Random Musing

Tea party and Occupation might have a common enemy but they don't even realize it: corruption of political power. Because they come at it from radically different angles, they just might be irreconcilable because of their own obtuseness, but that might not be all bad. Woe be the power of the man who can deceive both to follow.

Phrase of the Day: Facebook Telephone

Facebook telephone: The process of a story getting messed up not because of word of mouth, but because others might not know the background to the story and thus misinterpret it completely.

A Eulogy to the Heroic

There comes a moment in the lives of very few men and women when they accept, without emotional bias, that events have become larger than any one man, or even one thousand. In those moments comes a grim determination to do what they can to help save others for as long as luck, fate, and their maker allows. This acceptance of reality doth create heroism and bravery.

Seemingly randomly, as events subside, some come to meet their maker, while others are allowed to persist and return to life. Invariably, those who have faced their end will tell all that they are not the hero, rather the heroes are those who faced hopelessness and lost. Yet the living remain heroes, for it takes much heroism to face death and still push forward, but it takes even more to survive and accept the gift of life again.

Disliking the 2012 Tea Leaves

Horrifying thought. For the next 15 months, the Dems repeatedly force the GOP to deliver what the Tea Party wants, knowing full well that the GOP cannot do so minus either the Senate or POTUS. Tea Party disapproval leads to political fratricide, which disrupts a unified front against the left, and which could in turn destroy the Tea Party from within.

Democrats May Have Just Snatched Victory from Defeat

24 hours ago, I thought Republicans had dropped any blame for default squarely in the laps of the Democrats. Democrats are better at playing chicken, though. The "compromise" being discussed tonight is a big pile of chicken poop, but likely necessary to forestall default now that it is out there. But Democrats understood a very important strategic fact. They can afford to piss off their supporters. The GOP cannot afford to piss off the Tea Party.

The Tea Party is full of Washington veterans, but its life blood is the passionate, relative newbies who lean towards Republicans because of shared values, but who expect the GOP to toe their line. They state a willingness to go to war against any Republican who doesn't toe that line. And they didn't get what they wanted in this deal.

This could have a two-fold effect. First, it is going to turn Tea Party rage right of center. Oh, they won't be anymore supportive of Obama, Reid, Pelosi, et al. And they'll still fight hard to unseat Obama. But this will split their rage. There will be some cannibalism towards individuals on the right. And that split focus is precisely what Obama needs. If the Tea Party has a singular, laser-like focus on him in the coming year, he is in trouble. But if they are sniping at the right, too, that's just enough to give him some wiggle room and to sew together a narrative to use against the Republican candidate.

Second, this might end up being the shatter point for the Tea Party. Like the Republican Revolution of the mid-1990's eventually experienced, this is a point where the realists, the idealists, the self interested, and the national interest types all move in different directions and shear the movement apart.

There is still time, and I acknowledge that I could completely misunderstand the Tea Party. But the GOP is going to be hard pressed to pull a better deal from the fire at this point.

Large Teen Fight in the Streets of Fort Atkinson?

I'm starting to see some information filter in about a sizable (50 kids?) fight in the streets of Fort Atkinson tonight between local kids and kids from possibly Watertown. Can't verify much. I am mostly writing this because I challenge the Madison/Milwaukee media to look into this. I know that you both claim Jefferson and Walworth county as your own, but you both do a miserable, miserable job of covering those counties unless someone is dead. And I'm told that, even then, you aren't so good at it.

Choo Choo Barrett

Tom Barrett has been begging for a toy train like a child at Christmas in 1959.

He's finally gotten his wish.

Never mind that this line makes no logistic or financial sense. Tommy wanted a train, and he finally got one. And it took some foot stomping and screaming.

I'm fine with Milwaukee's boondoggles as long as the stay Milwaukee's. I do oppose this line ever seeing a single state dollar. Want it Milwaukee? Fine. You own it. Keep the rest of us out of it.

Uhhh, No.

I am flummoxed by this:

While the neighbor succeeded in scaring off the bear, Conway said the Game Commission does not recommend shooting at bears, especially in heavily populated areas.

Instead of firing a weapon, you should "yell, scream and holler" at the bear, lifting your arms to make yourself appear bigger, Conway said. You can also throw rocks or sticks at the bear if it's not scared off by the screaming, he said.

The bear was interested in a 2 year old holding candy. If a bear approaches my two year old for ANY reason, I'm not firing two shots into the ground first. My first shot will be right between that predator's eyes. And the second. And the third. Until I'm out of bullets or my two year old is safe because that threat is dead.

Have We Created a Culture of Tornado Death?

This year has been unreal for tornado deaths. Up to this point, we've chalked that up to some really terrible outbreaks that have gone through some heavily populated areas. But I think a little perspective is in order. This is the worst year for tornado fatalities since 1950, IIRC. 1950. In 1950, there was no storm prediction center issuing slight, moderate, and high risks of tornadoes. Tornado warnings gave scant prep time, and were often locally prompted by law enforcement, not from a far away radar scanning storm movement. People only had a few TV and radio from which to monitor the situation, and when they could give information, it wasn't good. Yet this is the worst year of fatalities since then.

It is safe to say that fatalities would be bad this year no matter what. But should we really be approaching the fatalities of an age when people literally did not know there was a tornado coming, let alone possible, until it was on their doorsteps? It is somewhat illogical to think that could be the case. So what has changed?

Well, for one, the amateur storm chaser has been glorified for about two decades, since average people started getting access to quality cameras and, more importantly, camcorders. They are always introduced with a disclaimer, but always glorified. But why haven't we seen a steady growth of deaths with the growth of amateur chasers? They are, after all, practically a dime a dozen these days. I am even formerly one of their numbers.

Well, to start with, most amateur storm chasers have just enough knowledge to not be a danger. Most people crazy enough to go out in their car after a storm have just enough knowledge to keep themselves safe. In some cases, they have the angels on their shoulders, and in others, they know enough to understand what a storm is presenting them and they react appropriately. So if it it isn't the storm chasers, what is it?

A few things have come together in recent years to create a "perfect storm," if you will. First, more and more shows on cable are showing tornado chasers who get very close to or right into a tornado. On its own, that's not enough, though, or this would have happened after the movie Twister. But add in the fact that anyone can publish their own video on the net, and now you have opportunity to be famous. Now, add into that the fact that every other person has a video camera on their phone, and you have a problem.

Now, people with very little or no understanding of storms are taking video of storms. The immediate example in my head is the Fort Atkinson woman who was taking video of what she thought was a tornado as her young teenage son implored her to take shelter. That son was precisely right. Even if it was a tornado, it was dark and she had no way of determining what the tornado was doing. She was lucky. Extremely lucky. Others haven't been so lucky. I see more and more video from people that get totally surprised by tornadoes, video of them diving for safety as the winds destroy their surroundings.

Our glorification of storm chasing, combined with the self promotion capabilities of the net, and the high def phone camera in so many pockets today, as created a new class of amateur chasers. Actually chasers is a misnomer because the tornadoes find them. And they have once heard of tornadoes, so they have just enough information to be dangerous - to themselves. There is going to be no way to measure this, but I am confident that a number of this year's fatalities have died because they had that phone camera out at a time that their butts should have been ducking and covering in a safe place.

I want to be clear that I am not disparaging all of this year's fatalities. Many, many people this year have done the right thing but had no chance. But this year should not be the deadliest year since 1950. We have gained too many advantages on tornadoes in that time span. Some minority of victims had to have been doing the wrong thing, and every person caught flat footed videotaping a storm does not live. There is a clear problem here, but we just aren't seeing it yet.

Kloppenburg Defeats Prosser

I love this Photoshop job.

JoAnne Kloppenburg: Jim Doyle and Barack Obama did not find her qualified for the judiciary. Why should you?

Wisconsin's spring election is just days away, and the biggest race on the ticket is between constitutionalist incumbent David Prosser and activist JoAnne Kloppenburg. It is a race that is going down to the wire, even though in normal times, it would not even be close. But the unions seem to have received assurances that Kloppenburg will decide on cases in their favor, and 3rd party groups are running sleazy ads on her behalf, putting the relatively small population of spring undecided voters in play.

While watching this video by Daily Takes, one line, which I am paraphrasing, struck like a lightning bolt: JoAnne Kloppenburg: Jim Doyle and Barack Obama did not find her qualified for the judiciary. Why should you? That absolutely needs to be repeated over and over and over again. It is acknowledged that there is a left vs. right aspect to this race. But if you are a responsible voter, how can you justify voting for someone that even two executives, who should be her supporters, passed over for the judiciary?

So say it often these last remaining days: JoAnne Kloppenburg: Jim Doyle and Barack Obama did not find her qualified for the judiciary. Why should you?

Barbershop Politics, Wisconsin April 5th Election Edition

I love going to the barber and just listening to the political discussion. The discourse is very different from what it is in more wonky places, and it can shed some light on what average voters are thinking and saying. This morning I had the chance to listen in, and while the conversation was a bit limited, here are a couple of things that I learned.

