Saturday, January 6, 2018

Auto tour of Midvale Heights neighborhood, Madison WI


Red arrow auto tour.





Neighborhood boundaries
  • North.  Mineral Point Road
  • East.  Midvale Boulevard (Southwest Commuter Trail, southeast)
  • South:  Beltline
  • West:  South Whitney Way
Note:  Due to technical difficulties, the yellow and green arrow videos need to be reshot. They will be shared in an update.

Orange arrow auto tour



Timeline and description
  • 1945.  Schafer family purchases 5 acres on northeast corner of Horstmeier farm, with an eye to housing development.  (Northern border: Mineral Point Road).
  • 1947.  1st subdivision.  Oak Park Heights plat recorded 
  • 1948. Midvale Heights annexed by City of Madison from Town of Madison.  
  • Early 1950s.  Tokay Boulevard still a dirt road.
  • Early 1950s.  Development west of Midvale Boulevard from Waite Lane, south of Odana Road, north to Mineral Point Road.  Ranch-style predominates.
  • 1951.  2nd subdivision.  Frank Piper plat recorded.
  • 1954.  Neighborhood association formed
  • 1955.  Odell Street site of Parade of Homes
  • 1950s.  4- and 8-unit apartments constructed on Presidential Lane and Rushmore Lane
  • 1959.  37 subdivisions recorded.  (Definitely a nifty 50  neighborhood.  More split-level design as decade progresses.)
  • 2009.  Joint neighborhood plan developed with Westmorland
  • Now includes 1300 homes and 200 apartment units on 616 acres

How can you work for that idiot?! Record number of White House staff say they can't take this shit anymore



Trump Staff Turnover Hits 34%—a First Year Presidential Record.  (Fortune, 12/28/2017)
In the first year of Donald Trump’s presidency, the White House has seen more turnover than any previous administration, according to Kathryn Dunn-Tenpas, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who has tracked White House turnover rates for more than three decades.

Trump has a head start in Cabinet turnover.  Will the next square symbolize Jeff Sessions' departure?


The Incredibly And Historically Unstable First Year Of Trump’s Cabinet.  (Pew Research, 11/29/2017)

It may be abominably cold where you live, but "Meanwhile In Australia, Part Of A Highway Is Literally Melting"




Meanwhile In Australia, Part Of A Highway Is Literally Melting.  (NPR, 1/5/2018)
Police in Victoria, in the country's southeast, warned motorists Friday "to expect delays and to avoid the right-hand lane of the Hume Freeway." The reason? "There is a 10km stretch of road that is melting."   
A spokesperson for the department told local media the lofty temperatures hitting the region — upwards of 100 degrees Fahrenheit and climbing — have combined with heavy traffic to reactivate a key ingredient in the road surface, rendering it a sticky muddle in places.

Still a lot of red and orange on the weather map.


Related reading:
Melbourne weather: Saturday's scorcher puts the heat on firefighters.  (Sydney Morning  Herald, 1/7/2018)
Firefighters battled more than 100 blazes across Victoria on Saturday as the mercury reached a high of 42 in Melbourne and residents in several suburbs on the city's south-eastern fringe were evacuated as a fire threatened homes. 
There were 114 grass or scrub fires and 25 structure fires in the 24 hours to 6pm, State Control Centre figures show.

42 Celsius = 107.6 Fahrenheit.

Juxtaposition: The good news is that fewer people are wathcing local TV news




It's an activity favored by older people:
  • 18% of 18-29 year olds
  • 57% of 65+ year olds 
It's an activity favored by people with less education
  • 47% high school or less
  • 26% college+


Related post:
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act bonus round at Sinclair Broadcasting, where big payoffs for execs and layoffs for workers are the norm.  (12/25/2017)

Unemployment is down, but so is the labor participation rate



The U.S. Economy Added 2.1 Million Jobs in 2017.  (The Atlantic, 1/5/2018)
And while unemployment has ticked down significantly, there are still tons of missing workers: December’s report showed that the labor-force participation rate was still at 62.7 percent, still well below historical norms.

Related reading:
Where have all the workers gone? An inquiry into the decline of the U.S. labor force participation rate.  (Brookings, 9/7/2017)
The increase in opioid prescriptions from 1999 to 2015 could account for about 20 percent of the observed decline in men’s labor force participation (LFP) during that same period.

