Get Ready for Summerfest's 50th!

Oh, snap. I can.not. wait.

Summerfest turns 50 next year. The countdown to June 28 has begun.

A Toddler, a Loose Gun in a Car, and a Mother Dies

I saw this story reported by Milwaukee media Tuesday. This from The New York Times today.

The weapon, which investigators found on the floor of the back seat, was a .40-caliber pistol used by Ms. Price’s boyfriend, a security guard. His gun belt and tactical vest were also in the car ... 

The 2-year-old, who was not in a car seat, “retrieved a firearm that slid out from under the driver’s seat and shot through the seat, striking the driver.” ...

In tales of gun violence, accidents involving curious children and weapons seem especially tragic, but they are not especially unusual. Most often, they involve guns left unsecured by the child’s parents. In the seven days that ended Tuesday, in addition to the death of Ms. Price, a 3-year-old in Georgia, a 3-year-old in Louisiana, a 2-year-old in Missouri and a 2-year-old in Indiana fatally shot themselves; a 4-year-old in Texas shot and wounded a family member; a 16-year-old in California killed a 14-year-old friend in a shooting that officials called accidental; a 15-year-old in Texas accidentally shot and wounded a 16-year-old friend; and a 13-year-old in Indiana accidentally shot and wounded herself. ... 

Everytown for Gun Safety, the gun control group, says that since the start of 2015, at least 342 people in the United States have been accidentally shot by people under age 18. 

Make it stop.

Cookie Monster waiting and other March Madness ads

For the last few years, I've said March Madness commercials are more entertaining than the Super Bowl ads.

Here's one of my favorites from this year's batch. From good ol' Apple showing off its latest iPhone.

Poor Cookie Monster.



Update 4.24.2016: Here's some outtakes from the commercial.


And while I'm at it, I really enjoy this year's Buffalo Wild Wings spots, especially the one with the Wisconsin cheese curds shoutout.

Are you for real, Wisconsin? No spirit.

I read recently about the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletics Association's move to try limiting the chants aired at almost every high school and college basketball game in America ...

As a Wisconsin native -- and later a Kansas kid who lived for Friday nights employing many of these chants while cheering on my state champion high school basketball team -- I could only shake my head.

ESPN's Scott Van Pelt argued my thoughts wonderfully on this segment ...

WisDOT video shows multi vehicle pileup

Here's today's popular video ...

Watching this makes me embarrassed for Wisconsin drivers ... And for goodness sakes, people, stay in your cars.

Summer vacation: Day 7

Our vacation continues!

Saturday night we took in another movie -- “Eye for an Eye,” it was more grisly than I remembered it being. Sunday we attended the small country church down the road. We hiked up to the top of the bluff overlooking The Farm. We capped our stay at The Farm by grilling hot dogs and s’mores over the charcoal grill for supper.

* * *

We headed for my parents’ home Sunday night. Monday we woke up there to a gorgeous Fourth of July. And Phoebe took joy in running, jumping and singing from one end of my parents’ long living room to the other.

We spent the majority of Monday at the town’s Fourth of July festival. Phoebe played on the playground, slid down the inflatable slide multiple times and she got to ride a pony.

Dad and I broke away for a little while to share one of our favorite past times, looking at classic cars. …

Back at the house, Phoebe played some wiffle ball with Grandpa and I. But later she refused to take an afternoon nap and thus turned into a monster that night. … Once we finally got her settled in bed, Kates and I joined my parents to watch the Brewers game on TV. They lost. … Kates and I stayed up to watch The Late Show and turned in for the night.

* * *

Tuesday was a full day of fun in Madison. First, we ventured to the Henry Vilas Zoo, a place where Kates and I have many cherished childhood memories.

When we arrived, we gave Phoebe a choice of whether she wanted to play on the playground first or tour the zoo first. Of course, she picked the playground, with the same nursery rhyme shoe slide that Kates and I probably slid down when were kids playing in the same playground.

