FREE WHITEWATER

Corruption Probe, Press

‘Secret inquiry gets closer to Walker’

by  • 

Hall and Spicuzza (with Barbour) on byline for recap of John Doe corruption probe now onging out of Milwaukee County District Attorney’s office:

….the judge overseeing the John Doe investigation released documents showing that nearly a dozen people, including Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie and campaign fundraiser Rose Ann Dieck, had received immunity from prosecution in exchange for their testimony.

John Doe investigations are secret proceedings in which witnesses can be compelled to testify about possible criminal matters. Immunity grants, which must be given in open court, can be for witnesses in jeopardy of being criminally charged themselves.

Because those involved are typically barred from discussing such investigations, much about the case remains a mystery. But recent developments suggest the probe into Milwaukee County staffers, launched about 17 months ago, may be creeping closer to Walker himself….

State Journal‘s been chasing the Journal Sentinel on this story, and publication indicates unwillingness to cede coverage (and almost certain suspicion that other shoes will drop).

Via Wisconsin State Journal: Secret inquiry gets closer to Walker.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread for 10.3.11

by  • 

Good morning.

It’s a warm and sunny day ahead for Whitewater, with a high temperature of seventy-one.

There’s a Park & Rec Board meeting today at 5 p.m.  The agenda is available online.

Video camera traps reveal animals that people, venturing noisily into a jungle, might never see otherwise.  From a Wired story entitled, Video Camera Traps Capture Indonesian Jungle Animals, here’s an edited five-minute clip that shows the variety of life to be found in that part of the world.

Enjoy.

more >>

Economy

Number of the Week: The Economy’s Housing Albatross

by  • 

No recovery:

In the second quarter, residential investment — money spent on building, adding to and maintaining homes — accounted for just 2.2% of GDP, according to the Commerce Department.

That was the lowest level since 1945, when America was on a war footing. If residential investment were to rebound to its average share of the economy from 1950 to 2000 of 4.7%, GDP would be 2.5% higher than it is now. That’s about as much as it grows in an average year.

Via Wall Street Journal.

Twitter

Recent Tweets, 9.25 to 10.1

by  • 

Diamondbacks batting coach Baylor faints at Miller Park bit.ly/puJc1o

Just ten months on: Walker’s chief of staff to head campaign for expected recall attempt http://bit.ly/nQWN6F

Brewers-Diamondbacks Twitter war – bit.ly/r1ozQQ #BeatAZ

The worst political class in America: Wisconsin Assembly meets for jobs special session & immediately adjourns bit.ly/mTtmqz

Journal Sentinel joins call to end Milwaukee’s anti-consumer taxi cartel: Lift the cap on permits – bit.ly/pxpzd4

Past political policy is prologue not because it must be, but because nature & environment ask no more of officials

That’s quite a ‘lapse in judgment’ Elections Board: Waukesha County clerk violated state law, but not on purpose bit.ly/rgSdC7

How can a state paper not cover this story up & down? Walker says he was unaware of aide’s immunity deal – bit.ly/pRPAml

Incredible: Gov. Walker says he was unaware of his own press secretary’s immunity deal – bit.ly/pRPAml

“You know what your problem is? You used up all your damn luck getting here” Strauss on Jimmy Carter FREE WHITEWATER bit.ly/nsazY5

On WTDY: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel‘s Dan Bice on the John Doe Corruption Probe bit.ly/mZRzta

Inauspicious lede: Has Tommy Thompson become the Brett Favre of Wisconsin politics? bit.ly/nh5eM8

Yes: From a financial standpoint, Greece is toast – chicagotribune.com trib.in/ruN0kv

Foreign Affairs

About those two U.S.-born terrorists killed in an American drone strike

by  • 

For those Al Qaeda members killed, I’ve not the slightest sympathy. One would prefer fewer entanglements abroad, but that preference doesn’t alter the clear right of Americans to defend themselves, and exact retributive justice against those who have committed themselves to war with this republic.

The president was right to order the dispatch of Bin Laden, and he has been right to continue America’s legitimately defensive and wholly justified war against Al Qaeda.

Via Fox News.

Cats

Friday Catblogging: Hardy cat with two faces lives twelve years (and counting)

by  • 

We all know cats have nine lives, but … two faces?

Meet Frank and Louie, a rare cat known as a Janus who has earned a place in the 2012 Guinness World Records book as the oldest-living two-faced feline.

Luckily for Frank and Louie’s owner, who according to media reports lives in Worcester, Mass., the cat has only one stomach and one brain, so he doesn’t require extra food to fill two bellies and has no split personality issues. He eats with just one of two mouths and does not have to worry about his three eyes making life confusing. Only two of them — one on each face — work, while the middle one just stares ahead, giving Frank and Louie perfect vision despite the somewhat cyclops-like appearance.

But love is blind, and Frank and Louie’s owner loves him — or them — so much that she may have contributed to the cat’s unusually long life.

See, Meow meow. Two-faced cat wins place in record book.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread for 9.30

by  • 

Good morning.

It’s a mostly sunny day ahead for Whitewater, with a high temperature of fifty-six.

These are particularly difficult times for Whitewater, for Wisconsin, and all America. Yet, for it all, Americans are an ambitious, resilient people. Ambitious in ways admirable and encouraging. Consider Project T.B.A.C., in which Las Vegas students designed an

“aircraft” launched by using trash bags on August 24th 2011. The project was designed and created by Manuja Gunaratne – a high school senior. The aircraft was launched in the Las Vegas valley area and managed to capture stunning pictures of the Earth.

Various similar projects have been done previously using weather balloons; however, Project T.B.A.C varies since it utilized trash bags to capture images of the Earth. Even though it did not reach an altitude as much as a weather balloon, it managed to capture images of the Earth from a high altitude.

The project consisted of three major components: trash bags, payload, and a parachute. The payload consisted of a GPS tracking device and a digital camera to take images of the journey. After planning the project thoroughly, I chose August 24th because that day was very warm and clear with light winds. T.B.A.C managed to stay in flight for approximately 3 hours and captured roughly 2000 pictures using a 3 second interval.

The project has its own website, with photos, videos, maps, and a discussion of the endeavor. If you have occasional doubts about our future – natural in hard times – think again: we’re more than able to overcome these times, and even now can accomplish amazing feats. Just ask Manuja Gunaratne.

Launch

Journey

Recovery