Americans aren’t the only ones who like pumpkins this time of year.
Teddy Bear the Porcupine happily devours a small pumpkin:
Americans aren’t the only ones who like pumpkins this time of year.
Teddy Bear the Porcupine happily devours a small pumpkin:
Good morning, Whitewater.
Saturday in Whitewater will be lovely, with sunny skies and a high of sixty-five.
Even the most extraordinary records are susceptible of being surpassed. Not long ago, Felix Baumgartner amazed the world with a high-altitude skydive. Now, an executive from Google has broken Baumgartner’s record.
Here’s video of Alan Eustace’s jump:
See, for more information, Parachutist’s Record Fall: Over 25 Miles in 15 Minutes Alan Eustace Jumps From Stratosphere, Breaking Felix Baumgartner’s World Record.
On this day in 1909, a brewery explosion claims a life:
1909 – Explosion at Pabst Brewing Company
On this date a major boiler house explosion devastated three stories at Pabst Brewing Company early in the morning. The damage was estimated at about $250,000, one worker was killed and another was injured. Pabst Brewing Company filed a claim with its insurer, the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company, to recover damages from the explosion. [Source: Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company]
In California, Genoveva Nunez-Figueroa became stuck in the chimney of a former boyfriend’s house, all part of a failed attempt to become reacquainted with him:
The county Fire Department’s urban search and rescue team was called to the scene. Photos posted on Twitter by the department showed firefighters on the roof of the house as they worked to reach the woman, who was conscious during the rescue.
The flue was lubricated with dish soap before she was lifted out of the chimney, placed in a Stokes basket and hoisted from the roof by a ladder truck, according to VCFD Capt. Mike Lindbery.
There’s some good in all this, however. The former boyfriend offered sage advice for all humanity:
The home’s resident, who did not wish to be identified, said he had met Nunez-Figueroa online and they had gone on about six dates.
He cautioned other people about allowing acquaintances into their homes.
“Before you have somebody come in your house really check them out … really give it some time before you let somebody in, because they might want to stay,” he told KTLA.
See, Woman Arrested After Becoming Trapped in Chimney at Thousand Oaks Home @ KTLA.
Good morning, Whitewater.
Friday will be mild and increasingly sunny, with a high of sixty-five.
On this day in 1945, the United Nations comes into force:
On April 25, 1945, the United Nations Conference on International Organization convened in San Francisco with 50 nations represented. Three months later, during which time Germany had surrendered, the final Charter of the United Nations was unanimously adopted and signed by the delegates. The Charter called for the U.N. to maintain international peace and security, promote social progress and better standards of life, strengthen international law, and promote the expansion of human rights.
On October 24, 1945, the U.N. Charter came into force upon its ratification by the five permanent members of the Security Council and a majority of other signatories. The first U.N. General Assembly, with 51 nations represented, opened in London on January 10, 1946. On October 24, 1949, exactly four years after the United Nations Charter went into effect, the cornerstone was laid for the present United Nations headquarters, located in New York City. Since 1945, the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded five times to the United Nations and its organizations and five times to individual U.N. officials.
On this day in 1933, Janesville has a visitor:
1933 – Amelia Earhart Visits Janesville
On this date Amelia Earhart spoke to the Janesville Woman’s History Club as part of the group’s 57th anniversary celebration. Four years later, Earhart disappeared as she attempted to fly across the Pacific Ocean. [Source: Janesville Gazette 10/24/1933, p.2]
Google-a-Day asks about art:
In what kind of building will you find the 15 x 29 ft. mural created for the husband of Beatrice d’Este?
Good morning, Whitewater.
We’ll have a partly cloudy day, with a high of fifty-nine, and about an even chance of afternoon showers today.
If cloud cover doesn’t obscure the view, we’ve a chance tonight to see a partial solar eclipse:
On this day in 1921, a first:
1921 – Green Bay Packers First NFL Game
On this date the Green Bay Packers played their first NFL game. The Packers defeated the Minneapolis Marines 7-6, for a crowd of 6,000 fans and completed their inaugural season with 3 wins, 2 losses, and 2 ties.[Source: Packers.com]
Google has a technology question for Thursday:
Of the five NASA space shuttles, which one flew the most missions?
At last night’s Council session, City Manager Clapper mentioned two upcoming budget topics of particular interest: funding for Downtown Whitewater and for the Janesville Transit Bus.
The two items could not be more different: expenditures for Downtown Whitewater support local merchants, while the Janesville Bus supports a bumbling, dissembling Janesville bureaucrat’s ambition for his town at the expense of our own.
I’ve mentioned the budget as one of the four big public policy topics of the fall, and look forward to both discussions (October 28th for Downtown Whitewater, November 6th for the Janesville Bus.)
In some ways, I’m sorry even to mention the two requests in the same post. Downtown Whitewater doesn’t deserve the taint of being discussed in the same post as the bus (a project that, if it were ever successful on its own terms, would undermine local shopping in favor of Janesville’s merchants).
We don’t do enough for brick and mortar, and certainly not compared with the amounts we waste on taxpayer-subsidized, bottom-shelf tech ventures in a futile effort to make the Innovation Center look innovative.
(I sometimes think some of these gentlemen would stick an iPhone in a pig’s mouth and call it a mobile communications platform if they thought anyone would marvel at it.)
But for brick and mortar here in town – well, that’s slipped from fashion these last few years. That’s too bad – there’s more to be done there, if it’s to be done anywhere.
A renewed commitment to existing, conventional merchants and new ones over sketchy tech ventures is a better direction for this city.
