FREE WHITEWATER

Daily Bread, Food

Daily Bread for 3.13.23: You Must Be Kidding, Dinner Edition

by  • 

Good morning.

Monday in Whitewater will be cloudy with a high of 29. Sunrise is 7:08 AM and sunset 6:59 PM for 11h 50m 28s of daytime. The moon is a waning gibbous with 67.7% of its visible disk illuminated.

Whitewater’s Planning Board meets at 6 PM. 

 On this day in 1930, news of the discovery of Pluto is announced by Lowell Observatory.

Over at the Washington Post, there’s an account from a troubled civilization.  A reader writes to the Miss Manners etiquette column about a dinner invitation.

The account:

Dear Miss Manners: About once a month, we go out to dinner with another couple and always have a good time. We tend to order roughly the same things — one drink each, no desserts unless it’s a special occasion — so we just split the bill.

We were surprised, but fine with it, when they suggested that we should eat at their house next time instead of going out. We’ve all been doing a lot of creative cooking during the pandemic, and I offered to host the following time.

We had a nice meal — but then they told us what our share of the cost would be! I’m in shock that our friends would be so stingy as to charge us for eating at their own home. We thought they were close friends!

From the reply:

There is, indeed, a huge difference between a restaurant and a home. Or rather, there should be. But the habit of eating in commercial establishments has resulted in all but obliterating the meaning of private hospitality.

….

Your friends have carried this to a crude extreme. To anyone who remembers the ancient tradition of hospitality, this is sad. Planning and overseeing entertainment were a pleasure that people enjoyed taking turns doing. The claim that it put all the burden on the hosts was false because reciprocity evened it out.

Miss Manners might have been inclined to make this point by asking your friends whether the price they quoted included the service charge.

It’s a confused expression of friendship to ask private guests for a portion of a meal’s cost, but it is — truly — a great story to tell others. I’ve never had this happen, but it would be worth the experience to be able to say, “you’ll never guess what happened last week when we went to dinner…”

Metal fence stands no chance against fleeing gator in Florida:

Adventure, Daily Bread, Nature, Photography, Wisconsin

Daily Bread for 3.12.23: These Towns Go Dark to See Starlight

by  • 

Good morning.

Sunday in Whitewater will be cloudy with a high of 35. Sunrise is 7:10 AM and sunset 6:58 PM for 11h 47m 33s of daytime. The moon is a waning gibbous with 76.5% of its visible disk illuminated.

 On this day in 1933, Franklin Roosevelt addresses the nation for the first time as President of the United States. This is also the first of his “fireside chats.”

These Towns Go Dark to See Starlight:

Here in Wisconsin, we’ve a dark sky park at Newport State Park in Ellison Bay, at the top of the Door peninsula. Our youngest and I were last out there in the fall, and we will be back again when the galactic center is visible for longer periods in the evening.  Devil’s Lake State Park is also a fine spot, and closer to Whitewater. 

While Whitewater is visibly brighter at night than Newport, there are opportunities here to stargaze and also to test one’s gear for trips farther afield. 

Bobcat strolls in, lounges on dog bed: 

[spacer height=”350px”]

Adventure, Daily Bread, Technology

Daily Bread for 3.11.23: Surf, Skate, Snowboard, and Work All in One Day

by  • 

Good morning.

Saturday in Whitewater will be cloudy with a high of 36. Sunrise is 6:12 AM and sunset 5:56 PM for 11h 44m 44s of daytime. The moon is a waning gibbous with 84.6% of its visible disk illuminated.

 On this day in 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declares the COVID-19 virus epidemic a pandemic.

Surf, Skate, Snowboard, and Work All in One Day:

Two Volcom executives face a day-long challenge: an attempt to surf, skateboard, and snowboard – all while working and collaborating with their global team. See how the Dell Latitude 9330 laptop, powered by Intel vPro®, keeps them connected and productive. Sponsored by Dell Technologies & Intel®

Beijing skies engulfed by sandstorm, pollution:

Daily Bread, Economy, Employment

Daily Bread for 3.10.23: National Labor Market Stays Strong

by  • 

Good morning.

Friday in Whitewater will be cloudy with a high of 36. Sunrise is 6:13 AM and sunset 5:55 PM for 11h 41m 50s of daytime. The moon is a waning gibbous with 91.1% of its visible disk illuminated.

 On this day in 2000, the Dot-com bubble peaks with the NASDAQ Composite stock market index reaching 5,048.62.

Lauren Kaori Gurley reports Economy adds 311,000 jobs in February, reflecting ongoing labor market strength (‘The job gains came in lower than January’s eye-popping numbers but the figure beats economists expectations’): 

The economy churned out 311,000 jobs in February, reflecting impressive labor market strength more than a year into the Federal Reserve’s fight to cool the economy.

