Items by dekerivers

• Thank You To City Of Madison Snow Plowers…Dane County Too

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  How bad was the blizzard that blasted Wisconsin, leaving the City of Madison shut down?  When a large city snow truck gets stuck and unable to move, and a second one also hoping to lend a hand spins its tires as well without movement might be one way to gauge [...]
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  Posted: December 09, 2009, 7:39pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Norway Sky And The Gigantic Luminous Spiral

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Last night while the snow was falling over Wisconsin there was very a strnage happening in the sky over Norway.  Space Weather reports.  (In case you do not have Space Weather coming to your mailbox, let me remind you this is the type of thing you can miss.) This morning in [...]
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  Posted: December 09, 2009, 7:02pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Pictures: Madison ‘Bizzard’ Is All About The Beauty…And The Fun

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  With 18 inches of snow to shovel (no snow-blower here) out of a long driveway along with the corner sidewalk, it gave us plenty of opportunity to talk with neighbors and those passing for scenic walks or skiing along on the street.  Not a single cross word or terse remark could be found today.  Not [...]
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  Posted: December 09, 2009, 4:05pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Sue-Ann Nivens Comments On Snow

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  If you have to ask who Sue Ann Nivens  is that means you missed one of the truly funny characters on TV.  “Snow always inspires such awe in me. Consider one tiny snowflake, so delicate, so fragile. And yet, let a billion or so come together through the majestic force of [...]
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  Posted: December 08, 2009, 8:51pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Tiger Woods TV Ads Not Airing

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 4
  Infidelity has a price.  As it should. Advertisements featuring Tiger Woods have disappeared from prime-time broadcast television and many cable channels following reports of his extramarital affairs, according to data from Nielsen Co. The last prime-time ad featuring the 33-year-old golfer was a 30-second Gillette Co. spot on Nov. 29, according [...]
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  Posted: December 08, 2009, 8:22pm EST
  by dekerivers

• U.S. Senate Rejects Abortion Amendment

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Good. There is no reason to place impediments to a legal medical procedure just to carry favor with a minority of the Democratic Party as a health care bill is debated.  We do NOT move backwards on established policy in a passion to move forward with other policy aims.  Senator Ben [...]
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  Posted: December 08, 2009, 5:59pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Blizzard Warning For Wisconsin!

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Follow the intense storm here with the Madison weather and news blog. The blizzard warning remains until 11:59pm Wednesday night. Winds that are at least 35 mph or greater, blowing snow that will frequently reduce visibility to 1/4 mile or less for at least three hours, and dangerous wind chills are expected [...]
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  Posted: December 08, 2009, 2:53pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Don’t See This Everyday When Checking The Weather….

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Ka-Zam! BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST WEDNESDAY NIGHT… …WINTER STORM WARNING IS CANCELLED… [...]
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  Posted: December 08, 2009, 2:47pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Pictures As Snow Storm Begins In Madison

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Snow is really quite a gentle thing.  Light, serene, fluffy, quiet.  The city is preparing for the winter storm that forecasters say might even have some hours of blizzard conditions over the next 36 hours.  I captured some pictures of the first early phase of the storm that passed over our area [...]
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  Posted: December 08, 2009, 1:40pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Heated Madison City Council Debate On Edgewater Hotel During Winter Storm

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  UPDATE The city’s Common Council meeting Tuesday has been canceled due to the blizzard. The meeting will be rescheduled for Dec. 15. No one has ever before appealed a Landmarks Commission ruling to the Madison City Council. As such I have a bold prediction. The Madison City Council will be watched on more television sets [...]
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  Posted: December 08, 2009, 11:44am EST
  by dekerivers

• Should Congress Be Concerned About College-Football Playoffs?

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 3
  This astounds even me.  While I think there are a vast array of issues that Congress should, and must be involved with, creating a college football playoff so that all teams are allowed to feel more equal to other teams is ridiculous.  There are so many meaningless Bowl Games why not [...]
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  Posted: December 07, 2009, 7:00pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Would Sarah Palin Like Hawaii More Caucasian?

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 2
  In Sarah Palin land can there be an ‘Akau the Plumber’? The New Yorker never fails to write with verve and just the right amount of cheekiness that makes their articles a delight anytime.  The question above is mine, and not from the magazine, but you will get the idea after [...]
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  Posted: December 07, 2009, 11:00am EST
  by dekerivers

• Winter Storm Watch For Wisconsin!!

