Sunday, April 30, 2006

The BATF- Keeping Us Safe From Ninjas Updated

The Red and Black from UGA has the story of a student detained by ATF agents who thought him suspicious. I have a few questions.

  1. Pirates vs Ninjas?
  2. ATF agents on campus?
  3. Ninjas with UGA sweatshirts?
  4. Wouldn't pirates kick-butt every time?

UPDATE: MTV is reporting that the Pirates vs Ninjas vs Chuck Norris debate is now moot. An even stronger force has entered the fray...Lawyers.

What's That? TABOR's Down The Well? Good Boy

Who Has the Aircheck?

In this day of constant contact someone must have the audio of Frank Lassee on McKenna's show. I'm with James on this one. I love to hear what Frank has to say.

Moving Beyond the Troubles

Fred has a recap of the Friday special Council meeting at which the city appointments were fianlized. It sounds as if we have a committee structure in place.

The Observer has audio from the meeting, both the motions to suspend the rules and the discussion of Chris Eager's appointment to the Redevelopment Authority.

Thou wert best set thy lower part where thy nose stands.

Insult Me Again

h/t to Lance Burri via Grandpa John's

Saturday, April 29, 2006

Weighing The Differences

Tony wants to know. He talks about the YoYo Waterball hearings and asks the questions
:...all members of the legislature are willing to act on "a complaint from a
constituent" when the issue is risk free and makes the representative(s) look
like the saviors of children and everything else decent and good in our land.Why
is it that "a complaint from a constituent" is not enough to hold hearings on
lobbyist control of the legislature? Why is it that "a complaint from a
constituent" is not enough to hold hearings on how the closed partisan caucuses
are an abuse of the open meetings law?
There's more at Talk To Tony

Lyric Poetry

Kilmer:

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the sweet earth's flowing breast;

Keats:

O Attic shape! Fair attitude! with brede
Of marble men and maidens overwrought,
With forest branches and the trodden weed;
Thou, silent form, dost tease us out of thought
As doth eternity: Cold Pastoral!

McBride:

It does say something about
the beauty of America
that so many people want to come here
that we need a wall
to keep them out.

Old School Songwriting


To Anacreon in heaven where he sat in full glee,
A few sons of harmony sent a petition,
That he their inspirer and patron would be,
When this answer arrived from the jolly old Grecian:
Voice, fiddle and flute, no longer be mute,
I'll lend you my name and inspire you to boot!
And besides I'll instruct you like me to entwine
The myrtle of Venus and Bacchus's vine.


Does that sound familiar? It should. Click through the headline to see the rest of the verses and hear a truly annoying midi file version of To Anacreon In Heaven, a British drinking song from the 1780's that was popular in America during the War of 1812. Several writers composed patriotic lyrics for the song but the most famous of these is the version penned by Francis Scott Key.

On Friday President Bush said that the Anthem should be sung in English using the original words. So be it. There's the first verse. When you've got that down, go find the rest. Your President says you have four more verses to learn.

Friday, April 28, 2006

I'm Row "K", You're Row "K"

One of the many pleasures of being married to the lovely Mrs Circumstance is her love of theater. Each year we may attend three or four movies but we get to live theater 8 or 10 times a year. We just mailed a check to APT. We've had season tickets to Madison Rep. We patronize Lancaster Community Players twice each year and take in High School drama when we can. It's a Show Tunes kind of house around here.

I tell you that to tell you this.

Last Sunday we went with J&C to see The Music Man at the Fireside in Fort Atkinson. It's a food and a show playhouse with professional actors. The show was wonderful. I highly recommend it. The food was very good, if priced a little high. If that's what it takes to stage a big budget musical, so be it.

I went outside for the intermission, as I often do, and happened to overhear an amazing conversation.

Young Woman: It's not that I don't like plays. I do. It's
just not doing it for me. I'm not getting into it.
Older Man: You understand what's going on, right? He's a con man and
he's not going to teach them to play.
YM: Yeah. I get that. It's just not my kind of thing.
Older Woman: I think it's so cute. They took it almost exactly
word-for-word from the movie.


At that point I headed back inside. I just wonder if she thinks all stage works come from the Silver Screen. It's an interesting world.

Bucher, van Hollen and Batman

I have been critical of both Republican candidates for Attorney General because they both make it so easy.

Paul Bucher blathers on about raising revenues for the DOJ while what passes for Republican leadership is trying to cap revenue. Then he said he delivered a letter to the current AG, but he really didn't. He held it up for cameras near her office and then published it. Meanwhile he promises to spend money like a drunken sailor to recreate task forces and new offices which duplicate other efforts already underway.

Van Hollen, in the meantime, has made terrorism the main plank in his platform. His release yesterday to clarify his statements from earlier in the week only made him sound more harried.
Terrorism is a psychological strategy for gaining political/social ends by
deliberately creating a climate of fear among the civilian population.
Terrorists come in all stripes and shapes, and are both domestic and
foreign.

He then goes on to list the Wisconsin brand of terrorist.
On November 22nd, 24th and again on December 24th of last year, someone placed
pipe bombs in a parking ramp in Madison.
• In 2004, Rajib Mitra was sentenced
to 8 years in prison after my office successfully prosecuted him for hacking
into and disrupting the Madison police radio system. Mitra disrupted the police
radio system up to 21 times between January and August 2003.
• On October 9,
2004, someone caused two power transmission towers in Oak Creek to fall by
loosening and/or removing several bolts from the base of the towers. This
knocked out power to 17,000 customers, including Mitchell International
Airport.
• Between 1984 and 2000 the US Navy’s Project ELF (Extremely Low
Frequency) - was shut down five times by activists who damaged the 28-mile-long
transmitter antennae by cutting down the poles that support it. I should note
here, that as District Attorney of Ashland County I handled prosecutions of
demonstrators accused of trespassing or damage to Navy equipment at the Clam
Lake ELF site.

Nevermind that MPD made clear the pipe bombs were not about terrorism. Nevermind that the Elvish terrorists he describes were American citizens protesting a program they felt was immoral. The Mitra case, while serious, had more to do with a need for attention than any evil intention.
...a psychological strategy for gaining political/social ends by deliberately creating a climate of fear among the civilian population.
That sounds a lot like crying "Wolf" and using the T-word to get elected.

Bucher and van Hollen don't want to be AG. They want to be Batman, a super crimefighter, saving Wisconsin from scourges they can't talk about. They both ignore Wisconsin's long heritage of Consumer Rights and Protections as well as the AG's duty to protect the resources of the state in their care. If you give a child a hammer, everything he sees needs to be pounded. Give these two a lectern and everything they see needs to be arrested.

