Weather has me down
Folks, I have so many different things to talk about, yet we’re under a “heat advisory” (meaning it’s too hot to get much of anything done) and a pollution warning — excuse me, an “air quality advisory.” (Whatever happened to simple words to describe these things? Did they go the way of “used cars,” which has become “pre-owned” in recent years even though they’re exactly the same thing?)
That being said, we’re supposed to be under the heat advisory for several days, so I might not be blogging much during that time unless something really trips my trigger. (Even Scott Walker saying now that he wants to “work with the Democrats” doesn’t quite do it, and that’s definitely something that would usually trip my trigger.)
Right now I’m just trying to conserve my energy for needed activities; I managed to get some editing done (a plus), and have done a little reading (also good), but it’s not as much as I’d be doing if the temperature were even ten degrees cooler.
And as for writing — aside from this blog, that is — I’m writing things down as main ideas rather than trying to develop them unless the idea is really strong and won’t leave me alone. I’d rather take the time and cogitate on an idea than sit at the computer when it’s still 84 F at nearly 2 a.m. unless I know I’m going to get something accomplished . . . yes, the heat definitely is taking it out of me, big time.
Here’s hoping the weather will break/get cooler or at least less humid sometime soon.
Tonight’s SBR book review — for Malcolm Gladwell’s “Outliers”
Folks, I read about “Outliers” in, of all places, a baseball blog. José Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays developed into a home run hitter late, and credited reading “Outliers” as being helpful to him, so of course I had to give it a try also.
Here’s the link to my review:
I’ll have more to say about “Outliers” tomorrow, but for now, just know that this is a book you definitely should go out of your way to read.
Scott Walker, Wisconsin Republicans/Legislature, fare poorly in June 2011 Poll
As the recalls against the Wisconsin Republicans continue to gain steam, it’s time to take a look at the most recent poll, put out by the UW Badger Poll (TM) conducted by the University of Wisconsin Survey Center, link available here. It states:
. . . a majority of Wisconsinites are not happy with current state of affairs in the Badger state.
- 55% are dissatisfied with the way things are going in the state today, a new high for the UW Badger Poll.
- 81% said Wisconsin is in bad times economically and 50% expect it will be in about the same economic condition in the next 12 months, while 20% said things will get worse.
- Nearly two-thirds of Wisconsinites feel that state government is run for the benefit of a few big interests over that of all the people and can only be trusted to do the right thing some of the time.
- 59% disapprove of the way Scott Walker is handling his job as Governor.
- 60% disapprove of the way the State Legislature is handling its job.
- 56% disapprove of the job Republicans in the State Legislature are doing.
- 48% disapprove of the job Democrats in the State Legislature are doing.
- Wisconsinites overwhelming think the recall option in the state constitution is a good thing (78%), and 50% said the current recalls of state senators made them feel better about Wisconsin politics.
In fact, the only thing the Wisconsin Republicans can take any heart in is the following statistic, also from the recent poll:
- 59% of residents statewide preferred that the Democratic state senators remain in office rather than be recalled and 49% said the same of the Republican state senators.
Now, I went over this poll in depth, and what the folks said about the Wisconsin Rs is a little more nuanced; 46% want them out, while 49% believe they should be retained. (The poll did not ask people specifically about their own sitting Senator or representatives in the Assembly; they asked about the person’s overall feeling.) The margin of error for this poll was 4.9%, which means this particular thing is within the margin of error — still, that one last bit of data is probably the only thing that would hearten me if I were a Wisconsin R.
At any rate, this poll looks really bad for Scott Walker. And looks really good for his recall effort, which will start in November of this year.
Update: Wisconsin state Senate Recalls, part 1.
Now, as for the recalls — first up was the primary election on 7/12/11 for the Democrats running against the six Republicans across the state. We had to have a primary because the Wisconsin Republican Party put up “fake Democrats” (what the Rs called “protest candidates”) to stall the Dems and give their own R Senators more time to raise money and fight the recall effort.
I’m pleased to report that the real Democratic candidates all won; most won easily, with Shelly Moore of River Falls having a relatively tough race against Isaac Weix of Menomonie due to the efforts of the St. Croix County Republican Party, which actively worked to get Republicans to vote in the open primary in an attempt to force Moore out. Moore won by the percentage of 54-46, with 17496 voting for Moore and 14990 voting for Weix with 97% of the vote counted in Senate district 10.
