Banned Words

Lake Superior State has their annual list of words which, by their overuse, have earned our scorn and deserve banishment.

Green is out along with Carbon Footprint. Both are overused and under-understood. Over the side they go. May the nouns be replaced by verbs.

Maverick gets jettisoned because of repetition into meaninglessness. One wonders how Scott Walker can frame his campaign without this one. Frau Bucher may never write again.

First Dude? LSU says it best.

"Skateboard English is not an appropriate way to refer to the spouse of a
high-ranking public official." Paul Ruschmann, Canton, Mich.

Go. Read the list for yourself. You'll find the expression which I will do my best to avoid in the new year. May I be strong enough to do without Not So Much.

The Best Rock And Roll Song Ever

Let's let 2008 run up to the barn while we enjoy a tune from The Boss, shall we?

Lucky Man

As I was cleaning up after supper tonight I washed the Princess teacups from the Little Miss' first tea party and three wine glasses from a fine meal with two of my very favorite people.

Life is good, indeed.

Well. I Didn't See That Coming.

Congratulations are in order to Mary Beaver. Now she won't have all that pesky "spare" time to worry about.

Evansville EMS coordinator to be appointed to county board

Thanks, Mary. And thanks again to the other two candidates.

A Note To John Smalley

First off, Congratulations. It is still an honor to take charge of a local institution.

Please remember that you are now the curator of the legacies of Roundy and Dieckmann and Butler and a thousand others who have informed and entertained Madison, Dane County and the state of Wisconsin for more than a dozen decades. Treat those memories with respect and you'll be respected in turn.

Lastly. When someone says they are handing you the reins, you might want to make sure it's not an anchor rope.

Weather Question

Does it feel as if someone just pushed the reset button?

Merry Christmas To You All

A Packer Question

How do you coach, "Don't let them block the kick?"

Isn't that pretty basic?

A Quick Question

Does today seem longer to you, too?

What I Know

I don't know if Caroline Kennedy is qualified to be a Senator. So far she hasn't shown any great gift for campaigning which is, for better or worse, a huge part of the job. The mini-gaffe, showing up for her listening tour at the office of Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown who is also a candidate, shows that her organization could use a little fine-tuning of its own.

I don't know about the Hilary question. Is there enough residual antipathy to Kennedy's support of the President-elect to create friction with former Clintonites?

I do know this. Some of the loudest squawkers about Caroline Kennedy's interest in the office are tossing off words like "dynastic" and "entitlement." I know that a lot of these same squawkers had no trouble voting for Shrub twice for Preznit and are looking to Jeb as a probable candidate as soon as the days get long and the memories of GWB grow short.

"Piffle," I say. Let her come through the process. She can't possibly be the worst Senator and there's time for a correction to come. If you have a list of reasons that Caroline Kennedy is unfit to serve bring it forward now so we can see and Gov Paterson can use it in his decision. If all you have is a lingering animus toward JFK perhaps your voice isn't a useful part of the decision-making process.

Take A Break From Wrapping Presents

Cemetery Fees, Snow removal and the Wastewater Plant Project Public Hearing. Don't say you didn't hear about it.

NOTICE: The regular meeting of the Public Works Committee for the City of Evansville will be held on the date, time, and place stated below. Notice is further given that members of the City Council might be in attendance.

Public Works Committee
Regular Meeting
Monday, December 22nd, 2008 at 5:30 p.m.
Public Works Shop, 535 South Madison Street, Evansville, WI

*Please note the special time

AGENDA
1 Call the meeting to order

2 Roll Call

3 Motion to Approve Agenda

4 Motion to Approve minutes of the following meeting; October 28th, 2008.

5 Citizen appearances


A Public Hearings;
1. Waste Water Facility plan Public Hearing
· Staff Report
· Public Hearing
· Final Comments by the Public Works Committee

6 Construction Updates

A Main Street Progress Report
1. Discussion and possible motion on new way-finding signs

B Capstone Ridge Phase 2 Progress Report
C Westfield Meadows Progress Report
D Celtic Ridge Progress Report
E Lake Leota

7 Site plan Reviews

8 Communications from City Engineer –

9 Communications of Public Works Director –
A Discussion and possible motion(s) regarding snow removal.

10 New Business
A Bill Hurley will be present to discuss cemetery fees and policies. Public works will discuss and may act on motions related to cemetery.

11 Old Business
A West side water issue (to remain on agenda indefinitely)

12 Parks and Recreation Report

13 Adjourn

Mason Braunschweig, Chair, Public Works Committee
Please turn off all cell phones while the meeting is in session. Thank you!

Gloria Gaynor And Me, Baby. We Ain't Afraid Of The Winter's Scourge

With a plucked piano, no less, Igudesman & Joo




And the answer to the question nobody asked, "Whatever happened to Rollerdisco?" With Ms Gaynor herself.