We Care. Really. We Do.



House Speaker Dennis Hastert and some fellow House R's held a news conference at a Washington area BP station to show how worried they were about rising gas prices. They were driven to the photo op in hydrogen-fueled GM cars.

One Republican plan being floated would take taxpayer money to fund a $100 rebate to all who filed Federal Income Tax last year. Forgive me if I'm skeptical. Using our money to offer a rebate that will be inadequate to deal with the rising prices in a time of record profits and record donations to Republicans seems just a tad disingenuous.

Oh, you ask, "What's Hastert doing in the picture you posted?"

After the photo op and the sharing of concerns about alt fuels Hastert jumped back into his SUV to ride the two blocks back to his office.

Thursday, April 27, 2006

You Should Read Seth More Often

Today he defines "Irony."

The Carnival Gets Chatty

Belle has a chat room version of the Carnival of the Badger up at Leaning Blue. She took time off from her busy pre-graduation schedule to post the Carnival this week and probably cost herself 3 tenths of a grade point. Make it worth her while by checking it out.

You, too, can host the Carnival of the Badger. Just go see Nick, knock three times and tell 'em "Walt sent me."

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Volunteers Needed

Fred has the scoop on Parks and Rec Board volunteer opportunities in Evansville. Get involved and get outside. It's a beautiful Spring.

Open Meetings and You

There has been a healthy, active discussion of various aspects of the Open Meetings Law and sunshine in government.

Check out Bum's Bluff, the Observer, and the Gazette for more.

Monday, April 24, 2006

Pity The Poor Oil Company


Shell Canada's first quarter profits were a scant $447,000,000. That's not even $313,000,000 American.

Tom Tomorrow suggests a campaign commercial for the Dems.



They're Looking Out For You

The administration proves, once again, that they're not up to the task.

Raids in Florida captured 183 illegal immigrants, many of whom were dangerous criminals. How do we know they were dangerous criminals? They had been in custody and ordered to be deported before being released.

Channel 5 in Nashville has the story.

Tim Gets It Right

Go see what Tim Rock has to say about the Bill Of Rights.

The Man's Prayer

The invocation at the Possum Lodge:

I'm a man,
but I can change,
if I have to,
I guess.

And their Motto:

Quando omni flunkus moritati

"If all else fails, play dead.

No One Hears Your Screams- Haiku For A Monday Morning

Richard West forwarded these failure messages from a Librarian's listserve. It may be old but it is good.

Your file was so big.
It might be very useful.
But now it is gone.
-----------------------------
The Website you seek
Cannot be located, but
Countless more exist.
-----------------------------
Chaos reigns within.
Reflect, repent, and reboot.
Order shall return.
-----------------------------
Program aborting:
Close all that you have worked on.
You ask far too much.
-----------------------------
Windows NT crashed.
I am the Blue Screen of Death.
No one hears your screams.
-----------------------------
Yesterday it worked.
Today it is not working.
Windows is like that.
-----------------------------
First snow, then silence.
This thousand-dollar screen dies
So beautifully.
-----------------------------
With searching comes loss
And the presence of absence:
"My Novel" not found.
-----------------------------
The Tao that is seen
Is not the true Tao-until
You bring fresh toner.
-----------------------------
Stay the patient course.
Of little worth is your ire.
The network is down.
----------------------------
A crash reduces
Your expensive computer
To a simple stone.
-----------------------------
Three things are certain:
Death, taxes and lost data.
Guess which has occurred.
-----------------------------
You step in the stream,
But the water has moved on.
This page is not here.
-----------------------------
Out of memory.
We wish to hold the whole sky,
But we never will.
-----------------------------
Having been erased,
The document you're seeking
Must now be retyped.
-----------------------------
Serious error.
All shortcuts have disappeared.
Screen. Mind. Both are blank.

Sunday, April 23, 2006

The Carnival Is Coming, The Carnival Is Coming

Belle has the Carnival of the Badger this week at Leaning Blue. Deadline is 11 PM Wednesday. You can get your submission to her in one of three ways.

· Send an email directly to badgercarnival@gmail.com. Please be sure to include the direct link to your post, as well as the name of your blog and if you think of it, a short summary of your post to help the carnival host.

· Use the Blog Carnival Submission Form. You can also view a list of all previous editions of the Carnival of the Badger at the Blog Carnival Archive Page.

· Use the Carnival Submit Form from Conservative Cat.

Or...You could go see Nick and volunteer to host.

What Could Go Wrong?

  1. John Lundberg is an instructor in a state sponsored Hunter Education program in Montana.
  2. They moved the Hunter Safety Class to the library and they knew that no firearms were allowed in the building.
  3. He knew that live ammo is not allowed in the classroom.
  4. He knew that he was putting a 28 gauge shell in a 20 gauge gun.
  5. He calls the hole in the ceiling, "something that will stay with those students for a long time," isn't sure what all the uproar is about.

Saturday, April 22, 2006

I Have Been Remiss

Jay Bullock has posted an excellent TABOR/TPA timeline over at folkbum's rambles and rants that helps to bring some focus to the argument about restricting revenues artificially. PMac at the MJS took issue with parts of that post and Jay has that discussion up as well.

Buried in the comments of that second post Sven has given the best analogy for the Bride of TABOR that I have seen. I'm going to change it just the tiniest bit here.

Imagine that you are driving your car down the Interstate and it starts to sputter. You pull over to the shoulder and take out the owners manual. There is a pamphlet tucked inside, half the length of the manual itself, which says, "Put in less gas."

Giving The People What They Want

The tizzysphere is in the middle of their weekly uproar. It seems that Russ Feingold's Progressive Patriots PAC has seen an upsurge in donations as the President's approval ratings have plunged.

The realization is building, however slowly, on the right that Feingold is getting traction on these issues are trying to smear him with ephemeral allegations that somehow these donations are morally suspect. They don't realize that it's just a case of giving the people an outlet for their anxiety and rage over the actions of this administration.

As contributions grow and sources widen it will be harder to dismiss Feingold as an outsider.

Like A Thresherman


When Grandma saw someone enjoying a meal with gusto she often said, "He eats like a thresherman." She meant that he could pack away amazing amounts of food and then ask if there was any pie for dessert.

There's not much call for threshing around here, especially not this time of year, but we wanted the lawn thatched for the Spring so we call Young Son the Second (by two minutes) and asked him to bring his friends and their equipment.

Just as threshing crews descended with steam engines and horses, these three swooped in with a mower, a blower and a thatcher and did the job in less than an hour. If we'd tried raking it would have taken the best part of an afternoon and no fewer than three blisters.

