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This Just In...
Kevin Fischer is an award-winning veteran broadcaster who has been seen and heard on Milwaukee TV and radio stations for nearly three decades.
Kevin, who is a legislative aide to state Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin), can be seen offering his views on the news on the public affairs program, “INTERchange,” on Milwaukee Public Television Channel 10. He lives with his wife, Jennifer, in Franklin.
March 2008 - Posts
By Kevin Fischer
Monday, Mar 31 2008, 07:29 PM
He wears fatigues and proudly carries a large American flag.
Walking from town to town, he has no money, no place to stay.
Idaho resident, 32-year old Damion Maynard is logging a mile in tribute of every American soldier killed in Iraq.
It’s quite a story, a far cry from the classless Cindy (“This country is not worth dying for”) Sheehan.
Here is a photo gallery of Maynard who recently paid a visit to Wisconsin.
Read more about Maynard here, here, and here.
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By Kevin Fischer
Monday, Mar 31 2008, 07:15 PM
I fill in for Mark Belling on Newstalk 1130 WISN from 3-6 p.m. this Wednesday and next Monday, April 7.
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By Kevin Fischer
Monday, Mar 31 2008, 05:15 PM
Franklin mayoral candidate Basil Ryan today signed a pledge to hold the line on taxes if elected Mayor.
Blogger Fred Keller has the details.
Both Mayor Tom Taylor and Ryan have now signed almost identical pledges.
The developments are significant because both candidates are now on record that they will not submit or support a budget that spends beyond the city’s means.
The pledges are a direct message to the Franklin Common Council that any budget the aldermen craft that contains a 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9% increase in the property tax levy will be a non-starter with the Mayor, regardless who it is.
So the question becomes, if Taylor and Ryan have both signed a similar pledge, now who do I vote for?
Franklin voters must decide who they trust to handle, not only the city finances, but the city in general. I am on record supporting Mayor Taylor though I wrote months ago city leaders can and should be questioned about fiscal matters.
Basil Ryan has raised all the right questions and has also raised discussion about the #1 issue the city faces: taxes.
I’ve had the privilege of working with Mayor Taylor on several issues and based on my experience with the Mayor, he gets my vote Tuesday. I can attest to his devotion and dedication to this community.
Should Ryan win, I would look forward to working with him to make sure his pledge becomes reality.
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By Kevin Fischer
Sunday, Mar 30 2008, 08:00 PM
The Milwaukee Brewers open their season Monday in Chicago against the Cubs.
Here are some previews from some of the experts.
Sports Illustrated picks Milwaukee to finish 3rd in the NL Central Division:
FROM SI.COM:
"Off-season fixes will aid run prevention. Run generation won't be a problem."
Memo to the baseball blogosphere: Manager Ned Yost doesn't want your help. Same goes for radio jockeys, newspapermen and, for that matter, his mother. "I'm not trying to be Mr. Know-It-All," Yost says, recalling an off-season instance in which Lee Yost passed along an article that suggested some areas of improvement, "but I know where we're going, and I know exactly how to get there."
Where his team was throughout the first four months of last season was in first place in the NL Central. An August swoon (9-18), however, ultimately left Milwaukee two games behind the division-winning Cubs. How did they get there? In large part, according to Yost, because of ineptitude in the field. Despite ranking among the league's top five in runs, homers, slugging and RBIs, the Brewers had the fourth-most errors in the NL. Sabermetrically speaking, in fact, Milwaukee was 28th in the majors in park-adjusted defensive efficiency (the rate at which a team converts balls in play into outs). Slipshod fielding cost the Brewers 44.7 runs -- or about 4.5 wins -- last season, the first since 1992 in which Milwaukee played meaningful games down the stretch.
To fix this, general manager Doug Melvin reshuffled the deck. In January he signed free agent Mike Cameron to a one-year deal to play centerfield, though the three-time Gold Glove winner was suspended for the season's first 25 games because of a positive test for a banned substance. Bill Hall was moved from center to third base, pushing Ryan Braun -- who had the alltime-best slugging percentage for a rookie but also the lowest fielding percentage of any major league player -- to leftfield. There, he'll enjoy the cushion of Cameron's still-considerable range and, Yost hopes, the benefits of simple maturation. Reminds the manager, "Young players develop quicker offensively than defensively."
Those changes will certainly aid Milwaukee's run prevention. Run generation won't be a problem, not only this season but also for years to come. Just ask Pirates lefthander Phil Dumatrait. Last Sept. 9 the first five batters in the Brewers' lineup -- second baseman Rickie Weeks (now 25), shortstop J.J. Hardy (25), Braun (24), first baseman Prince Fielder (23) and rightfielder Corey Hart (25) -- went homer, homer, homer, single, single off Dumatrait, then with the Reds. For the season that group combined for 150 home runs. Fielder blasted 50 homers, making him the youngest ever to hit that many. "We hang out all the time," Braun says of his teammates, "and I think that closeness is one of our biggest advantages as a team."