By the time we passed through the gates of the zoo, it was after 12:30. We stopped for some snacks -- Phoebe and I shared a corn dog, her new favorite food -- and then we started our round to see the animals. Phoebe took the most interest in the giraffes -- especially when one came right up to us at the fence -- and the turtles and snakes.

She wanted to and succeeded in doing it all. The train tour of the zoo grounds. The carousel. She fed goats. And climbed up and down the jungle-themed playground.

By mid-afternoon we were off to another iconic family spot in Madison: Ella’s Deli. Kates suggested it thinking Phoebe would be fascinated by all of the toys and robots that clutter and create the restaurant’s charm. … We dined on appetizers and then some ice cream concoctions to finish us off. We could have put Phoebe on the carousel there, too, but decided Phoebe had taken enough carousel rides for one day.

Back at my parents’ place, Grandma had Candy Land -- the 1979 version that was given to me as a Christmas gift around age 4 or 5 -- out and ready for a rousing game. The whole day had a vintage theme to it, so why not. It was my first board game and remains a simple, good one all these years later. Watching Phoebe play it -- and play it well -- with Kates and my mother was something special.

After some Pizza Hut pizza for dinner, we got Phoebe to sleep far easier than the night before -- she was tired -- and took in another Brewers loss on the TV.

* * *

And that brings us to today. Our return to Miller Park for a Milwaukee Brewers game, baby!

We dressed in our blue and gold -- Phoebe in her Ryan Braun No. 8 T-shirt -- and headed for Milwaukee, where we’re spending the rest of our stay in the grand ol’ Cheese State.

We made grand time to the city, even making time for a pit stop to take care of some things at Kates’ parents place in the suburbs, and we hit up a Chipotle for lunch. So good.

We arrived at the stadium around 12:30 and took our time traveling to our seats -- because we knew exactly where we were heading. Section 217, our favorite spot in the ballpark. I’ve sat high and low in that park and was convinced long ago, there’s not a bad seat in the place. But if you simply want to enjoy the game -- and not the alcohol or rowdy fans -- the view and family-friendly environment in 217 offer the best bang for your buck.

We got seated just in time for the first pitch, only to see Yovanni Gallardo give up a home run to Diamondbacks leadoff hitter Kelly Johnson to start the game. It looked like we were in for a repeat of the games we watched Monday and Tuesday.

But that was all the D-Backs would get. The game turned into a pitcher’s duel with some great defensive plays, too. Rickie Weeks made a diving catch on a line drive up the middle by Johnson in the third.

Finally in the bottom of the seventh, after two pitching changes by the Diamondbacks and with two Brewers on base courtesy of a pair of singles, Casey McGehee came in to pinch-hit for Gallardo. McGehee drove a pitch to deep center that just cleared the fence for a home run giving the Brewers a 3-1 lead.

The crowd went nuts. Fireworks erupted from the top of the stadium. And Bernie Brewer took his trip down the slide from his hut above left field.

On a day when we were sad we couldn't see Braun in action -- he was resting a strained calf muscle --McGehee's home run was the indelible moment of the game. Phoebe had started to get antsy and was nearing a breaking point. We’d explained to her before the game the history of Bernie and his slide, which led to her asking during seemingly every other at-bat, “Is Bernie going to slide down the slide yet?” … McGehee’s home run created the perfect diversion. Kates lifted Phoebe to her shoulders so Phoebe could see above the standing, cheering crowd -- and a huge smile broke over Phoebe’s face.

The Brewers won the game, 3-1, capped by closer John Axford striking out the side in the top of the ninth.

As we drove away from the stadium, I asked Phoebe if she had a fun day.

She replied, “Yeah, it was a fun day because the Brewers were good winners today!”

Summer vacation: Day 1

The month of June hasn’t been as relaxing and blissful as we envisioned. Kates taught summer school this month and my projects have hardly slowed down at work. And we're still not totally unpacked, organized and settled when it comes to the whole new house thing.

