Say Goodbye to the Cookie

Midwest shareholders will be voting on three new board members today, and with the recent poor earnings forecast, coupled with the shockingly strong remarks from analysts, AirTran as good as owns Midwest.

It's tough to say how that will affect the customers, but the more efficient business model of Air Tran will lower prices and no frills, despite pledges to keep the cookies.

Sopranos: Tony Is Dead

I really enjoyed the Sopranos (didn't get to watch it until yesterday, since I have my priorities straight: Brewers then all else). The episode was fantastic as a whole, but some people are whining about the ending.

The cut to black was brilliant. It lets everyone come to their own conclusions and will keep people debating the Sopranos for years. My belief is that Tony was killed and the final scene was through his eyes (like the cuts to everyone who walked in from Tony's perspective). The screen went blank, as in Tony and Bobby's discussion about not feeling anything when it happens. "You never hear it coming." I think Member's Only guy killed him.

However, this also was a brilliant way to leave the series open for a movie. None of the main guys still alive (Tony, his family, Paulie and Sil) were killed. In addition to plot possibilities, there will be considerable buzz for a movie, and water cooler discussion, about the Sopranos from now until it is finally made.

I'll probably watch it again in a few days to see if I still liked it, but since the more I think about it the more I like it, I'm sure I'll still enjoy it.

Gay Bomb (Maybe That's What Happened to the French?)

This isn't unbelievable, but it is damn funny. If you have ever seen the movie Flesh Gordon, imagine that, but with all dudes...kinda makes me want women on the front line.

Pentagon Confirms it Sought to Build 'Gay Bomb" - A Berkeley watchdog organization that tracks military spending said it uncovered a strange U.S. military proposal to create a hormone bomb that could purportedly turn enemy soldiers into homosexuals and make them more interested in sex than fighting.

Are we sure Madison was never bombed?

Fat Chicks Hate Bush

The fat girl who is revolutionizing TV by making it okay to be tubby on the tube has blasted the President.

“I guess I'm a free-spirited person and America's supposedly the 'land
of the free,' right?” She then added, to loud applause from the left
coast film industry audience: “Or at least we will be in 2008.”

Great, big girls (Natalie Maines anyone...) feel free to hit the buffet, and rip the President on the way to the dessert table.

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Yet Another Reason Apple Sucks

Yes, Apple, the kings of patent whoredom, have successfully patented the lanyard, or "Ornamental Harness" as they call it.

Enjoy dropping $35 for the ugliest mp3 player accessory in existence. But hell, you're buying an Ipod accessory, so you're used to overpaying for colorless crap.

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Iraq: Terrorist Training Ground!!!

So says Michelle Pilecki over at Huffington Post. This is just the latest leftist (I have no idea who she is but come on, she posts at HuffPo) to spout this talking point. What I NEVER hear is the opposite; isn't it also a training ground to FIGHT terrorism?



No one honestly believes that had we not gone to Iraq, the terrorists would have just given up (recruitment poster, serious? As long as their is an Israel and radical Imam's teaching violence, no "recruiting posters" are necessary).



With Iraq and Afghanistan, we are training not only our soldiers but our systems how to fight a war against insurgents. The lessons learned from these conflicts will be invaluable in an increasingly decentralized world of violence. In the near-term, it does not look like there will be traditional battles or battlefields, and since our society has been conditioned to not tolerate Total War, the Armed Forces are required to adopt new strategies. These conflicts will be valuable in the future, and wile 3000+ men is a terrible tragedy and a terrible real price to pay, the lessons learned could prove to be infinitely greater.

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Teacher's Nose Attacks Students Fist!!

A Milwaukee teacher attacked a 15 year old student with her face today at Frische Middle School. Or at least, I'm sure that how the folks in the city will spin it.

A 15-year-old girl who was talking on a cell phone in class yesterday
became angry when her teacher told her to hang up and hit the teacher
repeatedly in the face, chipping her tooth, Milwaukee police said.



The
girl was restrained by male students until police arrived and arrested
her on suspicion of substantial battery, said Anne E. Schwartz,
department spokeswoman.



The girl was on a phone at Fritsche
Middle School, 2969 S. Howell Ave., at 10:30 a.m. - in violation of
school district policy - when the 54-year-old female teacher confronted
her, Schwartz said.

Absolutely stunning. Time to start a SERIOUS crack down. This is a perfect case. Throw the book at this kid. Expelled from school, try her as an adult, throw her in the can for a month.



Oh, but you'll ruin her future!!