From The Archives; A Christmas Favorite

RUDOLPH'S NIGHT OFF

'Twas the night before Christmas
and Rudolph was lame!
The vet from the North Pole said,
"Footrot's to blame.

I'll give him some sulfa,
it's the best I can do
But stall rest is needed
the next week or two."

"Great Scott!" cried old Santy,
he turned with a jerk,
"I won't git through
Pierre if my headlights don't work!

On Interstate 40
I'll surely get fined
And lost in Montana if
I'm flying blind!"

"No cop in his right mind
would give any clout
To a geezer who claimed
that his reindeer went out!

"He gathered the others,
ol' Donner and Blitzen,.
Were any among 'em
whose nose was transmitzen?

They grunted and strained
and sure made a mess
But no noses glowed brightly
or ears luminesced.

"It's bad luck in bunches,"
cried Santy, distressed,
"We'll fly Continental,
the Red Eye Express!"

"I'll just check the schedule,"
he put on his glasses
When up stepped 'ol Billy,
the goat from Lampasasas.

He shivered and shook
like a mouse on the Ark
But his horns were a beacon...
They glowed in the dark!

Santy went crazy! He asked,
"Why?" with a smile"
I just ate a watch
with a radium dial!

Where I come from in
Texas we don't have thick hide
My skin is so thin
it shines through from inside."

"If that's true then let's feed him!"
cried Santy with glee"
Gather everything burnin'
and bring it to me!

"So Billy ate flashbulbs
and solar collectors,
Electrical eels and
road sign reflectors,

Firecracker sparklers,
a Lady Schick shaver
And Lifesavers,
all of em' wintergreen flavor,

Jelly from phophorescellous fish,
Day Glow pizza in a glittering dish,
Fireflies and candles
and stuff that ignites,

Then had him a big bowl
of Northering Lights!
He danced on the rug
and petted the cat

And after he'd finished and done all of that
To store up the static 'lectricity better
They forced him to eat
two balloons and a sweater!

When he opened his mouth,
light fell on the floor,
Like the fridge light comes on
when you open the door!

His Halloween smile
couldn't be better drawn
When he burped accidently,
his high beams kicked on!

"Hitch him up!" cried ol' Santy,
and they went on their way.
I remember that Christmas
to this very day

The sky was ablaze
with the stars shining bright.
They were shooting and falling
all through the night.

And I realize now,
though my fingers are crossed,
What I really was seein'...
was ol' Billy's exhaust!
--Baxter Black--

Just Thankful No One Got Hurt

There are ten thousand snarky things to be said but for now just hope he can turn it around for himself and his constituents.

Add a, "Well done," for Mike Sheridan's reaction as well.

Amazing, Ain't It?

Does it make you wonder that so many Republican Senators feel that the government has no place setting wages when the minimum wage is discussed yet feel it entirely appropriate to demand wage cuts from the UAW?

If all they truly want is wage parity perhaps they should ask the foreign automakers in their states to adjust contracts upward to match those of the Big Three.

Optimistic Criminals

Anyone who thought that it was still remotely possible to embarass Little Al Unser enough to collect blackmail should be in a different line of work.

Stolen from the Deadspin comments:
Rubbin' is racin'

Sometimes I Have To Remind Myself That Bob Fosse Wasn't Roy Gideon

The incomparable Fosse with Tommy Rall from "My Sister, Eileen," in 1955.

Is That What You Mean?

The local grocery is going with a new promotion in which purchases earn points which can be used for discounted gasoline purchases. They're calling it, "Turn Groceries Into Gas."

I know some boys who've made that particular transaction into an art form.

It still hasn't risen to the delicious lunacy of the "Dick's Insider Club," yet, though.

Stimulating The Economy, One Free Agent At A Time

Dangit.

A Little Brains, A Little Talent and a bottomless wallet.

Damn Yankees.

How Bad Was Your Day, Honey?

A Denver police detective reported his unmarked police car was stolen from the driveway of his Arvada home Tuesday.


The detective reported the car missing just after 5:30 a.m.


The grey-four-door Ford Taurus has a Colorado license plate 356-DHS. It is believed a police issued shotgun was inside the trunk of the car, said a police spokeswoman.

A Haughty Spirit Takes A Tumble

How incredibly stupid and venal can one man be?

Federal authorities arrested Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich Tuesday on
charges that he brazenly conspired to sell or trade the U.S. Senate seat left
vacant by President-elect Barack Obama to the highest bidder.

Blagojevich also was charged with illegally threatening to withhold
state assistance to Tribune Co., the owner of the Chicago Tribune, in the sale
of Wrigley Field, according to a federal criminal complaint. In return for state
assistance, Blagojevich allegedly wanted members of the paper's editorial board
who had been critical of him fired.

He knew he was the subject of investigations and still he couldn't stop himself from rank, crass stupidity. Incredible.

BTW, Proverbs 16:18

Hoping For No Change

Hmmm. Cautiously optimistic, indeed.

