Hey Eugene, Hitler could give a good speech too

But I am guessing you would not defend him even though you keep defending Rev. Wright.

Sorry just because you are black and are a preacher does not get you a pass in my world.

Rev. Wright preaches hate which makes him just as evil as any of the White Neo Nazi nut jobs who also preach hate.

And it is funny Rev. Wright is as much of a racist as the White Neo Nazi nuts.

But being a Black Hate Monger is ok in Eugene Kane's book. But we all know if Wright was white and had a swastika on his arm Kane would be all over him.

I am also so tired of the "Its a black thing you would not understand excuse" Which Mr. Kane used to finish his column.

"He didn't say "God damn America" once.

But then, if you are acquainted with the black church, you know he didn't really say it the first time, either."


Eugene we have all seen the videos we know what he said. Please do not try and insult our intelligence by saying he really did not mean it.

If you really look at it you find much more hate on the Political Left in this country than you will ever find on the Political Right.

Hell the Democratic party is the party of hate. Hate anyone who is living better than you, hate everyone who does not believe what you believe. Hate people who own businesses or who run companies or those who believe what is their is theirs.

Most of us on the Right just want to be left to live our lives without government interference and what do we get for that wish. Being call a whole list of names from our enemies on the left.

Come see the hate that is inherent in the left's system, hell they could not exist without their hatred.

sorry I digress ;)

Never forget it is ok to hate if you are on the left

Chris

Review of the GAB Campaign Finance Website

In a word yuck! The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board has revamped its campaign finance site. My interest is in the section on filed reports. In the past I have downloaded such data and analyzed the data. Once I did this with federal data and last summer with Wisconsin data.

I am here to critique the Wisconsin site, I had no problems with the Federal site and its data format (though I had to jump through some hoops to convert some fields from their native format to the format I needed) but the Wisconsin site is clumsy and does not lend itself to analysis.

My main problem is the delivery of reports. The site delivers the reports themselves via PDF and Acroread was unable to open the file and so too KPDF, it was only Ghostview that was able to read the PDF file. So, I am not certain why that should be the case, it isn't like PDF is some sort of cryptic standard that changes all the time.

My next problem with the system is again dealing with the PDF delivery of the data. The site allows you to specify all sorts of criteria to limit the results of searching and when you perform the search you may get a number of results. You can request to download that result listing in Excel, Word, or CSV formats. In my opinion, that functionality provides very limited benefit as there is little interesting data in this report.
Click on the image to see the data, you will see that it is not all that helpful.

I would not be surprised I have a utility to parse out the data from the PDF file or that I could find one to do so (or perhaps I could create one myself) but what I really want delivered in delimited (i.e. CSV) format is the data itself. My main concern when reviewing these reports is to find the amount of contributions candidates get from those who can actually vote for them. Last summer I reviewed a race and found out the candidate whom I opposed received most of her campaign contributions from those out of the district (and out of state) while my candidate's receipts came mostly from within the district.

I am not a fan of most campaign finance regulations and regulation proposals but one that appeals to me is if you can not vote for a given candidate you can not contribute money to their campaign funds. Organization contributions should be limited by the number of members who can actually vote for the candidate.

New footage of the President meeting with advisers before taking over GM

Who knew they still had snow on the ground in Detroit ;)

Chris

In the spirt of the new Group Hug on Terror mood

I give you another soon to be buddy of the US after he and President Obama hug it out.

Kim Jung ll sings you are worthless Alex Baldwin.

This one is for you Jib I am guessing you could use a laugh today.



Chris

I am going to have this Fraking song stuck in my head all day be warned it is an ear worm(guess I should have posted that warning above the video lol)

US will not longer use the phrase "War on Terror"

Sec of State Clinton confirmed that the Obama administration has ceased using the term "War on Terror"


The phrase War on Terror will now be replaced with a phrase that is more fitting to the Obama Administration.

From now on the phrase "The Group Hug on Terror" will be the official phrase of the United States Government.

Sec Clinton was hoping that in the near future the President would be able to hug it out with the Mullahs of Iran.

Since the President has terrorists for friends and advisers no one should be shocked by this retreat from War on Terror.

Chris

This is why nobody ever tries to break in to Phelony's house

Note to GM: So long, and thanks for all the fishes

I've been noodling the similarities between the decline of the Episcopal church in America and our current economic upheaval, especially in the home of formerly the oldest GM facility in America, Janesville.

The disenfranchised of the group are heartsick at the loss of a way of life that afforded them dreams and opportunities and a great level of security to raise their families in. I understand and appreciate it.

But what makes us great - as individuals, families, communities and a nation - is our response to challenges. Thanks to GM, and its union stranglehold, Janesville enjoyed prosperity, flourishing in the 20th century. Now GM is gone and won't be returning.

Another town experienced the same "company town" loss: Newton, Iowa, lost its livelihood when "Whirlpool slammed the lid on 'Washer Town USA'. " Within 18 months, the town had added almost 1,000 jobs:

Thanks to a regional approach to economic development and a healthy dose of good timing, Newton has survived.

TPI Composites and Trinity Structural Towers now call Newton home. The two manufacturers of wind energy components came to Newton with their eyes on a portion of Maytag’s 2.6 million-square-foot plant on the north side of town.

The space didn’t work for TPI, which makes massive blades for wind turbines. With $6 million in state incentives, TPI instead built a 320,000-square-foot plant nearby and employs 350 people, many of them former Maytaggers.

Janesville has that facility, and a host of satellite companies to support it cheaply and locally.

What, or who, are we waiting for? It's our call to leadership in one of the most important industries of the present and future.

But this time let's stay on top of the market and technology trends so we change with the economy, not die because of it.

Koschnick - "Record"

I do believe we have the first Badger Blog Alliance Olympian in our midst! Great pommel moves and floor routine. An impressive, good-looking young man, that guy is!

So what year are we going to see him, Chris? Ya gonna hold your secret weapon until the Milwaukee South Olympics?

So Much for Moderation

The list of "Blue Dog Democrats" for the 111th Congress has just been released and the Huffington Post got their hands on it.

Not a Wisconsin Democrat is listed among the bunch. Looks like Ron Kind (D-La Crosse), who traditionally has been part of the group, appears to have lost his membership status.

At least if this list is correct.

Blue Dog Leadership Team

Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, Blue Dog Co-Chair for Administration
Rep. Baron Hill, Blue Dog Co-Chair for Policy
Rep. Charlie Melancon, Blue Dog Co-Chair for Communications
Rep. Heath Shuler, Blue Dog Whip

