Photos of the Week (09/227/20)

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A pictorial week-in-review posted every Sunday.

1) US President Donald Trump arrives at an event to announce Amy Coney Barrett as his nominee for the Supreme Court seat left vacant by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died on September 18, 2020. Photograph: Carlos Barría/Reuters

2) A child in a Supergirl costume pays respects as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg lies in repose under the Portico at the top of the front steps of the U.S. Supreme Court building on September 23, 2020, in Washington, D.C. Ginsburg, 87, died of cancer on September 18. Photo: Alex Brandon / AP

3) A person pays respects as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg lies in repose at the U.S. Supreme Court building on September 23, 2020. Photo: Alex Brandon / AP

4) Angelica Mendez, 48, says goodbye to her mother, Catalina Salazar, 86. Salazar died of COVID-19 later in the day at United Memorial Medical Center in Houston, Texas, on September 8, 2020. Photo released on September 21. Photo: Callaghan O’Hare / Reuters

5) A volunteer places American flags representing some of the 200,000 lives lost to the coronavirus in the United States on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on September 22, 2020. Photo: Joshua Roberts / Reuters

6) Supporters of President Donald Trump hold up signs as he speaks at a campaign rally, Sept. 21, 2020, in Swanton, Ohio. Photo: AP

7) Supporters of President Donald Trump listen as he speaks during a campaign rally at Cecil Airport, Sept. 24, 2020, in Jacksonville, Fla. Photo: AP

8) A young Trump supporter waits outside a campaign rally for President Donald Trump in Toledo, Ohio, on September 21, 2020. Photo: Megan Jelinger / Reuters

9) Police officers make arrests during protests in Louisville, Kentucky, on September 23, 2020. Protesters marched in the streets after a Kentucky grand jury indicted one of the three officers involved in the killing of Breonna Taylor for wanton endangerment; the other two officers who fired shots were not indicted. Taylor was fatally shot by Louisville Metro Police officers at her apartment on March 13, 2020. Photo: Brandon Bell / Getty

10) A sign advertising new homes stands in a neighborhood severely damaged by wildfire in Medford, Oregon, Sept. 20, 2020. Photo: Reuters

11) Relatives carry the coffin of a loved one for burial in the section of the Nueva Esperanza cemetery reserved for COVID-19 cases, on the outskirts of Lima, Peru, Sept. 21, 2020. Photo: AP

12) An ultra-Orthodox Jewish man swings a chicken over his children’s heads as he performs the Kapparot ceremony, which is supposed to transfer the sins of the past year to the chicken. Photo: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images

13) White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, left, and White House legislative aide Cassidy Hutchinson dance to the song YMCA as Donald Trump ends a campaign rally in Ohio. Photograph: Alex Brandon/AP

14) A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument early morning in Agra, India, Sept.21, 2020. The Taj Mahal reopened after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic. Photo: AP

15) In Paris, people crowd a cafe as the government announces that from Monday all bars in the French capital will be made to shut at 10pm as part of new measures to curb the spread of Covid-19. Photograph: Kiran Ridley/Getty Images

16) Drinkers leave the bars as police patrol in Soho, in central London on September 24, 2020 on the first day of the new earlier closing times for pubs and bars in England and Wales, introduced to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Photo: Getty Images

17) A server carries mugs at a beer garden near Theresienwiese in Bavaria’s state capital of Munich, where a greatly reduced Oktoberfest was held after the world’s biggest beer festival was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, on September 19, 2020. Photo: Andreas Gebert / Reuters

18) In Edinburgh, Scotland, an installation entitled TakeASeat has been unveiled in the foyer of the Royal Lyceum theatre to highlight the absence of theatre in Scotland owing to the coronavirus and to let audiences know how much they are missed. Photograph: Jane Barlow/PA

19) In Tokyo the world’s smallest Rubik’s Cube goes on display to mark the 40th anniversary of the six-sided puzzle. The tiny version of the puzzle has gone on sale in Japan for 198,000 yen (£1,470), for delivery from December. Photograph: Maciej Komorowski/AP

20) English channel swimmer Michael Read, center, 79, warms up to swim with Istanbul’s Avcılar municipality mayor, Turan Hançerli, second left, who is an amputee, and other Turkish swimmers in the Marmara sea. Michael Read will try to swim approximately 90km to Cyprus from Mersin, Turkey on October 1, 2020. Photo: Erdem Şahin/EPA

