JULY 14, 2023: “The results are in, and The Rock Sports Complex in Franklin might be rocking a little too loudly at times. The study found that fireworks and live music events at the Umbrella Bar are the primary culprits for excessive noise. Milwaukee Milkmen games could also occasionally create a cacophony clearly heard in a nearby neighborhood, according to RSG’s results.” —Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
SEPT. 20, 2023: “I’ve been tortured by the noise from this development for years and hundreds of events. Something must be done by all possible means.” —Resident Dale Kirner, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
SEPT. 20, 2023: “In a statement to the Journal Sentinel (Mike) Zimmerman wrote: ‘We take the concerns of our neighbors and our local officials seriously. We …are ready to sit down with local community leaders to provide the best experience for our visitors.” —Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
SEPT. 20, 2023: “Supervisor Kathleen Vincent said: ‘It’s evident that while some activities at The Rock are in compliance, there are clear violations that need immediate attention’.” —Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
SEPT. 20, 2023: “(Franklin Mayor John Nelson) said he’s working off of the county study and continuing to talk with The Rock management ‘to get a quick solution’.” —Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
SEPT. 22, 2023: “They’ve been heard (neighbors), and now it’s time for action,” Nelson said after the meeting. —FOX 6 Milwaukee
SEPT. 23, 2023: “What are the simple fixes and what are the more complex fixes? But there will be fixes.” (Mayor Nelson) —CBS 58 Milwaukee
SEPT. 26, 2023: “The closed-door ’emerrgency meeting’ between representatives of the Rock and top Franklin city officials turned into a secret bash fest against a county supervisor and neighbors who have raised noise concerns, with Milwaukee County Supervisor Steve Taylor (who now works for the Rock’s foundation) calling fellow county supervisors ‘terrorists’ and developer Mike Zimmerman labeling Supervisor Patti Logsdon ‘crazy,’ Wisconsin Right Now has confirmed from multiple sources. Taylor even called concerned neighbors ‘idiots’ and ‘f*ckers’ at one point, the sources show.” —The website Wisconsin Right Now
OCT. 4, 2023: “Franklin residents made some noise of their own at the city council meeting Oct. 3, expressing their concerns with the ongoing noise issues… Tensions were high, police were in attendance and many residents expressed dissatisfaction.”—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
OCT. 4, 2023: “So, this idea, this notion that we haven’t done anything for the last decade is just false,” (Mike) Zimmerman said. He claimed his facility has never had a sound violation during this event. The crowd erupted in laughter.” —Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
OCT. 4, 2023: “We will have an aggressive timeline to get resolution well in advance of the (Milkmen season) opening.” —Franklin Mayor John Nelson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
OCT. 4, 2023: “I promise you that we will do it right.” —Franklin Mayor John Nelson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
APRIL 26, 2024: “We get back into the groove of things and into a baseball state of mind on Friday, May 10 for Opening Day, For Love of the Game presented by Engage Franklin. Make sure to come early for our Schedule Magnet giveaway and stay late for our first Fireworks Friday of the season!” —The Milwaukee Milkmen in an e-mail promotion
RIGHT NOW: Still no solution to the noise problem.
Seeing a Doctor Doesn’t Have to Be So Frustrating By Laura Landro Wall Street Journal March 25, 2024
Why is it so frustrating to see a doctor these days— and can anything be done to make it easier?
Despite years of efforts to improve efficiency and access, wait times to see a doctor have only gotten worse, amid a shortage of physicians in almost every specialty. At least half of patients report experiencing “operational friction”— long hold times on the phone to reach a scheduler, difficulty getting a timely appointment and trouble accessing follow-up information, according to surveys from patient-experience firm Press Ganey. Patients complain of endless time in the waiting room and little face time with the doctor once in the exam room. Digital patient portals have been hard to navigate for both patients and physicians.
“People are almost expecting it to be an ordeal every time they need to make a doctor’s appointment,” says Dr. Thomas Lee, chief medical officer at Press Ganey. “It’s a perfect storm of factors leading to people asking, ‘Can I trust this system to take care of me?’ ”
One of the biggest reasons for the frustrating waits is a shortage of doctors across the country— making it tougher to get an appointment and increasing the Doctor’s offices are also making it easier to book, cancel and reschedule appointments online with intelligent-scheduling systems.