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Children of ALL ages get excited over this news.  If you enjoy watching snow fall, like to shovel (I really do), ski, walk in it, or snowmobile then I know there is a slight tingle inside you as you hear that a major snow storm seems to be bearing down on our [...]
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  Posted: December 06, 2009, 4:23pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Madison, Wisconsin And Jefferson Davis Political Trivia

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  I love to learn new and obscure things that will never really come to light until there is a conversation it can be squeezed into.  Or a blog where it can be plopped in.  Such as now.  The bottom line is I love to know these tidbits, but as James tells me over [...]
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  Posted: December 06, 2009, 1:04pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Sunday Echoes: Petticoat Junction – Cannonball Christmas

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Remember when all the classic television shows had Christmas themed epidoses at this time of year.  In memory of such loved times comes this warm and treasured show from the archives.   Petticoat Junction not only had one of the theme songs that still makes for perfect singing in the shower these many decades [...]
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  Posted: December 06, 2009, 12:16pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Video: Bob Schieffer On Tiger Woods

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 1
  Every Sunday morning there are some constants.  The first is Bob Schieffer.  This morning his ending remarks, which every week are always pertinent and insightful, were doubly so about Tiger Woods.  First, I have often lamented those sports personalities that could not understand part of their public role IS to meet and [...]
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  Posted: December 06, 2009, 11:08am EST
  by dekerivers

• Slate’s “Write Like Sarah Palin” Contest Will Bring Smile To Your Face

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 1
  Lots to smile and laugh about here.   LOTS!  There has been nothing this funny about grammar and language since school kids tried to diagram sentences that President Bush had spoken in public speeches and debates. In honor of Sarah Palin’s best-selling new memoir, Going Rogue, we asked Slate readers to submit sentences [...]
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  Posted: December 05, 2009, 5:14pm EST
  by dekerivers

• VW Beetle To End Production

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Hat tip to Marion.  (Though it came more like a slug to the stomach.) I love the VW Beetle.  In fact, I am driving my second new Beetle in less than seven years.  I think that the Beetle, inch for inch, pound for pound, dollar for dollar is one of the most [...]
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  Posted: December 05, 2009, 3:18pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Sarah Palin’s ‘Birther’ Comments Lead To Questions Over Who Is Real Mother To Trig

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 3
  While Sarah Palin brought up and defended the question over where President Obama was born, the fallout from Palin’s lapse of judgement about never producing Trig’s birth certificate has placed her own questionable affairs front and center for all to talk about.  Hmmmmm.   Andrew Sullivan has again made the matter a part of his [...]
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  Posted: December 05, 2009, 12:43am EST
  by dekerivers

• Saturday Song: Straight No Chaser “Twelve Days Of Christmas”

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Original.  Creative.  Flawless. [...]
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  Posted: December 05, 2009, 11:13pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Smile With Salt And Pepper

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  As many think about holiday airline travel this month comes this reminder, in a funny way, of the reality that must be faced when we fly the friendly skies. [...]
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  Posted: December 04, 2009, 7:02pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Hallmark Cards Without The Joy Of The Holiday Season

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  I think there is a tone and feel to the Christmas Season that should…..must….rise above the problems of the year….right?  Well not everyone agrees.  This trend, as shown below, troubles me as it seems to focus on the economic plight of the nation over the very reason we celebrate the holidays [...]
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  Posted: December 04, 2009, 6:33pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Madison City Council Needs To Consider Disdain Shown For City Process Regarding Edgewater Hotel Issue

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  This is a fine piece written by Robbie Webber that deserves a read as the Madison City Council prepares to vote on the Edgewater Hotel issue on Tuesday night.  The council and Landmarks Commission are charged with following the laws the city passed, and to show disdain for the process, as [...]
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  Posted: December 04, 2009, 3:38pm EST
  by dekerivers

• What Happens To Coffee Shop Where Four Cops Killed?

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  I have been talking with others about the future of the coffee shop in Washington State where four police officers were shot and killed recently.  I really feel bad for the owner, and the customers.  The owner has an investment in a place that is always to be stained with the [...]
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  Posted: December 04, 2009, 2:49pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Feed Them Pizza Crust And They Will Come

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Remember that as it gets snowy and cold outside all of our feathered and furry friends need a bit of help to make it through winter.  Bird seed, some bread, or even a bit of pizza crust will make some little creature happy and warmer.   Instead of just throwing away [...]
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  Posted: December 04, 2009, 1:30pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Four Madison/Dane County Murders, What Is Happening To Us?

