Jeeer

Wis. launches unusual kayak campaign in Twin Cities

kris — Sun, 20 May 2012 22:37:03 +0000

Tourism officials in Door County are using an unconventional advertising method to persuade Minnesota residents to go kayaking in Wisconsin.

Officials have outfitted seven taxis in the Twin Cities area with real kayaks on their roofs. The nearly 10-foot-long kayaks will eventually be given away as prizes in a drawing.

Failed Triple Crown Bids since 1978

kris — Sun, 20 May 2012 14:39:07 +0000

Watching these races, you see the variety of ways that horses lose the Triple Crown. Sometimes they move too early. Sometimes too late. Things go array. Sometimes they’re just beat by better horses.

I like to think back to how each of the horses gunning for the Triple Crown were perceived at the time and how that compares to I’ll Have Another:

Spectacular Bid: He was (and certainly really was) considered on the same level as Seattle Slew & Affirmed and his defeat truly was shocking
Pleasant Colony: People didn’t think he was good enough to be a Triple Crown winner. The memories of the winners of the 1970s were still too fresh. History proved that Pleasant Colony would certainly have been worthy and now he’s considered own of our great stamina influences and is prominent in I’ll Have Another’s pedigree.
Alysheba: Again, people didn’t think Alysheba was worthy and it was still only 9 years since Affirmed. And again, history proved that Alysheba would have been a worthy wearer of the crown as he went on to be a great champion.
Sunday Silence: After 11 years, people were finally getting that any horse who won the Triple Crown was worthy of it. No one doubted Sunday Silence’s greatness, there were just too many people who believed that Easy Goer was even greater. This is probably the only Triple Crown bid where a significant part of the crowd was thrilled with the spoiler.
Silver Charm: By this time, people just really wanted a Triple Crown winner and Silver Charm had appealing connections, a fighting spirit and had proven his worth already battling great competition. This might be the first failed Triple Crown bid where people were genuinely devastated by the loss.
Real Quiet: The big problem with Real Quiet is that no one thought he was better than Silver Charm, so if Silver Charm didn’t make it, why should Real Quiet? The race itself is so thrilling that you come away from it breathless rather than disappointed.
Charismatic: He kind of came from nowhere, which made people suspect his value and I don’t think people liked him or respected him until he was injured.
War Emblem: He would have genuinely been an unpopular Triple Crown winner. At that point in time, no one wanted to root for a horse owned by a Saudi Arabian prince and the horse himself seemed like a mean, gutless speedball who would give up if he didn’t get the lead.
Funny Cide: This gelding was popular, but so was his rival Empire Maker. It wasn’t quite Easy Goer/Sunday Silence, but I think a lot of people were really happy for Empire Maker rather than being upset that Funny Cide didn’t win the Belmont.
Smarty Jones: This is the heartbreaker. Everyone wanted Smarty to win. It had been so long and the horse was appealing and had already proven his worth. That he ran such a gallant race in defeat was small consliation.
Big Brown: Big Brown’s human connections were unpopular, but again, people just wanted a Triple Crown winner. When he lost in such a strange & shocking manner, I think that was the moment that a lot of people became convinced that we’d never see another Triple Crown winner.

I’ll Have Another’s human connections, other than his jockey, are kind of iffy, but the horse is genuinely appealing and has certainly proven his worth. It’s been 34 years and I think the vast majority of racing fans and casual fans will be cheering him home in three weeks.

How Common Is Your Birthday?

kris — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:39:05 +0000

A friend posted an interesting data table on my Facebook wall yesterday, which was my birthday. The data listed each day of the year with a ranking for how many babies were born on each date from 1973 to 1999. Some interesting trends are evident in the data. Apparently, people like to make babies around the winter holiday season because a large proportion of babies are born in September (ours is due Sept. 24, btw).

The Walker campaign’s adventures on Twitter

kris — Wed, 16 May 2012 19:17:50 +0000

I’m always interested to see how politicians use the Internet in an election year. Back in 2008, the Obama campaign was lauded for using the Internet as a big fundraising tool. Personally, I thought they were shortchanging the power of the Internet.

I have noticed a few campaigns using Google Ad Words and now this is an example of a campaign using promoted tweets. I’d say it’s a “nice” example, except that whoever wrote the tweet clearly knows nothing about Twitter. On Twitter, “#” is not acceptable shorthand for “numbers”. So, what the Walker campaign is actually doing here is spending money to get the hashtag “s” trending. Um, okay. That’s even worse than Aaron Rodgers’ drunk #hashtag the other weekend.

Is this the worst logo ever created?

kris — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:50:28 +0000

Why Wrigley Field Must Be Destroyed

kris — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:27:08 +0000

Having not won a World Series since 1908, and having last appeared on that stage in 1945—a war year in which the professional leagues were still populated by has-beens and freaks—the Chicago Cubs must contemplate the only solution that might restore the team to glory: Tear down Wrigley Field.

No, side bangs will not give you a lazy eye

kris — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:03:26 +0000

Call it the great one-day (we hope) lazy eye panic.
It started, apparently, with a story in the Australian tabloid Daily Telegraph, which quoted an Aussie eye doctor as indicting the hair-over-one-eye hairstyles of Cameron Diaz and Nicole Richie (those of us into old movies prefer Veronica Lake), and countless emo boys and girls, as causing lazy eye, or amblyopia.

Obama in History (on Twitter)

kris — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:00:48 +0000

The inevitable Twitter response to Obama’s insertion into all presidential bios on whitehouse.gov (excluding Ford)

Russell Wilson opens eyes at camp

kris — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:38:55 +0000

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said Sunday that rookie quarterback Russell Wilson will compete in training camp for the starting job with Matt Flynn and Tarvaris Jackson.

MLB fires arbitrator Shyam Das

kris — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:36:03 +0000

Major League Baseball management has fired Shyam Das, the arbitrator who overturned Ryan Braun’s drug suspension in February.

MLB informed Das and the players’ association of its decision last week. Das had been baseball’s permanent arbitrator since 1999, part of what technically is a three-man panel that also includes a representation of management and labor.

Diner arrested after protesting end of all-you-can-eat fish fry

kris — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:31:23 +0000

A 53-year-old Mequon man was arrested for disorderly conduct after being told the Thiensville restaurant at which he was dining ran out of fish for its all-you-can-eat fish fry last week.

Meet one of the most despicable women in America

kris — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:05:18 +0000

Mother’s Day ‘12

This was seen on the Stamp Out Hunger Facebook page regarding the 20th annual Food Drive that happened yesterday through a partnership between Campbell Soup and the National Association of Letter Carriers. The initiative is pretty simple: Americans put canned food in a bag and leave it for a mail carrier to pick up, and then BOOM, someone who’s in need of food has a better chance of getting a meal.

Ponies, Ponies, Ponies

Aaron — Sun, 13 May 2012 02:13:47 +0000

Great, Soon People Will Be Paying To Promote Annoying Posts On Facebook

kris — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:38:08 +0000

There are already enough posts we don’t need to see on Facebook “Going to the bank and then the gym and wow isn’t this day great oh by the way I’m breathing and I have 23 pairs of chromosomes lol,” and now the social network is going to go ahead and let people pay to promote or highlight what they’re yakking about. Get ready for an onslaught of too much information and an army of baby updates, everyone.