Blue Dog Members

Altmire, Jason (PA-04)
Arcuri, Mike (NY-24)
Baca, Joe (CA-43)
Barrow, John (GA-12)
Berry, Marion (AR-01)
Bishop, Sanford (GA-02)
Boren, Dan (OK-02)
Boswell, Leonard (IA-03)
Boyd, Allen (FL-02)
Bright, Bobby (AL-02)
Cardoza, Dennis (CA-18)
Carney, Christopher (PA-10)
Chandler, Ben (KY-06)
Childers, Travis (MS-01)
Cooper, Jim (TN-05)
Costa, Jim (CA-20)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Davis, Lincoln (TN-04)
Donnelly, Joe (IN-02)
Ellsworth, Brad (IN-08)
Giffords, Gabrielle (AZ-08)
Gordon, Bart (TN-06)
Griffith, Parker (AL-05)
Harman, Jane (CA-36)
Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie (SD)
Hill, Baron (IN-09)
Holden, Tim (PA-17)
Frank Kratovil, Jr. (MD-01)
McIntyre, Mike (NC-07)
Marshall, Jim (GA-03)
Matheson, Jim (UT-02)
Melancon, Charles (LA-03)
Michaud, Mike (ME-02)
Minnick, Walt (ID-01)
Mitchell, Harry (AZ-05)
Moore, Dennis (KS-03)
Murphy, Patrick (PA-08)
Nye, Glenn (VA-02)
Peterson, Collin (MN-07)
Pomeroy, Earl (ND)
Ross, Mike (AR-04)
Salazar, John (CO-03)
Sanchez, Loretta (CA-47)
Schiff, Adam (CA-29)
Scott, David (GA-13)
Shuler, Heath (NC-11)
Space, Zack (OH-18)
Tanner, John (TN-08)
Taylor, Gene (MS-04)
Thompson, Mike (CA-01)
Wilson, Charles (OH-06)
Holden, Tim (PA-17)
Frank Kratovil, Jr. (MD-01)
McIntyre, Mike (NC-07)
Marshall, Jim (GA-03)
Matheson, Jim (UT-02)
Melancon, Charles (LA-03)
Michaud, Mike (ME-02)
Minnick, Walt (ID-01)
Mitchell, Harry (AZ-05)
Moore, Dennis (KS-03)
Murphy, Patrick (PA-08)
Nye, Glenn (VA-02)
Peterson, Collin (MN-07)
Pomeroy, Earl (ND)
Ross, Mike (AR-04)
Salazar, John (CO-03)
Sanchez, Loretta (CA-47)
Schiff, Adam (CA-29)
Scott, David (GA-13)
Shuler, Heath (NC-11)
Space, Zack (OH-18)
Tanner, John (TN-08)
Taylor, Gene (MS-04)
Thompson, Mike (CA-01)
Wilson, Charles (OH-06)

Wait a minute, Loretta Sanchez is in that group? How the hell did that happen?

The Blue Dog Coaliton is known for being centrists and fiscal conservatives. Any member of the Democratic Party claiming to be such a creature, and is not a member of the Blue Dogs is very likely lying to you.

Haloscan admin note

No we are not naming comments in honor of Jay or anything like that.

Just a quick note to let people know Haloscan is acting wonky again.

So if you are having trouble commenting it is a Haloscan issue not a BBA issue

Thanks
Chris

Zombie Bait Feature Admin Note

From now on the Zombie Bait feature will be known as the Capper Zombie Bait feature.

I believe he was just jealous of Grumps getting the Gun Porn named in his honor and wanted his moment in the sun.

So from now on when we award a Zombie Bait Award it will be in Cappers honor.

Thank you for your time and I now return you back to your regular BBA reading.

Chris

Due to Nationialzation GM and Chrysler to drop the title company

They will now by known by the Soviet Titles of "Bureau" example the GM automotive bureau.

The Obama Administration aka our new Auto Maker Overlords also announced the whole Cadillac division will be shut down due to the fact only rich people drive Cadillacs and under the Obama Administration there will no longer be rich people so there is no need for Cadillacs.

They will also no longer produce SUV's or Light and Heavy Trucks they will only produce these three models of automobiles

I give you the 2010 class of GM Bureau vehicles

The 2010 Lada based on that Soviet Union Classic which will be built under license in Detroit.




But that is not all another gem of communist auto making will also be made by GM

Put your hands together for the 2010 GM Bureau Yugo.




Chrysler will return to a part of its past when it start producing the 2010 Chrysler Gremlin. Based on the AMC Gremlin.




So are you ready to embrace the Brave New World of American Auto Making.

President Obama and is Green Cultist allies know you do not want these type of cars but guess what tough Obama won and it is no longer about what you want.

THESE ARE THEY CARS THEY ARE GOING TO MAKE YOU DRIVE.

Sorry GM and Chrysler now that you are Nationalized I will not even consider your vehicles when it comes time to buy a new one.

I woke up is the Soviet States of America
Chris

Did we just Nationlize GM and Chrysler?

White House sets tough deadline to force overhaul of ailing US car makers

This is another warning to any CEO who is thinking of getting into bed with the Obama administration.

GM and Chrysler should have just declared bankruptcy and got started rebuilding their company.

Who is John Galt.

Chris

Back to Back State Champion

Sorry folks you are going to have to suffer through a proud papa moment, this is the only blog I have left to do this on. ;)

Yesterday my oldest son successfully defended his USGA Wisconsin State All Around Title.

As readers of my old sports blog know my son won state last year as a Level 4(the entry level to gymnastics it goes from level 4 to 10) So when we headed out to Hartford Union High School for the state meet we were hoping he could come home as the State Level 5(7yr old age group) State Champ


Well

Mission Accomplished 1st place in the All Around.

1st place P-Bars

1st place Floor

1st place Pommel Horse

he also had a 3rd place a 5th place and a 7th which is the key to the All Around you have to place in every event.

I am so proud of him, this is what practicing 2 hours 4 to 5 times a week with great coaches will get you. He busts his little butt doing something he loves and I am so happy for him that he is being rewarded for his hard work.

I will end this with a couple of videos from yesterdays meet which capped off a great season for the Boy, out of 8 meets he had 5 All Around first places 2 seconds(one he competed sick) and one 3rd a pretty great year. No matter how he does at Regionals next month in Minneapolis.

Before the video I would also like to give a Shout out to my sons club Swiss Turners who were looking at having 4 team 1st places and 2 team 2nd places out of 6 levels it was a pretty good year for our club.







Thanks for letting me brag a little about the boy but remember it isn't bragging if you can back it up ;)

Proud Gymnastics Dad
Chris

Card Check to Cost Chippewa Valley Jobs?

It could, and the number of jobs could be upwards of 800.

The Eau Claire County Economic Development Corporation claims a bill making its way through Washington is keeping a company from bringing in hundreds of jobs and a $50 million investment into Eau Claire.
[...]

Because of a non-disclosure agreement, the EDC can not release the company's name. They do say they were looking to make a $50 million investment in Eau Claire and create 800 manufacturing jobs over the next five years. But, a piece of legislation known as the "Employee Free Choice Act" has changed those plans.

Doudna says, "We were finalizing the structure of the deal... the very top thing they note was this legislation."

Whoever the company was, it seems that Eau Claire, because of some existing facilities, was the only place in the U.S. that the unnamed company was considering. And so it begins.

Rock River Flooding

Creeping River
Originally uploaded by Jibby7

It was just a year ago that the Rock River made life hell for many along its banks from Jefferson southward. So far, flooding is fairly typical to a little high for this time of year. Yes, this image is typical. Last year, the river (actually, the rivers, as this is near where the Bark and Rock join) swallowed this road. More rain is in the forecast, and nothing says that a wet May/June won't cause more problems, but locals can deal with this level of flooding.

A new BBA feature: Zombie Bait

What or who is Zombie bait you ask?

Well Zombie bait are the those silly PC people who you just know will be the first to go when the Zombies arrive. Just because they are such Mopes.

So who gets the honor of being awarded the first Zombie Bait post.

Principal Jeff Finstad the principal of Waupun High School

Here is what he did to earn the title of Zombie Bait.

