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 >>
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?”
“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.
Hat tip to Huffington Post Cats.
Earlier this week, Fearless Felix Baumgarnter set a personal best for a jump — in a pressurized suit — from 96,640 feet.
‘Fearless Felix’ falls far fast: krqe.com
Let’s assume that Felix and others could prepare you, adequately, to do what he did. (It’s a big assumption, of course, because Felix has been skydiving from all sorts of heights and locations for years. Still, assume he could get you ready for your own sky-high jump.)
Would you jump from 96,640 feet, if given the chance? That’s today’s poll question:
Good morning.
For Whitewater’s Friday, a chance of showers in the morning, on a day with a high of eighty-two.
On this day in 1953, the armistice ending the Korean War was signed in Panmunjom, ending three years of fighting.
LiveScience.com offers an Olympics-themed video on why Usain Bolt is so fast:
The Wisconsin Historical Society marks this day in 1894 as one of the worst disasters in state history:
1894 – Forest Fire Destroys Phillips
On the afternoon of this day, a forest fire swept over the Price Co. town of Phillips from the west, destroying nearly all the buildings and forcing 2,000 people to flee for their lives. When the sun came up the next morning, 13 people had been killed, the entire downtown was in ashes, and exhausted survivors were wandering through the ruins in a daze. The fire ultimately consumed more than 100,000 acres in Price County. Much of the town was rebuilt within a year.
Google’s daily puzzle asks about a sticky situation: “You’re stuck in a black hole. How many miles per second must you travel to break free from the gravitational well?”
Please see a notice from the City of Whitewater about the location of the August 14th primary polling site:
The polling location for the August 14, 2012 Partisan Primary has moved to the City of Whitewater Municipal Building, Common Council Chambers, 312 W. Whitewater Street, Whitewater, WI 53190.
The location has moved due to the lack of air conditioning at the Downtown Armory. Please call City Clerk Michele Smith at (262) 473-0102 with questions.
In America, and places beyond, homeowners’ vegetable gardens have become a target of municipal officials.
They’re beautiful, offer fresh food, conserve water, and are peaceful uses of homeowners’ private property: yet for it all, vegetable gardens still offend officials’ laughable sense of what’s appropriate.
That appropriateness in this case is little more than a dull person’s sense of propriety scarcely matters: the regulations trump good ideas.
Here’s a link to a fine story about misguided municipal badgering of vegetable gardeners: City officials are waging a war on gardens.
Hat tip to the Wisconsin Happy Farm for the link.
Posted originally on 7.26.12 at Daily Adams.
Transparency, better understanding of policy, and administrative accountability: no federal agency, including the Federal Reserve, should be free from thorough review.
The better question, to which there isn’t a persuasive objection: Why not audit the Fed?
Posted originally on 7.26.12 at Daily Adams.
Good morning.
Whitewater’s Thursday forecast calls for a partly sunny day, with a high of ninety, and northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
On this day in 1775, the Second Continental Congress established the post office:
‘Fearless Felix’ Baumgartner jumped from a balloon 96,000 feel above the earth, using a pressure suit, and set a personal best for having done so. He’s easily earned his nickname:
‘Fearless Felix’ falls far fast: krqe.com
Google’s daily puzzle asks about the value of art, during an artist’s career: “How much did Vincent Van Gogh earn from selling his paintings during his lifetime?”
It could have been worse, much worse, than a boa constrictor…
Rest easy, Whitewater.
Walworth County among them. Neither ordinary nor easy times:
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Federal officials have declared 23 counties in southern Wisconsin as natural disaster areas, making farms in those areas eligible for low-interest emergency loans.
The counties have been baked by recent heat waves in which temperatures sizzled into the 100-degree range and left severe drought conditions that took a major toll on crop production.
The disaster designation was announced Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Via WQOW
Whitewater’s boards and commissions sometimes have politicians, city employees, the privately-employed, or retired residents as members. The mix between these categories is often fixed: there must be so many citizen reps, council members, etc.
In a technical, but disingenuous, way, all of the members of a commission are likely to be citizen-resident representatives. If the term citizen rep is to have any reasonable meaning, however, the definition describes those not in office, those with a private position and perspective different from bureaucrats, politicians, etc.
How very odd, then, to think that a long-term city manager, having just left that post a month ago, would find his way back to a board on which he served while city manager, now as a ‘citizen’ member.
It’s technically correct to appoint him that way, but an insult to private citizens who might wish a spot on a board.
(It’s even odder when the city manager, while about to leave, proposes an expansion of the number of citizen spots on the board, just in time for him to take a newly-created citizen’s spot after he can no longer have a bureaucrat’s spot.)
That’s just another perk on the way out. So instead of giving a departing bureaucrat, say, a gold watch or Red Pin Oak, the bureaucrat gets watch or tree plus a citizen’s spot on a commission.
Even if one assumed that the bureaucrat were the best possible candidate from among all applicants — and in this case that would be just silly — it’s still a spot that belongs to a different member of the community, to provide balance and diversity rather than group-think and back-patting.
That diversity of membership will produce a better result than a rigged game of musical chairs.
Good morning.
It’s a hot Wednesday for Whitewater, with a high temperature of about 100, and a heat index as high as 104.
This morning at 8 AM, Downtown Whitewater’s board meets.
On this day in 1978, “Louise Joy Brown, the world’s first baby to be conceived via in vitro fertilization (IVF) is born at Oldham and District General Hospital in Manchester, England, to parents Lesley and Peter Brown”:
The Wisconsin Historical Society marks today in 1999 as a memorable one for Brewers fans:
1999 – First Brewer Inducted into Hall of Fame
On this date Robin Yount became the first player inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in a Brewer’s jersey. Yount entered the major leagues at the age of eighteen and spent his entire career with the Milwaukee Brewers as number 19 at short stop and center field. His awards are numerous, including being selected as an all-star three times as well as American league MVP twice. [Source: Milwaukee Brewers]
Google’s daily puzzle asks about a planet’s size: “You’re looking at a planet in our solar system that could float on water, despite its enormous size. How many times bigger than the Earth is this planet?”