While they worked and made their noise we lit the grill and loaded the oven with potatoes. They had, somehow, managed to make ours the last stop of the day and, "Why, yes," they did have time for supper. The three of them tucked into brats and fries and salad and in half a jiffy were looking satisfied if not full.

It dawned on me then that those threshing crews, the men who had so impressed me as a young boy were probably no older than these three at my table. In their mid twenties, one expecting a third child, they were boys who had been at my table for more than two decades and now were boys no longer. Between us we are blessed with four boys and a son-in-law. They and their friends have made our table a place of love and laughter. The stories shared over a meal here would put shame to a lumber camp or a fish shanty.

Just before I fell asleep the beautiful Mrs Circumstance kissed my cheek and sighed. "It's fun to feed boys, isn't it?"

"Yes. Yes it is."

Friday, April 21, 2006

My, How Times Change

It used to be that politicians valued campaign workers willing to knock on doors. The new White House policy chief's resume includes pounding on windows.

h/t Daily Muckraker

Thursday, April 20, 2006

A Man Who Changed The World


There is a scene from The Right Stuff in Pancho Barnes' Happy Bottom Riding Club in which she says:
I tell you, we got two categories of pilots around here. We got your prime
pilots that get all the hot planes, and we got your pud-knockers who dream about
getting the hot planes. Now what are you two pud-knockers gonna have? Huh?

Yesterday in foul weather over Georgia, Prime Pilot Scott Crossfield's single engine plane went down killing the 84 year old pioneer. Crossfield was the first to fly at Mach 2 and flew the X-15 to 88,000 feet for North American Aviation.

The rivalry between military test pilots and civilians was the stuff of legend, with Chuck Yeager saying that Crossfield was a great pilot but too arrogant for Yaeger. But it was the brave men and women who tested the boundaries of flight who made so much of what we take for granted possible. Aviation today would be very different without the sacrifices of men like Scott crossfield.
The opening lines of that movie capture the sense of the mission:
There was a demon that lived in the air. They said whoever challenged him would
die. Their controls would freeze up, their planes would buffet wildly, and they
would disintegrate. The demon lived at Mach 1 on the meter, seven hundred and
fifty miles an hour, where the air could no longer move out of the way. He lived
behind a barrier through which they said no man could ever pass. They called it
the sound barrier.
Oh, by the way, the bartender in the background of that scene, the one in the bad hat. That was Chuck Yaeger.

The Public Wants Campaign Reform- John Gard, Not So Much

Remember how it hurt when a friend turned her back on you in grade school and started playing with new friends? That's how the supporters of a Campaign Finance Reform Bill must feel right now. John Gard is playing with his new friends from Washington and doesn't really care about his duties now.

It looks as if Mike Ellis' bill will die in the Assembly without being brought to a vote, perhaps without any discussion according to a story in the Wisconsin State Journal this morning. The story says;
Assembly Speaker John Gard, R-Peshtigo, was noncommittal Wednesday when asked
about whether he planned to schedule a vote on the bill. Gard, who is running
for Congress and is not seeking re-election to his Assembly seat, said he is
leaving it to his caucus to decide whether they want to amend the rules under
which they'd be required to live.

Just a short time remains in the Assembly's session and the Republicans seem more interested in pounding on the corpse of TPA than trying to fix campaign financing. Gard said, "There's a lot about the bill a lot of people don't like. What I'm trying to find is a way to get 50 votes for it. It's a work in progress, but today we didn't talk about it," according to the Journal.

So there he is, too busy to lead and suffering from Senioritis, Gard continues to collect his salary without feeling obligated to bring an acceptable bill to a vote while he struggles to be Dick Cheney's senator.

Sometimes It's A Cliche Because It's True


A Georgia man was hospitalized after jumping from the side of Alabama's DeSoto
Falls and plunging 150 feet before hitting the water.
That's the lead on a story that could have turned out much worse. Although the man was hospitalized after leaping into ten feet of water he is reported in stable condition with a back injury.

All you Larry the Cable Guy fans will be proud to know that witnesses report that just before leaping, Jason Carter turned to onlookers and shouted, "Hey, Y'all. Watch this!"

The Carnival Is Back In Town

The Carnival of the Badger is up at Badger Blogger. Cruise on over for the best of Wisconsin blogging last week. Patrick signed on at the last minute and did an admirable job of hosting.

Belle has the Carnival leaning her way next week. Why don't you step up and take a turn after that? It's free, easy and builds strong blogs 12 ways. See Nick for the details of how to host or post.

"Low Oil Prices Will Ruin The Economies Of Texas and Alberta"

"Indeed, while rebuilding Iraq's decrepit oil industry could cost the U.S.
billions of dollars, that will be more than made up by lower oil prices over the
long term," the Fortune article predicted. "For starters, $20 a barrel oil would
probably bring prices at the pump down to $1.35 per gallon, well below the
current cost of $1.71."

That's from Bill Wineke's column in this morning's Wisconsin State Journal. He goes on to say:
The prognosticators figured it might take three years or so for the lower prices
to develop, but develop they would.


Given the trend of predictions going into Iraq this shouldn't be a surprise. It should, however, give us pause when we hear the administration talking boldly about Iran.

UPDATE: Paul Soglin shares the President's reaction to record high crude oil prices. Surprisingly, Bush doesn't know that we are facing record high crude oil prices. The folks in Midland knew he was the worst oilman ever. Now the rest of us are finding out why.

Fred's Modest Proposal

Fred over at RDW has made a suggestion for Scotty McClellan's replacement.

As long as the Press Secretary is only going to be a shrill hack for the administration we might as well draft the best shrill hack we can find.

Council Reorganizes- Hockey Game Breaks Out

It sounds as if poor communication met overly high expectation at Tuesday's Council meeting and brought out the worst in some folks. Let us hope that this is the end of it and that we can put the election behind us and move forward.

If nothing else, the Plan Commission debacle needs to be sorted out in short order with all of the business before it.

Gina Duwe has the story at the Gazette.