+ The shop had real difficulty remembering JoAnne Kloppenburg's name. But that is not necessarily a good sign for Justice David Prosser because it seems that the sleazy 3rd party tactics on behalf of Kloppenburg are sticking in people's minds. In addition to the union turn out, if these people enter a voting booth, they might be voting "not Prosser."

+ There was a sense that it wasn't Governor Walker's place to end collective bargaining for most things for government employees. At the same time, there was no anger about it, either. I think that's one that only the unions will hold onto tightly until the Governor is eligible for recall.

+ President Obama has been tuned out.

+ The average voter right now has a lot of confused facts, from basic to big. At this stage, I think that plays into the hands of the chaos strategy being played out by the unions.

WI Senate Passes Key Parts of Budget Repair Bill

For the time being, everything is happening so fast that I am primarily writing here.

Maybe Some Fleebaggers Are Signaling for Help?

One of the more baffling trends to emerge from the Illinois 14 the past several days has been the conflicting messages that have been coming out of their camp. At first I thought it was dissension, but then my trusty dog Lassie started to bark at an image on TV of Mark Miller. According to Lassie, certain Senators are in danger and being held against their will and are trying to signal us with their bizarre behavior. Oh yeah, and Timmy Cullen is in the well (joke stolen from a Rock County yard sign).

Reminder: We Are a Republic

For the past several weeks, the "This is What Democracy Looks Like" slogan in Madison protests has been grinding on me. I've ignored it because we do colloquially refer to ourselves as a democracy. We are not, however. We are a Republic with representative government. The Founding Fathers did not trust pure democracy because it was vulnerable to the passions of the people, i.e., mob mentalities. Thus, they placed checks and balances on even democracy with our Republic form of government. So I say, if that is what democracy looks like, then I think maybe the Founders were right after all. And maybe some teachers should brush up on their civics.

WIAA Buying TV Commercials?

I just saw a commercial from the WIAA on WKOW promoting sportsmanship. As a former high school athlete, I'm all for sportsmanship. I don't care where the money comes from, but should the WIAA be buying ANY TV commercials on the subject? Especially at an hour when their student athletes should be sleeping in preparation for a new day of learning? Push it down to the coaches, WIAA. It'll be cheaper and a hell of a lot more effective.

The Right, Jealous?

I am finding it strange that so many protesters in Wisconsin are directing class warfare themes at the right. I can tell you that the right is not driven by class warfare, and I can tell you who absolutely cannot survive without it: Union Bosses. Their entire power and place in society is dependent upon stoking the fires of jealousy and class warfare. If the people they represented actually realized that they don't have it bad at all, they'd be a little more willing to consider life without their mandatory union dues. So rank and file union members, consider this. If I wanted your job, I'd already have it. It didn't take much exploration of the public sector (and I did explore it) for me to realize that I would resent the absence of meritocracy, though. The next time you want to toss your class warfare themes this way, stop a moment to consider the fact that your real bosses in the unions, most of whom make 6 figures, are utterly reliant on you believing those very class warfare themes.

It is 10 pm...

Do you know where your Wisconsin Democrat State Senator son is, Mr. and Mrs. Erpenbach?

Five more Suggestions for Clearing the Capitol

Again, stolen by me from my Twitter Feed:

+ Free Scooby Doo marathon in Lisa Link Peace Park.
+ Klieg lights and greatest speeches of 'The Original Hitler' George W. Bush at 120 Db.
+ Announce that zombie Nixon and Dick Cheney are brain eating their way into the building.
+ Have Jimmy Carter negotiate their right to stay in the capitol.
+ Set up Koch Bros. dunk tank on King St.

5 Suggestions for Clearing the Capitol

Stolen by me from my Twitter Feed:

+ Spray bottles filled with soapy water. Cats hate them, and they at least lick themselves.
+ Hand out fliers announcing Gordon Hintz appreciation day at The Rising Sun.
+ Have Glenn Grothman sprint through the capitol and up East Wash.
+ Tell remaining protesters there is free love being served at the Brat.
+ Hand out very limited time Groupons for free "incense" at The Pipefitter on State.

It Is 10 pm...

Do you know where your Wisconsin Democrat State Senator son is, Mr. and Mrs. Erpenbach?

A Crazy Wednesday in Madison?

We shall see. The rumor mill is definitely grinding some grain tonight.

Twitter is Almost Too Fast

I've been dipping my toe in the waters of the Twitterverse the past couple of weeks, trying to understand the culture and get my tweetiquette down pat. While I can already see the advantages an instantaneous service like this provides, in some ways it can almost move faster than information can appropriately processed sometimes. The unverified info and the instant analysis can be dangerous there.

Exposing "The Wisconsin Lie Exposed"

Here's the nut graf, just in case you don't read the article.

Gov. Scott Walker says he wants state workers covered by collective bargaining agreements to “contribute more” to their pension and health insurance plans. Accepting Gov. Walker’ s assertions as fact, and failing to check, creates the impression that somehow the workers are getting something extra, a gift from taxpayers. They are not. Out of every dollar that funds Wisconsin’ s pension and health insurance plans for state workers, 100 cents comes from the state workers.

This is purely an argument in semantics, yet it is sweeping the left in this state. First off, no, it does not come from state workers. The taxpayers of Wisconsin fund the compensation packages of this state's employees. There is no magic monkey who is grinding an organ on State Street (insert Assemblyman Hintz joke here) to create the money that goes to this compensation for employees. It comes from taxpayers. It is on the state budget.

Second, the author goes on to talk about deferred compensation. In doing so, he makes a false correlation between compensation and wages/salary. Your compensation is the sum of your wages/salary plus benefits. These monies clearly fall under "benefits". These monies would not fall to anyone's salary/wages if they were suddenly ceased. They would disappear from their compensation packages. When my employer cut 401k matching and when they increased my share of health care, they did decrease my total compensation. State and local workers are going to face a decrease in total compensation, yes. That's THE WHOLE POINT. The state needs to pay its bills by saving money. But they are trying to reduce (not eliminate) the impact on the cash flow of these employees as a whole.

Third, I'm really beginning to think the budget repair plan didn't go far enough. Too many people are living in la-la land. Give them a 401K with no match. They can drop out completely to save money that way (also known as cutting off the nose to spite the face). Let them pay the state average insurance premiums paid in the private sector. Remove their civil service protections. Let them see what it is like out here in the real world so they can ponder whether all of this was really, really worth it.

Another Distinction: WI Unions v. Middle Eastern Protestors

If I were a protester in the Middle East, with my anger emanating from the fact that it is getting very difficult to provide staple foods to my family, I would have a difficult time finding solidarity with Wisconsin protesters who would still eat quite well, have nice houses in reasonably safe neighborhoods, who drive home in their nice cars to their cable, internet, TiVo, NetFlix, subscription to the New York Times, etc., etc., etc, and don't have to worry about their own government bombing them. I wonder if there are any of those protesters out there in the Middle East.

Clarifying Questions on Wisconsin's Budget Repair Bill and Public Unions

I'd like to take the opportunity to distill down some of the issues and questions that many in Wisconsin have about the ongoing union conflict. So without further ado:


1. Do you pay into your retirement plan?

Many of the union members protesting at the Capitol do not, or don't pay very much. Despite the fact that they are supposed to, in many of their contracts, most to all of their contribution is paid for by their employer. The state is asking that they pay 5.8% into their plan, and the state essentially matches it. If you have a 401K, you may have already elected to pay 6% or more of your gross into your plan, with little or no company match.

2. Are your retirement benefits guaranteed?

If you have a 401K, they likely are not as they depend on your investments and the market. For most of those protesting at the Capitol, they are guaranteed because they have a pension plan, a rarity outside of government these days because of their extreme cost.

3. Do you find your health care plan expensive?

Chances are, you do. The reason for this is because the cost of health plans have grown as the ability of medical science to heal you with technology and medicine has grown. Most of those protesting do not find their insurance expensive because they are are paying a very small percentage of the price of their plans. Most employers can only afford to offer insurance by increasing the percentage share with employees or going to lower quality plans, or both. Many of the teachers carrying signs on the square have very nice plans that are even more expensive than they need to be because their union requires that school districts buy the insurance plans from them at a higher than market price.

4. Do you and your coworkers get to regularly negotiate a contract with your employer?

Unless you are union, you do not. Yet the protesters in Madison claim they are being sold into slavery ... by being put into a situation similar to yours.

5. Do you have very strong protections built into the law to protect your job?

You almost certainly do not. Yet the protesters on the square do, and they will not lose them with the budget repair bill. Their civil service protections, those laws that lead people to believe that a government job is a job for life, will still be in place, and a grievance system will also be in place.

6. Has your employer ever had to cut wages/benefits across the board or have layoffs during tough times?

Many of you have. Most of those on the square have not. They have had very small sacrifices to make, such as furloughs, but in exchange for this bill, they will neither have to face a layoff nor face any more furloughs. All for modest increases in retirement and health care that don't even bring them up to what you are likely paying for the same things, in order to make their employer, the State of Wisconsin and/or their local government, solvent.

