Retiring Guy's Digest: 2011-11-27

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

The Dodge Dart: For those of you who weren't there the first time around

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Red Alert @ the Manitowoc Public Library

If you live in Manitowoc and love and value your public library, please attend a meeting at the City Council Chambers on Thursday, December 8, at 5:00 p.m.

If you live in the Manitowoc Public Library's service area, the Manitowoc Mayor and City Council members should also hear your voices of support. (I'm not sure of the 2011 amount, but I do know that Manitowoc County provided $523,775 in 2010 toward the operation of the library. In other words, you have a stake here, too.)

If you know anyone who lives in the Manitowoc area, please encourage them to attend this important meeting and show their support for the Manitowoc Public Library. (Not sure if there will be an opportunity for individual public comment.)

From Cherilynn Stewart, Manitowoc Public Library Director

The new City of Manitowoc budget calls for $250,000 in cuts to the Manitowoc Public Library, nearly $100,000 more than the 10% reduction proposed by Mayor Nickels. Library management has been working on ways to make the initial $166,553 reduction while maintaining service. The additional cuts make that impossible. Please attend the meeting Thursday, December 8, at 5 p.m. in the City Council Chambers to show your support for the essential services provided by Manitowoc Public Library.

This was proposed and done in less than 5 minutes at the Council meeting on Monday. It was a total surprise to me since Mayor Nickels had just communicated to me on Friday that we were still at our 10% (166K) cut.

Manitowoc City Hall
Council Chambers located on the 1st floor.
900 Quay St.

(Civil) contact information

LINK

Link to council member contact information.

Ebooks, Netflix, and Library Building Projects (Part 123, McAllen Public Library)

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Related post:
McAllen Texas to replace 60-year-old main library. (6/13/2010)

In Light of This Coup, Just How Sustainable is Funding for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library?

Roberts ousted as chair of Mecklenburg County board. In unusual shakeup, fellow Democratic commissioner Harold Cogdell, with the GOP's backing, takes leadership reins. (Charlotte Observer, 12/7/2011)

Excerpt: The vote carries implications far beyond the chairman title. Democrats enjoy a 5-4 majority, but Cogdell has become a swing vote when the board sets spending priorities.

In announcing his candidacy for chairman, he sent commissioners a letter suggesting the county lower its debt and lower the property tax rates - two articles of faith among board Republicans.

On Tuesday, he voted with four GOP members to pick Republican Jim Pendergraph for vice chairman over Roberts.

"My biggest issue with Roberts is she consistently worked to expand the size of government," Republican commissioner Neil Cooksey said before voting for Cogdell. [Emphasis added.]

Cogdell declared he is still a Democrat, drawing jeers and mock laughter from the crowd. He then made clear his votes would not be tied to party loyalty.

As you can see from the long list of related posts below, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, 1995 LJ/Gale Library of the Year, has been forced to reduce its service program and cut branch operations recently, issues which the the Future of the Library Task Force was charged to address.

Note the last sentence on the first slide: The Library is the managing partner, who delivers the services, and the County is the funding partner, who provides funding for these services.

As Board of Commissioners Chair, Jennifer Roberts strongly supported the Library's Sustainability Plan.

In light of Roger Cogdell's election as Chair, has the Library's relationship with Mecklenburg County been weakened? First off, perhaps, we should ask him if he agrees with Neil Cooksey's assessment of Jennifer Roberts.

The library is, after all, very dependent upon county funding for its operation.

Charlotte Mecklenburg libraries haven't seen such large-scale reductions since the Great Depression. (3/17/2010)

Rhode Island's Central Falls Library Rejoins Statewide Network

Adams Memorial Library

Central Falls library to rejoin statewide borrowing system, increase hours. (Providence Journal, 11/30/2011)

Excerpt: Citing increased donations and volunteers' efforts, the city's library announced Tuesday it will expand hours and rejoin the Ocean State Libraries system, a statewide borrowing network.

The Adams Memorial Library closed in July as the city sought to cut costs and avoid a bankruptcy filing. Because of the cuts, the library lost its affiliation with the statewide borrowing network and had to issue its own library cards.

The library reopened in September with reduced hours and with a staff of volunteers.

Related posts:
Welcome to your library. (10/1/2011)
Fundraiser for Adams Memorial Library. (9/29/2011)
Library in bankrupt Central Falls Rhode Island reopens with an all-volunteer staff. (8/17/2011)
Central Falls may reopen its library in the fall. (7/6/2011)
Central Falls Rhode Island closes its public library. (7/6/2011)

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure you can bet the bank on that one

Romney to skip Trump debate. (The Raw Story, 12/6/2011)

Excerpt: Some Republicans worry the showboating Trump, star of NBC’s “The Apprentice” program, could make the event all about him rather than the candidates.

Donald Trump defines the word.

With apologies to Merriam-Webster and everystockphoto.

