This Just In...

Ed Hochuli is not having a good season

Kevin Fischer — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 22:00:00 GMT

If you watched Monday Night Football earlier this week, you saw another blown call by referee Ed Hochuli.

Minnesota linebacker Chad Greenway grabbed the facemask of New Orleans’ Reggie Bush. The play forced a fumble that was recovered by the Vikings.

Everyone in the stadium and watching on television saw the blatant facemask penalty……everyone except Hochuli and the other blind mice on his crew. No flag was thrown was on the play. As you might expect, the Saints weren’t happy.

The National Football League has fined Greenway $7,500. No word on what, if anything will happen to Hochuli who has turned in an absolutely brutal performance so far this season.

33 years ago today, a Notre Dame legend was born

Kevin Fischer — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 21:14:00 GMT

Being a Notre Dame fan, I’m watching their game at North Carolina this afternoon.

Thirty-three years ago this afternoon at North Carolina, Notre Dame struggled, until one of the future greats came off the bench in the 4^th quarter for the Irish.

From today’s South Bend Tribune:

“In the third period, however, the Tar Heels scored twice and took a 14-0 lead into the final period. Early in the fourth period, Rick Slager engineered a drive and with plenty of running help from Jerome Heavens and Al Hunter, the Irish scored. But Slager misfired on a 2-point conversion pass and it was 14-6 with 11:27 to play. When the clock got down to 6:00, it was ‘Montana time.'”

Here’s what happened next….

The Barking Lot

Kevin Fischer — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 16:06:00 GMT

TO NEW READERS: The Barking Lot is a regular weekly feature of This Just In...co-written by my wife and yours truly. Jennifer provides the opening blog and then I bring you DOGS IN THE NEWS.

THE WEEKEND DOG-WALKING FORECAST: We grade the weather outlook for taking your pet outdoors.

TODAY: “A” all day and this evening.

SUNDAY: Ditto. A picture perfect dog-walking weekend is in store.

My favorite neighbor dog Mickey is a beautiful, sweet-tempered Soft Coated Wheaton Terrier. If I see her out for a walk with her dad George, I run out to pet her and get my fix of licks and tail wags. I think Mickey is one of the happiest, healthiest dogs I have ever known. I swear that dog actually SMILES.

Mickey is about four years old and has all the spark of a puppy. She has a soft, shiny coat; bright eyes; perky disposition and I’ve never noticed any odor about her, be it “dog coat smell or doggy breath.” George and his wife treat this dog like gold… the same way we will treat our dog when we get one. (While Dad takes her for a walk in the winter, Mom is home warming towels in the dryer to wipe her chilled, damp paws. Every day.)

Kevin and I have discussed feeding practices many times. He’s all for the occasional scrap of human goodies: a toss of a pizza scrap, a morsel of meat, etc. I’ve seen what too many table scraps and treats can do to dogs: my Sugar was terribly overweight because our family literally killed her with kindness. Unfortunately pet health wasn’t as big an issue 25 years ago and we didn’t really know any better. Kevin’s theory is she must have lived a happy and content life… if she really enjoyed that piece of occasional pizza was that really so wrong? Did it knock of a day in her short life? Maybe. But if she was one day less on this earth, she was one day happier.

I have seen Kevin give Leia, our Yellow Lab dog-in-law, several bits of treats from the snack table on holidays. (Of course her family does it too so we are not going against their wishes.) Kevin helped let her out this past week while his brother and sister-in-law were on vacation. I bought her a new squeak toy. I can only imagine what he slipped her in everyone’s absence!

Back to Mickey, our neighbor dog. Mickey is fed nothing but 100% human food. Her mom cooks for her daily. Poached chicken, ground beef, rice, and an occasional piece of steak. She loves her vegetables too, especially green beans. Her diet has been fully sanctioned by her vet, a vet George has used for many years for many dogs. She gets commercial “treats” with vitamin supplements but other than that she and her mom and dad could share the same plate.

