Congress, Daily Bread, Politics, Wisconsin
Daily Bread for 2.11.24: Wisconsin’s Mike Gallagher Heads for the Exits
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Good morning.
Sunday in Whitewater will be cloudy with a high of 39. Sunrise is 6:56 and sunset 5:21 for 10h 24m 54s of daytime. The moon is a waxing crescent with 3.9% of its visible disk illuminated.
On this day in 1979, the Iranian Revolution establishes an Islamic theocracy under the leadership of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Joe Schulz reports Green Bay Congressman Mike Gallagher will not seek reelection (‘Announcement comes less than a week after Gallagher voted against impeaching Homeland Security secretary’):
After four terms in Congress, Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Green Bay, announced Saturday that he will not seek reelection.
The announcement comes less than a week after Gallagher was one of only four Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives to vote against impeachingHomeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The vote failed 214-216.
Gallagher has faced backlash for his vote from other House Republicans, and local Republican Party chapters in his district. Some prominent figures on the right even called for Gallagher to face a primary challenge.
Well, yes, but Gallagher had already decided months ago not to challenge U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, so there has been ample evidence that his political ambitions were temperate rather than hot.
The Paul Ryan route is less contentious and more lucrative:
Paul Ryan was appointed to the Fox Corporation Board of Directors in March 2019 . He is a general partner of the private equity firm Solamere Capital, LLC and chair of the firm’s Executive Partner Group. He is Vice Chairman of Teneo Strategy LLC and also serves on the Advisory Boards of Robert Bosch Gmbh and Paradigm Operations L.P. and the Boards of Directors of Xactus (formerly UniversalCIS) and SHINE Medical Technologies, LLC. Mr. Ryan served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Executive Network Partnering Corporation from 2020 to 2022. He has been a Professor of the Practice, Political Science and Economics, at the University of Notre Dame since 2019.
Volcanic eruption in Iceland subsides, though scientists warn more activity may follow:
Advertising, Daily Bread
Daily Bread for 2.10.24: The “King of the Super Bowl” Advertisements
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Good morning.
Saturday in Whitewater will be sunny with a high of 39. Sunrise is 6:57 and sunset 5:20 for 10h 22m 16s of daytime. The moon is a waxing crescent with 0.7% of its visible disk illuminated.
On this day in 1906, HMS Dreadnought, the first of a revolutionary new breed of battleships, is christened.
Meet the “King of the Super Bowl” advertisements:
Bryan Buckley is the director behind some of the biggest Super Bowl commercials. He’s spent 25 years behind the camera, even as the price of a 30-second Super Bowl spot rose to $7 million this year. CBS News’ Dana Jacobson sits down with him in L.A. to talk about his path to success.
This Family Owns the Lights of Hollywood:
Step into the neon world of ‘God’s Own Junkyard’, where words come to life in vibrant, dazzling and electrifying ways! Nestled in an unsuspecting warehouse in East London, this neon haven is more than just a workshop—it’s a shrine to the art of imagination. The Bracey family have been lighting up London since the 1960s, creating signs for some of the most iconic movies like Batman (1989), Mission Impossible (1996), The Expendables (2010) and more! Artist and Creative Director, Marcus Bracey even had curry with Stanley Kubrick after a day of filming on set of Eyes Wide Shut (1999). From crafting neon masterpieces for nightclubs to Hollywood blockbusters and the homes of A-list celebrities, ‘God’s Own Junkyard’ is the ultimate destination for all things neon. And with the biggest neon collection in Europe, open for free to the public, you can only imagine their electricity bill…
Climate, Daily Bread, Weather, Wisconsin
Daily Bread for 2.9.24: A February Tornado in Wisconsin
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Good morning.
Friday in Whitewater will be partly sunny with a high of 47. Sunrise is 6:59 and sunset 5:18 for 10h 19m 39s of daytime. The moon is new with 0.1% of its visible disk illuminated.
On this day in 1841, the U.S. Supreme Court rules in the United States v. The Amistad case that captive Africans who had seized control of the ship carrying them had been taken into slavery illegally.
