FREE WHITEWATER

Film

Unstoppable — Film Reviews by Joe Morgenstern – WSJ.com

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Sounds promising…Tony Scott directed Denzel Washington in the Taking of Pelham 123, and that was a fine, innovative remake, I thought. Film critic Morgenstern writes:

Who knew that Unstoppable would be sensational? Talk about well-kept— and welcome—surprises. Tony Scott’s latest thriller turns out to be pure cinema in the classic sense of the term. It’s a motion picture about motion, an action symphony that gives new meaning to the notion of a one-track mind.

Denzel Washington and Chris Pine race to stop a locomotive loaded with toxic cargo in this action movie directed by Tony Scott.

The premise is simple to the point of primal—a runaway freight train hurtling through Pennsylvania with a load of lethal chemicals and no one in the locomotive. On the same track, heading toward it, is another freight train pulled by a locomotive with the movie’s co-stars at the controls: Denzel Washington is the veteran engineer, and Chris Pine is the rookie conductor….


Via Unstoppable, Client 9, Morning Glory | Film Reviews by Joe Morgenstern – WSJ.com. more >>

Uncategorized

La Crosse Tribune: Home with Foot-Deep Piles of Rats to be Demolished

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A lost cause even as a fixer-upper:

A western Pennsylvania home will be demolished because it is so overrun with rats that they measure about a foot deep in spots….Officials will erect a perimeter around the home to try to prevent any rats that survive [extermination] from going into neighboring hopes.

Best of luck – I’ve seen Willard, so I can guess how all this ends…

See, Home with Foot-Deep Piles of Rats to be Demolished.

Crime, University

Wisconsin State Journal – On Campus: A third hate crime reported at UW-Whitewater

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At the Wisconsin State Journal, reporter Deborah Ziff writes about reports of a third hate crime at UW-Whitewater:

Three cars owned by African-American students at UW-Whitewater were vandalized this week, in what university officials are describing as the third hate crime incident on campus this semester.

The owners of the vehicles notified police that the tires were slashed and “KKK” was written in spray paint on the doors and hoods. The cars were parked in residence hall lots and the incidents happened between 11 p.m. Monday and 10 a.m. Tuesday.

See, On Campus: A third hate crime at UW-Whitewater.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread for Whitewater, Wisconsin: 11-11-10

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Good morning,

Today’s forecast for Whitewater calls for a partly sunny day, with a high temperature of sixty-one degrees.



It’s Veterans’ Day in America, and on this day in 1918, World War I came to an end, as imperial Germany accepted an armistice, ending the war. Here’s how the New York Times reported on the war’s end —

….The announcement was made verbally by an official of the State Department in this form:

“The armistice has been signed. It was signed at 5 o’clock A.M., Paris time, [midnight, New York time,] and hostilities will cease at 11 o’clock this morning, Paris time, [6 o’clock, New York time.]

The terms of the armistice, it was announced, will not be made public until later. Military men here, however, regard it as certain that they include:

Immediate retirement of the German military forces from France, Belgium, and Alsace- Lorraine.

Disarming and demobilization of the German armies.

Occupation by the allied and American forces of such strategic points in Germany as will make impossible a renewal of hostilities.

Delivery of part of the German High Seas Fleet and a certain number of submarines to the allied and American naval forces.

Disarmament of all other German warships under supervision of the allied and American Navies, which will guard them.

Occupation of the principal German naval bases by sea forces of the victorious nations.

Release of allied and American soldiers, sailors, and civilians held prisoners in Germany without such reciprocal action by the associated Governments….



City, Press Release

Downtown Whitewater to Host Acclaimed Independent Business Consultant, 11/16 and 11/17

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Here’s a press release from Downtown Whitewater —

DOWNTOWN WHITEWATER TO HOST ACCLAIMED INDEPENDENT BUSINESS CONSULTANT

Downtown Whitewater, Inc has the pleasure to announce that it will be hosting highly acclaimed speaker, trainer, author and consultant Margie Johnson, to aid in equipping entrepreneurs with the knowledge and skills to lead to higher profitability and performance. Mrs. Johnson will be in Whitewater November 16th and 17th for a special two-day program supported by the Wisconsin Main Street Program.

Margie has a thirty-year career as an entrepreneur and business expert who operates Shop Talk, a Virginia Beach based specialized consultation and research firm concentrated in independent retail, hospitality, health care, and financial industries. Margie brings a wealth of experience in business development that has led to a highly successful second career helping companies achieve their best performance. Her focus on customer-centered strategies and solutions has benefited hundreds of businesses by giving them the competitive edge needed to survive and thrive.

Margie will tour Downtown Whitewater the morning of November 16th, followed by in-store visits and consultation with local independent retailers. On the evening of the 16th, Margie will lead a round table discussion on business retention and recruitment to the Downtown Whitewater, Inc. Economic Restructuring Committee to provide education and capacity-building for Downtown Whitewater, Inc.’s service to downtown businesses. Margie will visit additional businesses in the late morning and early afternoon on the 17th.