Here’s an overall look at the recall races from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, with the insightful title of, “6 fake Democrats fall, setting stage for GOP recalls.” A relevant quote from the article:
Six fake Democratic candidates put up by the Republican Party to buy time for Republican state senators subject to recalls accomplished that job Tuesday, but none of them did the unexpected and knocked off a real Democrat.
Candidates backed by the Democratic Party won all six Senate primary elections, all but one of them by substantial amounts. They’ll all go on to face the Republican incumbents on Aug. 9, in an attempt by Democrats to regain control of the state Senate and put the brakes on Gov. Scott Walker’s agenda.
That the primaries were held at all is a function of the twists and turns of political strategy played out in recent months as the state broke into warring camps over Walker’s attempt to restrict collective bargaining for public employees.
The Republican Party forced the primaries to give its six senators facing recall another four weeks before facing a Democratic challenger, in order to allow them to take their case to the voters and argue that their work on the budget was good for the state.
Take a look at that last sentence again. Do you all remember the mantra, “Wisconsin is broke, that’s why we have to do X, Y, and Z.” (With X being the elimination of collective bargaining rights for public employee unions, Y being cutting $800 out of the public education budget, and Z giving tax breaks to corporations?)
Well, isn’t it hypocritical for the Rs, who claim that Wisconsin is “broke,” to force these recall elections into primaries using “fake Dems” to extend the process?
I mean, here the GOP forced these recalls because of these “fake Dems,” which has caused the state of WI to have spent at least $450,000 more money than needed to be spent on recall elections. Which makes this the next relevant question: how broke can be Wisconsin be if the Wisconsin Republican Party is willing to play games like this?
At any rate, the six real Dems now will face the six sitting Rs on August 9, 2011, to see who will take control of the state Senate. There will be one election already in the books by that point — state Senator Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay) will run next week, July 19, 2011, to attempt to hold his seat, and it’s strongly believed he will win easily — with two more to come on August 16, 2011, for the remaining two Democratic state Senators, Jim Holperin (D-Conover) and Bob Wirch (D-Pleasant Prairie — Pleasant Prairie is a suburb of Kenosha), to attempt to hold their seats. Providing all three Dems hold their seats, the six Democratic challengers will need to knock out at least three Senate Rs to take control of the state Senate.
Tonight was only the first step toward restoring a check on our currently all-Republican state government; we have more steps to come. Keep watching my blog for further updates, as I promise to “keep ’em coming” as long as there’s something to say on this topic.
Updates: Vinny Rottino on AAA All-Star Team
Tonight, after watching the major league baseball game’s All-Star team (where Brewers 1B Prince Fielder hit a 3-run home run, leading the National League to a 5-1 victory with Fielder taking MVP honors), I looked up how Vinny Rottino’s doing in AAA. To my surprise — and great pleasure — Rottino’s made his fourth AAA All-Star game and will represent the New Orleans Zephyrs in Salt Lake City, UT, on 7/13/11 (later tonight).
Here’s a link for you all:
I’m very pleased at this article because it gives more information about how Rottino’s doing as a defender. Rottino is catching part-time while mostly playing in the OF, and has thrown out 10 of 25 baserunners attempting to steal. (This is an acceptable percentage, which shows Rottino’s improved as a defensive catcher.) Rottino’s also hitting .300 right now (is in a bit of a slump, but that’s all right; he’ll come back out of it), has stolen 9 bases (tied for the team lead, as this article says), has 5 HR, 34 RBI, and 18 doubles with a good OBP of .367.
I keep saying this, but the Marlins could do a whole lot worse than to promote Rottino to the major leagues. Rottino works hard, is a good defender now at every position, has an excellent arm, hits well for contact and can steal bases for you. He also won’t run you out of an inning because he’s a smart ballplayer who uses his brain and high baseball IQ to help you win ballgames.
Enjoy your 4th AAA All-Star game, Mr. Rottino — and congratulations!
My first “blog-i-versary” — one year old
Folks, today my blog turns one year old.