The Stanford Geospatial Network Model of the Roman World

kris — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:30:50 +0000

Spanning one-ninth of the earth’s circumference across three continents, the Roman Empire ruled a quarter of humanity through complex networks of political power, military domination and economic exchange. These extensive connections were sustained by premodern transportation and communication technologies that relied on energy generated by human and animal bodies, winds, and currents.

Does it matter what kind of kid Mitt Romney was?

kris — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:05:24 +0000

One of the many tensions in evaluating presidential candidates is that we don’t want to disqualify them based on the stupidity of their youth. George W. Bush’s blanket denial that “when I was young and irresponsible I was young and irresponsible” seems like a good rule.

Reconstructing Patrick Kane’s Drunken Weekend In Madison, With Eyewitness Testimony

kris — Thu, 10 May 2012 23:53:30 +0000

On Monday we showed you photos of a soused Patrick Kane in Madison, Wis., and then we asked you if you knew more about what happened while Kane was there. We had heard some bad stories—that Kane supposedly choked a woman, that Kane supposedly said anti-Semitic things—and we wanted to know if other people had, too.

Julia’s Circle of Life

kris — Thu, 10 May 2012 19:51:06 +0000

The continuing adventures of Barack Obama’s favorite eyeless, mouthless government dependent

OBAMA REVERSAL ON SAME SEX MARRIAGE COMES JUST DAYS AFTER DONORS THREATENED TO WITHHOLD FUNDS

kris — Thu, 10 May 2012 13:49:44 +0000

President Obama announced his support for same-sex marriage less than 48 hours after the Washington Post reported that prominent political donors were threatening to withhold donations over the president’s position on gay rights.

7 Rules for Recording Police

kris — Thu, 10 May 2012 13:38:25 +0000

Slowly but surely the courts are recognizing that recording on-duty police is a protected First Amendment activity. But in the meantime, police around the country continue to intimidate and arrest citizens for doing just that. So if you’re an aspiring cop watcher you must be uniquely prepared to deal with hostile cops.

Obama backs same-sex marriage

kris — Wed, 09 May 2012 19:45:32 +0000

President Obama’s position on same-sex marriage has evolved.

Three days after Vice President Joe Biden said he is “absolutely comfortable” with two men or two women getting married, Mr. Obama told ABC News in a hastily arranged interview that “same sex couples should be able to get married.”

Deconstructing bad commercials – Sprint

kris — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:16:26 +0000

Since I watch The Voice, I’ve seen this Sprint commercial roughly 8 million times in the last few months:

Even after that many views, it still doesn’t make any sense to me. The premise is that your German boss is passively aggressively criticizing you because you didn’t make some virtual meeting because of your phone’s limited data plan. Where to begin:

The commercial starts with the line “It is I, your boss.” WTF? Do you not know this is your boss? Why is he introducing himself? Why is he using such strange syntax? Is he trying to establish that English isn’t his first language? Wouldn’t you know that because of his accent or because he’s your boss?
So you’re expected to use your personal phone to attend these virtual meetings? What’s up with that? If you’re part of some large international conglomerate why aren’t they providing you with a decent phone and plan?
And if this is a company phone, isn’t it a bigger deal that you’re using up your precious data on personal business? I’d say the problem isn’t with your plan then, it’s with using your work phone for personal business. Why is this your wireless provider’s problem? Should a business really be concerned about providing their employees with unlimited data plans so they can use it on the personal stuff?
And in any case, why is your boss going through your phone and looking at your pictures? Maybe you should go to HR.
“These shorts are a for a younger person, no?” Um, Mr. Bosspants, those aren’t shorts. It’s a swimsuit. I’m pretty sure even old and flabby people are allowed to wear swimsuits when they’re at the beach. Why do you have to be so judgy?
So what it comes down to is that either your company is too cheap to provide you with a decent phone & plan or that you’re probably violating some company policies by using your business phone for personal business. Plus, your boss is totally violating your privacy and being kind of a judgmental prick. You don’t need a different wireless provider as much as you need a new job.

I know I’m putting too much thought into this, but that’s the price of frequency.

Gotcha! Brewers’ Mat Gamel takes secret photo of fan who took secret pic of him

kris — Wed, 09 May 2012 02:43:48 +0000

In a hilarious Internet turnabout that perfectly reflects our times, Mat Gamel of the Milwaukee Brewers put one over on an amateur photographer.

Go Bode Go: A Derby Tale

kris — Wed, 09 May 2012 01:46:05 +0000

An ‘Amazing’ victory for UW couple

kris — Tue, 08 May 2012 01:48:50 +0000

Through season 20 of CBS reality show “The Amazing Race,” Maj. Dave Brown Jr. and his wife Rachel dominated the competition. On Sunday night, once again, they were the frontrunners, reaching the finish line with smiles on their faces, expecting to collect $1 million.

‘Celebrity Apprentice’: Lisa Lampanelli says she does ‘absolutely not’ regret her treatment of Dayana Mendoza (including using that racial slur)

kris — Tue, 08 May 2012 01:03:12 +0000

Let’s get right into the Dayana Mendoza thing. You are the Queen of Mean so let me ask you point blank: Were you too mean to her on the show?
Absolutely not, because you guys did not see the 48 hours on each task that I had to deal with a gnat in my ear. Now, I get it. I was 25 myself once. I also thought I knew everything. I also thought that I could give singers singing advice and comics comedy advice. When you’re that age, you know it all so I understand it. But when you’re tired and you don’t have patience for it, you definitely snap. So no, I don’t think mean is telling the truth. I think mean is maybe hitting somebody — that I fell just short of doing, even though Clay threatened to kill her.

Mike Leach does AMA on Reddit

Aaron — Mon, 07 May 2012 21:40:42 +0000

Hello Reddit,
I am Mike Leach the new Head Football Coach of Washington State University (GO COUGS!)
I hear you guys are a fun group to host a Q&A so here I am.

Twins no bargain, but tickets are

kris — Mon, 07 May 2012 21:07:25 +0000

Closing in on their targets with urgency this season, scalpers belch, “Need tickets?”

It’s a fierce environment on the streets surrounding Target Field just a year after back-to-back seasons of record-breaking attendance. With interest in the last-place Minnesota Twins fading quickly, scalpers fight for the fans’ dollars by not only fluctuating their volume, but also their ticket prices.

2012 Kentucky Derby – What I Learned

kris — Mon, 07 May 2012 12:46:44 +0000

This year, I learned one thing from my Kentucky Derby picking & betting experience, and that’s to make sure to reference what I learned the previous year.

Last year, I wrote:

I think my questions to help narrow the field are right on. Once again, a horse with a graded stakes win and two-year old performance wins. Also, I correctly predicted the moderate pace and, once pedigree was factored in, I had narrowed the field to five horses, including the longshot winner. However, what I haven’t yet figured out is how to bet the Derby. I think in the future, in addition to making one official pick, I’ve got to cover all of the horses I narrow it down to for the win, at least in a small way.

This year my system narrowed the winner down to Creative Cause, Take Charge Indy and I’ll Have Another. I somehow managed to be right about everything (Union Rags would find trouble, the Wood Memorial horses were slow and the Santa Anita Derby horses were underrated, the winner would be a front runner or stalker), but I didn’t profit on it because I didn’t remember my number one thing to remember from 2011. Ugh.

I also wrote:

The only horses screwed by outside post positions are need-the-lead types. The rest of the horses do just fine on the outside because of the long run to the first turn. This year’s superfecta was filled out by 16-19-14-13.