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Thursday had seemed to me a day when the holiday mood across the City of Madison was increasing.  As Christmas tree lights twinkled the first real snow of the season fell to the ground.  The Wisconsin State Journal had published a picture of the Holiday Tree at the Statehouse in their morning paper, and shoppers were in a [...]
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  Posted: December 04, 2009, 2:31am EST
  by dekerivers

• Should People Pay To Watch TV On Demand?

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 2
  This issue is one I find geekishly intriguing.   As one who loves Hulu, but also appreciates the need for ad revenues to be generated somewhere along the way for business to operate………… How people watch TV on demand — and whether they should pay for the privilege — is a critical [...]
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  Posted: December 03, 2009, 9:41pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Watch Animated Journey Through Earth’s Climate History

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Science is a hard thing to disprove. [...]
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  Posted: December 03, 2009, 9:30pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Cardinal Egan And Lapses Of Common Sense

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  No matter how you dice this it is troubling.  When confronted with a child running into traffic and about to be hit by a vehicle would then Bishop Egan have contemplated his navel before acting?  Why is  the penis of a pedophile priest not problematic for the Catholic Church?  The politics of the [...]
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  Posted: December 03, 2009, 6:42pm EST
  by dekerivers

• ACTION ALERT: Tell Madison City Council To Stop Edgewater Hotel Project Tuesday Dec. 8th

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  How to contact your member of the Madison City Council.  City map is below to help you find your alderperson. Citizens of Madison need to contact their member of the city council and tell them to vote against the Edgewater Hotel project.  The Landmarks Commission voted 5-2 that the proposed enormous construction plan for the [...]
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  Posted: December 02, 2009, 8:21pm EST
  by dekerivers

• GOP Statement On Gay Marriage Truly Off The Wall

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  This one is so absurd it does not require any thing more to be said than to let the statement speak for itself.  Emphasis below is mine. Although today’s vote in New York to legalize same sex marriage did not receive a single Republican vote, the Log Cabin Republicans issued a [...]
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  Posted: December 02, 2009, 6:17pm EST
  by dekerivers

• One Out For Lou Dobbs

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 1
  But if Lou Dobbs is running for President….or the Senate…….why is he seeking a new broadcast job?  Which company wants that hot potato to handle.   Not CNBC. Lou Dobbs won’t be talking to CNBC again any time soon. The business news network said Tuesday evening that it was no longer talking to Mr. [...]
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  Posted: December 02, 2009, 1:50pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Tiger Woods PR Fiasco Comes Full Circle, Admits ‘Transgressions”

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 1
  I have been stunned by the level of amateur handlers who have dealt with Tiger Woods and his situation since he crashed his car at 2:30 A.M. last week while driving barefoot.    Public relations is not  a new concept, and as such I am perplexed over the lack of skill and precision that has taken [...]
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  Posted: December 02, 2009, 11:39am EST
  by dekerivers

• Edgewater Hotel Project Needs To Be Defeated

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Over the past  months many of the people who live in the neighborhood of Mansion Hill and care about the historic character of Madison have spoken.   It is also true that others around the city have noticed that this matter is not only a very local concern about the grand scheme by Hammes Co. to construct [...]
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  Posted: December 01, 2009, 9:44pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Newspaper Front Pages Prove Tiger Woods Letting Others Write His Story

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 2
  The newspapers this morning are more evidence that the Tiger Woods story is being written and controlled by others.  Granted we are not talking about news organizations like The New York Times, but with wide circulation the ones pictured here do convey a theme about the incident that took place this past [...]
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  Posted: December 01, 2009, 12:57pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Rush Limbaugh Proves Marriage Vows Are Sacred

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Four times up the aisle…………….does Rush Limbaugh have a divorce lawyer on retainer?   Do any of his wives have a dose of self-respect?  (They must have some if they all leave him.) So many questions today. The next wedding is rumored to take place on July4th.   Rush loves the holidays: his last wedding was [...]
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  Posted: December 01, 2009, 11:30am EST
  by dekerivers

• Read This, Then Ask How Did Maurice Clemmons Get A Handgun?