This year Yost will flip Braun and Fielder in the lineup. As eye-popping as Braun's numbers were, there is one that disturbed Yost: only 29 walks, in 492 plate appearances. "We're trying to get him to be more selective, especially behind Prince. We've talked about it, and he'll be moved out of that four spot if he can't adjust," says Yost, who also batted Braun second in spring training to get his young slugger more at bats.
Alas, the development of homegrown arms will have to catch up to that of the young mashers for the Brewers to take the next step. Only 22, righthander Yovani Gallardo, who had a 3.67 ERA after his June 14 call-up, is a keeper. However, after Gallardo, who will start the season on the DL (arthroscopic knee surgery), and perennially injured Ben Sheets, the most proven starters are the high-contact duo of Jeff Suppan and Dave Bush, both of whom were hit hard in the second half. Righty Carlos Villanueva, 24, and especially lefty Manny Parra, 25, who throws a mid-90s fastball and a big curve, could bolster the rotation. For now, though, they represent a small tweak to a roster that underwent several such improvements this winter, changes that won't be enough to offset the more dramatic moves of the Cubs and the Reds. -- Pablo S. Torre
-->Click on the team names below for preseason analysis and insight from our SI writers and find out how your favorite team (and your dreaded rival) will fare in 2008.
| Playoff Predictions |
| AMERICAN LEAGUE |
NATIONAL LEAGUE |
DIVISION SERIES
Tigers over Red Sox
Yankees over Angels |
DIVISION SERIES
Cubs over Diamondbacks
Rockies over Mets |
CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Tigers over Yankees |
CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Cubs over Rockies |
WORLD SERIES
Tigers over Cubs |
FROM FOX SPORTS:
Team Report: Inside Pitch
Inside Pitch | Notes and Quotes | Roster Report
The Brewers had several goals entering spring training, with playing better defense and putting together the best rotation possible topping the list.
With newcomer Mike Cameron in center, Bill Hall shifting to third base and Ryan Braun moving to left field, the Brewers believe their defense has improved. Heading into the final week of the spring, however, the rotation remained something of a riddle.
This much we know: Right-handers Ben Sheets and Jeff Suppan will open in the top two spots in the rotation. The battle for the other three spots was expected to go to the wire, however.
Right-hander Yovani Gallardo was out of the picture immediately after having minor knee surgery. The Brewers hope Gallardo will return to their rotation by mid-April.
Left-hander Chris Capuano was next to drop out of the running, tearing a ligament in his pitching elbow. Capuano, who went his final 18 starts without a team victory in 2007, appears headed for reconstructive surgery and a one-year rehab period.
Then right-hander Claudio Vargas was released, settling the rotation. Right-handers Dave Bush and Carlos Villanueva, plus left-hander Manny Parra, will get the final three spots -- at least until Gallardo is back.
Spring training was a struggle for the double-play combination of shortstop J.J. Hardy and second baseman Rickie Weeks. Hardy was lost for more than a week with an intestinal virus, and Weeks missed nearly as much time with a hand injury.
Yost said he expects Hardy and Weeks to be full-go by Opening Day.
The Brewers used spring training to find a replacement in center for Cameron, who must sit out the first 25 games of the season with a suspension for taking a banned stimulant last year. That choice became an easy one when Tony Gwynn Jr. stepped up and put together one of the best springs of any player.
It could take awhile for the bullpen to settle in. New closer Eric Gagne struggled with his command throughout camp, and setup man Salomon Torres was held back until the late going because of arm soreness. One of the other setup men, Derrick Turnbow, was very erratic, so the revamped relief corps was hardly a fine-tuned machine.
PRIMED FOR A BIG SEASON: 2B Rickie Weeks has been plagued with injuries for two seasons, first his thumb, then a wrist. Finally healthy, Weeks put together a strong finish in 2007, rediscovering his power stroke with nine homers in September and posting an on-base percentage well over .400. Weeks struggled throughout training camp this year, but he's still a player with tremendous offensive upside. He'll bat in the leadoff spot, so the Brewers will count on him to get on base.
ON THE DECLINE: RHP Eric Gagne struggled with his command throughout camp and looked nothing like the dominating closer of a few years back. The Brewers are taking a $10 million gamble on Gagne, so he had better get his act together soon or it could be a rough ride in the early weeks of the season. The Brewers have other choices to go to, such as RHP Derrick Turnbow and RHP Salomon Torres.
