MyCommunityNOW - Blogs

Thank you...

Kevin Fischer — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:40:00 GMT

Mark Maley and the IT team at NOW for working on earlier mentioned technical problems with my blog. Your work throughout the day today is greatly appreciated.

One Franklin blogger, Greg Kowalski, has decided to use his usual MO and try to make hay out of this by suggesting I blogged when I shouldn't have. (I seem to recall that he had technical problems as well when he claimed some conspiracy back when he blogged for NOW when his was the only blogger photo that wouldn't pop up from time to time on the home page). Keep in mind that this is coming from a guy who claims to have multiple day jobs.

Just this week alone, Greg Kowalski has blogged 6 times and posted 2 updates on his Franklin Today blog between 9:00 a.m. and 2:45 pm.

In that same period, Monday through today, he has posted 10 entries on his Metro Milwaukee Today blog.

And it's not just this week. Greg blogs frequently throughout the day, every day.

I don't know of any private or public sector employer that would allow an employee to post 18 separate blog entries on company time on his personal blogs in just 3 days.

If I were one of Greg's many supposed employers, I'd keep an eye on him.

Coopers Hawk Park Dedication & Ribbon Cutting

Mike Seavert — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:36:51 GMT

Greenfield's newest neighborhood park, Coopers Hawk Park, located at 3460 S. 45th Street, was formally dedicated on Monday, August 25th. Special guests at the ceremony included Mayor Michael Neitzke, Alderpersons Linda Lubotsky, Don Almquist, and Shirley Saryan, former alderperson Don Carlson, and State Legislator Peggy Kruscik. Rebecca Foerst, president of the Mitchell Highlands Neighborhood Association was also on hand, as well as several children and their families from the neighborhood.

Cutting the ribbon at the Coopers Hawk Park dedication were (from left): Alderperson Lubotsky, Alderperson Almquist, Mayor Neitzke, Alderperson Saryan, and Rebecca Foerst, President of the Mitchell Highlands Neighborhood Association.

Mayor Neitzke (center), along with several children from the neighborhood, get ready to unveil the park sign.

The Coopers Hawk Park sign.

Putting poverty in perspective

Kevin Fischer — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:06:00 GMT

Here we go again. News that Milwaukee has the 7^th highest poverty rate in the nation is sure to bring out the usual cast of hand wringers, wailing and gnashing their teeth, crying out for the same tired old demands: a higher minimum wage, a redistribution of wealth, increasing taxes, creating more programs.

The headline could be considered alarming, but the entire poverty issue must be put in perspective. Just how poor are the poor? You’d be surprised.

Robert Rector wrote a paper for the Heritage Foundation in 2004 entitled, “Understanding Poverty in America.” Here are some key excerpts:

To understand poverty in America, it is important…to look at the actual living conditions of the individuals the government deems to be poor.

For most Americans, the word "poverty" suggests destitution: an inability to provide a family with nutritious food, clothing, and reasonable shelter. But only a small number of the 35 million persons classified as "poor" by the Census Bureau fit that description. While real material hardship certainly does occur, it is limited in scope and severity. Most of America's "poor" live in material conditions that would be judged as comfortable or well-off just a few generations ago.

The following are facts about persons defined as "poor" by the Census Bureau, taken from various government reports:

• Forty-six percent of all poor households actually own their own homes. The average home owned by persons classified as poor by the Census Bureau is a three-bedroom house with one-and-a-half baths, a garage, and a porch or patio.
• Seventy-six percent of poor households have air conditioning. By contrast, 30 years ago, only 36 percent of the entire U.S. population enjoyed air conditioning.
• Only 6 percent of poor households are overcrowded. More than two-thirds have more than two rooms per person.
• The average poor American has more living space than the average individual living in Paris, London, Vienna, Athens, and other cities throughout Europe. (These comparisons are to the average citizens in foreign countries, not to those classified as poor.)
• Nearly three-quarters of poor households own a car; 30 percent own two or more cars.
• Ninety-seven percent of poor households have a color television; over half own two or more color televisions.
• Seventy-eight percent have a VCR or DVD player; 62 percent have cable or satellite TV reception.
• Seventy-three percent own microwave ovens, more than half have a stereo, and a third have an automatic dishwasher.

As a group, America's poor are far from being chronically undernourished. The average consumption of protein, vitamins, and minerals is virtually the same for poor and middle-class children and, in most cases, is well above recommended norms. Poor children actually consume more meat than do higher-income children and have average protein intakes 100 percent above recommended levels. Most poor children today are, in fact, supernourished and grow up to be, on average, one inch taller and 10 pounds heavier that the GIs who stormed the beaches of Normandy in World War II.