Friday, January 5, 2018

Donald Mahaffey (1938-2017) Warren High School class of 1955



1954 Dragon yearbook
Donald is in the top row, 5th from left


1967 Warren City Directory
  • Mahaffey Donald (Margt) eng Sylvania h107 E 3d
1983 Warren City Directory
  • Mahaffey Donald K & Margt K; eng G T E Sylvania h107 E 3d Av
  • Mahaffey Margt K Mrs (Kay Mahaffey's Beauty Shop) 107 E 3d Av

The popularity of Donald is graphed here.  Let's look at Myron.


Myron never hit the big time, but he nonetheless had a respectable run during the 1st half of the 20th century, staying within the 200-300 range, for the most part, and peaking at #192 in 1932.  There's been no word from him since after 2000.

Other class of '55 members:
2017
James Rose.  (12/17/2017)
Carol Burgeson.  (6/9/2017)
Theoidore Huber.  (5/3/2017)
Mary Sperry.  (4/11/2017)
James Graziano.  (3/28/2017)
2016
Lavonne Devore Saber.  (12/8/2016) 
Martin Gage.  (12/5/2016)
Sally Jean Nelson Kittner.  (11/15/2016)
Lester Nero.  (9/8/2016)
2015
Cleo Stack Yaegle (10/24/2015
Carl Stranburg.  (1/30/2015)

CES 2018: Concept robots designed to eliminate service sector jobs




Tech giant is rolling out new robots to replace workers in hotels, airports and supermarkets.  (CNBC, 1/4/2018)
On Thursday, LG said it will showcase three new "concept robots" at the global consumer electronics show, CES, in Las Vegas next week. Those robots are designed for commercial use at hotels, airports and supermarkets, according to the company. An LG spokesman later told CNBC that the robots are still "concept" products and that they are "a long way from ready to go public."

Related reading:
Industry employment and output projections to 2024.  (Monthly Labor Review, Decemer 2015)
Or not, if LG Electronics has its wayThe service-providing sectors will account for the majority of the projected job growth.
But then again, "a long way from ready to go public" could take us beyond 2024.

Other CES 2018 preview posts:
Travelmate Robotics suitcase.  (1/5/2018)
Samsung's GoBreath.  (1/3/2018)
A robot that plays Scrabble without making a mess.  (1/1/2018)
Keratase hair coach.  (12/23/2017)
Travis the Translator.  (12/20/2017)
Pro-Protection toothbrush holder.  (12/19/2017)
PetMio smart technology.  (12/18/2017)
Rinspeed Snap concept vehicle.  (12/17/2017)
SignAll, an automated sign language translator.  (12/13/2017) 
Homni sleep solution.  (12/11/2017)
Guz 2 electronic dartboard connects you to the world.  (11/22/2017)
I assume the SureFly will also be able to carry women.  (11/21/2017)
Now you can party every day and rock all night at any age.  (11/17/2017)
Pointivo.  (11/17/2017)
Jibo, the social robot, makes the cover of TIME.  (11/17/2017)

CES 2018 preview: Unlike Modobag, the Travelmate Robotics suitcase will not cart you around the airport




Travelmate Robotics’ robot suitcase will follow you to CES 2018.  (Venture Beat, 1/3/2018)
The suitcase lights up with different patterns, and it responds to both gestures and voice commands.
[snip] 
The suitcases are priced at $1,100 and up. That sounds steep, but good suitcases cost a lot. This one has two USB ports for charging devices, an ergonomic handle, a smart lock, speakers, a battery, and sensors that help it navigate through crowds

Travelmate Robotics.  Suitcase comes in 3 sizes.  Available in colors other than pink.  Expect 90 days for delivery due to high-volumes orders.  (Or so they say.)

