More sports logos than you'll know what to do with

This is one of the best pages I've found in a while. Sportslogos.net features a detailed history of professional sports logos from modern teams to the Seattle Pilots (a team that only existed for one year in 1969) and the Washington Senators.

Being the logo geek I am, this site is a great find. Sportslogos.net includes primary and secondary logos as well as scripts and jerseys and covers to sports spectrum including the Canadian Baseball League, the XFL and MLS. I should be able to make some pretty great computer wallpaper (and real wallpaper?) with this stuff. Now if I can only convince this guy to give me vector versions of everything....

Brewers Logos

Packers Logos

Bucks Logos

There's a ton more sports logos, including many obscure ones, at Logoserver.com

(Thank you Blogger for making "floatleft" so much easier)

The time has come

From preshrunk:

Dear Hipsters

By Jason Cosper

No matter how much you loved "Napoleon Dynamite", Vote For Pedro shirts aren't cool anymore. Seriously, cut it out. You don't look cool, clever or irreverent. You look like a bandwagon hopping douche bag. Once there's a ready supply of any shirt design at Hot Topic, it's too late... Vote For Pedro tees have been on sale there for at least the last year. So give up already.

Do yourself a favor. Stash that fucker at the bottom of your drawer and forget about it for five to ten years. By then, the shirt has either become vintage [and cool again] or moth food. The objective here is to take as many of them out of circulation as possible.

Think about it, we'd both win here. You'll get a vintage shirt [well, eventally] and I wouldn't have to put up with seeing them. *shrug* Just an idea...

Love,
Jason

P.S. We're well aware of the irony of the content of our Google ads next to our anti Vote For Pedro tee rant. Actually, we think it's kind of funny.

P.P.S. Goddamn that cheeky Matt Haughey. Goddamn him straight to hell.

AFI's top 100 movie quotes

The American Film Institute has come up with what they think are the top 100 movie quotes. But where is "Luke, I am your father"? Here's the top 10:

1. "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn," "Gone With the Wind," 1939.

2. "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse," "The Godfather," 1972.

3. "You don't understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could've been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am," "On the Waterfront," 1954.

4. "Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore," "The Wizard of Oz," 1939.

5. "Here's looking at you, kid," "Casablanca," 1942.

6. "Go ahead, make my day," "Sudden Impact," 1983.

7. "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up," "Sunset Blvd.," 1950.

8. "May the Force be with you," "Star Wars," 1977.

9. "Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night," "All About Eve," 1950.

10. "You talking to me?" "Taxi Driver," 1976.

the rest of the list

We spend a good chunk of last night watching these on TV before sitting down to watch The Godfather (1972), which placed #2 on the list with "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse."

I'd like to see a top 100 list of comedy movie quotes. I think that list would spur plenty of debate. Any ideas what should be on it?

I'll start: "Human sacrifice, dogs and cats, living together... mass hysteria!" - Ghostbusters (1984)

What would it take to be Batman?

According to Forbes.com, $3,365,449.

Forbes calculated the costs of everything one would need to become the Dark Knight, from martial arts training to a butler. Batman is the only great superhero without any superpowers, so if you've got the cash and the will, you too can strike fear into the hearts of your enemies.

You may have to make a few sacrifices, not having access to the R&D Department of Wayne Industries. A hang-glider just won't look quite as cool as Batman's cape.

The Onion 2056

In honor of their 300th anniversary, the king of newspaper satire, The Onion has produced an issue from the year 2056. They've even made an entirely new Web site devoted to it.

Some headline highlights:

Halliburton wins bid to rebuild Midwest

Democratic Middle Eastern Union Votes to Invade U.S.

Government may restrict use of genetically modified farmers

A simple explanation of the education funding increase/decrease

The Sunday Milwaukee Journal Sentinel featured an article explaining the public education funding debate that is going on between Gov. Doyle and republican members of the state legislature.

Let's say your parents base your budget for gasoline for the year on $1.75 a gallon.

The next year, Mom and Dad say, we're increasing your allowance to cover $2 a gallon.

But gas now costs $2.30.

Have your folks given you an increase? Of course. A big one, if you look at the percentage.

Have they given you a decrease? Of course. There's no way you're going to be able to drive as far you did last year with less gasoline.