Margie will deliver a workshop on November 17th from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. entitled Sustainable Success Strategies, which is designed to stimulate, educate, and challenge participants regarding the new realities that are facing independent businesses. In an environment of rapid change in the marketplace, coupled with economic difficulties at all levels, retailers must rethink all the rules if they are to successfully complete. This workshop is open to all, and will discuss trends in the retail sector, key factors shaping the retail landscape, trends in consumer purchasing habits, independent retail business best practices, and more. The workshop will be held at the Cravath Lakefront Community Building and is open to the public.

Margie’s accolades include the Fred Lazarus National Retail Federation Award, North Carolina Employer of the Year Award, Inside Business 2006 Women in Business Achievement Award, 1998 Outstanding Woman of Hampton Roads, and recognition in Who’s Who in America. She has received coverage in the Virginian-Pilot, the Washington Post, Women’s Wear Daily Specialty Stores Newsletter, at the National Retail Federation, and on WHRO Public Television and NBC’s Today Show.

Downtown Whitewater, Inc was formed in 2006 to facilitate historic restoration and economic vibrancy in downtown Whitewater. Downtown Whitewater, Inc is comprised of a Board of Directors and four committees that meet monthly and oversee the organization’s downtown revitalization efforts as carried out by the Executive Director, Tami Brodnicki, Board Members, and volunteers under the auspices of the state Main Street Program.

For more information on Downtown Whitewater contact Executive Director Tami Brodnicki at director@downtownwhitewater.com or (262) 473-2200.

Free Markets, Laws/Regulations

Institute for Justice: Why Can’t Chuck Get His Business Off the Ground?

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The Institute for Justice asks:

How can Americans create private sector jobs?

The solution to America’s jobs problem lies not with budget-busting federally mandated “stimulus” programs.

Instead, what is needed are specific reforms that wouldn’t cost taxpayers, would create a broader tax base for cash-strapped cities and states, and would provide opportunity for millions of Americans who worry where their next paycheck is coming from.

As demonstrated by a series of eight new reports issued in October 2010 by the Virginia-based Institute for Justice, one of the principal obstacles to creating new jobs and entrepreneurial activity in cities across the country is the complex maze of regulations cities and states impose on small businesses. IJ’s “city study” reports are filled with real-world examples of specific restrictions that often make it impossible for entrepreneurs to create jobs for themselves, let alone for others.

Chip Mellor, the president and general counsel of the Institute for Justice, said, “If the nation is looking to the federal government to create jobs in America, it is looking in the wrong place. If we want to grow our economy, we must remove government-imposed barriers to honest enterprise at the city and state levels. Remove those barriers, and you will see a return to the optimism and opportunity that are hallmarks of the American Dream.”

IJ’s eight reports document how irrational and anti-competitive regulations block entrepreneurship. More often than not, these government-imposed restrictions on economic liberty are put in place at the behest of existing businesses that are not shy about using government force to keep out competition. The Institute for Justice’s city studies examine regulations imposed on a wide range of occupations in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, Newark, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

more >>

City, Innovation Center/Tech Park, Press

Whitewater’s Innovation Center: Good for Producing Innovative, ‘International’ Fairy tales

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A small town in middle America receives an award from a group, of whom no normal person has ever heard, declaring a town project internationally prestigious.

The project relies on millions in public grants, millions in subsidized public bonds, will use a third of its space for a publicly-funded tenant, has no clear private purpose, violated commonsense competitive principles in awarding contracts, was once shut down for federal violations of obvious competitive rules, takes place in a town that has high poverty that the project has no hope of alleviating, and that’s nearly certain to fail as other projects of its kind typically do.

The world has a population of over 6,876,501,214 people, and the town has a population of only 14,454.

Out of all those people on earth, considering the actual quality and background of the project, wouldn’t the award raise at least a few questions?

Of course it would — and anyone imagining otherwise is hoping – or daring — others to live life unthinkingly, to swallow any tall tale.

This is politics where bureaucrats treat adults as gullible children.

Any yet, for Whitewater, Wisconsin, it may be the future of reporting and public discourse — where officials will say anything and contend it’s all true.

The award story, entitled Tech Park project earns recognition, is available online. I’ve been a critic of the project, but for all that time, there’s never been a better example of what’s wrong with the project than the trumpeting of a so-called international award for it.

Consider these risible, utterly absurd claims:

IEDC’s awards recognize the world’s best economic development programs and partnerships, marketing materials, and the year’s most influential leaders….”

“There were only 28 worldwide, and having Whitewater selected because of the Innovation Center….it is amazing to see how it has come along.”

The world’s best…. Even middling high school debaters would laugh at a claim like this.

On this planet, one does finds genuine international organizations, like the UN or World Health Organization.




For it all, the closest the Innovation Center is likely to come to credible international recognition is a trip by the Tech Park Board to a local restaurant.



City

Whitewater-Area League of Women Voters November 2010 Newsletter

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The Whitewater-Area League of Women Voters’ November 2010 Newsletter is now available, with 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 — the newsletter offers much more information —

Jim Stewart to be Honored at League Holiday Dinner – Sun. Dec. 12th

Everyone (League members and non-members) is welcome to join us at the Whitewater Country Club, Sunday, December 12th, for the 2010 League Holiday Dinner. Cocktails begin at 5:30PM. Dinner will be served at 6:00PM with a program to follow at 7PM. Please check your menu choice on the form on the last page of the newsletter and mail this form and your check, payable to Whitewater Country Club, to Julia Ross.