7. Have you ever been able to take 4 sick days and publicly flaunt yourself for your employers to see without facing immediate termination?

Those on the square have just done it, and they don't feel there are any consequences to their actions because their union will protect them. And they are largely correct, no matter what happens to this bill. Their job security will still be extremely strong.

8. Why are local public employees included in this?

Because local communities receive shared revenue from the state. The state will almost certainly have to reduce the level of revenue that goes back to local communities, and this will give those local communities the same ability to manage their own budget deficits that will arise.

9. Why aren't police and fire included in this?

There are plenty of compelling reasons that they should have been, but it was Governor Walker's opinion that public security not be compromised by a potential law enforcement or fire department sick out like that of the teachers. And contrary to what is being said from some quarters, this is not hand out to Walker supporters. The vast majority of police unions in Wisconsin supported the Democrat, Tom Barrett.

10. Why does this seem rushed through?

In the grand scheme, it isn't. A few years ago, Governor Doyle and the Democrat legislature pushed through a budget repair bill laden with tax increases in 24 hours. It hasn't even been a secret that Scott Walker was going to walk this path. Governor Doyle and the Democrats tried to shove through onerous public contracts during their lame duck status for that very reason. Wisconsin has a deadline for their ability to refinance debt at a cheaper rate which happens to fall at the end of this week. The bill had to happen on an efficient timetable to meet that date and cut off the possibility that layoff would be needed to bridge the budget gap for this year. Unlike the Federal government, the state cannot merely issue debt or print money to paper over gaps. It needs to meet its budget, much like a business or a household.

Will the Wisconsin Union Protests Stay Peaceful?

Let me start by saying that I certainly hope that they do. I have a very, very bad feeling about today, though. The focus today is on the pro Scott Walker rally, but attention really should be turning to the union protesters that have poured in from out of state. The pro Walker rallies have experience in peaceful rallies via their experiences with the Tea Party and other tax payer rallies. The union outsiders are the wild card, as outsiders in tense situations like this tend to be. If they mind their p's & q's, today will be peaceful. But if they came to stir the pot, today could be a scary, scary day in Madison.

Living in a Powder Keg and Giving Off Sparks

On Saturday, there will be a rally - a counter protest of sorts - to support Scott Walker's position on public employee union benefits on the capitol square in Madison. After seeing the groups that will be involved, I am not very concerned about counter-protesters, but I am concerned for them. The protesters on the square have been whipping themselves into a froth for 4 days now. They are not going to respond well to people who actually disagree with them. And to make things worse, the professional union agitators have started to move into Madison, starting today. Capitol police have already been escorting legislators to their chambers and have told them that the capitol isn't safe for them after 10 pm. It isn't going to take much effort on the part of professional union plants to focus the protesters' rage on the counter-protesters because the protesters do not respond well to contrary opinion as it is. Madison is a tinder box, and tomorrow could be a very dangerous day.

Where is Public Safety at the State Capitol

I don't advocate breaking up the protests in Madison because I think the unions are doing this all wrong and are only hurting themselves. I still do support public safety, though, and I think Chris asks an excellent question. Given the picture he has posted and reports of hallways blocked, where is the fire inspector? The state capitol building right now (and likely Friday), has to be one giant violation of fire codes, and for the safety of even people I am increasingly in disagreement with, they should be on site with Capitol police to control these crowds.

A Final Note For Tonight

Any empathy that I did have for the employees of public unions at the beginning of this week is rapidly melting as their right to free speech is now potentially affecting my ability to get to my job on time.

A Stark Difference

I work within view of the capitol dome. I would love to go to the capitol square, talk with people, photograph the events, maybe even participate in counter demonstrations should any occur. I haven't, though, and I won't. Why? Because during the work day, I've been working my tail off. After I get done with that, I go directly home home to take care of, be with, and hopefully teach my kid. I can't say the same for most of the people on that square. On top of that, I've already swallowed many similar sacrifices being asked of the unions. I accepted mine because I knew that money doesn't grow on trees, and the solvency of my employer relied upon all of us either making the sacrifice, or some of us paying for it with our jobs. Given my experiences, I find the actions on the square, while within their rights, disgustingly selfish.

A Request to the Walker Administration

Governor Walker,

I heard your presser late this afternoon from the capitol. I thought you did a good job of explaining things, but I do think you need to reframe this slightly. As is, this is being framed as public employees making modest sacrifices to their benefits versus balancing the budget. That is 100% true. The problem is budgets and deficits are nebulous topics that are poorly understood by many. Instead, the assumption in any public discussion of this is that the budget will be balanced, period, and that the choice is layoffs vs. common sacrifice. Private enterprise has framing the discussion this way for years, and it is very effective because people tend to not want their greed to be the reason their friends get layed off, or for that matter, the reason they lose their own job. I know that avoiding layoffs is a top priority, but they have to be a realistic possibility for people to really understand what the stakes are. Right now, union members, teachers especially, are showing such defiant hubris precisely because they feel like they can get away with it with no repercussions because layoffs do not seem a real possibility.

Sincerely,
Jib

A Nice Primer on the History of Public Unions

It is well worth the read right now. Bonus fact: Even union champ Franklin Roosevelt was not squarely behind the collective bargaining rights of public servants.

You Can't Keep a Good Horse Down

From the ashes, Spottedhorse has returned! I've likened Chris to a free style poet. If dry, filtered, and correct is how you take your politics, he probably isn't for you. But if you like interesting, passionate, and free flowing, you are going to enjoy or love to hate him.

Make 'Em FIBs

Do you know what be fun? Keeping Wisconsin's runaway Democrat Senators in Illinois long enough to make them legal Illinois residents.

Kids for Sweet Bennies

Am I the only one noticing how hard the public employee unions are relying on kids to help protest who have never had to make wage/benefit sacrifice to keep their job while still finding a way to pay the bills? It is coming off as very exploitative to me.

I Think I Understand the Twitter Attraction Now

I've avoided Twitter, and probably will continue to do so, because I just don't have the time or interest in writing at a multitude of locations. But tonight, I think I've begun to see the attraction. You see, I've been writing mostly on Facebook, and mostly non-confrontational, amusing, and family related material that I've enjoyed only sharing with my inner circles. All the while, I have calmly faced all of the political material that has overwhelmed my feed. Tonight, I went on the offensive a bit. I suspect that I will find a loaded email box tomorrow, and I would be shocked if I didn't get unfriended by at least 10 people. To a certain extent, some people follow you on Facebook because they have to. At least on Twitter, like a blog, they are following you because they want to, be it because they like what you have to say or they love to hate what you say. That feels more pure to me.

Scientology Ad = Desperate NBC

So, NBC accepted an ad from the Church of Scientology. I find this fascinating, and not because of the controversial aspects of it. Instead, I am fascinated that they took the deal because it is going to be a collection headache for them. I have a little bit of experience with the Church of Scientology and advertising. Their M.O. is this. They try to swing a deal that is a sweet bargain for them and which seems like a great deal to the seller. That's fine, lots of people do that. But when it comes time to pay the bill, instead of NET 30, it ends up being, "NET whenever we (CoS) have the money and it is your bill's turn to get paid." And since they are always behind, your bill ain't getting paid for a long time. We turned down their business for that precise reason.

Really, CPAC?

Donald Trump as conservative presidential hopeful? Seriously? This has to be a low point for CPAC. And that has nothing to do with the gay rights and everything to do with the fact that we are talking Donald Trump, here.

What isn't right here?

The NFL has supposedly released some photos from the last time the Packers and the Bears played in the playoffs. One picture is here, and the other is here. Can you spot why I think the NFL (or maybe Yahoo) screwed up?

Get Well Soon, Representative Giffords

As has been much discussed everywhere (perhaps too much by too many who really should have had better things to do), Arizona U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords was targeted for assassination today by a nut, shot through the head while the killer also indiscriminately murdered 6 others, including what appears to be a very bright and interested 9 year old girl. My condolences to the families who lost a loved one, and as a parent of young child, especially to the parents of Christina Green. While Giffords almost certainly has a long road back, I hope to see her back in the Democratic side of the House of Representatives as soon a possible.

China as Japan, Circa 1985

How many of you out there remember the days when it seemed like Japan and its culture were on the precipice of overwhelming us? I do. And I remember all the news stories about the superiority of Japanese culture and the inferiority of America. I'm smelling a repeat of history.

The gist of the article is this: Chinese parents expect excellence of their children. American parents want their kids to feel good about themselves.

I am as wary of the rising level of competition in all areas from China as anyone. But this smacks of the overblown news stories about the Japanese in the 1980s. I offer this anecdotally as my proof:

If a Chinese child gets a B—which would never happen—there would first be a screaming, hair-tearing explosion. The devastated Chinese mother would then get dozens, maybe hundreds of practice tests and work through them with her child for as long as it takes to get the grade up to an A.