Eighty-nine percent of the poor report their families have "enough" food to eat, while only 2 percent say they "often" do not have enough to eat.

Overall, the typical American defined as poor by the government has a car, air conditioning, a refrigerator, a stove, a clothes washer and dryer, and a microwave. He has two color televisions, cable or satellite TV reception, a VCR or DVD player, and a stereo. He is able to obtain medical care. His home is in good repair and is not overcrowded. By his own report, his family is not hungry and he had sufficient funds in the past year to meet his family's essential needs. While this individual's life is not opulent, it is equally far from the popular images of dire poverty conveyed by the press, liberal activists, and politicians.

There are two main reasons that American children are poor: Their parents don't work much, and fathers are absent from the home.

While work and marriage are steady ladders out of poverty, the welfare system perversely remains hostile to both. Major programs such as food stamps, public housing, and Medicaid continue to reward idleness and penalize marriage. If welfare could be turned around to encourage work and marriage, remaining poverty would drop quickly.

Read Rector’s entire paper.

TEST....this is only a test

Kevin Fischer — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 22:09:24 GMT

This probably means nothing to you readers but the NOW site is having some technical problems with my blog. Some entries I wrote earlier today didn’t post and/or had inaccurate times posted.

The IT people at NOW are aware, have been and continue looking into it.

I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to blog tonight, and I hope the problems are fixed soon.

Friends, Romans, Countrymen...Lend Me Your Ears

Janet Evans — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 22:00:31 GMT

Reuters

I don’t know…Is it Julius Caesar with Brutus (Hillary) lurking in the background?

Or more like Zeus with something Herculean about to happen?

A Toga party goin' on?

Whatever it is...it's peculiar.

Maybe Al Gore(acle) had something to do with it.

From ABC NEWS:

The stage, similar to structures used for rock concerts, has been set up at the 50-yard-line, the midpoint of Invesco Field, the stadium where the Denver Broncos' National Football League team plays.

Some 80,000 supporters will see Obama appear from between plywood columns painted off-white, reminiscent of Washington's Capitol building or even the White House, to accept the party's nomination for president.

He will stride out to a raised platform to a podium that can be raised from beneath the floor.

The show should provide a striking image for the millions of Americans watching on television as Obama delivers a speech accepting the Democratic presidential nomination.

Read the article HERE

"A sneak peek at Invesco Field at Mile High as it is prepared for the final night of the Democratic National Convention. See the technology, see the set design."

UPDATE: Hey, Franklin, about that agreement to pay for an Interchange in Oak Creek.......relax!

Kevin Fischer — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:37:00 GMT

Earlier today, (despite a glitch that didn’t post my entry at the proper time) I wrote a blog criticizing Greg Kowalski for claiming Franklin aldermen were ready to agree to share the huge cost of a Drexel Avenue Interchange with the city of Oak Creek.

I cited several quotes from Greg clearly showing his belief that Franklin aldermen were ready to make this move. Greg quickly responded pointing to ANOTHER blog entry of his that he says proves his point.

Here’s a quote from that entry from Greg:

“What concerns me today is that our Council will most likely vote on this matter at the next Council meeting, and I think the votes are currently there for passing whatever dollar amount our elected leaders see fit. As far as I see this matter, it'll have at least 3 ‘solid’ votes for spending in Franklin - - Olson, Sohns, and Solomon.”

Greg can try to squirm all he wants to get out of this but he’s flat out wrong. From John Neville’s article today on FranklinNOW.com:

Franklin Alderman Timothy Solomon, who also serves as Finance Committee chairman, said he will consider a partnership with Oak Creek but not make a decision until he gets more data on the project.“Until I see an economic impact study (with) the benefits for the city of Franklin, I will not vote on this proposal,’" Solomon said. “Someone needs to figure out the benefit increase for each community.”

Franklin Alderman Steve Olson said Oak Creek has skipped steps by knocking first on Franklin’s door.“Coming to the city of Franklin for money at this point I don’t think is appropriate. (Oak Creek officials) haven’t approached any other players, including South Milwaukee and Milwaukee County, to involve them. Nor have they gone to the DOT and fought the case that this is a regional issue,” Olson said.

Doesn’t sound like “solid” votes for sending cash to Oak Creek to me.

You can’t blog that people are going to vote for something WHEN THEY’RE NOT. I don’t know why that’s so difficult for Greg to understand, but it is.