What is it about being in education that makes you become such an PC wimp?

So there you have it Jeff Finstad Zombie Bait.

Remember kids always shoot for the zombies head ;)

Ok it has been brought to my attention that some moron has no idea how the whole zombie thing works and believes I was telling the students to shoot the principle in the head. How stupid do you have to be.

Ok Capper I am going to get the crayons out and explain zombies too you.

Zombie bait would be the person who gets eaten by the zombies due to the fact they cannot defend their self or refuse to believe Zombies are bad due to their PC brains.

The only way to not become Zombie Bait is to get your gun and shoot Zombies in the head since that is the only way to stop a George Romero Zombie(The gold standard of Movie Zombies)Praise be un to him. Please Capper rent a movie and learn something before you speak. The Principle would not be a Zombie he would be Zombie Chow.

So I was reminding our readers the only way to not end up as Zombie Chow is to shoot the Zombies in the head.

Man Idiot liberals have no sense of humor or common sense like I would publicly write a post saying you should shoot any living person in the head Capper you are an Asshat of huge proportions and a fool.

Chris

Jib makes me say this: But thanks for stopping by the BBA we appreciate your continued readership we know you have many choices when it comes to blogs and are glad you made the BBA one of your choices. ;P

Is anybody else noticing an awful lot of empty seats at the NCAA Tournament games?

I don't know that I ever noticed before. Just seems like a lot of empty seats.

My brackets are actually doing pretty well. I had 14 Sweet Sixteen teams (better than both Obama and Doyle, which probably just means that luck has a lot to do with it). And three of my Final Four teams are still alive.

I'm still way back in both pools I'm in, but hey, it could be worse.

Sit on a hot burner for a second, and it feels like an hour...

...but sit next to a pretty girl for an hour, and it feels like a second.



Just for comparison, this is from last October:

Re: Mayoral Candidate Admits

Owen: that story makes you wonder what's going on in Baraboo? Try this:

A Baraboo man's request for movie-watching silence is what caused his transsexual sister-in-law to become enraged and stab him with a sword, the man said in court Friday.

The testimony revealed what may have sparked the bizarre December incident that left 42-year-old Troy Uselmann with a replica of King Arthur's "Excalibur" sword stuck through his body.

West Bend must be a really quiet place, if you think a mayoral candidate stealing cigars is odd.

Slacktivism

Slacktivism is a term the creators of Snopes.com use to describe the forwarding of email warnings without fact checking them.

I think it also applies to Earth Hour.

The Snuggie Cult

We here at the Badger Blog Alliance have no idea what the Politico is talking about.
None.

Mayoral Candidate Admits to Stealing Cigars

Lance? What the heck is going on in Baraboo?

BARABOO — The sign on the glass door of the 12-foot by 15-foot walk-in
humidor at the Viking Express Market makes no mention of the upcoming mayoral
election.

Instead, it reminds visitors they are being watched by a security
camera.

The additions, installed in September after owner Susan Fisher began
noticing missing inventory, had little bearing on Michael Cone, who is running
for mayor and has served on the Baraboo City Council since 1999.

“He was playing to the camera,” said Fisher, who leases the space. “He
knew they were there.”
Cone, 54, admits to stealing cigars from the humidor
on four separate occasions in January and February. He says he’s not sure why he
took the cigars but says he sold the ill-gotten stogies for about $25 and used
the money to put gas in his silver Toyota Camry.

Cone has no plans to drop out of the race for mayor. And if he loses,
he has no plans to relinquish his position as an alderman.

The fun and physics of Let's get it on!

Sean's post reminds me: They're bringing the octagon to Beloit in May!

Beloit's 2nd CAGE Fights
Mixed Martial Arts & Championship Kickboxing
Feauturing two local guys who've gone pro:
Dan "Heart Attack" Hart & Tony "The Scofield Kid" Scofield
Plus the MMA debut of Steve Fridh

The general tickets for the March event at the Eclipse Center were good, but you have to get there a half-hour early. Ringside is better, especially if you want to get a beer without climbing over twenty or so strangers.

I am a major fan of the Flying Knee:

Fun and Games

One thing we are seeing, is a lot ridicule of President Obama's heavy reliance on teleprompters.

I find a lot of it hilarious. On Facebook it is common to see a graphic of "The Teleprompter of the United States" done on the theme of the Presidential Seal.

While it is funny its only real use is not to go after President Obama but his press corps. When President Obama is off the teleprompter he uhhhs, stammers, searches for words, and is on record for saying some very unintelligent things — bound to happen. I do not fault the President for those comments, but I do question the press on minimizing them. I don't think a sentient being fails to grasp the consequences of some of President Obama's statements if President Bush had uttered them instead.

I do not even rap the partisan left for the double standard — it is politics after all.

In the end, the words of the President mean boom or bust (even if for a day or so) and life or death to some. The Presidential utterances must be well thought out and clearly stated. The teleprompter is the vehicle for that. However, because the President waxes eloquently or not does not mean all that much. After all, President Reagan spoke and communicated very well that still did not prevent the left from attacking him as a dunce.

In the end, I will indulge myself in the humor but will not use President Obama's miscommunications or his reliance on the teleprompter against him, the mainstream mastodons maybe but not the President himself.

Tom Barrett should feel right at home

Hour long lights out pushed to promote conservation

Mayor Tom Barrett the empty suit that runs the City of Milwaukee is usually in the dark. So that one hour should feel really natural for him.

Isn't it cute when the moonbats really start going over the edge. ;)

This Earth Hour is almost as stupid an idea as "Hands Across America" or not extending the Maginot Line along the Belgium French border. Or any of the ______Aids concerts back in 80's

But since being a Moonbat is about feeling you are actually doing something productive, instead of actually doing something productive what can you expect.

So remember All of your lights on at 8:30pm Saturday night :)

Chris

Friday Grumps Gun Porn: The Magnum Research BFR in .45-70

This week I give you a true "Hand Cannon" The Magnum Research BFR(Big F-cking Revolver)in .45-70. While I do not currently own this gun I used to I sold it to a friend who fell in love with it. So I have shot this gun a number of times.

This gun is a hoot to shoot it shoots a rifle cartridge the .45-70 which at one time was the standard round of the US Military. It is a very powerful round which was made famous as the round that killed many of the Buffalo taken on the Great Plains back in the late 1800's

To give you another example of how powerful the .45-70 round is a lot of guides out West carry "guide guns" that fire this round for protection from Bears and Mountain Lions.

Shooting this gun makes shooting my .44 magnum seem like shooting a .22 or 9mm

If you look at the photo you can see how big the cylinder is for holding the shells see how long it is due to it has to hold a much longer rifle cartridge.

I was able to find a nice home video someone was nice enough to put on Youtube



I personally never had much trouble with the recoil due to this gun is heavy and that tends to eat up a lot of the recoil.

Zombie Repellent rating: Medium to low the BFR only holds 5 rounds and is single action you must manually cock it after every shot. Now the round will most likely cut a Zombie in half, but I would not want to be taking on a mob of flesh eaters with this gun though if it ran out of ammo you could grab it by the barrel and use it as a very heavy and expensive war club ;)

This gun is not for the faint of heart but for those of you that love to hunt with hand guns you cannot go wrong with this Hand Cannon.