Complete is adopting a new platform that allows patients to search for and schedule appointments. Complete offers walk-in clinics so patients can see a doctor who may have a gap open in their schedule, such as a no-show or an appointment that ran shorter than expected.
Cutting office wait times Medical offices are using electronicrecord data to identify staff and scheduling issues that are often at with Keck Medicine of USC, the University of Southern California’s medical arm. The clinic cut its cycle time to less than 60 minutes from 71 minutes since starting an overhaul in 2017, assigning staffers to shadow patients to document delays.
Get face time with doctor
To make sure patients have adequate time with their doctor, practices are changing the way they schedule appointments, reserving more time for new patients and annual exams, and less for follow-up visits.
Team-based models are shifting more routine care to nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Virtual care is also opening up appointments outside the traditional doctor’s hours.
A tech fix for follow-ups
Portals were supposed to help the patient journey, including immediate access to test results. But while adoption has been rising, surveys indicate patients are often frustrated by the technology and are concerned about understanding their health information. One reason follow-up can fall through the cracks is that patients now can send messages to doctors through portals, but doctors are getting so many more messages now that they can’t always get to them in a timely manner.
Practices are adopting triage techniques to identify which patient messages need attention from a physician and which can be handled by other members of the care team, such as a pharmacist or nurses. the root of the long waiting-room times, and are adopting time-management strategies to fix them.
More practices are creating a “digital front door,” sending texts to patients in advance with links to portals or websites where they can fill out forms, update medication lists and confirm insurance coverage up to a week ahead of time.
Another cause of prolonged waiting-room times is inefficiency in so-called patient cycle time—the amount of time from when a patient arrives at the office until the completion of the appointment, according to Dr. Jehni Robinson, a family-medicine specialist in Los Angeles.
According to the American Medical Association, plummeting Medicare-payment rates for doctors over the past two decades have pushed many independent physician practices toward financial ruin, while burnout has driven doctors out of the field or led them to cut hours.
All told, the AMA estimates more than 83 million people in the U.S. live in areas without sufficient access to a primary-care doctor, and many specialists are in short supply as well. At the same time, consolidation is upending the traditional delivery of healthcare.
Still, amid all the frustration, there are some promising solutions. Making scheduling simpler Medical offices can be notoriously hard to reach, with patients finding it tough to break through automated telephone menus. Hackensack Meridian Health Care in New Jersey created a centralized patient-access center to take the burden of scheduling off individual doctor’s offices. Using a combination of calls, texts and emails, the center has reduced both the time people spend on hold and the time it takes to get an appointment, according to Chief Executive Robert Garrett.
—Laura Landro is a former Wall Street Journal Informed Patient columnist and assistant managing editor. She is the author of “Survivor: Taking Control of Your Fight Against Cancer.
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
Conservative states across the country—Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Tennessee, Georgia, and Oklahoma—are taking border security matters into their own hands, proposing or passing legislation targeting illegal immigration.
The Oklahoma legislature just passed a bill designed to prohibit illegal immigrants from entering or living in the state.
Texas’ law, Senate Bill 4, makes it a state crime to enter Texas outside legal ports of entry.
Earlier this month, Iowa’s Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds signed Senate File 2340 into law. The new law, which goes into effect July 1, makes it a misdemeanor to be in the state or attempt to enter the state after being deported, denied admission to the United States, or if an individual has an outstanding deportation order.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a new this month that requires law enforcement agencies to communicate with federal immigration authorities if they discover people are in the country illegally, requiring in most cases cooperation in the process of identifying, catching, detaining, and deporting them. The law takes effect July 1.
In Georgia, lawmakers passed House Bill 1105 that would require jailers to check the immigration status of inmates. Thebill is part of an ongoing political response to the February slaying of nursing student Laken Riley on the University of Georgia campus, allegedly by an illegal immigrant from Venezuela.
Texas’ neighbor, Louisiana, is considering the passage of SB 388, a GOP-led bill that would allow state police to arrest suspected illegal immigrants within the state.