Part of the reason I left I’ll Have Another off of my bets was his 19 post position. Duh.

Finally, there’s this:

Don’t get too caught up in surface differences. Animal Kingdom had never run on dirt and had a turf pedigree. but he won the Derby easily on conventional dirt. What I’m finding is that as more and more horses run on multiple surfaces, the difference between those surfaces seems to fade a bit. I’m not sure I’m even going to track what horses have never run on dirt next year.

And yet, I eliminated 4th place finisher Went The Day Well precisely because of this. Not smart.

So anyway, once again my handicapping was frankly spot on, but my betting left much to be desired.

Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch of the Beastie Boys dies at 47

kris — Fri, 04 May 2012 19:27:29 +0000

Adam “MCA” Yauch, a founding member of the pioneering rap band Beastie Boys, died Friday after a nearly three-year battle with cancer, the band’s publicist said.
Yauch, 47, revealed in 2009 that he had a cancerous tumor in a salivary gland. As a result, the band canceled its scheduled concerts and delayed the release of an album.

2012 Kentucky Derby – The Pick

kris — Fri, 04 May 2012 12:39:01 +0000

Every year, I try to use a series of questions in order to narrow the field and pick my Kentucky Derby winner. While I might not get the winner right, I hope these questions will be a good guide for the rest of you and help you pick a winner. And this year, I think these questions and answers will nicely illustrate why this is such a difficult Derby to figure out.

Question 1

Is there an exceptional horse in the race? Because the Derby usually has a large field, racing luck and pace tend to make the race. A truly exceptional horse, however, tends to make its own luck. If you think there’s a potential Triple Crown winner in the field, pick him and skip to the end. If not, move on to question 2.

Wow, well since his debut last summer people thought Union Rags could be a super horse and Bodemeister has been brilliant so far in his short career. And then you have the two-year old champion Hansen and unbeaten Gemologist. If you have strong feelings about these colts, go for it and spare the analysis.

Question 2

Who proved their early maturity with some good two-year old form?

Since Apollo in 1882 (that’s right, 1882), no horse has won the Kentucky Derby without racing as a two year old. Since 1993, only Charismatic, War Emblem and Monarchos won the Derby without a good performance at two.

Well now here’s the big one. Likely Derby favorite Bodemeister never raced at two. The system has to eliminate him, but if you like Bode, keep in mind that he’s trained by someone who knows how to win the Derby in Bob Baffert and he had over 30 works as a two-year old before he raced, so he could be just fine from a foundation perspective.

Bodemeister is the only horse in the field without good two-year old form. So we’ve managed to narrow the field from 20 to 19 An interesting note for this year is that nine of the field of 20 raced in last year’s Breeders Cup Juvenile at 8.5 furlongs over Churchill Downs. Hansen held off Union Rags with Creative Cause just behind them. Because of the surface and field similarities it’s probably worth your while to watch that race again:

Question 3

Of the remaining horses, who has already proven their class with stakes wins? After backing too many horses that had potential rather than performance, I want a horse that’s proven he or she can win consistently. I’ve broken up with Potential and am interested in entering a relationship with Reality, who, I’m told does very well for himself.

Since 1993, every Kentucky Derby winner except Giacomo had previously won a stakes race. Also, every winner except Giacomo and Funny Cide were graded stakes winners. Of our remaining 19 contenders, all by Optimizer are stakes winners. Rousing Sermon is the only one that’s not a graded stakes winner. The colts who haven’t won multiple stakes are Take Charge Indy, Rousing Sermon, Went The Day Well, El Padrino & Done Talking.

Question 4

How fast will the pace be? Check out the running styles of the field. If there’s a ton of horses in the race that all like to be 4th or 5th throughout the race, then they all might plod around in the early part of the race, meaning that one of them will outkick the others for the win OR that a frontrunner might get loose on the lead and win. This is not a common scenario. More likely is the field with a few speedballs. They’ll ensure a swift pace and cause those horses who want to be comfortable sitting off the lead to go faster than they want. This pace scenario usually results in a come-from-behind horse winning.

This is the big question. I thought this was a super smart article about the pace scenario. Trinniberg is a sprinter who should jump out to the lead, but I feel like most of the rest of the field should be able to settle in to their usual places behind him. Because I expect Trinniberg to fade early, the typical pacesetters and close up stalkers like Bodemeister, Hansen and I’ll Have Another shouldn’t have to expend too much energy early to keep their positions and make the lead. I worry about Hansen’s ability to settle early, but otherwise I think the race sets up for those colts and the other stalkers. I don’t expect the closers to win. So now I’m finally doing some narrowing. Here’s who I’ve got:

Daddy Long Legs

Take Charge Indy

Union Rags

Creative Cause

Trinniberg

Alpha

Went The Day Well

Hansen

Gemologist

El Padrino

I’ll Have Another

Liaison

Question 5

Will it rain? On some tracks, it doesn’t seem to matter if it’s muddy. At Churchill Downs (the home of the Derby) it does matter. It’s the track comes up wet, look for horses with some history of success in the mud. Extra bonus points if his mother was a mudder. Additionally, who has dirt, rather than synthetic, form. Some horses love synthetic tracks, some only perform on real dirt.

There’s a 40% chance of rain tomorrow in Louisville with scattered showers in the forecast. Although I’ll Have Another raced poorly in the mud at Saratoga last summer, I wouldn’t throw him or any of the other remaining cast on mud. Of who we have left, I would eliminate Went The Day Well because I think he’s significantly better on turf or synthetics.

Question 6

Can he go the distance? One common misconception is that horses who come from behind are stayers. This isn’t necessarily the case. You still need to find a stretch runner with a pedigree that doesn’t scream “sprinter”.

After analyzing the pedigrees, I’m most confident about these colts going the distance:

Take Charge Indy

Creative Cause

Alpha

Hansen

Gemologist

El Padrino

I’ll Have Another

Question 7

Horses prep all around the country and many never race against each other before the Derby. Therefore, it’s useful to rank the regions. If, for example, the Florida horses are much the best this year, that gives you a reason to take a Florida stretch runner over one who stayed in California.

Here’s where I geek out of a bit. First, I think the California colts are a bit faster than the rest this year. I think that California Beyer Speed Figures are lower as a matter of process, not reality and I think it’s likely that California stakes races are around 5 points faster than they’re given credit for. That would put Creative Cause & I’ll Have Another on top of the remaining contenders.

To get even more geeky and math-oriented, looking at fractional times makes me think that Gemologist and Alpha are just not fast enough for this race. In their Wood Memorial, these colts won despite not going fast either early or late. So I think in the Kentucky Derby they won’t be fast enough to lay close to the pace, but they also haven’t demonstrated a good kick if they are allowed to go slow early. I actually like both of these colts, but I think I’m narrowing the contenders to:

Take Charge Indy

Creative Cause

Hansen

El Padrino

I’ll Have Another

Question 8

What do the clockers say?

The clockers at Churchill Downs are typically pretty good at spotting horses doing well before the Derby. Their two favorite works were from Bodemeister & Union Rags and they’ve also consistently praised the closers Daddy Nose Best & Sabercat. Of our remaining contenders:

Take Charge Indy: he just arrived this week from Florida, so all he’s done is gallop, but according to everyone he’s looked great.

Creative Cause: no one really likes him in the morning, but no one liked him last fall either and he finished a bang up third in the Breeders Cup, so he may just not be a morning horse.