So there you go this Fridays installment of Grumps Gun Porn. The Magnum Research BFR in .45-70

"The right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed"

Chris the BBA Master at Arms

Re: To the light switch barricades Comrades

This has been making the rounds on Facebook and the opposition is setting up something along the lines of human productivity hour or something along those lines. I forget the exact title, but it is good.

To the light switch barricades Comrades

Today I was driving home listening to Rush and damn near drove into a ditch because I was laughing so hard. What was I laughing at you ask

This "Earth Hour 2009" It never ceases to amaze me how gullible and stupid the people on the left are.

So all these morons are going to turn their lights off for an hour and then tell themselves they are saving the planet(one that does not need to be saved in reality)

Rush is right on this one we need to fight back against stupidity like this.

So I got on the phone to Jib and we had the following conversation.

Chris: What the Hell happened to the BBA, I used to know? Where's the spirit? Where's the guts, huh? This could be the greatest Hour of our lives, but you're gonna let it be the worst. "Ooh, we're afraid to go with you Chris, we might get in trouble." Well just kiss my ass from now on! Not me! I'm not gonna take this. Edward Norton, he's a dead man! Green Peace, dead! Earth Hour founders...

Jib: Dead! Chris is right. Psychotic, but absolutely right. We gotta take these bastards. Now we could do it with conventional weapons that could take years and cost millions of lives. No, I think we have to go all out. I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part.

Chris: We're just the guys to do it.

Tee Bee: Let's do it.

Chris: *Let’s do it*!

Our Futile and Stupid Gesture is an obvious one at 8:30pm local time Saturday turn every fraking light on that you can. I still have some of my Xmas lights hung up and I intend to go all Widgerson and even turn them on for that hour. Hell I might even fire up my Generator for the hour it needs to be turn over every so often right.

Stupid group hugs like this just show you how stupid and feelings based Liberalism/Socialism is when it comes to their Green Religion/Climate Change Cult.

These people will sit the dark for and hour Saturday night thinking they are solving a problem that does not even exists, then what will most of them do around the world go out to the local Disco or Dance club that uses more electricty in an hour than they use in a month and party all night telling themselves they are special because they care.

Actually when it comes to sitting in the dark most of these fools on the left will feel right at home I swear they spend most of their lives in the dark. ;)

The Cult of Climate Change is evil and must be fought these people are as nuts as the folks were down in Jones town and they will not be happy till we are all living like it was the 1700's again.

So lets have some fun come 8:30pm local Saturday night and turn on a light for common sense.

Fraking Moonbats

Chris

the flood she is a risin'

Better get out your waders - the Rock River is rising, with Janesville's South River road under water in three places (I got through all three last night in my little Nissan: correct speed/force is key).

Jobless rates in Janesville/Beloit follow suit by topping the state's rate at nearly one out of seven residents out of a job. GM's not listening, so these folks are taking the fight to Madison.

In the last two years, the Janesville area has lost about 6,000 jobs. Its 13 percent unemployment rate is the highest in the state by a considerable margin.

What were you saying about unions, Marcus?

CP @ GMC. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Unions and the Cost of Jobs

Jerry Bader is highlighting a story in Sheboygan. The story involves Thomas Products in Sheboygan. Thomas Products employees roughly 400 people in Sheboygan and then another 75 or so in Louisiana. Thomas Products wants to consolidate its operations and has yet to announce (or even make one yet?) a decision as to which plant is moving and which is staying.

Of course, both municipalities are competing to keep their jobs and in both cases probably add jobs. Of course, one municipality is going to lose jobs. Sheboygan has less to gain and more to lose and vice versa for the Louisiana location. None of this is yet too atypical (perhaps none of it is).

Anyway, the Thomas Product employees are unionized under the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Jerry is reporting that the Sheboygan union has stopped talking to and working with Thomas Products. They claim they have made enough concessions and will make no more and now say it is up to Thomas Products to make concessions. Here is a very brief statement from the president of IBEW Local 1060:

Combined with concessions the members agreed to in August of 2008, the company will have gained more than $3 million and extensive changes in health care coverage.

Union members have made great sacrifices for Gardner Denver. The state and local governments are providing large subsidies.

Now it's time for Gardner Denver to step up and commit to Sheboygan.

Jerry took a lot of calls on this over two days. The first day the calls were from his core listening area and then members of the union started to e-mail and whine how they couldn't get through, which Jerry claims is a falsehood — still Jerry held another call in session taking calls just from Sheboygan listeners. I got the feeling very quickly most of those callers were just out of the union seminar on what to say, as most of the calls were fact-barren and were softly ad-hominem. Today Jerry says one fellow called in accusing Jerry of being afraid to debate the topic and when the caller was told he was going on-air to debate the caller hung up.

One caller in particular said he understood his job was in jeopardy but did not give a fig — it was time for Thomas Products to put up. I wonder if the the Louisiana workers are unionized or not?

Here is another report from Sheboygan Shenanigans, which talks about the union's excuse for missing a conference call with management.

This all reminds me of a story I heard once, no idea if true or not but it is pretty much the same situation. The employees of a large and successful manufacturing firm based in Wausau were seriously thinking of unionizing. The owner then informed the employees if they went union that he (the owner) was set as far as his wealth goes. That if the employees unionized the owner would simply close down the company. The union lost.

That is what the employees of Thomas Products face. The Thomas Products IBEW is holding at most a straight in their hand, does it make sense to be the house?

Rep. Josh Zepnick, D-Milwaukee needs to be reminded who he works for

Isn't it amazing how quickly a lot of politicians forget who they actually work for once they are elected.

I am sure by now most of you have heard of Rep. Zepnick's run in with a college student at the Budget hearing at State Fair Park. If not check out the post at WisPolitics.

I am getting really tired of politicians acting like we work for them. You see this at every level of government and it needs to be stopped.

This is what happens when you have a society that makes it illegal to punch another man in the mouth when he really deserves it.

Rep. Zepnick owes this young man an apology and he needs to take some time and sit in on a 7th grade Civics class so he can relearn now the system is supposed to work.

Rep Zepnick you are not the Master and the voters of this state are not your Serfs you work for us and need to remember that next time you decided to berate and belittle a fellow citizen of this state.

Here is State Asshat Oops I mean State Rep. Zepnick's contact info

State Capitol Office:
Room 219 North
P.O. Box 8953
Madison, WI 53708
E-mail:
Rep.Zepnick@legis.wi.gov
Telephone:
(608) 266-1707
(888) 534-0009 -- toll free

If you have a moment give his office a call or drop him an email and POLITELY remind Mr Zepnick he is a servant of the people and he works for all of us and should remember that when he is dealing with his fellow citizens.

You work for us Mr Zepnick never forget that or you will join a long list of out of work politicians who have failed to learn that lesson.

Does anyone one wonder why politicians are always the first to end up against the wall when revolutions happen. ;)

Chris

NFL Gets a Lobbyist

I figured that with its antitrust issue with the USFL as well as having the commissioner appear before Congress occasionally the NFL already had itself a full-time lobbyist. Nope.

Speaking of the USFL, supposedly a new one will start in Spring of 2010, but I doubt that will happen in this economy. It's gotten so bad the Arena Football League took a year off.

Midwestern Movie Review: Knowing

Talk about a twist ending!


Crashes! Danger! Kids who see things adults can't! Brilliant alcoholic MIT astrophysicists! Hot chicks with only the slimmest connection to the plot! The suspense of not knowing who or what will survive! Cool spooky visions and ghost-aliens! You'll be on the edge of your seat watching their chances get slimmer and slimmer!

