Mark Grannis explains how he came libertarianism, and it’s a story that may be similar to your own — or one that may yet become yours, too.
Music
Monday Music: Bob Dylan’s Hurricane
by JOHN ADAMS •
Here’s a protest song, about boxer Rubin ‘Hurricane’ Carter’s conviction (later overturned), but I’ve not posted it for a particular message. (The case is controversial, with conflicting opinions about his guilt; I don’t know.) Instead, it’s here because Dylan’s a powerful storyteller. I was listening to one of his albums recently, and the song reminded me of how much one can say in a song.
One doesn’t — one probably shouldn’t — measure a song solely by a political or social message: sometimes the creation is admirable, on its own, as effective storytelling.
Science/Nature
Daily Mail: How men and women really do look at things in a different light
by JOHN ADAMS •
The old advertising adage that ‘sex sells’ may be recognised worldwide, but new research has revealed exactly how men and women are drawn into looking at a sexy ad:
A study of where men and women look on a ‘sexy’ advertisement gave a fascinating insight – with men found to be first interested in the attractive woman’s face rather than her toned physique.
Via Daily Mail Online.
Free Markets
Why is it cheaper to buy a high-calorie fast-food-chain burger meal than one that is more nutritious and with less fat, salt and calories?
by JOHN ADAMS •
The hidden secret: government meddling in the free market…
Although the author of the story clearly dislikes the free market, it’s not a free market when government meddles — it’s a manipulated or regulated market. Politicians simply favor some businesses over others, subsidizing those concerns, thereby giving them an unfair advantage in the marketplace.
An unregulated, unsubsidized market would be both fairer and more healthful.
Daily Bread
Daily Bread for 7.18.11
by JOHN ADAMS •
Today’s Whitewater forecast calls for a day of scattered, strong thunderstorms, with a high temperature of ninety-four.
To get viewers excited about an upcoming Shark Week, the Discovery Channel offers — until August 7th — a live stream of a shark tank. See, Watch the World’s Largest Shark Tank on Live Webcam. Lisa Grossman describes the view:
The exhibit, which was designed to house whale sharks, holds 6.3 million gallons of seawater, enough to fill nine and a half Olympic swimming pools. It is home to seven different types of sharks, including enormous whale sharks, vicious-looking sand tiger sharks, and bottom-dwelling masters of disguise called spotted wobbegongs. It also holds several other species of fish and four manta rays, the only manta rays ever to live in a U.S. aquarium.
Simply beautiful —
Recent Tweets, 7.10 – 7.16
by JOHN ADAMS •
Quote of the Day: “To most people, it’s a latte or two” Netflix Addresses Rage Over Price Increase – Slashdot http://bit.ly/nQWQKR
14 Jul
WI-Recall: ACLU Wisconsin’s Election Day FAQ | Dane101 http://bit.ly/obpttu
12 Jul
Yes, it should State Journal: Open meeting law should apply to legislature http://bit.ly/pOn9vY
11 Jul
Comment Forum
Friday Comment Forum: What have you read this summer?
by JOHN ADAMS •
So, what are you reading this summer?
I’m still finishing The Art of Racing in the Rain, having put it aside for a bit, for sundry other tasks. For newspapers, other than those in Wisconsin, I’m spending more time at the Washington Post website, to read about debt-ceiling negotiations. I read the Wall Street Journal regularly, but occasional visitors to that paper’s website will notice more and more of the content is locked behind a paywall.
Finally, I’ve been reading different American statements, some very old, of rights and liberties. George Mason’s Virginia Declaration of Rights is among them. A few groups in Wisconsin (mostly on the left) have put out petitions and declarations about our current politics, but their texts are often littered with awkward, overly bureaucratic phrases. A modern-day updating of an older document might be a worthwhile endeavor. We’ll see.
In any event, there’s a more important focus for today: what are you reading?
The use of pseudonyms and anonymous postings is, of course, fine. Although the comments template has a space for a name, email address, and website, those who want to leave a field blank can do so. Comments will be moderated, against profanity or trolls. Otherwise, have at it.
The forum will be open until Sunday morning, and this post will stay at the top of the website during that time. Other posts may be up during that time; they’ll just appear below this one until Sunday.
City, Government Spending
If Wisconsin can do it, then so can Whitewater
by JOHN ADAMS •
As part of the biennial budget, Wisconsin will now post to the web all state expenses over $100. It may take a while to gather data, but it’s a good idea (one of the few contained in a budget otherwise poorly crafted).
If Wisconsin can do this across so many state agencies, then surely Whitewater could post a page on the city website with similar information about our small city. Although there’s some information about spending in different spots now, a single page with easily-accessible data would be an expression of open government.
For the original story, see, Channel 3000.com.
Cats
Friday Catblogging: Jumping Cat
by JOHN ADAMS •
Here’s an animated graphic of a jumping cat — I can’t see that it’s been edited to produce this effect, but if not, then this is one amazing cat.
Judge for yourselves: real jump or feline fraud?
Daily Bread
Daily Bread for 7.15.11
by JOHN ADAMS •
Good morning.
The Whitewater forecast calls for a partly sunny day, with a high of eighty-five.
Over at Science News, there’s a story about how even lizards — previously considered not-so-smart — can learn new tricks. In Learnin’ Lizards, Susan Milius writes that
“These guys are smarter than people say,” reports behavioral ecologist Manuel Leal of Duke University in Durham, N.C. Cognitive scientists have studied birds’ and mammals’ powers to solve unexpected problems and learn new rules, but research on lizard cognition has been limited.
Yet several Anolis evermanni lizards collected from Puerto Rico and brought into the lab coped with devices not seen in nature that were modeled on tests of avian brain power, Leal and Brian Powell, also of Duke, report in an upcoming issue ofBiology Letters. In a series of tests, four out of six lizards figured out how to remove plastic lids firmly stuck on a food box and how to ignore lids with other colors introduced as possible distractors. Two lizards eventually were able to undo their previous training and choose the “wrong” color because researchers had reversed the rules.
Yet, despite the lizards’ prowess, there’s no reason for mammalian concern:
Alex Kacelnik of Oxford University in England, who studies cognition in New Caledonian crows, was not exactly wowed by the Anolis lizards, though. The ability to discriminate among options, and reverse that learning, is also known in fish, flies and bees, among other animals, he says. “It may well be that lizards do have the same flexibility shown by other taxa,” Kacelnik says, “but the results shown here are nowhere near what we know in birds and mammals.”
Rest easy.
Economy, Government Spending, Open Government
The Fed’s Secret Lending Program
by JOHN ADAMS •
One doesn’t have to be a libertarian critic of the Federal Reserve (Ron Paul being the exemplar) to see that billions in secret loans to financiers represents another example of government over-reach and (as they were at the time secret loans) unaccountability.
Here, from Reason.tv, is a segment of Andrew Napolitano’s Freedom Watch, where guests debate the Fed’s all-too-obliging nature. It’s a lively discussion with more than one point of view.
Politics
Fortis: The Most Political Redistricting Map in More Than 50 Years
by JOHN ADAMS •
Lou Fortis, Wisconsin publisher, comments on the GOP’s redistricting plan. For anyone still foolish enough to believe that the majority party represents ‘public service,’ ‘giving of oneself,’ or dedication to a ‘greater good,’ set aside those false notions now:
The new Republican redistricting map will pack Democrats into a limited number of safe Democratic seats, such as the inner-city districts. Those districts will become much more Democratic. Essentially the Republican map takes the state’s 99 Assembly districts and packs Democrats into about 41 or 42 safe Democratic Assembly seats, with huge Democratic majorities. This enables Republicans to easily win the other 57 or 58 Assembly districts – a very comfortable margin for the Republicans. The Senate maps are drawn in a similar way.
The map is so partisan that Republicans would maintain a permanent majority in both houses of the state Legislature for the next 10 years, at which point a new map could be drawn. This 10-year control of the state Legislature will be maintained even in elections in which Republicans win fewer votes than Democrats statewide.
This is utterly unlike the current legislative map, which allows voters to give both Democrats and Republicans the majority in the state Legislature, depending on voter turnout, political issues and the strengths and weaknesses of candidates.
Via Express Milwaukee.
Daily Bread
Daily Bread for 7.14.11
by JOHN ADAMS •
Good morning.
Today looks to be a partly sunny day for Whitewater, with a high in the lower eighties.
There’s a school board meeting tonight, at 6 p.m. The meeting agenda is available online.
On this day in 1948, news of a step too far in the battle against irritating bugs:
1948 – Janesville Sprays for Bugs
On this date, intending to create a bug-free environment, Janesville tested a DDT fogging machine that quickly emitted a “smokescreen of insect-killing fog.” City officials hoped to persuade the county to buy the machine for use by all municipalities or to buy it jointly with Beloit. [Source: Janesville Gazette.]
Source: Wisconsin Historical Society.
City, Development, Government Spending
Meanwhile, at our business park…
by JOHN ADAMS •
I regularly read the Weekly Report of Whitewater’s city manager. I feel that I’m being helpful by doing so; if I stopped, average readership would likely fall by a third.
In the July 8th edition, there’s mention of a new business, Simonswerk, that’s bringing a few jobs to our business park.
A few are better than none. (Winkhaus, a German maker of door and window parts, having departed with no fanfare at all, is a fading memory.)
No matter:
Willkommen, Simonswerk!
The city manager links to a story about Simonwerk’s arrival, and to that company’s press release.
Sensibly, he chose not to re-publish the press release in full. It’s just odd. The release has been reproduced elsewhere, but one cannot imagine why anyone would do so except to tease — it’s a combination of awkward English, grandiose declarations, and at least one typo.
(About that probable typo: the title of the release declares “SIMONSWERK – THE LEADING MANUFACTURER ANNOUNCES OPENING OF NEW FACILITY IN NORTH AMERICA.” One presumes that the company inadvertently omitted ‘OF ADJUSTABLE DOOR HINGES’ after ‘THE LEADING MANUFACTURER.’ Alternatively, the omission may be a consequence of overweening pride, or simply a declaration that door hinges are as important as cars, airplanes, etc. One learns something new every day.)
Millions — millions — in grants to Whitewater, with the express goal of creating a thousand new jobs to replace those lost to flooding, and decline of the auto industry, but instead it’s shuffling existing public employees from another town to our tech park, and putting a door-hinge concern in the business park.
I’m teasing about the release, but the real problem here is a problem of public policy: that for so much in grants, bond indebtedness, and taxes, this community has accumulated mostly press releases, headlines, and endless talk about accumulating still more headlines.
Here’s the text of the release:
SIMONSWERK – THE LEADING MANUFACTURER ANNOUNCES OPENING OF NEW FACILITY IN NORTH AMERICA
SIMONSWERK, a world-renowned manufacturer of adjustable door hinges, is continuing its international expansion by establishing a new subsidiary in Whitewater, Wisconsin. The German company is a leading European manufacturer of heavy duty, high performance and premium hinges and has produced hinge systems for 120 years. SIMONSWERK serves more than 60 international markets and has representation in 19 countries including their own subsidiaries in the UK, Russia, Poland and Germany. The SIMONSWERK Group globally generates with its 500 employees annual sales of approximately $100 million.
New Facility
SIMONSWERK’s new facility in Whitewater, Wisconsin, will be their North American headquarters and distribution center. Rudy Kessler, CEO of the Whitewater facility stated, “SIMONSWERK takes pride in their modern, high quality products, which made their success and this expansion possible. We are very excited about this move.” The North American subsidiary plans to be fully operational and provide customers with a complete line of inventory by July, 2011.
SIMONSWERK was the first company that offered adjustable hinges to the North American marketplace. During the course of the last three decades, SIMONSWERK has supplied adjustable hinges to patio door manufacturers, such as well-established manufacturers like Eagle, Jeld-Wen, Kolbe, Loewen, Marvin, and Weather Shield, just to name a few.
SIMONSWERK’s CEO, Rudy Kessler, anticipates a productive and cooperative business relationship with the Whitewater Technology Park, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and the Whitewater Chamber of Commerce. The City Manager Kevin Brunner and the Community Development Authority made SIMONSWERK feel welcome to locate their North American headquarters in Whitewater. Although the company creates in a first stage only a handful of new jobs in Whitewater, this might change depending on the success of the business and the recovery of the overall economy. The speed of the revival from the current recession and the health of the overall economy will determine further employment opportunities at the Whitewater distribution center.
The German company is also excited to have its door hardware products become a central component to the building and designing communities in the United States and Canada. The new subsidiary believes in partnering with designers and architects, window and door manufacturers and hardware distributors to create attractive, energy efficient products that will meet the building needs of businesses and companies across North America. SIMONSWERK’s high-end products are used in prominent buildings all over the world. One of the most well-known projects where their adjustable concealed hinge system, TECTUS(R), has been used was the Armani hotel in the Burj Khalifa, Dubai. Currently the tallest building in the world is the Burj Khalifa, which cost over $800 million to build and has received excellent feedback from architects worldwide.