Hansen: has looked too aggressive in the morning, leading people to believe that he won’t rate, but will rather engage Trinniberg in a speed duel.

El Padrino: like Take Charge Indy, he just got to Churchill Downs. By all accounts his recent work in Florida has not been his best.

I’ll Have Another: Everyone loves his gallops and thinks he’s been super impressive.

Question 9

Are any of the remaining horses trained by Bob Baffert, D. Wayne Lukas or Nick Zito or riden by Calvin Borel? Savvy handicappers are known to take out “Lukas insurance”. That is, they’ll place a small wager on Lukas-trained horses even if they don’t really believe that they have a chance. History shows that you ignore Lukas, Baffert & Zito at your own peril.

Lukas trains Optimizer while Baffert has both Bodemeister and Liaison. Calvin Borel will be aboard Take Charge Indy.

Question 10

Who do the Derby gods want to win? Really. The Derby gods are a sentimental bunch. If there’s some octogenarian owner who has waited his whole life to win the Derby or a small-time better looking to make the score of a lifetime, he probably will. Good stories win.

The obvious best story is Bodemeister. He’s named after Bob Baffert’s adorable son and owned by Ahmad Zayat whose horses have finished second twice in recent years. Add in the fact that the extraordinarily popular Baffert just survived a heart attack and you’ve got yourself a winner.

Other good stories involve Union Rags’ owner/breeder who sold the colt and then bought him back for nearly double the price after dreaming that she was “supposed” to own him or Creative Cause’s 80-year old owner who is making one final push to win the Derby. The great racehorse and sire A.P. Indy has never sired a Derby winner and he’s running out of chances, so the gods might reward his son Take Charge Indy. And, of course, you can never underestimate the power of the $100,000 Derby Bet. So if you’re able to wait until the last minute, maybe wait until that guy makes up his mind.

The Pick

Part of me thinks that Bodemeister could buck 130 years of history. He’s got the right running style, the right trainer, the right story and a pedigree made for not just the Derby, but the Belmont too. But if I stick to what the system says, I think I’d narrow it down to Creative Cause, Take Charge Indy and I’ll Have Another. I feel like I’ll Have Another is prime to bounce off of his effort in the Santa Anita Derby and he’s breaking from post 19, which could suck. So I think I’m down to Creative Cause & Take Charge Indy.

Creative Cause has been my Derby horse since August, but I am a little concerned about his behavior and workouts lately. I bet on Take Charge Indy in last year’s Breeders Cup Juvenile and he finished an even fifth. It sounds like he’s really blossomed in recent weeks and he could get a great trip under Borel. When I close my eyes I see these two running together around 6th and 7th and then gunning it at the head of the stretch. When I open my eyes, I see Creative Cause in front.

There are tons of rumors about Creative Cause and that there’s something wrong with him. I’m a little wary of him based on this, so I reserve the right to flip it over to Take Charge Indy at the last minute today or tomorrow.

Whew – this is the hardest Derby I’ve ever tried to handicap. I think I’ll also wager the Oaks Derby double with the two grays: On Fire Baby/Creative Cause and then I’ll put Bodemeister, Creative Cause, Take Charge Indy, Hansen and Daddy Nose Best & Sabercat in exacta boxes.

This is really going to be a great Derby. Good luck everyone!

Joe Senser’s wife convicted in hit-and-run case

Aaron — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:48:24 +0000

Amy Senser was convicted on charges of leaving the scene of an accident and failure to promptly report an accident, both of which are criminal vehicular homicide charges. Each charge carries a recommended sentence of four years in prison under state guidelines. She was acquited of another felony count and guilty of a misdemeanor charge of careless driving, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

Packers, not Saints, raised Kurt Warner’s ire in 2009 playoffs

Aaron — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:29:30 +0000

The Saints may have put a bounty on Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner during the playoffs after the 2009 season, but Warner says it was the other playoff game he played that year — against the Packers — when he thought the opposing team was taking shots at his head.

Warner said on the Dan Patrick Show that in that year’s wild card playoff win over Green Bay, he felt like Packers players were intentionally trying to hit him high. It was actually the Packers who were complaining after that game that the officials missed calls on illegal hits to Aaron Rodgers, but Warner says the Packers were hitting him illegally, too.

Finally: The Perfect Strangers Browser-Based Video Game

kris — Thu, 03 May 2012 13:20:50 +0000

Break out the Dance of Joy because someone finally went and made a Perfect Strangers video game!

UW HawkCam attracts thousands of viewers

kris — Thu, 03 May 2012 13:08:21 +0000

There’s only one thing growing faster than the three feathery lumps in the hawk’s nest on Weeks Hall: their audience.

A pair of red-tailed hawks is raising three young chicks — formally called eyasses — on a ledge just below the four-story roof edge on the Geosciences building and under the watchful eye of a live webcam.

Kentucky Derby Field with Post Positions & Odds

kris — Thu, 03 May 2012 12:55:15 +0000

Projected favorites Bodemeister and Union Rags avoided landing post positions to the extreme inside or outside when in Wednesday afternoon’s post draw for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.

Zenyatta’s first foal a handful

kris — Thu, 03 May 2012 12:46:46 +0000

At Lanes End Farm, they’re constantly cleaning up after him. His room is always a mess. And when it’s time to come out and play, his friends are glad to see him go.

“He’s a character,” said broodmare manager Charles Campbell. “The guys in the barn all got bruises on them where he’s played with them, nibbled at them.”

Supermoon Saturday: The biggest, brightest moon of 2012

kris — Wed, 02 May 2012 20:05:42 +0000

Get ready for the moon’s most prominent, spectacular appearance of the year. On Saturday night at 11:34 p.m. eastern, the moon becomes full on its closest approach to Earth. This coincidence makes this moon a “Supermoon.”

A Civilized Derby 138?

kris — Wed, 02 May 2012 13:11:25 +0000

So how will the Kentucky Derby develop this year? The common opinion is that sprinter Trinniberg will set a pretty fast pace and pull along Hansen, Bodemeister, and any other speedy types who dare to challenge. I’m not going to dispute that as a very logical possibility, but when I applied some methodology and looked further back into the field, I noticed something interesting.

Paul Krugman answers questions on Reddit

Aaron — Wed, 02 May 2012 02:43:39 +0000

I’m Paul Krugman. I’ve been a columnist for The Times on the Op-Ed page since 1999, and I’m also a professor of economics and international affairs at Princeton University. I’ve written extensively on international trade and finance and was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Science in 2008 for my research on global trade patterns.

Skip Bayless is all up in Aaron Rodgers’ craw again

kris — Tue, 01 May 2012 23:34:22 +0000

First UW Senior Day to feature astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson

kris — Tue, 01 May 2012 13:33:21 +0000

UW-Madison seniors wanted to hit a home run with their inaugural Senior Day. It turns out they hit one out of the solar system.
Famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson will be the keynote speaker at Senior Day on May 10, speaking at 3 p.m. on the Memorial Union Terrace.

For a limited time, you can get the blues with new Union Terrace chairs

kris — Tue, 01 May 2012 13:31:51 +0000

Like the blue M&Ms introduced in 1995, blue chairs have joined the famous traditional orange, green and yellow seats on the Memorial Union Terrace.

But unlike the popular candy, the 300 “Mendota Blue” terrace chairs will be in use for only a limited time.