21) In Siem Reap, Cambodia, Magawa, an African giant pouched rat, has been awarded a prestigious gold medal from the UK veterinary charity PDSA for his work in detecting landmines. Photograph: PDSA/AFP/Getty Images

AND FINALLY…

Beatles memorabilia for sale – in pictures

Reality check for Democrats

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“It’s over. For all the cries of blocking Barrett, it’s not going to happen. Hearings for Barrett will be held in mid-October. This vacancy left by RBG will be filled before Election Day. All loose ends have been tied. When Mitt Romney says he’s voting for Trump’s nominee, it’s a slam dunk. We have the votes to get her out of committee and to be confirmed by a full vote on the Senate floor. This fight is done. We now have to tolerate the liberal tantrum that’s going to echo throughout Capitol Hill, but that’s a small price for ensuring a solid conservative majority on the Supreme Court.”
Townhall.com columnist Matt Vespa

Week-ends (09/26/20)

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A look back at the people and events that made news the past week. Week-ends is a regular weekly feature of  This Just In…

HEROES OF THE WEEK

Joy Villa

Chuck Feeney

Magawa

VILLAINS OF THE WEEK

Kenosha teachers

Franklin teacher

Kamala Harris

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

“We continue to learn more about this virus, but what we do know is that we are facing a new and dangerous phase of the COVID-19 pandemic here in Wisconsin. We are seeing an alarming increase in cases across our state, especially on campus. We need folks to start taking this seriously, and young people especially—please stay home as much as you are able, skip heading to the bars, and wear a mask whenever you go out. We need your help to stop the spread of this virus, and we all have to do this together.”
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers declared a new public health emergency on Tuesday as cases grow among young people. This order mandates face coverings again and is set to expire in 60 days.

“We need to remember that most respiratory viruses see their peak activity in Wisconsin between late fall and early spring. We need to do everything we can now to slow the spread of COVID-19 and prepare for the winter. That is why we need to continue wearing masks and practicing physical distancing.”
Ryan Westergaard, Wisconsin’s Chief Medical Officer and the State Epidemiologist for Communicable Diseases

“Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has enabled the continuing illegal conduct of Governor Evers in issuing repeated emergency declarations and a failed statewide mask mandate. The Legislature has the constitutional and statutory authority to call an extraordinary session and put an end to the improper actions of the Governor.

“I fear that some Republican leaders will now hide behind a court challenge to avoid taking an up-or-down vote on rescinding the Governor’s third Covid-19 emergency declaration. A court challenge could take weeks or months to get a final decision, but citizens would still be under the dictatorial rule of an incompetent Governor.

“We can vote to rescind the emergency declaration in extraordinary session and still commence court challenges to the Governor’s abusive actions to prevent future illegal conduct.

“I am calling on Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald to immediately call the Legislature back into session to pass a joint resolution ending Governor Evers’ new illegal and unnecessary emergency declaration. The Legislature is empowered to end any emergency declaration issued by a Governor through the simple passage of a joint resolution that doesn’t require the Governor’s approval.”
State Senator Steve Nass (R-Whitewater)

“Why not listen to [RBG’s] dying wish apparently to allow the next president to make this decision?”
A reporter questioning Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell about his decision to move forward on the new Supreme Court vacancy

“I prefer another thing she said recently, which was she thought the number of the Supreme Court ought to be nine.”
McConnell’s response

“Our Senate majority will do exactly the same thing in 2020 that we did in 2016: Follow Senate history, follow the clear precedent in each situation, and do exactly the job we were elected to do.  We are going to vote on President Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court this year.”
McConnell

“Due to the diligence of this president and the Republican Senate, we will soon see an outstanding conservative woman — one who respects both the sanctity of life and the sanctity of our nation’s institutions — fill this court vacancy. Nothing less than the future of our nation is at stake.”
Star Parker is president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education and author of the new book “Necessary Noise: How Donald Trump Inflames the Culture War and Why This is Good News for America” 

“Ginsburg was a champion of something, but it wasn’t justice for the unborn. Sure, the left’s superhero was a tireless and relentless liberal judge, but she won’t go down in history as the saint Democrats suggest, far from it… because of her pro-abortion stance, millions of unborn babies won’t have the opportunity to remember Ginsburg, who fought up until the end for the legal right for mothers to kill their unborn babies. 