This one really is worth seeing in the 115-minute format.

I'm not so keen on the 4- 8-year format.

More on Audaciously Hopeful economics

To follow up with Glenn's simple numbers exercise I posted here, I'll share a lesson in the philosophy of big budgeting that Kevin Binversie forwarded a few days back:

Another reader remarks that "the 'Congressional Effect' is merely a modern, attenuated version of John Randolph of Roanoke's famous observation that 'No man's life, liberty or property are safe whilst the legislature is in session.'"

This second reader also offers a good observation about how our leaders prioritize their efforts:

The phenomenon you describe in this post was identified by Norman Augustine in his book ("Augustine's Laws") as "inversion": the tendency for managers to spend disproportionate amounts of time and energy on the inconsequential. He attributed this behavior to the (in)ability of most managers to comprehend the larger issues. As an example, he described a board meeting in which it was proposed to spend several millions to build a large power plant (this was back in the 1960s), a proposal quickly and uncontroversially approved. The same group then spent a much longer time, with much more vigorous debate, on the proposed expenditure of a fraction of this sum on an ancillary building to house a maintenance facility. Augustine surmised this was because (1) no one had the slightest clue as to how much a power plant should cost, but (2) everyone had an idea of how much a tool shed should cost.

(A third reader claims the correct citation is Parkinson's Law of Triviality.)

Yes, indeed, that sounds like what is going on in the Washington right now. Our nation's leaders are focused on the tool shed.

Mankiw, a Harvard prof and textbook author, notes the rise in students interested in econ.


Good luck, kids.

Rock County Y Women of Distinction

Forget the bad title that doesn't tell what the article's about, and forget the lite treatment of the facts.

These chicks rock!

I think a calendar is in order.

Bubbler Or Water Fountain?

We have a lot of very important decisions on our plate as a nation and as a state right now. But despite all of these weighty decisions, we are this much closer to answering the question: "Bubbler or water fountain?"

One of Wisconsin's most prominent regional terms -- calling a drinking fountain a "bubbler" -- probably comes from a 1910s corporate marketing campaign.Joan Hall is editor of the Dictionary of American Regional English. She said the term bubbler is used mainly in southeast Wisconsin, where the Kohler Co. marketed its early drinking fountains around 1917. Those porcelain bowls contained "bubbling valves" that made the water bubble as it came through.Pretty soon, Hall said, the valves became known as "bubblers." Then, people started calling the whole product by that name.Hall said as the product changed to look more like drinking fountains, the name stayed the same.Hall said the term is used most often in Wisconsin but researchers have found examples of its use in Ohio and Massachusetts.

Now, if we can just get to the root of the pop or soda question.

On the bright side, no more lake-effect snow!

Thought it was one never-ending crap-fest of a freezing-cold, snowy, icy winter? Snowmobilers who didn't kill yourselves, this isn't a trick question - but you especially should pay attention, since open water is not your friend:

Ice cover on the Great Lakes has declined more than 30 percent since the 1970s, leaving the world's largest system of freshwater lakes open to evaporation and lower water levels, according to scientists associated with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Makes sense. Then it skews.

They're concerned about how the milder winter freeze may affect the environment. But they're also trying to come to terms with a contradiction — the same climate factors that might keep lake ice from freezing might make freezing more likely if lake levels drop due to evaporation.

Forget the whole scientific paradox - they lost me at "milder winter freeze".

Gasoline has cracked the $2 barrier

It's $2.04 in Baraboo, and $2.09 in Madison (except for one place where it was still $1.95 at about 5:30 this afternoon).

Anybody else got it higher?

Almost 26 Million a minute.

Doyle seeks full cost of fast rail link

Governor Doyle has caught Choo Choo fever just like Mayor Barrett has. But Gov. Doyle wants to build a choo choo that actually goes somewhere unlike the empty suit in the Milwaukee Mayors office.

Diamond Jim is trying to get the Feds and their magic print them as we need them dollars to pick up the whole $519 Million dollar tab for the project. Which would link Milwaukee with Madison with a 110mph rail line. According to the DOT you would be able to get to Madison from Milwaukee 20 whole minutes faster than if you drove. That works out to $25,950,000 for each minute saved. What a bargain!

But it gets better guess where the train will let you off in Madison? Wait for it the Madison Airport which is very close to ...... well almost nothing. So after riding the Choo Choo you would have to ride a bus to get to the Capital Square or the UW Campus isn't that just wonderful. What is it with you Socialists why do you insist on building your stupid mass transit systems so they do not go near places where normal people would actually want to go?

If you are going to build this Choo Choo why not have it go into the city so it drops people off near the places they are most likely going since no one actually flies out of the Madison Airport sending your train there is down right stupid.

I wonder what a round trip on this Choo Choo will cost? I know for a fact it is $44.00 round trip to Chicago and back aboard Amtrack so lets use that figure for a ticket to Madison from Milwaukee. That is still pretty steep when you can ride Badger Bus to Madison for pretty much the same price and be dropped off right at the Memorial Union or the Downtown Madison Bus terminal instead of the Airport.

I mean I would rather have them waste Stimulus dollars on concrete projects like this if and it is a big if they are going to waste them one way or the other than spend them on stupid social engineering grants and the like. But is there really a need for this train? I mean are people from Milwaukee going to ride the train to Madison to go shopping? I am sorry as nice as it would be to have lunch with Jib in Madison I am not going to ride the Choo Choo from Oconomowoc to the Madison Airport then ride a bus to downtown to meet him for lunch. When I could drive down there and just park right downtown. My guess is from Oconomowoc the train would save me less than 10 minutes maybe even less based on the fact that I have a lead foot and a very good traffic lawyer on speed dial ;) 3 more years and I have all my points back or gone which every it is I cannot remember do you lose points or gain them when you get a ticket lol.

So there you go we are going to build a choo choo with money we don't really have and in 5 or 6 years I will be able to watch mostly empty trains going by my house on their way to Madison.

I am sure glad we will not have to pay back the $519 Million that it will cost to build this white elephant since we are using Federal money. What is that you say that as US taxpayers we will have to pay back that money hmmm that makes this an even worse deal than.

What is it about the left and their Choo Choos?

I am sure we could not have found something useful to do with that 519 million dollars

Tell me again why we live in this stupid ass state?
Chris

Candidate Obama vs. President Obama: Change We Can Believe In?

What was Tehran already taken?

Milwaukee signs sister city agreement with Carora, Venezuela

Leave it to the idiot who runs Milwaukee to pick a sister city in a nation that we will most likely end up fighting in the next decade.

I guess when Mayor Barrett sees a workers paradise he just cannot resist them.

It is funny but not ha ha funny

Chris

While my holding company gently weeps (blood & billions)

Glenn takes a few minutes to parse some AIG numbers that are a little bigger than the $165 million in bonuses; legal money laundering; and sub prime dollars, so you may want to watch it on your break. Bonus: mocking Barney Frank.

Then again, it could make your boss twice as mad to find you goofing off, then find out why you're goofing off.



Don't forget, kiddies - not all of these "banks" you're bailing out are banks. But don't worry, it's business, and business is too hard for you flyover bumpkins folks to understand. So just go back to your farms and cheese coops, and grow your corn and soybeans and cows, and let Obama, your favorite community organizer-cum supreme commander in chief, handle things.

