There’s a story at the Christian Science Monitor about makerspaces across America, like the one we have in town @ whitewatermakerspace.org, 1206 E Bluff Rd, Whitewater, WI 53190. It’s a new-old idea, as Noelle Swan writes: The ‘maker movement’ is heralded as a new industrial revolution – combining the spirit of the old shop class…
Good Ideas
Good Ideas, Local Government
Local Gov’t Desperately Needs a Version of the ‘Tenth Man Rule’
by JOHN ADAMS •
Update, 7.15.14: for a discussion of this rule as most fittingly applicable to full-time staff, see, Administration, Council, and the Tenth Man Rule. In the science fiction novel World War Z, humanity fights a zombie war, and the book describes a look back after the war is over, with interviews of those who fought against…
Drink, Good Ideas, Technology
Italians Create First Zero-Gravity Espresso Machine
by JOHN ADAMS •
Business, Corporate Welfare, Free Markets, Good Ideas, Government Spending, Technology
A Tech Company That Seeks Private Support
by JOHN ADAMS •
What does a small tech company that seeks private support look like? Often, we’ll not know, because those private companies seek the support of private venture capital, in thousands of encounters and presentations across America each day. Sometimes, though, one sees more because a private tech startup looks to something like Kickstarter to win backing…
City, Film, Good Ideas
Film: Today @ 12:30 PM at Seniors in the Park, The Great Beauty
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s a screening today at 12:30 PM of The Great Beauty @ Seniors in the Park, in the community building. The 2014 winner of Best Foreign Film (at both the Academy Awards and Golden Globes) will be shown in Italian with English subtitles. The film runs two hours, twenty-two minutes in length and is rated…
Good Ideas
The Better Approach of the Dark-Horse Underdog
by JOHN ADAMS •
Dark horses (who emerge unexpectedly) and underdogs (who have the odds against them) are not the same thing. Still, I can think of no better combination as a model for approaching the world. While one cannot be a dark horse forever, and one is unlikely to be an underdog perpetually, it’s a powerful and satisfying…
Beautiful Whitewater, City, Good Ideas, Press Release
Thursday, May 15th, 8-10 AM: Make Whitewater Even Nicer
by JOHN ADAMS •
Downtown Whitewater volunteers and supporters: help us give the downtown a little “spit and polish” ahead of UW-Whitewater graduation this weekend! This will be a light cleanup, after the major cleanup April 26. When: Thursday, May 15, from 8 to 10 am. Where: Meet at Discover Whitewater (150 West Main Street). * We’ll be sweeping…
City, Good Ideas, Local Government
Rethinking Fort Atkinson
by JOHN ADAMS •
It has often been said of ancient Israel that her excellence lay in how she differed from her less thoughtful and less civilized neighbors. Not the common and vulgar practices of others, but her own singular beliefs and practices, made her great. Nearby Fort Atkinson has, over recent years, been both an economic rival and…
City, Good Ideas, New Whitewater, Open Government
‘Best Practices, Fair Treatment, Transparency’
by JOHN ADAMS •
Writing about the city requires reading the public documents of local government, even if one chooses not to write about what one’s read. Reading and observing come well before writing. Daily observation inclines an observer not to the immediate, but the distant – one takes a longer view of things. Along the way,…
Beautiful Whitewater, City, Education, Good Ideas, School District, Science/Nature
Science Night in Whitewater
by JOHN ADAMS •
Diet Coke & Mentos from John Adams on Vimeo. Last night was Science Night in Whitewater, and many hundreds from the city turned out to see dozens of displays and exhibits. My family had a fine time, and I’d say that Science Night (held periodically but infrequently) is one of our favorite public events in…
Education, Good Ideas, School District
Rube Goldberg Machines
by JOHN ADAMS •
Business, City, Free Markets, Good Ideas, Hip & Prosperous, Local Government, New Whitewater, Planning
The Planning Commission Meeting for 11.11.13
by JOHN ADAMS •
Whitewater’s Planning Commission met last night, and among the topics was consideration of re-zoning and a conditional use permit for Casual Joe’s, a new restaurant, tavern, and distillery to operate at 319 W. James Street (at the site of a long-unused commercial building, the former Fort Auto Body). On 4-3 votes, a majority of…
Beautiful Whitewater, Charity, Food, Good Ideas
Whitewater’s Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast
by JOHN ADAMS •
My youngest and I went to Sunday’s Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast at the high school. We had a great time. Light, perfectly-prepared pancakes, the very size of a pan, with link sausages, syrup, butter, and one’s choice of coffee, juice, or water. For a small price, one could order extra sausage, too, as we did. Once…