George has made the decision to feed Mickey a human food diet because of all the frightening recalls of dog food. He is not about to see anything bad happen to their beloved dog. Kevin and I both agree with this theory and plan on feeding our future dog this way. We can’t imagine the heartbreak of having a pet poisoned by the very food we thought would be appropriate.

We know that MANY dog owners and dog health professionals disagree with us. Obviously we would do our research and consult our vet before we’d make our dog bacon and eggs for breakfast.

The Whole Dog Journal offers subscription options but some articles are available in their entirety on-line. This article reviews many alternatives to feeding Fido his usual canned Alpo.

There is as much debate over feeding your dog a human food diet as there is over its owners being vegetarians vs. omnivores. For the Future Fischer dog, a human diet is as guaranteed as Mr. and Mrs. Fischer never touching tofu.
---Jennifer Fischer

Thanks, Jennifer! Time now for DOGS IN THE NEWS, canines that made all kinds of headlines this past week, and did they ever. We always begin with the more serious stories.

Did this woman go too far? I certainly think so.

A U.S. soldier's dog could be executed.

A warning has been issued about a rabid Iraqi dog here in the U.S.

A Texas woman uses the Internet to track down the adult child of a man killed while saving dogs from a freeway.

We love stories like this one, about another very special dog.

This church welcomes dogs.

Politics and pooches in a sibling rivalry.

There's a Rin TinTin-Hollywood controversy brewing.

The most popular names for dogs?

And it's an age old question. Do dogs look like.......their owners?

That's it for this week. Thanks for visiting. We close with music and lyrics from Eric Stoltz.

Week-ends

Kevin Fischer — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:32:00 GMT

A look back at the people and events that made news the past week.
Week-ends is a regular weekly feature of This Just In...

HEROES OF THE WEEK

Leonel Cesar

Mike Rivera

Fairgoers in Florida

VILLAINS OF THE WEEK

Harrell Johnson

Starbucks

Husband of the Year

Texas cheerleaders and their school principal

Radio talk show hosts in the Twin Cities

The Reverend Peter Mullen

Adam Mucklin

The Milwaukee County Board

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

"The United States government is acting; we will continue to act to resolve this crisis and restore stability to our markets. We are a prosperous nation with immense resources and a wide range of tools at our disposal. We're using these tools aggressively."
President Bush Friday, trying to reassure Americans that the economy will rebound.

"My concern is that people think because we passed this (bailout) bill we're going to avoid a recession and everything's going to be fine. That will not happen."
Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan

“Going forward now might cement the feeling among certain voters that we are insensitive to their economic situations."
West Bend school board member John Duwell. The board unanimously agreed Wednesday to postpone the district's $68.85 million building referendum from the Nov. 4 ballot until early next year in the wake of the economic uncertainty created by the nation's ongoing financial crisis.

"This is a tough campaign. I'm the underdog. I've always been the underdog from the beginning."
John McCain

"I'm really mad! And what's going to surprise you, it's not the economy. It's the socialists taking over our country."
An attendee at the McCain-Palin rally in Waukesha

"I am begging you, sir. I am begging you. Take it to him."
WTMJ talk show host James T. Harris, imploring McCain.

"[Ayers] wasn't a guy in the neighborhood. [Obama] launched his political career in his living room, in Mr. Ayers' living room. And I don't care about two washed-up old terrorists that are unrepentant about trying to destroy America. But I do care, and Americans should care, about his relationship with him and whether he's being truthful and candid about it. I have every right to insist that he be candid and truthful with the American people. And he needs to be asked about it, and he needs to be forthcoming,"
McCain, on Barack OBama's ties to 60's anti-war activist William Ayers. Ayers was a co-founder of the Weather Underground, a Vietnam-era group that executed domestic bombings and plotted attacks on the U.S. Capitol and the Pentagon.

