Many communities have regulations against chickens or other animals on a private homeowner’s land. Even one may violate a city’s code. These government impositions on private activity likely have less to do with health than with the class consciousness of regulators against activities deemed beneath them. Urban chickens? You bet – Wisconsin State Journal: Milwaukee…

Reason offers a good question this Earth Day – Yielding to Ideology Over Science: Why don’t environmentalists celebrate modern farming on Earth Day? In the past 50 years, crop yields have more than doubled while global land area devoted to agriculture increased just 5 percent. This is because modern farming practices, including biotech enhanced crops,…

The unsurprising risks of unprecedented federal spending, and the limits of a supposed government-private partnership: Bank bailout may hurt taxpayers, be open to fraud

Continuing for the next few weeks, it’s Prisoner Monday here at Free Whitewater. Why? Because a longtime reader previously suggested to me that being in Whitewater sometimes felt like living the plot of The Prisoner. It’s a great British series, that tells the story of a secret agent who resigns from his agency, only to…

Nick Gillespie, libertarian editor of Reason.com, expresses free market concerns about the Obama Administration’s worrisome – that’s being delicate – economic program. (Note well – there’s nothing delicate about Gillespie’s language in the article.) http://www.reason.com/blog/show/132929.html

http://www.madison.com/wsj/topstories/447418

Another Local-o-Meter’s up (see previous post), and now it’s on to the content of the Whitewater Register, our weekly newspaper of record.    Lede Story.  The above-the-fold story is the paper’s the announcement (made last Thursday) that Dr. Suzanne Zentner will be the new WUSD District Administrator.  There’s no interview with Zentner, and even the quote…

“United Will Require Obese Passengers to Buy Second Ticket.”

Continuing for the next several weeks, it’s Prisoner Monday here at Free Whitewater. Why? Because a longtime reader previously suggested to me that being in Whitewater sometimes felt like living the plot of The Prisoner. It’s a great British series, that tells the story of a secret agent who resigns from his agency, only to…

Almanac Sunday, April 12, 2009 Sunrise Sunset Official Time 06:18 AM 07:33 PM Civil Twilight 05:49 AM 08:02 PM Tomorrow 06:17 AM 07:34 PM Tomorrow will be: 2 minutes longer Amount of sunlight: 13h 15m Amount of daylight: 14h 13m Moon phase: Waning Gibbous

I am not sure who’s Director of Plants and Animals, or Flora and Fauna, or whatever, here in Whitewater. I hope, though, the high official in that position reads Wired, because in that fine publication one finds a possible solution to all our energy worries: http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/04/doubleduckweed.html Note to Chief Coan – By high official I…

The WUSD this morning chose Dr. Suzanne Zentner as its new district administrator, succeeding Dr. Leslie Steinhaus. Much will be made of Dr. Zentner’s local ties – but in the end, it’s moving away from many local practices that will make all the difference for us. Every initial announcement is a happy one; success comes…

Just a few comments about races that were, generally, unsuprising.   First, it takes few votes to find one’s way to Common Council.  Between about 100 and 200 votes received would have assured a place on Council from Districts 1, 3, and 5.  In a low turnout race, without high-profile state or local contests, one can…