Yes, they’re deep-fried, doughnut-like treats with a rich filling (often fruit, such as cherries or prunes) and sugar on top. Yes, they’re rooted in Polish tradition that goes back to the Middle Ages, eaten in the runup to Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent. According to tradition, Polish households had to figure out a way to use up the fats and eggs in the house before the start of Lent, to avoid being tempted to break the seasonal fast. Making something to eat with all that stuff — like, say, pączki — accomplished the feat quite nicely.
People ask me to re-print his old blog of mine. And though it sounds crazy it turns out to be absolutely true. The allure, the addiction of paczki is mighty powerful.
Who the hell is paying for the litigation by the group Franklin Community Advocates (FCA)? And might I add how?
Think about it.
Attorney fees. I saw the figure $80-thousand tossed around.
A “study” of more than $30-thousand that is flawed at best.
Thousands spent on glossy multi-colored mailers.
And about that “study?” The Franklin Common Council meets again Tuesday night to once again take up the Strauss matter. God only knows what will happen. Remember, the council still has the “Strauss be damned triumvirate” of Kristen Wilhelm, the untrustworthy John Nelson, and outgoing growth-hater Dan Mayer.
The aforementioned “study” is addressed in the meeting packet for Tuesday beginning on Page 97.
There’s a ton of inside baseball you can read if you relish your brain bleeding. Here’s what FCA says:
There have been numerous academic reports that attempt to quantify the effect on property values due to proximity to Animal Operations use, such as a slaughterhouse. In this instance we have attempted to include as many studies as possible that address factors that might be a consideration for the proposed Slaughterhouse facility locating in a suburban/incorporated area, similar to the City of Franklin.
In essence and to simplify, the “study” studied study after study after study. Those studies studied aforementioned Animal Operation uses and large scale animal feeding operations. NONE of them apply at all to Strauss. Wouldn’t matter to those who want Strauss to crash and burn.
I repeat. Who and how are they paying for all this shortsightedness? It’s incredibly disheartening when the city had to scratch and claw for $$$ for an all-inclusive playground.
Unborn Baby Partially Removed from Womb for Heart Surgery, Placed Back, Born 10 Weeks Later BY Louise Bevan, The Epoch Times, February 28, 2022
In a rare, delicate, and ultimately lifesaving surgery, an unborn baby was partially removed from his mother’s womb at 26 weeks so that a tumor growing on his heart could be removed. He was then placed back in his mom’s womb for a further 10 weeks before being born at nearly full term.
Doctors at Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, said in a press release the baby is only the second person in the world to undergo this unique surgery, and survive. Today, he is thriving.
Baby Rylan Harrison Drinnon was diagnosed in the spring of 2021 with intrapericardial teratoma with fetal hydrops in utero, an extremely rare condition leading to heart failure if left untreated, according to the statement.
Dr. Hani Najm, who led the heart surgery team, inserts an IV line in the fetus’s right arm to deliver fluids and medications as needed. (Courtesy of Cleveland Clinic)
“As far as we know, Cleveland Clinic is the second academic medical center in the world to have performed this fetal surgery successfully with continued pregnancy and delivery,” said Dr. Darrell Cass, director of Cleveland Clinic’s Fetal Surgery and Fetal Care Center.
“In this case, time was of the essence. Shortly after the patient arrived at Cleveland Clinic, imaging tests showed that the tumor kept growing and the fetus’s heart function was deteriorating.”
The malignant mass was compressing the left side of unborn baby Rylan’s heart, cutting off circulation and leading to an accumulation of fluid around his heart and other organs.
Parents Sam and Dave Drinnon of Pittsburgh were referred to Cleveland for their expertise, said Cass. A multidisciplinary team from Cleveland Clinic and Children’s Clinic performed surgery in May 2021 to remove Rylan’s tumor.
After making a “Caesarean section-like incision” to expose the mother’s uterus, the team, led by Dr. Hani Najm, Cleveland Clinic’s chair of pediatric and congenital heart surgery, used ultrasound to locate the placenta and fetus. They opened the uterus and lifted out Rylan’s arms to expose his chest. Najm removed the tumor from the baby’s beating heart before placing him back in the uterus, in a surgery lasting 3 1/2 hours.