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  UFB. “I’ll kill all you bitches,” Maurice Clemmons told the Pierce County Jail workers who were trying to book him, according to court records. It was May 9, 2009. Clemmons, 37, had been arrested after punching a sheriff’s deputy in the face. He was charged with multiple counts of third-degree assault and [...]
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  Posted: December 01, 2009, 11:21am EST
  by dekerivers

• GOP Brawl Over Mike Huckabee’s Pardon For Killer Begins

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Out of the gate and trying to round the turn is the attempted earnestness better known as Tim Pawlenty….. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty became the first likely GOP presidential candidate to criticize Mike Huckabee’s pardon of a suspected killer during his time as Arkansas’s governor. Pawlenty said that he would not have [...]
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  Posted: December 01, 2009, 11:11am EST
  by dekerivers

• Mike Huckabee, Early Release Of Criminal, And Execution-Style Killing Of 4 Police Officers

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 6
  The heat on Mike Huckabee will be intense.  As it should be.  Can you image what the Republicans would do to a Democrat if the coin were reversed? Trying to explain how such a man could be on the streets, despite five felony convictions in Arkansas that should have kept him [...]
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  Posted: November 30, 2009, 7:37pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Being Constantly ‘In Touch’ Fascinates Me

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  For the second time in weeks I am fascinated about the use of  Twitter to spread news and information.  First Twitter was credited in the Fort Hood shootings to help spread news, and alert the media to events unfolding in that dreadful happening.  This weekend in Washington State where four police [...]
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  Posted: November 30, 2009, 7:18pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Jim Lehrer National Icon, “NewsHour” Serious News

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Lets be honest.  Jim Lehrer is a national icon.  For those who want real news and analysis each weeknight there is only one place to turn, and that is to PBS.  Though Lehrer has had some health issues many of us know when it comes to serious news nothing is superior to “NewsHour” for the place [...]
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  Posted: November 30, 2009, 7:58am EST
  by dekerivers

• Trial Begins For John Demjanjuk, Nazi Death Camp Guard

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  There is finally justice coming for some of those who were held at Sobibor, in Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II.  John Demjanjuk, who was allowed to be in the United States far longer than he should have been, finally is standing trial in Germany.  There should be  no waffling about [...]
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  Posted: November 30, 2009, 7:21am EST
  by dekerivers

• Mike Huckabee Granted Clemency To Man Wanted In Killing Of Four Police In Washington State

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  This is not the way a GOP presidential hopeful wants to start the week.  There is however still more sobering news at the end of the news story. Maurice Clemmons, the 37-year-old Tacoma man being sought for questioning in the killing this morning of four Lakewood police officers, has a long criminal record [...]
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  Posted: November 30, 2009, 6:43am EST
  by dekerivers

• Finger-Impaired Guitar Player, And The Human Spirit

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  UPDATED I had thought this article so good, and my long-time readers understand why given my  appreciation and love for the Grand Ole Opry and Roy Acuff, that I had printed the whole story so it could be read at Caffeinated Politics.  Barton Cromeens,  editor for the Abilene  ReporterNews contacted me and told me to remove it.  He [...]
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  Posted: November 29, 2009, 9:50pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Sunday Echoes: MGM 75-Year-Montage

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  There is nothing quite like the movie legends that dominated the big screen of MGM feature films.  There is a real nostalgic grab to the senses when we watch a montage of Hollywood’s greats as they flash across the screen and our memories.  Watching film has always been a relaxing way to be entertained, [...]
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  Posted: November 29, 2009, 2:22pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Video: Four Police Officers Ambushed, Killed In Washington State

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  UPDATED Guns are weapons of death, again.  (x4) [...]
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  Posted: November 29, 2009, 12:45pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Gunmen Kills Four Sheriff’s Deputies In Washington State

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  UPDATE The Tacoma News Tribune has the latest updates, including a description of a suspect. “Witnesses described the killer as a black man, 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-9, in his 20s or 30s, with scruffy facial hair and wearing a black coat and blue jeans.” UPDATE: Seattlepi.com reports the victims, all officers of the [...]
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  Posted: November 29, 2009, 12:36pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Osama Bin Laden Says ‘Thanks President Bush’

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 1
  This is exactly what we all knew…..and what many, including CP….has stated over and over again.  When the war on terror was underway during the Bush Administration instead of working to wage it successfully in Afghanistan, troops and resources were instead sent to start a needless war in Iraq. (After all didn’t Daddy  [...]
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  Posted: November 29, 2009, 10:34am EST
  by dekerivers

• Switzerland Backwards On Minarets

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  The Swiss are wrong about their views concerning the banning of building of minarets.  I was sure when this matter first started percolating months ago that this would never pass.  Surely the Swiss were cerebral enough, being able to wade through this matter without resorting to the lowest common denominator.  Right?  Well, as it turns out no they [...]
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  Posted: November 29, 2009, 8:50am EST
  by dekerivers