Finally, I hope that it isn’t lost in all this that Greg and I actually agree that spending Franklin money for a project entirely in Oak Creek is ridiculous.

Setz, spread, schedules: thoughts on football 2008

John Rech — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:31:37 GMT

As the end of summer vacation nears, and classes are set to start, the Sports Thoughts blog also resumes for 2008-09. First, a quick look at some topics regarding the beginning of the high school football season:

........................

Jeff Setz could not have found a much tougher game for his return to the head coaching spot at New Berlin Eisenhower.

Perennial Division 1 power D.C. Everest will come to visit on Friday evening in the season opener. Everest owns 20 WIAA playoff appearances, a 36-15 overall playoff record and five championships, the last in 2003. Last season, Everest was 8-2 and fell in the second round of the playoffs to Stevens Point.

That game was set up before Setz took the head coaching spot, but he is not shying away from the challenge. "I knew that was staring us in the face," Setz said, "but we will prepare as best we can."

Setz and his assistant coaches did their best to get the team ready, invoking Everest's name and reputation on a regular basis during pre-season practices to fire up the players and get their highest efforts.

........................

After Everest, Eisenhower and all the other Woodland Conference teams will embark on a different type of schedule. With the departure of Shorewood to independent status, the Woodland is left with 11 teams, and instead of two divisions, will have one large conference this season.

Each team will play eight games from a mixture of the former North and South Divisions, and this format could create some problems. It's possible that some teams might play a tougher schedule than others, and it is also possible that two teams who do not play each other this year could both finish unbeaten at 8-0.

Can there be a true conference champion?

Well, the Big Ten has used this system since Penn State made it an 11-team collection, and has had clear-cut champions in some years.

Here's hoping it works out for the Woodland.

....................

Another development to watch this season is the rapid spread of the new spread offense among area teams. One program which is dropping the traditional wing-T for the high-flying spread is West Allis Central, which has a new coach in Dax Rodriguez and is coming off a 1-9 season.

Some sets in the spread feature up to four wide receivers, no tight ends and one running back. Also, the line is engaged in zone blocking instead of blocking specific foes. As a recent article in Sports Illustrated pointed out, the spread opens the field and can create havoc for defenses.

"We're not big (in the line), and this gives us a chance by leveling the playing field," Rodriguez said. "We can spread things out and utilize our speed."

Particularly that of receiver Mike Westrich, also a track star who could be primed for a huge season if the system clicks for the Bulldogs.

One thing is for sure: Central and the other teams using the spread will be intriguing to watch this fall.

Find out if you are registered to vote

Mary Lazich — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:37:49 GMT

Wisconsin residents can find out if they are registered to vote in the September 9, 2008 primary or the November 4, 2008 general election at a state website.

The Government Accountability Board’s site informs voters if they are registered. Click here and follow instructions.

The End of Summer?

Mary Ann Sparks — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:01:07 GMT

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a fan of winter and fall. So, while the fall colors are beautiful they signify that winter is coming soon. I love spring, the rains, the muddy earth and especially the first green shoots poking their heads out of the ground. When my daffodils and lilacs bloom I know for sure that spring is in full form.

Now, with Labor Day on our doorstep, everyone is saying that summer is over, done and dusted and kaput until next year. I say, BALONEY! Summer, for me, isn’t over until I see the leaves falling and I can smell winter in the air. Yes, one can really smell the seasons. Spring smells of rain, the earth and of summer’s promise. Summer smells of new mown grass, cookout fires and the sun’s warmth. Fall smells like golden leaves, a hint of winter’s chill and the last of the harvest. Winter smells of the north winds, soups and stews and Christmas goodies.

So, Labor Day isn’t the end of summer until I can smell those fall leaves and I see the containers of frozen jams and veggies in my freezer and when I start going through the recipes for soups and stews on a chilly day. Summer goes on through September and we do get Indian summer days well into October. Don’t put the shorts, sandals and tank tops away just yet, summer is still alive and well.

Small Electric Vehicle Follow-Up...

Al Campbell — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:44:11 GMT

I used the term 'small electric vehicle' yesterday in a Blog on this subject. I've seen the term 'NEV' used since and received an email from Police Chief Pete Hoell on the subject. NEV is defined as Neighborhood Electric Vehicle and you can see what one looks like by clicking here. The 2 passenger unit pictured has a bare bones price of $6,795. I find three dealerships noted in Wisconsin but that may be outdated by now.