This passage by itself is proof to me that this entire editorial is a boast of a proud, culturally Chinese woman. There is no way - NO WAY - every Chinese child is scoring straight A's and doing so explicitly because their parents hold them to that standard. We are all of different aptitudes, abilities, and skills. And their are a good number of very intelligent people who do not have the aptitude for school work, regardless of how hard their parents drill them. And, sorry to say, there are some amongst us who just can't get A's or B's, but who still have places in societies, American or Chinese.

Like the Japanese stories of a previous generation, their is a strain of truth in this piece. That strain is that we owe it to our children to hold them to the highest possible standards that they could achieve. But the piece goes off the tracks in projecting a China that is perfect in raising its children (those that don't end up dead because they weren't a boy, anyway). Do not be fooled into a hand wringing panic like many were by the rise of Japanese competition, however. Just learn from it, and use the lessons you take to better raise your kids to make them competitive for a new era that will be very much unlike yours.

Why We Must Stay on Top of Military Technology

It has become very easy over the last 20 years to take our huge advantage over the world in military technology for granted. And for the politicians, that can make the military budgets a sweet target for evisceration. But for the first time since the late Soviet days, there is a power dedicating the treasure to not only catching up but surpassing us:

Photos leaked online that appear to show a prototype of China's first stealth fighter jet were discussed in state media Wednesday — a move that supports claims the country's military aviation program is advancing faster than expected.

Both the English and Chinese language editions of the Global Times ran front-page articles on the photos of what appears to be a future J-20 fighter, along with extensive reports on the buzz the pictures have generated overseas.

Now even if this fighter does take a test flight soon, it is still years out from being in the Chinese arsenal. Any sense of security that may create is an illusion, though. Unless you continue to push your R&D, regardless of the field, someone else who pushes their R&D with greater diligence will likely surpass you sooner than you think. New product development is not a spigot that just turns on at full speed, either. If the Chinese catch up and then get a jump on us, it will take years before our pipeline of cutting edge military technology is producing fast enough for us to get back in the game. This may indeed be the Chinese century if we are not forward thinking in all fields.

Resolution

I have one resolution for this blog in 2011. I'm finally going to play code monkey and fix some flaws and strip out some ancient features. I may write more, but the joint really needs the updates.

Reviewing those 2010 Predictions

I didn't get 2011 predictions posted this year, but I should recap my 2010 predictions, especially since I didn't do too bad. Here we go:

10. Sometime in the first half of the year, the stock market will outrun the current irrational exuberance and sharply tumble back below 10,000.

It wasn't as sharp as I was thinking, but in late spring/early summer, the Dow plummeted from 11,200 to below 9,800.

9. At the end of the year, unemployment will remain above 9%.

Got it, but this was almost a gimme.

8. At least one nation will default or nearly default on its debt.

We had a couple of close calls, but no actual default. Ireland, Greece, and Iceland, amongst others, still hang on by their fingernails.

7. A promising Green Bay Packer season will be derailed by injuries.

Last year was too healthy for the injury bug not to catch up with them, and it did.

6. Democrats will avoid provoking controversy via legislation just enough to lose fewer seats than anticipated in the off-year election.

That's what I get for overestimating the political instincts of the current class of Democrats. Wrong.

5. The newspaper industry will continue to disintegrate as at least two more papers halt their print editions.

I don't recall any doing so, so wrong again.

4. Al Gore will pontificate about global warming during an unseasonable cold snap/blizzard (this should be a gimme).

Not gimme. Ol' Al went on the DL to a certain extent. Had he shown up in Cancun, though, this one would have been a winner.

3. Tiger Woods will return from hiatus before the majors begin.

There was no way he'd stay away from the majors. Got it.

2. There will be a significant terrorist attack on American interests.

Wrong, and thankful for that. Never would have predicted TSA Gone Wild, though. I guess all that rhetoric about the Bush Administration being the Nazi's was just talk, huh? Unless the Obama & company are the Politburo.

1. President Obama's approval rating will end the year marginally higher than they begin the year. Marginally.

Wrong. Slightly lower. But I didn't think he'd ram Obamacare through, and I though congressional Dems were smarter politicritters than they were.

I'm giving myself 4.5 out of 10 on this (a half for the near national defaults). Not great, but if this were hitting a baseball, you'd all be talking about me cryogenically freezing myself right now.

Rex Loves Peyton's Feet?

A silly controversy erupted in the NFL a couple of weeks ago when it was found that Jersey/B's head coach Rex Ryan and his wife had a foot fetish video on YouTube. Ryan has refused to comment in any way because it is a "personal" issue. So how confusing is this?

"Is it personal? Yes, it's personal. It's personal against him (Manning), Reggie Wayne, all those guys, yeah. (Dwight) Freeney and (Robert) Mathis and those other dudes? Absolutely."

Uh...

Is this another example of Ryan sticking his (wife's) foot in his mouth, or is he attracted to the feet of Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney, and Robert Mathis?

The Bears Still Suck

Just because beat writer Jason Wilde clearly doesn't get the culture and probably shouldn't hold that particular job.

Welcome to Wisconsin, Zack Greinke

I am thrilled about the Brewers' trade for Zack Greinke. While I love the Twins' model of constantly building from within, I don't think the Brewers gave up much. The fact is the Brewers farm system hasn't been outstanding for a few years and Escobar wasn't going to be the Major League hitter they had hoped. It pained me a touch to see a serviceable young center fielder and good pitching prospect go, but it was still a reasonable price to pay. Like the Sabathia trade, this will not pay off for the Royals. Since they won't get value for Prince Fielder in a trade, go for the gusto this year. If it doesn't work out, they have a lot of juicy bait approaching the trade deadline and next off season to restock the farm system with guys who should be ready in a couple of years. 2012 could be a lost year, though.

Your Next Swine Flu: C-diff

The story is sufficiently gross that I'm not going to excerpt it. Let's just say that the only cure might be a poop transplant. Yes, you read that right.

Barbers, America's Biggest Group of Sandbaggers

I love barbers. There is no place of business that doesn't serve alcohol where you'll find more frank conversation. But boy do they hate taxes. Oh, some of them may love them for others, but almost to a man they hate them for themselves. Which is why this throwaway fact amuses me so:

In 2009, the median salary for barbers in the U.S. was $24,160, only about 30.4 percent more than 1999's $18,530 (in nominal dollars), according to BLS data.

That, my friends, is some funny math. The article states that the median hair cut price is $13.18. So, if you assume that barbers work 50 weeks a year (2 weeks for vacation) and take about 10 holiday days, that means your average barber works 240 days a year. For that math to work out, it would mean that your average barber only does 7.63 haircuts a day. The three men who have cut my hair the most in my life all averaged their 8th haircut by about 1o am.

So what does that mean? Well, it means that your barber is paying taxes on all of those cash haircuts before noon. After that, Uncle Sam ceases to exist. And most seem to get away with this. More power to 'em.

The Return of 42

This is surreal. Can you even imagine Bush 43 turning over the Presidential podium to Bush 41?

Obama introduced Clinton lightly as "the other guy" and recalled how Clinton has overseen heady economic times. Obama warned that he wouldn't be staying long -- another White House Christmas party was waiting, as was his wife, Michelle.

And so it became clear pretty quickly that this was Clinton's show.

"I feel awkward being here, and now you're going to leave me all by myself," Clinton said from the stage of the White House briefing room.

Not that awkward.

Clinton comfortably outlined how the pending package of tax cuts, business incentives and unemployment benefits would boost the economy -- even though it included tax help for the wealthy that Obama had to swallow.

"There's never a perfect bipartisan bill in the eyes of a partisan," Clinton said. "But I really believe this will be a significant net-plus for the country."

Bill Clinton may have been a scuzz ball, but I'll give him this much: He was Presidential. That's more than I can say for The One.

Pray They Don't Sing

Political tone deafness is a contagious disease in Washington. The degree to which the Democrats are inflicted right now is amazing.

The frustration with President Barack Obama over his tax cut compromise was palpable and even profane at Thursday’s House Democratic Caucus meeting.

One unidentified lawmaker went so far as to mutter “f— the president” while Rep. Shelley Berkley was defending the package the president negotiated with Republicans. Berkley confirmed the incident, although she declined to name the specific lawmaker.

Tee hee. Keep thinking your far left base is representative of the "real America" kiddos. That election that just happened was just an anomaly...

A Hate Crime and the MediaThought

This has been gnawing at me for a couple of months now. The Wisconsin media has been referring to some crimes at University of Wisconsin system schools as hate crimes. Hate crimes are unique in that you have to know who committed the crime and why. In most of these crimes, the who and the why have not yet been determined. They appear to be hate crimes. They are supposedly committed by hateful whites/straights. Allegedly, all of them are 100% true reports. If I'm not mistaken, supposedly, allegedly, and appear are all AP Style Guide approved words when there is still any doubt about the crime. Yet I see none of the Wisconsin media using them.