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

This Has To Be Somebody's Dream Job

The CIA is mining new sources for information these days according to the Washington Times. They are reading foreign newspapers.
"I can't get into detail of what, but I'll just say the amount of open source
reporting that goes into the president's daily brief has gone up rather
significantly," Eliot A. Jardines, assistant deputy director of national
intelligence for open source said.
Now there may be a disconnect that the agency that is paying to put phony stories in foreign newspapers is getting their information from foreign newspapers. The real intelligence goldmine comes from another source according to Open Source Center Director Douglas Naquin;
"A lot of blogs now have become very big on the Internet, and we're getting a
lot of rich information on blogs that are telling us a lot about social
perspectives and everything from what the general feeling is to ... people putting information on there that doesn't exist anywhere
else
." (emphasis mine)
The CIA is paying people to read blogs and then believing what they read because, you know, if it's on the Internet it has to be true. Then they pass it on to our President in his daily briefing reports. GW doesn't believe what he reads in the papers so he ignores it, then gets his news from blog digests. Think about how often Spivak and Bice get it right and then be very afraid.

...now our customer base literally ranges from the president to local police
departments," Mr. Naquin said. The Fairfax County police use OSC products, as do
police departments in San Diego, New York and Baltimore. The center also
provides support to the U.S. military.

So the CIA now has a "customer base." Do you suppose they are trying to become a profit center rather than a cost center? What else are they selling and to whom? If they're using high powered computers to "sift" the Internet, which dolphins are they catching with the tuna?

"I can't get into detail of what, but I'll just say the amount of open
source reporting that goes into the president's daily brief has gone up rather
significantly," Mr. Jardines said

When A City Falls Below The Limit


City officials in Limerick, Ireland are concerned that a census taken following the local rugby team's Dublin appearance could cause the absence of thousands of fans. If more than 4000 or so are not counted Limerick would fall below the threshold for some funding sources.

See the story here. In their honor, I offer:

There once was a man from the sticks
Who loved to write Lim'ricks
But he failed at the sport
For he wrote them too short

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Fuzz Martin has the skinny on the way times have changed. When I went to UW we only had a choice of two.


h/t to Elliot

Mark Green and the Video Games

There has been a lot of chatter following Mark Green's Tax Day speech. The irony of a man who has voted for three of the last four bloated Federal budgets calling for fiscal restraint has not been lost on the Cheddarsphere or the MSM.

Let's take a look at some of the reactions.

Walton uses a personal analogy to explain the deficiencies of Green's support of a revenue limiting amendment.

WISC had a Reality Check that showed Green's speech wasn't exactly honest or forthright.

Xoff says that the MJS gives Green a pass. Carrie says that WSJ did the same.

Owen answers my question about Green's record by saying that Mark was just going along to get along and that we should take his word that he won't do it anymore.

Paul has dissected Green's assertions in a pair of posts that look to be part of a Summer long series.

As long as Mark Green is running against his record and his supporters keep saying we should just try to believe a little harder I think it'll be a fun Summer.

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

The Moral Equivalent Of Puppy Blogging

It is just a perfect day outside today. Not too cool, not too hot, not too bright. I just can't work up the snark that I know I should on a day after Tax Day.

Evansville is installing new Council Members. Committee members and our new Mayor tonight. Congratulations to them all and a hearty "Thank You" for serving.

Much discussion has gone on regarding my posts about Westfield Meadows and a lot of questions have been answered, not all with terrific answers, but answered nonetheless. Thanks to Bill Connors, Karen Aikman and Roger Berg.

I'm just amazed at how fast everything is greening up. It feels as if the trees all bloomed at once over the weekend. Life is good. Spring has sprung. Everything is all right.

Monday, April 17, 2006

Even Our Cartoons Work Too Hard

On average, Americans work 205 more hours per year than Italians, 270 more than
the French, 371 more than Germans, and an incredible 473 more than
Norwegians-whose economy, by the way, is booming. Indeed, since 1970 gross
domestic product per capita has risen faster in Europe, where the number of
working hours has fallen, than in the United States, where the work day, the
work week, and the size of our coffee cups have steadily increased.

That quote is from The Boston Globe which says that today's cartoons are being used to reinforce a "go-go-go" work ethic in America's children. Roll over the headline for the full story.

A Question For Our Candidates For Governor

When you see the candidates out campaigning ask if they will consider changing the Wisconsin abortion law that is carried on the books (suspended by Roe v Wade) or will they be content to let us be just like Florida and Alabama.

A Little Perspective

Today of all days it may seem that taxes are crushing you. Let's look at how the US tax burden stacks up against other countries as compared by MSNBC.

Back From A Busy Weekend

Welcome back.

A lot of people have answered part of my questions about the changes to the Final Land Divider's Agreement for Westfield Meadows and they have my thanks for their time. The Observer has a portion of this discussion over there. Bill Connors, as usual, has been patient and forthcoming in his reply. I'd like to readdress some of the fact and opinions here.

1) Westfield Meadows is a done deal. It's coming, so it's time to stop kvetching about it. As Bill has pointed out, the city needs it to recover investment in Lift Station 6. It's in the Plans. It's been talked to death. It's coming.

2)The current plan for Westfield Meadows ain't perfect but it's a damn sight better than the preliminary plans. The developers have addressed many of the concerns expressed by the community in the early going. Lot sizes are bigger (not always big enough, but bigger.) There will be no residences without basements. Water concerns are addressed in the Plan.

3)This end of my neighborhood has been most concerned about runoff from the new development. Nobody wants Kendall canoeing through my backyard again. The city has done a lot to mitigate the problem down here, but not every promise has come true yet. The pond at the end of Vision hasn't been dry one day since it was put in. The preliminary work on Westfield Meadows hasn't started.

4)In light of the extended timeframe for some of those corrections (almost a year to get the berm built, more than half that for the swale to be dug back) it was considered a victory to have a commitment to the Porter Road pond before building in Westfield Meadows. Having that pushed back has not been viewed so charitably.

5)The developers did not have to commit to anything north of Porter. That they did was a credit to them. I've not named the developers in these postings because my beef is not with them. They have made numerous changes and incurred expense to do so.

6) My reason for posting in the first place was because of a lack of visibility and communication on the part of the City. There was a Final Agreement in November. I screwed up. I stopped paying attention and the Final became the Not-So-Final. Bill Connors says there was a long discussion about the amendment at a Plan Commission meeting. That issue doesn't show in any of the agendas or minutes posted on the city website as of last Friday. The most recent Council minutes posted are for 1-20-06.

7) During the recent campaigns much was made of getting citizens involved. Over and over I heard plaints of, "We didn't know." Evansville needs to find a way to make sure that agendas are posted before the meetings. Posting at City Hall is not enough. The postings at the Police Station are often out of date or missing. Due to deadline and space constraints the Review is often behind by a week or more. Keep the website up to date. Then there can be no excuses.

8) My last point is a procedural one. If there was discussion at a Plan Commission meeting (I have no reason to believe there wasn't) and if the motion to amend was part of the report of that committee, why was no attempt made to explain the actions of the committee at Council? Three sentences addressing the compelling reasons for the amendment may have been enough. I just want to know that someone on Council is looking out for the residents and not just the developers.