“As soon as the tumor was removed, the compression of the left atrium disappeared, and there was a nice blood flow that was almost back to normal,” Najm reported.
Both mom and baby recovered well, and Rylan was able to remain in the womb until near full term, according to the statement.
Maternal-fetal medicine specialist Dr. Amanda Kalan, who attended the surgery, oversaw Sam’s aftercare and the delivery of her healthy baby boy by C-section on July 13, 10 weeks after the surgery.
Cass expressed pride in his team for their massive success.
“This tumor was growing rapidly in the exact wrong spot,” Cass explained. “We needed to act quickly and decisively to rescue the fetus … as far as we know, Cleveland Clinic is the second academic medical center in the world to have performed this fetal surgery successfully, with continued pregnancy and delivery.”
Only one previous incidence, said Cass, has ever been documented in the world’s medical literature.
Najm claimed that such innovative fetal surgery “provides hope to other families who may receive a similar devastating diagnosis.”
Looking to the future, Rylan will likely need surgery to reposition his sternum, which did not heal properly in the womb. Doctors will monitor his heart health as he grows to ensure the tumor does not reappear.
The Drinnons are beyond grateful for the lifesaving intervention.
“Now they have this beautiful boy, Rylan, and they think he’s going to be special,” Cass, told Cleveland.com. “He’s going to grow up to be a completely normal kid that just had a really unique odyssey to get to where he is now.”
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki made an appearance on ABC’s “This Week,” where she offered a preview of what to expect from President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, to be delivered Tuesday.
“Leaders lead during crises. That’s exactly what President Biden is doing. He’ll speak to that, but he’s also going to speak about his optimism about what’s ahead and what we all have to look forward to.”
Today’s read is from Michael Reagan, son of President Ronald Reagan. Here’s an excerpt.
My son Cameron and I can hardly wait for President Biden’s upcoming State of the Union address.
“What do you think he’s going to say on March 1, Dad?” he asked me earlier this week during our phone call.
“That the State of the Union is …. very sad? Screwed? You finish the sentence.”
“Seriously,” Cameron said. “The State of the Union is supposed to be upbeat – positive – or at least hopeful, right?”
“Yeah,” I said. “His speechwriters must be working overtime. The list of big things he’s messed up in a single year is long and getting longer.”
“So what’s he going to brag about to the country?” Cameron asked. Read the rest here.
3) A child sleeps on steps while awaiting her mother at a COVID-19 testing center in Hong Kong as the city faces its worst coronavirus wave to date. Photo: AFP
4) The Trafalgar Coat, worn by Admiral Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, is moved before being 3D digitalized for the National Maritime Museum’s website. The hole from the bullet that killed him is visible in the left shoulder of the coat. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA
5) This clone of Newton’s apple tree was planted at Cambridge University’s Botanic Garden in 1954. It blew down during Storm Eunice. Photograph: Sam Brockington/PA
6) A worker removes dead anchovies washed up on the shores of the Coliumo beach near Concepcion, Chile, Feb. 20, 2022. Photo: Reuters
7) Snorkellers look for sharks in the Mediterranean Sea. The hot water gushing from a nearby industrial plant draws sandbar sharks to the area. Photograph: Ariel Schalit/AP
Saturday the Museum of the Bible opened its newest exhibit, Mystery and Faith: The Shroud of Turin, a high-tech, innovative exhibition about the Shroud of Turin. Over the course of five exhibit sections and eight interactive stations, guests will learn about how the Shroud mirrors the Gospels, its history, and its impact on millions of people.
On this Sunday today’s read is from James Hirsen, J.D., M.A. in media psychology, a New York Times best-selling author, commentator, media analyst, and law professor. Here’s an excerpt:
Many Christians believe that the Shroud of Turin is the actual burial cloth of Jesus Christ, which following his death and subsequent Resurrection was discovered by his disciples in the empty tomb.
The very existence of the Shroud of Turin has prompted some in the secular world to vigorously question its authenticity.
In stark contrast to the critics, there is mounting evidence that points to the authenticity of the full body image relic.
This Just In... From Franklin, WI 