“If You See Something, Say Something”

I don't even know where to begin on this.

DHS announced Monday that they've partnered up with Wal-Mart to push their "If you See Something, Say Something" campaign. More than 230 stores started playing cautionary videos on monitors in check-out lines Monday, reminding Wal-Mart "shoppers to contact local law enforcement to report suspicious activity." Another 588 stores in 27 states will join the program in the next few weeks. According to DHS, the "partnership between DHS and Walmart to help the American public play an active role in ensuring the safety and security of our nation."

Really? When did Wal-Marts become seething cauldron's of terrorism? Did the underwear bomber get his Fruit of the Looms from a Wally World?

I'm a bit alarmed by the directions DHS has headed under Big Sis. From the new TSA policies at the airports that respond not to future threats but the last failed one, to frothing up paranoia amongst Americans towards one another at the discount store, DHS is more than a little out of control. Maybe Saint Russ, opponent of the Patriot Act, could take his last stand for civil liberties here. But don't count on it.

First, they let TSA ogle the sexy people at airports, and I said nothing. Next, they let TSA feel up and grope your mom, and I said nothing. And then when the old lady greeter at Wal-Mart snapped on a dirty latex glove and ordered me to spread 'em, sonny, there was nobody left. :p

No, sir, the die is cast

That editorial that I fisked below keeps bringing this scene from the movie Tombstone to my mind:

Doc Holliday: Way ahead of yourselves, aren't you, boys? This is just another mining camp.

Behan: Have you seen how everyone dresses? Awful tony for a mining camp. No, sir, the die is cast. We are growing. Be as big as San Francisco in a few years and just as sophisticated-

[He's interrupted by gunshots, men yelling, and a brief, but fatal, gunfight in the street mere feet from where they stand]

Doc Holliday: [smirking] Very cosmopolitan.

[Behan glares at him]

This isn't literal, and I'm not comparing Wisconsin to a boom-bust mining town. But often we are over optimistic about our home towns, out home states, and our home regions. I think that editorial is clear evidence of that.

Fisking A JS Train Editorial, or Shooting Fish in Barrel

I've started to ignore anything the Journal Sentinal says about the Madison-Milwaukee not quite so very high speed train because, let's face it, this thing is dead and anything they say isn't going to matter. I chose to read "The Disconnect on Connections," though, because the author promised to use Wisconsin's transportation history to show why this train makes sense, and that interests me because I've actually been pondering the history of passenger trains and trolleys in Wisconsin's moderate-sized to large cities and their death in the face of the automobile.

What I found in the editorial was disappointing. It wasn't grounded in reality, and it was desperate. I'm going to leave the first half of the story alone as it uses Wisconsin's history of investing in cutting edge transportation as a mechanism to make the reader assume that a not so very high speed train is cut of the same cloth. I'd like to dig into those last several paragraphs a little, though.

The idea seems oddly nostalgic at first - why build passenger trains in the 21st century? - but it actually fits an emerging settlement pattern. Not in my lifetime but perhaps in my grandchildren's, and for better or worse, an interconnected megalopolis will sprawl from Benton Harbor, Mich., to Minneapolis-St. Paul. As the empty spaces fill in, there will be a demand for some form of transport that's faster than cars but has more frequent stops (and fewer exasperating waits) than airplanes.

Indeed, why? The arguments from supporters have been far from compelling. The "cool kids are doing it" argument doesn't cut it. The facts on the ground are that the demographics of the entire line, whether it be from Milwaukee to Madison or Milwaukee to Minneapolis, in no way support a train. So a vision is painted for us of a megalopolis from Michigan to Minnesota that is just a couple of generations away. I'm sorry, but that should set off any reasonable person's BS meter.

Chicago to Milwaukee is a major metropolitan entity right now, but it is far from a megalopolis. Now I agree with some of the studies/papers out there that say a megalopolis will form along the coast of Lake Michigan over multiple, multiple generations. But we are no where close to that. And the idea of a Benton Harbor to Minneapolis megalopolis is absurd. If you've been to the Northeastern corridor in this country, you know what makes a megalopolis. If you've driven the vast rural expanses along I-90 and I-94 to Minneapolis, you know that there is no way this corridor can build up to that extent in the next 100 years. There may be no reason for that corridor to ever become that urban, but even if it eventually did, high speed rail would be a quaint, antique technology by then.

Don't believe it's happening? Consider the city of Jefferson, just south of I-94, which has gained population in recent years despite a steady loss of jobs. Once the trading center for a prosperous farm region, Jefferson has increasingly become a bedroom community for white-collar workers commuting to Madison or Milwaukee. We can expect more of the same in years to come.

What?! Has the author ever been to Jefferson? Ever? I've absolutely zero evidence of Jefferson drawing white collar residents. Where are they living, next to the closed golf course? There are three towns of similar size in the postage stamp sized corner of the world: Jefferson, Whitewater, and Fort Atkinson. I don't see any of the three cities becoming bedroom communities for the white collar workers of Madison and Milwaukee. When we bought our home, I hoped that the housing boom would last long enough for Fort Atkinson to become a bedroom community of Madison, but it did not happen. And I assure you, in this market, Jefferson isn't, either.

Not that this matters, because this entire corridor would need to be drawing new citizens from out of state for new white collar jobs that are sprouting across Madison and Milwaukee. That isn't happening. Even my hopes of this area becoming a bedroom community weren't pinned on the type of new growth that would be required to support this train line. It was built on the fact that the price of real estate and the high taxes of Milwaukee and Madison were driving people out of those counties in search of homes. Population redistribution in a region does not make a train more viable.

As the price of gasoline reaches European levels, climbing to $4, then $5, then $6 a gallon; as our freeways creep closer to gridlock without exorbitant public subsidies (think $810 million for the Marquette Interchange, the exact cost of the entire Milwaukee-Madison rail project); and as the economic linkages between Midwestern cities become more apparent - doesn't high-speed rail begin to make sense?

Trains do not exist in a vacuum. They are also not an energy neutral. The rise in petroleum prices push those with any kind of energy flexibility to other sources, thus pushing up the costs of those energies. In this case, most likely coal power, which the Obama administration would already like to make more expensive for you. Those increased costs must either be shoulder by riders, who would already be paying a princely sum to ride the train, or by the government, i.e., government subsidies in perpetuity.

I wouldn't expect the system to have much impact on the poverty of Milwaukee's central city, and it's no substitute for a sound county transit system, but there's no doubt that starting the high-speed line today would help to meet future regional needs.

Again, I point out that this is a generation M solution for a problem that will not likely be evident until generation R, S, T, or even later. And by that time, it will almost certainly be a technology that is hopelessly behind the times.

An earlier generation of Wisconsinites did precisely the same thing. When our ancestors committed themselves to railroads, they were taking a chance, but the gamble paid off handsomely. In 1883, Alexander Mitchell, Wisconsin's railroad king, spoke plainly about what would have happened to Milwaukee without first-rate rail connections: "If it had not been for the enterprise and public spirit and liberality of the citizens of Milwaukee, both individually and collectively, Milwaukee today might have been no larger than Manitowoc or Sheboygan."

They were taking personal financial risk, first of all, although governments mitigated that somewhat. And the riskiness of the bets didn't lay in the mode of transportation, it was in particular lines. That is a huge difference. There were riches to be had if you bet on the right line. In this case, there is no promise of the sort. In fact, the history of Amtrak would indicate that this would be a vortex of cash with very little tangible or intangible benefit.

It's not the money; it's the connections. If the $810 million allocated to Wisconsin goes elsewhere, if high-speed rail never becomes a reality in our state, if the main line passes us by to the south and west, might not future generations condemn our own lack of "enterprise and public spirit"? Can we afford not to take the chance? Is that a bet Scott Walker really wants to make?

It certainly could go south and west, but it makes the line even less viable. Do you know how long it would take a not so very high speed train to travel from Chicago to Rockford to Iowa and up to Minneapolis, with all of the attendant stops in between? If you don't, try to brush up on your Pythagorean theorem. The mini legs between Town X, IL, and Chicago and Town Y, MN, and Minneapolis would make sense, but the much larger rider potential between the people of the Chicago Metro and the Twin Cities Metro would not because both air travel and automobile travel would be more efficient. Plus the line would bypass the two largest metros along the way, ceding valuable ridership. This train has to travel through Wisconsin to make any sense, and we can afford to wait for several generations. In fact, doing so might reward us with even better technology if and when the time comes that it does make sense. And with all the growth, assuming it actually occurs, the country would be much more able to afford it.

(Update 11:27: Now with linky goodness.)

Trains, A Christmas Story

"Daddy, I want a train set for Christmas."

"What, son?"

"I want a train set. Trains are cool."

"Really? A train set? I think your grandpa wanted one once upon a time, too. Even got me one for Christmas once. It was kinda cool, I guess, but you realize it just goes over the same path over and over and over again, right?"

"I don't care. They're cool."

