Friday, February 3, 2012 |
Madison, WI: 32.0° F
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| THE SCONZ: Breaking news and commentary on campus, city and state politics |
 The Sconz bids Isthmus adieuAlthough I will continue contributing articles for the paper, my blog is now returning back to its original home on Wordpress! Come join me at the new location, but by no means stop reading Isthmus! >More  Who to blame for Wisconsin job losses?Who should Madison voters blame for slow economic growth? President Obama, Gov. Walker, Mayor Soglin? All three? >More
In defense of the Wisconsin State JournalMany friends of mine are upset with the legal battle the Wisconsin State Journal waged to obtain the 1,000 sick notes Madison teachers used to get off work during the union protests in February. >More  Madison to Occupy Wall Street: Been there, done thatOccupy Madison has been a "fart in the wind." Why? Because Madisonians have better things to do. >More  Do all Madison businesses need websites?Paul's Book Store and the Silver Dollar Tavern are two businesses that have yet to invest in the interwebs. Can you think of an advantage to that strategy? >More  Soon-to-be Wisconsin Capitol rule: Cameras must be attached to gunsIn yet another clarification of the state Capitol's policy against allowing cameras in the Assembly and Senate galleries, Capitol officials announced that photo and video devices are only allowed if attached to a licensed firearm. >More  Madison's sacred separation of bar and cafeIt's worked in Europe. The late-night bar is also a cheery spot to get your morning espresso. But just like socialized medicine, the bar/cafe model is apparently doomed to failure in the United States. And nowhere is the situation better displayed than in Madison. >More Memo to Madison restaurants: Give me a punch card, a special, or something elseI like coffee whether it tastes like dishwater or a smooth blend of Tanzanian peaberry and citrus, and whether it is produced by a cooperative of well-paid and environmentally conscious farmers in Nicaragua or an army of underpaid, underage employees of a warlord in Somalia. However, as much as possible, I prefer it cheap. >More Why is drunken driving on the decline?The father of a buddy of mine told him about how he and his friends used to drive from their Minnesota town, where the drinking age was 21 during the 70's, to Wisconsin, where it was 18. "We'd get wasted and then drive back to Minnesota, which probably wasn't a good idea...but things were different then," he explained. >More  Could Wisconsin Republicans make the Electoral College any worse?The Electoral College is an undemocratic system developed by a bunch of old white guys who didn't believe the American people were competent enough to elect their own president. Since then, the premise for its preservation has changed. Now people believe it must be kept to ensure that small states have representation in the presidential process. >More  What's wrong with being poor or cheap in Wisconsin?What do St. Vinny's and Minhas Brewery have in common? They're both great places for poor people to shop, but both are reluctant to admit it. >More  How to keep Prince Fielder with the BrewersAs I'm sure Gov. Scott Walker will tell you, emotional appeal is only part of the game. A multimillionaire needs more assurance than a plea to "Escape to Wisconsin," to set up shop here permanently. So what would be the next step in the Walker plan? >More  Occupy Wall Street is the left wing Tea PartyBoth are fed by the frustration and suffering created by economic hardship. Most importantly, both began as grassroots movements but later gained significant institutional support from the establishment from corporations, interest groups, political parties or labor unions. >More  Madison beer is cheap, but it could be cheaperApparently, I care about money more than the average Madisonian. That is clearly not demonstrated in my career choices, but it is in my drinking habits. The first thing I always say when I enter a bar is, "Do you have any specials," a question a coworker of mine (and longtime bartender) finds odd. >More  Four reasons Google+ will kill FacebookThere are a few reasons I think Facebook is on the decline and I don't think their recent renovations are going to help. There's a new kid on the block, and he's called Google +. He's going to kick Facebook's ass. >More  Moneyball is a lieWhat the movie Moneyball said was largely true. What makes me madder than George Brett is what the movie did not say. >More Why The Sconz will never be a high school teacherI think being a university professor might be the only kind of teaching I could tolerate. Teaching elementary or high school sounds like one headache after the next. >More A better way for Madison PrepIf people want a charter school to be an inspiration to