Maybe with a nice letter or something.

Apparently he thought he was on Leno

Unfortunately, he was on 60 Minutes:

In a wide ranging interview broadcast Sunday night, Obama was pressed by Steve Kroft on "60 Minutes" for at times laughing or smiling while discussing the global economic crisis.

"You're sitting here. And you're laughing. You are laughing about some of these problems," Kroft told the president. "Are people going to look at this and say, 'I mean, he's sitting there just making jokes about money?' How do you deal with -- I mean: explain ... Are you punch-drunk?"

"No, no. There's gotta be a little gallows humor to get you through the day," Obama replied, with a laugh.

While I've lived by the same maxim since my pre-teens, I don't see laughing about point after point of problems that have Americans living on the edge and businesses dying - in front of millions of viewers and responding blithely as a norm - to be gallows humor, something that's best saved for the family living room at the end of the day.

It's just poor form, or lack of awareness, or failure to care, or drugs. You pick.

In other reports, he's botching his continued diplomacy-via-letter campaign by sending a heartening letter to the president of France. No, not Sarkozy, whom he briefed not ten days ago on current "White House discussions*." It was sent to his liberal predecessor, Jacque Chirac.

"letter" link via via Owen.
*Another must-read article. Obama will meet QE2 on 4/1/09, the day before the G20 conference in London. It's a pretty good bet he'll remember her name. But will he call her on the phone like he did Brown mere hours after meeting him at the White House, to chat?

Can I call in sick with this?

Obamitis:

More news from while I was in Cleveland

"Man Unwisely Tries to Rob Wisconsin Tae Kwon Do Studio."

The robber thought he could quietly slip in and out of David Kang's studio in Fox Point with some loot.

What he didn't realize is that he would encounter a Tae Kwon Do master who wasn't about to let him off the hook. Kang was giving a private lesson Tuesday and heard someone in his office. Kang found the man going through his closet, grabbed him by the neck and sat him down while he called police.

First we should nominate Kang for Citizen of the Year, then we need to sign up for some lessons.

Well, crap.

Xavier 60, Wisconsin 49. At least they beat Florida St. My friend at church (a Florida State alum) says a two-point overtime victory - even in the Tournament, even though Wisconsin was a big underdog - doesn't even things out with a 36-point bowl-game loss, but I'm not sure I trust his judgment on that.

Go Warriors Gold Golden Eagles!

More about that cheesemaker in Antigo

I’m not sure how we settled on the phrase “Cheddarsphere” to describe Wisconsin’s blogosphere. It’s certainly better than “Cheesesphere,” and less cumbersome than “the Wisconsin-oriented blogosphere.” Packersphere appeals to me, if only to piss off the Cowboys and Bears fans among us.

I guess we could go with Dairysphere. Badgersphere. Brewsphere or Beersphere…those don’t really work. Danicasphere is a little more BBA-centric. Leiniesphere?

Point is, at some time in the past, we kinda/sorta unofficially settled on Cheddarsphere, and lo, it was good.

But as the story about that Antigo cheesemaker – the one who won the award for his wheel of Parmesan – proves, it’s a little bit discriminatory.

There are so many kinds of cheese besides cheddar. There’s parmesan, obviously. Swiss – awfully large Swiss population in Wisconsin, and boy you don’t wanna get those guys mad. There’s Colby, Colby-Jack, and Brick, all of which were invented in Wisconsin.

How can we push those cheeses out with our narrow-minded cheddar-centric-osity?

It’s discriminatory, is what it is. It’s wrong!

So lately I’ve been going with Blogosphere’o’Cheese. A little harder to write, but at least I can look myself in the mirror while I’m grating pepper jack for my Sunday meatloaf.

The best cheese in the nation came from...

Antigo cheesemaker judged nation's best

The best cheese in the United States is a nutty, sweet-flavored wheel of Parmesan made at a plant in Antigo.

John Griffiths of Sartori Food Corp. made what was judged Thursday to be the best cheese in America, rising above 59 other gold- medal winners and a record 1,360 entries at the United States Championship Cheese Contest in the Lambeau Field Atrium in Green Bay.

You'd think he'd be sending some samples to the BBA (headquartered in Baraboo!). Y'know, just to promote his victory.

Hat tip FoxPolitics

WSJ endorses Fernandez

Go, Rose Go!

An excerpt from the State Journal's editorial, endorsing Rose Fernandez for DPI:

Her primary focus is invigorating brick-and-mortar public schools to give parents and children "a broad menu of options," clear standards and strong support. Like Obama, she favors more charter and specialty schools to encourage innovation, merit pay for teachers and greater emphasis on math and science. Fernandez also supports alternative certification methods to bring more minority teachers into the K-12 system to serve as role models.

That's good. Now on to this:

Fernandez talks passionately about making sure every child is prepared for a strong start in school. She's not just interested in more 4-year-old kindergarten programs. She talks about the potential need for 3-year-old kindergarten.

I’ve said it before: although Fernandez is the “conservative choice” for DPI, we don’t really know that she’s a conservative. Her position on 3-year old kindergarten (if that is her actual position) runs counter to that of your average conservative.

Doesn’t matter. Just put her positions on choice and parental rights up against those of WEAC, and she’s by far the best candidate out there.

Wisconsin 61, Florida St. 59

In overtime.

I am exhausted.

No Grumps Gun Porn this week

Sorry I went shooting instead be back next week :)

Chris

New word order

Obamagize

ø bomb uh jïz

–verb (used without object), -gized, -giz⋅ing.

1. to offer a phony apology or excuse personally or through one's lackeys for some fault, insult, failure, or injury that blames the target for "misunderstanding" the comments in question.
2. to personally or through one's lackeys make a formal defense in speech or writing.

A clear sign of the apocalypse

Sean Hackbarth wearing a coat and tie.

New 'boomers'?

'US births break record; 40 pct out-of-wedlock .'

Channel 58 AKA CBS 58 in Milwaukee Sucks

Please excuse me while I get away from politics for my yearly screed about how CBS 58 in Milwaukee is the worst cBS station in America.

You see it is NCAA tournament time and once again I am forced to watch the games in SD because the Asshat who owns cBS 58 cannot seem to reach an agreement to allow the satellite companies to carry his HD signal.

From what I have heard he wants them to also carry his other crappy ass station WMLW channel 41 the station that shows reruns all day(You know this annual screed is much harder to write due to the PG-13 rating here at the BBA, it is hard to do this without swearing) in HD and neither DirecTV or Dish Network will waste the bandwidth on that crappy station so he punishes sports fans through the year. I mean what else would you watch on cBS other than sports? So you get the NCAA basketball tourney in SD the final two days of the Masters golf tourney in SD and every couple of years the Super Bowl in SD. Just because the asshat owner of Channel 58 wants to show I Love Lucy reruns in HD. You want to know why I loved when the Big Ten Network started? Because it got Badger Basketball and football games off his crappy ass stations.

So thanks for letting me vent

CBS 58 IS THE WORST CBS STATION IN AMERICA.

Chris

Wagoner waves ruffle Janesville GM feathers

Yes, I've mocked the GM Retention Task Force before, but they dish up new fun:

Wagoner said the Janesville community should not be "overly optimistic" about the plant reopening[,] and retooling the facility is "not what we're looking at," according to a recording of Wagoner's remarks to reporters at a Tuesday breakfast in Washington, D.C.