We are trying to stay involved in our government. It's frustrating that it always feels like it's a battle.

Thursday, April 13, 2006

A Question For Mark Green

If you should happen to see the Republican candidate for Governor on the stump ask him a question for me, please.

Why did you vote for the Delay rule to allow indicted members of Congress to retain leadership positions? Was it loyalty or did you have 29,000 reasons?

That's Frau Blucher- Mit An L


Spivak and Bice put lipstick on a hog. Jess Bucher calls it beautiful. Cory wonders what all the hoopla is about and explains "margin of error."

Here is a simple fact. Outside of Greater Milwaukee no one knows who Paul Bucher is , either. Seventeen percent thought he was Cloris Leachman's husband in Young Frankenstein.

Poetic Justice

Belle has the scoop on Google Ads reaction to the latest AG poll. They posted an ad for JB on McBride's site.

Life is good.

When Does "Final" Equal "Not Final"

I've rewritten this post a half dozen times in the last 24 hours. Anger, bewilderment and disappointment took over my hand in the various drafts. I felt pole-axed at the City Council meeting Tuesday night by the actions of the Plan Commission and the full Council.

As part of the Plan Commission report there was a motion to fill in the blanks left in the Westfield Meadows Final Land Divider's Agreement from November. A part of that motion was a request by the developer to be relieved of the obligation to finish the detention pond north of Porter Road before begining work on the development.

This request, so far as I can tell, has not been discussed as part of the agenda or minutes of the Plan Commission.

Why would the Plan Commission give up the leverage to compel compliance?

Why change a compromise that was a victory for all the parties?

If the intention was to roll over for the developers all along, why allow the annexation of the parcel north of Porter?

Why was there not one voice at the full Council meeting to at least speak up and ask why the restriction was being changed?

Now that the developers can begin grading and building without protecting Abbey-Koth, who do I call when the water starts coming across the field?

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

A Post For My Wife

Quoting from Secondhand Lions:
I'm Hub McCann. I've fought in two World Wars and countless smaller ones on
three continents. I led thousands of men into battle with everything from horses
and swords to artillery and tanks. I've seen the headwaters of the Nile, and
tribes of natives no white man had ever seen before. I've won and lost a dozen
fortunes, killed many men and loved only one woman with a passion a flea like
you could never begin to understand. That's who I am. Now, go home, boy!

A Night With The Pipes



I take back a third of the bad things I said about the Overture Center. The restyling and restoration of the Capitol theater (not seen at left BTW) is magnificent. It nearly makes up for the shortcomings of the big hall in the building.

Last night the Battlefield Band was magnificent. The sound started muddy but improved as the night went on. Just a few observations from the show.

After 30 years it has to be tough to get up for every performance. When it sounds as if you have, you've done well by the audience.

Putting a mic on the bagpipes is gratuitous. I'm certain we can hear you.

The more pipes you have, the better it gets.

I'm a lucky man to have music in my life.

A Gentle Question

In light of Tom Tomorrow's new Presidential nickname I have a small question.

Why in the world wasthe NIE made Secret in the first place?

The Fragmentation Of America

I don't normally link to Daily Kos because I think that everyone I disagree with will be too turned off by the source to go look and everyone that agrees with me will have seen the piece already. I'm not certain who SusanG is beyond the fact that she started as a commenter and earned her posting rights on a very well known site. Her piece from Monday is so well written that I have to share it.

She comments on the politics of fragmentation, of wedging us apart by our differences and building suspicion and dissension.
Consider how the Social Security privatization debate pits the young against the
old, how tax cuts pit the rich against the poor, how the immigration debate pits
underpaid native-born Americans against cheap laborers. Listen to the right-wing
rhetoric about the "war on Christians" and think about how feeding the paranoia
of the fundamentalists sets that faction up against nearly everyone else, even
tolerant Christians. Anti-intellectualism, railing against affirmative action
policies, labeling pacifists as "traitors" ... these are all divide-and-conquer
tactics, used and abused throughout human history.

Instead, she says, we should build upon our strengths and similarities. The truth is, every American can be sliced half a dozen different ways: by gender, by class, by education, by age, by region, by religion ... and in this day and age of niche marketing, even by whether we are NASCAR fans or latte sippers. And the Bush administration has figured out, if you slice us, ultimately you can dice us.
While she spends time decrying the way that things have become she also has a message of hope for America.
It's come down to this: Living our lives around a presumption of shared humanity
has become a rebellious and provocative act to this government, by definition
almost a felonious conspiracy. Attendance at a Quaker meeting hall can get you
wiretapped without a warrant. Calling scholars overseas can get you data mined.
She sees that presumption of a shared humanity as our best trait, something upon which we can build. Please, go check out the full piece.

Monday, April 10, 2006

A Candidate Who Can't Say Anything Wrong

New Orleans has a popular R&B star running for mayor. He's nationally known. He's immensly popular. His campaign will be funded by the people and not by lobbies. He has only one drawback that anyone can see. He's been dead for five years.

Ernie K Doe, owner of the Mother-In-Law Lounge and singer on the hit of the same name is running for mayor of New Orleans. Funds raised in the campaign will be used to rebuild the Katrina-gutted nightclub.

When asked if he would support the singer's widow in her effort to rebuild in New Orleans, fellow politician F Jim Sensenbrenner said, "New Orleans is already as rebuilt as it needs to be. She should be raising funds to build a wall in the Gulf. Yeah, that's it an underwater wall. I gotta go."

Jessica McBride thinks that Ann Nischke can beat K-Doe, if only she takes McBride's advice.

Sunday, April 09, 2006

This Has It All

Tom Cruise, Oprah, and The Force being put to bad use.

Aaron has the clip. Go see Oprah toasted.

Saturday, April 08, 2006

Fugo Calls It A Day

Mason Braunschweig has decided that the tone of Chasing Ambulances in my Nightmares (linked over there) is not in keeping with his new position on the City Council and has decided to pull the plug. He promises to post at The Observer and will stay in touch with his constituents in other ways.

Adios, Amigo.
Hilo, HI

Cincinnati, OH

Jackson, MS

Salinas CA

Hinesburg, BC, Canada

Merimbula, NSW, Australia

What do they all have in common. They all carried stories about the Wisconsin referenda this week. If you swing over to ABVTimes you can see a partial list of the media outlets which covered the referenda.

There are those who will try to make us believe that no one is paying attention. Remember that this is just the beginning. The voices will grow stronger.

