I held this commercial from the preceding post of my other favorites, because it’s both longer and different: its political themes separate it from a conventional commercial, even a conventional Super Bowl commercial (if there should be such a thing).
There’s an optimism in this commercial that is, I think, justified: despite the most difficult times since the Depression, we are a resilient people sure to bounce back.
Videos of all the Super Bowl commercials are available online. If you missed a few, you can always check for good ones, or review favorites you saw last night.
Here are some of the ones that I liked:
A fine Super Bowl, I thought, but I’d be remiss not to post a few highlights from yesterday’s Puppy Bowl VIII.
Enjoy.
Good morning.
Whitewater’s forecast calls for a cloudy day, with a high of thirty-nine. In New York, it’s a sunny day ahead with a high of fifty-one.
The Wisconsin Historical Society records that on this day in 1967,
…nationally known activist Stokely Carmichael spoke at UW-Whitewater as part of a forum series entitled “Black Power and the Civil Rights Movement.” The chairman of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee at Whitewater motivated students in attendance, stating that blacks must reclaim their identity and history, and organize to control local political offices, especially in large cities. [Source: Janesville Gazette]
The city’s still standing, all these years later.
On this day in 1952, Britain’s King George VI died, and was succeeded by his daughter, Elizabeth II. Of that daughter, there’s a Twitter parody from “Elizabeth Windsor,” @Queen_UK, “Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, wife of the DoE, mother, grandmother and author of http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/144473895X .”
Some of her recent Tweets:
Happy Birthday:
1849 – University of Wisconsin opens
On this day in 1849 the University of Wisconsin began with 20 students led by Professor John W. Sterling. The first class was organized as a preparatory school in the first department of the University: a department of science, literature, and the arts.
The university was initially housed at the Madison Female Academy building, which had been provided free of charge by the city. The course of study was English grammar; arithmetic; ancient and modern geography; elements of history; algebra; Caesar’s Commentaries; the Aeneid of Virgil (six books); Sallust; select orations of Cicero; Greek; the Anabasis of Xenophon; antiquities of Greece and Rome; penmanship, reading, composition and declamation.
Also offered were book-keeping, geometry, and surveying. Tuition was “twenty dollars per scholar, per annum.”
For a detailed recollection of early UW-Madison life, see the memoirs of Mrs. W.F. Allen [Source: History of the University of Wisconsin, Reuben Gold Thwaites, 1900]
I wouldn’t have expected that there would be no charges filed in a doping investigation of Lance Armstrong, but then the law is a human thing, and so filled with uncertain and unexpected results:
Lance Armstrong Doping Investigation Dropped: Prosecutors Close Inquiry, No Charges Filed.
From the website that touted the Pickleback, comes the Michelada. The NYT’s Toby Cecchini describes it as “a cousin of the Bloody Mary, or a spiced-up version of a Midwestern staple, the Red Eye.” (For a more cautious take on the drink, see Eric Felten’s A Curious Treat From Down Mexico Way.)
There are several variations, but here’s one from Cecchini:
Use a pilsner or other tall beer or cocktail glass; a 20-ounce cooler or imperial pint works beautifully in that it allows for the ice, the additives and an entire 12-ounce bottle of beer. Cut a small lime wedge and use it to moisten the rim of the glass, then invert it onto a saucer of kosher salt, or salt mixed with chili powder. Fill the glass with as much or little ice as you wish. Then use whichever of the following ingredients fit your mood, pouring the beer in last. Do experiment with lavish versions compared to more stripped-down ones to see which you like best. Salud!
— Fresh lime juice, about an ounce, or one lime’s worth. I like to save the squeezed half-hull to cap the drink, to incorporate the aromatics of the oil into it as well.
— Maggi Seasoning
— Salsa picante (bottled hot sauce)
— Worcestershire sauce
— Soy sauce
— 1-3 ounces tomato juice
— Beer, 12 ounces.
Perhaps something to enjoy while watching today’s game.
Enjoy responsibly.
Lance Armstrong Doping Investigation Dropped: Prosecutors Close Inquiry, No Charges Filed huff.to/yFeTDg
Utter disgrace: Milwaukee attorney banned from federal courts – bit.ly/z0SRf5
RT @js_watchdog: No Quarter: As governor, Thompson touted benefits of collective bargaining. Now, not so much. (bit.ly/A5YrmG)
Japanese govt expects population to shrink by one-third by 2060, 40% ttl over 65
Lasse campaign release on suspension of U.S. Senate campaign misspells hometown De Pere as ‘Depere’ bit.ly/xLjDC9
An update to an earlier post on Palmyra’s dismissal of Police Chief Charles Warren: I withheld a comment on the matter (it was mostly fine, with one impediment), but I’d like to respond here to the contention that Warren and other officials should be accountable for their actions.
Yes, I agree; I simply don’t know enough about the charges to say whether dismissal was reasonable.
I do know how rare any action is, in any city, town, or village: most commissioners can’t image holding anyone accountable.
Leadership accountability doesn’t make a police force worse; it makes it better. Needless to say, a selfish leader is quick to conflate a single role with that of an entire department, or to insist that any criticism is an attack on all policing. Were such a defense valid, no politician could be impeached, or no principal fired, despite his or her conduct in office.
Weak leaders across Wisconsin surround themselves with commissioners who will shy from legitimate oversight that, in fact, makes for better leaders, supported field officers, and safer communities.
I may be unsure about particular circumstances in Palmyra, but I’ve no doubt about a general policy of leadership accountability.
Cats sleep a lot (more than half the day), and here are over 200 photos of cats catnapping. My favorites: 30 (Savanna), 37 (Best Friends), 61 (Two Thirds Hair, One Third Cat), 114 (Ernie), and 164 (Ivan).
See what you like @ Cats Sleeping: Submit Your Own!