FROM CBS SPORTS
Scott Miller's Take
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If nothing else, the Brewers ratcheted up expectations last summer -- both their own and those of their fans. Milwaukee stayed in contention into the last week for the first time in years, and though it was a painful end, Ned Yost's team finished above .500 for the first time since 1992. The Brewers set a franchise attendance record. This is a very likable club, and it's about time Milwaukee baseball caught some momentum.
Video Outlook
Strengths
Few teams can bash with the Brewers. Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun each is a legitimate MVP candidate. Mike Cameron adds a dimension (speed and defense) that this club badly needs -- at least, he'll add it in May when he returns from a suspension for failing baseball's amphetamines test. Rickie Weeks, Bill Hall, J.J. Hardy, Corey Hart ... the bats are here to contend again in '08.
Weaknesses
Milwaukee must tighten up its defense -- which is nothing the Brewers don't know already. To that extent, Braun not only moved from third base to left field, his play there exceeded the Brewers' expectations this spring. Hall will be better at third defensively than Braun was. And Fielder, who ranked last among NL first basemen defensively, took hours of ground balls from coach Dale Sveum this spring.
Difference Maker
Ben Sheets. When he's on the mound, the Brewers have a true ace. When he's on the disabled list -- far too often over the past few seasons -- Milwaukee has a big hole in its rotation. The Brewers can hit, we know that. They'll go as far as pitching and defense take them. | |
FROM ESPN:
We should have known better than to believe the 2007 Brewers were for real. How did this team have 14 more wins than losses on July 1? Best team in the National League? That couldn't last. Ryan Braun was a monster from the minute he was brought up, Prince Fielder has skills, Ben Sheets was healthy, but 47-33? Are you kidding?
The precipitous decline the Brewers suffered, winning only nine games in August and then fighting just to stay above .500 the rest of the way as the Cubs breezed by them, set the stage for the offseason plan, which now appears to be focused at winning this season. Welcome, Eric Gagne, enjoy the one-year deal. Here comes Mike Cameron to patrol center field on his one-year, um, five-month deal. (He has that 25-game suspension thing, ya know.) The Brewers' figure veterans, especially playing for contracts, will be motivated to stay healthy and productive. The team's defense is better, the bullpen is deeper and the young stars like Braun and Yovani Gallardo are in the majors to stay.
The Brewers are in this thing for the long haul, or at least all six months in 2008. Of course, some of the same problems persist this time around, with the notable exception being Braun's horrific defense at third base. He'll now be doing his Pat Burrell impression in left field. But is Gagne, who hasn't pitched well in a second-half since seemingly the Reagan administration, a safe closer? Does the lineup have enough punch outside of Braun and Fielder? You can't think J.J. Hardy will do that again! And Mr. Sheets, what ails you today? Hamstring? Blister? Hemorrhoids? C'mon, we know something is going to cause many missed starts, so don't lie to us.
Meet your 2008 Milwaukee Brewers. As "The Who" once yelled, "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss." Just insert the word "Brewers" for "boss."
Ballpark: Milwaukee's Miller Park is pretty neutral in terms of runs scored factor, ranking Nos. 16, 15 and 16 the past three seasons. Tough to get more neutral than that. The Brewers do bring a lot more power to the table than most teams, though it still doesn't push this ballpark toward favoring hitters or pitchers. Despite an unspectacular pitching staff, the Brewers smacked 70 more home runs than opponents in 2007. Don't credit the pitchers, though. Braun and Fielder are legit power hitters who hit 44 of their combined 84 home runs at home. They'll obviously hit 'em anywhere.
Top Sleeper: Dave Bush. Yeah, yeah, we've been all over this guy for three years now, but the evidence still suggests that Bush has a future in fantasy baseball. A year ago, one had to spend a fairly decent draft pick to get Bush, who was coming off a season in which he had a 1.13 WHIP and showed signs of emerging. OK, so Bush didn't emerge. He went backward, actually. But he's only 28, and the definition of a sleeper, to me, is stealing a player really late in your draft who performs way above expectations. Milwaukee's straight-forward offense doesn't provide anyone like that. One of these years, Bush will figure out how to avoid untimely home runs, improve at pitching from the stretch or whatever his problem has been. Could be 2008.