Redistricting in Wisconsin: The Basics (with Links to Detailed Information)

Who are my elected representatives?

It's a commonly fielded reference question at public libraries.

And it's likely to become a more frequently asked question as we approach the spring 2012 elections.

Why is that?

As is done every 10 years, the lines of legislative districts have been redrawn for all of us -- at all 4 levels of representation: federal, state, county, and local. Legislation creating these redistricting plans was passed by the Wisconsin Senate and Assembly and signed by the Governor Walker earlier this year.

Federal 2011 Wisconsin Act 44.
For background, see RGD post, "Legislative Redistricting in Wisconsin, Part 1: Introduction and the 8 Congressional Districts".

State: 2011 Wisconsin Act. 43.
For background, perhaps more than you care to digest, see RGD post, "Legislative Redistricting in Wisconsin, Part 2: Introduction (Repeated from Part 1) and the 132 State Districts".

A lawsuit challenging the redistricting was dismissed in federal court on October 21, 2011.

A helpful online resource. The "Who Are My Legislators?" feature at the Wisconsin State Legislature website now provides links to both the current and previous districts.

Here are the results when I type in my street address, city, and zip code.

After residing in the 26th Senate District and 77th Assembly District since my wife and I moved to Middleton in 1986, we will now be represented by Jon Erpenbach, 27th Senate District, and Sondy Pope-Roberts, 79th Assembly District. (Sondy's representation, however, will be short-lived.)

Note that you'll find links to both the current and previous district maps at each legislator's homepage.

Unfortunately, the boundary changes in Wisconsin's 8 Congressional districts are not yet reflected here.

In addition, be sure to familiarize yourself with the redistricting plans that have been implemented at the county and local levels in your library's service area. You can conduct these searches on your own, although I have to admit I'm not too happy with the results of the dozen or so sample searches I just made. You may need to contact the appropriate county and local officials directly. (I plan to talk to my alderperson about the minimal information -- and no redistricting map -- on the City of Middleton's website. See page 2.)

So as you can see, with voter ID and reconfigured voting districts, there's a lot of new information to share. Awareness and knowledge on the part of library staff are the keys to being effective in this area.

Report: The New Politics of Judicial Elections 2009-2010

LINK to full report.

Sidebar: The 3 organizations responsible for the report.

LINK

National Institute of Money in State Politics

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Monday, December 5, 2011

Potato Chip Study That You're Free to Take with a Grain of Salt

Stanford study: The humble potato chip and packaging language target class distinctions. (San Jose Mercury-News, 12/5/2011)

Excerpt: Potato chips are an ideal food for analyzing classes' differences in marketing because everyone eats them, no matter what their social class -- unlike beef jerky sticks and pork rinds, for instance, or imported caviar and Champagne.

And chips come wrapped in bags covered with cultural clues.

According to Stanford University Professor of Linguistics Dan Jurafsky, "The red-state and blue-state models of our nation are written on the back of every bag of potato chips."

Red-state chips: Hawaiian, Herr's, Lays, Tim's, Utz and...

Wise

Wise is a regional brand, which was popular in the Nelson household in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

So let's put the red-state/blue-state theory to the test.

Mom and Dad were lifelong Republicans. (Well, almost, as you'll see below.) In a mock election in Mrs. Johnson's 5th grade class at Jefferson Elementary School in late October 1960, I cast a vote for Richard Nixon, as did most of my classmates.

Bingo! We got a confirmation, folks.

But now that I'm older and Wise-less, living outside the potato chip's distribution area, I'm a blue-state potato chip fan. (Even Mom voted for an occasional Democrat in her later years -- and for Barack Obama with great enthusiasm in 2008. Credit Sarah Plain with an assist on that one.)

Stanford's blue-state chip selections include Boulder, Dirty, Popchips, Terra, Season's, and

A big favorite in the decidedly blue Nelson/Richard household.

So there you have it; the proof's in the pudding.

LINK

Will the Real Tommy Thompson Please Stand Up

Contestant #1.

Contestant #2

Contestant #3..

Hope you signed at least one recall petition, Ruthelle

LINK

Pam runs and hides. Sen. Pam Galloway, a Republican from Wausau, was unavailable for comment this week, according to one of her spokesmen.

And Bruce Trueblood, Chairman of the Republican Party of Marathon County, mindlessly regurgitates the party line. "The photo ID law was put into place to protect voters and give them a means of confidence that their vote will not be hijacked by fraudulent voting. In today's society, it is very difficult to function without some type of photo ID. One must present a photo ID to open a bank account ... and to buy cold medication at the pharmacy. Asking someone to prove their eligibility to vote is no different, and the Republican Party of Marathon County applauds the implementation of the law."

And so did we

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Dear Washington Post, that's "some" workout!