“What an awful legacy to leave behind, let alone carry into the hereafter.

“While I’m sorry for her family’s loss, let’s be honest; the crocodile tears flowing down leftists’ faces have little to do with Ginsburg. Democrats mourn because they are about to lose their “insurance policy,” with the Supreme Court set to return to its commonsensical roots of interpreting the law rather than legislating it. 

“Oh, the agony.”
Columnist Susan Stamper Brown

“He’s a sleepy guy. He’s the lowest energy individual I’ve ever seen. So we’ll see what happens, but he’s lidding up. Maybe he’s going to be great at the debate. You know, he’s been doing it for 47 years.”
President Trump on Biden

“Did you see he did a lid this morning again? Lid. Lid. Do you know what a ‘lid’ is? A ‘lid’ is when you put out word you’re not going to be campaigning today. So he does a lid all the time.

“I’m working my ass off. I’m in Texas, I’m in Ohio–I’m in North Carolina, South Carolina. I’m in Michigan. I’m all over the place. Michigan, Wisconsin…But he puts a lid on.

“So a lid. I didn’t know what the hell a lid is. I’ve only been doing this for three and a half years, right? But a lid is, you know, you’re not going to go out today. You’re going to stay in your apartment or, let’s put it this way, in his basement. So early in the morning, he’s put a lid on. That means nothing for the day. I guess they do that for the press. The fake news goes home, and they say how great he is as a candidate.“
President Trump on Biden

OUTRAGE OF THE WEEK

Media Figures React to Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Death: ‘Stock Up on Abortions’

MOST UNDER-REPORTED STORY OF THE WEEK

Biden said this about the troops

President Trump and Blacks

MOST OVER-HYPED STORY OF THE WEEK

SCOTUS nomination: we have to wait

MOST UNUSUAL STORY OF THE WEEK

Worried About Socially Distanced Trick-Or-Treating? Build A Candy Chute Like This Family!

2020 POO Awards – Week 1

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Each week during this year’s high school football season as I have in previous years, I’m giving out a weekly POO Award to the Wisconsin high school football team that committed the most egregious act of poor sportsmanship by trying to humiliate its opponent.

My goal is to try to build awareness of the importance of sportsmanship at this level.

POO stands for Piling On Offensively (Or if you prefer, Pouring it On Offensively)

For new readers, here is why we do the POO:

Pouring it on in high school football
Posted by Kevin Fischer on Oct. 6, 2007

BRADLEY TECH 64
MILWAUKEE WASHINGTON 6

That was the final score of the high school football game last night at historic South Stadium where I’m the public address announcer.

Bradley Tech remains undefeated and is clearly the best team in the City Conference, a conference not famous for high-quality football. The Trojans are a talented, disciplined, physical squad that like Milwaukee Riverside last season could go deep in the playoffs.

But what happened last night at South Stadium should serve as a lesson to other high school football programs. You don’t run up the score on a team that is already hopelessly beaten.

Everyone knew the Tech-Washington match-up would be lopsided. On Tech’s first three plays from scrimmage, they scored three touchdowns, and the game was quickly out of hand.

Leading 44-6 with about a minute left in the first half, Tech got the ball again near midfield. Refusing to run the ball or have the quarterback take a knee, Tech put the ball in the air, desperately trying to put 50 on the scoreboard before halftime. Tech got down to the one-yard line as time expired. Thinking there was still a second left on the clock, the Tech coaches frantically tried to call a timeout. Again, not satisfied with a 44-6 lead, Tech coaches (I emphasize coaches, not the players) wanted another TD.

As the referees huddled with the football on the half-yard line, I turned on the microphone and said, “Our clock has run out.” Admittedly, I was hoping common sense would prevail and the half would be over.

A few seconds later, crew chief Chuck Hinz picked up the football, faced the press box, and lifted the football above his head, signaling that yes, the half had indeed run out and no, Tech was not going to score 50 just yet.

That made the score 44-6 going into the second half. By WIAA rule, whenever the point differential between the two teams in the second half reaches 35 points or more, there is a running clock that only stops on a score, a charged timeout, the end of the 3rd quarter, or an injury.

Trust me. Had it not been for the running clock, Tech could have scored 80 points.

With 20 seconds to play in the game, Tech again refused to take a knee at Washington’s 2-yard line. Instead, the quarterback handed the ball off to a running back who scored an unnecessary and unsportsmanlike final touchdown to make the score 64-6.