Intriguing spring battle: Someone has to play center field for the first month while Mike Cameron counts all the money he lost in that potential long-term contract. Cammy will play a very good center field and help fly-ball pitchers like Bush, but he won't do that the first 25 games of the season while he serves a substance-abuse suspension. Bill Hall is the new third baseman and Braun is safely tucked in left field, so expect one of the team's fourth/fifth outfielders to simply get a lot of extra playing time early -- and a leg up for playing time during the annual Cameron DL stint later in the season. Tony Gwynn Jr. and Gabe Gross would appear to be the logical choices, and Gross is the better player. The left-handed hitter has a respectable .850 OPS against right-handed pitching the past two seasons in Milwaukee … and a grand total of three base hits against southpaws. He's an obvious platoon option, possibly with regurgitated strongman Gabe Kapler.
Trainer's room: The Brewers have a number of important cogs in the machine who just can't seem to stay healthy. Start with Sheets, their 29-year-old ace. The last time Sheets started more than 24 games in a season was 2004. Though he has been effective while averaging 21 starts the past three years, fantasy owners who rely on him as their ace should prepare to be active on the free-agent wire. The positive thing about Sheets' lack of durability, if there is one, is that his injuries haven't been shoulder/elbow related. But by now, we can't simply call his problems mere flukes.
The other Brewer to watch is leadoff man Rickie Weeks, who has Brandon Phillips-like upside if he could shake his wrist problems. Weeks tantalizes fantasy owners with his potential. He's a low-average batter but has 30/30 capability if you extrapolate his annual 100-game stats over 162 games. The thumb and wrist are supposedly healthy now, so prepare to pay top dollar for Weeks.
Schedule Preview: The Brewers play in a neutral park with what should generally be the same lineup most days, barring injury, so as a fantasy owner, don't expect a different strategy at certain points in the season. The Brewers open and close April with a series at Wrigley Field to play the "team to beat" in their division, then don't visit Wrigley again until mid-September. Expect the Brewers to have something to play for in the final month, and enjoy a 10-game road trip through hitters parks Philly, Chicago and Cincinnati. Well, enjoy it if you have Brewers hitters, not pitchers.
Future closer: The Brewers have three, maybe even four right-handed pitchers on deck in case Eric Gagne falters or can't stay healthy. None of these pitchers are notably young or brimming with potential. David Riske was given a three-year contract after a solid season in Kansas City, and would seem next in line over wild Derrick Turnbow, rubber-armed Salomon Torres and really wild Seth McClung. Then again, maybe Gagne makes the entire point moot by rediscovering his Cy Young form. Or not.
Backups to watch: The outfield will be relatively deep with Gross, Kapler and Tony Gwynn Jr. around, and Gwynn does offer cheap NL-only speed. Starting catcher Jason Kendall really can't offer much to fantasy owners, as he hit .242 in 2007 and has a total of four home runs in as many years, but reserve Eric Munson does have pop and could deliver five home runs to NL-only owners. Finally, Bill Hall is the starter at third, but he's coming off a below-average campaign, especially against right-handed pitching. Ageless Craig Counsell didn't hit, either, but does have speed, versatility and a left-handed bat.
Fantasy studs: The Brewers have two of them in the middle of the lineup, as both Braun and Fielder project as second-round picks, or higher. While Braun destroyed left-handed pitching to the tune of a sick 1.480 OPS, Fielder hit 40 home runs mostly against right-handers, so opposing teams won't be able to mix-and-match pitching so well. Don't feel shy about grabbing them earlier if you think they'll up their value by stealing bases. Braun ran in the minors and then swiped 15 bases in 20 attempts with the Brewers, though he was just 2-for-3 in September. If he steals 15 bases this season, be happy.
Prospects to watch for 2008: With future ace Yovani Gallardo already in the rotation for good, the next young arm the Brewers could promote is lefty Manny Parra, Now fully healthy after rotator cuff surgery in 2005, Parra struck out a batter per inning in 17 starts at two levels of the minors, then helped the Brewers with 26 strong innings. Parra threw a perfect game in his second Triple-A start, and seems ready for the majors now. He's no Sheets; the DL stint in September happened when Parra broke his thumb trying to bunt against the Cubs.
Prospect to watch for the future: While it's uncertain which spot on the diamond Matt LaPorta will eventually play, there's little doubt his bat will be ready for the big leagues soon, possibly late this season. The No. 7 overall draft pick in 2007, LaPorta has big-time power to all fields and has plate discipline, which should lead to high on-base percentages. If a corner outfield spot opens up in 2008, LaPorta could make a Braun-like entrance.
Eric Karabell is a fantasy sports expert for ESPN.com Fantasy.
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By Kevin Fischer
Sunday, Mar 30 2008, 07:40 PM
Here’s great reading material to prep you for the vote this Tuesday, April 1.
From FranklinNOW.com: Find out who's running in the local elections this spring, plus get the latest election stories from Community Newspapers and find out where to vote in our Election 2008 Voters Guide.
