikeets, during a visit to Vogelpark Marlow in one of her electoral districts in northern Germany. Photo: Franzi Zoger / AFP / Getty Images


31) US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton enjoys a relaxing moment at Cafe Havana in Cartagena, Colombia, on April 15. Photo: AFP - Getty Images


32) Dick Clark announces the week's top 10 most popular songs during a 1958 episode of "The Dick Clark Show." Like "Bandstand," it featured top musical stars lip synching their hits. Unlike "Bandstand," the audience sat in a more traditional theater setting. The "World's Oldest Teenager" died last week at the age of 82. Photo: Getty Images

Culinary no-no #274

Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 22, 2012

Culinary no-no's

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

On January 30, 2012, a North Carolina mother sent her 4-year old daughter to pre-school with the following packed lunch:

























When the girl came home from school on the bus later in the day, her bag lunch had been untouched.

Why didn’t she eat it?

Was she ill?

Nope.

A teacher, you know, one of the brainy ones with degrees coming out of the armpits, saw the homemade lunch pictured above and pounced before a single morsel could be digested because in the teacher's judgment, it wasn't healthy enough.

The teacher swooped in and replaced the bag lunch with that day’s particular school lunch:



























Oh, and let's not forget the main entree....








Hey. Don't those nuggets contain the nefarious...







Pink slime?

OK. I'm not a nutritionist. But I play one on my blog.

Seems to me that the school lunch was less healthy than the one the mom packed at home.

News reports say the teacher involved "supplemented" the girl's lunch. I've got a better word. That teacher STOLE the girl's lunch from home.

Big bad teacher steals little girl’s sandwich. Of course the story exploded. I called it the worst Culinary no-no of the year in one of my bonuses on Culinary no-no #265 in February. Since the item first broke, I haven’t written about it. There are some important, newsworthy updates, quite a few actually, so hang on.

Needless to say, the girl's mother was upset.“She came home with her whole sandwich I had packed, because she chose to eat the nuggets on the lunch tray, because they put it in front of her,” her mother said. “You’re telling a 4-year-old, 'Oh, your lunch isn’t right,’ and she’s thinking there’s something wrong with her food.”

Bob Barnes, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction for Hoke County schools, not surprisingly, offered a lame excuse.

“We are not the lunch bag police. We would never put a child in any type of embarrassing situation. But we are responsible to see that every child gets a nutritious meal."

Turns out that includes confiscating your child’s lunch and substituting with another selected by a teacher of school bureaucrat.

In today's highly charged political atmosphere, elected officials from both sides of the aisle rarely can stomach agreement. This incident, however, generated bipartisanship.

Almost immediately, U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell, D-8th District sent a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack that was co-signed by Rep. Renee Ellmers, R-2nd District.

"This unfortunate and absolutely unnecessary event exemplifies the very definition of ‘government overreach’ and further perpetuates a growing reason of why the American people continue to hold less and less faith in our government.

“The content of a school lunch provided to a child by their parents should be governed only by the child’s parents, not another government bureaucrat. This event is an embarrassment and distraction from the hard work done by teachers and staff throughout our schools and preschools in North Carolina, and throughout our nation.

“With all of the work needed to be done to help fix our education system here in America, it is absolutely ridiculous that we are wasting both our time and resources with the inspection and disqualification of perfectly healthy school lunches — provided to a child by parents, at no cost to our state or federal government. This is completely unacceptable.

“While I do not know the parent involved, it is clear from news reports that the content of the lunch she provided her daughter would meet the very same standards and expectations for a healthy lunch that I, and many others, have known throughout time.

“I have packed similar lunches for my two daughters throughout their childhood. While I support efforts to provide more nutritious and healthier fresh food options in our schools, at no point should a government official be allowed to deny a 4-year-old child access to a parent-packed lunch or imply to a child that their lunch is wrong or there is a problem with the food provided to them by their mother or father.

(Kissell and Ellmers) “call for an immediate clarification of this ridiculously misguided provision and a refocus of the work done by those tasked with implementing it.

“The health and education of our children is [sic] far too valuable to be caught up in yet another example of government overreach and unwarranted involvement in the lives of our proud American families. We hope that you will take this matter seriously.”

That was February 15, one day after the story broke.

On February 17, USDA press secretary Courtney Rowe said in a statement that USDA establishes nutritional standards for school lunches.

 "In exchange for meeting those standards, USDA provides reimbursement and other resources to schools so that children get the nutrition they need to learn, thrive and grow. (USDA does not) "regulate sack lunches or any other food children bring from home to eat at school. That is a responsibility for parents, not the federal government. The incident in North Carolina involved local education officials and a State-run nutrition program, and USDA had no involvement."

I guess some folks have never seen Harry Truman’s desk.

Here’s a real stunner. According to North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) spokeswoman Lori Walston, when the teacher swiped the girl’s dangerous turkey sandwich and “supplemented” it with a healthy cafeteria tray of chicken nuggets, she did not violate state policy.

“The rules require that the provider at least ensure the missing items are offered. It would not be a violation for a child to be provided more than what was needed. It is the provider’s choice as to their specific process.”

Translation: Though a school official conceded school officials are not the lunch bag police, that’s exactly what they are and are allowed to be. Your kid’s lunch bag is open to scrutiny each and every day in North Carolina. Michelle Obama might be smiling, but a lot of parents probably are not.

Demonstrating real class, the mom of the 4-year old defended the teacher, saying she was only following guidelines.

“It’s the government that needs to be reprimanded and changed. Teachers should not be put in a situation to overrule the parent’s lunch of choice.”