The battleground state of Arizona passed a law similar to Texas’ HB 4, but its Democratic Gov. Katy Hobbs vetoed it. That inspired the Legislature to draft a ballot measure to be put to voters in November that would require businesses to use E-verify. E-verify is a voluntary federal online service for employers to check an employee’s eligibility to work in the United States against Department of Homeland Security and Social Security records.
New Hampshire, which is Republican-led, passed SB 504 allowing police to bring criminal trespassing charges against people suspected of illegally entering the United States from Canada. The measure must be approved by the House to advance.
“Four more years. Pause.” Joe “Teleprompter” Biden
“Columbia President Minouche Shafik canceled in-person classes Monday. [Tuesday], she announced that classes to indoctrinate students will be hybrid only for the rest of the semester. So, unable to protect Jewish students and staff on Columbia’s campus, her solution is to shut it down and force all students back into Zoom indoctrination classes. In other words, she surrendered to the mob. President Shafik has been morally tested, and she has failed.” Gary Bauer
“The Ivy League has truly lost its mind. … If I had a kid at Columbia, I’d be livid. It’s simply mind-boggling that the president of this university would rather consign her students to another crucible of remote learning, than permanently expel the protesters. I mean, seriously, what does it take to get expelled from Columbia? … That’s what you get for $68,000 a year at Columbia — an administration who cowers in the face of thugs and bullies, and a university president who would rather make your kids try to learn off campus, than take a truly hard line with those students calling for the murder of Jews.” Television host Mike Rowe
“Iran has attacked U.S. and Israeli diplomatic posts off-and-on for decades, most recently in 2023, when Iran helped plan an attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. For this reason and several others, Iran’s justification for sending 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles, and 120 ballistic missiles into Israel on the grounds that Israel had bombed an Iranian diplomatic post is completely ridiculous.” Victor Davis Hanson
“All the woke colleges that banned comedians because ‘speech is violence’ are camped out on the lawn chanting ‘death to Israel.’ This is the dumbest time there’s ever been to be alive.” Jimmy Failla
“When I hear a bunch of American college kids and adults who should know better chanting ‘Death to America,’ I take it personally. What they’re really saying is, ‘Death to me and you.’ I’m an American. You’re an American. We’re all Americans — or used to be.” Michael Reagan
“Hey remember like 5 years ago when colleges were building safe spaces full of fainting couches and trauma counselors in case a student saw somebody wearing a sombrero at a Halloween party? Good times.” David Burge
“Immediately deport all foreign students studying in the USA that support Hamas. We should also revoke federal student loans for any American student arrested for supporting Hamas.” Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
“One of the wealthiest Jews in the world [George Soros] is responsible for the fact that we can’t keep street thugs in New York and other big cities in jail. And now he’s funding the thugs attacking young Jews throughout America. He must really be proud of himself.” Gary Bauer
“The threat facing our country is from the far-Left and the drift that’s been occurring toward really a socialistic system and one that brooks no opposition, that cancels people, that has only one viewpoint taught in colleges, that tries to push parents out of the picture when it comes to the education of their children. It’s a heavy-handed bunch of thugs, in my opinion, and that’s where the threat is.” Former Attorney General Bill Barr
“Time to make crime illegal again.” Elon Musk
“[Biden] subscribes to the idea that if you parry enough blows, eventually the man who is pummeling you will recognize the error of his ways and move on. He believes that a combination of economic penalties and shaming or embarrassing or chastising rogue regimes in the fictional court of international public opinion will lead to peace. He is wrong. Biden’s reluctance to unleash our allies — what the press calls his fear of escalation — has produced the disaster in Afghanistan, the slow-motion advance of Russia in Ukraine, the standstill in Gaza, and a Greater Middle East where Hezbollah, Iranian proxies in Syria and Iraq, and the Houthis do as they please. And there are eight months left in his term.” Matthew Continetti
“I just don’t think people should have to go to jail for smoking weed.” Kamala Harris (“[Harris] oversaw 1,900+ convictions for marijuana-related offenses as district attorney.” —RNC)
“Journalists were once a proud few who fought back against tyranny and government lies. Now they have become party political agents ready to be summoned into service at a moment’s notice.” Armstrong Williams
The Barking Lot is a regular weekly feature of This Just In…Originally written by both my lovely wife, Jennifer and me, this blog brings you the latest news about our furry friends including articles, columns, photos and videos. Enjoy!
