I didn’t think Brett was going to call it quits, I still hope he doesn’t, but watchiing him break down the way he did tonight… I’m not as confidant as I was.
The team won, but will we lose Brett? he is having surgery on that bad ankle tomorrow, hopefully it will go well and he will give us another year.
UPDATE: Video
Here is that moving interview video with Brett after the game,
Is it just me, or are other people having trouble with pictures on JSOnline? For the past few days, i have noticed some images not displaying, and on blogs run from the Journal Sentinel servers (the 620 blogs and those like Matt Thomas’ blog), I am getting the same problem.
Anyone else notice a problem?
Oops, sorry ’bout that…
Tax mailing has Social Security numbers visible
When Wisconsin taxpayers pull their packets of 2006 state income tax forms out of their mailboxes, tens of thousands of them will see something even less welcome than the annual reminder of how much money they owe to Madison.
They’ll see their Social Security numbers, printed right on the outside of the booklets - where identity thieves might be able to see them.
About 170,000 tax booklets were mailed with Social Security numbers on the address labels because of a computer programming error at a printing company hired by the state, Meredith Helgerson, spokeswoman for the state Department of Revenue, said Friday. That’s about 15% of the 1.1 million booklets mailed out to individual taxpayers who file their returns by mail, she said.
(Emphasis mine)
For discussion leading up to, and shortly after the execution, including video of the jubilant Iraqi Americans, see this post.
Full Execution Video
Fox News is linking to what is reported to be the full video of Saddam’s execution. It can be viewed here, but expect delays, this site will be getting millions of hits.
I have viewed the video, it was taken with a cell phone from one of the witnesses in front and below Saddam’s position on the gallows. You do not see the actual execution, you hear the trap door snap open, the rest is mainly confusion. While graphic in nature, it is not gory.
Updates posted below
I am going to hijack this topic from earlier today, and post updates below as we near the time when Saddam is reported to be executed.
They should have dropped a Willy Pete grenade down that spider hole to give him a taste of the hell he will end up in, but this is acceptable.
Saddam Hussein Transferred to Iraqi Custody; Judge Says He’ll Be Executed by Saturday
Saddam Hussein’s chief lawyer told FOX News the former dictator has been transferred to Iraqi custody. The transfer from U.S. control to the Iraqis is one of the last steps necessary before the former dictator is hanged.
An Iraqi judge told the Associated Press Saddam will be executed by Saturday at the latest.
Saddam to swing by 9:00 PM Central time.
For those of you that want to defend the poor victim Saddam, here is a little reading for you.
Hussein’s regime killed, tortured, raped and terrorized the Iraqi people and its neighbors for over two decades.
Hundreds of thousands of people died as a result of Hussein’s actions.
Hussein has had approximately 40 of his own relatives murdered.
1980-88: Iran-Iraq war left 150,000 to 340,000 Iraqis and 450,000 to 730,000 Iranians dead.
1983-1988: Documented chemical attacks by Iraqi regime caused some 30,000 Iraqi and Iranian deaths.
1988: Chemical attack on Kurdish village of Halabja killed approximately 5,000 people.
1987-1988: Iraqi regime used chemical agents in attacks against at least 40 Kurdish villages.
1990-91: 1,000 Kuwaitis were killed in Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.
1991: bloody suppression of Kurdish and Shi’a uprisings in northern and southern Iraq killed at least 30,000 to 60,000.
2,000 Kurdish villages were destroyed during the campaign of terror
2001 Amnesty International report: “Victims of torture in Iraq are subjected to a wide range of forms of torture, including the gouging out of eyes, severe beatings and electric shocks… some victims have died as a result and many have been left with permanent physical and psychological damage.”
Human Rights Watch: Hussein’s 1987-1988 campaign of terror against the Kurds killed at least 50,000 and possibly as many as 100,000 Kurds.
Refugees International: “Oppressive government policies have led to the internal displacement of 900,000 Iraqis”
Iraq’s 13 million Shi’a Muslims, the majority of Iraq’s population of approximately 22 million, faced severe restrictions on their religious practice
FBI: Iraqi government was involved in a plot to assassinate former President George Bush during his April 14-16, 1993 visit to Kuwait.
The Iraqi regime has repeatedly refused visits by human rights monitors.
From 1992 until 2002, Saddam prevented the UN Special Rapporteur from visiting Iraq.
Update 8:40 PM (CT)
If reports are accurate, Saddam should be hanged at any minute. I am watching CNN’s Pipeline video (the on-line video streams) and monitoring several news sources. CNN is streaming Larry King, as they run through the list of Saddam apologists telling us how wrong it is to kill this mass murderer, but one of the streams is in Dearborn Michigan, as they have a huge Iraqi population, people are in the streets, happy to know that Saddam is about to get what he deserves. As one man said, “a smile in in my eyes and my heart,” and people have signs calling for “Death to Saddam.”
I know that there will probably be a lot of violence from Saddam supporters (terrorists), but the vast vast majority of Iraqi’s will be happy to know that the thug is dead.