Go to Voters Guide
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By Kevin Fischer
Sunday, Mar 30 2008, 07:34 PM
The vote is YES Tuesday to amend the state constitution to prevent Wisconsin’s governor from using his broad veto authority to make new words and sentences in the state budget to increase spending never appropriated by the legislature.
Vote YES to end the Frankenstein veto.
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By Kevin Fischer
Sunday, Mar 30 2008, 07:32 PM
I plan to vote for Judge Michael Gableman Tuesday in the race for state Supreme Court.
If you want a tough, law and order judge on the Suprme Court, Gableman is the clear choice. Gableman is a former district attorney supported by the Wisconsin Fraternal Order of Police and over 170 police chiefs, sheriffs, district attorneys, and other judges across the state.
Gableman's opponent is Louis Butler, a former public defender who was appointed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court by Governor Doyle after he lost an election to Diane Sykes for Supreme Court.
The Wisconsin Republican Party says, “Butler's decisions since he has been on the court clearly demonstrate that he has been no friend to law enforcement or crime victims. Butler has cast the deciding vote to reverse murder and sexual assault convictions, suppress evidence in another murder case, limit the ability of the police to investigate crimes and overturn a law that gave prosecutors the ability to block the early release of violent criminals, sex offenders and drug dealers.Butler's votes on the court have clearly made Wisconsin communities less safe and have allowed criminals to escape justice.”
I agree and will be voting for Gableman Tuesday.
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By Kevin Fischer
Sunday, Mar 30 2008, 06:40 PM
Ask Franklin residents what the issues are that get their blood boiling and they’ll probably answer taxes and sex predators.
Franklin families certainly remember the horrifying prospect just a few years ago when discussions were underway to target Franklin as the site in Milwaukee County for a facility to house numerous sexually violent persons.
Busloads of Franklin residents stormed a public hearing at State Fair Park to protest a special state committee’s thought of building the facility. Franklin was considered an ideal location, having the most open space in Milwaukee County.
The loud and strong stand by Franklin residents couldn’t be ignored. The special panel wrapped up its business without recommending any site in Milwaukee County for a sex predator house.
A flurry of activity ensued at the state Capitol. During the 2005 legislative session, Senator Mary Lazich authored Senate Bill 536, a key piece of legislation to kill funding for the facility for sexually violent persons and also disband the special committee assigned to find a location for the facility.
Senate Bill 536 was approved by the legislature and signed into law by the governor. State Senator Lena Taylor, who is running against Scott Walker for Milwaukee County Executive, voted against the bill. Taylor wanted to fund the facility. She wanted it built. She wanted it built in Milwaukee County. She would have had no problem with a facility in Franklin.
Taylor also voiced opposition to sending released sex offenders back to the communities where they came from, the fairest way to deal with sex offenders. Each community should be responsible for its own. Instead, Taylor would prefer locales like Franklin be the dumping ground for Milwaukee‘s criminals.
During the 2005 legislative session, Taylor voted against Assembly Bill 47 that provided there is no statute of limitation for prosecution of first-degree sexual assault and first-degree sexual assault of a child. Under the bill, such a prosecution may be brought at any time.
The bill was approved and signed into law. Taylor sided with criminals and voted against the bill.
When she served on a special legislative Council Study Committee on Placement of Sex Offenders, Taylor spoke against requiring more frequent photographs of sex offenders being taken to be placed on the sex offender registry. Taylor argued it would be too difficult for the Department of Corrections. The DA’s, Taylor submitted, wouldn’t have enough time to prosecute offenders who didn’t have their pictures taken.
Taylor suggested that offenders be allowed to mail in their own photographs (like they can be trusted), and that they not be required to meet in person with their probation officer.
As for the tax issue, Taylor has voted with Senate democrats in favor of the largest tax increase in the history of the United States when she voted in favor of the Senate Democrats’ state budget proposal last session.
Franklin voters have a clear choice for Milwaukee County Executive: it’s Scott Walker.
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By Kevin Fischer
Sunday, Mar 30 2008, 02:14 PM
Franklin Mayor Tom Taylor has signed a pledge to, if re-elected, keep the tax levy increase in his proposed budgets at 3 %.
Taylor met earlier today with Franklin resident and blogger Fred Keller to officially sign the pledge.
Keller had proposed that the mayor sign a pledge that he would not propose a budget with a property tax levy that exceeds the rate of inflation and would not support a budget forwarded to him by the Franklin Common Council that contains a property tax levy increase that exceeds the rate of inflation.