"They're pretty expensive, too. And daddy lost his job this year. This would be very difficult for us to pull off, son. Are you sure you want a toy that doesn't really do much outside of speed along the same track over and over again? "

"Daddy! Trains are cool. I WANT ONE!!!"

"Okay, bud. I get that. But why?"

"Because trains are cool, dad."

"Wouldn't you want something that you can be really flexible when playing with? Maybe a really nice Hot Wheels set? Or even a video game?"

"No, daddy! I want a train!"

"But why, son?"

"Because they are cool. Billy has one. And so does Sam."

"But son, will you actually play with it?"

"Umm, who said anything about playing with it, daddy? I want one because the cool kids have 'em."

"You aren't going to play with it if we sacrifice and maybe dip into your college fund to buy it, are you?"

"Daddy! Of course I will. But what's really important is that I can brag to Jimmy and Joe that I'm just like Billy and Sam."

"Son, I think that's good enough for me. You're getting a Hot Wheels set for Christmas."

Twilight Zone, Milwaukee Style

This sounds very weird.

For eight years, each man was the other's main political foil.

But in a joint interview, Milwaukee County Executive and Governor-elect Scott Walker and County Board Chairman Lee Holloway sound more like old buddies than frequent adversaries.

Their differences have been overblown, says Walker, who tells Holloway they accomplished a lot and that at least when Holloway disagreed he would come right out with his criticism.

If I remember, I'm going to be listening to this Sunday night because I am baffled. While it might make sense when it comes to future votes to make friends with Lee Holloway, on a moral plane I don't think I could personally have a buddy-buddy with a slumlord, no matter how much power he wields in Milwaukee.

This Is The Most Repgunant Thing I've Ever Seen

Ever.

Update
I hope they hold true to their poll, because "give birth" is running away with things right now. But I hope they give the child up for adoption. He or she deserves parents that want it and not parents that are willing to offer up his or her life to the whims of total strangers on the internet. This is truly the most awful thing I've seen in my lifetime, and these two people are terrible human beings; not because they are willing to consider abortion, but because they are so cowardly that they are willing to forfeit the decision to a mass of strangers. It has taken a long time for the internet to truly revolt me, but finally it has.

In Re FDA Regulation

So, the FDA is looking at restricting or banning alcoholic beverages that contain caffeine.

Does that mean that your rum & Coke, Jack & Coke are next? What about all of those Red Bull mixers?

Is this really something the FDA needs to wade into?

Gluttons For Punishment

So, your leader leads you to the edge of a cliff, and then over said precipice. And then you put her back into her leadership position. In other areas of life, that makes you a masochist. Or in other words, a Russ Feingold supporter.

Retasking An Old Quote

If you make airline security kind of pervy, only pervs will be willing to fly. Or willing to work in the TSA.

Regret

I regret supporting John McCain's decision to make Sarah Palin his VP choice.

I still think that it was the best choice he had, but as we've seen, even a little identity politics wasn't enough to vault his moribund candidacy into an actual competition with Barack Obama.

Now the right is stuck with a person who has ample supporters but who has absolutely no chance of unseating President Obama. And rightfully so. As dreadful as Obama is, even I think his 4 miserable years of experience in the office would put him head and shoulders above Palin. IF she were the Republican nominee, I would have to seriously, seriously contemplate my vote in 2012. I'm not sure I can vote for her.

There is no gender bias in my opinion on this. I hope for a female or a minority star to emerge with 'presidential stuff' from the right. She isn't it. I'll give her credit, I think she has really worked hard towards that end in the past 2 years. But even with hard work in the next 2 years, I can't see it. If she keeps working, there is a chance that I'd see her as presidential in 2016 0r 2020. Maybe, if she really works on that resume. At the current time, no way. And I really don't want to see the right carrying that albatross around its neck going into 2012.

Economics Lesson

So we've embarked on the policy of 'quantitative easing' to fix the economy. In other words, to solve the economic struggles we brought on ourselves by spending money we don't have, our government is going to get us out of this by spending money it doesn't have.

Isn't that kind of like trying to get yourself out of an active heart attack by eating a Triple Baconator?

Dan Bice, Investigative Reporter by Day...

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Dan Bice is an unassuming investigative report by day but behind the disguise is the superhero Captain Obvious!

Today, via his investigative column, Captain Obvious shines the bright light on ... Wisconsin Governor Elect Scott Walker. Captain Obvious tells us that the universally hated road builders, when given a choice between a candidate that supports spending $800 million in federal money on not-so-very-fast train, and a candidate that wants to try to get that money converted for use on crumbling road infrastructure in the state, chose the candidate that wants the money used for roads!

Great job, Captain Obvious! Your crack reporting shows us what we could have already guessed yet again!

Native American Mascots, From a Diferent Vantage Point

I had a conversation tonight with the lovely Mrs. Jib about Native American nicknames/logos/mascots. She came from a school that falls into that category. Frankly, this isn't a topic I care much about one way or the other. I think those who oppose them could do much better things with their time if they visited a reservation and lifted a finger to actually help real, breathing, Native Americans, whether with their hard work or their check books. And I think the defenders could improve their communities by taking any passions for these nicknames and using them instead to improve their hometowns. But my conversation with the lovely Mrs. Jib did teach me something.

The people in these communities? They aren't making fun of Native Americans. They aren't even ambivalent about them. They are fiercely proud of their association with them. And that gets lost in these debates. Opponents (and sorry, more often they are bleeding heart whites than actual Native Americans) often immediately tar supporters as racists, but it just isn't the case. Sometimes people are misguided and cartoonish in their portrayals, and that's wrong. But it doesn't change the pride people have in their communities' ties to Native America. You don't see American communities calling their schools the 'Brown Shirts' or the 'Grand Wizards'.

By scouring Native American references from our high schools and colleges, what we might be effectively doing is scouring Native America itself from the day to day conscience of most Americans. Face it, for most people, an encounter with an actual Native American is an extreme rarity. By removing their reference from daily life, we might be further removing any curiosity about the harsh realities of modern Native American life and increasing the likelihood that the stereotypes will win over.

Ted Koppel, You Had Me Until "Walter Cronkite"

Ted Koppel writes a nice little piece in the Washington Post lamenting the loss of 'objectivity' in the news media. He even had me buying in a bit until this:

Much of the American public used to gather before the electronic hearth every evening, separate but together, while Walter Cronkite, Chet Huntley, David Brinkley, Frank Reynolds and Howard K. Smith offered relatively unbiased accounts of information that their respective news organizations believed the public needed to know.

Please. Walter Cronkite? This is the man who broke the bonds of objectivity for the news media when he decided to editorialize on the Vietnam War. I don't care if you think he was right or wrong in doing so; you cannot argue that he made a giant leap into the subjective when he did.

This has been one of my long standing criticisms of journalism. Pure objectivity is impossible. You cannot report a news story in a way that anyone will pay attention by just stating the facts. Some, a rare few, make an admirable attempt at objectivity, but subjectivity always creeps into marketable news. Always. I prefer an open honesty about that subjectivity over trying to pretend to the objective while winning the public over to your side. Open subjectivity is not without its flaws, but I'll take it over converting from the shadows.

China Builds Fifteen Story Hotel in Six Days

True story. You can read more about it in my new book, "Buildings Jib Has Chosen Not To Die In". (HT Norm McDonald for that comedic styling)

Talgo Smells Fishy

Today Talgo, the Spanish train manufacturer that is a special friend of soon-to-be former Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle, announce that they may not be able to stay in Milwaukee if the Madison to Milwaukee kind-of-but-not-so high speed rail line isn't built.

Pardon me, but I detect a foul marine odor.

A train line between two metropolitan areas that aren't what one would call major should not be enough to make a manufacturing site viable or not viable. Even if that location services the trains, that would not be enough to support 125 employees.

Frankly, and I had this suspicion from early on, I don't think that Talgo's Milwaukee presence was ever meant to be long term.

Governor Doyle went to Spain. Shortly after, we learn that Talgo has the contract for this line. And Talgo announces plans for Milwaukee. In the world of scummy politicians like Jim Doyle, it translated like this to me: We (Wisconsin) give you the contract for these trains. You scratch our (democrats, specifically, Jim Doyle's) back by building those trains in Milwaukee so we have added leverage. Afterward, stay or go, it doesn't matter because we will have our choo choo and you will have your money.

Am I speculating? Certainly. But nothing about this meets a basic logic sniff test. Nothing.

He was seen at BK with Elvis and Tupac...

...in 3, 2, 1...

JibE2

I've decided that our personal economics aren't getting better fast enough, so I've decided to print off additional pay checks, and I'm going to use that money to buy off some of our debt. I don't see anyone having a problem with that, do you?

Disclaimer: Jib and his family will not actually be printing off additional paychecks. That would be stupid. Kind of like printing a bunch of money would be.