That surprised Tim Cullen, leader of the local GM Retention Task Force, and Rep. Mike Sheridan because lawmakers and leaders on the task force hadn't had any contact with GM officials.

"I'm kind of in a wait-and-see what that really means," Sheridan said.

Um, yeah - that lack of contact? It's because they aren't "looking at" reopening or retooling the facility.

And they don't mind that you keep calling. It's easy enough for personal assistants to delete those amusing but pathetically grasping and desperate missives.

Story here.

Emily Post for the New Depression

Who knew there was an ettiquette for layoffs?

So.... I head for Cleveland for some R&R, stay for the St. Paddy's Day parade and festivities, and come back to find zero posts about March 17 cultural doings in the cheese state.

Wisconsin Sucks!

Since everyone is offering their replacements since the new state slogan sucks so bad I thought I would offer up mine.

Wisconsin Sucks.... Now go back to Chicago and tell your friends.


I will admit I adapted this from the Montana Sucks now go back to LA and tell your friends slogan.

I will give my slogan to the State for half of what they paid for their stupid slogan

Chris

The Stars are Lining Up

Everybody who follows college hoops knows: the most likely place for an upset in the NCAA Tournament is where the 12-seeds play the 5-seeds.

The Wisconsin Badgers are in...at a 12 seed.

Their first opponent: Florida State, whose football team embarrassed ours in the Champs Bowl, 42-13.

It's either fate, or the selection committee hoping they see a rivalry. I've got Wisconsin in the second round already. In pen.

Tea Parties all over the place

Pajamas Media has a list of tea parties planned in different parts of the country this weekend and into the future - note that the Madison Tax Day Tea Party is on the list. April 15, at the State Capitol, 11 am to 1 pm.

Y'all come! There's plenty of time to arrange for a day off work (which is easy for me to say, I know, because I work right where the protest is taking place) or for somebody to pick the kids up from school. Make those plans now!

You guys know who Robert Stacy McCain is?

He's one of my new favorite bloggers - a guy who can write a thousand-word post and I'll read every bit of it.

Worth the time, him. And he got over a million hits in his first year of blogging. Jerk.

Anyway, I'm only posting about him here because he has one of those "me walls," where he posts quotes about himself from others. Two of us BBAers are currently on it.

Happy Pi Day!

On this day, 3.14.09, enjoy this rarely seen pi in the wild.

Pi

Someone alert Gary Coleman

Sears Tower to be renamed Willis Tower

Hat tip Boots and Sabers

Yes, I know Mr. Pelican Pants beat me to the joke (in the comments), but I swear I thought of it before reading the comments.

You can actually learn a lot from TV aka how the TV show the Wire taught me about how Newspapers work

First if you did not see the HBO series "The Wire" while it was on you have a huge gaping hole in your life you should run out and fill right away. I mean go to Blockbuster if the one near you has not closed or start renting the seasons from Netflixs or just buy the whole damn series off of Itunes or Amazon.(I have all 5 season either on DVD or Itunes) One of the greatest tv series I have ever seen in my entire 40 years of living.(Yes I like the show a little)

But I digress, back to my original point Season 5 of the Wire is about a fake serial killer and how the local paper the Baltimore Sun covers the story. They show how the paper picks a topic to be its Pulitzer topic for the year and runs with it.

Why does this matter Chris you ask?

Because armed with this new knowledge I can now notice things like the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has went over board this year and actually has two Pulitzer topics going. Their whole "Wasted in Wisconsin Series" and their never ending attack on bisphenol A hell todays Bisphenol was front page above the fold and written in the font that is usually reserved fro things like VJ day or a Space Shuttle blowing up. You do not notice this if you read the paper online like I do but I happened to see a hard copy version of the front page in the locker room at the club and noticed it.(My going back to the health club is doing wonders for my blogging isn't it lol)

I have no issue with them doing their Pulitzer topics it is what papers do(to be honest I have not read either series of stories)

I just found it interesting since I look at newspapers with a different eye since season 5 show how they make the sausage that is a newspaper to me.

Chris

I think I would rather have my children go into Porn than Print Journalism

I am joking of course but at least there would be a chance of a long term career in Porn. I do not know if you could say that for print journalism these days.

Newspaper convention canceled amid industry woes

As you most likely know the Rockie Mountian News is no more and the paper in San Francisco the San Francisco Chronicle may follow the RMN into the great newspaper beyond if they do not find a buyer.

What got me thinking of this was a RUMOR that I heard in the locker room at the health club today from a retired Journal Communication employee who is hearing from people he still knows at JC that they have taken the first steps to filing bankruptcy. From what he said they are doing the stuff you would do if you have to file bankruptcy in the future. They are laying the ground work for it would be another way of saying it. Like I said this is totally hear say but based on the condition of the over all industry and the price of Journal Communication Stock ticker symbol JRN which at the time of this post was 48 cents a share(you know computers keyboards do not have a cents symbol on them) I would not be surprised if the Journal had to file for protection from its creditors in the future.

It is a shame in some ways while I detest the Liberal/Socialist leanings of the political parts of the paper I do get a fair amount of info like sports scores etc from the online version. But that is the rub I would not pay for that info. I could not in a good conscience support a paper that has people like Ricardo Pimentel heading its editorial board or pays Eugene Kane to write anything.

I mean if the JSonline disappeared tomorrow I can still get most of info I get from them from other sources on the Web.

I am not totally against paying for a online newspaper if it is not so Liberal/Socialist like the MJS I used to pay for the New York Sun to read their online version. If the MJS was not a socialist rag I would most likely pay if I had to so I could read their online version. But by choosing to be as Liberal as they are has driven me and from the looks like it a lot of other people away.

I really feel for the people in the industry because where do you go if you are a print journalist or someone who works behind the scenes like the printers etc? I believe you would be hard pressed to find a large metropolitan paper that is increasing its subscriber base in America. I mean there might be one but I bet that would be the exception to the industry trend. The newspaper pond is defiantly shrinking and you wonder if all the fish will be able to survive in the water that is left.

I will try and keep my ear to the ground and see if I hear anymore about what is up with JRN

Chris

Friday Grumps Gun Porn Sigarms SHR970 addition

This Friday's Centerfold is my favorite hunting rifle in my vault, the Sigarms SHR970 in .30-06 aka in my house as the "Black Gun"

It is a Bolt Action rifle coupled with a Leupold Scope which when coupled with the Federal ballistic tip rounds I shoot is a death ray I can actually shoot a 3 shot "dime" cluster at 100 yards with this gun when totally dialed up to go out West for a hunting trip(A dime cluster means the 3 bullet holes are close enough together that you can cover all three with one dime)

The gun was designed and built in Switzerland and the parts work like a fine Swiss watch when I was looking to buy hunting rifle I looked for 6 months and the moment I worked the bolt action on this I knew I had found my rifle it was like butter smooth as a baby's butt ;)

I would have to rate this gun right in the middle of the Zombie Repellent List. While it is laser accurate it only holds 4 rounds and you have to work the bolt between each shot. Now if you were on the roof of building sniping zombies it would be great but not the best gun if they are breaking into the room you and your family are hiding in.