• Tiger Woods Needs To Come Clean For Sake Of Career

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 2
  When high-profile individuals, be they politicians, entertainers, or sports personalities get into a tight spot it intrigues me how their handlers deal with the dicey decisions about how much information to give the public, and when to give it.  Much rides on how the PR game is conducted.  Play it well and [...]
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  Posted: November 29, 2009, 12:46am EST
  by dekerivers

• ‘Why Dick Cheney Should Run in 2012′

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Now that I have your attention…..actually this is the title of a real article in the latest edition of Newsweek.  And if you think about it in the political way Jon Meacham writes………   The new format for Newsweek has produced some truly great and insightful reads, this being one of them. “I [...]
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  Posted: November 28, 2009, 2:03pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Wall Street Journal Article Sets Wrong Tone About Holiday Shopping

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 2
  I was not amused by this story, or the tone it sets for many across the nation.  At the conclusion of a long piece in the Wall Street Journal today about the lust for buying large items and making profits for stores this holiday season comes this phrase. “Getting those cash registers ringing [...]
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  Posted: November 28, 2009, 1:42pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Travel In An Easy Chair With “In The Footsteps Of Marco Polo”

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Travelogues are not my favorite form of reading.  So I was very surprised and greatly impressed with the text and photographs that I have come to love in the latest book to come home with me.  “In The Footsteps Of Marco Polo” is the companion book to the much acclaimed PBS series.   Denis [...]
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  Posted: November 28, 2009, 1:11pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Saturday Song: Pavarotti “Ave Maria”

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Let the Christmas season music begin.     [...]
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  Posted: November 28, 2009, 11:34am EST
  by dekerivers

• U.S. ‘Hell Bent’ On Iraq War Says Former British Ambassador To United Nations

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 1
  The news that is emerging from Britain about President Bush and his desire to start a war in Iraq is unsettling to be sure, but it is not surprising.  Many Americans who followed the story of how President Bush manipulated his way to war in Iraq knew the facts one [...]
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  Posted: November 27, 2009, 10:22pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Sarah Palin For President Bumper-Stickers

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 1
  Hat Tip To Mal Contends, another Madison blogger!  This one made me almost choke as I was munching away at the computer. Then there was this idea….though smaller sized it is a hoot.   After all, if you are Sarah Palin would you let Jesus top the ticket?  I mean what about [...]
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  Posted: November 27, 2009, 9:01pm EST
  by dekerivers

• PHOTO: President Obama Greets Michaele And Tareq Salahi

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 4
  This is just unbelievable to me.  There has to be some good answers as to how this could have happened.  The Secret Service dropped the ball, and there is NO way in heck that President Obama, given the level of angst among deranged elements in this country, should ever be in a [...]
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  Posted: November 27, 2009, 6:23pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Nearly Hiding From The World

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  This little bird in the middle of the picture was so cold today and huddled all alone for the longest time in the limbs of a bush.   Trying to hide from it all, but still being found by the lenses of the camera. [...]
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  Posted: November 27, 2009, 4:59pm EST
  by dekerivers

• What Did The First Family Eat On Thanksgiving?

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  I always like these types of details.  Though I have never eaten hucklebery pie, I am sure it is wonderful.  This just means there is a new recipe about to be tried here soon…… The White House Press Office provided pooler Emily Cadei of CQ-Roll Call Group “with the following details about the First Family’s Thanksgiving [...]
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  Posted: November 27, 2009, 11:21am EST
  by dekerivers

• Sadness About Black Friday, And What Is Happening To Thanksgiving Day

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 4
  Let me cut to the core of how I feel.  Thanksgiving Day has been lost to mindless merchandising.   It makes me sad, and I think many share my sentiment around the nation.   Too many say nothing about what is happening to our national holiday, so I have a few words to share, suspecting they [...]
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  Posted: November 27, 2009, 2:34am EST
  by dekerivers

• Happy Thanksgiving To My Readers!