Friday, April 07, 2006

Overdue

Surrounded By Red sends us an overdue reminder.

Sign Of The Times



Bloggy goodness from Fort Bend County, Texas. I stumbled across Juanita's and can't take my attention away from it. She says it's not a blog but it's fully of linky happiness just the same.

My favorite is the e-mail from Delay's campaign calling for volunteers to wreck Nick Lampson's press conference calling for a special election to replace the Bugman. The Delay thugs show up and assault a 70 year old woman in the procecss.

And still, there are those who hold Delay in some kind of esteem. I wonder how they have deluded themselves.

The Names Have Been Changed To Protect The Innocent.


We were discussing the Gospel of Judas this morning at the breakfast table and the fact that the scrolls are 1700 years old came up.

One of us said, "I don't think we have any paper today that will still be around in 1700 years."

The other said, "Maybe not. But if they put them on AOL discs..."

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

The Little Carnival That Could


Once upon a time in a land far far away, there was a little Blog Carnival named the Carnival of the Badger. The CoB was very sad because no one had offered to take it in and make it feel at home that week.

No one came forward to make the Carnival their veriest own and the carnival went looking for someone to take it in. He went looking way up north to the PurpleSlog looking for a piece of history on his own. "Can you take me in and make me your own?" said the little Carnival.

PurpleSlog looked upon the Carnival in a kindly way. "I fear that I cannot for I have a quest to complete on my own. Have you tried looking within your heart to find out where you belong?" And he went back to seek the answer to his questions.

The little Carnival was confused. "How can I look within my own heart to find a place to call home this week?"

But he sat down beside the track and looked deep into himself for the answers to his own questions. He recalled Nick, a man who had given a home to Carnivals in the past, a good man and found himself there with him. "Can you answer my question, Nick? Can you help me?"

But Nick was searching for answers of his own. "Jenna's words have sent me on a quest to find White Privelege and I fear that I cannot help you this time. If I find someone I will tell you as soon as I can" and he disappeared into the mists wearing running shorts and a casual fleece, the perfect outfit for voting.

Just as the little Carnival was set to give up on finding a home Fred came out of the mist that Nick had just faded into. "Oh, Fred. Can you please help me? Do you have time to take in a little Carnival?"

But Fred kept walking. "No, My Friend. I'm on a mission to the mall. Mrs RDW has sent me out to shop with a purpose and I must go. I'm sure that something will turn up for you if you believe hard enough. Have you told Aaron you're looking for a place to call your own?"

"I wasn't sure that Aaron wanted me to tell," the little Carnival sniffed.

"I'm certain that he wants you to tell. Go see if you can find him. I think he's over by the photo shop."

The little Carnival sighed as Fred walked away. He might as well give up but that was against his nature. Would a miracle come to save him? He turned to head back home. "I know someone will want me. I know they will," he kept repeating. "I know it. I know they will."

Just then the Little Carnival saw Nick again, running to catch him. He slowed to let Nick catch up. "What's going on, Nick. I thought you were on a quest."

Nick caught his breath and said, "I was thinking about some sh... about some cra...about some things that have been bothering me. I'll bet that if you go see grumps he can help you. Go now and go fast. It's very late and I doubt there will be many there ahead of you," and he picked up his pace once more.

So the little Carnival headed over to The Happy Circumstance to see grumps. The doddering old man was about to turn in for the night since it was already half-past American Idol but he held the door for the little Carnival. grumps made chicken soup and chocolate for the little Carnival and tucked him into a feather bed. "Let me tell you a story, Carnival. it will help you sleep.

"Once upon a time there was a kindly old woman..." But the Carnival was already dreaming that someone else would take him in next week.

Will you make that dream come true?

The Stuff You Take For Granted

My Grandmother is an incredible woman. She's 102 and just signed a two-year lease on her apartment. One of my co-workers said we should be thankful she didn't sign a 30 year mortgage. I wouldn't put it past her.

My son's girlfriend went along a few weeks ago to visit her and then the kids went out to do something else. She told my son that she'd never talke d with anyone that old, had never met anyone that old. My son told her that she'd always been that much older but you'd never know it.

When my boys were born my grandmother was 77, not so very many years older than my Mother is now. She seemed to be the very picture of old. Now, at 102, not so much. She keeps her mind sharp by playing three games of cards every night but Monday. Monday night is set aside for Scrabble.

I've always counted on my Grandmother to remember who did what when or when something happened and to whom. I suppose my grand-daughter will look at me the same way someday. The old guy who keeps repeating the same stories. If I'm as spunky as my Grandmother, if I can make her boyfriend say, "I never met anyone that____." I'll have done my job.

Call your Grandmother tonight. Ask her one question that only she can answer. It'll do both of you some good.

By The Numbers- The Referenda- 2-1 Say Withdraw

The people have decided. The chart below from the Cap Times lists the results of the referenda on the War in Iraq. Despite all of the attempts to characterize the measures as a vote for "Cut and Run" or a meaningless exercise or a Commie, Pinko plot the voters of Wisconsin tried to send a message to an administration which has proven to be immune to messages.

Were there surprises? Sure. The 3-1 rejection in Watertown says something about the ability of those opposed to get out the vote. The quiet approval of the measures in the outland speaks to the widespread dissatisfaction with the ongoing war.

I urge candidates of both parties to listen to what these communities said yesterday and to believe in the people.

Algoma Yes - 420 (52%) No - 388
Amery Yes - 223 (53%) No - 196
Baraboo Yes - 1,740 (52%) No - 1,592
Casco Yes - 55 (52%) No - 50
Couderay Yes - 18 No - 4
Draper Yes - 41 (65%) No - 22
Edgewater Yes - 38 (52%) No - 35
Egg Harbor Yes - 40 No - 47 (53%)
Ephraim Yes - 55 (54%) No - 47
Evansville troops home Yes - 444 (51%) No - 425
Evansville support Bush Yes - 386 No - 397
Exeland Yes - 18 (53%) No - 16
Forestville Yes - 59 No - 61 (51%)
Frederic Yes - 92 (53%) No - 82
Hayward Yes - 114 No - 127 (53%)
Kewaunee Yes -252 (57%) No - 188
La Crosse Yes - 3,614 (55%) No - 2,983
Ladysmith Yes - 544 (53%) No - 479
Luxemburg Yes - 152 (51%) No - 147
Madison Yes - 24,344 (68%) No - 11,252
Monona Yes - 1,864 (59%) No - 1,290
Mount Horeb Yes - 593 (53%) No - 531
Newport (turnover to Iraq by end of 2006) Yes - 58 No - 64
Ojibwa Yes - 25 (61%) No - 16
Osceola Yes - 156 (43%) No - 203 (57%)
Perry Yes - 139 (54%) No - 117
Shorewood Yes - 1,664 (70%) No - 723
Sister Bay Yes - 109 No - 113 (51%)
Sturgeon Bay Yes - 722 (58%) No - 531
Vermont Yes - 190 (65%) No - 101
Watertown Yes - 897 No - 2,669 (75%)
Whitefish Bay Yes - 1,313 (54%) No - 1,115
Winter Yes - 50 (65%) No - 27

A Town Without Pitney


Gene Pitney recorded the best movie theme song that was not used in the movie. "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," "Town Without Pity," and "24 hours from Tulsa" were all hits for Gene Pitney in the 60's.

