The gloves, er, the mittens are off

Take that, Michigan -- and Liz.

Yeah, that's right. We stole it. And by the way, we definitely stole it. What am I talking about? The story we just posted on the front page (click on the link for a picture) about the new Wisconsin tourism ad featuring the "mitten" as an outline of the state. Being from Wisconsin, I'm well aware of the Michigan mitten -- that pseudo-cultish thing all Michiganders do to show you where they live.

"Wait, your telling me you live in Knuckle Crease, MI?"

"No, silly, that's Kalamazoo."

"Oh, yeah, of course it is. How dare I be confused."

And you can bet that the Wisconsin Dept. of Tourism is well aware that it's a Michigan thing. Sure, we Wisconsinites do it, too. And sure HuffPo found an old article referencing Wisconsin as a mitten-shaped state in the 60s. But it's never been a Wisconsin "thing." I remember the epiphany I had at about 13 when I realized that the "mitten" looked just as much like Wisconsin as it did Michigan. But I definitely knew it originated in Michigan.

Still, it doesn't surprise me. Earlier in the year the Badger State took a shot at Illinois by inviting that state's businesses to Wisconsin. And it worked.

So here's my proposal to Michigan: you can have the mitten back if you give us the U.P. (Upper Peninsula). Heck, it's practically Wisconsin anyway.

Until then, get your mitts off our new mitten ad.