Here is the pledge Mayor Taylor ultimately signed:
I pledge if elected to another term as Mayor of the City of Franklin that I will not recommend an annual budget to the City's Finance Committee that exceeds a 3% tax levy. This pledge is related to the years 2008 to 2011.
Thomas M. Taylor
Candidate for Mayor
3/30/08
Here are the tax levy percentage increases for the past three City of Franklin Budgets:
Keller is still working with mayoral candidate Basil Ryan to sign a pledge to control the tax levy. Ryan has said he will sign such a pledge.
This is a huge victory for city taxpayers. Congratulations to the mayor for signing this pledge and congratulations to Fred Keller for his efforts.
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By Kevin Fischer
Sunday, Mar 30 2008, 09:28 AM
You’ve heard of the Rat Pack.
In this week’s installment of Culinary no-no, I introduce you to the Fat Pack.
It’s a club I’m not a member of.
Oh, sure, I need to shed some poundage. But the Fat Pack’s members share a different characteristic. Their common obsession with gastronomic delights led them to begin food blogs.
These writers eat, drink, breathe, and sleep their themed blogs. I merely write once a week on the topic, and with a somewhat twisted approach at that.
So as far as the Fat Pack is concerned, I don’t pay dues or know the secret handshake.
And that’s just as well because the Fat Pack has a death wish. Some realize it, others are in denial.
Take the case of Jason Perlow, the co-founder of egullet, an online discussion forum that connected foodies with one another.
Kim Severson of The New York Times recently wrote:
“It (the online forum) put him at the center of a community where no food was too fatty and no field trip too extreme. Ferreting out the best place for an empanada or the perfect way to braise pork belly meant tasting countless versions, often in the same day. Being the first in the group to find it was golden.
In October, Mr. Perlow was in Denver on business for his day job as a systems integration expert. He fell ill, and what seemed like a case of altitude sickness turned into a three-day hospital visit. There he heard the grim truth: He was diabetic. He weighed more than 400 pounds, his blood pressure was dangerously high and his blood was thick with glucose and cholesterol.
A doctor told him he would be dead in five years.
‘I wasn’t shocked but I thought maybe it’s time the party’s over,’ he said.”
Writing a culinary blog can kill you. Some comfort food.
The New York Times describes the Fat Pack as an eating machine out of control.
“The journalists, bloggers, chefs and others who make up the Fat Pack combine an epicure’s appreciation for skillful cooking with a glutton’s bottomless-pit approach. Cramming more than three meals into a day, once the last resort of a food critic on deadline, has become a way of life. If the meals center on meat, so much the better.”
Food writer and former New York Times restaurant critic Mimi Sheraton admits it, saying, “Most of us who are in this profession are here as an excuse to eat. I’ve never seen such an outward, in-your-face celebration of eating fat.”
Perlow, who is now on a personal mission to become thinner and more fit, says the foodie lifestyle is not unhealthy, but excessive. Maybe it’s because he was told to prepare his casket that Perlow is willing to make that admission. His former colleague who helped him found egullet, Steven Shaw is in complete disagreement.
Shaw is a doubter, telling the New York Times, “I think enjoyment of food has never proven to be harmful to anyone’s health.” By the way, Shaw writes an online column under the faux moniker of The Fat Guy, stands 5-foot-10 and weighs about 270 pounds.
Talk about your denial. Shaw removes his head from the sand long enough to tell a Times reporter, “I think the whole diabetes thing is a major hoax. They are overdiagnosing it.”
That should fit on his tombstone, I would think.
Then there’s Josh Ozersky, the online food editor for New York magazine. Ozersky gets it, but attempts to use humor to soften the blow.
“Obviously, my philosophy on gastronomy can be summed up by saying the fat is the meat and the meat is the vegetable. I’m a Russian Jew, so grease is mother’s milk to me.”
So, are Fat Packers frightened?
Yes, but not enough.
Their answer is something akin to having a Diet Coke with their triple cheeseburger. Faced with the not so pleasant future of no future, the foodies pledge to eat smaller portions and exercise.
Sounds like something I heard back on January 1.
For their sake, I hope it works.
Otherwise it’s RIP (Rest In Pork fat).
The Fat Pack Wonders if the Party's Over
PREVIOUS CULINARY NO-NO’S
1) Ketchup on a brat
2) Green peppers on pizza
3) The dirty martini
4) Fruity brats
5) A Bloody Mary after dinner
6) Women “manning” the grill
7) Eating pizza at Festa Italiana, brats at German Fest, or tacos at Fiesta Mexicana. (Be adventurous. You can have those items anytime).
8) Eating a cream puff as though it was a hamburger.
9) Taking your own bottle of sauce when invited to a barbecue.