A Horror Story, as Told by the Left

Okay, I have more friends from across the political aisle than your average political person. A lot more. And I've tried to be empathetic and to pull them back from their personal ledges, but it is getting absurd to the point of hilarity. Based on the things I've heard, here is a collective snapshot of how Democrats view the world this morning:

Sometime in the last 6 months, the simpleton, sheep American voter was infected with a form of crazy that gestated yesterday. These drones, even more mindless than they were before, who just 2 years ago were Einsteins, each of them, voted for Republicans. They may have eaten some babies and kicked some puppies along the way because they are uncaring beasts. Anyway, they gave one chamber of congress back to Republicans, and tipped power in some states, which is further proof that they can't be trusted to look after their own interests and need Democrats in power to do that for them.

In some places, the sun actually did not rise this morning for the first time in human history as the drones roamed the hillsides, hungry for the sweet-meated hearts of Democrats. The next two years portend much misery. Women will be reverted to the 19th century, their vote taken away while they are confined to home to make babies and cook. The very large national gay community will be rounded up and placed on deserted islands to live or die. And if you are racial minority, woe is you. Because they all hate you and see no redeemable qualities in you.

The economy will collapse for all but the richest one percent of us or those who make over $100,000 (whichever, the selfish bastards). While everyone else is forced to fight for scraps to eat and are over taken by plagues, the richest one percent or those who make over $100,000 (whichever, the selfish bastards) will get even richer in a closed economy purged of the other 99% or those who make under $100,000. Some may actually leave the country, unlike the other times they've said that, because the utopias of Canada and Mexico are the only safe havens left.

The only hope is that in 2 years, the one and his disciples will rise again as the crazy starts to wear off from the drones. Then the world will be redeemed from the 6 or 7 hate filled old white men who have wreaked such devastation on us all.

The left in this country sure can be melodramatic and apoplectic. If we collected the vision of all them, it would make for one hell of a horror story.

Random Election Thoughts

* The euphoria over the electoral sea change needs to be short lived because the current balance in Washington might be a formula for disaster. Already the word "gridlock" is being tossed around. The Republicans can win with some targeted, meaningful gridlock. But general gridlock plays right into the hands of the Democrat marketing machine, and they know it.

* I know this won't please many people, but this isn't the 2 year election cycle for ideological purity, I'm afraid. If things aren't better in two years, 2012 could be a blood bath. Republicans must be able to show that they accomplished some important things.

* Stow away there word "mandate." This isn't one. It was more like a repudiation.

* There is no way government healthcare gets overturned. The numbers aren't there for it. Voters gave Republicans one bullet by giving them the House. Battles that can be won will reside largely in the budget.

* As for Wisconsin, Governor Doyle pulled the ultimate screw job on the state with his secret deal with the Feds to get the kind-of-but-not-really high speed train contracts signed. Scott Walker and Republicans may have to bog the entire project down in environmental studies and red tape in order to kill it.

* If there isn't concealed carry and voter ID in 2 years, then I may vote to toss the bums out. At the state level, it is time for Republicans to get some things done.

Congrats to my Conservative Friends

Kudos to all of you, and I hope you heartily enjoy tonight. I'll be the first to admit that I've basically sat out the past 2 years, so I consider this victory yours, but it still was fun to watch. Let's do ourselves a favor, though. The gloating ends quickly. The voters did not vindicate the ideas of the right. They rejected those of the left. The right, even though disadvantaged still, must ensure that the current mess gets cleaned up in 2 years. 2 YEARS. This is not the time for games, or we'll watch 1996 replay itself, I guarantee it.

Lessons in Losing

Okay, I've wanted to write this post in the past, but I've been holding it because it seems more significant to say these things in victory. Tonight, I write this to my Democrat friends (and some who don't particularly like me that much). But to my Republican friends, I recommend you read this, because it is advice that may be significant as soon as the next election cycle.

1) The other party isn't your mortal enemy. Seriously. Many of you caricature them in horrible ways, though. But remember, neither party is interested in driving the nation off a cliff, no matter what you think. The other side just thinks it has a much better path to a mostly common goal.

2) You shouldn't treat politics as a team sport. If you want to talk poop with rivals, maybe you should invest yourself in sports a little more. For all of its flaws, politics is more serious than sport. But that doesn't mean that you hate the other side the way Packers and Bears fans might hate each other.

3) Your side ain't all that, believe it or not. It is just as flawed as the other side, and it is wrong just as often as the other side. Some humility is in order when the American public rejects you for being wrong.

4) Pissing and moaning about the voters isn't constructive. They aren't dumb, and they aren't "re-tarded". They aren't always right, but they often move together for very specific reasons. Some reflection might be in order.

5) If you are fully invested in your party's propaganda, you should probably give up politics for a while. There is no sacred constituency a given politician won't screw if it means re-election. No, not even yours.

6) Mandates are over rated. So is political capital. When either legitimately occurs, their existence is fleeting. When it comes time to vote, it will always come down to "am I (or are we) better off now than we were last time we did this." Your elected official's job, regardless of party, is to make sure you say yes.

7) All those "unpopular" things elected officials do? Yeah, they do them because of #6. They legitimately think they are doing what will make you feel better off come the next election. Sometimes instead of blaming the politician, we should be blaming ourselves a little more.

8) I know many people segregate themselves socially based on party affiliation/political beliefs. You really shouldn't, because you are all missing out on a lot of terrific people.

9) Don't waste your breath/ink/pixels saying that you are going to leave (location x) or move to (location y). It shows a lack of fortitude. The next power shift is as soon as two years away. Spend your energies there if you believe so strongly.

10) If you think your political opponents are stupid, you are wrong and you should probably invest some effort in getting to know why, or you'll start finding yourself on the losing end quite often.

When You Vote Today...

...Capper wants you to know that bad policy is fine as long as it is done by a Democrat.

These are WI Democrats. They Think WI College Students are Dumb

This campaign piece paid for by the Wisconsin Democrat party was distributed on the University of Wisconsin Whitewater campus. It may meet a friendly audience on a campus, but if I had received it in the days when I was both a Democrat and a college student, I'd have been pretty peeved at the condescending tone of it. By the way, I'm told that this item violated campus policy in some way.

The Tone Deafness of Democrats Epitomized

Well done, Dems. In one final push towards electoral obliteration, you antagonized anyone not in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Jefferson, or Dane County.

Just days before an election that could decide the fate of a planned high-speed rail line, state and federal administrators quietly signed a deal to commit the state to spending all $810 million of the federal stimulus cash allocated to the Milwaukee-to-Madison route, transportation officials confirmed Monday.

The unannounced weekend agreement frees outgoing Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle's administration to sign contracts for much if not all of the work. That could hamstring efforts by Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker and his fellow Republicans to kill the project and spend the money on something else if they take control of the governor's office and either or both chambers of the state Legislature and Congress on Tuesday.

You just lost any hope you had outstate, Democrats. Well done.

When you go to vote tomorrow...

...just remember that your current government is well on the way to stagflating us to prosperity!

Good Job, Ron

Going into this election, I was very, very concerned. I saw the weaknesses Democrats had, and I knew that Republicans ABSOLUTELY HAD to beat Russ Feingold this cycle. If they couldn't do it, he was likely going to own that seat until he chose to give it up. Given that, I hitched my wagon onto Dick Leinenkugel early on. Despite his shaky credentials, I had decided that it was better to elect a RINO that could be replaced later than to allow Feingold to entrench his ownership of that seat. And I didn't see anyone else who I thought could get the job done.

Ron Johnson is well on his way to getting the job done, and you can count the Jib of last February very surprised. Few people outside of his local business environment knew who the guy was, and we'd already seen that act in Tim Michels. But Johnson has capitalized on the political environment and run a solid, if not overly spectacular, campaign. I didn't think he could do it, and I was wrong. We won't know if he got the job done until 24 hours-plus from now. But I will admit, he was the best candidate to kick Feingold out on his ass.

If I were Milwaukee...

...Or Kenosha, or Racine, or Sheboygan, or Green Bay, I'd start making myself damn attractive to outsiders. As water limitations start to choke the big cities of the southwest and the southeast, areas around the Great Lakes are going to become very, very attractive to people.

Obama is Everything Leftists Wish Clinton Would Have Been

Seriously, think about it. Clinton was the first 'black' (but not black) President. Obama - actually black (at least as we identify it in the United States). Clinton wanted to open the Military to gays, but backed off in the face of public opinion. Under Obama, the courts blow away Clinton's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' compromise (which was silly anyway). Clinton tries for a first term signature with Hillary Care, and backs off in the face of massive unpopularity. Obama says, "You're going to get it, and you'll like it," and forces it through with massive Democrat majorities in Congress. At midterm of term one, Clinton loses majorities in congress. Obama is poised to lose even larger majorities.

Given all of this, I think we can safely say that Obama will seal the deal with an intern and not only be impeached but tossed out of office in his second term ;-).

Today's Crazy Thought

The rumor coming from Obama circles is that he may drop Biden for Hillary Clinton in 2012. That seems too easy, too clean in my mind. Conventional wisdom is that Hillary is still interested in running for president in 2016. I'll bet a dollar that the Clintons' are eying up a potential run at Obama in 2012 if his numbers continue to tank and that's why the Obama camp is floating a VP spot at this bizarre time.

