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Wisconsin Designates State Microbe
Hugh Pickens writes "The NY Times reports that state legislators in Wisconsin raced against the clock to pass a bill designating Lactococcus lactis as Wisconsin's official state microbe. 'The first time I heard the idea, I thought, I've got more important things to do than spending my time honoring a microbe,' says Gary Hebl, a Democratic state representative who proposed the bill which, he says, would make Wisconsin the first state in the nation to grant such a designation, 'but this microbe is really a very hard worker,' added Hebl, referring to the bacterium supported by the Department of Bacteriology at UW — Madison used to make cheddar, Colby, and Monterey Jack cheese. The proposal faced only one detractor in committee ('the opponent was clearly lactose-intolerant,' says Hebl), and there was no sign of a last-minute campaign from other bacteria, so by evening, the Assembly had approved the measure, 56 to 41. In case there were any doubts about Wisconsin's priorities, a separate bill also awaits consideration in Madison, declaring cheese Wisconsin's state snack."
... now that's just cheesy!
America, Home of the Brave.
Seriously? Official state microbe and an official state snack? Apparently these boobs have nothing better to do (such as paying attention to more serious matters in their state (whatever those might be)). Vote 'em out, Wisconsin voters!
What boobs.
Salmonella
that the really important problems are tackled, without fear or failure....
What's next, Michigan delcaring Fe(OH) their state mascott?
Proposed legislation will attempt to make Saccharomyces cerevisiae their State Bacteria.
Orwell was an optimist.
delicious
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
Wisconsin is the state synonomous with cheese. Nothing else, really. Just cheese. Everything they do, seemingly, is cheese-related. Oh, yeah, they have a pretty good football team from their city Green Bay. The team's fans are called "cheese-heads," and attend games wearing giant wedges of cheese as hats.
Seriously.
Something tells me that Wisconsin will be Jamie Oliver's next destination.
Actually, lactose intolerant people often appreciate it when bacteria break down the lactose before they eat the food.
Nerd rage is the funniest rage.
...we're fighting over bingo. So, you know, legislating official microbes actually sounds productive.
FAQs are evil.
The Onion always cracks me u... wait, what?
Actually, lactose intolerant people often appreciate it when bacteria break down the lactose before they eat the food.
brought memories of an old SNL skit - Pre-Chew Charlie's - http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xas2fz_saturady-night-live-pre-chew-charli_fun
Funny how associative memory works....
Sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel is the headlight of an oncoming train.
Unfortunately this suggestion did not survive. I believe the time is ripe to try again to implement this new motto.
If you think I invented phony "facts," see http://www.nytimes.com/1985/12/08/us/wisconsin-s-license-plates-won-t-say-eat-cheese-or-die.html
--- Often in error; never in doubt!
i'm not really sure why, but in my mind, wisconsin means cheese and badgers
i'm not sure if that association is normal or random
PANIC! A SNAKE! SNAKE, AUGH SNAKE.... Aaargh, it's a Snake!!!
Mushroom Mushroom!
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
In case you think this is stupid, I just want to say that I'm from Wisconsin and I also think this is stupid.
Google's Super Secret Search Algorithm: SELECT @search_results FROM internet WHERE @search_results = 'good'
Angry Wisconsin Resident here.
So they're willing to look at a bill for a microbe, but won't even touch an important bill such at the medical marijuana one.
http://www.immly.org/index.html
It's sort of unfair to refer to "American beer" when what you're really thinking of is Bud-Mil-Coors. Not so long ago, it was certainly true that you had a choice of crappy mass-produced beer and nothing else. But nowadays, decent beer is available in every podunk town. Of course, there's still an ocean of the swill produced, but good domestic beer is easy to find.
When I was a kid, I grew up hearing my dad and all his friends refer to Leinenkugel (Chippewa Falls) as "squaw piss". And it really was back then. Since then, they've made huge strides in making the brand an upscale brand now.
I know that there are many craft breweries around Wisconsin. I visit many of them. But Wisconsin has never particularly been known for them.
I spend my springs/summers in NW Wisconsin and enjoy this part of the country very much.
They should have named Saccharomyces pastorianus the state microbe.
We don need no stinking Badgers, not when we have the fighting Lactococcus Lacti!
available nationwide:
Local choices will vary by location, but most mid-sized and larger towns have at least some kind of a local-ish beer choice as well.
The renaissance in homebrewing in the US really forced the beer industry here to get its act together. Having tasted the real thing, people became much less willing to drink the swill.
While I smiled when I heard this on the radio, and thought it was very cool, we here in southeast Wisconsin also need to get the regional transit authority (RTA) bill passed. Bus service in Milwaukee County has been reduced by 20% over the past several years, and we're about to lose a full third more if this doesn't go through. With our incumbent county executive who's got a penchant for starving government, we won't see any progress without the RTA. As I doubt my state legislators are reading /., I'll be calling them instead of just posting on here and hoping it gets done.
-- haaz.
While the bill is campy and fun, it does promote science and learning in an interesting way. You can bet that hundreds of science teachers will do a quick lesson on this microbe and why it's so valuable to their state economy.
I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!
Here in California we just voted to make the collective intellect of the state government and employees the official state microbe. :-)
Where can a buy the T-shirt so I can show my pride in the state's microbe ?
So this is what one of the nation's highest tax rates goes to pay for.
:(
Yes, we shouldn't ever focus on anything like "local culture" or find things to be proud of as residents of a certain place, or promote anything that isn't monotonous, requisite, fiscally appropriate. We ought to be freaking out and struggling to keep our heads above water at all times. There's no time to be human beings, we have drudgery to deal with!
that this single microbe possesses more intelligence than the combined intellect of the national Congress and all state congresses. It must have been humiliating for them to vote in support of a microbe that is so vastly superior to them that it could be their god.