10) Touching the grill if you’re a guest at an outdoor barbecue.
11) Coaching the host on how to grill.
12) Some regional flavored ice cream…..like black licorice.
13) Taking the husks off before you grill corn on the cob
14) Being afraid to chill red wine
15) Pizza on the grill
16) When serving exotic or strange dishes to guests, do not tell them exactly what it is. Instead, use a more inviting term (caviar) rather than being blunt (fish eggs).
17) In late summer and early fall, this time of year, don’t buy zucchini. Somehow, someway, you will find zucchini or zucchini will find you.
18) Showing disrespect to your restaurant server.
19) Eating out on a Monday night.
20) Pumpkin beer.
21) Mail-order turkey.
22) Grilled cheese is just for kids.
23) Dining in the dark.
24) Ketchup on spaghetti
25) Sneaking healthy foods into treats to get your kids to eat it.
26) Do not throw away culinary gifts received in the mail because you don’t like them.
27) Do not feel guilty about eating Oreos. (Oreos are not to blame for out of control obesity).
28) Doing something so totally ridiculous that you are desperately forced to call the Butterball Turkey Hot-Line for assistance.
29) Don’t forget the sweet potato January-October.
30) Using resource guides from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s on gracious living to plan holiday parties
31) Eating cranberries, the best of the super-foods, only during the holidays.
32) Egg nog that isn’t spiked.
33) Putting hot spices and other weird stuff in chocolate bars and hot cocoa.
34) Don’t disregard fruitcake.
35) Sparkling wine on New Year’s Eve ain’t champagne.
36) Ordering a Coors Light or any facsimile when at an outdoor open-air bar on a tropical beach.
37) Smoking bans in restaurants and bars in Wisconsin.
38) Goat burgers and healthy items at tailgate parties.
39) The restaurant of the future, with all kinds of cameras trained on you for....research.
40) The Budweiser Chelada
41) Replating
42) Sour cream on potato pancakes, as opposed to applesauce
43) Meatless Monday's
44) Digital dining
45) Tips on what not to do to your waiter
46) If you want a traditional St. Patty’s dinner, as good as it is, corned beef and cabbage ain’t it
47) Doing everything to PEEPS except eating them
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By Kevin Fischer
Sunday, Mar 30 2008, 08:38 AM
By Kevin Fischer
Sunday, Mar 30 2008, 08:18 AM
Last August, I blogged about a photo that appeared in the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel showing a young girl watching and smiling as their parents are just about to kiss, her father having just returned from Iraq.
The picture is priceless.
The woman who took the photo, Kristyna Wentz-Graff of the Journal/Sentinel, has been named Photographer of the Year by the Wisconsin News Photographers Association.
Her photo of Jamie and Allen Lane about to kiss won Best of Show, deservedly so.
Congratulations to Kristyna Wentz-Graff.
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By Kevin Fischer
Sunday, Mar 30 2008, 07:52 AM
Franklin, Massachusetts that is.
Franklin, Wisconsin did not make the list compiled by Money Magazine. We were 90th last year.
Brookfield and Madison crack the top 100.
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By Kevin Fischer
Sunday, Mar 30 2008, 12:01 AM
If you travel to Graceland, a brand new exhibit is in place focusing on Elvis’ Army years.
The new feature is timely. Fifty years ago March 24, Elvis was inducted into the Army.
March 24 was Monday, the same night Priscilla Presley advanced into the next round of Dancing with the Stars.
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By Kevin Fischer
Saturday, Mar 29 2008, 09:42 PM
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Oh my goodness, you’ll want to check in often.
Sunday on This Just In...
1) My favorite blogs for the week.
2) This week’s culinary no-no, with a very, very serious tone this week.
3) More updates on the mayoral candidates. Will they/did they sign a pledge to keep taxes at the rate of inflation.
4) Why you shouldn’t vote for Lena Taylor, especially if you live in Franklin. Vote for County Executive Scott Walker.
This Just In…
We don’t rest on the weekend.
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By Kevin Fischer
Saturday, Mar 29 2008, 09:27 PM
Hard to believe with all these great March Madness NCAA college basketball games going on that baseball starts in just a few days.
The Milwaukee Brewers open their season on Monday in Chicago against the Cubs. The Brewers’ home opener is Friday, April 4 vs. San Francisco.
Attend a Brewers game at fabulous Miller Park and there are plenty of popular rituals to partake in to make game day a memorable experience.
There is, of course, the obligatory tailgate.
Inside the ballpark, a stirring National Anthem.
Some beer.
Peanuts.
Popcorn.
Nachos.
A brat , Italian, or hot dog.
The famous sausage race.