Over the past year, I’ve discussed many things. My novel, ELFY. My writing in general. The books I’ve reviewed. The issues that have upset me, stimulated me, or moved me in some way. Sports. And even one post about my favorite guilty pleasure, the Maury Show.
Over the next year, I hope to discuss many more things. My novels-in-progress, including CHANGING FACES, AN ELFY ABROAD, and KEISHA’S VOW. Finishing up Michael’s stories and novels. More issues. Assuredly more on Wisconsin politics, a subject that both fascinates and dismays. More about baseball, writing, and other current events and stories. And, if I’m fortunate, a few story or poem sales to liven up the monotony.
Thank you for reading my blog over the past year; here’s to my one year “blog-i-versary.”
Kenosha News Refuses to Print my Election Letter
The Kenosha News, in their infinite whatever, refused to print my election letter on the grounds that I’m not a Kenosha County resident, and that I’m not a subscriber to their paper. Yet as far as I know, their “Voice of the People” section (what most papers call the “letters to the editor”) does not contain anything that says you must be a Kenosha County resident or a subscriber in order to comment on current events or anything else — I’ve read the Kenosha News many times because I don’t live that far from the Kenosha County line and often pick it up at a local gas station.
At any rate, since the Kenosha News refused to print my election letter, I’m going to print it here, in its entirety; you see if you find it objectionable in any way, shape or form:
To the Editor:
Though I live in the city of Racine, I have a great appreciation for Senator Bob Wirch and wish he were my state Senator. Here’s why.
In 2006, Sen. Wirch discovered that Gateway Technical College (which had a $2.4 million budgetary shortfall at the time) had appropriated five million dollars of taxpayer money to create two private organizations. One of these was actually run for profit, but did the taxpayers of Wisconsin ever see a dime? No!
Without Sen. Wirch bringing this to light, we’d have likely had no idea about what had happened to that five million dollars.
At a time of unprecedented belt-tightening, we need Bob Wirch to stay in the Senate to make absolutely sure that our money is spent wisely; we can’t afford to waste a single penny.
During these unsettled times, where Republicans run “fake Democrats” in recall primaries to give themselves more time to raise money, and Gov. Walker told the “fake David Koch” that he’d seriously considered planting fake protestors in Madison to cause further unrest, we need Sen. Wirch more than ever. He’ll fight against bad budgetary decisions while continuing to fight for a transparent, honest and accountable government.
We need more people like Bob Wirch in the state Senate, which is why I urge you to please cast your vote for him on August 16, 2011.
Sincerely,
Barb Caffrey
Racine, WI
Now, what’s wrong with this letter? That I like Bob Wirch? (That’s what election letters are for — expressing your appreciation, or your disgust, for a candidate running for office.) That I think it’s great he’s been able to bring things to light that otherwise would’ve gone unknown and unheeded? That it’s under 250 words, which fits their guidelines? What?
Mind, if the Kenosha News had prominently said on their Opinion page that they do not, emphatically do not, accept letters from people who neither live in Kenosha County nor subscribe to their paper, then I’d not be as upset. I’d still not be happy about it, but I’d not be upset.
My letter to them in return after they said they were uninterested in my “voice” was something to the effect that I didn’t appreciate this, at all. And that as I live in Racine County — right up the road from Kenosha — it’s ridiculous to think I don’t know what’s going on in this election, especially as part of Bob Wirch’s district runs straight through Racine County.
I also sent a voice mail, which, while again polite and using no four-letter words, expressed my outrage over this. Emphatically.
So, now I know that at least one newspaper in this area doesn’t care what real people think about the important recall elections. And that’s not just bad, sad, or shameful — it means they’re unwilling to do their real job, which in part is to report on what real people in their area think about the issues at hand. Including this recall election.
Just Reviewed Chris McMahon’s “Flight of the Phoenix” for SBR
Folks, if you enjoy fantasy with some medieval or quasi-medieval elements, you will appreciate Chris McMahon’s novella Flight of the Phoenix, new from Naked Reader Press. It’s a quick read (once you get past all the unfamiliar terms) and features a good, strong plot with fine characterization and some excellent battle scenes.
Here’s a link to my review:
Enjoy!
Happy 4th, Go Brewers (and Marcum), and Other Odds and Ends
Happy 4th of July, everyone!