Wisconsin Public Radio reports First-ever February tornado recorded along Dane-Rock County border:
For the first time on record for February, a tornado touched down Thursday night near Edgerton along the Dane-Rock County border.
The National Weather Service confirmed the tornado at 6:00 p.m. and said it was a dangerous storm and to “seek immediate safe shelter if in its path.”
A tornado warning was issued for northeastern Rock, southeastern Dane and southwestern Jefferson counties in effect until 6:30 p.m.
Videos show portions of last night’s storm:
Orcas trapped in sea ice off Japan’s coast have escaped:
Animals, Cats
Friday Catblogging: Lions v. Ants
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Kyle Melnick reports In Kenya, the king of the jungle faces a new challenge — ants (‘Researchers said big-headed ants started an “ecological chain reaction” in a Kenya conservancy, impacting lions and other animals’):
Lions have long stood atop the food chain, but now a new enemy has forced the dominant carnivores in Kenya to change their hunting strategies and diets.
The threat? Ants that are smaller than a grain of rice.
The invasive insects that arrived in Kenya in the early 2000s, probably due to global shipping and international tourism, have caused an “ecological chain reaction,” according to researchers. Big-headed ants kill native acacia ants, which protect trees from elephants and other herbivores in Kenya — one of a few African nations with a sizable lion population — by swarming into the animals’ nostrils and biting when they try to eat the trees’ leaves, branches and bark.
As acacia ants have dwindled, elephants have been able to knock down and eat more whistling thorn trees. With fewer trees, lions have lost the cover they rely on to stealthily attack zebras, their primary prey.
These ants have become a pestilence, and the sooner humanity comes to the defense of our fellow mammals, the better.
It’s not as though humans don’t know how to handle ants:
City, Film
Film: Tuesday, February 13, 1 PM @ Seniors in the Park, The Holdovers
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Tuesday, February 13th at 1 PM, there will be a showing of The Holdovers @ Seniors in the Park, in the Starin Community Building:
Drama/Comedy
Rated R (language)
2 hours, 13 minutes (2023)
A cranky history teacher (Paul Giamati) at an obscure Eastern prep school is forced to stay on campus over the Holidays with the few students and staff (DaVine Joy Randolph) that have no place to go. Golden Globes were awarded for Best Actor; Supporting Actress.
One can find more information about The Holdovers at the Internet Movie Database.
Daily Bread, Food, Wisconsin
Daily Bread for 2.8.24: Bossam Kimchi & Mbakbaka
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Good morning.
Thursday in Whitewater will be partly cloudy with a high of 55. Sunrise is 7:00 and sunset 5:17 for 10h 17m 04s of daytime. The moon is a waning crescent with 2.7% of its visible disk illuminated.
On this day in 1971, the NASDAQ stock market index opens for the first time.
Dongjoon Choi: Bossam Kimchi | Wisconsin Life:
For Dongjoon (DJ) Choi of Plover, making kimchi as a child was a family affair. Kimjang, the Korean tradition of preparing and sharing kimchi, is something Choi remembers fondly from his childhood in South Korea. Choi is now determined to keep the kimjang tradition alive in his home.
Zainab Hassen: Mbakbaka | Wisconsin Life:
Mbakbaka is a hearty, one-pot Libyan tomato-based pasta stew. It features short pasta, both dried spices and hot peppers, and traditionally, a choice of chicken or beef, in a flavorful tomato broth. Zainab Hassen shares this dish that was a staple of her childhood.
City, Common Council, Council Leadership, Daily Bread, Local Government
Daily Bread for 2.7.24: What’s Next, Common Council?
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Good morning.
Wednesday in Whitewater will be cloudy with a high of 48. Sunrise is 7:01 and sunset 5:16 for 10h 14m 29s of daytime. The moon is a waning crescent with 7.9% of its visible disk illuminated.
Whitewater’s Landmarks Commission meets at 6 PM.
On this day in 1979, Pluto moves inside Neptune’s orbit for the first time since either was discovered.
The Whitewater Common Council met last night, and appointed two residents to fill vacancies (Carol McCormick to fill an at-large vacancy into April 2024, and Patrick Singer to fill the District 1 vacancy into April 2025.)