"Why don't we just clear it up right now. I'll repeat again what I've said many times. This is a guy who engaged in some despicable acts 40 years ago when I was eight years old. By the time I met him, 10 or 15 years ago, he was a college professor of education at the University of Illinois . . . And the notion that somehow he has been involved in my campaign, that he is an adviser of mine, that . . . I've 'palled around with a terrorist', all these statements are made simply to try to score cheap political points."
Barack Obama

"Does he have the experience and the knowledge and judgment and has he made the right decisions and has he told -- been candid with the American people? I think that's important.They certainly know me."
John McCain

"The notion that people don't know who I am is a little hard to swallow. I've been running for president for the last two years. I've campaigned in 49 states. Millions of people have heard me speak at length on every topic under the sun. I've been involved now in 25 debates, going on my 26th. And I've written two books which any -- everybody who reads them will say are about as honest a set of reflections by, at least, a politician as are out there."
Barack Obama

"The day that Sen Obama decided to cast a vote to not fund my son when he was serving sent a cold chill through my body. I would suggest that Sen Obama change shoes with me for just one day and see what it means… to have a loved one serving in the armed forces and more importantly, serving in harm's way."
Cindy McCain

"I know that Barack has the utmost respect for Sen McCain. He said so on so many occasions. You know, I think this has been a long, tough fight. And politics sometimes leads to things said between the candidates."
Michelle Obama

"With the economy in crisis and Election Day in sight, Obama can't say enough about the Clinton epoch -- the job growth, the budget surpluses, the broad prosperity -- and often lauds the former president's economic stewardship as a model. Obama's characterization of Clinton's presidency is markedly different than the one he offered during the Democratic primaries, when he was running against Clinton's wife, Senator Hillary Clinton."
Scott Helman, writing in the Boston Globe.

"I never voted before. Without this service, I would have had no way to get here."
William Woods of Cleveland, who has a felony conviction.Volunteers supporting Barack Obama picked up hundreds of people at homeless shelters, soup kitchens and drug-rehab centers and drove them to a polling place this week on the last day that Ohioans could register and vote on the same day, almost no questions asked. The huge effort by a pro-Obama group, Vote Today Ohio, takes advantage of a quirk in the state's elections laws that allows people to register and cast ballots at the same time without having to prove residency.

"The McCain folks are more helpful and generally friendly. The schedules are printed on actual books you can hold in your hand, read, and then plan accordingly. The press aides are more knowledgeable and useful to us in the news media. The events are designed with a better eye, and for the simple needs of the press corps. When he is available, John McCain is friendly and loquacious. Obama holds news conferences, but seldom banters with the reporters who've been following him for thousands of miles around the country. Go figure.The McCain campaign plane is better than Obama's, which is cramped, uncomfortable and smells terrible most of the time. Somehow the McCain folks manage to keep their charter clean, even where the press is seated."
CBS' Dean Reynolds

"Hi Charlie,

As you might have heard, I am covering the McCain/Palin appearance today. At the media breakfast at the Pfister Hotel about an hour ago, you would simply not believe the vicious, nasty conversation I just overheard between several “elite” media types from the McClatchey news service, AP, and a couple of other sources I didn’t quite catch.

Over the course of just a few minutes, I heard that 'Sean Hannity gives Dick Cheney the best head of his life,' and that he and Lou Dobbs are 'mean-spirited sycophants,' and that McCain himself is 'angry' and 'crusty.' One even recalled a recent campaign event at which Sarah Palin autographed a supporter’s Bible, prompting this 'objective”'journalist to remark 'these people terrify me.'

And this was just in the span of a 10 minute conversation! I simply cannot believe that these are the people entrusted to cover the McCain/Palin campaign fairly and accurately. I have never before wanted to do a show like yours quite as badly as I do right now--so that I can expose these people for who they really are: unabashed, unashamed partisans whose callous, bitter attitude towards conservatives very clearly permeates their work."
An e-mail sent to WTMJ's Charlie Sykes from a local journalist covering a visit this week to Wisconsin by John McCain.

"She should just drop all pretense and put on her white hood and light up a cross. She is a despicable human being."
A reference to Sarah Palin from the blog, Democratic Underground. The blog asserted that because Palin was wearing white at a campaign event, she is racist. Here are other nice, warm, compassionate quotes from the same blog.

“If Wisconsin would simply allow police to pull drivers over for failing to wear their seat belts, the savings are estimated at 73 lives and $220 million every year, according to the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. So what's the hold up?”
Wisconsin State Journal editorial, arguing in support of a primary seat belt enfordcement law.