Welcome to the intense, real and genuinely important debate over state funding of education for the next two years.

It may not sway anyone's opinion on the issue, but it definitely clarifies an issue that needed clarifying. You know there's a problem when the Governor and the leader of the opposition party are calling each other liars, but both displaying hard facts and numbers in their claims.

To the Batmobile!

Courtesy Warner Bros.; Photo: David James

I saw Batman Begins last night and from the first couple frames it was my new favorite movie. I don't usually want to movies right away again, but I would've sat through this one again as soon as the credits rolled. Christopher Nolan got the look and feel of Gotham's decline just right and Christian Bale makes Batman the scariest character in the whole film. All in all, absolutely outstanding, I can't wait for the next one.

Howstuffworks.com has a feature on the Batsuit, detailing the suit itself, the cape and all of Batman's fun toys.

They've also got a feature on the mentor/villian Ra's Al Ghul

The video game looks pretty good too, if only I had a console. Maybe I'll get one of those new ones I hear are coming out soon.

More on education

English Teacher Jay Bullock has observations and reactions choice schools and other education issues over at Folkbum.

He's also a contributor to Sensenbrenner Watch, a critical look at the actions of U.S. Representative F. James Sensenbrenner from WI district 5 in southeastern WI. They've got some great posts on Sensenbrenner's walk-out during a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee on the Patriot Act last week as well as his Real ID act.

How is Milwaukee's school voucher experiment turning out?

This week, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has a series on the school voucher system in Milwaukee (one of the few in the nation) and what it means for students, parents and the community.

For the seven-part series, Journal Sentinel reporters visited 104 of the 115 choice schools in Milwaukee. They were denied at the remaining nine.

According to the article: 9 voucher schools deny requests for classroom visits:
Together, the nine schools received more than $3.5 million in public money to educate children this year. Because they are private, schools in the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program are not required to allow members of the public - even officials of the state Department of Public Instruction, which provides their money - into their buildings. Building inspectors, on the other hand, must be allowed to enter.

The most remarkable thing about all of the research the Journal Sentinel has done might be the "questionable scenes" they witnessed while visiting some of the schools:

Academy of Excellence Preparatory School, 4340 N. 46th St., seven voucher students: Basically, an early childhood center. The first two times reporters visited, no one was there. The third time, there was a teacher with two students, a 4-year-old and 5-year-old. They were about to go to McDonald's.

This and the other examples are an extreme, but under the voucher system, these schools are given thousands of dollars in public money to take in students that would otherwise go to public school.

Also included in the series are examples of several choice schools making gains.

The biggest problem I have with school vouchers it that, even if every choice school is doing extremely well and each student in the program is benefiting, you're only taking them (and money) out of the public school system. This is different from the Chapter 220 program in Milwaukee that takes kids from public schools and moves them to different public schools with more resources, with a financial benefit from the school they are leaving and a tax benefit for the school they are coming to.

There is an argument that school vouchers will pressure public schools to improve, to do better when threatened with fewer students and less money. But an MPS school isn't going to magically improve when the few resources they have are taken away. You're not going to attract more qualified teachers this way. You're not going to foster a community commitment to schools. You're not going to maintain funding for "extra"-curricular classes that are really essential to a quality education that will provide a student to achieve success beyond high-school.

Congratulations to the Journal Sentinel for engaging in such an ambitious and in-depth look at the voucher system.

Maybe something's the matter with Lawrence

John Nichols, an editor for the Capital Times and Washington corresponent for The Nation, has a great article about progressive movements in urban areas around the U.S. Nichols highlights Lawrence, Kansas, a town located in the heart of conservative America (as identified in Thomas Frank's book "What's the Matter with Kansas")that recently elected a strongly progressive mayor.

Variations on the Lawrence story are playing out across the country, with local leaders and coalitions shaping a new, more aggressive politics in what has begun to be referred to as an "urban archipelago" of major metropolitan centers, aging industrial cities and college towns that represent progressive blue islands in what appears on electoral maps to be a red sea of conservatism.

Nichols also talks with Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz about the threats of corporatism facing the city leaders.