Related post:
Beyond CES 2017: Modobag, the perfect luggage for the slothful American.  (7/5/2017)

Other CES 2018 preview posts:
Samsung's GoBreath.  (1/3/2018)
A robot that plays Scrabble without making a mess.  (1/1/2018)
Keratase hair coach.  (12/23/2017)
Travis the Translator.  (12/20/2017)
Pro-Protection toothbrush holder.  (12/19/2017)
PetMio smart technology.  (12/18/2017)
Rinspeed Snap concept vehicle.  (12/17/2017)
SignAll, an automated sign language translator.  (12/13/2017) 
Homni sleep solution.  (12/11/2017)
Guz 2 electronic dartboard connects you to the world.  (11/22/2017)
I assume the SureFly will also be able to carry women.  (11/21/2017)
Now you can party every day and rock all night at any age.  (11/17/2017)
Pointivo.  (11/17/2017)
Jibo, the social robot, makes the cover of TIME.  (11/17/2017)

Steve King notwithstanding, immigration keeps this rural Iowa county growing


Or on a steady course anyway.  84 of Iowa's 99 counties are losing populationMany of them big time.




Immigrants Keep anIowa MeatpackingTown Alive and Growing.  (The New York Times, 5/29/2017; republished on 12/31/2017)
The union is long gone, and so are most of the white faces of men who once labored in the broiling heat of the killing floor and the icy chill of the production lines. What hasn’t changed much is Mr. Smith’s hourly wage, which is still about $16 an hour, the same as when he started 37 years ago. Had his wages kept up with inflation, he would be earning about $47 an hour.  
[snip] 
Yet Storm Lake, hustled along by the relentless drive of manufacturers to cut labor costs and by the town’s grit to survive, is still growing. However clumsily at times, this four-square-mile patch has absorbed successive waves of immigrants and refugees — from Asia, from Mexico and Central America, and from Africa. 
They fill most of the grueling, low-paid jobs at the pork, egg and turkey plants; they spend money at local shops, and open restaurants and grocery stores; they fill church pews and home-team benches. While more than 88 percent of the state’s population is non-Hispanic white, less than half of Storm Lake’s is. Walk through the halls of the public schools and you can hear as many as 18 languages.


Source:  CNN

Buena Vista County is represented by this guy.



Owner of company that wins Foxconn road construction contract serves up heaping helping of hyperbole, as well campaign contributions to GOP incumbents


He has also contributed $3,000 to Scott Walker since 2013.

Black River Falls company awarded construction contract for Foxconn project.  (La Crosse Tribune, 1/4/2017)
“Foxconn coming to Wisconsin resembles when Henry Ford picked Detroit for the first automotive manufacturing facility. We look forward in utilizing Hoffman Construction’s fleet of scrapers, dozers and haul trucks and especially our biggest asset, our people, to build the projects,” said Hoffman.
October 2012


Source:  Wisconsin Democracy Campaign (above and below)

November 2016
More generous but fewer contributions

Other Foxconn posts:
December 2017
Historic giveaways: Most expensive taxpayer-funded jobs in history is Scott Walker's top accomplishment in 2017.  (12/26/2017)
Gateway Technical College cutting-edge Foxconn curriculum does not include workforce development, employee relations, and management concepts.  (12/25/2017)
Let's put this Foxconn deposit in perspective.  (12/23/2017)
UPDATE. Scott Walker Monday tweet storm attempts to distract us from his highway funding mess.  (12/19/2017) 
GOP legislative aide and letter writer Keith Best needs to brush up on his Foxconn analogies.  (12/16/2017)
UPDATE: The Wisconn Valley Way to Wisconsin's fiscal and moral bankruptcy.  (12/15/2017)
Scott Walker, meet Andrew Ng, who wants to help Foxconn bring intelligence displayed by machines to Racine County.  (12/14/2017)
Billions for Foxconn but a raw deal for Mount Pleasant residents John and Kim Mahoney.  (12/13/2017)
Some residents of Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and Illinois will help to foot the bill for a $140,000,000 Foxconn campus electrical substation.  (12/12/2017)
A deafening silence: What role will robotics play at Foxconn's Mount Pleasant manufacturing plant?  (12/12/2017)
Inquiring minds want to know why driverless technology wasn't discussed during Foxconn contract negoatiations, Scott Walker.  (12/12/2017)
Donald Trump and Terry Gou: Scott Walker loves these two peas in a pod.  (12/9/2017)
Reggie White:Green Bay Packers:: Foxconn:Wisconsin (Scott Walker analogy reveals his crazed desperation).  (8/10/2017)

Thursday, January 4, 2018

Richard Peterson (1926-1945) Warren High School class of 1945



1945 Dragon yearbook

Richard's high-school activities:
None.