And then, in the middle of the 7th inning……
Everybody get up!
The 7th inning stretch!
Singing along to the “Take me Out to the Ball Game” is a must.
Stay with me, baseball and music lovers.
We need to get psyched for the upcoming baseball season, and what better way than with this golden oldie.
Now, I’m old enough to remember as a youngster the 60’s ABC-TV show, “Shindig” with host Jimmy O’Neill. Shindig was American Bandstand without the lip-synching.
I remember the show, but I don’t remember this particular program. For whatever reason, this Top 40-oriented teen program decided one night to end with a Take Me Out to the Ball Game finale with twin piano rockers Jerry Lee Lewis and Neil Sedaka.
Interesting.
Different.
I don't think I've ever seen Take Me Out to the Ball Game done like that before.
Of course, without a doubt, the best ritual of Take Me Out to the Ball Game was done by legendary broadcaster Harry Caray.
When the Chicago White Sox foolishly let him go, Harry continued the tradition, God bless him, in Wrigley Field with the Cubs.
If you've stuck through this blog till now, thank you so very much, because you'll be glad you did.
Why the build-up with Jerry Lee and Neal Sedaka and Harry Caray?
I'll tell you why...
This gem, this classic, Take Me Out to the Ball Game is 100 years old.
Sing it loud, Brewers fans. You're part of good old American history.
THIS JUST IN BLOG EXTRA:
The immortal Harry Caray on the famous snack mentioned in Take Me Out to the Ball Game...........Cracker Jack.
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By Kevin Fischer
Saturday, Mar 29 2008, 06:24 PM
Last October, Culinary no-no #22 focused on the universally-popular grilled cheese sandwich.
No longer just for kids and featured on the menus of some multi-star restaurant, I wrote, “Seems that it would make great business sense if someone would open a restaurant that specialized in good ol’ grilled cheese sandwiches.”
Someone did.
Someone is former Wisconsinite Dirk Bruely who opened Chedd’s Gourmet Grilled Cheese in Denver in the spring of 2003. As dynamite as Bruely’s three dozen varieties are, I’m not going to Denver for a cheese bacon and tomato….not with these gas prices.
I don’t have to.
A restaurant that highlights a grilled cheese, the Cheesy Grill has opened near Miller Park.
Ooooooooooohhhhhhhhh!!! DON'T FORGET, CULINARY NO-NO, EVERY SUNDAY ON THIS JUST IN...
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By Kevin Fischer
Saturday, Mar 29 2008, 05:36 PM
The USA Weekend section in Sunday’s Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel will feature a cover story with TV’s Matt Lauer happily promoting spring cleaning.
Lauer admits cleaning offers great excitement.
Guys, before you instantly dismiss Lauer and scoff at the very idea of housecleaning, remember this…
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By Kevin Fischer
Saturday, Mar 29 2008, 05:06 PM
Remember this, the magazine cover that shook the world?
Earlier in the week, I blogged about the uproar the cover caused, claiming NBA star LebRon James and supermodel Gisele Bundchen resembled the raging Hollywood ape King Kong and his target of affection, Fay Wray.
The cover, it was asserted, proliferated racial stereotypes.
FOXsports.com got reaction, including the following:
As an African-American woman, and avid basketfall fan, I see nothing wrong with this photo. I think that the so-called "controversy" is nothing more than political correctness run amok. I mean really - we should be open-minded and intelligent enough to not see racism in every photo, phrase, or behavior. This is not the dream Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood for. We can and should be above this foolishness. Instead of looking for trouble where there is none, we should be concerned with healing the ills of our country. — tallcoolbeauty
The LeBron/"supermodel" cover of vogue is racist and disturbing. Like a lot of other current advertising by the chosen few it hints that to have the best physical attributes one must either be a black man or a white women. Is that their perfect couple? What about the other billions of people on this planet that do not fall in to either category? The article that their picture was for, discusses the best bodies. That is were my comment comes from. Current media, celebrities and ad execs are severly warped and misguided people. — Soonerfan33
An astute Franklin reader brought this to my attention:
 Read the accompanying article to above side by side pictures.
So, did Vogue steal the idea from a U.S. Armed Forces recruitment poster aimed at drumming up fear? No one's saying.
Even so, you'd think that given the publicity this week, David Wallace of the Associated Press would have had more sense than to take these highly racial pictures of Xavier’s B.J Raymond at the NCAA Tournament.
After all, to listen to the Vogue conspiracy theorists, aren't these photos of a large black man, emotionally displaying his teeth, fists clenched.
How did they ever get past the AP editor to be featured in newspapers and Internet sites all across the country?
You know what?
It's time everyone gets a grip..
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