I want to be clear. As I mentioned, this is a very good Tech team. The players only do what they are instructed, and Tech’s decision to run up the score at the end of both halves was uncalled for.

The counter-argument is that you should let the kids play and that competition is good and that you can’t fault Tech for Washington’s inability to stop them, etc, etc. etc.

We’re not talking NFL here, folks. This is high school football. There are many ways you can continue to play and keep the score respectable and avoid a brawl from happening.

You put in subs. You run the ball. You don’t call timeouts when you’re ahead by a mile. You take a knee and let the clock run out. All of these ideas were apparently lost on the Tech coaching staff.

Remember, this is a game featuring high school kids, many from the inner city. You start rubbing the other team’s face in it, and they get frustrated. I’ve seen it time and time again. They take swings and throw punches. Two Washington players got ejected as well as a coach. While I don’t condone those actions, Tech helped manufacture the bad attitude on the field.

Thankfully, no one got hurt in this one-sided affair.

Coaches are also teachers. The Tech coaches blew a golden opportunity to demonstrate to the athletes and the fans in the stands the value of fair play.

Tech also may have done a disservice to MPS football. It’s rare a TV crew shows up at South Stadium to film highlights, but last night, Fox 6 was there. After the 64-6 debacle, my guess is the TV sports directors will be reluctant to send cameras to future MPS games. What for? A 64-6 shellacking isn’t dramatic video.

And by the way, I’ve been going to City Conference football games for 40 years. I’ve NEVER seen a team fall behind the way Washington did last night and rally for a comeback victory. NEVER.

Shame on the Bradley Tech coaching staff for a total lack of good sportsmanship.
—October 6, 2007

Back to 2020 and this week’s winner:

Week 1

Stanley-Boyd 65, Fall Creek 6

Masks; reopening schools without masks; COVID and sports; Biden and SCOTUS; kids taught to hate America

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Here are this week’s highly interesting reads:

Today’s highly interesting read (09/25/20): My generation is being raised to hate America

Today’s highly interesting read (09/24/20): Where Is Joe’s SCOTUS List?

Today’s highly interesting read (09/23/20): The Moral Case for Reopening Schools—Without Masks

Today’s highly interesting read (09/22/20): Even If Masks Work In Theory, They Aren’t Working In Practice

Today’s highly interesting read (09/21/20): The Covid Story That Sports Media Won’t Tell

The Barking Lot – America’s Finest Dog Blog (09/26/20)

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The Barking Lot is a regular weekly feature of This Just In…Written by my lovely wife, Jennifer and me.  It opens with the weekend dog walking forecast followed by the main blog from dog lover, Jennifer. Then it’s DOGS IN THE NEWS and our close. Enjoy!

THE WEEKEND DOG-WALKING FORECAST: We grade the weather outlook for taking your pet outdoors.

TODAY:  Mostly cloudy. High of 80. “A”

SUNDAY:  Cloudy with occasional afternoon showers. High of 71.  “A” in the morning, “C” in the afternoon.

Now, here’s my lovely wife, Jennifer with this week’s main blog.

It’s no secret that until our family gets a dog to call our own, we frequently get our Fido fix with our neighbors’ pets.  There’s Rainbow, Bella & Rosie, Bucky, Tucker, Ike, Casey, and (while we hate to play favorites) the best of the bunch:  Leila.  

Leila’s mom & dad walk her every morning.  In the summer when Kyla sleeps in she generally misses when they walk past, since it’s around 7:00 am.  But Kevin and I see that sweet Golden girl happily prancing up the street… when she gets to our driveway she looks expectantly towards the garage hoping to get a glimpse of Kyla and get a few good belly rubs.

We feel very fortunate for many reasons that Kyla’s middle school (Forest Park) immediately began five-day, in-person learning.  She truly loves her new school and is having a great first month.  Now, whether she likes it or not, there will always be a first-day-of-school photo shoot.  Even through her senior year of high school.  Yes, I’m one of those moms.  Then again, Daddy wouldn’t have it any other way either.

So on her first day of 6th grade we were both out there, bright and early, making her mug for the camera holding a “First Day” sign.  Actually, she willingly obliged.  Not sure what the next few years hold in store but it was delightful that she indulged us.  Then, as if on cue, who came lolling around the corner full of caramel-colored love and energy?  Our girl!