Snaring the listener: 25 iconic snare drum intros

kris — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:56:27 +0000

The most recognizable drum intros

Prospective Kentucky Derby 138 Field

kris — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 14:45:07 +0000

Nice resource that includes fractional times

Podcast: Russell Wilson on Seattle’s KJR

kris — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 13:34:14 +0000

Russell Wilson starts the process of making Seattle fall in love with him.

THE MAN WITH THE $100,000 DERBY BET

kris — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 20:02:10 +0000

A week from Saturday, Einhorn hopes fortune smiles on him again, adding another unforgettable story to his collection. The 68-year-old from Fresh Meadows, N.Y., won the chance to place a $100,000 win wager on this year’s Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands. Einhorn was randomly selected to make the free wager through the Kentucky Derby DreamBet online contest offered by Churchill Downs, NBC Sports and CNBC for the third consecutive year.

Paying back those responsible for big scores

kris — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:43:27 +0000

Whether life imitates art or the other way around really does not matter, not when the story hits home as a tale imbued with the assuring touch of truth.

Still, it did sound like a preposterous swing at the stars when Michael Beychok, dramatic winner of the 2012 Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship in Las Vegas last January, marked his million-dollar triumph six weeks later by claiming the horse that, in effect, won him the tournament.

NFL draft round 1 winners, losers

kris — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:36:18 +0000

With money not being a factor in making first-round draft selections, Radio City Music Hall turned into a trade center.

Eight draft-day trades were executed. The surprising thing was how fast the first round moved. It was over in three hours. With so many teams talking, you’d figure the first round would have gone four hours, not three.

Who were the winners and losers in those trades?

Between 36-122 Million Americans Have Pre-Existing Conditions That Would Restrict Health Insurance Coverage

kris — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 20:46:59 +0000

Health insurance providers have a long history of telling individual policyholders — and people shopping for individual policies — that their care isn’t covered or their policy is voided because of a pre-existing condition. Starting in 2014, that is all supposed to stop when a condition of the Affordable Care Act kicks in, making it illegal for health insurers in the individual market to deny coverage, increase premiums, or restrict benefits because of a pre-existing condition. Question is: Just how many people are we talking about?

The Black to run at Churchill Downs Saturday

kris — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:19:13 +0000

Led by Zayat Stable’s talented but lightly raced Paynter, a field of 11 sophomores was entered in the $200,000 The Cliff’s Edge Derby Trial (gr. III) on opening night of the Churchill Downs 39-day spring meet April 28.

How the Packers angered Favre, ignored Romo and nearly missed Rodgers

kris — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:24:18 +0000

The war room has become synonymous with power and strategy in the NFL. Who wouldn’t want a peek inside?

At the Packers, we actually had two rooms. The traditional one featured the usual measurables — height, weight, speed, vertical. Then there was a financial room that I designed focused on salary, cap number, acceleration, contract year, agent and team charts showing cash/cap by position, offense/defense and trends. This space was a favorite of Commissioner Roger Goodell and the late Gene Upshaw, who wanted to design a similar room at NFLPA headquarters.

‘Cinco de Mifflin’ met with ethical questions

kris — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:24:34 +0000

Stabbings at last May’s Mifflin Street Block Party mired the future of the event in uncertainty for the past 12 months.

Its occurrence now all but certain, the block party is still unable to outrun controversy, as the first Saturday in May of 2012 happens to be the fifth—also known as the date of Cinco de Mayo.

The combination of events in plans for the upcoming celebrations has members of the university community concerned with cultural insensitivity.

Zimmerman Is Black?

kris — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:47:28 +0000

That sound you hear is the press frantically trying to figure out how to update their ethnic style guides — is Zimmerman now a “black white Hispanic?” Or do we use the Obama standard (ever heard our historic POTUS called a “white black?” no you have not), in which case I guess Zimmerman is just… black.

Debt Collector Is Faulted for Tough Tactics in Hospitals

kris — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:43:22 +0000

Hospital patients waiting in an emergency room or convalescing after surgery are being confronted by an unexpected visitor: a debt collector at bedside.

UW dean’s anti-Mifflin Street Block Party video bashed, parodied

kris — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:20:33 +0000

On Sunday, UW-Madison Dean of Students Lori Berquam produced an awkward, stilted YouTube video advising students “Don’t go” to this year’s Mifflin Street Block Party. The video went viral and students almost immediately began to heckle Berquam on social media.

2012 Kentucky Derby – Contender Pedigrees

kris — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:19:06 +0000

With the Kentucky Derby about a week and a half away, it’s time to analyze the contender’s pedigrees and figure out who has the blue blood to capture the red roses.

Alpha: Alpha is a son of Preakness winner Bernardini out of a Nijinsky II mare. He descends in female line to the Canadian champion Kamar, who was the 1990 Broodmare of the Year and is the mother of the fabulous Gorgeous. This is a high quality pedigree and I have absolutely no concerns about Alpha’s ability to get the Derby distance. I have plenty of concerns about his durability though and I wouldn’t be shocked if he doesn’t actually run in the Derby.

Bodemeister: Likely Derby favorite Bodemeister is a son of Belmont Stakes winner Empire Maker and is out of the stakes-winning Storm Cat mare Untouched Talent. Like Alpha, Bodemeister has a pedigree full of not only talented distance runners like Empire Maker, Unbridled, A.P. Indy, Secretariat, Seattle Slew & Roberto, he also has lots of star mare power like Broodmares of the Year Toussaud & Weekend Surprise as well as Terlingua and Parade Queen. Despite Bode’s front running style, his pedigree indicates he just may be that rare breed that does his staying from the front of the pack.

Creative Cause: Creative Cause is a son of the game European iron horse Giant’s Causeway. Giant’s Causeway proved his mettle on dirt in his memorable head loss to Tiznow in the 2000 Breeders Cup Classic. Creative Cause’s female family is a bit less fashionable, but for a Derby contender, I kind of like seeing names like Caro (sire of 1988 Derby winner Winning Colors), Relaunch, Skywalker and Icecapade (Ruffian’s half brother). Besides giving Creative Cause his gray color, these are the kinds of stallions that add even more stamina and grit to the mix.

Daddy Long Legs: Daddy Long Legs is the son of hot young sire Scat Daddy and is out of a Meadowlake mare. While Scat Daddy was injured in the 2007 Kentucky Derby and never had a chance to prove his ability at a distance, the rest of Daddy Long Legs’ pedigree seems to me to be more likely to produce a fast two-year old than a Derby winner.

Daddy Nose Best: As you may have guessed, Daddy Nose Best is another son of Scat Daddy. I like his pedigree a bit better since his dam is a daughter of Derby/Belmont winner Thunder Gulch and he’s also got the tough Preakness winner Pine Bluff in his pedigree. I think these horses have a better chance of transforming a son of Scat Daddy into a classic winner if he’s good enough.

Done Talking: As a grandson of Unbridled (from his son Broken Vow), I don’t have too many distance concerns about Done Talking. He’s got a decent pedigree, nothing to get too excited or too concerned about.

Dullahan: As a half brother to 2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, it’s hard to knock Dullahan’s Derby pedigree. The big concern with this horse is that both of his wins have come on the synthetic track at Keeneland. His sire is a son of Unbridled’s Song and his broodmare sire is Smart Strike, who gets all kinds, so there’s no genetic reason Dullahan can’t succeed on regular dirt.

