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Daily Bread

Daily Bread for 1.27.12

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Good morning.

Whitewater will see increasing clouds with a high of thirty-five today; Orlando, tourist spot in the next GOP primary state, will have chance of showers, with a high of seventy-seven.

On this day in 1967, NASA experienced a tragedy, but one she was able to overcome: “Astronauts Virgil I. ”Gus” Grissom, Edward H. White and Roger B. Chaffee died in a flash fire during a test aboard their Apollo I spacecraft at Cape Kennedy, Fla.”

Google’s daily puzzle asks for a the name of a creature: “What beast is fought by the man who shines brightly with Alnilam, Alnitak, and Mintaka?”

School District, Technology

Whitewater Schools’ Good Step on Internet Devices: A BYOD Policy

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I see that the Whitewater Schools now have a bring-your own device (BYOD) policy. This is the right decision, allowing students to use the many useful, advanced devices available to students across America. Tablets, laptops, handhelds: facility in their use — and simple enjoyment of them — is now part of a proper schooling.

The full details of the policy are available online Here’s the introduction:

Students who choose to bring in their own Internet-capable devices to Whitewater Unified School District will have access to the District wireless system. This document may answer some of the questions the community may have about this opportunity for students.

In continuing our efforts to provide more access for students, we will be allowing students to bring their own wireless mobile learning device beginning on January 24, 2012. This will allow for students to access our secure network with their own device within the school day through a common portal. This includes personal laptops, smart phones, portable storage media, and other handheld devices.

It was a lifetime ago, when I was the age of those now in our schools, that my father saw that I had the cutting-edge devices of that now-distant time. I had a proper calculator (HP), and for a class that required a slide rule, a precision one from what was then West Germany. He loved his son, so dearly as parents today love their children, and so offered every possible advantage.

It’s right to allow others to do as much for this new generation as devoted parents once did for us.

Well done.

Government Spending, Innovation Center/Tech Park, State Government

The Spectrum Brands State-backed Deal: Either Shameful Negligence or Shameful Dishonesty

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Consider how profligate the State of Wisconsin is with public money.

Millions spent on a business relocation for a corporation that (1) withheld its identity, (2) was already in Wisconsin, (3) used flimsy worries about protests at the Capitol as way to curry favor with the Walker Administration, (4) where the head of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation now admits that the Wisconsin business’s move within Wisconsin was something he did not discuss with them.

See, from Bill Lueders at WisconsinWatch.org, Spectrum Deal had stealth component.

How do we know this now? Not because officials admitted it on their own — they’ve been forced to acknowledge this fiasco only after WTDY submitted a public records request for email confirming these facts.

Millions from the state, but how much did the head of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (formerly Wisconsin Dept. of Commerce) know about Spectrum Brands’ (Rayovac’s) move from Madison to neighboring Middleton with state funding?

He contends he knew only what he read after the move was announced:

Paul Jadin, CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., which awarded the $4 million incentive, said in an interview Tuesday that he first learned of Spectrum’s plan to relocate to Middleton from the company’s announcement. This move was “not a part of our dialogue.”

The whole WisconsinWatch.org story is compelling, as Lueders shows how easily manipulated — how willing to be manipulated — public officials are.

Jadin, by the way, spoke locally at the dedication of Whitewater’s multi-million-dollar public boondoggle, the Innovation Center.

How very fitting — a local public project that used millions in public grants and debt to offer cushy new digs for existing public employees could have no better commemorator than Jadin, who either truly didn’t know to what ends millions of state dollars went, or is lying about it now.

The next time Whitewater’s city manager, having made an utter hash of ‘community development’ while acting as director of Whitewater’s CDA, tells people how proud he is to get money from Jadin’s WEDC, he might be reminded how wasteful and ill-advised those financial awards are. (See, along these lines, The Cost and Camouflage of Grants.)

Politics, Poll, Wisconsin

On Marquette’s January Political Poll

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I’ve posted before about a new poll, from pollster Charles Franklin, now visiting at Marquette (from UW-Madison).

Link to poll: Walker and Obama have single digit leads in Marquette Law School Poll and results & data (instrument, methodology, and full topline results).

Franklin’s a serious pollster and political scientist, and he’s one of the founders of a polling site now nesting at the Huffington Post
(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/pollster).

