This is the tenth in a series on Whitewater’s local politics of 2021. The contested April school board election has now come to a close. An animating concern of many parents was that the Whitewater public school should not have suspended face-to-face instruction for as long as it did, and that, in doing so, the…
Coronavirus
Babbittry, Bad Ideas, Blogging, Boosterism, City, Confidence Schemes, Coronavirus, Culture, Local Government, Mendacity, Politics, School District, Special Interests, Whitewater's Local Politics 2021
Whitewater’s Local Politics 2021: Marketing
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
This is the ninth in a series on Whitewater’s local politics of 2021. Through all the difficult events of the last two decades (a Great Recession, an opioid epidemic, economic stagnation, creeping nativism, a pandemic, a pandemic recession), Old Whitewater has responded with the same question: how can we market the town to others? If…
Blogging, City, Coronavirus, Local Government, Politics, Whitewater's Local Politics 2021
Whitewater’s Local Politics 2021 — COVID-19: Skepticism and Rhetoric
by JOHN ADAMS • • 4 Comments
Coronavirus, Culture, Humor
Google Wisely Avoids a 2021 April Fools’ Prank
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
One reads that, for the second year, Google decided to forgo its annual April Fool’s prank: For the second year in a row, Business Insider has obtained an internal emailstating that Google will not create a series of elaborate and occasionally entertaining April Fools pranks this year. Google confirmed the memo to Business Insider, and…
Coronavirus, Culture, Documentary
Frontline: Death Is Our Business
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Coronavirus, Culture, Education, Science/Nature
On COVID-19 Skeptics
by JOHN ADAMS • • 1 Comment
It was likely, as it was a century ago during a prior pandemic, that significant numbers of Americans would argue falsely there was no pandemic (‘just like the regular flu’), that if it were a pandemic it would go away (‘like a miracle’), that anyone talking about illness was merely fearful (as though discussions of…
Coronavirus, Culture, Public Health
Social Distancing: Who Maintains, Who Doesn’t?
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Over at ProMarket, Tim Besley and Sacha Dray assess One Year Into the Pandemic: Who Maintains Social Distancing and Who Doesn’t. Their full analysis is well worth reading. They write that social capital is an important factor behind reducing risks of infection. Social capital is an index that encompasses the presence of strong social networks,…
Coronavirus, Documentary, Public Health
Film: Inside a Covid I.C.U., Through a Nurse’s Eyes
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Coronavirus, Public Health
How West Virginia Became a Leader in Coronavirus Vaccinations
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Coronavirus, Education, School District
Whitewater School Board Meeting, 2.22.21: 7 Points
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Monday night’s school board meeting saw, among other items, athletic recognitions, a student report, live video from the middle school’s slot car club, a report on closing achievement gaps, outreach to homeless students, modifications to the district’s COVID-19 protocols, approval of the teachers’ contract, and an update on the district’s budget. The full agenda for the…
Cats, Coronavirus
Friday Catblogging: A Tiger in Seattle
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Malayan tiger Azul jumps into the spotlight today for her debut. She’s the first female Malayan tiger at our Zoo. In the future, we will introduce her to our male, Bumi, in the hope that they produce cubs. Read more at https://t.co/PQHNibd7cJ #TongueOutTuesday #EndangeredSpecies pic.twitter.com/h7d1mL76s7 — Woodland Park Zoo (@woodlandparkzoo) January 19, 2021 Without question,…
Business, City, Coronavirus, Economy, Free Markets
Buy Local Will Change
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
The pandemic has made takeout and delivery more valuable than ever, not only for convenience but also for reduced exposure. In larger cities, some changes to restaurant delivery (among other services) have been building for years, and are likely to be permanent. See Heated patios, QR code menus and pop-ups: Milwaukee restaurants got innovative during…
Coronavirus, Education, School District
Whitewater School Board Meeting, 1.25.21: 6 Points
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
?? Updated 1.27.21 with meeting video, embedded above. Original post follows — Monday night’s school board open session saw, among other items, language translation of the meeting, a report on special education open enrollment, mention of an initiative to restructure and expand athletic programs, mention of a recruiting effort to attract more students, review of…
Aside, City, Coronavirus, Culture, Economy
For Whitewater, the Pandemic Reveals What Was Already There
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
For Whitewater – and other places – the pandemic hasn’t changed contemporary politics or culture, it has revealed plainly the character of contemporary politics and culture: divided, debilitated. Whitewater’s meaningful changes began years ago, with the Great Recession (2007-2009). For small towns like Whitewater, that recession never ended. It’s as if a man with poor…