"Look, it's well documented that wearing seatbelts is smart and saves lives. Much as we dislike being bossed around by Washington, the state law mandating belts makes sense. We're not against seatbelts. We are, however, against encouraging police officers to pull people over just because they might think a driver forgot to fasten the belt. There's just too much room for harassment.Most states have seatbelt-stop laws. Wisconsin certainly wouldn't be breaking any new ground by giving in to the federal demand. But somewhere, some day, we believe it's worth drawing a line that says, 'No thanks. We're satisfied the way things are, so keep the money - and keep your nose out of our business.'"
From a Beloit Daily New editorial.The federal government is offering Wisconsin millions of dollars if it adopts a primary seat belt law.

OUTRAGE OF THE WEEK

Has to be Starbucks. See Villains above.

MOST UNDER-REPORTED STORY OF THE WEEK

John McCain is still in it.

MOST OVER-HYPED STORY OF THE WEEK

John McCain is out of it.

STRANGEST, MOST UNUSUAL STORY OF THE WEEK

More than one this week...

Its'a miracle.

Are you a witch?

Blogger Dad29 reads This Just In...and I read Dad29. He's got his own suggestion for this category.

Remember that woman stuck on a toilet? Here's an update you won't believe.

REMEMBER: Your suggestions/nominations for any of these categories every week are welcome, especially for HEROES OF THE WEEK. If you know of anyone in the community deserving of recognition, please e-mail me.

Coming up on This Just In....

Kevin Fischer — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 04:36:00 GMT

I promise there will plenty to talk about, in addition to our regular weekend features.

Saturday morning, another interesting installment of Week-ends. Jennifer will present The Barking Lot complete with the latest DOGS IN THE NEWS and what promises to be a rather pleasant dog-walking forecast.

Sunday, no Shari Hanneman this week, but we will have our Photos of the Week, the most popular blogs of the past week, and a very sweet Culinary no-no.

Thank you for stopping by.

There is no voter fraud

Kevin Fischer — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:23:45 GMT

None in Texas.

None in Missouri.

None in Indiana.

None being perpetrated by ACORN.

BrookfieldNOW’s Kyle Prast says Republicans aren’t sitting idly by.

And John McCain has launched an Internet ad pointing to Barack Obama’s ties to ACORN.

Brett Favre is Jack Benny

Kevin Fischer — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:13:00 GMT

Happy 39^th birthday, Brett!

Favre’s stats so far this season with the New York Jets……impressive.

Green Bay record after 5 games this year: 2-3.

Green Bay record after 5 games last year: 4-1.

How does Favre compare to other 39-year old QB’s?

And yes, Aaron Rodgers did play well last Sunday against the lowly Atlanta Falcons until....

Falcons linebacker Michael Boley is tackled by Packers running back Brandon Jackson after Boley picked off a pass during the fourth quarter. (Journal Sentinel photo)

Packer losing streak: 3 games (the total number of games lost all last season)

A genius, that Ted Thompson. An absolute geniuS.

UPDATE on 10/11/08: A brand new Brett

Farrakhan and Obama

Kevin Fischer — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:12:00 GMT

Scary stuff.

A message for varsity high school football coaches

Kevin Fischer — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 23:21:40 GMT

Don’t pour it on.

Last fall, I wrote about an unnecessary bludgeoning of Milwaukee Washington by Milwaukee Bradley Tech that I witnessed. Word got around MPS athletics and let’s just say it didn’t happen again……..last season. Last weekend, I saw another blatant case of the worst sportsmanship in high school athletics: running up the score.

This time, I won’t mention the teams, but I will detail the circumstances. Leading 42-19 with under two minutes to go in the game, the team about to coast to a victory had the football at about their opponent’s 25-yard line. I swear there isn’t a coach in southeast Wisconsin who has heard of, “taking a knee.” Have the quarterback take the snap, drop back a step or two and go down to one knee. Do this two or three times, run out the clock, game over, everybody goes home, no fights break out and no one gets seriously injured for nothing.

