Republishing from yesterday afternoon. Bad timing on my part.
Beautiful day in WI and reports indicate voting is brisk! I don't know about you, but I need a stress reliever. How about some fun facts about Wisconsin that you might not know. We already know this is a State of proud and loud Progressives -- our brothers and sisters who led the way to what I hope will be a nationwide movement on the local levels.
In 1863 Wisconsin had not yet adopted an official State flag and the Civil War regiments in the field were requesting an official banner to fly. The legislature formed a five-member joint select committee to respond to these requests and, as a result 1863 Joint Resolution No. 4 was adopted. This resolution essentially adopted a design that was already in use by the Wisconsin regimental troops.
Source
See? A war was going on and no iPhones. Troops already fighting out of State make a request, a joint select committee came to an agreement and voila! In months, the troops had their flag. Why can't Congress be like 19th century Wisconsin?
The flag was adopted as the State flag through Statute in 1913. To further distinguish the Wisconsin State flag from other similar flags, in 1979 "Wisconsin" and "1848" were added.
Lovely colors!
STATE SONG
1909 recording of "On Wisconsin" by Prince's Band:
On, Wisconsin!
Written by J. S. Hubbard and Charles D. Rosa
Composed by William T. Purdy
On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!
Grand old badger state!
We, thy loyal sons and daughters,
Hail thee, good and great.
On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!
Champion of the right left,
"Forward", our motto
God will give thee might!"
Fun facts for non-Cheeseheads. The University of Minnesota held a contest in 1909 for a football song. The music was written by William T. Purdy but his friend Carl Beck persuaded him to submit it to the University of Wisconsin instead. Har! You guys, always trying to get the good stuff for yourselves. It was introduced in 1909 at a game against Minnesota. God, you guys are killing me now. John Philip Sousa declared it the best college song!!! Take that, Yale.
In 1913, to commemorate the Battle of Lake Erie, the words were changed to be more fitting as a State song even though it officially wasn't. In 1959 Representative Harold W. Clemons discovered that Wisconsin was one of only ten States without a State song. Well, that makes me sort of happy. Maryland's State Song, to the tune of Old Tannenbaum dates back to 1939. Sidetrack: the Maryland State song went through a huge controversy in 2009 over the lyrics. Written in 1894 by a Confederate sympathizer, well, you get the drift if you read the unrepentent loser lyrics. Oh, where was I? Right, Wisconsin.
So, in 1959, once everyone decided which of the multiple versions of the lyrics was correct and proper (you Badgers, I don't even want to know the alternate versions), "On Wisconsin" became Wisconsin's State Song to the cheers of: "We're number 39! We're number 39!
Why 39? Alaska already had a territorial song so it was adopted as the State song when they joined the union on January 3, 1959. Hawaii didn't adopt it's State song until June 13, 1967.
ODD LAWS
The following are from the interwebs so they must be true:
You folks have a real bug up your badger about margarine.
1. As people used to smuggle it in from Illinois, all yellow butter substitute is banned.
(Good for yuz! It should be illegal now.)
2. Margarine may not be substituted for butter in restaurants unless it is requested by the customer. (And who the hell would do that?)
Issues with trains.
1. Whenever two trains meet at an intersection of said tracks, neither shall proceed until the other has. (Written by both Fitzgeralds.)
2. It is illegal to throw rocks at a railroad car. (Ok, that's not odd.)
Issues with urinals.
1. The government may not prohibit manual flushed urinals.
2. Wait . . . that's your only issue?
And cheese, of course!!
1. State Law made it illegal to serve apple pie in public restaurants without cheese. (You tricksters. Now that's a way to make the dairy industry grow.)
2. While all cheese making requires a license, Limburger cheese making requires a master cheese maker’s license. (Huh? I thought you just made cheese then left it to rot in the sun for a month and that was Limburger cheese.)
BEAUTIFUL WISCONSIN
Medford
Someplace
Taste of Madison while Capitol is getting a facelift.
And one that is appropriate.
from Dropkickmurphys website. Great shirt (it is red not orange) and guaranteed through November 2012 and beyond!
Let's crank it to 11!
WHAT YOU CAN STILL DO
Please visit Seneca Doane's diary, "You will wake up on Wednesday?, scroll down to his update for the links to the phone banking. Make just a few calls -- please. Thanks.
ON WISCONSIN!! TAKE 'EM DOWN!!