Today’s the day to remember the beginning of the United States of America — when we declared independence from Great Britain. (We actually declared independence on July 2, but the predecessor to the United States Congress didn’t ratify the document until July 4, which is why we celebrate on today’s date.) It’s also a great day to watch baseball, eat hot dogs and apple pie, and for families to appreciate being with each other (or at least put aside their differences for the day). And, finally, it’s become another day (like Memorial Day and Veterans Day) to remember our military men and women, especially those serving overseas in war zones, partly because we have three wars going at the same time, but mostly because our military remains an important part of why we remain an independent nation to this day.
Before I go on, I’d like to mention one military man overseas — my cousin, Wayne. I know he’s seen a number of Independence Days away from the United States, but I can’t believe it ever gets that easy for him — he’s away from his family, most of his friends, and all that is familiar, which would be hard enough even without the three wars going on right now — and I want to remind him that I really do appreciate his service to our country.
Anyway, today is a day for baseball, as I said before, so it’s time to celebrate my favorite players. Corey Hart hit his 9th home run of the year against Arizona (game is still in progress as I type this; the Brewers lead, 6-4, in the 6th) to make it 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth, then Shaun Marcum — the pitcher — hit a grand slam home run to make it 6-1. (The Diamondbacks got a run back in the top of the 5th and two runs in the 6th.) This is the first grand slam of the year for the Brewers — with all their vaunted hitters, including the three 2011 All-Star starters Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, and Rickie Weeks, and of course the aforementioned Hart, you’d think the Brewers would’ve had multiple grand slam HRs by now. Not that the first one of the year would be hit by the rather light-hitting pitcher Marcum (who started today batting only .103).
Next, Casey McGehee looks like he’s finally getting on track, and that’s good. He has two hits today, but so far for the year he’s hitting in the .220s with only 4 HR and 33 RBI despite playing in the vast majority of the Brewers games in the #5 spot. McGehee has good power to all fields when he’s right, but most of this year he’s been mired in a slump and his defense has also suffered (when one thing goes bad, it tends to make everything go bad; this is an axiom that doesn’t just apply to baseball). Here’s hoping that his two hits in two ABs (so far) will spur him to better things in the second half.
Next, I wanted to point out how former Brewer Vinny Rottino’s doing in AAA ball for the New Orleans Zephyrs. Rottino has continued to hit well, though he’s no longer on a tear; he’s batting .307 with 4 HRs and 31 RBI, and his OBP remains a robust .378. Rottino isn’t really a power guy; instead, he’s a contact hitter, an intelligent runner, and an above-average defender at any outfield position, first base or third base. Rottino’s now thirty-one years old, yet is in excellent shape and could easily play several more years — perhaps as many as ten — and I really wish someone would give him a chance as a utility player and pinch hitter in the majors.
Next, there’s Chris Capuano, a former Brewers pitcher who now pitches for the New York Mets. Capuano recently beat the Brewers in Milwaukee and was given a huge round of applause when announced in the starting line-up for the Mets — a sign of respect that isn’t often seen for an opposing player, but Brewers’ fans do not forget “their own.” For the year, “Cappy” is 7-7 with a 4.27 ERA and has struck out 77 while walking only 24; I wish him nothing but success in the second half.
Finally, there’s former Brewer shortstop J.J. Hardy, who now plays for the Baltimore Orioles. Hardy’s defense has remained outstanding while his hitting stroke has finally returned after a succession of wrist injuries marred his last two seasons — for the year to date, Hardy is hitting .295 with 11 HR, 30 RBI and 31 runs scored in 54 games played. That last stat (runs scored) is a bit surprising as Hardy is not exactly what you’d call “fleet afoot” due to a horrific collision sustained in 2006 while trying to score a run — Hardy decided to slide late, and this may have exacerbated that season-ending injury.
At any rate, I enjoy watching my Milwaukee Brewers, past and present, and I hope they all succeed, wherever they are now and wherever they’ll be in the future. They make the 4th of July — and every day — more interesting, as especially with this year’s team I never have any idea of how they’re going to do.
I hope you all enjoy your 4th of July experience — whatever it may be, from fireworks to Summerfest to just “hanging out” — and do it safely so you’ll be around for July 5th, 6th, and beyond.
Barb Caffrey's Blog 