Are you kidding me? We can’t do that. We’ve got a chance for more, more, more! Did I forget to mention the team in the lead still has starters out on the field?

The ball is snapped, and the quarterback...........DROPS BACK TO PASS! It’s a perfect spiral into the right corner of the end zone. Pass caught. Touchdown. 48-19.

The brilliant coaches decide to go for two points because during the time it took to drive down the field, they used their public school math skills to determine that would give them an even 50 points if the conversion was successful, and it was.

Oh, there’s more.

On the ensuing kickoff, instead of sending the ball deep, the team leading 50-19 does something I’ve never seen in that situation, ever, at any level of sports. They attempted an onside kick in the hope of getting the ball back one more time. Thankfully, the attempt failed, but what if it hadn’t? Would they have thrown another bomb into the end zone? Would they have been unable to settle for 50? Were 56, 57, even 58 points in their sights?

There’s a word for this kind of coaching and playing: It’s garbage. I’m not suggesting teams not give their best effort, but for those who say we should just let the kids play, I counter that at that point, the time for playing has long expired. It’s time to wind down the clock and go home. Nothing is gained from frustrations boiling over, fights erupting, or heaven forbid, a freak, serious injury that was completely avoidable.

Varsity high school football coaches, show some class. When the game is clearly in hand, clear your bench, and don’t rub it in.

Friday night on InterCHANGE

Kevin Fischer — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 22:30:00 GMT

Here are this week’s topics on InterCHANGE, Friday night at 6:30, with a repeat broadcast Sunday morning at 11:00 on Milwaukee Public Television Channel 10:

1 – Economy / Presidential Race.

The Milwaukee Journal financial writer had a great lead line in her article this morning. “Once again Wall Street got what it wanted. Once again, it wasn’t enough.” No matter what the government does, no matter how much money they pledge to pump into the system, it doesn’t seem to be doing any good. Are people simply afraid to trust the policy makers and politicians who stood by and watched as we got into this mess? Is that why they are pulling their money out of the stock market? Are you starting to wonder if maybe they’re all wrong and there will be another depression? Has the financial crisis hit home for most Americans yet? Are you confident that in a few months, or maybe a few years, things will bounce back to “normal”, whatever that is? Does the average American even understand what the factors are that are causing this financial crisis?

2 – Milwaukee Buses.

The Milwaukee County Sheriff is joining the bus drivers union in calling for protective shields to keep the bus drivers safe and away from dangerous riders. This, after a number of recent beating incidents aboard busses. Is this a reasonable request? Should there be a security agent stationed on every bus? Should the county get completely out of the bus business? Is this a good argument for contracting, rather than expanding, bus service? Should rates be increased to cover the costs of additional security? You can’t have a community where people are afraid to get on the buses, can you? Or, are we already at that point.

3 – UW Band.

Last weekend, for the first time in forty years, there was a UW Badger football game without the presence of the UW band. Because of alleged hazing incidents, including drinking and apparent inappropriate sexual shenanigans (harassment?), the 300 band members were suspended from performing. The school sent a letter to parents explaining (sort of) what is going on. Is the school being forthright with the community in this matter? Was it fair to impose a penalty on all 300 kids? Was it admirable that the school sent the parents a letter urging them to talk with their children when most of these kids are legal adults? Should the parents have been notified at all? Is Madison simply trying to do what it can to address its problem image of a party school? Aren’t band members about the last group of kids you’d expect to have behavior problems?

Mr. Obama, Sir....Columbo wants to know

Kevin Fischer — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 22:18:07 GMT

From an e-mail that's floating around that is sooooo good:

Ah...sorry to bother you, Mr. Obama, sir.

Excuse me Mr. Obama, I mean Senator Obama, sir. Um . . . know you are busy and important and stuff. I mean running for president is very important and . . . ah . . . I hate to bother you. I will only take a minute ok, sir?

See, I have these missing pieces that are holding me up, and I was wondering sir, if you could take time out of your busy schedule and help me out. You know, no big deal, just some loose ends and things.