(Updates to follow)
Reports say that Saddam has been hanged!
There is no official confirmation yet, but several sources are saying that just before 6:00 am local time, Saddam’s execution was carried out, Saddam is dead.
State run Iraqi TV and Pentagon officials confirm that Saddam and two other thugs have been hanged. Congratulations to the Iraqi people!
Reports from people present are saying that when Saddam was hanged, people began cheering and dancing around the body.
The President’s comments can be read here.
I would say these folks are happy to see the butcher dead.
The only striking thing about this news is that some people are surprised by it.
JS Online: Report: State finished year with deficit
The state’s financial books show Wisconsin ended the last fiscal year with a $2.15 billion deficit, under accounting principles that are standard for private companies, said a report issued today by the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance.
[…]
“It’s safe to say, we’re in the worst financial position of any state in the country,” said Berry. Illinois and California are the only other states to have significant deficits under generally accepted accounting practices, or GAAP, he said.
I’m sure glad Diamond Jim Doyle is here to protect our financial stability…
Just go away
McCann seeks less pension
But he doesn’t want to forgo 25% boost permanentlyOutgoing Milwaukee County District Attorney E. Michael McCann said Thursday that he is seeking to forgo a controversial 25% pension boost - but with a twist.
McCann says he doesn’t want to sign the same irrevocable waiver that most other top county officials signed after the county pension scandal. Instead, he’s asking lawyers to craft a different kind of waiver that would allow him to change his mind in the future.
McCann(t) just can’t take his money and go away, he wants to give up part of the Ament pension deal, but he wants to come back later and get it back. Haven’t you harmed this community enough? Just go the hell away…
A John Doe probe has been convened to look into the Michael McGee/McJackson/McJr. recall effort.
A John Doe is basically the State’s version of a Federal Grand Jury that most people are familiar with. It is a secret hearing, and no one involved is allowed to talk about the case.
On Tuesday, a day before the deadline, the Milwaukee Elections Board will meet to certify the signatures and set the date for the election. McGee lawyer Mike Maistelman (yes, THAT Mike Maistelman) says he will go to court to try to block this hearing from taking place.
I’m wondering when the John Doe will be looking into an elected official that uses two identities, including Social Security Numbers or any of the dozen or so other questions we would like answers to? Now I understand that the U.S. Attorney is also looking into this matter, but that doesn’t mean that this District Attorneys Office can’t look into things too… But I guess they are to scared.
Note to the paper, her name is ViAnna Jordan, not Vienna…
Update
The papers full story is now up, you can read it here.
John “the Breck Girl” Edwards has officially announced that he is running for President.
The Early Spin will be interviewing Red Fred Kessler tomorrow (Thursday), to ask why he thinks that he (the state) is eligible to confiscate money, willingly given in a private transaction between a customer and a business.
UPDATE: Red Fred Interview Audio
The Spinners have the audio of their interview with Red Fred Kessler. This man is a whack job!
Jon Carry couldn’t seem to find any of the troops willing to eat with him while in Baghdad.
“This is a true story…..Check out this photo from our mess hall at the US Embassy yesterday morning. Sen. Kerry found himself all alone while he was over here. He cancelled his press conference because no one came, he worked out alone in the gym w/o any soldiers even going up to say hi or ask for an autograph (I was one of those who was in the gym at the same time), and he found himself eating breakfast with only a couple of folks who are obviously not troops.
What is amazing is Bill O’Reilly came to visit with us and the troops at the CSH the same day and the line for autographs extended through the palace and people waited for two hours to shake his hand. You decide who is more respected and loved by us servicemen and women!”
Originally posted at Hot Talk, but it’s all over the internet now, but my hat tip goes to Peter.
This fits nicely with these fine photos:
By special request, we include this shot of Jon Carry with his Filly Chese Stake samach.
We learn today that the City of Pewaukee won’t have David Mokros to kick around any more. We remember Mokros as the good buddy of convicted pedophile, even asking the judge for leniency for former Alderman Anthony Balistreri.
Mokros is also the guy that sent out to the media, police call records involving the family of Barbara Whitcomb, one of the organizers of the effort to recall then-Mayor Jeff Nowak. he also called his constituents that tried to recall Nowak, Thugs.
h/t: Wiggy
Milwaukee county and union representatives have agreed on a deal that will keep the 100 over priced slackers on the payroll, with no lay offs for the next two years. The County Board still has to approve the deal, but I think there is little doubt that they will do it. There aren’t many details avaliable yet, but this is what County Board spokesman Harold Mester (What a demotion that must have been for Mester) has released so far.
For background, you can check here:
The Early Spinners are starting a BlogRoll, if you want to get on it, here is the info you need.
A good and decent man has passed away. Gerald Ford inherited the mess that came from the end of the Nixon administration. He didn’t have the major accomplishments of some Presidents, over his short tenure, but he was a good and decent man.
Just a few weeks ago, he passed Ronald Reagan as the longest living former President, but today we learned of his death at age 93.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the Ford family. Rest in peace Mr. President.