Chief Hoell said, "I would be cautious to provide a positive recommendation if this were to be proposed in Germantown. I think one of the best tools for making decisions is to examine history and evaluate others who have "been there, done that". "I would like to evaluate Mequon's experiences with this new ordinance for awhile."

"Having said that, I know there are municipalities who have adopted these types of ordinances and the law has changed last year to accommodate that...". "Knowing Chief Graff from Mequon PD, I am sure his research was thorough and well thought out."

Wisconsin Department of Transportation has a full description of NEVs and all the information concerning registration and licensing.

The following cities have already approved an NEV ordinance: Stoughton, Mt. Horeb, Monona, Sun Prairie, Prairie du Sac, Sauk City, Boscobel, Reedsburg, Waupun, Hillsboro, Wonewoc,, La Crosse, Eau Claire, Eagle River, DePere, Green Bay, Ashwaubenon, Janesville, Beloit, Milwaukee, Ashland, South Beloit, Kaukauna, Delavan, West Baraboo, Madison, Racine, Fontana, West Allis, Black River Falls, Spring Green, River Falls, Pardeville, Union Grove, Marshfield, Verona, Suamico, Egg Harbor, Pleasant Point, Columbus, McFarland, Evansville, Edgerton, Elkhart Lake, Waupaca and Rice Lake.

Sixteen more are now considering similar ordinances including Grafton and Cedarburg in addition to Mequon in our area.

As Chief Hoell said, he has a feeling he'll be dealing with this issue sooner than later.

The NEV is defined as follows:

has four wheels
has a top attainable speed in 1 mile of more than 20 mph and not more than 25 mph on a paved level surface
has a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 3,000 pounds
is self-propelled by electric power
must be titled and registered through the DOT, Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
must be operated by a licensed driver
can be operated only on local roads specifically approved for NEV operation by local ordinance

I was very surprised to see the number of communities where this ordinance has already been passed.

I guess it must not be unusual for an 'old' curmudgeon to be behind the times!

Mugsy a perfect gentleman

Wisconsin Humane Society — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:34:17 GMT

Are you looking for a special someone who is quiet and considerate? Someone who will give you his utmost attention but won't be overly demanding?

Mugsy is a 7-year-old mellow-mannered British Shorthair mix who prefers quiet time and soft touches. He's a great listener and would love to hear all about your day. He is never pushy or impolite and will wait patiently for attention. You might say he's a true British gentleman! He would be happiest in a calm home with a gentle, patient family. See him and all the available animals at the Wisconsin Humane Society at www.wihumane.org.

Hey, Franklin, about that agreement to pay for an Interchange in Oak Creek.......relax!

Kevin Fischer — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:30:00 GMT

I will give former FranklinNOW blogger Greg Kowalski this. He’s consistent, consistent in his irresponsibility.

The guy just doesn’t take the time to sit back, relax, take a deep breath, and THINK about what he’s going to blog. No, he prefers a mad dash to the keyboard to write something totally stupid. It’s a pattern with our young whippersnapper who likes to pawn himself off as a government watchdog. But if you’re going to do that, it helps if you’ve got your facts straight. Greg fails miserably.

The city of Oak Creek has asked that the city of Franklin share the costs of a potential Drexel Interchange. This has Greg’s undies in a bundle. Why, you’d think Cheesecake Factory was going out of business.

Greg likes to blog first and deal with any questions or related issues later. Because facts are not Greg’s friends, he naturally assumes that just because Oak Creek asked for Franklin to enter into a cost-sharing agreement, those nasty folks at City Hall that he despises will simply roll over and ask where to sign.

Let’s go to the transcript, shall we. From Greg’s blog earlier today entitled, “We truly need Franklin first”:

“As we all know, some Franklin aldermen will be pushing to spend Franklin taxpayer dollars on an interchange in the City of Oak Creek - - on I-94 & Drexel Avenue.”

As we all know? I didn’t know that…

“What I'm witnessing here, ladies and gentlemen, are some city officials boldly going where no elected official has gone before - - promoting to give our funds to an outside identity in the City of Oak Creek.”

Sounds like Greg probably blogged right after playing some Star Trek video game.

“To further my point towards our elected leaders, I'd encourage them to end the potential hypocrisy they'd be creating by supporting an Oak Creek project.”

There’s the whippersnapper, clearly writing that the decision by Franklin to share the costs of the Interchange with Oak Creek is a foregone conclusion.

Really?

Well, I admit I’m very curious!