The deadline for reservations is Wednesday, December 1st. The cost is $22.00 per person.

Our guest for the evening will be Jim Stewart whom we will honor with the League’s “Making Democracy Work” award. This award is given to individuals who have contributed to our community in meaningful ways. Through the development of his website Whitewaterbanner.com, Jim envisioned and made real a means to improve how citizens of Whitewater communicate and stay informed, strengthening everyone’s sense of community. Please join us in celebrating Jim Stewart! You do not need to be a League member to attend. The awards program will be preceded by a short campaign stump speech by1860 Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Harrison C. Hobart, performed by League member Ben Penwell, in honor of the 2010 gubernatorial election year.

Date: November 13 (Saturday)
Event: Whitewater-Area LWV Board Meeting
Where: Public Library, 9:30AM (White Memorial Room)

Date: November 18 (Thursday)
Event: LWV Public Program: “Understanding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” by Jenny Boese, Vice-President of External Marketing and Member Advocacy, Wisconsin Hospital Association
Where: Municipal Building, Council Chambers, 7 PM

Date: December 12 (Sunday)
Event: Holiday Dinner
Where: Whitewater Country Club: 5:30PM Cocktails, 6PM Dinner, 7PM Program (Reservations Required)

Fairhaven Lecture Series

The Fall 2010 Fairhaven Lecture Series, sponsored by the UW-W Office of Continuing Education, will look at biography as a literary form, look at the life and times of some of history?s most famous, infamous, and barely famous figures, and even take a biographical look at the life a famous city. All lectures are open to the public at no charge and are held on Mondays at 3 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of the Fairhaven Retirement Community, 435 West Starin Road. Guest / street parking is adjacent to the building.

November 15 The Least Dangerous Branch: Justices Who Have Gone Out on a Limb. Jolly Emery, Associate Professor, Political Science Department

November 22 Honest Politicians in Illinois: There Actually Are a Few. Susan Johnson, Associate Professor, Political Science Department

University

Police search for suspects in potential hate crime involving a UW-Whitewater student – WITI

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Officials say on Sunday, November 7th around 6:45 p.m., a female student was approached by two males walking on the sidewalk near the cemetery on the north side of the UW-Whitewater campus. The taller of the two men pushed the victim into a fence and held her there. He made a derogatory statement about the victim’s perceived sexual orientation and let the victim go.

Via Hate crime: Police search for suspects in potential hate crime involving a UW-Whitewater student – WITI.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread for Whitewater, Wisconsin: 11-10-10

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Good morning,

Today’s forecast calls for a sunny day with a high temperature of sixty-seven degrees.

Book fairs continue at Lakeview School and the middle school.

There’s a tech park board meeting today, at 9 a.m. The agenda is available online. Everyone attending has something better he could be doing. The city’s real problems are elsewhere.

There’s an interesting, if unexpected, story on markets in the animal world posted at sciencenews.org: Will groom for snuggles: Market forces govern a baby’s value among vervet monkeys and sooty mangabeys.

“Do my hair before you touch my baby” is the rule among mother vervet monkeys and sooty mangabeys when it comes to sharing their infants with their neighbors.

Like some other primate infants, monkey babies attract crowds of females eager to touch, hold and make silly lip-smacking noises at the little ones, says primatologist Cécile Fruteau of Tilburg University in the Netherlands. Her novel study of infant-touching etiquette in the vervets and mangabeys adds them to the short list of animals known to have “markets” for baby fondling. The moms have to be groomed for a sufficient time before they let the groomer touch the baby.

What makes this exchange a market is the way sufficient grooming time changes with the baby supply, Fruteau and her colleagues explain in a paper now posted online in Animal Behaviour. The price for access to a group’s solitary infant, measured in grooming time for mom, fell when other females gave birth and increased the number of little cuties available for cuddling.

C. Fruteau et al. Infant access and handling in sooty mangabeys and vervet monkeys. Animal Behaviour. doi: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.09.028.

Science/Nature

The Not-a-Missile Off the California Coast

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There’s some talk that perhaps, just perhaps, a unidentified missile was launched off the California coast on November 8th.

It wasn’t a missile. It was a jet contrail, viewed from an angle. There’s a fine website about contrails, contrailcience.com, with an overflow site that establishes — conclusively — that the supposed missile was a contrail viewed from an angle. See, “Jet contrails from some angles look like missile trails.”

CBS News even ran a story about the supposed missile, with lots of speculation. Lots and lots.

Here’s the local CBS story:



Link:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/11/09/national/main7036716.shtml

It’s not a missile, and not a “possible show of U.S. military might.” We’re a powerful nation, but there’s no national display at work here. It’s a natural atmospheric display, of the traces of an impressive, but conventional, jet airliner. Commercial jets are considerable accomplishments in their own right, but they’re commonplace, too.

We’re foolish to jump to wild conclusions when a reasonable — and in this case, definitive (but mundane) — explanation is available.