Teachers collectively love to moan and moan and moan and moan. They excel at it. One of their legitimate gripes is that they’re not baby-sitters. They’re also not Mom or Dad.

In March, the school lunch cop in question, teacher Margaret Maynor was suspended indefinitely.

Seems Maynor relished her role as school lunch cop. Three 4-year-olds in Maynor's class got cafeteria meals after the teacher said their homemade lunches failed to meet federal dietary guidelines.

Naturally, officials with the Hoke County school system, void of common sense, sided with Maynor, saying her actions were appropriate.

If so, then why did Maynor RESIGN shortly after being suspended?

The district's lawyer says Maynor was not suspended for the lunch incident, but because she gave contradictory and inaccurate statements about the situation to administrators.

Yeh, right. Because the teacher certainly isn’t capable of and would make a huge mistake.

This is what’s going on in our local schools and state governments. Policies are being set when hard-working families, not paying attention, are blind-sided by local school boards and sate legislatures enacting rules that give too much power to bureaucrats who lack any common sense.

Compare the botched episode in North Carolina to what transpired at about the very same time (February 18) in Austwell-Tivoli Junior High School in Tivoli, Texas.

Students were writing vocabulary words in history class when a certain word they had never heard threw them: boycott. The seventh-grade class came up with an idea: they’d put the newly discovered word into practice. So they decided the approximately 32 junior high students would boycott school lunch.

"We wanted more choice in what was served, as there was a lot of repetition in what was going on. All we wanted was for our voice to be heard and a chance at change," said 12-year old Mckenzi Simmons, president of the seventh-grade class.

We want something else! We want something else!

This conjures up images of Hawkeye causing a near riot on M*A*S*H when he had finally had it up to here with fish and liver. The result was a classic episode chronicling the quest to get a take-out order of Adam’s Ribs from Chicago.

Boycott? Why Not!

I would, too. Just look at this lineup:

EXAMPLE MENU at Austwell-Tivoli Junior High School

Monday: Fish sticks, buttered noodles, cooked, broccoli and fruit

Read more

Thank you, Governor Walker!

Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 23, 2012

Thank you, a billion times, thank you.

And the hits just keep on comin'.

An obit for Facts

Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 23, 2012

Recommended Reading

Missed this one last week and it should have been included in Sunday’s Recommended Reading.

Rex Huppke writes in the Chicago tribune.

“A quick review of the long and illustrious career of Facts reveals some of the world's most cherished absolutes: Gravity makes things fall down; 2 + 2 = 4; the sky is blue.

But for many, Facts' most memorable moments came in simple day-to-day realities, from a child's certainty of its mother's love to the comforting knowledge that a favorite television show would start promptly at 8 p.m.

Over the centuries, Facts became such a prevalent part of most people's lives that Irish philosopher Edmund Burke once said: ‘Facts are to the mind what food is to the body.’

To the shock of most sentient beings, Facts died Wednesday, April 18, after a long battle for relevancy with the 24-hour news cycle, blogs and the Internet. Though few expected Facts to pull out of its years-long downward spiral, the official cause of death was from injuries suffered last week when…”

Clever stuff.

Some are saying this could be the best op-ed ever.

No way.

I submit this.

The fight for Franklin taxpayers never ends

Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 23, 2012

Janet Evans and Aimee Schlueter won seats on the Franklin school board earlier this month.

I believe Franklin residents like me could be forgiven for being giddy over the results.

Since I moved to Franklin in 1992, Franklin property taxpayers have been constant piñatas by heavy tax and spenders. Didn’t matter if it was mayors, aldermen, school board members, or school superintendents. They collectively ganged up on taxpayers to squeeze the fiscal life out of them.

Finally, On April 3, 2012, taxpayers demanded their freedom back, and may have gotten it.

May?

That’s right.

May.

The deck chairs for the first time in 20 or possibly even more years are stacked in favor of the over-burdened taxpayers.

I don’t discount what happened on the most recent Election Day. However, let’s be real. The new school board hasn’t done anything yet.

It’s possible, but not certain, that the likes of Evans, Schlueter, Linda Witkowski, and Tim Nielsen could be the new leaders on a board that in the past didn't care at all about the people who pay the bills.

Everything’s in the proper motion. But given that the school board could mess up a one-car funeral, I’m not holding my breath that this Wednesday’s organizational meeting will leave taxpayers who decided the recent election satisfied.

I’m confident about Evans. She does what she says she’s going to do.

Aimee Schlueter? We have nothing to go on except what she said during the campaign. I’ll take her word and hope she keeps it during what for me is an upcoming honeymoon period. It’s up to Schlueter to keep the faith and trust voter have placed.

Witkowski and Nielsen?

Sorry, but honestly, they disappoint. I wish they could be as strongly consistent and steadfast as Evans. Sadly, they’re not. My thought is that they share the “Go along to get along” sentiment on the board that is flawed. This isn’t a kumbaya festival. You’re there to do a job. I’m not sure they totally get or understand that.

So while all the arrows point in the right direction Wednesday night, I wouldn’t be surprised if things get mucked up. After all, it’s the Franklin School Board way.

And we've been burnt before.

Patz-speak

Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 24, 2012

When I worked at WTMJ, I had the privilege of interviewing William Lutz, the author of “Doublespeak.”

Harpercollins.com writes:

In an increasingly Orwellian world, everyone should be armed with this hilarious, slyly subversive deconstruction of the slippery locutions of spinmeisters from all walks of public life. Doublespeak guru William Lutz (Doublespeak, The New Doublespeak) is uniquely qualified to bring you this supremely funny expos‚ of the juiciest ways THEY are trying to bamboozle you!