Hey, you have a nice place here! The wife sees houses like this on TV all the time and says boy she wishes she had digs like this you know? Is that painting real? Really? Wow. I saw something like that in a museum once!

Oh, sorry sir. I didn't mean to get off the track. So if you could just help me out a minute and give me some details, I will get right out of your way. I want to close this case and maybe take the wife to Coney Island or something. Ever been to Coney Island ? No, I didn't think so. .

Well, listen, anyways, I can't seem to get some information I need to wrap this up. These things seem to either be 'locked' or 'not available'. I'm sure it's just some oversight or glitch or something, so if you could you tell me where these things are . . . I . . . I . . . have them written down here somewhere . . . oh wait. Sorry about the smears. It was raining out. I'll just read it to you.

Could you help me please find these things, sir?

1. Occidental College records -- Not released
2. Columbia College records -- Not released
3. Columbia Thesis paper -- 'not available'
4. Harvard College records -- Not released
5. Selective Service Registration -- Not released
6. Medical records -- Not released
7. Illinois State Senate schedule -- 'not available'
8. Law practice client list -- Not released
9. Certified Copy of original Birth certificate - - Not released
10. Embossed, signed paper Certification of Live Birth -- Not released
11. Harvard Law Review articles published -- None
12. University of Chicago scholarly articles -- None
13. Your Record of baptism-- Not released or 'not available'
14. Your Illinois State Senate records--'not available'

Oh hey . . listen! I know you are busy! Is this too much for you now? I mean tell you what.. I will come back tomorrow. Give you some time to get these things together, you know? I mean, I know you are busy, so I will just let myself out. I will be back tomorrow. And the day after. .Who wants to know these things you ask, Senator Obama? Columbo answered:

THE PEOPLE

JOHN McCAIN IN HIS OWN WORDS

There is no bias in the media: Chapter 59,463

Kevin Fischer — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 17:22:27 GMT

From Charlie Sykes...

Starbucks: No friend of the environment, or.......a whopper of a Culinary no-no

Kevin Fischer — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 03:32:00 GMT

No wonder an Iced White Chocolate Mocha at Starbucks is $4.15.

An investigation by the United Kingdom newspaper, The Sun has discovered that every single Starbucks location in the world runs a water tap into a sink constantly all day. Because of the company policy that is religiously followed in all of the company’s 10,000 stores, Starbucks is wasting 6 million gallons of water daily. The paper reports that’s enough to fill an Olympic size pool every 83 minutes.

A couple patronizing a Starbucks in the UK saw the running water and got the full explanation in a letter from a company executive that led to the Sun's inquiries.

At a time when water resources are coveted and some countries are literally dying of thirst, Starbucks’ actions are reprehensible. The Sun reports, “A single Starbucks tap left running for just over three minutes wastes the amount of water one African needs to survive for a day in drought conditions.” And yet the company defends its policy, claiming it’s enforced to surpass hygiene standards in an effort to be cleaner than clean.

Not necessary say the experts. Starbucks is overdoing it. After all, do you run your kitchen sink all day to clean your forks and knives?

Starbucks told ABC News they’re examining other options. Here’s one: Shut the taps off NOW.

Some environmental groups have started to complain but I believe the outrage should be much louder and more widespread. Then again, hypocritical enviros have a tendency to pick and choose what gets under their skin. Dumping millions of gallons of untreated raw sewage into Lake Michigan fails to draw a whimper. Why should wasting 6 million gallons of water a day for over-priced lattes and cappuccinos bother them?

The Sun has all the details along with video evidence.

ABC News also has a follow-up.

The latest weapon against sex offenders... and other offender news

Kevin Fischer — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 02:10:00 GMT

It’s not GPS. It’s not a more restrictive ordinance.

It’s a laptop.

Any tool that can be used to better keep an eye on these creeps is fine with me.

I can’t believe how some offenders moan and groan and whine about how tough they’ve got it. Nobody likes them. People pick on them. They can’t live like everybody else (Oh, well). They can’t go where they want to go, live they want to live.