THE WEEKEND DOG-WALKING FORECAST: We grade the weather outlook for taking your pet outdoors.
TODAY: Windy. Cloudy skies will become partly cloudy in the afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High of 78. Winds SW at 20 to 30 mph. Showers and thunderstorms likely tonight. “A” during the day.
SUNDAY: Occasional rain. Thunder possible. High of 57. Chance of rain 90%. “D”
Time now for DOGS IN THE NEWS, canines that made headlines the past week.
Bone of Contention: Could Courthouse Dogs Sway the Jury? More pooches work in the justice system, bringing hugs, wags and some controversy By Corinne Ramey Wall Street Journal April 24, 2024
In California’s Ventura County, there’s a well-dressed regular at the local courthouse who is always lying down on the job.
Comet, a 3-year-old black lab, wears a vest and bow tie to court and settles into the witness box before a trial starts. Jurors, who could be biased by the dog’s presence, are none the wiser. Unless Comet, snuggled at the testifying witness’s feet, nods off.
“The dog snores and it can get really stressful for us,” says Jennifer Barbettini, who works with crime victims at the Ventura County district attorney’s office. The witness typically nudges Comet awake before anyone notices.
The pack is growing. More than 320 courthouse dogs are working across the U.S., more than triple that of a decade ago, according to Ellen O’Neill-Stephens, founder of the nonprofit Courthouse Dogs Foundation.
Courthouse dogs such as Comet, typically working with prosecutors or victim advocates, often are used to comfort witnesses testifying in court or people, particularly alleged crime victims, during law-enforcement interviews.
You get someone who doesn’t want to talk, is street hardened and wants no part of being in the building,” says Brian Bendish, a prosecutor in Westchester County, N.Y., as Lewis, the 6-year-old Labrador retriever he lives and works with, looks on with puppy-dog eyes. “Then Lewis comes in and you can feel the change in their cooperation.”
But some defense attorneys are arguing that courtrooms have gone to the dogs.
“A dog signals to a jury that an alleged victim is sympathetic, needy or vulnerable,” says lawyer Jan Trasen, of Washington Appellate Project, a public-defender organization. “The accused person doesn’t get to sit there with props.”
“I love dogs,” adds Trasen, whose own mutt, Bear, was trained at a juvenile-detention center. “I just don’t think they belong in courtrooms.”
How do pooches get summoned for courthouse duty? Experts look for dogs—typically black labs, golden retrievers or a cross—that are emotionally stable and social, even with people they don’t know, says Flora Baird of Canine Companions, a nonprofit that breeds, trains and places service dogs, in addition to those in the justice system.
Trained to follow more than 40 commands and not bark on the job, these canines are paired with handlers who work in criminal justice and manage a dog as part of their role.
For Jason Kramer, a prosecutor in Denver, the process was akin to doggy speed dating. His first match, a labrador-golden retriever named Rita, was a bust. “She had me wrapped around her paw, and I wasn’t going to be a very good handler,” says Kramer. His current partner is Rita’s brother Rylan, who is more receptive to his commands.
Some regions are more court-dog friendly than others, says O’NeillStephens, of the Courthouse Dogs Foundation. “Out West it’s much more acceptable,” she says. “Along the East Coast, they see it as undignified.”
Nine states have laws explicitly allowing specially trained dogs in courtrooms. In others, including Maine and New York, efforts to pass similar legislation have thus far failed. “Some of my colleagues are concerned about fairness,” says state Sen. Pam Helming, a Republican who sponsors New York’s bill. Helming had visited Juno, a courthouse dog in Ontario County, which is in her upstate district. “This isn’t scientific, but when Juno gave me some kisses, my blood pressure probably dropped a little bit,” she says.
Kids are among the dogs’ biggest fans.
Victim advocate Shannon McFate, of the Denver district attorney’s office, asks children their favorite color before choosing neckwear for her office’s dog, Bodhi, from his 50- piece bow tie collection. Fawn Borden, in Arkansas, taught a dog named Roxy how to play Uno with those who come in for interviews.
