Daily Bread
Daily Bread for 7.31.12
by JOHN ADAMS •
Good morning.
Tuesday in Whitewater will be mostly sunny, with a high of eighty-eight, and north winds at 5 to 10 mph.
On this day in 1964, the Ranger 7 spacecraft took photos of the moon more detailed than ever before seen:

The Wisconsin Historical Society marks today in 1967 as one on which Lake Geneva took a courageous stand against the dissolution of our civilization:
1967 – Lake Geneva Bans Go-Go Girls
On this date the Lake Geneva city government passed an ordinance banning go-go girls, dancers in bikinis, and swimsuit-clad waitresses from working in establishments that served alcohol. [Source: Janesville Gazette]
Google’s daily puzzle asks about letters and numbers: “If you solve for the factorial of 4 and count that many places in the Greek alphabet, you’ll find a letter that literally means what?”
Law, Liberty, Local Government, Open Government
Chetek, WI bans open public comments from council meetings
by JOHN ADAMS •
The elected representatives of Chetek, WI would rather their constituents ask permission to speak openly to those they’ve elected:
Mum is the word in a local community after the mayor removes people’s ability to come into city council meetings and openly speak their minds.
If residents of Chetek have something to say at city council meetings, they now have to get permission to be put on the agenda by the Friday before a Tuesday city council meeting.
The mayor says this new rule was adopted to save time at meetings but some say it’s violating rights.
Wisconsin law does not require that general, open public comments be provided at a meeting, but Mayor Diane Knowlton might have advocated a time-limit per resident, if her goal were (as professed) merely to limit a loquacious resident from wasting time.
That she chose a more extreme approach tells all one needs to know about her views: she’s either incapable of a more moderate solution, or simply doesn’t want comments without pre-approval.
Feel free to drop her a line, and tell her what you think, as she’s not yet developed a way to require her permission before writing: Dianne Knowlton chetekmayor@chibardun.net.
Via City bans open public comments from council meetings.
Posted originally on 7.30.12 at Daily Adams.
Crime, Law, Liberty
Oregon Man Sentenced to 30 Days in Jail — for Collecting Rainwater on His Property
by JOHN ADAMS •
Is collecting rainwater that falls on your property a crime? It is in Oregon:
A rural Oregon man was sentenced Wednesday to 30 days in jail and over $1,500 in fines because he had three reservoirs on his property to collect and use rainwater.
Gary Harrington of Eagle Point, Ore., says he plans to appeal his conviction in Jackson County (Ore.) Circuit Court on nine misdemeanor charges under a 1925 law for having what state water managers called “three illegal reservoirs” on his property – and for filling the reservoirs with rainwater and snow runoff.
If you doubted for even a moment that government claims too much and goes too far, doubt no longer. Next: paying a daily use tax for sunshine.
Via CNSNews.com.
Hat tip to the Wisconsin Happy Farm for the link.
Posted originally on 7.30.12 at Daily Adams.
Law, Liberty
The Legal Implications of Writing Fan Fiction
by JOHN ADAMS •
Law professor Rebecca Tushnet surveys the legal scene for authors writing, or rewriting, their favorite tales:
Originally posted on 7.30.12 at Daily Adams.
Music
Monday Music: Emmylou Harris, You Never Can Tell
by JOHN ADAMS •
Daily Bread
Daily Bread for 7.30.12
by JOHN ADAMS •
Good morning.
Whitewater’s week will begin with mostly sunny skies and with a high near 94.
On this day in 1965, Pres. Johnson signed Medicare into law, easily the biggest government insurance program of its kind at the time:
LiveScience.com considers the science of Olympic swimming:
Google’s daily puzzle asks about…elephants’ ears: “You’re choosing between an African and Indian elephant. Are the ears larger or smaller on the kind you can domesticate?” more >>
Public Meetings
CDA Housing Loan Committee
by JOHN ADAMS •
Public Meetings
Tech Park Board
by JOHN ADAMS •
Recent Tweets, 7.22-7.28
by JOHN ADAMS •
http://storify.com/DailyAdams/recent-tweets-7-22-7-28
Cartoons & Comics
Sunday Morning Cartoon: Betty Boop in Training Pigeons (1936)
by JOHN ADAMS •
Daily Bread
Daily Bread for 7.29.12
by JOHN ADAMS •
Good morning.
Whitewater’s Sunday brings a chance (40%) of thunderstorms in the afternoon, with a high temperature of eighty-two.
On this day in 1958, Congress established NASA:
Google’s daily puzzle asks about wonders of the Ancients: “Who created the only living ancient world wonder?” more >>
Daily Bread
Daily Bread for 7.28.12
by JOHN ADAMS •
Good morning.
Whitewater’s Saturday will be mostly sunny with a high temperature of eighty-three, and southeast winds of about 5 mph.
On this day in 1914, a declaration of war from the long-since defunct Austro-Hungarian Empire began World War One.
On this day in 1868, America adopted the 14th Amendment:
Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Section 2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.
Section 3. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.
Section 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.
Section 5. The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
The Wisconsin Historical Society recalls that sometimes a model village is a bad model:
1934 – Two killed, 40 hurt in Kohler riot; National Guard occupies town
On this day, the “model industrial village” of Kohler became an armed camp of National Guard cavalrymen after deadly strike-related rioting. The July 27th violence, which killed two Sheboygan men and injured 40 others, prompted the summoning of 250 Guardsmen to join the 200 special deputy village marshals already present.
After striking workers became agitated and began to destroy company property, deputies turned to tear gas, rifles, and shotguns to quell the stone-throwing crowd, resulting in the deaths and injuries. Owner Walter Kohler blamed Communists and outside agitators for the violence, while union leaders blamed Kohler exclusively. Workers at the Kohler plant were demanding better hours, higher wages, and recognition of the American Federation of Labor as their collective bargaining agent. Not settled until 1941, the strike marked the beginning of what was to become a prolonged struggle between the Kohler Company and organized labor in Wisconsin; a second Kohler strike lasted from 1954 to 1965. [Source: Capital Times 7/28/1934, p.1]
Google’s daily puzzle asks about a drink: “If you asked for “two cents plain” during the Great Depression, you’d be handed a drink invented by whom?”
Sports
GM Doug Melvin: Zach Greinke to be traded
by JOHN ADAMS •
“I’m very fond of him,” [GM Doug] Melvin told USA Today. “He’s one of my favorite players I ever had. Really, he’s been like a son to me. I enjoyed talking baseball with him. He’s very passionate. He follows the game. It’s been a great experience having him for a year and a half.
“There are so many good things about him, it’s going to be difficult when we trade him.”
Via ESPN.
Update, Friday evening: Tom Haudricourt writes that Greinke has been traded to Angels. See, Haudricourt @ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