Read more

"New Racism" charge by Leader after 4 Dem. Lawmakers Poised to Take Over Majority-Minority Districts

Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 25, 2012

 

MILWAUKEE – Media Trackers last week discovered that four incumbent white Democrat state lawmakers appear to be leaving their current Assembly districts and moving into newly drawn or redrawn majority-minority districts. The four lawmakers are Representatives Sandy Pasch, Josh Zepnick, Corey Mason, and Fred Kessler. Representative Kessler would not confirm or deny his impending move but sources indicated he was poised to move into a seat designed to give African-Americans another legislative district.

Read more

A charming ambassador for Life

Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 26, 2012

A Charming Ambassador for Life ------------------- Read more In Franklin, we pass the shoebox Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 26, 2012 Bryan Maersch has posted his thoughts on the Franklin School Board meeting Wednesday that saw a complete flushing of the old school board regime. The blog includes a video of the vote for President and Vice President. Outgoing leaders Debbie Larson and Jeff Traylor looked like they had lost their best friends as they were replaced by Janet Evans and Tim Nielson. The video in the blog shows a goofy, archaic system used to vote for Franklin School Board leaders. Write down your vote and pass the shoebox. C’mon. Can we please do it the way just about everyone else does? Each member must tell on the record who he/she is voting for. Or don’t we want transparency? What we DON'T get with our new Franklin School Board leadership Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 26, 2012 In case you haven’t heard, Franklin voters, you sent a message and it was heard at Franklin School Board organizational meeting Wednesday night. School Board President Debbie Larson?  OUT!  Replaced by Janet Evans. School Board Vice President Jeff (Could someone please tell me what ‘fiscal responsibility’ means?)  Traylor? OUT! Replaced by Tim Nielson. The rejoicing you hear in the background is from beleaguered Franklin property taxpayers who finally had someone in a position to listen to them. I’m not absolutely certain, but with new leaders at the helm, I believe we may no longer see the following:   Read more Important That You Vote May 8 for Gov. Walker Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 26, 2012 It is URGENT That You Vote For Governor Scott Walker In The  Republican  Recall Primary Election on Tuesday, May 8 Read more What "War on Women?" Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 26, 2012 Take that, Hilary Rosen! Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 27, 2012 This would be good for Franklin Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 27, 2012 The Milwaukee Business Journal is reporting that Meijer is planning to open one of its huge big box stores in Franklin at the Crossroads site at Highway 100 and Loomis. Meijer would provide Franklin consumers (who currently live in a desert of shopping options) another retail choice. The nearby Target would face competition. That's good news, not bad. Franklin alderman Steve Olson has sent out the following e-mail: "On MONDAY evening, 6:30pm in the Common Council chambers at City Hall, the Common Council will be presented with a CONCEPT for a development of a Meijer department store at the Crossroads (Hwy 100 and Loomis). This CONCEPT REVIEW is an opportunity for the developer to present their preliminary plans to the Common Council to take comment and to determine if they will move forward in working with the city to develop the plan. Like all meetings at the City, the meeting is open to the public. The concept review is NOT a public hearing.  It’s a presentation by the developers to the Council for their comment. I am attaching the preliminary submittal by the developer for your review. Should the developer choose to proceed with an application, I will expect a public hearing on the matter along with a neighborhood meeting for property owners in close proximity to the development so that they may offer input and concerns. Please remember that this will be the first opportunity for the Common Council to review this possible proposal and offer comment.  Knowing that, please be aware that the Council MAY OR MAY NOT allow for public comment at this meeting.  I am presenting this information to you for your thoughtful consideration and to allow you time to form good questions and opinions prior to a public hearing. No decisions have been made. As always, feel free to contact me with your questions." Steve Olson Alderman, 1st District 8091 S. Meadowcreek Ct. Franklin, Wisconsin  53132 414-425-9060 solson@franklinwi.gov www.franklinwi.gov Read more Goodnight everyone, and have a weekend full of soul! Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 27, 2012 “If all I do in my life is soothe someone's spirit with a song, then let me do that and I'm happy.” Gladys Knight 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. The second-highest TV program in America these days is... ABC photo This week's episode of "Dancing with the Stars" presented a Motown special with live performances from Motown legends Smokey Robinson, The Temptations and Martha Reeves throughout the evening.  Pictured above are Tristan McManus and Gladys Knight. Many viewers were rooting for Knight, but deep down, they knew she was probably the next to leave the show, and she was. Still, she gets tremendous credit at 67 years old for enduring the rigorous demands of not only dancing, but competing while she's on tour (She performed at Potawatomi in Milwaukee last night). Tonight, music from the Empress of Soul, with vocal assistance from the Pips. From Gladys Knight’s bio: "A talented singer and actress, Gladys Knight started out on the road to success at an early age. She made her solo singing debut at the age of four in the Mount Mariah Baptist Church in Atlanta. In 1952, shortly after winning a prize for her performance on the televised Ted Mack Amateur Hour (see photo below), eight-year-old Knight formed the Pips with her brother and sister, Merald ('Bubba') and Brenda, and two cousins, Elenor and William Guest (another cousin, Edward Patten, and Langston George later joined the group, after Brenda and Elenor left to get married; George left by 1960). With young Gladys supplying the throaty vocals and the Pips providing impressive harmonies and inspired dance routines, the group soon earned a following on the so-called 'Chitlin Circuit' in the South, opening for popular acts such as Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke.   