….

The resilient labor market comes as a blessing for many workers, affording many the ability to switch into better jobs and negotiate raises over the past year and a half. Average hourly wages rose by 0.2 percent between January and February. Overall pay is up 4.6 percent from a year ago, to an hourly average of $33.09 an hour.

However, the Federal Reserve could use the labor market’s strength to justify raising interest rates at a more aggressive pace than outlined just months ago, which Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell talked about while testifying before Congress earlier this week.

Inflation has fallen since reaching 40-year-highs last summer, but prices remain well above normal. A new inflation report to be released next week will provide more clarity on whether the Fed has made enough progress to continue slowing interest rate hikes.

The strength of the labor market is largely being propped up by booming consumer demand for services and experiences coming out of the pandemic. Some of the largest job gains in February were in leisure and hospitality, retail trade, government, and health care. Employment fell in information, transportation, and warehousing.

How to Pack a Spacecraft: Science Payload on Earth Science Mission Heads to India:

City, Film

Film: Tuesday, March 14th, 1:00 PM @ Seniors in the Park, The Fablemans

by  • 

Tuesday, March 14th at 1:00 PM, there will be a showing of The Fablemans @ Seniors in the Park, in the Starin Community Building:

Drama

Rated PG13; 2 hours, 31 minutes (2022)

Loosely based on Steven Spielberg’s childhood growing up in post-World War 2 Arizona, from age 7 to 18. A young, impressionable Sammy Fableman explores how the power of movies helps us see the truth about ourselves and others. Starring Michelle Williams, Judd Hirsch, Paul Dano and Seth Rogan. Nominated for 7 Oscars, including Best Film, Screenplay, Music, Actress and Actor.

One can find more information about The Fablemans at the Internet Movie Database.

City, Culture, Daily Bread, Local Government, Populists, School District

Daily Bread for 3.9.23: Whitewater Has More Than Us and Them

by  • 

Good morning.

Thursday in Whitewater will be cloudy, with a probability of snow in the evening, and a high of 38. Sunrise is 6:15 AM and sunset 5:54 PM for 11h 38m 54s of daytime. The moon is a waning gibbous with 96.3% of its visible disk illuminated.

 On this day in 1776, The Wealth of Nations by Scottish economist and philosopher Adam Smith is published.

Whitewater is a small town. Larger than nearby places, but still small as against other Wisconsin cities, Midwestern cities, or cities farther afield. Small, but larger than two, so to speak: it’s an error to think that Whitewater is merely us and them, those for us and those agin us. Any analysis that rests on two factions within Whitewater (whether political or social) is deficient. 

See the FREE WHITEWATER series on local politics for the number of political factions alone; there are many other apolitical groups of all sorts. 

Where an Old Whitewater outlook once falsely contended the city was one way, the city is now evidently (and from my point of view felicitously) many ways.

It’s characteristic of populism, for example, to define conditions dichotomously. (A second characteristic is falsely to claim majoritarian support. Populists mix lies with the truth to inflate their own significance. Their most essential trait, however, is to claim contrary positions as intrinsically illegitimate.)     

Populism is emotional, often intensely so. In its conduct, populism, at least, vindicates Hobbes’s view that that reason is a spy for the passions, so that “the Thoughts, are to the Desires, as Scouts, and Spies, to range abroad, and find the way to the things Desired.”

Churchill, quoting a saying of others, once remarked to the U.S. Congress that

The proud German army has by its sudden collapse, sudden crumbling and breaking up, unexpected to all of us, the proud German army once again proves the truth of the saying “The Hun is always either at your throat or at your feet.” 

So it is with populism: split in both outlook and in demeanor. 

From my reply, this morning, to a comment: Sorting out the right ongoing response requires careful thought for those of us not disposed to cultural conflicts of this kind in Whitewater. One adjusts and fortifies when it is necessary to adjust and fortify.  

Adidas Dilemma: What to Do With $1.3 Billion of Yeezy Gear:

City, Culture, Daily Bread, LGBTQ+, School District

Daily Bread for 3.8.23: On LGBTQ+ Movie Night at Whitewater’s Library

by  • 

Good morning.

Wednesday in Whitewater will be mostly cloudy with a high of 44. Sunrise is 6:17 AM and sunset 5:53 PM for 11h 35m 59s of daytime. The moon is a waning gibbous with 99.1% of its visible disk illuminated.

There will be a City of Whitewater Strategic Planning Session/Retreat at 6:30 PM, and the Police and Fire Commission meets at 7 PM. 