Adults, too, appreciate a four-legged friend, although handlers learn to ask before bringing the canine variety. Once, Borden, who works with victims, took a dog along to an interview, but found the pup wasn’t welcome. “The woman showed up with a bunny, who was her emotional support animal,” she says.
Dog rules vary. In Arkansas, the law requires dogs to remain out of jurors’ sight. The stakes are high: If the canine pops out its head from the witness box, a judge could declare a mistrial, Borden says.
“We tell our clients, ‘Wear slip-on shoes, and you can use your foot to pet the dog,’” she says.
In some other states, judges instruct jurors not to let the dog’s presence impact their deliberations.
Objections by defense lawyers have led to a body of appellate law around the country, giving new meaning to the saying “a dog of a case.” Courts have largely ruled in favor of canines. When Pennsylvania’s highest court ruled in 2021 that trial judges have the discretion to allow witnesses to testify with dogs, the court noted one judge had taken several precautionary steps to prepare for the possibility that excited tail-wagging by a dog named Melody would make noise in the witness box.
Dog handlers face unique challenges. Kramer, the prosecutor in Denver, runs 15 minutes late because Rylan’s fans, from security guards to coffee vendors, stop him in the hallway. McFate, of the Denver district attorney’s office, is constantly battling Bodhi’s blond fur. “I feel like if I don’t have a roller with me it’s a fireable offense,” she says.
—Wall Street Journal
Kristi Noem writes of killing dog – and goat – in new book.
VIDEO: Rat hunting dogs in Sacramento….
Caught on video in Brooklyn…
A Stolen Dog Feels Like Losing a Child, Study Finds.
Meet Bella, the extremely rare five-legged puppy looking for a home in the Milwaukee area.
AND FINALLY…
A blog from our vault and Jennifer writing back in 2012 (updated):
I have suffered from seasonal & environmental allergies for most of my life. I have never had “allergy testing” because quite frankly I am too chicken to subject myself to the process. Generally I just take OTC antihistamines from first bloom to first frost and deal with it.
I tolerate a range of annoying allergic reactions besides ragweed and pollen. I have a severe reaction to nickel in metal so much to Kevin’s chagrin I can only wear “real” gold. I can’t come within 5 yards of a horse or I will break out in hives and have eyes so swollen I look like, well, I don’t know what. Just the other day, I tried a new brand of dish soap because I thought it smelled nice. “Big mistake,” my rash-covered hands told me.
Kevin, on the other hand, has no issues with things like this. The man can cut grass in a dust storm, pet a dozen dogs at one time, stand in a field of flowers and use any sort of soap/lotion/fragrance. If he sneezes once during the months of June, July and August it’s because he got pool water in his nose.
I truly hope that our daughter Kyla takes after her Daddy and has her own natural ability to fight allergens and not rely on a lifetime supply of Benadryl. I don’t know… with our luck, our poor offspring will sneeze in unison with Mommy from May through October and we’ll open the windows once during the summer season.
(UPDATE FROM FOX6 NEWS MILWAUKEE: “One word: Rough.” That’s how allergist and immunologist Dr. Khaled Girgis of HCA Midwest Health describes the 2023 allergy season we’re in for this spring. Allergies are the gift that keeps on giving. Those who suffer know all too well its impact on sleep, daytime alertness and overall function. Now with rising temperatures and increased pollen in the air, the arrival of spring allergy season is here, and doctors warn we’re in for a bumpy ride. After a mild winter season with less precipitation in most areas across the U.S., Girgis said pollen counts could skyrocket as it starts to warm up – as they did in key regions just a couple of weeks ago. “If spring turns out to be rainy, mold counts will go up,” he said. Girgis said there are three pollination seasons: spring, late May with grass, and mid-August when weed season kicks in).
So where am I going with all this nasal news? Well, if you think the two-legged members of your family are the only ones who can suffer this time of year think again. If you have noticed the family pooch scratching more, or sneezing uncontrollably then chances are he/she is suffering from seasonal allergies. Fortunately there are ways to cope just like there are for humans. Antihistamines are a possible source of relief, as are a short-term dose of steroids.