Four sex offenders are crying about a new Missouri law that requires offenders to stay in their homes during trick or treat hours. Seems to make great sense. However, in this litigious society we call America, sex offenders want to be able to roam the streets at night while kids are going door to door and are taking the Missouri law to court. All they need, of course, is the right, or I would say, wrong judge or judges.

And take a wild guess as to who is filing the lawsuit on behalf of these offenders? One guess? When there’s a wacky lawsuit, it could only be that one wacky group.

The answer is in this article.

And finally, here’s a story for all those sex offender apologists and sympathizers who flood my blog whenever I write about imposing tough restrictions on where offenders can live. They bleed all over my blog that the risk of re-offending is low, that parents and neighbors have little to fear.

Yeh, right.

UPDATE: John Neville has the latest on Steve Hanke.

2ND UPDATE: Nebraska's Safe Haven Law not at all like Wisconsin's

Kevin Fischer — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:34:25 GMT

Had it up to here with your kids?

If you live in Nebraska, you just throw them in the car, drive them to the nearest hospital or police station, and dump them off. End of problem. End of parental responsibility.

What’s that you say? Your kid is 19?

No problem. Nebraska’s new Safe Haven Law lets you get rid of (sorry to be so blunt but that’s what it is) any and all your kids, even teens up to age 19.

Yes, it’s silly. Yes, it’s stupid. Yes, lawmakers in Nebraska who approved this nonsense are fools. And yes, Cornhuskers are taking advantage of this, how shall I put it, opportunity.

My sharp wife, Jennifer posed an intriguing question not too long ago. What if you’re from another state? Can you dump and go?

The law and its legal protections apply only to Nebraska residents but Jennifer’s point is well taken. In today’s society, would that minor detail stop anyone?

The answer, of course, is no.

The fact-checkers are biased, too

Kevin Fischer — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 04:00:00 GMT

There will be stories coast to coast following Tuesday night’s debate claiming to be written by objective fact-checkers who will inform you who told the truth and who didn’t.

Not so fast. Read those accounts veerrrrrrrrrry carefully.

The Wall Street Journal says they’re laced with biased opinions.

Dear Mr.Criminal, please rob me

Kevin Fischer — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 03:45:00 GMT

I don’t expect U.S. Senators to be reading the Community Now web sites, but maybe they should, especially if they ignored warnings from their mothers and fathers.

Criminals are everywhere, even in the shadows of Our Lady on top of the Golden Dome, the University of Notre Dame.

Just a few days ago, BrookfieldNOW ran an article on tips to avoid becoming a victim of crime. It’s simple, but good advice.

Senator, next time you go to South Bend, and you will return, please try to be more careful.

THE GREATEST WEDDING RECEPTION VIDEO....EVER!

Kevin Fischer — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 02:05:00 GMT

For several years, I helped my good friend Jim Kaluzny spin music at weddings. We called ourselves, “The Cudahy Connection,” after Jim’s hometown.

We saw quite a bit on the dance floor, but nothing as cool as this!

Barack Obama's spin on abortion a "brazen scam"

Kevin Fischer — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:15:00 GMT

Barack Obama, though he tries, can’t hide from his abominable history on abortion. His distortions seem to have worked on some individuals, including Catholics who, despite Obama’s complete and utter contempt for the unborn, are supporting the Chicago scam artist.

I wrote about this issue earlier this week, finding it unconscionable that a Catholic in good faith could vote for Obama.

Today, the National Right to Life Committee in Washington D.C. issued the following release that spells out the truth about Obama’s reprehensible record.

Barack Obama's sweeping agenda for pro-abortion policy changes examined by NRLC's Douglas Johnson in National Review Online

WASHINGTON (October 7, 2008) -- The Obama campaign and its allies have adopted an extensive "messaging strategy" that seeks to persuade religiously committed Americans that Obama has a middle-of-the-road position on abortion policy and will promote "abortion reduction."

Douglas Johnson, longtime legislative director for the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) and author of an article published today on National Review Online, titled "Unholy Messaging," calls the Obama effort "a brazen scam."