Oh, the reunion of these two!  I honestly couldn’t judge who was happier and whose smile was bigger.  Everyone’s hearts were bursting at the joy between sweet Leila and our daughter.  “Leila” rhymes with “Klya.”  Coincidence?  Hmmm.

Truly it was one of those moments when you wish a dog could talk.  It had to be a one-sided conversation but it was magical nonetheless.  The outpouring of affection and loving words spoken to Leila couldn’t be returned the same way.  But science tells us that Leila was incredibly excited to hear what Kyla had to say.  Yep, it’s love for sure. 

—-Jennifer Fischer

Thanks Jennifer!

Time now for DOGS IN THE NEWS, canines that made headlines the past week.

Dogs that can detect coronavirus with nearly 100 percent accuracy are being deployed at a European airport.

A Dog’s Nose Work Is Never Done.

Note left with abandoned dog: My dad lost his home from COVID.

You wouldn’t hit a dog, so why kill one in Minecraft? Why violence against virtual animals is an ethical issue.

There’s a problem at The Villages in Sumter County, Florida. Where are dogs supposed to go?

Dog Dementia: What It Looks Like and What Can Done About It.

‘Dad, there is a Rottweiler that is going to be put to sleep. He’s looking for a pizza.‘

What My Sled Dogs Taught Me About Planning for the Unknown.

Senior Dog Gets Adopted After Spending Days Abandoned in Car Following Owner’s Death.

MEET THE DOG SURFERS WHO HAVE REACHED “A NEW PLATEAU.”

These would not be the surfing type.

We love a heroic dog. Meet Ice.

Gardener stunned after finding potato that looks just like her American bulldog.

THAT’S IT FOR DOGS IN THE NEWS.

HERE’S OUR DOG PHOTO(s) OF THE WEEK.

Rocky Kel Lev, a seven-month old havanese dog, at a drive-in service called the ‘Shofarpalooza’ marking Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Photograph: Chris Helgren/Reuters

Germantown celebrates Oktoberfest in a big way with the annual Germantown Hunsrucker Oktoberfest in Dheinsville Historic Park on Saturday and Sunday, September 26th and 27th, 2020! Authentic German food, beer, live music, and plenty of family-friendly activities. There will be plenty of children’s activities, the annual Barleympics, the Dachshund Dash on Saturday at 3pm, a Classic Car Display on Sunday from noon – 3pm, and much more.

Germantown Hunsrucker Oktoberfest admission is FREE, and so is parking. Run by the Germantown Historical Society, the takes place at Dheinsville Historic Park, an original settlement from the 1850s filled with history. This weekend, it’ll be filled with lederhosen, accordions, and fun.

Here are some photos from last year.

Pint-sized pups compete in the popular Dachshund Dash event during the 25th annual Germantown Hunsrucker Oktoberfest at Dheinsville Historic Park on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019. The free family oriented event features music, dancing, food and drink, games and more.

Pint-sized pups compete in the popular Dachshund Dash event during the 25th annual Germantown Hunsrucker Oktoberfest at Dheinsville Historic Park on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019. The free family oriented event features music, dancing, food and drink, games and more. Photo: Scott Ash/NOW News Group

Trisha Fischer of Slinger treats her Dachshund "Spud" to a bite of her pretzel during the 25th annual Germantown Hunsrucker Oktoberfest at Dheinsville Historic Park on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019.

Trisha Fischer of Slinger treats her Dachshund “Spud” to a bite of her pretzel during the 25th annual Germantown Hunsrucker Oktoberfest at Dheinsville Historic Park on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019. Photo: Scott Ash/Now News Group

We close as we always do with our closing video.

More than a dozen dogs, homeless because of Hurricane Laura in the gulf, boarded a plane and flew to Pittsburgh where they received a second chance and a new life. No Dog Left Behind flew the 1500 mile round trip in their Mahindra Airvan over the course of 15 hours.

The dogs were surrendered to a local animal shelter in Louisiana by owners who knew they would no longer be able to care for them – because extensive damage made it impossible for them to return home.

That’s it for this week. Thanks for stopping by.

We’d really appreciate it if you forward this on to other dog lovers you know. Let them have some fun!

See ya, BARK, next Saturday!

One of the dogs trained to detect the coronavirus with its trainer at the Helsinki airport.