If he comes back to Milwaukee it's a huge victory for the little guy but they'll have to look at using him differently. If CC is here for the year Macha won't be able to ride him for 9 at a time and hope to have him in September.

How Is It Possible?

How can a three-year-old child, an itty-bitty three-year-old, force two adults out of a king-sized bed and then trash the covers as if it were a deer yard?

These Guys Never Got The Joke

The old joke is that burglars broke into the Police Station and stole the fixtures from the privy. Officers had nothing to go on.

[add rim shot here]

These two fellers must have never heard the joke.

A police radio and a firearm were recovered Friday when Lafayette County
Sheriff's Office deputies arrested two South
Wayne-area men suspected of burglarizing a village police
department.

Just A Quick Note To Rick Graber

The people who already know your name also know your record of failure to produce on goals. That's not the kind of name recognition that gets you elected Governor.

Said another Republican activist who has been involved in statewide
campaigns: "Graber has no shot to win the nomination. None. Zilch. Zero. If
there was a way to convey a less than zero percent chance, I'd use that
word."

67 Years

Remember

Learn

War With Christmas

It's been a quiet December so far. There's been very little of the nattering and fund-raising to "Save Christmas" from whatever ephemeral, fevered imaginings. But I did see this story about an attack on Christmas traditions and the nuclear family.

Authorities say a west Florida man who lives with his parents has been
arrested on a felony assault charge after he used a Christmas tree as a weapon
to attack his father.

The story doesn't state the cause of their disagreement so we can only speculate that it was something about the rightful place of public subsidy of holiday displays in governmentally owned common spaces.

For a story of another holiday season spat, go see what Capper has to say about it.

Fine Upstanding Citizen Update

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio -- A Tri-State woman is in critical condition
Wednesday after police say her husband shot her while they were having sex.

Timothy Havens, 38, told Springfield police he was reaching for
something on the nightstand when the pistol went off, hitting his estranged wife
Carolyn in the upper chest.

Not enough?

His arrest Tuesday for the weekend shooting was for violating a civil
protection order that Carolyn had taken out against him earlier this year.

Havens is reputed to have said that he kept the pistol on the nightstand in case he should have to overthrow an unjust government before morning or if Pakistani terrorists were to pop up in his half bath.

Um, Elliott?

Nathan has a new piece of equipment for you and I know how much you like new tech.

Wisconsin Unemployment Numbers Soar

They say that a new broom sweeps clean and the Obama administration is following that precept.

While many of our US ambassadors are career civil service hires there are a number of these positions which are filled by political appointees. It is often a post to a prestigious or physically attractive location that is filled as a reward to a contributor or a former loyal employee. With the changing of the administration comes the call for letters of resignation from these political appointees.

That means that Rick Graber, fresh from a mission to find vote fraud in the Czech Republic, will be back in the private sector. Maybe he can snag on with John Gard Consulting. If he were to bring along his client list then John would be able to boast of having an actual client. And, wouldn't it be fun for the rest of us watching Graber and Gard trying to be cordial?

Mark Green will also be coming back to the states. I'm torn about this. Green has been a great representative for this country in Africa. President Obama could certainly do worse than Ambassador Green, that is, if Green and his family wish to stay in Africa of course. If Green comes back to the US, where does he wind up? Ex Republican Reps are a glut on the market in Washington. There's not a lot of call for Republican lobbyists anywhere right now. I can't imagine that there's any great enthusiasm for another Green for Gov run, especially given The Tosa Ranger's 2-year plan to suck the lifeblood out of the Wisconsin Republican donor base. It sounds like he's a candidate for "Private Practice."

Which brings us to another Wisconsin political resignation. The US Attorney system normally rolls completely over with the change of administration. Yesterday we saw that Steve Biskupic, the USA for Eastern Wisconsin was going into private practice. Given the Republican disdain for lawsuits by private citizens can we assume that Biskupic is headed into that lucrative "Private Prosecution" field? No, he's looking forward to

"nice and boring corporate civil cases."

That's a right-wing safe way of saying he'll be listed as "Defendant's Counsel" on lawsuits like that.

What Do You Get When You Drag Eight Gold Medals Through A Trailer Park?

Meet the Parents and a new career.

America can be so proud of its heroes.

When You Say

When the CEO of one of the Big Three automakers is complaining about "Legacy Costs" it's useful to remember that what he's talking about are obligations incurred by his predecessors in an effort to keep costs low at the time.

Union members bargained in good faith to take less monetary compensation in exchange for the promise of the company to provide benefits, which were a lower cost to the company at the time, for a set period of time. Unions were, perhaps, naive to believe that the manufacturers would uphold their end of the bargain now that it's easier to blame retired workers who gave their careers to build what the decision makers have pissed away.

Shucks

I could hear heads exploding from here. Just imagine the rise in blood pressure medicine sales if this had come true.

But he says he has no interest in being a junior Senator. I can't say I blame him for that.