In all that comes next, as with what’s come before, it’s what officeholders elected or appointed say and do: public words and public actions in sessions, on recordings, and in transcripts.
People choose freely, sometimes well, sometimes poorly. Whitewater deserves only the former.
California rains trap travelers like rats hotel guests:
City, Daily Bread, Local Government
Daily Bread for 2.6.24: The First Common Council Session in February
by JOHN ADAMS • • 1 Comment
Good morning.
Tuesday in Whitewater will be partly cloudy with a high of 45. Sunrise is 7:02 and sunset 5:14 for 10h 11m 56s of daytime. The moon is a waning crescent with 15.2% of its visible disk illuminated.
The Whitewater Common Council meets at 6:30 PM.
On this day in 1862, forces under the command of Ulysses S. Grant and Andrew H. Foote give the Union its first significant victory of the war, capturing Fort Henry, Tennessee in the Battle of Fort Henry.
Linked above is the Whitewater Common Council agenda for the first council meeting of February. Embedded below is the agenda for the session. Let’s see what happens:
Why human brain cells grow so slowly:
Daily Bread, School District, Speech & Debate
Daily Bread for 2.5.24: Best They Take Their Own Advice
by JOHN ADAMS • • 7 Comments
Good morning.
Monday in Whitewater will be partly cloudy with a high of 42. Sunrise is 7:04 and sunset 5:13 for 10h 09m 24s of daytime. The moon is a waning crescent with 24.8% of its visible disk illuminated.
On this day in 1945, General MacArthur returns to Manila.
On Thursday, January 25th, Whitewater School District Superintendent Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty and Board President Larry Kachel issued the following statement:
Successful school districts stay relentlessly focused on results and outcomes for their students. Dr. Pate-Hefty talked with Mr. Larry Kachel, board president, many times this week. We both hope for stability in the district and want to support our team/staff.
To be clear, the allegations made in the Monday, January 22nd board meeting were inaccurate. They were also fully investigated and reviewed by Mr. Kachel and the board attorney. There is no violation of board policy or ethics standards for the superintendent to make and negotiate salary offers; that is a requirement of the position for functional operations. According to Wisconsin State Statutes 118.24 and 19.85, administrator contracts are reviewed annually at a closed session of the board meeting. This was done according to the requirements.
The board and administration agree that the current policy language for contract negotiation is vague and are working collaboratively via the policy review process to improve clear guidance beginning in the January policy meeting; good policy is how we improve functional operations.
As we turn the corner in math and literacy, we will stay focused on the amazing work our staff and students are doing.
Emphasis added.
Best that they take their own advice.
California battered by hurricane-force winds and heavy rain:
Music
Monday Music: The Guess Who, Sour Suite
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
City, Daily Bread, Immigration, Local Government
Daily Bread for 2.4.24: Here & Now Reports on Whitewater’s Newcomers
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Good morning.
Sunday in Whitewater will be partly sunny with a high of 46. Sunrise is 7:05 and sunset 5:12 for 10h 06m 54s of daytime. The moon is a waning crescent with 33.4% of its visible disk illuminated.
On this day in 1789, George Washington is unanimously elected as the first President of the United States by the U.S. Electoral College.
PBS Wisconsin’s Here & Now reports on immigration in Whitewater:
On “Here & Now,” Nathan Denzin unpacks why large numbers of migrants are heading to Whitewater.
However unnecessarily controversial1 the issue has become, this libertarian blogger has not commented on a letter to Pres. Biden that led to state and national discussion of our small town. Not unwillingness but patience has prompted my stance: the truest test of what city officials profess and how they act will come if Whitewater becomes part of the national discussion during the fall election. I would hope that test does not befall our city; this community has endured even now too many lies and too much vilification.
Knowing what has happened, local officials must be prepared to defend zealously and diligently should distortions of our city become part of a state or national campaign this autumn.