Sounds like a good time for a summer vacation.

The mental countdown had been running for weeks, and I glided through my final day of work yesterday with a completely different mentality than the one I felt in the weeks prior. I pumped out a couple news features and come to grips with the fact that I’d finished the work I needed to get done; the remaining projects would have to wait to be picked up when I returned. Even while I sat in on a three-hour policy meeting in the morning and coordinated a news conference in the afternoon, yesterday I felt the weight of the workplace burden leaving my shoulders with the knowledge that I was heading to a much freer place.

Of course, there was plenty left to do at home. After a quick supper, I headed outside into the 90-degree heat and mowed the lawn. After that, we needed to gather enough toys and activities to keep Phoebe occupied during the trip, and pack our own suitcases. It was past midnight when we slipped into bed.

* * *

My alarm sounded at 6:26 this morning. Kates and I had said we were going to try to leave around 7, which clearly wasn’t going to happen.

But we did get ourselves ready to go and the car packed in time for a 9 o’clock departure. Destination: The Farm.

Our trip couldn‘t have been better. A road trip at its finest. I’d refreshed my iPod, removing several songs and albums I’d grown tired of or weren’t deserving to be on it in the first place. Kates stuffed her backpack with books. And she packed a separate bag with a slew of activities for Phoebe -- from coloring books to puzzles, and, of course, the portable DVD player with Phoebe’s collection of movies.

It was Phoebe’s best trip yet. Though she didn’t cave into sleeping until about 20 minutes before we reached The Farm, she was totally content viewing the scenery and watching her movies. We only stopped four times for a total of about one hour -- including our usual halfway stop for gas and lunch in Iowa City -- as the result of an exasperated “I need t’go potty!” from the back seat. … Then there was the moment, about 45 minutes into our trip, when Phoebe sighed and said, “Are we there yet?” “And so it begins,” I said before Kates explained, “Phoebe, we’ve got a long, long way to go.”

We marveled at the serenity of driving through the countryside, the only car on the road for most of our route from The ‘Ville through southeastern Iowa, before hitting the suburbs of Des Moines, Iowa.

From Iowa City, we ventured from our usual route and passed through Dubuque on our way into Wisconsin. Kates and I had a good time reminiscing about the days we spent in Dubuque during our honeymoon. We cheered as we passed over the mighty Mississippi and entered Wisconsin. As we continued, the road cut through canyons and rolling hills, giving way to breathtaking views. We passed through picturesque downtowns and saw parts of the state we either didn’t know about or forgot existed.

Funny how moving away helps a person gain a whole new perspective and appreciation for the place they left. The kind of appreciation that will surely keep us coming back. Already Kates and I are eyeing up possibilities for future adventures.

* * *

As we rolled along Interstate 80 in Iowa, I spotted Dyersville on a sign. Three miles, it read. And that meant one thing: “Field of Dreams.”

“Dyersville!” I shouted.

“You wanna go?” Kates asked.

“Yeah! We should totally go! Why not? We’re making good time, we don’t have anywhere to be. We’re on vacation!”

So we exited the interstate and followed the signs to Dyersville. Three miles actually turned out to be about 20 miles, but it was still so worth it.

We started on to Lansing Drive and approached the field. My heart beat hastened in excitement, and there it was to our left. The big white farm house. The red barn, with the little red gift shop to the side. And the field, with its lush green grass and shoulder-high corn stalks surrounding the outfield.

It was my third visit to the field -- the first occurred in June 1991 and the second occurred in October 2003 during the aforementioned honeymoon. The signs of commercialism that have sprouted up at the field are a little annoying. The rock wall and picket fence adorned with a “Field of Dreams” sign, which now separate the farmhouse from the field, take away from the purity of the original film site. And the infield today isn’t nearly as pristine as it appeared in the film and during those early years.

But its charm sustains.

