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Author Archive for JOHN ADAMS

Daily Bread

Daily Bread for 12.24.12

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Good morning.

Christmas Eve brings a high of twenty-nine, and a thirty percent chance of snow in the afternoon, to Whitewater.

On this day in 1923, Pres. Coolidge lights the first national Christmas tree:

…President Calvin Coolidge touches a button and lights up the first national Christmas tree to grace the White House grounds.

Not only was this the first White House “community” Christmas tree, but it was the first to be decorated with electric lights–a strand of 2,500 red, white and green bulbs. The balsam fir came from Coolidge’s home state of Vermont and stood 48 feet tall. Several musical groups performed at the tree-lighting ceremony, including the Epiphany Church choir and the U.S. Marine Band. Later that evening, President Coolidge and first lady Grace were treated to carols sung by members of Washington D.C.’s First Congregational Church.

According to the White House Historical Association, President Benjamin Harrison was the first president to set up an indoor Christmas tree for his family and visitors to enjoy in 1889. It was decorated with ornaments and candles. In 1929, first lady Lou Henry Hoover oversaw what would become an annual tradition of decorating the indoor White House tree. Since then, each first lady’s duties have included the trimming of the official White House tree.

Coolidge’s “inauguration” of the first outdoor national Christmas tree initiated a tradition that has been repeated with every administration. In 1981, PresidentRonald Reagan began another custom by authorizing the first official White House ornament, copies of which were made available for purchase.


In Wisconsin history on 12.24.1814,

1814 – War of 1812 Ends
On this date the Treaty of Ghent was signed, ending the the War of 1812 which was fought between the United States and Great Britain from June 1812 to the spring of 1815 (news of the treaty took several months to reach the frontiers of No. America). The treaty provided for the cessation of hostilities, the restoration of conquests, and a commission to settle boundary disputes. John Quincy Adams served as the chief negotiator for the United States. The treaty formalized U.S. possession of land which included present-day Wisconsin. [Source: The Avalon Project at Yale Law School]

Google has out a sports question today, with a metric flavor: “What was the maximum weight (kg) in the men’s middleweight class for the 2012 Olympic Games?”

 

Twitter

Recent Tweets, 12.16 to 12.22

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Daily Bread

Daily Bread for 12.23.12

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Good morning.

Sunday in the Whippet City will grow increasingly cloudy, with a high of twenty-five.

On this day in 1986, an aviation milestone:  “On Dec. 23, 1986, the experimental airplane Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, completed the first non-stop, around-the-world flight without refueling as it landed safely at Edwards Air Force Base in California.”

On this day in 1865, Wisconsin soliders return home, their defense of the Union having been successfully accomplished:

1865 – (Civil War) The 13th Wisconsin Infantry returns home
The 13th Wisconsin Infantry returned home to Madison to be discharged. During its service it had moved through Missouri, Kentucky, Alabama, and Tennessee. The regiment lost 193 men during service. Five enlisted men were killed and 188 enlisted men died from disease.

Google-a-Day asks a question of military history and academic performance: “What was the class rank upon graduation from West Point of the man who, until his dispute with the president, was commander of the U.N. troops in Korea?”

Daily Bread

Daily Bread for 12.22.12

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Good morning.

It’s a sunny Saturday with a high of twenty-seven for Whitewater. We will have 9h 1m of sunlight and 10h 6m of daylight. Tomorrow’s daylight will be about one minute longer.

On this day in 1864, a Christmas gift for Pres. Lincoln, from Generals Sherman and Scott:

The dispatches of Gen. Sherman and Gen. Foster are as follows:

Savannah, Ga., Dec. 22.

To His Excellency, President Lincoln:

I beg to present you as a Christmas gift, the city of Savannah, with one hundred and fifty heavy guns and plenty of ammunition, and also about twenty-five thousand bales of cotton.

(Signed.) W. T. Sherman, Major-General

Steamer Golden Gate,

Savannah River, 7 P.M., Thursday, Dec. 22.

To Lieutenant-General Grant and Major-General H. W. Halleck:

I have the honor to report that I have just returned from General Sherman’s headquarters in Savannah.

I send Major Gray of my staff as bearer of dispatches from General Sherman to you, and also a message to the President.

The city of Savannah was occupied on the morning of the 21st. Gen. Hardee, anticipating the contemplated assault, escaped with the main body of his infantry and light artillery, on the morning of the 20th, by crossing the river to Union Causeway, opposite the city. The rebel iron- clads were blown up, and the Navy-yard was burned. All the rest of the city is intact, and contains twenty thousand citizens, quiet and well-disposed.