So, I challenge Mr. Nobody Cares More About Franklin Than I Do, Mr. Woodward (Or is it Bernstein? No, that’s John Michlig), Mr. Franklin Watchdog. Please either e-mail me or write on one of your 13 blogs the answer to a simple question:

WHO ARE THE FRANKLIN ALDERMEN WHO ARE IN SUPPORT OF ENTERING INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH OAK CREEK TO SHARE THE COSTS OF A PROPOSED DREXEL AVENUE INTERCHANGE?

“As we all know, some Franklin aldermen will be pushing to spend Franklin taxpayer dollars on an interchange in the City of Oak Creek - - on I-94 & Drexel Avenue.”

“What I'm witnessing here, ladies and gentlemen, are some city officials boldly going where no elected official has gone before - - promoting to give our funds to an outside identity in the City of Oak Creek.”

“To further my point towards our elected leaders, I'd encourage them to end the potential hypocrisy they'd be creating by supporting an Oak Creek project.”

Give us the names, Greg. Who are they?

Folks, Greg can’t and won’t answer that simple question….

BECAUSE THERE AREN’T ANY NAMES TO GIVE!

I’m not aware of any Franklin alderman supporting this idea.

And yet, Greg goes off half-cocked on his blogs, printing false information that is misleading to the public and unfair to the people he writes about. That’s why his credibility is around zero.

Death, taxes, and Greg Kowalski stepping in it.

Here’s more on the story that Greg bungled.

NOTE: There were some earlier technical glitches with this post that seem to have been rectified.

Head Lice

North Shore Health Department — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:19:00 GMT

This is the time of year that we get a fair number of calls about head lice (formally known as pediculosis). Head lice are parasitic insects that are found worldwide. Anyone can become infested with head lice but in the U.S., infestations are most common among preschool children attending day care, elementary school children, and the household members of infested children. Infestation of head lice is NOT related to standards of personal hygiene. Head lice are more or less a nuisance and are not known to spread disease.

Head lice live close to the human scalp and feed on blood several times a day. They move by crawling (they do not hop or fly) and are easily spread from person to person by direct contact. Although not very common, head lice can also be spread by indirect contact with lice carrying objects such as combs, brushes, hats, or scarves.

A head lice infestation usually has all three forms of lice -- the egg (or nit), the nymph (the immature adult), and the adult. An adult female lays about six nits a day near the base of the hair shaft. Nits are very small and firmly attached to the hair and take 8-9 days to hatch. They might resemble a small piece of dandruff but can not be shaken off the hair shaft like dandruff can. Nymphs mature into adults about 9-12 days after hatching and look like smaller versions of adult lice. Adult lice will live about 30 days on a person's head but will die within one or two days if they crawl off.

Usually, the first indication of a lice infestation is itching and this often occurs around the ears or at the base of the skull. It may take 2-3 weeks after infestation for itching symptoms to appear. The itching is caused by a reaction to the bite (kind of like a mosquito bite). It is possible to get a secondary infection of the scalp resulting from scratching.

There are several over-the-counter medicated shampoos that can be used to treat head lice. However, these are insecticides and should be used only as directed as they can be toxic. In addition, because treatment will not kill all the eggs, it is necessary to manually remove the nits to eliminate the infestation. (You may have heard of the term, "nitpicking"!) This is tedious and time consuming work but it is also the most effective method. The effectiveness of "home remedies" such as mayonnaise is unclear. Kerosene, gasoline, and other flammable products should NEVER be used to treat head lice. It is recommended that all family members of an infested child be checked for lice.

A dermatologist in California has developed a nontoxic treatment using the liquid cleanser, Cetaphil. Although this is not an endorsement of his method, you may want to read more about it at http://www.nuvoforheadlice.com/method_explained.htm

There are supplemental measures that can be taken but since lice don't live very long off of a person's head, you don't need to spend a lot of time or money on housecleaning activities. You can machine wash bed linens and clothing in hot water and the high heat drying cycle. Place stuffed animals in a sealed plastic bag and store for two weeks. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 5-10 minutes. Vacuum the floor and furniture and remember to include the car seat.

Unfortunately, head lice are here to stay. If you want to learn more about them, check out these websites:

http://www.cdc.gov/lice/head/factsheet.html http://www.cdc.gov/lice/head/faqs_treat.html http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/headlice.html

Always Entertaining - The Annual Meeting of the Electors

Bryan Maersch — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 17:00:00 GMT

If you are bored tonight you can attend the dog and pony show that the Franklin School Board has for the electorate every year. Yes it is time for the always entertaining Annual Meeting of the Electors at 6:00 PM tonight in the Education and Community Center.