Really, the girl flew off the handle because the teacher told her to stop talking on the phone...DURING CLASS!!! Who thinks that is okay? Who is so stunned that this is inappropriate behavior that when they are called on it, they pounce like a freaking animal? What future does this girl have? In what society can she thrive?



(I'm glad the race of the individuals involved hasn't been disclosed yet, I can speak without worry of being un-PC).

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National Pancake Day

Apparently, tomorrow, February 20th is National Pancake Day. (In addition to Fat Tuesday). To celebrate, IHOP is giving away free pancakes from 7 am to 10 pm. There is some charity tie in but honestly, you just want the pancakes.

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So uh, is this not a human being?

Does a baby born at 22 weeks get a birth certificate, I mean, according to abortion fanatics a fetus isn't a person yet because it isn't fully formed, so what is this??





I think the last line is the most telling in terms of impact this birth SHOULD have:

Amillia's incredible story will reignite
the debate over Britain's abortion laws, which campaigners say must be updated in the light of recent medical advances.

Babies can still be aborted for non-medical
reasons at up to 24 weeks. Recent evidence shows that, of those born at 25 weeks, half of them manage to live.

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Stumble Video

For those of you familiar with stumbleupon, they have a new service. Stumble Video is a service that lets you watch random videos from various web sites (I think google, video and myspace). Very cool way to keep me from studying my accounting.



Stumble Video via Lifehacker

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Singapore Gets It

From cato-at-liberty.com

If the average state levy is included, the U.S. corporate tax rate is
about 40 percent, which is higher than the coporate rate in every
European welfare state. American companies also must endure heavy
regulatory burdens especially in the aftermath of Sarbanes-Oxley.



In his Budget Statement for the Financial Year (FY) 2007, Second
Minister for Finance, Tharman Shanmugaratnam announced a two percentage
point reduction in the corporate income tax rate to 18% to sharpen
Singapore’s competitive edge.

So, Singapore wants to be more competitive and they lower taxes. Doyle wants to be more competitive so he, um, threatens jail time against executives who pass on operation costs in the price of their product. Hmmm, where would you want to do business?

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Olbermann Worse Than War

At least military analyst Ken Allard thinks so. The former colonel told NBC to shove it and it seems Olbermann defending American military hating Bill Arkin was the last straw.

Has anyone else noticed the network's precipitous retreat from journalistic and


ethical standards? Not only were no apologies given and no pink slips


issued for Arkin's outburst, but on his MSNBC show last week, Keith


Olberman went out of his way to defend this "valid criticism" of our


military.

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AJ Ratliff Made My Girlfriend Sleep On the Couch

So I watched the game at the sweet sweet bar that I play softball for last night. They also tune into every Brewer game, every night. I have trained them to have it on no matter what, so that if I stop in it better be on TV. (I tip well).

Anyway. That sumbitch worked Bucky last night and I was angry. My girlfriend is an IU grad. I told her at halftime if the Hoosiers won I would dump her. At the end of the game she stood up, jumped up and down, and shook her fantastic ass a little bit.

We reached a deal. I didn't dump her, but she slept on the couch... in her apartment.

You know what sucks about being from Wisconsin?

NOTHING!!

Molly Ivins: Dead

When I was in sixth grade President Richard Nixon died. My teacher at Lowell Elementary in Waukesha only mentioned it by saying "if you don't have anything nice..." when I asked him at the end of the day why the death of a President wasn't worth discussion. That's about my feelings towards Ivins. I'd imagine she is somewhere in the great beyond, discussion a socialist Utopia with Che and Lenin...wondering where it all went wrong. I'm sure she'll be first in line to offer Castro a chair.

She'll be remembered for plagiarism and as the person who coined "Shrub." The Lunatic Fringe is in tears.


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Militant Atheists Taunt the Religious

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2837034

Is there really a point to taunting those who believe in God, and to attempt to directly taunt God? Fine be an atheist, but is there a reason to be militant?

Thug Tech Riot

Wow, the Urinal actually posted video of the riot last night that broke out after the Bradley Tech - Bay View overtime basketball game. Clearly, time to stop allowing spectators into the Bradley Tech basketball games. Better yet, charge $35 per ticket, that will quickly solve the problem. These idiots want to beat hell out of each other on their own time in the streets, go nuts, but when these riots break out at high school sporting events, there are families, children, old people and all are put in danger. Go through the video and suspend any kid on the court, any kid swinging, and especially any kid who was arrested or detained. Chances of that happening? Mr. Slim, meet Mr. None.