El Padrino: This grandson of A.P. Indy is out of a daughter of Giant’s Causeway from a very nice female family. This is kind of the quintessential modern American middle distance pedigree. It’s not stamina laden, but it’s probably enough.

Gemologist: Gemologist is a son of 2000 & 2001 Breeders Cup Classic winner Tiznow and as such he’s the rare American horse that traces back in perfect tail-male line to both Man O’War and the Godolphin Arabian. You’ve gotta love that. He’s got some turf & speed influences in his female family which produces a nice, balanced overall pedigree.

Hansen: The great white hope, Hansen, is a great-grandson of A.P. Indy through the hot young sire Tapit. Although Hansen is a headstrong front runner, there are some dynamic stamina influences on his female side like Belmont winner Temperance Hill, Private Account and the great international turf mare April Run.

I’ll Have Another: I’ll Have Another is a son of Travers Stakes winner Flower Alley out of an Arch mare. He’s got a pedigree full of proven horses at the Derby distance. I like that. What I don’t really like is that his pedigree is full of horses who were like the third or fourth best horse of their generation. It just seems too mediocre and middle of the road.

Isn’t He Clever: This son of the popular Derby/Preakness winner Smarty Jones is out of a full sister to tough long distance turf runner Flag Down. So although Isn’t He Clever ran fast in short two-year old races there’s some promise that he can be effective going longer.

Liaison: Liaison’s sire, Indian Charlie, is best known for producing horses who are at their best around a mile or a mile and an eighth. On the other hand, Liaison’s dam is a daughter of Belmont winner Victory Gallop and his granddam is a daughter of A.P. Indy. If ever an Indian Charlie is going to get the Derby distance, this one might be it.

Mark Valeski: Mark Valeski is a son of Proud Citizen, who finished second to War Emblem in the 2002 Kentucky Derby. Even so, I don’t like this pedigree for the Derby at all. His female family is full of Florida speed. I think Mark Valeski is probably at his best at around 8.5 furlongs, not the Derby’s 10 furlongs.

Optimizer: Optimizer is a son of champion turf horse English Channel out of an A.P. Indy mare. With a pedigree like that, distance shouldn’t be a problem. On his dam’s side, he comes from an amazing Phipps Stable family that has produced the likes of Breeders Cup Sprint winner Dancing Spree, Finders Fee & Fantastic Find. This is a just a really nice pedigree that balances speed, stamina, turf & dirt influences. I like the pedigree a lot more than I like Optimizer.

Prospective: Here’s yet another grandson of A.P. Indy, this time through his son Malibu Moon. Prospective’s female family is just okay. His dam is a daughter of Awesome Again who won at a 1 1/16 miles and he traces back to champion North Sider. This year’s Derby field has a lot of really nice pedigrees and Prospective’s isn’t bad, it’s just not up to that level.

Rousing Sermon: Rousing Sermon has a similar pedigree to Prospective in that they’re both by A.P. Indy line sires and out of Awesome Again mares. As with Prospective, this is just an okay pedigree.

Sabercat: Like pretty much half of the likely field, Sabercat comes to us via A.P. Indy, this time via his daughter She’s A Winner and her son Bluegrass Cat, 2nd place finisher to Barbaro in the 2006 Kentucky Derby. What’s exciting about this pedigree is that Sabercat is a tail-female descendant of the incredible La Troienne. There’s just something about that La Troienne blood that produces Derby winners. In the last 20 years, four Derby winners have traced back to her in female line: Sea Hero, Go For Gin, Smarty Jones & Super Saver. That’s pretty incredible. Sabercat probably won’t win the Derby, but his famous ancestress isn’t going to hurt the cause.

Take Charge Indy: For all of his accomplishments at stud, A.P. Indy has never sired a Kentucky Derby winner. His last foals are now yearlings, so he’s only got three years left. This year, his lone hope is Take Charge Indy. We know what his daddy brings to the table, but Take Charge Indy’s dam was the top racemare Take Charge Lady. The thing about her is that I don’t think she wanted any part of 10 furlongs. I have some vague distance concerns about Take Charge Indy because of that.

Trinniberg: Trinniberg comes from a line of nice sprinters, milers and top two-year olds. Not surprisingly, this appears to have produced a colt who was good at two and better at shorter distances. I don’t see any reason to think he’ll perform well in the Kentucky Derby based on this pedigree.

Union Rags: Union Rags is by good stallion Dixie Union out of a Gone West mare. It’s a total dirt-oriented pedigree, but I also feel like it’s a little too speed heavy. It’s not as bad as Trinniberg or Mark Valeski’s pedigree, but I’m not in love with it for the Kentucky Derby.

Went The Day Well: This is a classic speed-on-top/stamina-on-the-bottom pedigree as this colt is by Proud Citizen, but is out of a Tiznow mare that descends from Secretariat’s female family. I’m not a huge fan of this colt, but I love his mom as a broodmare prospect.

My top five Derby pedigrees:

1. Bodemeister
2. Sabercat
3. Gemologist
4. Creative Cause
5. Alpha

NARCISSISM IN PINK AND BLUE

kris — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:07:51 +0000

If, like millions of Americans, you’re secular and the traditions of a church or temple have no hold on you, or if you’re assimilated and ethnic identity has faded away, then what is there to sustain you on the lonely path through a turbulent, rootless, uncertain world? Science might not be enough, which is why so many educated people have turned against it and adopted hostile theories about childhood vaccination. This is the same disenchantment that has produced religious revivalism through much of the world. The same emptiness that afflicts modern life leads doctors in Cairo and Karachi to vote for doctrinaire Islamists, stay-at-home moms in suburban Colorado and rural Minnesota to dig in as evangelicals, Web designers in Silicon Valley and Park Slope to make a cult of yoga while rejecting pasteurized milk, and Americans everywhere to throw parties with cupcakes filled with pink or blue custard.

New Aaron Rodgers Brewers Commercial

kris — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:06:03 +0000

Campaign nonstories will dominate political news

kris — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:56:34 +0000

MSNBC host Martin Bashir led his program the other day with a lengthy discussion of a scandal the left-leaning cable network ominously called “Cookie-gate.”

It stemmed from a campaign photo-op discussion GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney had with suburban Pittsburgh voters in which he mocked the cookies they were served as looking like “they came from 7-Eleven.” They had been donated by a popular local bakery, and over the next several minutes the cable TV channel spun the story as an example of how Romney has trouble connecting with voters.

Terrace time: 8 things we all can do to make Madison’s best hangout even better

kris — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:27:54 +0000

Every day in the summer, an average of 15,000 people crowd the Memorial Union, a staggering figure considering school is out for almost everyone except for overachievers and grad students.

‘Monona institution’: The East Side Club marks it’s 100th anniversary

kris — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:41:47 +0000

Ann Badeau comes from a family where four generations were members of the East Side Club, and three of those generations were on hand for the organization’s 100th anniversary open house Sunday.
About 200 of the organization’s 325 members and their guests turned out for cake, coffee and conversation at the group’s Monona Drive clubhouse, which was built in 1954.

Law Revue Video Contest 2012: The Finalists!

Aaron — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 20:38:54 +0000

The 100 Most Influential People in the World

kris — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:55:15 +0000

They are the people who inspire us, entertain us, challenge us and change our world. Meet the breakouts, pioneers, moguls, leaders and icons who make up this year’s TIME 100

Lionsgate chooses Francis Lawrence to direct ‘Catching Fire’

kris — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 13:07:27 +0000

Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend and Water for Elephants) has been chosen by Lionsgate to helm Catching Fire.

