Author Archives: dave cieslewicz

There’s the world you and I live in. Then there’s the universe occupied by Luke Fickell, Chris McIntosh and Jennifer Mnookin. That trio is enjoying a lazy cruise down the River D’Nile. Fickell has solidified the growing notion that he wasn’t the right guy to lead the Badger football program. McIntosh, the UW Athletic DirectorContinue reading “Snip the UW’s Golden Parachutes”

If you were to guess at the persona of the country’s longest serving legislator you might come up with someone like Bill Clinton. Gregarious, smooth, glib, manipulative and ruthless when he thought he needed to be.  It turns out that the man who holds the national record for legislative service, at 64 years, is Madison’sContinue reading “The 64-year Question”

Public broadcasting took a big hit with the loss of federal funds and in some states even their state support is shrinking. My own view is that NPR and PBS earned all this by dismissing well documented charges of liberal bias that went on for decades. But these stations are still left with substantial resourcesContinue reading “Public Broadcasting’s Real Challenge”

Let’s not mention Wisconsin or Green Bay football right now. There’s enough ugliness in this world. Instead let’s think about baseball. Yesterday the Milwaukee Brewers backed into their fourth NL Central Division title in five years. They backed in because they lost Sunday’s game, but so did the Cubs and so the Brewers captured theContinue reading “Add a Season Trophy”

Today marks the return of the not-so-popular Quote & Quiz. A regular Saturday feature here at YSDA, it’s lightly read by dozens. But we like it and if our readers don’t, well, that’s their problem. This week’s quote comes to us from none other than Tesla’s board chair, Robyn Denholm, who said: “The plan isContinue reading “The Q&Q For 9/20/25”

I stopped watching late night television when David Letterman retired. Two reasons for that. First, I loved Letterman. And second, I got old. I struggle to stay up past 9:30. So, I literally never saw Jimmy Kimmel’s show. For that matter, I never saw Stephen Colbert’s show either. Both have been essentially fired because theyContinue reading “Jimmy Kimmel and Free Speech”

Sabato is wrong. Sabato’s Crystal Ball lists next year’s Wisconsin governor’s race as a toss up. It’s not. Democrats have a big advantage. The only thing you really need to know is that Trump voters show up only to vote for Trump. That has been amply demonstrated in countless races all over the country forContinue reading “Early Handicap on Wis Guv’s Race”

Where would I be without the Madison School Board? Every month or so they provide me with fodder for this blog. Why, just last week the district touted a new logo for which they paid an out-of-state design company $100,000, only months after the voters gave them another $600 million in taxing authority to spend,Continue reading “I’m Doing a Terrible Job. Pay Me More!”

I came to Madison as a transfer student in 1979. I moved into a studio apartment on Doty Street. Because I arrived as a junior and didn’t know anybody in town it was hard to find friends. Getting established here was a long, hard slog. But it worked out eventually. I ended up marrying aContinue reading “Settling, but not ‘Settling’”

It’s possible to be repulsed by an act without canonizing its victim. I’ve made that point in the past with regard to George Floyd and, here in Madison, regarding Tony Robinson. Floyd, of course, was the victim of a murder at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. That cop was brought to justice andContinue reading “Heroes and Victims”