It fires the .30-06 round the same round that was used by our Great Great Grandfathers and Great Grandfathers to win World War 1 and by our Great Grandfathers and Grandfathers to win World War 2 You could use this gun to pretty much hunt any living animal that you could find on the North America Continent. The round might be a bit light for a lot of the stuff in Africa but it could still be used for a lot of the things over there like Antelopes and Springboks.
The gun set up in its Western Hunting configuration notice the bipod



The Lovely and Lethal PJ of the Confidentials blog putting rounds down range with it
PJ fell in love with this gun I was worried I would have to wrestle her for it at the end of the day ;)

I like to use pictures of PJ as an example to other woman who are curious about shooting to show you do not need to be a large human being to shoot a lot of these guns PJ is pretty tiny and she had no trouble. So if you are a smaller human being do not let that stop you from taking up shooting.

So there you go this weeks Grumps Gun Porn is the Sigarms SHR970 Rifle

"the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed"

Chris the BBA Master at Arms

Can I get these moonbats address please

Just got done listening to the segment on Charlies show about how the Appleton School District is removing the battlefield reenactment from their Civil War day because some Nancy Boy parents complained.

I just wish there was a list that told you where these people lived because when society falls apart those are the houses I want to loot first ;)

Yes Chris intends to become a brigand when it all falls apart and I and my roving band are going to feast on people like these ;)

Maybe we can get them to put some kind of sign in their window so we know where they live lol The last thing I want to do is accidentally try to loot Dad 29 house or another armed home owner when there are so many others who would be low hanging fruit

Help a Brigand out will you lol.

Chris

Cue the Socialist outrage in 3 ... 2... 1

When is a Fertilized Egg Viable?

Answer: when it's a penguin.

Interesting perspective from the Mathias family.

Proof that cheese and beer are recession-proof

The news isn't all bad - "Wisconsin exports rise despite bad economy."

Wisconsin’s exports increased by 11.8 percent to $20.6 billion in 2008, ranking the state as the 18th-largest exporter in the nation.

Sure China loves our industrial machinery - the world's largest excavator was built here - and our Japan can't get enough of our computer stuff, and Germany craves our electrical gadgets and our medical and scientific instruments.

But we know what our friends from many nations can't get enough of: deep-fried cheese curds and Leinie's!

CP @ GMC.

I wonder if she also has a Dacha in Wine country?

"All the Animals are equal, but some are more equal than others"

With all the uproar over the use of Military Luxury Aircraft by Politburo Leader Nancy Pelosi you have to wonder how out of touch the leadership on the Socialist Side is.

My first thought when I heard of this was how much like the Soviet Leaders ship Comrade Pelosi is. She and her allies on the Politburo tell us we must all share in the sacrifice, while they live high on the hog on the tax payer dollar.

I mean all she needs is a weekend Dacha in Wine Country outside of San Francisco to vacation away from the great unwashed(you and me and our fellow tax payers) and she could be Premier Brezhnev.

It is funny the Socialists like Pelosi say they are the party of the little man but in reality they see themselves as the "Masters" who get to live up in the "Big House" while we serfs toil to pay to keep them in the lifestyle they have become accustom to.

As a tax payer I am calling for Nancy Pelosi to get her Socialist Ass on a commercial jet and if she wants to fly first class it better come out of her private funds. Hell if she is too good to fly commercial let her pay for her own private jet using a charter company or Net Jet

Yes kids never forget the motto of our Socialist enemies
"All the Animals are Equal but some are MORE EQUAL than others"

Chris

I want conscientious objector status in Obama's Economic War

The new buzz word phrase of the week for the Socialist is "We are in an Economic War"

Well I want no part of Obama's war

I should burn my Tax Return Paperwork in protest.

So consider me an Conscientious Objector I refuse to fight for the Socialist Workers Paradise.

Chris

Earmark would benefit former GM Janesville workers

Senator Kohl, well someone from Senator Kohl's staff who actually has a pulse inserted $950,000 into the The Omnibus Appropriations bill. This Ear Mark will be given to the Blackhawk Technical College in Janesville to help retrain the UAW members who lost their job when the GM plant closed.

I have a problem with this ear mark. Why should I and my fellow tax payers help pay to retrain these workers? Why are they more special than any other unemployed person?

Let their beloved UAW Union pay to retrain them, or let the companies that hire them train them. It is not our responsibility help pay to retrain these union workers.

I mean this how many of you would Senator Kohl help get retraining if you lost your job tomorrow? What just because these guys are UAW workers they matter more? What makes these UAW members have more standing then everyone else?

I am sorry if that sounds cold but I do not care I am tired of paying other peoples freight at the barrel of the Federal Gun.

This is another prime example why ear marks need to be done away with.

Chris

Wisconsin: home of cheese heads, Harleys, a ball team named for beer and embryonic stem cell research

Obama gives, and he gives:

...[F]or the University of Wisconsin, and for the state in general, Obama's executive order means a lot.

"This is obviously a very important move," explains Devitt.

"It's certainly very important for Wisconsin. Wisconsin is a leader in embryonic stem cell research. The first cell lines were created in 1998 in the laboratory of Dr. James Thompson on the UW-Madison campus.

"Wisconsin is a leader in this area. This is an incredibly promising area of research. It holds the potential to revolutionize transplant medicine. In four to five years, most of us will be walking around with drugs in us that have been tested on these cells, and it's going to open a very important window on the earliest stages of human development to the time of life when many things go wrong."

"The big thing that I think this does is remove the stigma from this kind of research. This is life-saving research. The policy restriction has discouraged many bright young people from going into the field. It's slowed this technology from getting into the clinic."

L was listening to NPR Monday when they covered the executive order allowing more Federal money for ESC (contrary to popular MSM opinion, Bush and Congress agreed to stem the money flowing for ESC, quite rightly). The reporter went on about what a breakthrough it was, then they had Thompson on, who rhapsodized about ESC, then they opened the program to callers.

Who proceded to rip Thompson a new one over the questions and facts that have been ignored in Science's quest to have free reign in their work, and damn what the little people think.

L kept waiting for all the ESC supporters to jump in there, or for Mr. Science to demonstrate his superior thinking. Neither happened.

You can't fight the fact that ESC research has been ongoing for almost a decade, with zero success, while adult stem cell research has provided a host of therapies without harvesting anything from dead babies. Scientists only care about stigma when it blocks money, but they usually are required to demonstrate something valuable learned through their research to continue receiving funding.

Unless it's something that undermines pro life standards.

Obama and Congress making drunken sailors seem cheap

Recession, bailout costs push federal deficit to $765 billion in first 5 months of budget year

The Deficit keeps grown and The Messiah and his apostles in Washington just keep finding new things to spend money on they don't have.

I mean at least Drunken Sailors are spending their own money.

Wouldn't it be nice to just once see Congress really cut spending when they were out of money? I know that is a pipe dream but hey a man can dream right? Or are we no longer allowed to have dreams in Obama's America I mean why dream and achieve you will just be punished for it.

Hear is another question did "The One" say anything during the campaign that was not an out and out lie?

The latest lie was all the bs he said about stopping earmarks well that lasted what 51, 52 days into his reign of terror.

Amazing how all we heard from Socialist for 8 years was how Bush lied blah blah blah but President Obama lies pretty much every time he opens his mouth but that does not seem to bother the idiots on the left.

As a history buff I always wondered what it was like to live through the Great Depression while if President Messiah and his Minions keep going the way they are going I will not have to wonder anymore will I. It is funny but not ha ha funny.

Chris