After an exhaustive search over the past few weeks that included names such as Alfonso Cuaron, David Cronenberg, Tomas Alfredson, and Duncan Jones (among others), Lionsgate recently had narrowed the list down to Lawrence and Moneyball director Bennett Miller.

A reliable source confirmed to Hypable that the offer to Lawrence was made by Lionsgate today.

Condi Rice on veep slot: ‘Thank you, but no’

kris — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 13:02:44 +0000

In a question-and-answer session following her speech at Harding University here, Rice said she would not be Mitt Romney’s running mate.

“Thank you for that enthusiastic response, but no,” she said.

Levon Helm, drummer and singer with The Band, dies at 71

kris — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 12:57:21 +0000

Levon Helm is most widely known for the songs he sang that found their way onto the pop charts during his long tenure as drummer and singer for the Band: “Up On Cripple Creek,” “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” and “Don’t Do It,” earthy and infectious conglomerations of gospel, country, blues, folk and rock music.

Zygi Wilf’s private plane

kris — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 12:55:13 +0000

Long before he led a team of investors in purchasing the Minnesota Vikings in 2005, Zygi Wilf’s family owned a real estate company that had significant investments in Southern California. His frequent visits have often provided convenient fodder for the rumor mill, mostly because his private plane has an unmistakable Vikings logo painted on its tail and the team has always been rumored to be a candidate to relocate there.

NFL warning of sale, move adds pressure for stadium deal

kris — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 13:40:33 +0000

Conditions are “getting ripe” for the Minnesota Vikings to be sold and relocated, a top NFL official warned Wednesday.

In an interview just hours after Gov. Mark Dayton offered league officials a “sobering” assessment of the chances for legislative action to publicly fund a new stadium this year, Eric Grubman, vice president of business operations for the NFL, said team owner Zygi Wilf was “dejected” by the political stalemate.

Flavor of Nostalgia Grows More Appealing to Poles Brimming With Pride

kris — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:51:04 +0000

The bartenders in white shirts and black bow ties served endless shots of vodka followed by platefuls of herring in oil, and the occasional kielbasa, on small white plates as the crowds eagerly downed their drinks with an enthusiastic toast: “Na zdrowie!” Polish for “Cheers.”

Wisconsin Cracks Down on Sex, Drugs at Nude Beach

kris — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 18:37:19 +0000

Nudists from around the country have flocked to a section of soft, sandy Wisconsin River shoreline for decades, confident that police and prosecutors won’t go after them for leaving their Bermudas and bikinis behind. But the fun doesn’t stop at volleyball and sunbathing — many people are slipping off into the woods for sex. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources warden reports read like pornographic novels, but the agency can’t seem to halt the hookups.

“Ridiculously Photogenic Guy” doing an AMA on Reddit

Aaron — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 22:40:49 +0000

“Glee” cast tied with The Beatles at #4 for most Top 40 Hits

Aaron — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:35:53 +0000

Most top 40 hits
Elvis Presley (80)
Elton John (57)
Lil Wayne (55)
The Beatles (50) tie
Glee Cast (50) tie
Madonna (49)
Source:[24]

As Goes Wisconsin, So Goes Hell

kris — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 18:40:07 +0000

A padded envelope filled with human feces is a Rorschach test, representing either: a state in democratic revolt against the overreaches of a berserker Republican legislature and governor; a Petri dish for the pushback against corporate ownership of government; or the last doomed charge of organized labor bashing its soft skull against the stone walls of a new era of “it’s working” conservative austerity.

Wisconsin has become a place where arguments begin with John Adams’ “Facts are stubborn things” and then follow with “The Bible tells us…” It’s also a place where a leader who disbands collective bargaining is compared to another generation’s leader who gassed millions in an attempt to exterminate a whole people. I have no more energy for you, Wisconsin. You beat me.

Does your high-speed crawler need a helmet?

kris — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 17:52:13 +0000

Given the lengths so-called helicopter parents will go to protect their children, one would think an actual helicopter blade is hurling toward their sheltered offspring. I suspect the stress caused by parents’ fears might harm kids more than the occasional stitch-worthy gash, or bump on the head.
Case in point: crawling helmets.

2012 Kentucky Derby Watch – #5

kris — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 13:06:47 +0000

This weekend wraps up the major preps for the Kentucky Derby with the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland and the Arkansas Derby. Personally, these are two of the more intriguing preps and are full of potential Derby winners.

The Blue Grass features two-year champion and Great White Hope, Hansen, against a nice field of contenders including Dullahan, Prospective, Howe Great and Holy Candy. The Blue Grass is run on synthetic Polytrack and as such it hasn’t been the Derby prep it used to be. This year, it all depends on who wins. Hansen & Dullahan have both already run well at Churchill Downs and Prospective and Holy Candy have had success on dirt. Howe Great is really the only contender that might just be a good turf & synthetic colt.

I think Hansen is the real deal. I expect him to run on or near the lead through moderate fractions and then open up down the stretch. Dullahan will put in a good run, but it won’t be enough.

The Arkansas Derby pits Bob Baffert’s big two, Secret Circle & Bodemeister, against a good field including the Wayne Lukas-trained Optimizer, Sabercat & Isn’t He Clever. I Secret Circle. He’s the Tim Tebow of this Derby prep season: all he does is win. Because of his running style, everyone assumes that Secret Circle is going to run into that furlong too far any race now. Bodemeister, on the other hand, is the Andrew Luck of this Derby prep season: all he’s got is huge potential. I see the two of them hooking up in the stretch and for now I’m going to take grit and experience and will to win over potential and go with Secret Circle.

Drinking from the 21-foot-high Stanley Cup in Times Square

kris — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:28:52 +0000

On Wednesday morning, in the heart of Times Square in New York City, the NHL and NBC celebrated the start of the Stanley Cup playoffs (and their new TV deal that sees every game on the NBC family of networks) by dropping a 21-foot tall, 6,600 lbs. replica of the greatest trophy in sports in the middle of everything.

JK Rowling announces The Casual Vacancy as title of first book for adults

kris — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:28:05 +0000

JK Rowling’s first book for adults will be a “blackly comic” tale about an idyllic town ripped apart by a parish council election.

Details of the novel, The Casual Vacancy – to be published later this year – were released on Thursday by her publisher.

The 480-page book will be set in Pagford, a dreamy spot with a cobbled market square and ancient abbey which becomes a town at war with itself.

Photos: Beautiful Sacred Places Around the World

kris — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:37:07 +0000

See the places that have been inspiring more than vacation ideas for centuries.

Gruden Camp: Russell Wilson

kris — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:45:19 +0000

There has been plenty of interest among NFC North readers about Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson, partly because he played at a Big Ten school and assuredly because he’s from my hometown. Some of you are hoping the Green Bay Packers draft him as a developmental quarterback following the departure of backup Matt Flynn. His full visit with ESPN analyst Jon Gruden will debut Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET on ESPNU, but here is a clip that gives you a peak into their discussion about Wilson’s transfer from NC State and the presumed limitations of his height.