other youngsters in the community, here's a better way to do it. >More Just in case you thought Tammy Baldwin was invincibleWhat has irked me recently is the oft-repeated meme that Baldwin's 7 straight victories in the 2nd Congressional district are evidence of her ability to win statewide. That's not even close to being true. >More It does matter what kind of beer you pour on a legislator's headI've previously expressed displeasure at Brewers fans who douse Cubs fans with beer. What self-respecting Crew supporter would waste a cold brew on the fan of a team that hasn't won since 1908? >More  Jail in Wisconsin should not be like jail in MonopolyLast time I wasted my time playing Monopoly, a "get out of jail free card" prevented you from going to jail altogether. It didn't set up a series of tasks for you to complete before you get out of jail. >More  What makes 'liberal' a bad word?Although it would be a serious breach of diplomatic privilege to disclose any of the specifics of the historic accords between the President of Sconz Nation and the Squire of the Stately Blaska Manor, I will mention that one of the many topics we addressed was the ideological make-up of the United States. Specifically, how many of us should be identified as liberals, moderates or conservatives. >More  The Sconz celebrated communism on Labor DayOne of the best labor days in memory. For one, I didn't spend the day laborin', as I did last year. Nor did I go to the labor fest, where those capitalist pigs charge for beer and brats. Instead, in the true spirit of worker solidarity, I hosted a barbecue for some of my comrades in our apartment building. >More How to save UW students money: Free textbooksA friend of mine had an intriguing idea to lower the cost of education for the increasingly debt-trapped students of Generation Y: Free text books. >More Why Bill Clinton was Sean Hannity's best friendMany a conservative career were built on the back of Bill Clinton's shenanigans. The Drudge Report evolved from the obscure project of some basement dweller to a go-to news source after it started breaking news about the president's relationship with a White House intern. And of course, the thrice divorced Rush Limbaugh probably increased his dittoheadship exponentially as the nation sought a champion of traditional family values. >More George Will doesn't know WisconsinI get it. There is a conservative narrative that demands unions be the culprits for state budget deficits. But why do national columnists like George Will have to leave out so many facts when they make that case? >More  Tommy Thompson is a Progressive-Liberal!To our Prog-Lib acquaintances (for they are...no longer our friends), I present you your candidate for U.S. Senate: Tommy G. Thompson. >More Channel 3000: WhoopsiesChannel 3000, one of the most popular websites in Madison, apparently forgot to renew its domain. There's still plenty of breaking news, but most of it relates to great deals on web hosting. >More A bang for your buck = Milwaukee BrewersI just hope other taxpayer-funded ventures are as productive as the Milwaukee Brewers. There's a very good chance the Brewers are going to end the season having spent less per win than just about any other MLB team. >More I care about the Badgers, but not their autographsWhat will be most interesting about the autographs of college athletes 20 years from now is wondering what those athletes become. The successful ones might land a gig selling insurance or teaching gym. The less fortunate will be in prison or blogging for an alt weekly. >More  Tea party ain't buying Tommy Thompson's makeoverPollster Tom Jensen has some numbers out on Tommy G. Thompson that show the former guv would unlikely make it through a GOP primary if he runs for Senate. Why? The right wing of the Republican Party apparently isn't impressed with his comical overtures to the Tea Party movement. >More  Jon Huntsman: Way too sane for GOP primaryJon Huntsman believes scientists may be right about a couple things. Sorry Jon, that just won't fly in the Republican Party. >More The Sconz challenges Blaska to a wagerBlaska is confident Krazy Kim is going to pull it off. Well hell, like any good investor, I smell a profit in that prediction. So I proposed a wager to the Squire: He wins, two drinks on me. I win, vice-versa. He agreed. >More The Sconz strikes it big on Hippie ChristmasThis year The Sconz enjoyed the smoothest moving experience since the blog was founded over on College Ct. in the spring of 2009. Most importantly, this year's Hippie Christmas haul was the best ever. >More The Sconz is glad to have TV againWell, I've always had TV. But not by conventional American standards. You see, a year ago, Mrs. Sconz and I decided we were sophisticated enough to get by without cable. >More
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