Here they will have staged people in the audience with motions to approve all the proposed budgets for the 2008 – 2009 school year.

The entertainment will include:

A)     You the Electors, being given a chance to speak out about the budget, while most of the School Board Directors feign interest in what you have to say. Which is great for your ego, but from past experience, most of them won’t listen. (Well at least the two new members will listen to you.) Most likely Directors will use the state mandates as the reason for the increases. By the way, have any of them gone to talk to State Senator Mary Lazich, to get her to help reduce those mandates. I recently went to the Senators web site and don't see any legislation to that end and you know she is always willing to listen to you as she told us last year.

B)     Having Jim Milzer the Franklin School District Business Manager try to explain the District budget and the Rec department budget in plain English. Janet Evans has blogged about Linda Witkowski getting shot down on that! (See School Board Meeting 07/23/08 link below)

C)    Some lucky person will be selected to read off a card to make the motion to approve the tax levy for the Franklin Public School General Fund, Franklin Public Schools Debt Service, and Community Education and Recreation. (What was that increase again, oh yah 3.77% and what was the increase the electorate approved at last years meeting, if you guessed 5.6% you were right. And what did we end up with, ahhhhh 11.7% increase)

D)    And I wonder who will be picked to make the motion to approve the School Boards salary and expenses. Maybe it will be you…..

Lastly I want to apologize to School Board member Linda Witkowski that I ever doubted her tenacity to keep the budget in line. I understand she and David Works were important motivators for keeping the increase to a proposed 3.77%. Please ... Please -- Please ... Don't forget to listen for Mary Karolewicz to say at least once the phrase "Education for the 21st Century"

I know that my fellow blogger Janet Evans will be there, as she has been great at covering the School Board meetings of the past. I on the other hand will be listening to the proposal for the $640 toilet seat by City of Franklin’s Technology Commission that “rent a tech” J. Gravelle (the Daily Scoff) talks about as a guest blogger on “This Just In, when I am on WISN”. By the way “J” the Technology Commission meeting is on Wednesday August 27^th not Friday August 22^nd but I guess that is why you are just a fill in for Kevin Fischer out of boredom!



OTHER READING:

* Agenda for the Annual Meeting of the Electors

* Janet Evans - Franklin School Board Meeting 07/23/08

* Janet Evans - Franklin...Future Shock: $9,700,000

I Wonder What Babe Ruth Or Roy Campanella Would Have To Say About It?

Janet Evans — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:47:46 GMT

Major League Baseball changes as we know it tomorrow.

It’s called Instant Replay….

Granted, it will be used on a limited basis, and that’s a good thing.

Baseball is not quite the same as other sports that use instant replay.

The umpire is making his call at the plate.

And yes, he has made some bad calls.

What’s a baseball game without a few boos and catcalls aimed at the ump, anyway?

It’s the American way at a baseball game…as American as apple pie.

The Boston Globe’s Nick Carardo has this to say…

“An old major league umpire friend feels that, with instant replay off and running in Major League Baseball as of tomorrow, momentum will mount so that everything in dispute eventually is reviewed. He thinks that once this thing starts, it's going to be a runaway freight train. The first time a bad call is made in a World Series game on a bang-bang play at the plate, what do you think will happen?

Manager X will cry, "We have the technology; why didn't we review it and get the call right?"

And he'd be correct.

It's like saying we have a cure for the common cold, but we're only going to use part of it on sniffles. Coughs and sore throats will not be cured. Fact of the matter is, none of this should have been introduced in the first place. Have umpires done that poor a job in the history of baseball that we have to introduce technology to do part of their jobs? And why does it have to be introduced in late August? Was there a hue and cry for replay that I missed somewhere?”

With the announcement by commissioner Bud Selig yesterday that a replay system will be implemented - for "boundary calls" only - all of a sudden the game is dramatically changing with a little more than a month of the regular season left.

Technology is a wonderful thing, but not all aspects of life and sport are better off with it.Pretty soon robots will replace umpires.

The ball will have a device in it that beeps when it's thrown out of the strike zone. The strike zone will be defined by lasers that paint a box for the pitcher. Runners will have tracking devices on their uniforms to detect whether they've reached the base before the ball.

There are all sorts of possibilities, I suppose. But before this technology was introduced, those crazy things weren't remotely possible. Now who knows?”

Me?

I’m still miffed about instant replay being allowed in the Little League World Series, whether it was used or not.