The Pips didn't score a bona fide hit until they began recording with Motown Records in the 1960s, where they were teamed with songwriter/producer Norman Whitfield. In 1967, the Pips' version of Whitfield's ‘I Heard it Through the Grapevine’ - later a huge hit for Marvin Gaye - crossed over from the rhythm & blues charts to the pop charts." Read more The best cartoons of the week Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 28, 2012 Read more The Barking Lot (04/28/12) Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 28, 2012 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:  Not a great weekend.  Rain and a high of 41.  "F" SUNDAY:  Mostly sunny. Still unseasonably cool. High of 52. "D" Here’s my lovely wife, Jennifer with this week’s main blog: I have suffered with seasonal (and some animal-related) allergies for most of my life.  I have taken prescription medications but have not needed to resort to regular shots to control the sneezing, itchy watery eyes, etc.  While it is something I have learned to live with from May until the first frost, it’s not always pleasant.  Kevin has never known what it is like to deal with this, and I sincerely hope little Kyla never learns either.   Read more Week-ends (04/28/12) Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 28, 2012 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 Angie Porter Awesome dad Mom and daughter Zita Staples Marilu Henner Paula Reid Jeff Kellogg VILLAINS OF THE WEEK Mansfield Frazier Mickey Loomis Cherry Hill School District (NJ) teachers Judson Independent School District (TX) The TSA The TSA again Michael Hayward Octomom Motel QUOTES OF THE WEEK  “Is it easier to make ends meet? Is it easier to sell your home or buy a new one? Have you saved what you needed for retirement? Are you making more in your job? Do you have a better chance to get a better job? Do you pay less at the pump? If the answer were ‘yes’ to those questions, then President Obama would be running for reelection based on his achievements, and rightly so. But because he has failed, he will run a campaign of diversions, distractions, and distortions. That kind of campaign may have worked at another place and in a different time. But not here and not now. It’s still about the economy, and we’re not stupid.” Mitt Romney after sweeping five primaries Tuesday. "We're headed in the right direction. Unemployment continues to drop and those people who are unemployed, they're not going to be voting for the party who wants to cut their benefits, cut access to food stamps, cut job training." Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA) “I was in a meeting once and I gave an analogy to my staff about my philosophy of enforcement, and I think it was probably a little crude and maybe not appropriate for the meeting, but I’ll go ahead and tell you what I said. It was kind of like how the Romans used to, you know, conquer villages in the Mediterranean.  They’d go in to a little Turkish town somewhere, they’d find the first five guys they saw and they’d crucify them. Then, you know, that town was really easy to manage for the next few years. It’s a deterrent factor.” Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) official, Region VI Administrator Al Armendariz in a 2010 video, admitting that EPA’s “general philosophy” is to “crucify” and “make examples” of oil and gas companies. “What exactly is Michelle Obama doing that requires her to take so many vacations? They’re up to what, 16 vacations in 3 1/2 years? That’s better than a vacation every 3 months. Is there anybody else alive who takes this much vacation time.  Apparently golf, basketball, and campaigning for reelection must really tire the President out. On the other hand, his wife must get worn out nagging people about what they eat, which is all she seems to do these days. Whatever the case may be, there are Americans who wish they could take that many exorbitant vacations, but they’re just too busy with work.” Blogger John Hawkins “This whole thing with Obama saying the rich don’t pay their taxes is f***ing bull****, and I voted for the guy and I’m a Democrat. What a f***ing a**hole. First they say … ‘You can do anything you want. Go for it.’ So then you go for it, and then you make it, and everyone’s like, ‘F*** you,’” Lovitz said. “[Obama] is the perfect example. He’s amazing. He had nothing … and the guy ends up being at Harvard. He’s the president of the United States. And now he’s like,  ‘F*** me and everybody who made it like me.’” Comedian Jon Lovitz OUTRAGE OF THE WEEK Indoctrination as opposed to education. MOST UNDER-REPORTED STORY OF THE WEEK Tom Barrett's jobs record as mayor. MOST OVER-HYPED STORY OF THE WEEK Foul Bawl? STRANGEST, MOST UNUSUAL STORY OF THE WEEK A new way to stuff a bra. Boring and Dull. That's it for Week-ends. Thanks for stopping by. We close with NewsBusted: Read more UPDATE: Week-ends (04/28/12) Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 28, 2012 Previously on This Just In… The update.   MMSD: Do as we say, not as we do Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 28, 2012 Today, the ever-so environmentally conscious folks at the Metropolitan Milwaukee Sewerage District (MMSD) sponsored another of their MEDICINE COLLECTION DAYS. Please understand the MMSD says you should NEVER FLUSH OR POUR unused medicine down the drain. Why, that would be bad for Lake Michigan. MMSD encouraged folks to bring prescription medication and over the counter medication to Miller Park as part of MEDICINE COLLECTION DAY. Now if only the hypocritical MMSD would care about the billions of gallons of raw sewage they dump into the lake. Then I might be able to take this effort a bit more seriously.   Read more A Pro-LIfe Senator Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 28, 2012 I just came from the Right to Life debate, where it was reaffirmed to me that Tommy Thompson is the strongest, most consistent defender of life in the U.S. Senate race. As Wisconsin's pro-life community is well aware, Tommy is a leader among leaders when it comes to life issues.  As governor, he signed one of the nation's first partial birth abortion bans and ensured women were made aware of life saving alternatives to abortion.  As a result, Wisconsin saw abortion rates decline by 37%, while the adoption rate rose by 22%.  