Mr. Ridiculously Photogenic Guy

kris — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:29:33 +0000

Ridiculously Photogenic Guy (RPG) is a photoshop meme and advice animal featuring a photo of a smiling man running in the 2012 Cooper River Bridge Run. The photo gained notoriety online after being posted to the social news website Reddit where users found the man to be exceptionally handsome.

Indonesia Aceh quakes triggers Indian Ocean tsunami alert

kris — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:42:00 +0000

An Indian Ocean tsunami alert is in place after two huge quakes off the coast of Indonesia’s Aceh province.

A quake with a magnitude of 8.6 triggered the initial warning, which was renewed after another quake a few hours later measuring 8.3.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) has advised national authorities across the Indian Ocean region to “take appropriate action”.

But there have been no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

Derby Dreams Ride In on a White Horse

kris — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 17:38:30 +0000

For Hansen, the reigning 2-year-old thoroughbred champion, every race is like a work of performance art. Not in the way he runs, which is always at the front of the field, but the way he looks as he does it. He is the color of alabaster, a striking white vision set against the bays, browns and chestnuts he has left behind in all but one race.

Name That Tune…Brewers Edition

kris — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 02:09:01 +0000

If you were at any of the games during Opening Weekend, along with taking in the new concession items (stay tuned for the return of “What John and Cait Ate” during the next homestand!) and other changes around the ballpark, you might have found yourself taking in some new music as well, especially as our players walked up to the plate, or our pitchers entered the games.

The Civil War, Part 1: The Places

kris — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 13:10:53 +0000

Last year marked the 150th anniversary of the start of the American Civil War, a milestone commemorated by The Atlantic in a special issue (now available online). Although photography was still in its infancy, war correspondents produced thousands of images, bringing the harsh realities of the frontlines to those on the home front in a new and visceral way.

How Alice in Chains Found the Most Memorable Voice in Grunge

kris — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 13:04:38 +0000

The Seattle grunge scene that transformed rock in the ’90s produced four great voices, but the most distinct among them belonged to Alice in Chains’ Layne Staley. Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain deeply understood musical dynamics and could simultaneously scream and sing a melody in a way that few others could—think of John Lennon’s searing lead vocal performance on “Twist and Shout.” Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell wailed and hit high notes, putting him at times in Robert Plant or Freddie Mercury territory. Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder combined a Jim Morrison-style natural baritone range with other punk and rock influences.

2012 Kentucky Derby Watch – #4

kris — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 12:41:52 +0000

With Union Rags’ defeat in the Florida Derby after a troubled trip, Kentucky Derby favoritism is up for grabs in Saturday’s Wood Memorial and Santa Anita Derby.

The Wood Memorial features unbeaten Gemologist. Gemologist has the right pedigree and two wins at Churchill Downs, but he hasn’t faced the best colts of his generation. Challenging him will be Sheik Mohammed’s well-bred Alpha and the up-and-coming Street Sense colt Street Life. I quite like Gemologist, but I can just picture Street Life storming down the stretch, so he’s my pick here.

Creative Cause will be the heavy favorite in the Santa Anita Derby. Like Union Rags, he doesn’t need to win his final prep, but given the field assembled against him, it would be disappointing if he didn’t. I think the biggest threats to Creative Cause are I’ll Have Another and Holy Candy (if he runs). His connections are more interested in the first Saturday in May than the first Saturday in April, but I say Creative Cause gets it done anyway.

Rounding out the weekend preps is the Illinois Derby. Typically, this race is for the lesser lights, although it did produce War Emblem. I don’t love anyone in the field, but I’d pick Z Rockstar out of the bunch.

Though there was a will, Fifth Third found a way to save Boots

kris — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:11:39 +0000

Boots, an 11-year-old cat from Berwyn, has narrowly avoided using up the last of her nine lives, thanks to trust officers at Fifth Third Bank who resisted carrying out a death sentence stipulated in the will of the cat’s owner.

Gregg Williams instructed Saints during speech to injure Niners offensive players

kris — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:43:44 +0000

The night before Gregg Williams’ final game as the New Orleans Saints’ defensive coordinator, the since-suspended coach gave a fiery speech to the team’s defensive players during which he made specific references to inflicting physical punishment upon several San Francisco 49ers in a postseason game the next day.

Rick Reilly smears Tiger Woods

kris — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:39:41 +0000

In San Jose, Calif., this week, Kevin Woods will sit in his wheelchair a few feet from his television, watching his half-brother play the Masters. He has to. He can’t see otherwise.
Can’t stand much lately, either. Can barely use his left arm at all. He can feel his hands and feet going a little more numb every day. Kevin was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2009, and it’s not getting better.

Minnesota waitress sues after police seize $12,000 tip

kris — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:36:53 +0000

For the struggling waitress with five children, the $12,000 left at the table in a to-go box must have seemed too good to be true.

Moorhead police decided it was just that.

Now, the waitress is suing in Clay County District Court, claiming the cash was given to her and police shouldn’t have seized it as drug money.

Google Begins Testing Its Augmented-Reality Glasses

kris — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 19:12:08 +0000

If you venture into a coffee shop in the coming months and see someone with a pair of futuristic glasses that look like a prop from “Star Trek,” don’t worry. It’s probably just a Google employee testing the company’s new augmented-reality glasses.

Veepstakes: Will Romney pick Wisconsin’s Paul Ryan?

Aaron — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:11:18 +0000

There will be talk of who comes from a swing state, who has the right kind experience and who has the right ideological credentials — but an important and overlooked factor may be the personal connection of the kind that was on display with Ryan.

‘Robosquirrel’ deployed to research relationship with rattlesnakes

kris — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 14:47:30 +0000

This might sound a bit nutty, but U.S. researchers are using robot squirrels to learn more about how real ones interact with their main predator, rattlesnakes.

13 Simple Steps To Get You Through A Rough Day

kris — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 13:10:36 +0000

If you are having a bad day then you should probably look at this post.

NBC Apologizes For Editing George Zimmerman’s 911 Call on Today Show

kris — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 23:09:37 +0000

NBC today apologized for an editing “error” in the dialogue in George Zimmerman’s taped 911 call during a segment on the Today Show.

Nike NFL Uniforms: Grades, Photos and Analysis for Every Team

kris — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 19:49:37 +0000

After weeks of anticipation, the NFL finally revealed its new uniforms and accessories from Nike. The NFL had a good partnership with Reebok for the past several years after a fiasco with Puma, but it was time to move on and Nike proved why it continues to be the leader in sports apparel.

Aaron Rodgers pitches for the Crew

kris — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 18:09:04 +0000

Milwaukee County Poll workers copying misprinted absentee ballots

Aaron — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 17:24:48 +0000

Poll workers throughout Milwaukee County are copying ballots mailed in by absentee voters because the misprinted ballots will not work in vote-counting machines.

The printing errors mean more work for ballot counters in Wauwatosa, Deputy City Clerk Susan Van Hoven said. A Democratic and a Republican poll worker have to open each of the more than 900 absentee ballots in the city and copy the votes from a misprinted ballot to a working one before feeding the ballot through a voting machine, she said.

Frontier Airlines says goodbye to the cookie

kris — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 16:46:39 +0000

The cookie has crumbled.

That warm chocolate chip cookie that airline passengers relished – and that helped Milwaukee’s Midwest Airlines claim “the best care in the air” – will fade into history at the end of the month, like the airline itself that’s been swallowed up by competitors.

In a memo to company employees, Frontier Airlines officials announced Friday that they’re removing the complimentary warm cookies from in-flight service.