I don’t want to see it in Major League Baseball.

But I’m not the one making the calls.

Read the Boston Globe article HERE

An enthusiastic Hillary talks about...Hillary!

Kyle Prast — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:32:00 GMT

I caught some of the Democratic convention last night. It was Hillary's big night. The video before she spoke was very well done and I think candidates will be using that medium more and more.

Finally it was Hillary's turn. Would she unify the party? She opened with,

I am honored to be here tonight. A proud mother. A proud Democrat. A proud American. And a proud supporter of Barack Obama.

(As she went down her different identities list, I wondered if she would say, A proud wife too.)

Hillary has improved her delivery style; she seemed very enthusiastic and energetic in speaking of her (and Bill's) accomplishments and experiences. If Obama wins, more than likely, she will finally get her health care plan--maybe even a Cabinet post too? (Transcript my emphasis)

And when Barack Obama is in the White House, he'll revitalize our economy, defend the working people of America, and meet the global challenges of our time. Democrats know how to do this. As I recall, we did it before with President Clinton and the Democrats. And we'll do it again with President Obama and the Democrats.

Just think what America will be when we transform our energy agenda by creating millions of green jobs and build a new, clean energy future. Barack Obama will make sure that middle-class families get the tax relief they deserve. And I cannot wait to watch Barack Obama sign into law a health care plan into law that covers every single American.

She promised Obama would end the war--responsibly. (No longer do they talk of immediate troop withdrawal.) This issue is rather moot at this point since President Bush and the Iraqi leadership are talking the same line.

Barack Obama will end the war in Iraq responsibly and bring our troops home a first step to repairing our alliances around the world.

Best zinger of the evening:

Now, with an agenda like that, it makes perfect sense that George Bush and John McCain will be together next week in the Twin Cities. Because these days they're awfully hard to tell apart.

I don't agree that Bush and McCain are hard to tell apart, but then, to someone on the outside, we all look alike. Most conservatives will be holding their noses in voting for McCain. They are hardly the same. It was a good line just the same.

She talked about the women's suffrage movement and other strong women. I thought she should have mentioned Geraldine Ferraro though. After all, Geraldine was the first female V.P. candidate, making her a potential president should she be needed.

And after so many decades 88 years ago on this very day the 19th Amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote would be forever enshrined in our Constitution.

My mother was born before women could vote. But in this election my daughter got to vote for her mother for president.

Maybe it is just because I am a mom too, but I truly did appreciate how special it must have been for her to have her mother, who was born before women had the right to vote, and her daughter both able to vote for Hillary on the presidential primary ticket. This does show how far we have come as a nation, as does having an African American as one choice on the ticket.

I can't help but wonder if Hillary's convention speech will leave attendees and Democrats wondering if they nominated the wrong candidate, just as Republicans thought after Ronald Reagan spoke at Ford's convention. The pressure is on Obama to deliver the speech of his lifetime on Thursday.

Former President Bill Clinton's speech tonight should be interesting. Will he stick to the topic assigned? Just heard on an afternoon news blurb that he has also been instructed to keep his speech to 10 minutes!

P.S. Hillary even made light of her infamous pantsuit with a reference to The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants-suit! You can tell she is a gutsy woman by her clothing selection last night. Anyone who can carry off a tangerine-coral colored pantsuit is no shrinking violet. She has been criticized about her fashion choices, but speaking as a former fashion design major, it is not the worst choice for her. She is not a size 12 or even 14. Heavier women, looking for business attire, have a very difficult time of it. If they wear a suit jacket with a skirt, they come off rather Janet Reno-ish. The pants give a more vertical line--especially if teamed with a monochromatic blouse and jacket. She is a summer in her coloring, so yellows and oranges look good on her. OK, enough of the fluff.

Links:

Brookfield7, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, Mark Levin, Vicki Mckenna

Lose weight or else

Mary Lazich — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:55:32 GMT

One year ago, I blogged about the problems associated with feel-good fat taxes.

As far-fetched as a fat tax may sound (most of the revenue often fails to get to obesity-prevention programs or healthy food subsidies), Alabama has taken the extraordinary step of mandating that its state employees get into shape in two years or be forced to pay more for insurance.

Some states, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, provide incentives for people to adopt healthier lifestyles. Workers in Ohio get $50 for having health assessments and another $50 if they follow medical instructions.

Arkansas and Missouri give monthly discounts on premiums for employees who take health risk assessments and enroll in programs to reduce obesity and stress. Those states differ from Alabama in that they offer incentives instead of punishments. Alabama has become the first state to charge workers who fail to try to lose weight.