It would not be a stretch to say that Tommy Thompson is the most pro-life governor in our great state's history. As a former speaker of the State Assembly, I had a chance to work shoulder to shoulder with Tommy to make sure that our state's precious unborn had a voice in our state's capitol.  While Madison could be a challenging place for pro-life leaders, Tommy never relented or backed down.  To the contrary, Tommy fought the radical left to defend life, making Wisconsin a trailblazer and national model for pro-life causes.  We were lucky to have him then, and we are even more lucky to have the opportunity to elect him now to the United States Senate. This election offers a tremendous opportunity to send a rock solid pro-life leader - Tommy Thompson - to the United States Senate.  But we can't do it without your help.  Whether it's making phone calls, talking to neighbors or donating to Tommy's campaign, there are many ways you can lend a hand.  Please visit Tommy's website - http://www.tommyforwisconsin.com - and learn about ways you can get involved with the campaign today! Yours truly, John Gard PS - If you haven't done so yet, please visit Tommy's Facebook and Twitter pages to see what Tommy is doing today to promote the sanctity of life.       Recommended Reading (04/29/12) Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 29, 2012 Recommended Reading 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). Wisconsin's new aristocracy is on the ballot KF NOTE: This is an outstanding piece. “Our Founding Fathers carefully eliminated in American law every special legal privilege of the old aristocracies of Europe.  They strongly favored instead equality under the law, later enshrined in the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause, which means not equality of result, but that everyone plays by the same rules. A recall election for Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is scheduled for June 5.  But on the ballot that day will effectively be whether we should establish in law after all these years a new aristocracy in America, not subject to the democratic will of the people like everyone else, with special legal privileges, including the right to plunder the taxpayers with virtual impunity.  That new aristocracy is state and local government public employee unions.” Stepp: Legislators threw jobs into the air like confetti "...we had thousands of jobs in the palm of our hands. I mean, really good-paying jobs, good family-supporting jobs, and what we saw happen was just kind of the Senate Democrats and (GOP) Sen. (Dale) Schultz throw it up in the air as if it was confetti at a labor rally, and what's happened and what's falling onto the floor now are the futures of families for Wisconsin, and it's really devastating to the folks in this part of the state, and there isn't another way to say it." For Illinois, the bills come due as reality closes in "Since 2009, (Illinois Governor Pat) Quinn has spent more than $500 million in corporate welfare to bribe companies not to flee the tax environment he has created. Quinn raised personal income taxes 67% (from 3% to 5%), adding about $1,040 to the tax burden of a family of four earning $60,000. Illinois' unemployment rate increased faster than any other state's in 2011." Young Voters: Obama’s a Cool President, and You’re a Broke Clod Living with Mommy “Isn’t the definition of ‘insanity’ voting for the same inept president and expecting a different result? Anyway ... This means that if Romney is going to win the youth vote, given their adoration of pop culture and their ignorance of the fact that he can actually help them make money, his handlers had better bring him to hipster speed if he wants to capture this young demo’s ferret-like attention span. Herewith are a few ideas I’ve sketched down for Mitt to get hip for the voting kiddos…” Girlfriends, let's talk about how to convert a Democrat “Think movie scene: a restaurant anywhere in America. A group of five female friends are sitting around talking — three are Democrats, two are Republicans. At a table with no salt shaker and a Michelle Obama-approved menu, the Democrats’ conversation starts like this: Read more Photos of the Week (04/29/12) Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 29, 2012 Photos of the Week 1) A woman heads for the entrance of the basilica at Holy Hill Saturday before the Mass with Cardinal Timothy Dolan. Journal Sentinel photo: Mark Hoffman 2) Organist Annie Fredrickson leads the choir before a Mass of Thanksgiving on Saturday. Journal Sentinel photo: Mark Hoffman 3) Cardinal Timothy Dolan greets people before a Mass of Thanksgiving Saturday. Journal Sentinel photo: Mark Hoffman 4) Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan (bottom foreground) is shown during the procession at the Mass of Thanksgiving on Saturday. Journal Sentinel photo: Mark Hoffman 5) Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis., second from left), Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WIs.) and Gov. Scott Walker attended the Mass of Thanksgiving. Journal Sentinel photo: Mark Hoffman 6) Dolan (second from right) celebrates Mass. Dolan is the former archbishop of the Milwaukee archdiocese. Journal Sentinel photo: Mark Hoffman 7) Kelly Edwards, 54, who was laid off 4 years ago, holds a sign at a street corner in Pasadena, California April 25, 2012. Edwards has resorted to handing out resumes at street corners and accepting money from strangers to provide for his family. Photo: Mario Anzuoni / Reuters 8) A soldier in South Sudan's SPLA army looks up at warplanes as he lies on the ground to take cover beside a road during an air strike by the Sudanese air force in Rubkona, near Bentiu, South Sudan, on April 23, 2012.  Photo: Goran Tomasevic / Reuters 9) In this Tuesday, April 17, 2012 file photo, Halime Moussa, 3, receives treatment via a nasal feeding tube and has bandaged hands to prevent him from removing it, at the therapeutic nutrition ward of the town's hospital, which his mother Kaltouma Abakar, left, travelled 70km to reach, in Mao, capital of the Kanem region of Chad. Mothers with hungry and malnourished children are flocking to feeding sites and clinics in the Chadian desert by any means they can and where it is sometimes too late to save their babies' lives, with health and U.N. officials warning that more children will die if the international humanitarian assistance is not increased. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File) 10) A man weeps as he grips a stone monument to fallen soldiers that carries the name of a close relative at Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem, Israel, on April 25, 2012. Photo; Abir Sultan / EPA 11) Russian veteran fire fighters lay flowers at Mitino Memorial to commemorate those who died after the Chernobyl 1986 nuclear disaster, in Moscow on April 26. Russians marked the 26th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, which was the world's worst ever nuclear accident. Photo: Ivan Sekretarev / AP 12) The widow of a victim holds a child during a ceremony, commemorating the 26th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident in Kiev, Ukraine, on April 26. On April 26, 1986 reactor number 4 blew apart at the Chernobyl power station. Facing nuclear disaster on an unprecedented scale Soviet authority tried to contain the situation by sending thousands of men into a radioactive area. Photo: Andrew Kravchenko / EPA 13) George Zimmerman walks out of the intake building at the John E. Polk Correctional Facility with an unidentified man, April 22, in Sanford, Fla. Zimmerman posted bail on a $150,000 bond on a second degree murder charge in the February shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla. Photo: Brian Blanco / AP 14) Coelis Mendoza, from Ithaca, N.Y., who is opposed to Arizona's immigration law argues with Marietta Barbier Falzgraf of Bethesda, Md., a supporter, outside the Supreme Court on April 25, where the court held a hearing on Arizona's "show me your papers" immigration law. Photo: Charles Dharapak / AP 15) Dozens of American Airlines flight attendants and supporters picket in front of the American Airlines passenger terminal at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco, Monday, April 23, 2012. American wants to eliminate 13,000 union jobs, about one in every four union workers, freeze or terminate pension plans, curb health benefits, reduce time off, and impose many other cuts. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma) 16) Space shuttle Enterprise, riding on the back of the NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, cruises by the Empire State Building as it makes its way to John F. Kennedy International Airport seen from Union City, N.J., Friday, April 27, 2012. Enterprise is eventually going to make its new home in New York City at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) 17) Physicist Daniel Schildhammer wears the Aouda.X spacesuit simulator during a field test of Oesterreichisches Weltraum Forum (Austrian space forum) inside the Eisriesenhoehle (giant ice cave) at Dachstein mountain near the village of Obertraun, Austria, April 28. The Aouda.X is a spacesuit simulator for manned missions to Mars, which is being developed under the Mars Analog Research Program PolAres and allows the simulation of environmental conditions a real space suit would present on Mars. Photo: Lisi Niesner / Reuters 18) President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle are saluted by soldiers as they arrive at the Fort Stewart Army post, Friday, April 27, 2012, in Fort Stewart, Ga. (AP Photo/David Goldman) 19) Bernardo, 77, left, talks to a young woman during a meeting between men and women in the village of Candeleda, Spain, April 21. Sixty-eight women were bused in to the village to meet with the local men with the hope that some will form relationships and settle in the village, where the main population is male. Photo: Alberto Di Lolli / AP 20) Emergency medical technician Debra Lund, right, prepares to hang an IV bag as co-worker Stacey Kreitlow, center, inserts an IV catheter into the arm of a patient on the Hangover Heaven bus in Las Vegas on April 15, 2012. Picture made available April 23.  A Las Vegas MD  opened the mobile treatment center - dubbed the 'Hangover Heaven' bus - for tourists who feel a little the worse for wear after drinking in all the nightlife Sin City has to offer. For a fee, they get a quick morning-after way to rehydrate, rejuvenate and resume their revelry. According to the Hangover Heaven website, a basic 'Redemption' intravenous hydration treatment comes in at $90. A premium 'Salvation' package adds vitamin supplements as well as anti-nausea and anti-inflammatory medications.Photo: Julie Jacobson/ AP 21) Police gather at the entrance to the Chaussee d'Antin La Fayette Metro station in Paris after a car accidentally drove into it, April 24, 2012. Photo: Jacky Naegelen / Reuters 22) A fan is tackled by home plate umpire Jeff Kellogg during the game between Baltimore and Oakland at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 27, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland. Photo: Getty Images 23) A young Phoenix Coyotes fan is tossed in the air as fans around her cheer on their team as Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne, of Finland, stands in front of the goal during the third period of Game 1 in an NHL hockey Stanley Cup Western Conference semifinal playoff series, Friday, April 27, 2012, in Glendale, Ariz. The Coyotes won 4-3 in overtime. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) 24) As spectators cheer the bride and groom, Sandra Parker and Andrew Keith, the couple finishes the last muddy leg of the Gladiator Rock N' Run. Photo: Mindy Schauer / The Orange County Register via AP 25) An army paratrooper is tangled in a tree on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., on April 26, 2012. Lacey Fire District Three aided in the rescue of two paratroopers who were blown into trees during a training exercise. Photo: Lacey Fire District Three via AP 26) Wielding a blanket, Megan Aitken of the Moreton Bay Koala Rescue team bundles a young male that was hit by a car. Development in prime koala habitat makes such scenes inevitable, she says, while the government ignores the warnings: "If koalas aren't protected, we're looking at local extinction within five years." National Geographic Magazine reports, "The koala, cuddly symbol of a nation and one of the most beloved animals on the planet, is in crisis. Before Europeans settled Australia more than two centuries ago, about ten million koalas lived in a 1,500-mile-long swath of the east coast eucalyptus forests. Hunted for their luxurious fur, koalas were brought to the edge of extinction in the southern half of their range. In the northern half, Queensland, a million were killed in 1919 alone. After the last open season in Queensland was held in 1927, only tens of thousands remained." Photo: Joel Sartore/National Geographic 27) A bear that wandered into Williams Village dorm at the University of Colorado in Boulder falls from a tree after being tranquilized by Colorado wildlife officials. University of Colorado police spokesman Ryan Huff said the bear was likely 1-3 years old and weighed somewhere between 150-200 pounds. Photo: Andy Duann 28) The dorsal fin of a wayward dolphin pops up at the Bolsa Chica Wetlands in Huntington Beach, Calif. on Friday. Photos: Alex Gallardo / Reuters 29) Birds perch on a branch during a spring snowstorm in Pembroke, N.Y. on April 23. Photo: David Duprey / AP 30) Polar bear cub Anori explores the outdoor enclosure at the zoo in Wuppertal, Germany, on Monday, April 23, 2012. Anori was born on January 4 and is becoming a visitor's highlight. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein 31) A Cadillac CIEL is on display at the 2012 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition on April 24 in Beijing, China. Photo: Alexander F. Yuan / AP 32) U.S. pop diva Lady Gaga waves upon her arrival at Gimpo International airport in Seoul, South Korea, late Friday, April 20, 2012. Lady Gaga arrived here one week before kicking off her third world tour with a Seoul concert. (AP Photo/Ilgan Sports, Yang Kang-sam) 33) South Korean Christians pray during a service as they call for the cancellation of a concert of U.S. pop star Lady Gaga at a church in Seoul, South Korea, April 22. Lady Gaga's April 27 concert in Seoul was banned to under-18s by the Korea Media Rating Board as the Gender Equality Ministry considers one of her songs to be performed at the show as "inappropriate" for minors. Photo: Lee Jin-man / AP 34) A model shows her nails during the 5th German Nailart-Trophy 'Waterworld - The Deep Blue' at the BEAUTY FORUM and trade fair in Leipzig, eastern Germany, Saturday, April 28, 2012. BEAUTY FORUM 2012 is one of the most important cosmetic trade fairs in Germany. (AP Photo/Jens Meyer) 35) Visitors look at a monumental sculpture by artist Robert Therrien in the newly opened Metropolitan Arts Centre in Belfast, Northern Ireland April 23. Photo: Cathal McNaughton / Reuters 36) Local volunteers Francis Aitken, right and Deborah Westmancote, left, place clay figures that make up Antony Gormley's "Field for the British Isles" art installation at the National Trust's Barrington Court on April 25 near Ilminster, England.  Photo: Matt Cardy / Getty Images 37) NASA has released a photograph of a flaming meteor over Reno, Nevadathat unleashed a powerful sonic boom Sunday morning, April 22, 2012, rattling houses in California and Nevada when its disintegration released energy equivalent to a 5-kiloton explosion. Photo: Lisa Warren / NASA-JPL via AP 38) Incandescent materials, ash and smoke are spewed from the Popocatepetl volcano, seen from Santiago Xalitzintla, in the Mexican central state of Puebla, on April 24. Residents at the foot of Mexico's Popocatepetl volcano no longer sleep soundly since the towering mountain roared back into action over a week ago, spewing out a hail of rocks, steam and ashes. The volcano, Mexico's second highest peak at 5,452 metres, started rumbling and spurting high clouds of ash and steam on April 13, provoking the authorities to raise the alert to level five on a seven-point scale. Photo: Ronaldo Schemidt / AFP - Getty Images 39) A newly married man kisses his bride on the bank of a river in Prague during a warm sunny day on April 27. Photo: Michal Cizekmichal Cizek / AFP - Getty Images 40) Ooltewah Elementary School students duct tape Principal Tom Arnold to a wall in the hallway during their lunch hour on April 27 in Ooltewah, Tenn. Arnold made an agreement with the students that if they reached their walk-a-thon fundraising goal of $20,000, he would spend the lunch hour duct taped to the wall. Photo: Doug Strickland / Chattanooga Times Free Press / AP 41) While working the ropeline outside of a Boulder restaurant, a young woman spilled yogurt on the President. After realizing what had happened, the President was laughing and told the crowd, "Oh, you got me!" He asked the people around him for a towel and the woman started apologizing profusely. The President assured her she now has a good story to tell. Photo: Brendan Smialowski / AFP - Getty Images Culinary no-no #275 Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 29, 2012 Culinary no-no's THERE ARE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF FOOD BLOGS, BUT ONLY ONE CULINARY NO- NO! Read more The latest pro-life news (04/30/12) Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 30, 2012 From Pro-Life Wisconsin and Wisconsin Right To Life. Walker and the Legislature had to fix liberal mess Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 30, 2012 By guest bloggers Bob and Jean Dohnal Publishers The Wisconsin Conservative Digest Gov. Scott Walker and the Legislature were faced with some very tough decisions after being elected in 2010.  Raise taxes and chase people and businesses out of state, as Jim Doyle, Wisconsin's worst governor in 100 years, as Illinois and California are doing, or to restore fiscal sanity to the budget for a generation.  They figured that they were going to have to break a few eggs. Not wanting to see massive layoffs and big class sizes, across the state, they settled on the best possible answer, making public employees pay their fair share of pensions and health costs, as the rest of the state does. Their results were good and they are working.  Some of the public employees were a little upset, with having to do with the same salary deductions as what the taxpayers are getting and so decided to completely engage in a civil war with the governor and legislature, upsetting the whole community and throwing the economy into a tailspin. Few businesses want to work with these aggressive unions and their foul mouthed friends, so they have held back and watched.  The carryover from the bad decisions of the Doyle administration precluded a quick recovery, so Wisconsin continues to suffer under their obnoxious tactics. With this Recall election, Wisconsin has two distinct paths to follow for their schools, either the path of our kids under the thumb of the union thugs or the path of more freedom for the families and local communities to plan for their own kids.  Already we have seen some amazing changes. Or, we can take the path that Tom Barrett wants?  Do we want to take our road money and build silly little choo choo trains around the state that go nowhere?  Drop back to 19th Century technology with windmills and dammed up streams?  Maybe we can hook treadmills up to our TV sets at night to not only power them but get off the weight?? Fact is, without cheap plentiful energy societies will not move forward.  