I like that the Urinal calls it a "disturbance." Anytime DOZENS of cops have to go anywhere, and 4 of these officers are injured, it's no freaking disturbance.

Of course, since most of the people in the video appear to be black, I am sure it's just me being racist for thinking this is outrageous.

Symphony Mario

This is pretty freaking cool, if you like video games, which I in fact, do (just got a DS for the Boston trains...amazing!)

Where Have You Been??

Well, I’ve been in Boston for the past year, and I will be staying for the foreseeable future (grad school). A few things have made me decide to return to the great pastime of blogging. (I think that word is half the reason I stopped by the way).

#1 Google Reader. The thing is incredible. It’s like a never-ending listing of things that interest me, and every day I am adding new feeds. It is fantastic.

#2 Tommy Thompson. T2 is running for President!! He will be my guy until he is knocked out. I want to spread all the word I can, while I can, however I can.

#3 This jackass.

So folks, Righting Wisconsin is back, feel free to drop me a line if you want to know more about my last year. It’s been dope. And go check out the Sports Bar.

TCS Daily: Blood Alcohol Blues

Over at TCS Daily (formerly Tech Central Station) Max Borders actually offers an alternative solution to what is in his eyes (I happen to agree) a problem. The problem is the lowering of BAC limits for an individual to be considered legally drunk. Being the ripe young age of 24 I still am frequently around people drinking, and drinking in large quantities. As such, the effects of varying amounts of booze on different individuals does not escape me. I know 250 lb guys who are considerably impaired after two or three drinks and I know 108 lb girls who can polish off a twelver with no problem. The problem with BAC in determining the ability to drive is that blood alcohol content measures just that, the amount of alcohol in your blood. It does not measure your ability to react to various situations, BAC gives only an indication as to the impairment of an individual. Should the pettie girl who can drink like a fish, blow a .10 and still drive go to jail while the house of a man who drinks like Nicole Kidman from Blind Date but only blows a .04 is sent on his way?

Mr. Borders offers an interesting solution at the end of his piece which may or may not be feasible, but at least he is trying to solve a problem.

So the question comes down to this: Are there other (non-cost prohibitive) standards available for testing drivers? One’s that actually test for impairment?
You bet -- and they’re inexpensive.
My tentative suggestion would be a portable driving simulator. If we train fighter-pilots and astronauts on sims, why not test drivers with them? In fact, there are all sorts of computer programs sitting on servers at different universities around the country, not to mention in for-profit companies. There are programs for everything from learning to drive an eighteen wheeler, to -- eureka -- testing people’s driving abilities under the influence.
Even if we thought the driving simulators extant were somehow insufficient for the task of determining whether or not someone is impaired, we know the technology exists and that a prototype for cops could be worked up in a matter of months. Don’t believe me? This following list of games should give us an idea of what’s out there:
 Beta Research Driving Simulator
 Gran Turismo 4
 Subaru (Online Simulator Game)
 Drivesquare
I admit that a formalized simulation might have to be studied extensively. But the technology is there: 3-D virtual reality glasses, algorithms that recreate physical forces, graphics, sound -- and everything else cool and realistic that you might find in your kids’ X-Box 360.
While such new technologies may have to be reworked and tested for use as a legal standard, it’s certainly a significantly better objective standard for determining whether a person is capable of driving than breathalyzers. And while there may be a minor inferential step from someone’s score on the simulation to the presence of alcohol in her body, such a step is far, far narrower than the giant leap between BAC and impairment.

MapSexOffenders.com - Coaching Up the Journal Ed Board

I was a little surprised to read the Journal’s editorial this morning about the new updates to the sex offender web site. According to the Journal:

As of Thursday, Department of Corrections Secretary Matt Frank has promised, it includes specific addresses for those offenders registered. The Web site at http://widocoffenders.org was clunky in practice when we tried it (because of "traffic congestion," said a spokesman), but addresses were included.
Go to the Web site, and click on Search Registry. You can search by name or location. In the location field, type in a ZIP code. Names of sexual offenders who are required to register will appear. Click on any one of them, and that offender's information will pop up, including address.
The ability to type in addresses and get offenders in proximity would be handier, but this addition is an improvement.

A cursory search of the web would have found them a number of sites that not only show sex offenders in the proximity of a given address, but also give a picture of said offender. My favorite is mapsexoffenders.com which uses the google map tool to plot each sex offender in the vicinity of an address or zip code. Clicking on each pinpoint brings up the address and mug shot of the offender. This is a fantastic resource that is far and away better than that listed by the Journal. Shocking.