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  [...]
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  Posted: November 25, 2009, 1:00pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Lou Dobbs May Challenge A Hispanic (Again)

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  A role for Lou Dobbs right out of central casting, given his xenophobic mindset. His name was quickly floated as a potential challenger in 2012 to United States Senator Robert Menendez, the New Jersey Democrat, an ardent advocate for immigrants’ rights and the chamber’s only Hispanic member. (Mr. Dobbs, 64, lives [...]
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  Posted: November 25, 2009, 12:49pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Prediction For Time Person Of The Year 2009

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 2
  It is that time of year when I step my feet into the shoes of Nostradamus and make a prediction about the person that will grace the cover of Time magazine as the Person Of The Year 2009. As I look at the world landscape the person who seems to be [...]
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  Posted: November 25, 2009, 12:34pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Double Flybys In Night Sky Nov. 25th-26th

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  For all my readers without clouds tonight……. Space shuttle Atlantis undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) this morning at 4:53 am EST.  Their separation sets the stage for  double flybys of many towns and cities on Wednesday evening, Nov. 25th, when Atlantis and the ISS will soar through the night [...]
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  Posted: November 25, 2009, 11:47am EST
  by dekerivers

• Abortion-Rights Activists Need To Fight Stupak Amendment

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  There is an old saying that applies to those who wish to turn the pages backwards on women’s reproductive rights.  “Give them an inch, and they will take a mile”.  The abortion issue that has been needlessly injected into the health care debate in Washington, and  is a clear example of how the phrase [...]
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  Posted: November 24, 2009, 3:53pm EST
  by dekerivers

• 34,000 More Troops To Afghanistan

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  It will be interesting to see how President Obama presents this case to the American public and to Congress.  The mission in Afghanistan is worthy of our involvement, and the strategy vital to be understood by the public for success.  I have faith in Obama and his team in getting [...]
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  Posted: November 24, 2009, 2:22pm EST
  by dekerivers

• President Obama, The Shy Golfer

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Keep this thought in mind as you read this post.  How many of us would really want our antics on the golf course to be seen by the whole world?  Not me! Which all serves to deepen a mystery that has surrounded the presidency: Why has Barack Obama forsaken basketball for [...]
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  Posted: November 24, 2009, 1:40pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Will Sarah Palin Argue ‘Immaculate Conception’ Concerning Trig?

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 2
  The question over who is the biological mother for Trig Palin is one that has been argued over and over, and seems to have a need for an answer given the scenario that Sarah Palin tells over  how the child was born.  (I think Levi Johnston knows the answers, and at some point will tell.)  [...]
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  Posted: November 24, 2009, 12:09pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Video: Interviews with Supporters Of Sarah Palin At Book Signing

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Chase Whiteside conducts more interviews with those who were in line to buy a copy of Sarah Palin’s book.  I love how Chase never laughs out loud,  but instead uses their words for follow-up questions to underscore they have no clue at all as to why they support Palin.  These amusing conversations underscore pretty [...]
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  Posted: November 24, 2009, 11:33am EST
  by dekerivers

• Lou Dobbs Thinking Of A Run For White House

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  There is always a reason to get up in the morning.  Nothing is ever dull when you have the likes of Lou Dobbs to follow in the news. Former CNN host Lou Dobbs fueled already rampant speculation about his political future Monday, sending the clearest signals yet that he’s mulling a [...]
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  Posted: November 24, 2009, 11:01am EST
  by dekerivers

• Political Cartoons About Sarah Palin Book

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Awesome.  And funny as heck! [...]
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  Posted: November 24, 2009, 1:21am EST
  by dekerivers

• Late-Night Jokes About Sarah Palin

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  After watching David Letterman tonight joke about Sarah Palin I thought there must be a site where all the late night jokes are presented in written form.   Ka-Ching!   (When you visit the site you might want to hit the ‘refresh’ button to get the current jokes about our ‘next president’.) “In Sarah Palin’s new [...]
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  Posted: November 24, 2009, 1:02am EST
  by dekerivers

• The Christian Science Monitor On Sarah Palin Book

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  There are just so many catty ways to write about Sarah Palin’s book that I find myself reading lots of the news articles to find them.  They are not hard to locate.  I am not sure if the The Christian Science Monitor meant it to ’sound’ the way it reads, but I [...]
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  Posted: November 24, 2009, 12:50am EST
  by dekerivers

• Gov. Mark Sanford Faces 37 Ethics Charges

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  How can this happen to a fine upstanding religious conservative? The charges on the list include spending state money on business-class plane tickets, instead of flying coach; using state aircraft to attend political and personal events, like the birthday party of a campaign contributor; and using his campaign fund for noncampaign [...]
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  Posted: November 23, 2009, 6:54pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Tax Increase Needed For War In Afghanistan