His first poll in this series is odd, though. Both Walker and Obama have small leads against possible challengers. Over at the Journal Sentinel, Craig Gilbert — easily Wisconsin’s best reporter on polls and polling — isn’t sure what to make of it:

Until now, Gov. Scott Walker has had a negative or neutral job rating in every nonpartisan public poll since he took office.

But a new Marquette Law School survey breaks that pattern.
Walker’s approval rating is slightly higher (51%) than his disapproval rating (46%). Slightly more people think the state is going in the right direction (50%) than the wrong direction (46%). And Walker has single-digit leads over his closest Democratic challengers in hypothetical recall matchups.

These numbers could partly reflect the impact of millions of dollars in pro-Walker ads since mid-November. But we’ll have to wait for more polls to be done to know whether the governor’s standing is truly ticking up in Wisconsin or whether this survey represents a blip.

In his story on the new poll, Gilbert quotes Prof. Franklin:

“This is the beginning of the election year, not the end,” says Franklin. “These incumbents (Obama and Walker) come in with advantages. In a sense, they both come in with the same advantage. Their opposition is not yet set.”

Franklin has a possible explanation — that without opponents, both incumbents do better than they otherwise might — but it’s not the only one. An alternative explanation is that this first poll in the series is an outlier, and other polls will find harder going in Wisconsin for both Walker and Obama.

Franklin talks about this as the beginning of the election year, but the same may be said of his polls.

The Left disputes the findings in the poll, contending that Franklin has underrepresented unions, Democrats, and over-represented conservatives.

Looking at Franklin’s methodology, one sees that the margins of error here are large — only one of the match-ups against Walker is outside the margin of error. Rather than 3.5-4% margins for the head-to-head matchups, the Marquette poll has margins of approx. 7.1%.

At the same time, the weighting — from actual respondents to expected distribution within the state — is often odd, and unexpected: male-female, and Republican, Democrat, & independent distributions dubiously alter prevalence from an expected proportion in the population. Franklin drops independents down to 8.5%, down from a Gallup estimate of 15%, and the Gallup findings are even farther from his unweighted distribution of only 7.6%.

Still, Craig Gilbert correctly finds in the Marquette poll confirmation of what’s almost certain, regardless of polls — most voters have decided opinions:

The fact that [State Sen. Tim] Cullen gets 40% against Walker even though only 18% know enough to have an opinion about him reflects the fact that most voters are locked in no matter who the Democratic candidate is.

This first Marquette poll is in need of corroboration. It may be right, but considering polls that have come before it, and the unexpected weighting, there’s reason to be cautious and skeptical.

Politics

Pointers on Pointing

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Few images look worse than an angry person who points at someone during a confrontation. Better to keep one’s hands at one’s side, or in one’s pockets if the temptation to gesture is too strong.

This is especially true when the woman pointing is poorly dressed, with unfashionable, loud clothing, poor makeup over leathery skin, and a hair color that cannot possibly be natural to her.

It’s worse when the object of her ire is a phlegmatic politician who knows how to goad her without gesturing at all.

Admittedly, Gov. Brewer of Arizona isn’t a national political candidate, as Pres. Obama has been for years. Still, she might have more sense than to be photographed in a way that only shows Obama to his advantage.

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Daily Bread

Daily Bread for 1.26.12

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Good morning.

It’s a mostly cloudy day with a high temperature of thirty-five for Whitewater. In Central Park, it’s a rainy day ahead with a high temperature of forty-two.

The Wisconsin Historical Society recalls that on this day in 1925

Fire Destroys Whitewater Hospital

On this date a fire destroyed the Whitewater Hospital. Monetary losses were estimated at $20,000, but no deaths were reported. [Source: Janesville Gazette]

In the fall, NASA launched an Earth-observing satellite, Suomi NPP. Here’s their description of the satellite:

The Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) mission represents a critical first step in building the next-generation Earth-observing satellite system that will collect data on both long-term climate change and short-term weather conditions.

Suomi NPP will extend and improve upon the Earth system data records established by NASA’s Earth Observing System (EOS) fleet of satellites that have provided critical insights into the dynamics of the entire Earth system: clouds, oceans, vegetation, ice, solid Earth and atmosphere.

The Suomi NPP spacecraft lifted off aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Space Launch Complex 2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Oct. 28, 2011 at 5:48 a.m. EDT.

The satellite has its own flickr gallery of astonishing images.

Google’s puzzle for today is one of notation and codes: “1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Nf3 Be7. What is the ECO code of this opening?”