 On this day in 1775, an anonymous writer, thought by some to be Thomas Paine, publishes “African Slavery in America,” the first article in the American colonies calling for the emancipation of slaves and the abolition of slavery

Last night, Whitewater’s public library screened a movie for 13 to 18 year old LGBTQ+ teens and their allies. Unfortunate criticism of the screening ignored the rights of association and assembly that attendees should and must have. 

As longtime readers know, this libertarian blogger has, for some considerable time, expressed concerns that a faction would seek to impose on all this community book-banning and closet-confining. These are not new concerns; they have weighed on my mind for years. (To see the national scene clearly is to ponder whether its worst aspects will one day becloud Whitewater. See 1, 2, 3.) 

And yet, I have been reserved and cautious on the subject. There are two reason for this. First, I am not a member of the LGBTQ+. That community should, first and foremost, have the right and opportunity to speak for itself. In some respects, I am their demographic opposite (straight, white, male). And so, an ally, but one who knows that allies support rather than direct. (This is, after all, one definition of Christian love: to will the good of the other as the other. One wants and hopes the best for others as they conceive that best condition.) 

The second reason that I have been cautious is that this film showing was for teens, not adults. I’m hesitant to write in a way that might incite others toward greater hostility toward a teen community. (Almost all my writing involves disputes between adults, not toward teens or children. In that writing, it’s fair to say, I have, well, less hesitancy. It’s rare that I am reticent.) 

Last night, I had the pleasure of meeting some parents and community members who stood outside our library in support of Whitewater teens’ attendance at the movie. Quite the friendly and welcoming group. (My presence was not long, and in no way notable. Those who organized this event deserve the credit for it, as do those who stood steadfast far longer last night.) It is attendees, and their families and allies, who should set the pace which others supportively match.  

One imagines this event took time and careful planning: a film, a venue, an activity, snacks, and advertising. (I’d guess many weeks.) The advertisement for the movie shows care — welcoming, encouraging, positive. Those who have lawfully organized a nice evening for members of our community, and certainly those who attended, should not have to feel tension or hostility for having done so. Note well: a culture war in Whitewater is the surest path to individual injury and community decline.

Whitewater is better for the efforts of those who made this LGBTQ+ movie night possible. They were right to hold fast, and we will be right to support their ongoing presence and efforts in our community.  

Koala explores gas station in South Australia:

City, Courts, Daily Bread, Elections, Local Government, Politics, School District

Daily Bread for 3.7.23: Whitewater’s Next Candidate Forums on 3.11 and 3.19

by  • 

Good morning.

Tuesday in Whitewater will be partly cloudy with a high of 45. Sunrise is 6:19 AM and sunset 5:52 PM for 11h 33m 05s of daytime. The moon is full with 100% of its visible disk illuminated.

The Whitewater Common Council meets at 6:30 PM. 

 On this day in 1900, the German liner SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse becomes the first ship to send wireless signals to shore.

Whitewater having come through the February primary in one piece, we’ve now a general election in April, for contested positions on the Whitewater Unified School District’s board and for Whitewater’s municipal court.

There will be community forums for both contests:

 For the six school board candidates (Thayer Coburn, Stephanie Hicks, Lisa Huempfner, Joe Kromholz, Christy Linse, and Chuck Mills) vying for three seats, on Saturday, March 11, at Whitewater’s Municipal Building, 312 W. Whitewater St., at 10 AM. 

 For the municipal court, with two candidates (Patrick Taylor, Art Coleman) vying for one seat, on Sunday, March 19, at the Whitewater Municipal Building, at 1 PM.

Having come through the February primary ‘in one piece’: that description only bears mentioning because these last years have left some rattled, ridiculous, and retrograde. The serious and sensible have an obligation to themselves and to this community to remain practical. See Demand High at Food Pantries. 

(For this libertarian blogger’s own assessment of local priorities, see What Ails, What Heals.)

Japan’s next-generation H3 rocket self-destructs after liftoff due to engine failure:

Courts, Daily Bread, Gerrymandering, Law, Presidential race 2020, Wisconsin

Daily Bread for 3.6.23: Wisconsin Supreme Court Re-Appoints Advocate of Fake Electors to Judicial Committee

by  • 

Good morning.

Monday in Whitewater will be cloudy with scattered showers and a high of 45. Sunrise is 6:20 AM and sunset 5:50 PM for 11h 30m 10s of daytime. The moon is a waxing gibbous with 99% of its visible disk illuminated.

Whitewater will hold a Strategic Planning Session at 6 PM.

 On this day in 1967, Joseph Stalin’s daughter Svetlana Alliluyeva defects to the United States.

 Shawn Johnson reports Trump Recount Attorney Reappointed To Wisconsin Judicial Conduct Committee:

A lawyer who advised Wisconsin Republicans on using fake electors after the 2020 election has been reappointed to a state panel that renders advisory opinions and advice for judges.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court ordered the reappointment of attorney Jim Troupis to the Judicial Conduct Advisory Committee for a term that runs until March 7, 2026. The court’s four conservative justices supported his reappointment while three liberal justices dissented.