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 4
  I have made it clear that I think more troops are required to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan.  I also am one of those who think President Lincoln was correct by understanding that wars that are correct to fight also have to be paid for by the nation.    President Bush [...]
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  Posted: November 23, 2009, 10:55am EST
  by dekerivers

• Best Paragraph From Sunday Newspaper About Sarah Palin

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  This is late for a Sunday, but is still a must-read paragraph!  Frank Rich wrote a most enjoyable column today, which included this nugget. The book’s most frequently dropped names, predictably enough, are the Lord and Ronald Reagan (though not necessarily in that order). Easily the most startling passage in “Going Rogue,” running [...]
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  Posted: November 22, 2009, 9:16pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Letter From Home 11/22/09

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 2
  I knew what was going to happen as soon as I saw the look in James’ eyes after he saw the outside Christmas decorations going up  last weekend at my aunt and uncle’s place.  The greenery around the fence at the end of the drive, and other holiday type things out and about only confirmed what James was [...]
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  Posted: November 22, 2009, 8:45pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Sarah Palin For President 2012

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 2
  [...]
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  Posted: November 22, 2009, 2:52pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Young Pakistanis: Muslim First, Pakistani Second

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 4
  This caught my attention in the Sunday newspaper.  Sobering poll numbers.  I always pay attention when people cite their religion as a way to identify themselves above nationality.  Regardless of which world religon we talk about this is troubling, and we need to pay attention to this trend happening in Pakistan. An overwhelming majority of [...]
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  Posted: November 22, 2009, 2:42pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Sunday Echoes: Julia Child Makes An Omelet

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  When the public television station came to Wausau in the 1970’s, and therefore PBS was able to be seen at our  home in Waushara County, one  of the first shows that I watched and loved were the ones with Julia Child cooking.  But as we all know it was more than just cooking when Julia [...]
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  Posted: November 22, 2009, 2:25pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Ted Kennedy’s Widow Speaks About Senate Vote On Health Care

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Many of us last night were thinking about Ted Kennedy as the United States Senate voted to bring the health bill up for debate.  Ted Kennedy is in the Senate in spirit as the Democratic Party fights this decades long battle, and is winning.  His signature issue will finally prevail.   [...]
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  Posted: November 22, 2009, 9:02am EST
  by dekerivers

• Senate Democrats Have The 60 Votes To Debate Health Bill!

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 3
  Ka-Ching! This is one more step towards the goal, though not a perfect one, of passing a meaningful and needed health care bill for our nation. Senate Democrat Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas said Saturday she will support bringing the Senate health care reform bill to the floor for debate, giving Democrats the [...]
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  Posted: November 21, 2009, 2:45pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Mussolini’s Brain Stolen, For Sale On Internet

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Is there really a market for dead dicators body parts? The granddaughter of Italy’s fascist dictator Benito Mussolini has said that blood and parts of his brain have been stolen to sell on the internet. Alessandra Mussolini, a former showgirl turned MP, said she immediately informed the police when she found out. The [...]
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  Posted: November 21, 2009, 11:22am EST
  by dekerivers

• Boys Will Be Boys All Over The World

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Smile. Detainees at a camp in Baghdad in Iraq have found a way to get under the skin of National Guard troops from Wisconsin. And it has to do with football and a painful chapter for some Green Bay Packers fans who consider Brett Favre a traitor for joining the rival [...]
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  Posted: November 21, 2009, 11:04am EST
  by dekerivers

• Saturday Song: Freddie Hart “Easy Loving”

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  This song by Freddy Hart goes back to the stack of records from decades ago back home that helped to form my kinship with classic country music.  Freddy Hart  played the Marshfield County Fair at some  point in my teenage years, and I still recall this standard, “Easy Loving”,  being sung.  I [...]
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  Posted: November 21, 2009, 12:42am EST
  by dekerivers

• 52-And-A-Half-Inches

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 3
  Updated With Picture….Per A Reader’s Request This just might wind up as the strangest blog post yet.  Friday night James and I went on one of those grocery ’stock-up’ shopping trips that is not so bad once it is underway.  But as the cart got  full I thought….Good Lord….this is going to [...]
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  Posted: November 21, 2009, 12:13am EST
  by dekerivers

• The Onion: U.S. Deports Lou Dobbs

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 1
  When I picked up my copy of the Isthmus newspaper today my eye caught the major ‘news story’ on the front page of  The Onion. WANTAGE, NJ—Acting on anonymous tips from within the Hispanic-American community, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials on Wednesday deported Luis Miguel Salvador Aguila Dominguez, who for [...]
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  Posted: November 20, 2009, 3:21pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Teabaggers Tussle

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Who could not see this coming? The grass-roots activists driving the movement have become increasingly divided on such core questions as whether to focus their efforts on shaping policy debates or elections, work on a local, regional, state or national level or closely align themselves with the Republican Party, POLITICO found [...]
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  Posted: November 20, 2009, 3:09pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Life Is Good………..