We retrieved Phoebe’s wiffle ball set from the trunk and set it up at home plate. To her it was no different than playing in our backyard, though I tried to explain to her it was a very special baseball field.

We ran the bases. Stood among the corn stalks. Sat on the bleachers. And ran the bases again, and again.

Our visit lasted only 30 minutes. But it was the perfect diversion from our car ride and a chance to let Phoebe run for awhile. I was just thrilled to visit the field once more.

* * *

We made good time the rest of the way and it took us not even two hours to reach the farm, arriving just before 6 p.m.

It’s worth noting the first song to play on the iPod when we left this morning was Hanson’s “Man From Milwaukee,” where we’re spending the second half of our vacation. Fitting. … The last song to play on the iPod when we arrived at the farm tonight was one of our favorites, Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop,” the live version from “The Dance.”

“Yesterday’s gone! We’re on vacation,” Kates shouted.

Yes we are. And here’s what we’re looking at tonight ..

On Wisconsin

I sat up and started taking notice on a Friday more than a week ago. Feb. 18.

Sitting at the desk in my office, I started taking notice of all the tweets and status updates rolling in about protesters converging on the Madison Capitol building. Having just finished watching days of unrest in Egypt, it appeared as though another rebellion -- with major backing, like the situation in Cairo, from social media users -- was about to play out in our old backyard.

I texted Kates. "I'm thinking Wisconsin is going to go all Egypt on Gov. Walker."

Then again, Paul Krugman smartly wrote the situation has more similarities to Baghdad in 2003.

Even as we sit miles away, Kates and I have been paying close attention to the news coming out of Wisconsin since that first Friday about Walker's budget bill, which would severely limit the bargaining power of public employees. News feeds and Facebook connections keep us uprised of the latest developments. Several of our family members and close friends have participated in the marches protesting Walker's proposal. And if we still lived there, there's a good chance we would have been marching, too.

It saddens us to see unions and public workers so discounted. Ok, livid when we read and watch some of the news reports. Kates has been moved to tears ... The fact that it's causing such divide in family circles and busting friendships is heartbreaking.

I get that budgets need to be balanced, tough choices need to be made. Every state faces the same dillemma. But as so many journalists have noted, there are other ways to solve the budget crisis in Wisconsin. And union workers already have offered finacial concessions. ... Whether the 14 Democratic Senators who fled the state to defy a vote on the measure are acting nobly or cowardly is another debate.

Growing up and preparing for our careers, Kates and I never saw ourselves as union people. Never in a million years. ... But eventually, each of us slipped into a union as part of our respective jobs -- she as a teacher, me as a journalist -- and both of us saw the immense benefits of unions first hand.

It's not a matter of having extra powers over employers or non-union workers. Believe me, there were limits to participating in a union that flustered me, too ... Rather, it's a matter of having the basic right to negotiate for benefits and wages. Plain and simple. It's a benefit all employees would be lucky to have.

And the idea that teachers have it easy because the kids leave at 3 in the afternoon and they have summers off? Don't get me started about the early mornings and late nights Kates spends at her school in meetings, conducting parent-teacher conferences or preparing projects. Or the nightly paper-grading sessions on the couch. Or the Sunday afternoons she spends in her classroom preparing for the next week. I'm only scratching the surface.

Now, I've joined the public education sector. Not because I thought it would be easy -- I'm working harder now than I ever have in my career -- but because I find it exciting. It's an area I'm passionate about, proud to be part of, and I want to make a positive impact on young people.

We'll continue to watch the debate closely.

Good stuff ...
a Majority in Poll Back Employees in Public Sector Unions
a The Best Wisconsin Protest Signs
a The Open Capitol blog
a Union Bonds in Wisconsin Begin to Fray
a Thank You for Your Support. Now, Can We Sweep the Capitol?

The Daily Show's coverage of the debate has been marvelous. Our pal Jon Stewart is behind us.

The Daily Show - Crisis in Dairyland - Message for Teachers
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