This year if you are itching & scratching, rubbing your eyes, sneezing and dealing with a raspy voice and scratchy throat; please don’t dismiss your dog may be suffering the same ways you are.
From a fellow allergy sufferer, good luck with summer.
—Jennifer Fischer, 03/17/2012 (revised)
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!
Every Friday night we smooth our way into the weekend with music, the universal language. These selections demonstrate that despite what is being passed off as art today, there is plenty of really good music available. Come along and enjoy!
“Run for the Roses.”
“The most exciting two minutes in sports.”
This year’s Kentucky Derby is a very, very huge deal. We’re talking sesquicentennial. The 150th running of this amazing spectacle.
True, the Derby isn’t until a week from Saturday, May 4, 2024.
BUT, Derby Week begins THIS Saturday with a host of special events leading up to the big day.
This week, music to get you in the mood for the historic race.
Back in 1968 Cliff Nobles & Company released a single, a vocal called “Love is Alright.” Philadelphia record producer Jesse James was certain it would be a hit that when putting the record together he reportedly said about the flip side, “I don’t give a ***, man. Use the backing track”.
Meaning take the vocal out and use the instrumentation as the B-side.
The A-side bombed.
But then a DJ in Tampa turned the record over and played it on-air. “The Horse” sold 10,000 copies in Tampa in a week, went national, sold two million copies and soared to #2 on the Billboard chart. Just about every high school and college band performed the instrumental at football and basketball games.
This version is by guitarist Dennis Coffey.
Coffey is best remembered for his 1971 instrumental “Scorpio.” He was also the first white artist to perform on the TV show “Soul Train” in 1972.
“It is very, very difficult to win. A horse is only three once. His opportunity is only going to occur once, when he sets foot into that gate and he is only going to have two minutes and a little bit of extra to pull it off.” John Sosby Former Manager of Claiborne Farm Claiborne Farm bred & Owned Swale, 1984 Derby Winner Claiborne Farm bred Johnstown, 1939 Derby Winner & Jet Pilot, 1947 Derby Winner
It’s the official drink of the race. Around 127,000 are sold at Churchill Downs the weekend of the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby.
The legendary Ray Charles had a memorable recording of “One Mint Julep.” An instrumental, but there are lyrics, and they’re rather interesting:
One early morning, as I was walking I met a woman, we started talking I took her home, to get a few nips But all I had was a mint julep
I don’t remember just how I started I only know that we should have parted I stole a kiss, and then another I didn’t mean to take it further
One mint julep was the cause of it all The lights were burning low, there in the parlor When through the kitchen door, up popped her father He said “I saw you when you kissed my daughter Better wed her right now, or face a slaughter!”
I didn’t know just what I was doing I had to marry or face ruin
Now, I don’t want to bore you with my troubles But from now on I’ll be thinking double I’m through with flirting and drinking whiskey I got six extra children from a-getting frisky
A mint julep, a mint julep A mint julep, a mint julep One mint julep was the cause of it all
On this 2003 recording by Poncho Sanchez you’ll hear Ray Charles as well as Billy Preston on the B-3 organ.
A new drink is giving the old favorite a run for its money.
The Woodford Reserve Spire, named for Woodford Reserve, the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby and the iconic architectural Twin Spires of Churchill Downs, is rapidly overtaking the mint julep in popularity.
Woodford Reserve Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall says the refreshing mixture of lemonade and cranberry juice makes The Woodford Reserve Spire a winner.
McCall (in below video) said it appears the two cocktails (mint julep and the spire) are now running neck and neck in popularity.
Does that mean the mint julep is being left behind the dust?
“Your Derby weekend should always include a mint julep,” McCall said. “It is part of the history and tradition of the Kentucky Derby.”
“I don’t know how anything could be bigger than the Kentucky Derby. If you hear of something, let me know…” J. Paul Reddam of Reddam Racing LLC Owner of I’ll Have Another, 2012 Derby Winner, & Nyquist, 2016 Derby Winner
Regular readers know I’m an Elvis fan. Fact is I can probably work Elvis into just about any music blog I post.