Energy is here to serve us, not for us to be it's slave. If we revert to the policies of the Barrett, Falk and Doyle gang we will see property taxes sky rocket, there goes Granny's farm, there go Grandkids jobs. Where is Illinois going?  California?  Greece?? They even ruined deer hunting. In Brown Deer they have shown that minority kids can be taught to read while in Milwaukee, still under the thumb of the union thugs, thousands more kids will leave school with minimal skills, but the teachers’ pensions, health and salaries will remain intact. If a kid can't read by 4th grade, he or she is pretty much lost.   Why do you think kids are in trouble?  Poor family lives, uncaring school monopoly and unable to comprehend lessons put in front of them, they act up.  Thank God that CHOICE came along to give some of them hope, something that they have not had even with this HOPE AND CHANGE program voted in nationally.  Scott Walker is a REFORM governor, sent in to clean up the mess made by Liberal Tom Ament and his leftists. They feathered their beds at the expense of the taxpayers, as have the other public employee unions around the state.  Now, having to deal with the mess left by the Leftists in Mad City, Walker and the Legislature made some tough decisions.  He dealt with Milwaukee County's mess and is now dealing with the mess in Mad City, and boy are they screaming. "When you pull all of those noses away from the trough you sure do get a lot of oinking": Ronald Reagan. Unions, faced with the loss of dues that they use to pad their fat salaries and further their leftist political power, have been the worst. Tommy Thompson showed us the way in 14 years as governor.  He cut taxes, encouraged businesses, controlled spending, and kept a steady course to attract and grow businesses. Walker is following the same path, while the dimwitted left wants to make enemies of those that start from scratch, work 60 hours per week, and grow their businesses to create jobs.  They need capital to do that and the more we take from them the less we get. If you take money from productive people and give it to non-productive people, you get less production from both. There is a reason that around 7,500 top income people have left this state and over 150,000 tax eaters have moved in and it isn't because of Conservative fiscal policy. It might be nice to live in Mad City with the Universities, hospitals, and state government there, providing stable, high salaried jobs, but the rest of the state does not have that and we need private jobs to pay the way there. While the leftists, in Mad City, can stroll along the lake in their Birkenstocks puffing on a little pot while talking socialism and its goals, the rest of us have to work. The Three-Year Embarrassment Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 30, 2012 A lot has happened during the last three years; my granddaughter was born; the iPad was released; the Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl; and Governor Scott Walker brought fiscal sanity back to Madison after years of Democrat mismanagement. However, one important event hasn't occurred: the United States Senate has not passed a budget.  Check out my budget reform proposal here. Unbelievably, the last time the Senate passed a budget resolution was April 29, 2009. Since that time, another $39,000 has been added to the average family's share of the national debt. It is unfathomable that throughout nearly all of my granddaughter's life, the United States has been operating without a budget.  No business in America could survive by being this irresponsible. But Democrat Majority Leader Harry Reid, in a transparent game of political theater, has refused to bring a budget resolution to the Senate floor, further imperiling our already weak economy and contributing to the reckless spending that's driven our nation's debt to record levels.  The irresponsibility and lack of leadership by Senate Democrats is appalling. If Senators fail to do their job, in this case a legal obligation to produce a budget resolution, they shouldn't get paid.  Period. Earlier this year, I introduced a proposal through my RESTORE America plan which would hold the Majority Leader, budget committee chairmen, and rank and file senators personally accountable for failing to pass a budget resolution in the senate.  Senators will simply not get a paycheck if they can't do their most fundamental duty of acting on a budget. It's critical that we hold Harry Reid and Senate Democrats accountable for their irresponsible and reckless political gamesmanship.  And it starts with this campaign. As a United States Senator, I will bring this commonsense budget reform proposal to the floor regardless of which political party holds the majority in the U.S. Senate. Through responsible budgeting and fiscal discipline we will get American back on track...cut government spending, reduce our nation's debt, and avoid the looming fiscal crisis forced upon us by the reckless spending of Harry Reid, Tammy Baldwin and Barack Obama. We have a moral obligation to my granddaughter and the next generation to address America's debt crisis.  And I refuse to let our children and grandchildren inherit a nation that is less prosperous, less competitive and less free. Thank you for your continued support,   Tommy PS - Be sure to visit my website - www.tommyforwisconsin.com - to see my whole RESTORE America proposal.     Defend Rebecca Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 30, 2012 Dear Patriot, The Wall Street Journal has called the Wisconsin recall election against Governor Scott Walker the most important election of 2012 - but that's only half the story. Because Rebecca Kleefisch is Wisconsin's Lt. Governor and she has stood by Governor Walker's side throughout all of the tough decisions and furious protests, the unions are trying to recall her too.   Read more Barrett Discriminates, Pays Women $17K Less Than Men Posted by Kevin Fischer on April 30, 2012 By: Brian Sikma Read more Page Tools Tweet Email Print e-mail print Latest Posts Recommended Reading (05/25/13) Will you be watching? Week-ends (05/25/13) The Barking Lot-America's Finest Dog Blog (05/25/13) The best cartoons of the week (05/25/13) Goodnight everyone, and have a groovy weekend! Memo to folks in Franklin that have taxing authority Disenfranchised? Baloney! Do you agree with the NWS that it gave ample warning about Oklahoma's tornado? 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