Pitney died last night while on tour in Wales at age 65. The cause of death is not known at this time.

Connecting The Dots

I can't work up much sympathy for Scott Jensen but even I had to wince when I saw Ragnar's comparison. Jensen's lawyers probably wish that he hadn't connected the dots before the sentencing.

Jessica McTizzy In Full Spin Mode

Jessica McBride is spinning like crazy this morning. After predicting an overwhelming victory for Ann Nischke McBride is scrambling for someone to blame for the failure of Waukesha residents to follow her lead. This morning she's found out who is responsible for Nischke's defeat by Larry Nelson.

It was Democrats. (I'll give you a oment to catch your breath before I continue.)

McBride chastises Nelson for taking campaign donations from Democrats. She rails about the turnout of Democrat volunteers to get out the vote. She laments that F Jim and Tommy T didn't get in the fray to deflect the rampant partisanship. (Huh?) She even takes to task the Journal Sentinel, which endorsed Nischke, for not whining as much as she does.

There is a lot of neener-neener and nanny-boo-boo going on this morning across the state. Some of it passes as analysis, some is merely in-your-face-happy-dancing. McBride, a teacher who hates teachers, a journalist who hates journalists, a populist who hates people who don't take her keening advice, has set the bar prety low for election day wrap-ups.

I can hardly wait for the Nixonian moment when she declares that we won't have Pistol Packin' Paul to kick around anymore.

Update: She's spinning full time now. This time it's about the referenda on the war in Iraq. In a piece peppered with "except for, " "disregarding," and "if you leave out,"s McBride says that black is white, that up is down, that Wisconsin really vote for war. McBride attacks Lefties, the media, peace groups, the referendum process and our intelligence in a shrill bid to draw attention from the facts. She becomes less consequential with each post.

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Evansville Results 9 PM

Congratulations to the winners in Evansville. Sandy, Mason, Fred, John, Art and Tina, a job well done to all. To those who didn't win I offer my thanks. Stay involved. Evansville needs you.

Let's call the referenda close but clear. If 2% is a landslide...

950 votes cast with a voter roll of 3221= 29.5% Not quite double the Primary vote total.

From Channell 27's website at 9 PM:

Mayor
Karen Aikman 325 34.2%
Sandy Decker 625 65.7%

District 1 Alder
Mason Braunschweig 127 53.8%
Jon Senn 109 46.1%

District 4 Alder
John Sornson 125 72.2%
Wayne Steinlein 48 27.7%

School Board 2 Seats
Tina Rossmiller 458 28.5%
Dale Bryant 254 15.8%
Richard Woulfe 275 17.1%
Arthur Phillips 619 38.5%

Referendum 1 (Troops Home)
Yes 444 51.0%
No 425 48.9%

Referendum 2 (Unquestioned Victory)
Yes 386 49.2%
No 397 50.7%

Get Out The Vote


I'll blatantly steal from Richard Russell. His advice holds no matter where you vote. Just substitute the name of your municipality for "Madison."


Remember to vote (Today) Tuesday April 4 in Wisconsin's spring (non-partisan)
general election.


Polls are open in most places at 7 AM and stay open
everywhere until 8 PM. (People in line at 8 PM are allowed to vote.)

If you aren't sure where to vote, consult the blue (government) pages
of your phone book and call your city, village, or town clerk.
In Madison, you can find out where to vote and also get candidate info
at the city clerk's website:
http://www.ci.madison.wi.us/clerk/election.html

Madison and 2 dozen other Wisconsin municipalities will also have an
advisory referendum question on the ballot asking whether US troops
should be withdrawn from Iraq now.

Steinlein Withdraws On Election Day

Evansville Alder candidate Wayne Steinlein has withdrawn from the race for the District 4 seat an article published this morning at Gazetteextra.com says. Steinlein cited the possibility of a job move in the coming year and the unfairness to the voters of withdrawing so soon after the election.

Because of the late withdrawal Steinlein's name remains on the ballot against incumbent John Sornson. From the article:
Rock County Clerk Kay O'Connell said if Steinlein is elected, he would have to
resign from the position and the common council would appoint a new alderman.

Voting Numbers In Evansville

Please update in the comments as you vote.

It looks like turnout will be high. I voted at 7:40 and was #65. The other benefit to voting early is that the lemon bars at the PrimeTimer's bake sale are yummy.

Clarifying Campaign Laws- Marginally

I offer this only because the question has been raised. I have no personal knowledge of any candidate who may or may not have violated the letter or spirit of this Section.

2005 Wisconsin Statutes 11.30(2)(c) Every such communication which
is directly paid for or reimbursed by an individual, including a candidate
without a personal campaign committee who is serving as his or her own
treasurer, or for which an individual assumes responsibility, whether by the
acceptance of a contribution or by the making of a disbursement, shall be
identified by the words "Paid for by" followed by the name of the candidate or
other individual making the payment or reimbursement or assuming responsibility
for the communication. No abbreviation may be used in identifying the name
of a committee or group under this paragraph.

HammerTime

Tom Delay announces today that he will step down from Congress and abandon his re-election bid.

Delay takes no responsibility for his troubles despite the fact that three former aides have been convicted of various misuses of public office and the fact that the Jack Abramhoff scandal continues to lend its stink to Delays campaign.

Good riddance to the Exterminator. Congress will soon be a better place for his absence.

Monday, April 03, 2006

Mark Your Calendar In Red- This Won't Happen Often

It won't happen often. I agree with Bob Dohnal, Publisher of the Wisconsin Conservative Digest.

Dohnal questions the pre-primary State GOP endorsement of John Gard for Congress in violation of the GOP Constitution. Dohnal states that the Good-Old-Boys network has ordained Gard without considering the effect on the general election.