"The scam depends on the Obama campaign, with cooperation from the mainstream news media, deflecting attention away from Obama's actual record, and from his extensive commitments to pro-abortion interest groups," Johnson said. "Barack Obama is firmly committed to an agenda of sweeping pro-abortion policy changes that, if implemented, will surely greatly increase the number of abortions performed."

Johnson noted that a few short months ago, during his primary contest, Obama and his advocates were boasting about his record of leadership in opposition to legislation to ban partial-birth abortions, to protect infants born alive during abortions, and to require parental notification for minors seeking abortions, among other pro-life bills. "Those boasts were well-founded, and the current effort to re-package Obama as a moderate is a brazen scam," Johnson said.

The Obama "messaging" campaign includes a recently launched "Faith, Family & Values Tour" that will visit Colorado, Indiana, North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Florida, New Mexico, Virginia, and Wisconsin. In addition, various independent groups are disseminating advertising and literature that advances the same strategy.

Among the specific Obama positions documented in Johnson's article (which contains extensive hyperlinks to documentation):

-- Obama is a cosponsor of the so-called "Freedom of Choice Act" (FOCA, S. 1173), which Johnson calls "the most sweeping piece of pro-abortion legislation ever proposed in Congress." The FOCA is a bill that would make partial-birth abortion legal again, strike down restrictions on taxpayer funding of abortion, and nullify virtually every state and federal law or policy that would in any way "interfere with" access to abortion, including parental notification laws. In a letter sent to every member of Congress by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) on September 19, Cardinal Justin Rigali wrote, "No one who sponsors or supports legislation like FOCA can credibly claim to be part of a good-faith discussion on how to reduce abortions.â€ In a speech to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund on July 17, 2007, Obama said, "The first thing I'd do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. That's the first thing that I'd do."

-- Obama advocates the nullification of state laws requiring parental notification or consent for a minor daughter's abortion, which would be one of the effects of the FOCA. Moreover, since entering the U.S. Senate, Obama has had two opportunities to vote directly on the question of parental notification for interstate abortions on minors, and he voted "no" on both occasions.

-- Obama advocates repeal of the Hyde Amendment, the law that since 1976 has blocked almost all federal funding of abortion, even though both pro-life and pro-abortion analysts agree that this law has prevented many abortions. By even the most conservative estimate, there are more than one million Americans alive today because of the Hyde Amendment. "Because the Hyde Amendment must be renewed annually, a new president hostile to the Hyde Amendment could quickly place it in jeopardy," Johnson observed. The FOCA would also nullify all state laws restricting state funding of elective abortion.

-- In a written response to a pro-abortion advocacy group, the Obama campaign said that Obama is opposed to continuing current federal funding for "crisis pregnancy centers," which provide needed assistance to many thousands of pregnant women.

-- NRLC has thoroughly documented that in the Illinois state Senate, Obama led the opposition to legislation to protect babies who are born alive during abortions, and persisted in his opposition even after Congress had enacted a virtually identical federal bill without a single dissenting vote. Obama has in numerous ways actively misrepresented the content of this legislation, and his actions on it, but even when such misrepresentations were proved by NRLC and others, the major media simply let Obama abandon them and fall back to a different set of equally misleading claims.

In his article, Johnson criticizes recent coverage in the "mainstream news media," which, he writes, "have, with few exceptions, been very compliant with Obama's recent efforts to downplay his hard-line pro-abortion history and policy commitments, for the purpose of winning the general election." Typically, journalists simply describe Obama's position as "supports abortion rights," without giving details regarding his advocacy of federal funding of abortion, invalidation of parental notification laws, and the rest.

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Mr. Johnson's article has been cross-posted on the NRLC website under the title "Efforts to Sell Obama to Pro-Life Americans Collide With His Support for Sweeping Pro-abortion Policy Changes."

What do you expect them to say??!!

Kevin Fischer — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This could very well be one of the worst written news stories of the year. How the writer and editor could print this with a straight face only demonstrates how liberal the media truly is.

The headline reads:

Political experts say McCain in trouble

And just who are the so-called, “experts”? A panel of media people.

When you read who was on the panel, it’s no surprise they’ve already buried John McCain.