X-ray sky as seen by eROSITA instrument in space:
1. This matter has been unnecessarily controversial. The closed ‘press conference’ of Sen. Johnson and Rep. Steil was all anyone needed to know to see how almost any further communication from the city would be misrepresented. Of the Johnson-Steil press conference see The Local Press Conference that Was Neither Local Nor a Press Conference. Of the sensible recommendation against highlighting migrants further as a staffing justification in 2024’s fraught atmosphere see More on the 11.21 Council Session:
If a [staffing] study on the matter points to the need for more officers, and if the method of hiring requires a referendum, then (but only then) the question of staffing becomes an electoral & political matter. There’s sure to be a desire, from city staff and the department, to address all of this now. Choosing among justifications, however, has political implications.
How to present a referendum is a matter that can be addressed when the city is closer to a vote (likely spring 2025). 2025 may seem close, but there’s plenty of time.
Art, Daily Bread, Film
Daily Bread for 2.3.24: Behind Ghana’s Unofficial Movie Posters
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Good morning.
Saturday in Whitewater will be sunny with a high of 45. Sunrise is 7:06 and sunset 5:10 for 10h 04m 26s of daytime. The moon is a waning crescent with 43.6% of its visible disk illuminated.
On this day in 1959, Rock and Roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson are killed in a plane crash along with the pilot near Clear Lake, Iowa, an event later known as The Day the Music Died.
Behind Ghana’s Unofficial Movie Posters:
We don’t remember Garfield having weapons and did Groundhog Day really have a GIANT groundhog eating humans?!
A handful of highly skilled artists in Ghana are behind some of the most imaginative, beautiful and exaggerated film posters. These posters are hilarious, captivating, colorful and highly impressive. So much so, that they’ve become a worldwide sensation!
Whilst you may disregard these as misleading bootlegs, anthropologist Dr. Joseph Oduro-Frimpong believes that these posters are vital artifacts of Ghanaian art, history and culture. And he should know, he’s collected over one hundred of them. We begin Black History Month with this story exploring the incredible talent Ghana has to offer… Special thanks to the Ashesi Center for African Popular Culture.
Tourists manage to escape charging elephant’s path:
Two tourists were caught in an elephant’s wrath, narrowly escaping as the animal charged at them at Bandipur National Park in India.
America, Daily Bread, Economy, Employment
Daily Bread for 2.2.24: National Labor Market Soars, Again
by JOHN ADAMS • • Comments
Good morning.
Groundhog Day in Whitewater will be cloudy with a high of 41. Sunrise is 7:07 and sunset 5:09 for 10h 01m 59s of daytime. The moon is a waning gibbous with 53.7% of its visible disk illuminated.
On this day in 1913, Grand Central Terminal opens in New York City.
First Punxsutawney Phil predicts an early Spring, and then the federal government reports notably strong national employment gains for January 2024 — much as I love winter, conditions are looking up. Lydia DePillis reports U.S. employers added 353,000 jobs in January:
The United States delivered a much bigger-than-expected batch of jobs last month, adding further evidence that the economy still has plenty of steam.
Employers added 353,000 jobs in January, the Labor Department reported on Friday, and the unemployment rate remained at 3.7 percent.
After the loss of 14 percent of the nation’s jobs early in the Covid-19 pandemic, the labor market’s endurance for more than three years has surprised economists, who expected factors including the Federal Reserve’s interest rate increases to slow hiring more sharply. The strong data on Friday is likely to reinforce the Fed’s patience in beginning to cut rates.
“There’s layoffs happening, but workers are able to find new positions,” said Sara Rutledge, an independent economics consultant. “It’s almost like a ‘pinch me’ scenario.”
Ms. Rutledge helped tabulate the National Association for Business Economics’ latest member survey, which found increasing optimism that the country would avoid a recession — matching a turnaround in measures of consumer confidence as inflation has eased.
The growth in January was all the more impressive on top of upward revisions to the prior two months, which brought the monthly average job gain in 2023 to 255,000. Professional and business services accelerated to pile on 74,000 jobs, while health care added 70,000. The only major sector to lose jobs was mining and logging.
The bumper crop of added jobs, nearly twice what forecasters had expected, mirrors the similarly surprising strength in gross domestic product measurements for the fourth quarter of 2023.
Now’s the time for communities across America to take advantage of this favorable environment. Now’s the time for Whitewater.
Wildlife photographer Varun Aditya records a pride of lions:
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