The captures includes eight hundred prisoners, one hundred and fifty guns, thirteen locomotives in good order, one hundred and ninety cars, a large supply of ammunition and materials of war, three steamers and thirty-three thousand bales of cotton safely stowed in warehouses.

All these valuable fruits of an almost bloodless victory have been, like Atlanta, fairly won.

I opened communication with the city with my steamers to-day, taking up what torpedoes we could see, and passing safely over others. Arrangements are made to clear the channel of all obstructions. Yours, & c.,

(Signed.) J. G. Foster, Major-General.

Over at the Washington Post, you’ll find an extraordinary 3.8 billion pixel composite photo of Mount Everest. The paper has a link to a panoramic image with gigapixel navigation. (The small orange flecks you’ll notice on the initial view are, in fact, easily-visible encampments for would-be summiteers when one magnifies the image.)

In Wisconsin history on 12.22.1862, Woof-Woof was born:

1862 – Wisconsin Governor Walter Goodland Born
On this date Governor Goodland was born. Goodland had a long and successful career editing and publishing various newspapers in Michigan and Wisconsin, including the Racine Times. Newspaper reporters dubbed him “Woof-Woof” due to his deep, rumbling voice. Twice widowed, Goodland eventually married his secretary, Madge Roche Risney Goodland (also widowed).

After retiring from the newspaper business, Goodland decided to run for lieutenant governor under Progressive Orland Loomis. Loomis died before inauguration, giving the office to Goodland. Goodland, a Republican, proceeded to win the governorship in 1944 and 1946. He died in the old executive residence on March 12, 1947 at the age of 84, being the oldest governor in office in any state. [Source: First Ladies of Wisconsin, The Governors’ Wives by Nancy G. Williams]

Google offers a daily question of science and industry: “Who founded the company named for the man who invented vulcanized rubber?”

Cats

Friday Catblogging: Cat fight pits government against Hemingway museum

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From Florida comes news of a regulatory battle between the federal government and the Hemingway museum:

A popular tourist attraction has lost another round in the legal battle over who is in charge of the slinky creatures with nine lives and six toes roaming its grounds.The

11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on Friday ruled that the government does have the power to regulate the dozens of cats that live at the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum in Key West, Fla. — a notion the attraction has fought for years.

The museum declined to comment about the court decision.

Some 250,000 visitors flock to the site each year to experience the house where the famed American writer lived from 1931 to 1938 and see the polydactyl six-toed felines whose company he enjoyed.

The cats deserve proper care, but they should be getting that care without federal intervention. Litigation like this – at a federal circuit court – is evidence (in part) of the parties’ failure to balance their interests against the cost of a continuing dispute. A simple written promise of care should have avoided all this, without federal litigation.

Here’s more about the six-toed cats:

Via Cat fight pits government against Hemingway museum – TODAY Travel.

Poll

Friday Poll: Will There Be a Fiscal Cliff Deal?

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Congress and the White House have yet to agree on (let alone pass into law) a budget deal to avert the much-discussed fiscal cliff of automatic cuts through sequestration.

Do you think there will be a deal, before the first of the year?

I’ll say yes, there will be a last minute arrangement of some sort to prevent sequestration.

What do you think: deal, no deal, or a deal but only after 2013 has begun?


Daily Bread

Daily Bread for 12.21.12

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Good morning.

Friday brings a day of blowing snow and a high of twenty-four to Whitewater.

On this day in 1968, America launched the first manned mission to another world:

Apollo 8, the first manned mission to the moon, is successfully launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell, Jr., and William Anders aboard.

On Christmas Eve, the astronauts entered into orbit around the moon, the first manned spacecraft ever to do so. During Apollo 8‘s 10 lunar orbits, television images were sent back home, and spectacular photos were taken of Earth and the moon from the spacecraft. In addition to being the first human beings to view firsthand their home world in its entirety, the three astronauts were also the first to see the dark side of the moon.

On Christmas morning, Apollo 8 left its lunar orbit and began its journey back to Earth, landing safely in the Pacific Ocean on December 27. On July 20 of the next year, Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, astronauts of the Apollo 11mission, became the first men to walk on the moon.

Orbiting alone was a huge accomplishment. Here’s their Christmas message while in orbit, with the moon visible from the capsule:

Google’s daily puzzle asks about art: “Which of Ivan Albright’s paintings features a panel that can be seen as both an opening and a final closure, accented with a bouquet of flowers?”

Weather

Meditation to the Sound of a Blizzard

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We’re a winter climate, and snow shouldn’t be stressful. On the contrary, hundreds of thousands have watched this soothing video of a snowy scene, with the accompanying soundtrack of a blizzard.

Clear your mind, think of the snow, imagine the snow, become the snow…

In only moments, our winter weather will seem magical yet again, as it was when you were a child.

Via Meditation To The Sound Of A Blizzard (HD) – YouTube.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread for 12.20.12

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Good morning.

It’s rain and snow for Whitewater today, with about two inches of snow accumulating during the day, and another one or two inches overnight. We are a winter state, and a snowfall like this is typical for us.

Judging from snow that’s already on the ground, we have an answer to a recent Friday poll question about when we’d have our first inch of accumulated snow.   It was yesterday, December 19th.  (I was too late with my prediction, of December 23rd.)

On this day in 1989, U.S. troops launched a campaign to topple Pamana’s dictator, Manuel Noriega, from power.

Beginning in 1941, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites enlisted and served in the SEcond World War:

1941 – Wisconsin Soldiers Enlist, 1941-1945

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, thousands of Wisconsin citizens volunteered to fight. Roughly 320,000 Wisconsin soldiers served in the armed forces during the WWII, including more than 9,000 women. Wisconsin’s National Guard formed a substantial part of the new Red Arrow Division, helping to maintain the respected reputation of its predecessor from World War I by remaining undefeated in the Pacific theater. The majority of Wisconsin soldiers were draftees who served in units comprised of men from around the country. More than 8,000 soldiers died and another 13,000 were wounded in combat. Fifteen Wisconsin men won the Medal of Honor during WWII. [Source: Turning Points in Wisconsin History]

Google-a-Day asks a geography question: “When the krewe that is the “King of Mardi Gras” makes its way along its traditional parade route, onto what street does it turn when it comes to the end of St. Charles?”

 

City, Local Government

Common Council Session of 12.18.12: A New Councilmember

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Whitewater had a Council vacancy to fill, and for that vacancy she received four initial applicants to an at-large seat. (For a prior post about those applicants, please see It’s Not Who, But What.) There are only two such seats, representing all the residents of the city.

At last night’s session, three applicants were able to attend, and of those three, Council chose Andrew Crone over Cort Hartmann in a 3-2 vote. (Five members voted; Council. Pres. Patrick Singer abstained as he will seek this seat in the spring.)

Each applicant submitted a written application, and spoke before the Council and city in support of his or her consideration. I thought this was a good process: speaking gave others the opportunity to learn more about the applicants.

It was reasonable that each of the applicants would speak before Council (and really, thereby, speak to the many city residents they sought to serve). This seems a basic expectation, not requiring any prior announcement. No one has today reminded me of the law of gravity, but I’m still aware that if I drop a pen from my hands, it will fall to the floor.

The questions were good, and the applicants’ answers sound and informative.

A quick, public thanks is due to all those who’ve written and asked if I might run for Council. I’ve answered those messages individually, and I’ll thank you again for your kind inquiries. It’s worth stating my views about this.

Who does the work of the city?

It’s each and every resident, in his or her own way, who does the good and valuable work of our community. People have different and particular roles, each (one hopes) suited to their preferences and talents. This is mine.

I don’t think it’s necessary to assume many roles. Each person may do a particular thing, leading to a general benefit. I do not hold this this view because it sounds sweet; I hold it because I believe it to be true.

Best wishes to Council’s newest representative, Mr. Crone, and to all the Council in year ahead.

Animals, Beautiful Whitewater, City, Good Ideas, Hip & Prosperous, Laws/Regulations, Liberty, Local Government, New Whitewater

Common Council Session of 12.18.12: Backyard Chickens

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Here’s my fourth post on last night’s meeting.

Approved unanimously, and waived from a second reading, Whitewater now has a backyard chicken ordinance. Not just an ordinance, but a fine, model one of which we should be proud.

This is a good idea, that’s come to Whitewater through the hard work of a thoughtful resident. His work (and that of those on our Planning Commission and in city government), for month after month of planning and review, benefits everyone.

We will be a lovelier, more interesting, greener, and freer city for it. For an earlier post in support of backyard hens, see A Model Ordinance.

The urban chicken movement has grown considerably these last several years, yet still even a sound ordinance like this would not have been possible even a few years ago. I would not have expected one for years to come.

Yet here we are.

A super-smart friend sent me additional information on urban chickens before my last post on the subject, and from that kind message I learned more than I knew before. Although I am no one’s idea of a chickenologist, either amateur or professional, the sustainability of the movement has always impressed me. (Quickly, before someone writes: I don’t think ‘chickenologist’ is a real term – I just think it should be.)

Backyard hens aren’t the destination for a New Whitewater, but they’re a welcome marker on the journey.

Next: A New Councilmember.

City, Law, Local Government, Police

Common Council Session of 12.18.12: On the Police and Fire Commission

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Here’s my third post on the 12.18.12 session.

Seeing a need to harmonize Whitewater’s municipal code with state statutes, Council restored the title of Police and Fire Commission to a citizen’s commission previously known as the Police Commission.

Years ago, I remarked how odd it was that Whitewater’s PFC never addressed fire department matters, name notwithstanding. (I was aware then, as I am now, that Whitewater’s local ordinances preserved an exemption against PFC oversight of the fire department.)

In an unrelated action, others saw this, too, and Lynn Binnie moved (I recall) to amend the local ordinance to refer to that body simply as a Police Commission. Doing so at the time reconciled name and day-to-day function. That’s practical.

I regret, though, that I never wrote more on this subject, these years since. At the time, I had a hunch – that’s all, really – that the ordinance’s total carve-out for oversight of the fire department was questionable under Wisconsin law. A hunch, though, amounts to nothing compared to a proper assessment. That proper assessment I have never attempted, much to my embarrassment, so much time having passed.

If Dr. Kidd and others now have questions about what is the right structure under law and policy, they’re easily as far ahead as anyone has been.

What to do? A few suggestions, the same I think as came out of the discussion following Dr. Kidd and Mr. Winship’s remarks:

1. Change the Title. Council took this step last night.

2. A Memorandum of the Law. What the law requires is the foundation for any discussion on this topic of PFC responsibilities. If Wisconsin law requires a change in responsibilities, then there’s no alternative but to change the practical PFC responsibilities to align them with state law. If there’s no requirement to change, then there’s still a policy question about what’s the best arrangement for the PFC.

To start, the city should prepare and post within a Council packet — sometime in 2013 when this matter is again addressed — a memorandum of law carefully stating the municipal administration’s legal assessment of what the PFC must do.

There should be enough time for all residents to view it.

3. Policy Discussions. Whether law requires a change to PFC responsibilities, or policy suggests it, still leaves Whitewater the opportunity for a new, negotiated framework with the fire department. Whitewater’s fire chief has declared his willingness to talk about the relationship between the PFC and department.

It’s far better to establish a new arrangement by consensus after the city has a memorandum of law from which to consider what must be done. This still leaves, apart from the law, what should be done.

There’s time for this, but it’s sensible than the city and department should complete this review and make any adjustments in 2013.

Next: Backyard Chickens.

City, Freedom of Speech, Local Government

Common Council Session of 12.18.12: Citizen Comments

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Here’s the second of my posts on Tuesday’s session.

Move to Amend. James Hartwick, a resident and leader of the Starin Park Neighborhood Association, introduced a petition (in support of the Move to Amend campaign) for our 4.2.2013 ballot calling to amend the U.S. Constitution, under this question:

Shall the City of Whitewater adopt the following resolution:

Resolved, that We the People of the City of Whitewater, Wisconsin, seek to reclaim democracy from the expansion of corporate personhood rights and the corrupting influence of unregulated political contributions and spending. We stand with the Move to Amend campaign and communities across the country to support passage of an amendment to the United States Constitution stating: 1. Only human beings – not corporations, limited liability companies, unions, nonprofit organizations or similar associations and corporate entities – are endowed with constitutional rights, and 2. Money is not speech, and therefore, regulating political contributions and spending is not equivalent to limiting political speech. Be it further resolved, that we hereby instruct our state and federal representatives to enact resolutions and legislation to advance this effort.

Although I am strongly opposed to the petition (libertarians generally think Citizens United was a sound, pro-speech decision), I am strongly supportive of placing it on our ballot. Residents should have a chance, following the collection of hundreds of other residents’ petition signatures, to vote on a resolution like this.

If anything, I wish we had more petition drives for more ballot resolutions.

I recall seeing Mr. Hartwick at a table across from the Old Armory, at the November election, collecting petition signatures for this resolution. Good for him. I briefly thought about stopping over and talking to him about it, but I quickly thought better of it. He was working, so to speak, and did not need the distraction of a pesky blogger.

I’ll write on this topic closer to the election, in opposition to the resolution, but not to those working toward it. I wish well anyone who works sincerely in a case like this, as his or her conscience sees fit.

My preferred outcome: the most successful unsuccessful ballot resolution in the history of our city.

Dr. Nosek’s Remarks. As is his annual custom, toward the end of each year, this year Dr. Nosek spoke on topics of concern to him. There just aren’t many people in any community who care enough to commit to annual remarks like this. There also aren’t many people who are – regardless of views – as interesting. I’d don’t think there’s ever been a time that Dr. Nosek hasn’t held my attention.

Next: On the Police and Fire Commission.