Animals, Conservation

The Amazing San Diego Zoo Condor Cam

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Live from the San Diego Zoo, it’s a condor cam.

CONDOR CAM LINK

Here’s the SD Zoo’s description of what’s waiting online:

You Are Watching. . .

… Sisquoc and Shatash take turns sitting in their nest incubating an egg! Because every California condor egg is so important, their real egg has been removed for now to an incubator under the close watch of the keepers, while the parents take care of a life-like artificial egg. During the last few days of incubation, the real, fertile egg will be returned, and the parents will begin raising the chick. That’s expected to happen in March!

Via SDZ Global Wildlife Conservancy – Video – Condor Cam.

California Condor in Flight

Gov. Walker, Politics, Poll, Presidential race 2012, Recall

Marquette Political Poll: Walker, Obama up slightly in Wisconsin

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The first of Charles Franklin’s polls while visiting at Marquette is now available online : Walker and Obama have single digit leads in Marquette Law School Poll.

I’ll review the poll tonight, and post more tomorrow. The results are — at first glance — more disparate (and almost conflicting) than one might have expected, but these January results that show both Pres. Obama and Gov. Walker ahead in their respective races are not irreconcilable.

One point for now: Marquette’s published the results & data (instrument, methodology, and full topline results).

Blogger-lawyer Ed Garvey’s professed worry that these results would be leaked to Gov. Walker was, as I wrote yesterday, an incredible contention. Unless one defines publishing results for all the world as to see leaking them to Team Walker, there was never reason to believe that Franklin was a secret, polling-benefactor of the Walker Administration.

There’s also no need for Garvey to worry about public records access (public UW-Madison v. private Marquette) when private Marquette publishes comprehensive results.

Uncategorized

“If You Spot Bigfoot, Should You Shoot Him?”

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Would it be right to shoot a Sasquatch, if one found that long-sought-after creature? Over at Live Science, they ask if shooting one might be a necessary, definitive way to determine if Big Foot exists:

But even the highest-quality photograph or video can’t be considered definitive proof of Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, or any other mythical beast. Similarly, if the goal is to simply make scientists and the general public take Bigfoot seriously, then some verified remains of the creature – be they hair, teeth, blood, bones or something else – would do the trick. [Infamous ‘Yeti Finger’ Flunks DNA Test]

But definitive proof is a very high standard. Most Bigfoot enthusiasts — and the general public — would be satisfied with nothing less than the rock-solid definitive proof offered by a living or dead specimen.

One might be hoping for the recovery of a previously-dead Sasquatch, but Live Science and others must know that the best way to get remains is to blast a Big Foot into easily-collectible, still-recognizable pieces.

I’d say no: assuming there is such an animal, it’s terribly rare, and should not be hunted. Captured alive, recovered previously-dead, captured on film, or not captured at all – those would be my preferred options.

Captured alive would offer more opportunities for science than recovered dead, and it would be more profitable, too. People would pay to see a dead Sasquatch, but they’d pay big money to see a live one. If one could keep it alive, and avoid any unfortunate, King Kong-like escape scenarios, both science and the economy would benefit from a live capture.

(H/t to Hot Air for the story.)

Politics, Sports

The Missing Goalie

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Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas declined to attend a White House meeting with Pres. Obama after the Bruins won the Stanley Cup. Thomas wrote about his decision on his Facebook page, as the Chicago Tribune reports.

Perhaps it’s because he’s a libertarian, but more likely, he’s a Tea Party member. (If he were on the far Left, he might as easily have declined the invitation, too, for different reasons.)

No matter: the world won’t fall apart, and declarations of this kind would be less attention-getting if they were more routine. The Dixie Chicks took all sorts of criticism for their criticism of Pres. Bush, but the world went on. (It hasn’t gone on entirely well, but it has gone on.)

A successful athlete makes his statement, the rest of the team shows up, the incumbent president delivers his remarks at the event, and no one is harmed in the process.

As it should be, more often, on more issues, with more politicians.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread for 1.25.12

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Good morning.

In Whitewater, it’s a mostly cloudy day ahead, with a high of thirty-three. In Madison, site of Gov. Walker’s 7 PM State of the State address, there will be a slight chance of flurries with a high of thirty-two.

At WisconinEye’s website, there will be a webcast of the speech, followed by the Democrats’ response, and thereafter political discussion and interviews with state legislators.