"Local governments are the only place where progressive ideas can get any traction--where big ideas are being tried," says Madison, Wisconsin, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, 46, a former chief of staff in a State Senate office and an environmental leader who was elected in 2003. "Cities are where you can break through the big money, the media spin--everything that is wrong with our politics--and capture the public's imagination." Unfortunately, he says, traditional organizations of local officials have been slow to catch the wave of municipal resistance to the nation's conservative moment. "I went to my first US Conference of Mayors meeting after I got elected, and I was horrified. The corporate influence was pervasive," Cieslewicz says, recalling a dinner where toy trucks featuring the Waste Management, Inc. logo served as party favors. "Here we were, with education, transportation and housing programs that are essential for cities facing cuts, and I just didn't see the sense of urgency."

wisc.edu facelift

The University of Wisconsin web site just got a much-needed face-lift. The page is organized much better than before and the site in general is more visually appealing. They've also integrated some CSS into the site in changing link colors and other dynamic portions of the site. Later this summer, the UW will be releasing the new version of MY UW, which from this screenshot, looks like it will be much better organized and more useful than the current version.

I apologize for the total geekiness of this post.

Trends in Logo Design

For all you design geeks out there, Graphic Design USA has a report on the logo design trends of 2005. Their favorites include designs that break from the tradition vector mold and incorporate blurred perspectives and patches of empty space. Some of the latest trend include "line-dots", "hotdogs", "weaves", "whips" and "life leaves". There's some good analysis on what makes each of these styles a good design, their origins and where they are appropriate. Plus, lots of pretty pictures.

Bruno's Web site

I've got a little down time right now, so I'm looking at random stuff on the Internet and somehow came across BruceWillis.com. It's actually a very well designed site and has all kinds of personal touches from Bruce himself. There's recepies and tracks from Bruce's band, the Accelerators (Bruce sings lead). He's got an interesting cover of Under the Boardwalk.

Apparently, Bruce also enjoys the movie "Winged Migration" and "Spongebob Squarepants". And he's a big supporter of Foster Care.

Thank you, Bruce Willis, for making my day. Oh, and Moonlighting too.

Bruce Willis Cornbread Pancakes **Cakes Recipe borrowed from Jiffy

1 pkg. "Jiffy" Corn Muffin Mix

1 egg

2 Tbsp. melted shortening*

3/4 cup milk

Blend ingredients (Makes 10 to 12 pancakes or three 7" waffles). Batter will be slightly lumpy. Bake on hot griddle, or waffle iron. Preheat griddle or waffle iron, grease lightly. Griddle is hot when a few drops of water dance on surface. For pancakes, turn when bubbles appear and edges begin to dry.

The Bruce Willis corncake version is loaded with butter... Don't be afraid, it adds to the flavor. The Bruce Willis Version is as follows: "The key to any good pancake or French toast recipe is to begin with a very hot griddle. Once you get the griddle hot, back the heat down a little and completely cover the surface with butter. (Butter should not blacken if so turn down the griddle). I use a lot butter here. I also microwave a cube in a coffee cup and mix part of it into the main ingredients. Using the rest for the griddle and the upcoming hotcakes.

Final tip to making it a success is to serve your corncakes up with real maple syrup and a little whole milk poured over the stack. You're going to have to trust me on this, but the milk somehow magically releases the internal flavor of the cornmeal mixture.

Be prepared and have enough batter on hand because I promise you, your kids or guests are going to want an additional helping. Enjoy!"

*Note: For authentic Bruce Willis Corncake Pancakes, substitute Butter for Shortening

Russ Feingold's new PAC Web Site

Russ Feingold's Political Action Committee, The Progressive Patriots Fund has set up a Web Site to help in efforts to support progressive candidates in the 2006 elections and possibly seek support for Feingold if he pursues a presidential run in 2008. The site focuses a lot on Feingold's agenda and less on the other candidates that the group supports, although I'm guess that will probably change as the 2006 elections approach.

George Aldrich, Feingold’s spokesman, said the committee has already donated to three Senate incumbents who are up for re-election in 2006 — Sens. Bill Nelson of Florida, Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico.

Aldrich said Feingold also is soliciting support for his proposed legislation — the Security and Freedom Enhancement Act, or SAFE Act — that would restore judicial oversight to some of the police powers granted by Congress in the Patriot Act following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

The committee’s most recent financial disclosure report shows it received $127,366 in donations through the end of April. It had $80,190 in available cash.

Appleton Post Crescent article

Teagan Goddard's Political Wire post