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 1
  …when on November 20th the Siberian Iris are still blooming outside as if it were May….   ….and on the inside the Christmas cactus explodes with blooms…. ….and Beth brings over a bouquet of flowers for the table.   [...]
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  Posted: November 20, 2009, 10:53am EST
  by dekerivers

• Fox News Viewers Support President Obama Bowing To Emperor Of Japan

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  I had to laugh at the uproar among a small minority this past week over President Obama showing respect with a bow to the emperor of Japan.  International niceties it appeared were not approved by all, so I admit I was quite surprised when I read the results of a FAUX News poll of their viewers [...]
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  Posted: November 20, 2009, 10:37am EST
  by dekerivers

• Video: Sarah Palin Does Not Know Difference Between Iran And Iraq

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 9
  [...]
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  Posted: November 20, 2009, 10:07am EST
  by dekerivers

• Harry Truman’s Words On Health Care Still Ring True

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  After decades of national debate it will be the Democrats who close the deal on health care for the nation.  The first key procedural vote will take place this Saturday evening in the United States Senate.  Yesterday Senate Majority Leader Reid commented on the status of the bill, and the decades [...]
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  Posted: November 19, 2009, 8:17pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Concealed Handgun Owners Have Killed 8 Law Enforcement Officers, 77 Private Citizens

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 2
  There are some new arguments, and data surrounding why carrying concealed weapons is a bad idea.  A deadly idea, and one that should not be allowed to spread in Wisconsin.  A new site is tracking the number of killings that take place by those allowed to carry concealed weapons.  The fact that there are [...]
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  Posted: November 19, 2009, 11:32am EST
  by dekerivers

• The ‘Other’ Oprah And Sarah Palin Interview

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  [...]
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  Posted: November 19, 2009, 10:37am EST
  by dekerivers

• See Design Pictures Of George W. Bush Presidential Center

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Number of comments: 3
  See them here. From an architectural point of view it is quite impressive.  I like the design very much.    [...]
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  Posted: November 19, 2009, 9:16am EST
  by dekerivers

• FOX News Uses Wrong Footage To Inflate Sarah Palin Crowd

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  As Dave Letterman noted last night on his late-night show most everyone in America knew FAUX News was not real news many years ago.  Today there is more reason to underscore that type of thinking about FAUX News being just  a partisan machine, and a sloppy one at that.  Here [...]
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  Posted: November 19, 2009, 9:04am EST
  by dekerivers

• Congresswoman Baldwin Wins A Round For Equality

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  If seems strange that there still needs to be a fight for equality and fairness when it comes to the rights of gay and lesbian Americans.  In 2009 it seems we should all be treated the same way under the laws.  But since many in the nation are still treated [...]
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  Posted: November 19, 2009, 8:49am EST
  by dekerivers

• Hats Off To Couple’s $30,000 Donation For Coloma Public Radio Station!

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  I have a strong conviction about Wisconsin Public Radio, and NPR.  As such I am delighted with the news about a large donation to expand WPR  for Coloma, and the surrounding area.   As a boy growing up in Hancock (banner on this blog is an old photo of my town) I [...]
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  Posted: November 19, 2009, 11:34pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Mini-Conference In Congress May Speed Health Bill

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Let me say again that I think reconciliation is the route the Democrats should proceed on for the strongest bill on health care at this point in time.  However today there is a news report on a  mini-conference of top congressional leaders to move a bill through the process.  That might [...]
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  Posted: November 18, 2009, 7:45pm EST
  by dekerivers

• Are All Texas Marriages Invalid?

  —CAFFEINATED POLITICS

  Really.  (Hat Tip to Rolf for this amazing story.) Texans: Are you really married? Maybe not. Barbara Ann Radnofsky, a Houston lawyer and Democratic candidate for attorney general, says that a 22-word clause in a 2005 constitutional amendment designed to ban gay marriages erroneously endangers the legal status of all marriages in [...]
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  Posted: November 18, 2009, 2:06pm EST
  by dekerivers