He believes that Terri McCormick stands a chance to beat Nancy Nusbaum and retain Mark Green's seat for the Republicans. He doesn't believe that John Gard can claim the same.

The Democrats are going to have a field day beating up on Gard about his
connection in the Scott Jensen/Steve Foti caucus scandal.

GardÂ’s ability to win is questionable. Legislative leaders have an abysmal
record in getting elected. How many have moved up to higher office,
statewide or nationally?

Polls have shown Gard to be very unpopular. In a poll conducted through the
Wisconsin Conservative Digest in 2005, Gard only received 2 to 3 percent support
in his bid for Governor. The poll was taken of the leading GOP people across the
state — 5,000 total, with an impressive 45 percent return. Gard obviously saw
the same numbers and he dropped out of the race.


Dohnal places blame for this usurpation of public choice directly at the feet of party head Rick Graber.

And who is Graber to do this? His record is abysmal. According
to my count he is 0-12 in key statewide races where a Republican win was needed.
We donÂ’t even have candidates in many important races. Where is our candidate
against Herb Kohl for U.S. Senate? GraberÂ’s gang has never fielded a strong
challenge to any of the Democrat congressman and blew the last governor's
race.


What has caused this dilemma? Is Graber, head of a lobbying firm in debt to
Gard for help he has received for his clients? Do the others really believe that
Gard is the best candidate, or is it just cronyism for the Milwaukee/Madison
people to control the 8th district vote?


Somehow, the party whose rallying cry has been, "Let the people decided," have decided that the people shouldn't have a chance. John Gard is Mark Green's and Dick Cheney's pick. That's enough for Washington, and apparently enough for the voters of the 8th District.

Baseball 201


I believe in the Church of Baseball. I've tried all the major religions, and most of the minor ones. I've worshipped Buddha, Allah, Brahma, Vishnu, Siva, trees, mushrooms, and Isadora Duncan. I know things.

For instance, there are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary and there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I heard that, I gave Jesus a chance. But it just didn't work out between us. The Lord laid too much guilt on me. I prefer metaphysics to theology.

You see, there's no guilt in baseball, and it's never boring... which makes it like sex. There's never been a ballplayer slept with me who didn't have the best year of his career. Making love is like hitting a baseball: you just gotta relax and concentrate. Besides, I'd never sleep with a player hitting under .250... not unless he had a lot of RBIs and was a great glove man up the middle.

-Annie Savoy

Baseball 101

Opening Day

Milwaukee

Many, many years ago.

Our tickets were in the upper deck down the third base line. Thirty-seven degrees with the wind blowing in off the lake. We were all stuff in down and flannel and wedged into seats made for people in shorts and tank tops.

Charlie Hough got chased in the second by the Brewers and BJ Surhoff hit one off a bus in the parking lot. The grass was impossibly green and County Stadium glittered like fool's gold. For one day everything in the world was right and good and true.

Opening Day is the triumph of optimism. Every team is undefeated. Every fan is a fanatic. Opening Day makes time regress. I can close my eyes and see myself sitting high behind home plate with Hank Aaron at the plate.

My life is good.

A good friend of mine used to say, "This is a very simple game. You throw the
ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you
lose, sometimes it rains." Think about that for a while. - Ebby Calvin LaLoosh

Sunday, April 02, 2006

Everything Old Is New Again- A Tribute To F Jim

America was indebted to immigration for her settlement and prosperity. That part of America which had encouraged them most had advanced most rapidly in population, agriculture and the arts. -James Madison (1751–1836)


I am satisfied the present Chinese labor invasion (it is not in any proper sense immigration—women and children do not come) is pernicious and should be discouraged. Our experience in dealing with the weaker races—the negroes and Indians, for example—is not encouraging. We shall oppress the Chinamen, and their presence will make hoodlums and vagabonds of their oppressors. I therefore would consider with favor suitable measures to discourage the Chinese from coming to our shores. But I suspect that this bill is inconsistent with our treaty obligations.... If it violates the National faith, I must decline to sign it. -Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)


Immigration, which even the war has not stopped, will land upon our shores hundred of thousands more per year from overcrowded Europe. I intend to point them to the gold and silver that waits for them in the West. Tell the miners from me, that I shall promote their interests to the utmost of my ability; because their prosperity is the prosperity of the Nation, and we shall prove in a very few years that we are indeed the treasury of the world.
-President ABRAHAM LINCOLN, message for the miners of the West, delivered verbally to Speaker of the House Schuyler Colfax, who was about to depart on a trip to the West, in the afternoon of April 14, 1865, before Lincoln left for Ford’s Theatre.


The admission of Oriental immigrants who cannot be amalgamated with our people has been made the subject either of prohibitory clauses in our treaties and statutes or of strict administrative regulations secured by diplomatic negotiations. I sincerely hope that we may continue to minimize the evils likely to arise from such immigration without unnecessary friction and by mutual concessions between self-respecting governments.
-William Howard Taft (1857–1930), U.S. president. Inaugural address, March 4, 1909

Give me your hungry, your tired your poor
we'll piss on 'em
That's what the statue of bigotry says
Your poor huddled masses,
lets club 'em to death
And get it over with
and just dump 'em on the boulevard....
-Lou Reed

Saturday, April 01, 2006

It's That Day -Be Careful


Time for fun and foolishness.

Ragnar and the legislators.

Jef claims that someone is charging $500 each for brats.

Mark sells out.

And an old favorite.

Coming Down To It

So we come down to the hard nub of it. The election begins in something like 72 hours. I've been quiet about support or endorsement of any candidates to maintain some impartiality for the forum last week. To be painfully honest, there were times when making a choice was tough.
If my involvement in local politics has taught me anything it's how many good, dedicated people are involved.

Don't misunderstand. Some of those good, dedicated people may be wrong on one or another issue. They may be stubborn or brusque on occassion. But we are not cursed with the petty or the venal that some communities seem to be saddled with.

After last Saturday's forum I asked for one of Karen Aikman's yard signs for my house. I'll be voting for Karen because of something that Fred Juergens said. He said that the learning curve for those new to city government was very steep. I'll vote for Karen because she has the experience to flatten that curve. Evansville needs to hit the ground running on several projects this Spring.

That decision is made in the hope that Sandy can stay involved in city affairs. She has worked hard to broaden her experience with city government and to build some public management skills. Some have downgraded her for her failure to embrace the bloging community. I won't do that. We can be a slightly scruffy bunch and we're new. If we can keep our act together perhaps candidates will see us as one more way to reach out.

So there it is. I'll be voting for Karen and Fred. For County Judge? Look across the street from my house for the campaign sign. Assume I'll vote the opposite.