NFL Prediction

If it starts to look as though the NFL will suspend Brett Favre, he will suddenly have to miss a game because of his elbow problems.

Packers' Brass Confident In Team As Is

JNN, Green Bay - The Green Bay Packers, pre-season Super Bowl darlings, have traveled the first quarter of the road to the playoffs whilst dropping bodies off on the gritty, narrow shoulder.

Ryan Grant. Morgan Burnett. Nick Barnett. All carved up in plastic bags like a truck stop lizard.

Yet given the chance to start filling in gaps like the 1996 Packers did en route to the Super Bowl, the current Packers' brass is confident in their depth.

"I was just telling the team on Monday, 'Get your heads up, boys. We just beat one of the most pathetic teams in the history of the game. By the skin of our teeth. Thanks to one future Hall of Famer stepping up and single handedly saving our asses. Be proud. Yeah, we sucked. And part of our game plan was atrocious. But we could actually be better, and that's something to take pride in," said head coach Mike McCarthy.

When asked why his team has not taken the season by the horns and not covered glaring injury holes via trade, GM Ted Thompson was adamant that this team was still the team to beat.

"I am confident in this team. We believe in the guys on this roster or they wouldn't be hear. We lose Ryan Grant? We fully believe that the Easter Bunny will step in and pick up the slack. No Nick Barnett? Ernie is a hungry and angry inside backer, especially when we run our 'Burt' defensive package, and we are completely confident that his puppet like dedication to his coaching will fill the gap. We are a little worried about Charlie Peprah at safety, though. Peprah is a damn fictional character."

The coach and GM have the full confidence of the team President, Mark Murphy.

"Huh, what, there's a season going on? Wait, I thought we started the lock out already? Ziggy Wilf told me that we were going to break those bastard players that I helped make so rich in my playing days this season. That son of a ..."

But even if their season goes to hell in a hand basket, Packer Hall of Famer and Milwaukee area sports commentator Mark Chmura sees a silver lining in this year.

"No matter what happens, that turn coat, fair weather friend turned asshole Brett Favre is going to get his comeuppance in a purple uniform."


This article was satire. Don't like it? Take it up with older twin of Jenn Sterger, Deanna Favre.

Bicycling Law Breakers

I am honestly this close to keeping the iPhone camera on at all times in Madison so I can highlight how frequently those bicyclers that look down their nose at all of us mouth breathing car drivers break common traffic laws. I know and have observed some bicyclers that do obey traffic laws. They are the minority.

A Brett Favre Thought

Remember when the Ol' Gun Slinger effectively distanced himself from his old budddy ol' buddy ol' buddy ol' pal Mark Chmura? Some of us weren't so sure that number 4 had gone pure after an early career of juvenile off field behavior. Now that his pickle is out there...er, umm, that he's in quite a pickle, he ain't looking a whole lot better than his former buddy Chewy. Maybe the Packers knew what they were talking about when the asked him to think of his legacy and accept a $20 million marketing offer with the team.

I Made A Mistake Becoming a Conservative

Why? Because apparently Libertarians are the smart ones amongst us (God knows they pat themselves on their back enough for being such) because they've positioned themselves amongst us so they can never be wrong. Let me tell you where I'm coming from here. Long story short, I had the pleasure of doing a little catching on some blogs this week. I was reading one Libertarian blogger, and I learned that he really, really disliked Scott Walker because he just wasn't a pure enough conservative so as to appeal to a good Libertarian. But later, I learned that he really disliked Scott Walker because he wasn't pragmatic enough to get good, conservative things done. Too 'hard headed,' I guess. Well, I guess here in the real world, we either get to be pure in principal or effectively pragmatic. But in Libertarian world, you can always be a correct critic of everyone because you can't be either and still a Libertarian. Or at least a Libertarian that actually wins a political seat somewhere.

It's Funny...

I find this idiot a hundred times more offensive than I find some school or team calling themselves "Indians" or "Blackhawks" or some other mundane, non-racist name.

Question

Does it make me enlightened or a homophobe because I couldn't give a rat's ass that Ken Mehlmen is gay?

Church v. Strippers

An interesting story:

The strippers, fueled by Cheetos and nicotine, are protesting a fundamentalist Christian church whose Bible-brandishing congregants have picketed the club where they work. The dancers roll up with signs carrying messages adapted from Scripture, such as "Do unto others as you would have done unto you," to counter church members who for four years have photographed license plates of patrons and asked them if their mothers and wives know their whereabouts.

There is a "He is risen. He is risen indeed" joke in here somewhere, but I'm too damn classy to make it.

Plants Scream

What will vegans do now?!

Call Me Karnak

I'd just like to point out that on June 24th I predicted the next food we'd be in attack mood mode on would be eggs.

Barber Shop Politics

I loathe talking politics in a barber shop. The second of my three life long barbers had a cartoon up in his shop that warned against it lest you find yourself with a horrific hair cut. Having said that, there is nothing I love more than listening to politics in a barber shop, and here's what I learned during my most recent hair cut:

1. Mr. Average, unaffiliated voter is sharper than I'd have given him credit for, but he still doesn't know how he'll vote on election day.

2. In Wisconsin, the accusations that Gubernatorial candidate Tom Barret has done nothing to fix MMSD despite his mayoral campaign promises has gained traction. Examples of promises with no action does not play well this election cycle.

3. People in certain parts of the state know businessman and Gubernatorial candidate Mark Neumann ... for building "crummy houses."

4. Candidates cannot run on the spirit of '94. Voters are wise to the fact that getting an elective body to agree to things like term limits is a pipe dream.

5. Obama is still poisonous politically.

Oh, and one more:

6. Much like voters are wise to the dubious spirit of '94, they are also wise to the homespun candidacy of Russ Feingold.

Deregulate the Hit By Pitch!

It never fails. Every summer, the bean ball becomes the talk of the nation. Some will argue that the league should do more to punish and prevent pitchers from hitting batters. Others will argue that pitcher has a right to the inside corner of the plate, and that they have the right to move hitters who crowd the plate off of it. Finally, there is a solution: Deregulate the Hit By Pitch!

Here's how it will work. First, Major League Baseball will ammend one of the most basic rules of the game. When a batter gets hit by a pitch, they will no longer be awarded first base. Instead, the pitch will be called a ball and the ball will remain live, meaning that runners may advance at their own will/peril if a pitch that hits a batter gets by the catcher. Pitchers may not be thrown out of a game for hitting a batter.

This is only half of the deregulation, however. After being beaned, a hitter may charge the mound without being thrown out of the game as long as he does not bring any weapons with him (ie, the bat). Teammates may not join the mano-y-mano duel, however, or they will risk being thrown out of the game and/or suspended. Strategically, however, this does not mean that a hitter can charge the mound with impunity. Leaving the batting area will result in a dead ball that will prevent runners from advancing.

Other current rules will remain in place. A hitter must make some attempt to avoid being hit, or at least not actively attempt to be hit, by a pitch. Any pitch that hits a part of the batter's body that is in the strike zone shall be called a strike and the at bat will continue.

Instead of teams and players only worrying about suspensions, the onus would now be on the individuals and their concern for their own well being. Hit Prince Fielder, and you may get beaten to a pulp with no help from teammates to get you out of it. Crowd the plate and anticipate a fastball in the ribs with no real reward. Once there are immediate and painful repercussions for the individual, the beanball wars will aleviate.

Why I Hate the Immigration Issue

Can be summed up in this Dummocrats post.

I think most people mistake this as some sort of race/national identity issue. It isn't. Most Americans today are proud that this country is a destination, and most are proud that they themselves are a product of immigration. But they do want our citizens to prove they really want to be here. In the 1800's, being willing to risk disease or death over a long trans-oceanic journey was pretty good proof. Today, standing in line to earn citizenship is a much safer stand in for most Americans. If you opened up immigration for unskilled labor and fast tracked the citizenship process, this would barely be an issue because most Americans would find this abundantly fair. What most Americans DON'T want is for this country to be an escape hatch for another country's undesireables, and I find that to be abundantly fair.

Journolist is...

...the legitimate media scandal that your average voter will never be aware of, and would be outraged about if they were.

OMG! We're All Going To Die From (Fill In The Blank)

The Plague!

Nothing quite like an oldie but a goody. Next year, how you are going to die from leprosy. Natch, medicine-resistant leprosy!

A Story The Milwaukee Media Should Look At

Is the Wosinski family who were injured in the parking structure collapse and who lost a family friend in the incident the same Wosinski family that lost a teenage son in car accident in December that also claimed three other teens? If so, what an awful 7 months for that family.

Your Tasteless Future

I'm watching Nightline's "Assault on Salt." Ever notice the attacks on what we consume run in cyclical patterns? Next up on the cycle? I'm guessing eggs. It's been a while since we've trashed you, tasty, tasty breakfast food.