NASA recorded the Sun’s recent, large flare, and posted the video with an accompanying explanation:

The sun erupted late on January 22, 2012 with an M8.7 class flare, an earth-directed coronal mass ejection (CME), and a burst of fast moving, highly energetic protons known as a “solar energetic particle” event. The latter has caused the strongest solar radiation storm since September 2005 according to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.

NASA’s Goddard Space Weather Center’s models predict that the CME is moving at almost 1,400 miles per second, and could reach Earth’s magnetosphere — the magnetic envelope that surrounds Earth — as early as tomorrow, Jan 24 at 9 AM ET (plus or minus 7 hours). This has the potential to provide good auroral displays, possibly at lower latitudes than normal.

Google’s daily puzzle asks for a name not of a famous man, but about his famous student: “I was arrested by the Inquisition in 1633 and then pardoned by the Catholic Church in 1992. One of my students had my story written in stone scrolls at his castle. What was my student’s name?” more >>

Presidential race 2012

Romney & Gingrich, Drudge Report & Huffington Post

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Embedded below are screenshots of the Drudge Report and Huffington Post, and from them one can see different views on Mitt Romney.

Matt Drudge is a Romney supporter, and on his site, the highlight is Newt Gingrich’s failure to excite a Florida debate audience. Down below, in the lower left, Drudge links to news of Romney’s income and tax returns. For one of Romney’s opponents, a main story; for information that may damage Romney, it’s a small link in the corner.

Drudge will highlight other Republicans to the extent that doing so divides opposition to Romney, or simply zings Obama, but not often otherwise.

(By the way, I don’t think there’s anything substantively wrong with Romney’s income, but that’s not the same as considering the political impact — how others will demagogue — that money. On the merits, see Bain’s Not Romney’s Weakness, It’s His Strength.)

Over at the Huffington Post, the story’s all about how wealthy Romney is, albeit with some mention of his significant charitable contributions. He’s not even an American — it’s Swiss Mitt.

I still think Romney will be the GOP nominee; if he should not be, one would have to reassess the fall elections, as another GOP nominee from this field would be a decided underdog.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread for 1.24.12

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Good morning.

For Whitewater, it’s a day of gradual clearing with a high of twenty-six. For Washington, awaiting Pres. Obama’s State of the Union address at 8 PM CT, it’s a mostly sunny day with a high of fifty-five. The White House website will stream an enhanced broadcast of the address, with charts and supporting documentation.

In Whitewater, the Urban Forestry commission meets at 4:15 PM, and the Community Development Authority at 5 PM.

The Wisconsin Historical Society recalls that on this day in 1960, rural residents confronted a

Crisis of Morals in Green County

On this date representatives of civic and service organizations, schools and churches met in Monroe to discuss the “crisis of morals” in Green County, where the number of unwed mothers increased to 40 in 1959. [Source: Janesville Gazette]

After a quick look a map, I can see that Green County’s still shown, so my best guess would be that residents came through all this well enough.

Just in time for elections in America, scientists abroad have a model for detecting election fraud. Rachel Ehrenberg of Science News reports that

The researchers examined voter turnout and votes received by the winning party for recent parliamentary elections in Russia, Austria, Finland, Switzerland and the United Kingdom and for presidential elections in Uganda and the United States. Graphing the relationship between turnout and votes for the winner revealed unusual peaks in the data for the elections in Russia and Uganda — a signature of funny business, the scientists contend.

Ballot stuffing best explains the data, says study coauthor Peter Klimek, a complex systems scientist at the Medical University of Vienna.

“Of course, this is a statistical detection technique, not conclusive proof,” says Klimek, who, along with Stefan Thurner and other University of Vienna colleagues, reported the analysis online January 15 at arXiv.org. But the numbers need explaining, “and nothing explains them as cleanly as the fraud hypothesis,” Klimek says.

Thousands of precincts in Russia and districts in Uganda reported 100 percent voter turnout with 100 percent of those votes for the winning party, the researchers found. Graph these data various ways and the fraud signature pops out, notes Klimek. Plotting votes for the winner against voter turnout, for example, reveals a line that slopes off into a plateau for most countries, but for Russia and Uganda those lines keep climbing right off the graph.

Google’s puzzle for today is an historical one: “If you were being served terrapin stew at a historic presidential inaugural ball, in what government building would you be?”

For your own dish, consider a recipe for Chesapeake Terrapin Stew from reciperascal.com.