In the fall of 2015 the album, “If I Can Dream: Elvis Presley With the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra” was released.
“This is the album I think he always would have wanted to do,” Priscilla Presley, the singer’s former wife, caretaker of Presley’s estate and an executive producer on the album said. “The label would have never allowed him to have an orchestra. And if it was up to [manager] Colonel Parker, he would have had Elvis just singing — no background, no nothing. I think we have given him the freedom here to experiment with all the orchestras he would have loved in the pieces.”
The effort to keep Elvis current sold 1.5 million copies.
In November of 2016 there would be a sequel, “The Wonder Of You: Elvis Presley With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.” One of the tracks, a great Kentucky song…
Eddie Rabbit wrote “Kentucky Rain” and knew it was a fine song, good enough that he seriously considered recording it himself. But then Elvis got a hold of it and wanted it as the A-side of his new single. Rabbit knew it was best to let it go.
“I thought if this is the only hit song I ever write, then it is better that Elvis does it because he’s the King.”
“A Thoroughbred racehorse can go from 0 to 40 in a matter of three strides. It’s exhilarating the feeling of power underneath you is incredible.” Chris McCarron Jockey of Alysheba, 1987 Derby Winner & Go for Gin, 1994 Derby Winner
And now another fantastic Kentucky song and a favorite selection from a previous Friday night mega music blog.
Carson Peters is now 19 years old.
Peters’ idol is bluegrass artist Ricky Skaggs, mandolin and fiddle virtuoso, singer, and music producer. In 2014, Skaggs made one of Peters’ biggest dreams a reality, inviting him to perform at the Grand Ole Opry.
“When you touch the dirt on the track you have the feeling, at that moment, that you are on the center stage of the universe.” Steve Cauthen Jockey of Affirmed, 1978 Triple Crown Winner
“Coming down the stretch I was thinking: ‘Keep rollin’ big boy. Keep rollin’. This has to be the sweetest moment of my life.” Art Sherman Trainer of California Chrome, 2014 Derby Winner
OK. Scrapbook time.
November 2018, Jennifer, Kyla, and I spent Thanksgiving in, uh, well, hmm, not sure how you would pronounce it.
We were there because Kyla was chosen to compete with fellow teammates at a regional Irish Dance competition.
Sunday, November 25, 2018
It was our last full day in Louisville before heading home.
We’re killing time at spots for some potential final souvenirs, including the visitor’s centers located just across the street from our Irish Dance competition venue.
A kindly elderly woman employee chuckled at me when I asked how close Churchill Downs was. She said it being a Sunday that traffic would be light and it was a straight 12-15 minute shot down such and such a street, turn right at such and such, and look to the left and you can’t miss it.
God bless her. She was right.
We immediately spent time in the Churchill Downs museum and soon got the feel of what it must be like on Derby Day.
On our visit to Churchill Downs we were truly blessed. The temperatures on that late November afternoon were in the low 60’s.
And we practically had the historic place all to ourselves.
We watched the finale of a race unfold in front of our very eyes standing right at the railing.
Wish we could be there again.
That’s it for this week.
Goodnight.
Sleep well.
Have a terrific weekend.
We close with the music of Gioachino Rossini.
Italian fellow.
His repuation was that he was awfully lazy.
But oh could he write music.
Gio-who you ask?
Look, just listen and tell me you don’t immediately picture a horse running wild.
The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra conducted by MSO music director laureate Edo de Waart who this month announced his retirement…
This past Sunday the newest inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were announced. They included Kool & the Gang whose honor comes 60 years after the band’s formation in New Jersey, and 55 years after its self-titled debut album.
Robert “Kool” Bell is happy to explain why Kool & the Gang, an R&B band with several pop hits, belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Speaking to Billboard via Zoom bell said, “I did 48 shows with Van Halen, 10 shows with Kid Rock, opened for the Dave Matthews Band, Elton John, Rod Stewart. I also worked with Foreigner…If you’re gonna call it a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame then, yeah, I guess you could say that I feel like a rock n’ roller.”
The group traveled all across the music spectrum, starting out as a jazz band, then becoming less jazzy and more top 40 funk and soul, and finally primarily pop.