Washington Post, 12/3/2011

... some Democratic strategists worry that the combative Gingrich presents some challenges for the Obama campaign that would not exist if Romney were the GOP candidate.

Some Democrats believe that Gingrich, a hero of the conservative movement, would excite the party base more than a former liberal-state governor with a history of centrist views.

“He does not carry Wall Street baggage,” said one Democratic strategist working on the Obama reelection effort, speaking on the condition of anonymity to freely discuss his thinking.

As a result, some Democrats worry, Gingrich could attract Hispanic swing voters disappointed in Obama’s immigration or economic policies.

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Dodgeville City Attorney on Political Free Speech Activities

Recall petitions can be circulated on city property. (Dodgeville Chronicle, 12/1/2011)

Excerpt: By law, political free speech activities are generally allowed on public property, although there may be certain areas of public property that may be excluded," wrote Brownlee.

She said as an example, a number of schools and municipalities, through policies or ordinances, prohibit political free speech activities in municipal or school buildings. The City of Dodgeville has no such policy or ordinance. [Emphasis added.]

"I do not know if the Library has any such policy," wrote Brownlee.

She noted if there were such a prohibition, the prohibition would have to apply to all political free speech activity.

It is also unconstitutional to prohibit "speech" types of activity based on content. Thus, if the City were to prohibit political free speech activities in its buildings, this would apply to any kind of political free speech activity including soliciting signatures on or circulating nomination papers, using City buildings for candidate debates for any type of election, etc, she added.

State Sen. Tim Cullen Poised to Challenge Walker in Gubernatorial Recall Election

Cullen may run for governor. (Beloit Daily News, 12/3/2011)

Excerpt: State Sen. Tim Cullen, D-Janesville, wants to take on Republican Gov. Scott Walker if a gubernatorial recall election occurs in 2012.

Cullen told the Beloit Daily News Friday afternoon that he has spent the past few days talking with his family, supporters in Rock County and reaching out to Democrats across the state.

"I think Democrats and others associated with the recall throughout Wisconsin will be coalescing around one candidate," Cullen said. "I hope to be that candidate."

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Sleeping No Longer Considered "Inappropriate Behavior" at Lombard's Helen Plum Memorial Library

Library no longer throws book at snoozers. (Chicago Tribune, 12/2/2011)

Excerpt: Fall asleep in the Chicago Public Library, someone will nudge you awake. Do it again, they'll show you the door. But drift off in Lombard's cozy library and you can slumber in peace.

"The library is a good place to at least catch up on the sleep you missed out on the night before," said Tammy Selio as she sat in the west suburban library on a recent Tuesday, a black suitcase filled with her belongings at her side.

Selio, 40, and other homeless patrons often gather there in the hours before a nearby shelter opens at 7 p.m. Sometimes their eyes grow heavy — especially as the days turn gloomy and colder and a comfortable library chair beckons.

Libraries tend to frown on behavior that disrupts other patrons, and that can include sleeping. But Lombard's Helen Plum Memorial Library is considering changing its rules to allow sleeping as long as it doesn't disturb others. Unofficially, it has already done so.

The Devolution of Bowl Game Names

Dear USA Today Poll Voters, If you can drop Houston (12-1) to #17, you can rank Michigan State (10-3) Ahead of Michigan (10-2)

LINK

The Public Library YouTube Video with the Most Views

13,143,521 as of today.

It makes me wonder. What would we do without the Internet?

Famous Farts - Olympic Weightlifting.

The Top Ten Greatest Fart Scenes in Movie History.

Farting as an Art Form

Happy to make your day.

Nature Calls in the Vicinity of the Waukesha Public Library

I certainly hope there's not a part 2. (Like me, you'll want to use the time knob to speed things up to its conclusion.)

I confess that I've experienced this type of desperation myself -- bathroom, bathroom, bathroom, BATHROOM!!!! -- though I'd never make a YouTube video out of it.

Judging a Book Becomes More Complicated with Deckle Edges, Colored End Papers, High-Quality Paper, and Attention-Grabbing Cover Art

Selling Old-Style Books by Their Gilded Covers. (The New York Times, 12/3/2011)

Excerpt: Many new releases have design elements usually reserved for special occasions —

deckle edges,

colored endpapers [from Amanda's Parfait blog],

high-quality paper and
exquisite jackets

that push the creative boundaries of bookmaking. If e-books are about ease and expedience, the publishers reason, then print books need to be about physical beauty and the pleasures of owning, not just reading.

How Much Coco is Too Much Coco?

The Many Faces of Coco. (The New York Times, 12/2/2011)

Excerpt: At least seven Chanel books have been published in the past 18 months. It was almost inevitable that the books would end up pitted against one another in reviews, but now some of the authors are going after each other in real life. At stake are not just sales or bragging rights. The true battle is over what Mr. Vaughan contended is an almost institutionalized refusal to delve into Chanel’s dark side.

The three most recent titles.