Even in the busiest of times, these are two projects worth watching. I’ll write about each before their scheduled discussions at Council.
It’s seldom true that a single misstep ruins an official. With the exception of criminal conduct, most mistakes are ones from which a politician or bureaucrat can recover.
And yet, and yet, some mistakes take their toll. They do so, however, with a cumulative effect – one after another debilitates as does cumulative radiation exposure.
Look at Whitewater over the last decade, and consider those officials who departed with a limp, so to speak: Boden, Coan, Steinhaus, Brunner. With the exception of Steinhaus, each was celebrated (if only by his own account) as a great or visionary leader sometime during his respective tenure.
They each had kerfuffles during their time in local office, and perhaps thought that getting past them was a sign of success. At the moment, perhaps; over time, not at all.
Written criticism played no meaningful role in their respective departures; it was their own poor choices that undermined their roles in the community.
They all seemed strong, at least for a bit, until they weren’t strong at all. Some of them saw this coming (and so in each case did a growing number of residents), but for others it was a surprise.
It’s not day-in, day-out that makes a difference: it’s the years-long, cumulative effect of poor choices.
The way to avoid accumulated injury is to avoid the same harmful, repetitive motions.
It’s the long-run, and not the sort-term, matters.
Good morning, Whitewater.
Wednesday will be a sunny day with a high of fifty-seven degrees.
On this day in 1962, Pres. Kennedy tells Americans about the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba:
In a televised speech of extraordinary gravity, President John F. Kennedy announces that U.S. spy planes have discovered Soviet missile bases in Cuba. These missile sites—under construction but nearing completion—housed medium-range missiles capable of striking a number of major cities in the United States, including Washington, D.C. Kennedy announced that he was ordering a naval “quarantine” of Cuba to prevent Soviet ships from transporting any more offensive weapons to the island and explained that the United States would not tolerate the existence of the missile sites currently in place. The president made it clear that America would not stop short of military action to end what he called a “clandestine, reckless, and provocative threat to world peace.”
What is known as the Cuban Missile Crisis actually began on October 15, 1962—the day that U.S. intelligence personnel analyzing U-2 spy plane data discovered that the Soviets were building medium-range missile sites in Cuba. The next day, President Kennedy secretly convened an emergency meeting of his senior military, political, and diplomatic advisers to discuss the ominous development. The group became known as ExCom, short for Executive Committee. After rejecting a surgical air strike against the missile sites, ExCom decided on a naval quarantine and a demand that the bases be dismantled and missiles removed. On the night of October 22, Kennedy went on national television to announce his decision. During the next six days, the crisis escalated to a breaking point as the world tottered on the brink of nuclear war between the two superpowers.
Google-a-Day asks a question on philosophy and literature:
What “character” did Plato use in his writing to convey his own views?
The reason for the Bull advancing on us became later evident when we were told by the clients that one member of the group had tried to run down the river bank and another had moved position, we were not aware of this during the encounter as we where approx 4 – 5 meters in front of the clients and were concentrating on the Elephant actions, both clients where held still by other members of the group as per our pre trail briefing, this can be seen in the clip where the Elephant reacts to the persons moving across and in front of the camera. At this stage it is important for the guides to concentrate on the potential threat and deter a situation, which we did. The Elephant then backed up and moved off. We continued our walk after the excitement within the clients had returned to normal, I reiterated at this point to the clients on the importance of not moving or generating noise during such an encounter such as had occurred. By Colin Patrick.
The Elephant was not provoked or harmed in any way.
Kruger National Park – http://www.krugerparkbookings.com
Whitewater’s last Planning Commission meeting was a week ago, Monday (10.13.14).
I’ve two suggestions:
First, it would be a good idea to keep a copy of Whitewater’s ordinances and regulations available at the meeting.
It may be that a city employee cannot recall a certain requirement or provision of our local law. That’s not surprising; we have many regulations.
The easiest fix is to keep a indexed copy of our ordinances or other policy documents on hand: at-the-moment inquiry would be possible for simple, matter-of-fact-questions.
There may be some reluctance to look up a simple provision on the spot, as some might fear it suggests an embarrassing ignorance. Strictly, it does suggest ignorance, but not embarrassing ignorance: one should only be disappointed by not trying.
It’s much better in appearance and result to take a moment to consult a book than it is to say, “I can’t recall.” The latter adds nothing to participants’ knowledge; the former leaves participants knowledgeable.
Second, there will also be times when a city department not present may need to evaluate part of a proposal. These evaluations should be arranged, when possible, without the need for a return visit to the Planning Commission. Planning approval can and should be conditioned on a subsequent and satisfactory evaluation (by, for example, the Fire Department over basic code requirements).
There’s (needlessly) reduced value in having rewritten our zoning laws only to delay planning decisions through repeated appearances before the Planning Commission.
The commissioner who suggested an approach that didn’t require a return recommended sensibly. We are neither a sluggish county nor a large city. Candidly, for government oversight, most counties and cities should act less like counties and large cities.
One last point, always worth making: every time a commissioner suggests a change or addition to a plan, he or she adds an additional expense for the applicant, if even the cost of revising a plan. These costs accumulate quickly, and when they do a planning commission becomes, in effect, a taxing commission.
Some commissioners see this, and evidently understand that they’ve an authority that should be exercised sparingly. Others most certainly do not see it this way, and are cavalier about demanding changes that are at bottom costs forced on private businesses.
If these changes are not for health or safety, they’re lower order in need, but sadly no less costly to applicants.