As you watch this clip from “The Midnight Special” note that Robert “Kool” Bell on bass is sadly the last surviving original member.
The highlight of this performance: Robert “Spike” Mickens’ flugelhorn solo.
Today’s read is from columnist Kurt Schlichter. Here’s an excerpt:
Look, I don’t want to shock you, but I think that our alleged President is senile. Really. Hear me out. Now look, I understand that the regime media teaches that he is a vigorous go-getter taking the lead on important issues and making America safer, more prosperous, and more equitable, but I’m concerned, folks. Maybe I’m off base, but I’m having doubts. I think the evidence is increasingly clear that he’s a senile old pervert who showered with his daughter, as well as a neo-communist serial liar whose inability to tell the truth is matched only by his grubby corruption. Other than that, he’s fine.
Where I live in Franklin we are well aware of the joy these facilities bring.
Related, from the Wall Street Journal, April 19, 2024:
Congress, the White House and policy experts have started debating “family policy” in recent years, rattled by an epidemic of childhood anxiety and plummeting birthrates. One government action that would greatly help today’s parents is almost entirely local—and involves concrete, grass and some crosswalk paint. American cities and towns need to reorient infrastructure to make it easier for kids to walk and bike freely around their neighborhoods.
Children today are more car-dependent than in past generations, which makes childhood less healthy and less fun, and parenthood more exhausting. In 1969, more than four in 10 American schoolchildren walked or biked to school. The Transportation Department’s most recent National Household Travel Survey, in 2017, found that figure is down to only one in 10.
While Americans of all ages are less physically active today than years ago, the biggest drop-off is in walking by adolescents. Boise State kinesiologist Scott Conger compiled data from wearable devices like pedometers and Fitbits and found that today’s average teenager walks 5 miles less per week than in the 1990s.
Getting chauffeured around, or sitting at home more, seems to be bad for kids’ physical and mental health. Many studies have found that children living in more walkable neighborhoods experience less obesity, in part because when they are outdoors more, they are more likely to have games of pickup basketball, tag or wiffle ball. Researchers using data from a massive study of children in the 1990s found that a more sedentary childhood could be connected to a greater risk of heart disease as an adult. The study pointed specifically to the importance of “light-intensity physical activity” like walking.
Too much time sitting around indoors may take an even greater toll on young people’s mental health. Childhood anxiety is at record levels. A study published in the Journal of Pediatrics in 2023 found that “a primary cause of the rise in mental disorders is a decline over decades in opportunities for children and teens to play, roam, and engage in other activities independent of direct oversight and control by adults.” Researchers from the University of Buffalo Medical School have suggested that “walking exercise may dampen stress-induced cardiovascular reactivity,” and an Australian study found that walking and biking to school “is positively associated with children’s” psychological well-being.
Today’s kids roam less than in earlier generations. Overscheduling and parents’ safety fears are part of the reason, but it’s also true that American suburbs built in the past 30 years are less walkable and bikeable than older neighborhoods. Walkability is seen mainly as a concern for urbanites, who want to be able to stroll to a cocktail bar, grocery store or museum.
But walkability in suburban neighborhoods is a far more important issue. It requires building sidewalks, bike trails, playgrounds and crosswalks that are safely usable by kids. We know that is possible because much of the world already does it. We have decades of evidence from the U.S. and Europe about how best to calm traffic, make sidewalks more enjoyable and mix parks and playgrounds with commercial and residential properties.
Family-friendly infrastructure comes with trade-offs, of course. In Rock Creek Manor, Md., in the Washington, D.C., suburbs, parents have been lobbying to construct a sidewalk on a block where children now walk to school in the street. Some residents have objected that this would harm some trees, with one arguing that “little kids like this shouldn’t be walking to school by themselves anyway.”
But kids should be walking to school by themselves. They should be riding to the corner store with their brothers and sisters and wandering the neighborhood to make their own fun. We should choose kids over cars, and thus make our world both healthier and a little more family-friendly.
—Timothy P. Carney is a father of six and the author of the new book “Family Unfriendly: How Our Culture Made Raising Kids Much Harder Than It Needs to Be.”
This Just In... From Franklin, WI 