Troupis was the lead Wisconsin attorney for former President Donald Trump‘s campaign following Trump’s loss to President Joe Biden in the 2020 election. Troupis oversaw Trump’s partial recount in Dane and Milwaukee Counties, filing a lawsuit that asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to overturn Biden’s victory in the state. The court rejected the lawsuit on the day Wisconsin’s actual electors met at the Capitol.

Troupis’ name resurfaced last year when the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol turned its attention to Trump’s use of false electors in Wisconsin and other swing states. The New York Times published a memo Troupis received from Trump attorney Kenneth Chesebro laying out the electors’ strategy. Chesebro later joined Troupis in an unsuccessful last-ditch appeal asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Wisconsin’s election results.

Troupis’ involvement in Wisconsin politics predates Trump. For years, he was a go-to expert for Republicans on redistricting, helping them draw the legislative map in 2011 that cemented GOP power for a decade. In 2015, former Republican Gov. Scott Walker appointed Troupis to a judgeship on the Dane County Circuit Court, and in 2016, Troupis applied to Walker for a vacancy on the state Supreme Court.

Troupis went from pushing gerrymandering to pushing fake presidential electors, living out the adage that bad goes to worse. In a well-ordered judicial system, Troupis would be facing disciplinary action for the fake electors scheme, not receiving re-appointment  to a committee that advises judges.

Glow-in-the-Dark Mushrooms: Nature’s Night Lights:

Crackpots, Daily Bread, Elections, Ethics, Gableman, Law, Legislature, Speaker Vos, Wisconsin

Daily Bread for 3.5.23: Michael Gableman’s Greatest Productivity Has Been in Ethics Complaints Against Himself

by  • 

Good morning.

Sunday in Whitewater will be partly cloudy with a high of 48. Sunrise is 6:22 AM and sunset 5:49 PM for 11h 27m 16s of daytime. The moon is a waxing gibbous with 96.53% of its visible disk illuminated.

 On this day in 1981, the ZX81, a pioneering British home computer, is launched by Sinclair Research and would go on to sell over 1.5 million units around the world.

Michael Gableman, former justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, former special counsel investigating election fraud that never happened, and all-around conspiracy theorist, has himself in the news again. (Of course he is — no one story can present a shambles so large.)  Rich Kremer reports Ethics complaint filed against Michael Gableman, head of 2020 election review:

An ethics complaint has been filed against former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, who headed the taxpayer-funded review of the 2020 election. It alleges Gableman harassed public and private individuals and waged a “shambolic, dishonest and destructive campaign,” during the investigation. 

The complaint was filed with the state Office of Lawyer Regulation by the liberal group Law Forward. It accuses Gableman of regularly lying to government officials, the state Legislature, courts and the public while pursuing “frivolous litigation” as he led the Wisconsin Assembly’s “Office of Special Counsel.” Reached by phone, Gableman did not immediately have a comment. 

Madison attorney Jeff Mandell, who filed the complaint with Law Forward attorney Dan Lenz, told Wisconsin Public Radio it’s not up to the group to suggest what penalties Gableman should face. But Mandell said the ethical violations alleged in the complaint are “voluminous” and “quite serious.” 

“So, I hope that pretty much all of the options that the ethical violations can trigger are on the table,” Mandell said. 

Those options include fines, temporary law license suspensions or disbarment. 

Gableman was hired by Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, to lead the review a day after former President Donald Trump accused Michael  and other Republican legislative leaders of “working hard to cover up election corruption” in Wisconsin. Gableman was initially paid $11,000 per month. 

Vos, by the way, is like a man who brings a drunk companion to a party, the companion disrupts the event and vomits on the floor, only for Vos to insist he was opposed to the companion’s conduct from the start. Should have known with whom you were walking through the door, buddy. 

The World’s Loudest Sound:

[spacer height=”100px”]

Daily Bread, Faraway Places, Nature, Photography, Video

Daily Bread for 3.4.23: Indonesia: Bali & Java

by  • 

Good morning.

Saturday in Whitewater will be partly cloudy with a high of 47. Sunrise is 6:24 AM and sunset 5:48 PM for 11h 24m 22s of daytime. The moon is a waxing gibbous with 92.3% of its visible disk illuminated.

 On this day in 1789, in New York City, the first Congress of the United States meets, putting the United States Constitution into effect

Indonesia FPV: Bali & Java:

Indonesia FPV: Bali & Java (Interactive) from Timelab Pro on Vimeo.

 What’s in the Night Sky March 2023: