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Whitewater-Area League of Women Voters February 2011 Newsletter

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The Whitewater-Area League of Women Voters’ February 2011 Newsletter is out, and it includes articles and a calendar of upcoming LWV events. The latest copy of the LWV newsletter is available as a link on my blogroll, and is embedded below, with coding through Google.

Here’s a sampling of upcoming events for the Whitewater-Area League —

Date: February 15 (Tuesday)
Event: Spring Primary Election

Date: February 17 (Thursday)
Event: Meeting with LWV-affiliated Student Organization
Where: 7 – 8 PM, UW-W campus, University Center, Room 264

Date: March 8 (Tuesday)
Event: Viewing of movie Iron Jawed Angels
Where: 6:30 PM, UW-W campus, University Center, Summers Auditorium

For more on the Iron Jawed Angels, see http://iron-jawed-angels.com.

Date: April 1 (Friday)
Event: Workshop on Local Redistricting
Where: UW-Madison

Date: April 5 (Tuesday)
Event: Spring Election

Date: April 12 (Tuesday)
Event: Legislative Day
When: 11 AM – 3:30 PM
Where: Madison

Comment Forum

Friday Comment Forum: Packers-Steelers Prediction

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Here’s the Friday open comments post.

Today’s suggested topic — what’s your Packers-Steelers prediction?

My prediction: Packers 28, Steelers 24.

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.

I’ll keep the post open through Sunday at noon.

Cats

Friday Catblogging: Tokyo Cat Cafés

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Heartwarmingly civilized:

Sip a latte, flip through a manga, surf the Internet — or have a cuddle with a feline friend at one of Tokyo’s many cat cafés.

On first glance, these popular hangouts appear to be normal, cozy cafés, with sofas, coffee cups and shelves of magazines.

Look closer, however, and you’ll find something curious — all types of cats (“neko” in Japanese) reclining on top of drink machines, in corner baskets or in the laps of patrons.

Via Tokyo cat cafes not just for crazy cat ladies – CNN.com.

Economy, Laws/Regulations

Coming Soon: A 300-Percent Increase in Foreclosures

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At Calculated Risk, Tom Lawler, a real estate economist and former risk policy veep at Fannie Mae, tries to figure out how many people have actually lost their homes to foreclosure, short sales or deed-in-lieu desertions. The answer: Not enough. Lawler (who is now living the life of Riley on a Virginia farm) says the number of foreclosures that have been completed so far is a drop in the bucket compared to the number of loans that have gone bad….

Via Coming Soon: A 300-Percent Increase in Foreclosures – Hit & Run : Reason Magazine.

Note that most people don’t default because they’re unemployed, or because they’re among the working poor. See, Bogus Unemployment/Default Connection Is Bogusly Bogus – Hit & Run : Reason Magazine.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread for 2-4-11

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Good morning,

Whitewater’s forecast calls for sunny day with a high temperature of twenty-two degrees.

In our schools today, it’s Green and Gold Day at Lakeview School, and Eagle & Spirit Day at Washington School.

Here’s a video contending that people may be unknowingly eating the equivalent of nearly a hundred packets of sugar each day —



The video comes courtesy of the people of New York City, who have perhaps unknowingly paid for the video with their tax dollars. The city as nanny — that much sugar’s bad for people, but then so is a confiscatory city that over-taxes and denies people the chance to use money that they’ve earned.

Thanks, New Yorkers — you’ve paid for the education and enlightenment of hundreds of thousands well beyond the five boroughs.

Uncategorized

Art Project (powered by Google)

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Google Art Project — “Explore museums from around the world, discover and view hundreds of artworks at incredible zoom levels, and even create and share your own collection of masterpieces.”

Advanced technology in the service of art: Art Project powered by Google.

Visitor Guide



Art Project — Behind the Scenes



Innovation Center/Tech Park, Planning, Poverty

The Biotech Park That Never Was – Reason Magazine

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Jesse Walker writes about a large-scale Biotech Park project in Baltimore that’s an utter waste and wreck.  Whitewater’s own experience with a so-called tech park, although far smaller, will prove no better.  A projects like these depend on (1) dishonesty, and (2) flacking and covering for dishonesty.

The story doubles as a tour through some of the most common ways local governments screw their citizens, from eminent domain to TIFs to public-private partnerships. And then, of course, there’s good old fashioned neglect:

The Daily Record’s investigation found that The New East Baltimore’s public funding is so complex and poorly scrutinized that local elected officials, some of whom serve on EBDI’s board, said they had little grasp of the $108.5 million in city funds committed to the project at a time of tax increases, and furloughs and pay cuts for city workers, including firefighters and police.

[Sheila] Dixon told The Daily Record that she did not know the city sold $78 million in bonds to support the project when she was mayor.

Although a project like this depends on mediocrity and mendacity, that’s not where it leads — it leads to neglect of ordinary residents’ needs, all for an empty suit’s empty promises.

East Baltimore residents have every reason in the world to be disappointed and frustrated:


East Baltimore residents’ dreams derailed by EBDI project from Maryland Daily Record on Vimeo.

Via The Biotech Park That Never Was – Hit & Run : Reason Magazine. more >>