Some medical experts oppose the Alabama plan, saying it's too punitive. Read more about Alabama’s plan here.

Here They Come...

Curt Otto — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:34:22 GMT

Happy Weekend in Waukesha Eve everyone.

Get your motor runnin'
Head out on the highway
Lookin' for adventure
And whatever comes our way
Yeah Darlin' go make it happen
Take the world in a love embrace
Fire all of your guns at once
And explode into space

I like smoke and lightning
Heavy metal thunder
Racin' with the wind
And the feelin' that I'm under
Yeah Darlin' go make it happen
Take the world in a love embrace
Fire all of your guns at once
And explode into space

Like a true nature's child
We were born, born to be wild
We can climb so high
I never wanna die

Born to be wild!
Born to be wild!

Village Buzz - August 27th...

Al Campbell — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:31:00 GMT

MATC Secession...

It appears that we're finally moving ahead in the effort to have ourselves removed from the MATC district and moved into the Moraine Park Technical College (MPTC) district. In spite of some village officials' assertions, the timing of this filing and its date of effect wouldn't have changed by filing three months earlier. That complaint is a 'straw man' from my perspective.

I would suspect that a filing made on behalf of a school district would receive more consideration than had the village filed its own petition. The school district speaks on behalf of the area while the village would speak on behalf of only the Village of Germantown. While we're a significant part of the school district, we're not all of it by any means.

Can we make history and become only the second such petition to be successfully brought? Wouldn't it be interesting since the first and only successful petition was that filed by our area to be removed from the MPTC area and realigned with the MATC area in 1971, if memory serves?

What goes around, comes around...maybe!

~~~~~~~~~~

Waste Management Strike...

The village is, of course, served by Waste Management. The Local 200 teamster members who are employees of Waste Management went out on strike, as you've probably heard, after some four months of trying to resolve issues on behalf of those members.

Village President Tom Kempinski has reportedly threatened to terminate the village's contract with Waste Management apparently to protest the company's inaction, and has supposedly sought an opinion from the village attorney as to whether or not this is possible. Kempinski is affiliated with Local 200 although he denies that has any direct involvement in this action.

Two things:

Our service with Waste Management is much improved over that we received from the former servicing company. I presume that many of those current teamster members were probably also former employees of the last firm that had the Germantown contract.

This seems a very convenient time for Kempinski to be pushing a termination; he appears to be using the village's business to bring even more heat on the Waste Management negotiating team in favor of his fellow teamsters. That is inappropriate if true, and an unfortunate confluence of events if simply coincidence.

His two lives must be kept separate and distinct.

~~~~~~~~~~

The Harley Rumble...

The "Harley Rumble", as I'll call it, has returned to our area. As I lay my head on the pillow last night, I could hear the sounds that are only made by Harleys waft through the open window. We're a couple of miles away from Hwy 41/45 so my joy may well have been another's dismay, but it is a great sound that we last heard some five years ago.

Quite a tribute to the small motorized bicycle shop that started in a shed.

And, quite a bump for the local economy. I had begun to see out-of-towners in Harley garb already patronizing local stores and hotels and watering holes yesterday.

Extreme Little Red Makeover

Karen Waldkirch — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:07:00 GMT

Well, it’s not currently red, but I have to say, it’s looking better than ever.

The other day, my husband and I wandered by Wauwatosa’s Little Red Store. Although it’s far from finished, it’s obvious that someone has spent some significant time on our quaint little landmark. (Darn those vandals that broke one of the windows!)

And it’s not a minute too soon, or so it seems based on this article I found on www.WauwatosaNOW.com. On September 10^th, the Milwaukee County Landmarks Committee will meet to determine whether The Little Red Store and two other sites should be designated as Official Milwaukee County Landmarks.

If you’re interested in contributing to the restoration of The Little Red Store, click here.

In the meantime, I’d be interested to hear what you think should be done with this darling little building. It sounds like the Wauwatosa Historical Society would like to make it a visitors’ center. I’m not sure how I feel about that, given its hard-to-find location. I'm also not sure if the long-term use of the Little Red Store is up for debate.

But let's talk about it anyway. Would it be better as a commercial business housed in a historic building? I’m thinking that may be a more reliable way to keep an important structure healthy and viable. Located just off a well-traveled bike path, some people have suggested a candy store or a bike rental shop? Why stop at bikes? Why not cross-country skis and Segways?!

What do you think?