 1967 Warren City Directory
  • Peterson Richd L (Mary L) opr UR h405 Park av
 1983 Warren City Directory
  • Peterson Richd L & Mary L; lab UR h405 Park av

The popularity of Richard as a baby name is graphed here.   Let's take a look at Elmer.


Elmer's popularity in the late 19th century -- #38 during the 1880s, #36 in the 1890s -- sustained him through the 1st three decades of the 20th century.  He spent 33 years (1900-1932) in the top 100, which was followed by a long, increasingly unsteady decline.
  
Other members of the class of 1945:
2017
Ruth Peterson Bennett.  (11/5/2017)
Jean Park Johnson.  (10/23/2017)
Marion Cook Klakamp.  (3/30/2017)
Raymon Billstone.  (1/29/2017)
2016
Barbara Coe Sly.  (9/20/2016)
Richard Olney.  (7/4/2016)
Robert Scalise.  (3/21/2016)
Doris Dinsmoor Lyle.  (2/6/2016)
2015
Mary Ann Masterson.  (9/28/2015)
Clara Gelotte Wooster.  (7/19/2015)
Dorothy Smith Bowser.  (6/30/2015)
Charles "Lindy" McConnell.  (2/14/2015)
2014
Ruth Campbell Freeman.  (2/3/2014)
Dixie Eaton Weldon. (1/25/2014)
2013
Dorothy Kavinski Wycoff.  (12/21/2013)
Robert Hammerbeck.  (12/14/2013)

First 3 words of this New York Times headline could be used on a daily basis


Not to mention these 3 words:   'lost his mind'!


Alternative web headlineTrump Breaks With Bannon, Saying He Has ‘Lost His Mind’.  (The New York Times, 1/3/2018)

Seems like yesterday.


Wednesday, January 3, 2018

After 18 years in the U.S. House, Pennsylvania Republican Bill Shuster is retiring


Another unlikely pickup opportunity for the Democrats in 2018.  During Shuster's tenure, their candidates never exceeded 40% of the vote.

Source:  Ballotpedia

Congressman Bill Shuster to retire after 17 years.  (Pittsburgh Post Gazette, 1/2/2018)

First elected on November 7, 2000, Shuster will have served 18 years when he leaves Congress.

Trump won this district with 69.7% of the vote, 6.4 percentage points better than Shuster.

The art of the Pennsylvania gerrymander
Sourcegovtrack

Related Congress retirement/resignation posts:
Freedom Caucus crazy Trent Franks bypasses 2018 retirement announcement, goes directly to resignation.  (12/7/2017)
Sexting scandal forces Texas GOP congressman Joe Barton to announce retirement in his 32nd year of service.  (12/4/2017)
After 26 years in Congress, Virginia Republican Bob Goodlatte is retiring but don't expect Democrats to flip this House seat.  (11/10/2017)
After 14 years in Congress, Texas Republican Ted Poe is retiring but don't expect Democrats to flip this House seat.  (11/9/2017)
After 24 years in the U.S. House, New Jersey Republican Frank LoBiondo is retiring.  (11/9/2017)
Tennessee Republican Diane Black is retiring from Congress but there'll be no pickup for Democrats in this deep red district.  (11/6/2017) 
Kansas Republican Lynn Jenkins is retiring from Congress but don't expect Democrats to flip this seat.  (11/6/2017) 
Actually, I wouldn't put too much stock in Lamar Smith's retirement announcement.  (11/3/2017)
Texas Republican Jeb Hensarling is retiring from the House but there'll be no pickup for Democrats here.  (10/31/2017)
Florida Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is retiring from Congress and maybe there's a glimmer of hope for Democrats.  (10/27/2017)
Pennsylvania Republican Charlie Dent is retiring from Congress but don't expect Democrats to flip this seat.  (10/24/2017)
Michigan Republican Dave Trott is retiring from Congress but don't expect Democrats to flip this seat.  (10/23/2017)
Ohio Republican Patrick Tiberi is retiring from Congress but don't expect Democrats to flip this seat.  (10/22/2017)

William Sheckler (1945-2017) Warren Area High School class of 1963



1963 Dragon yearbook

1967 Warren City Directory
  • Shckler Alice K Mrs slswm Printz Co h16 Walnut
  • Sheckler Wm L r16 Walnut
1983 Warren City Directory

The popularity of William as a baby name is graphed here.   Let's take a look at Joshua.

Source:  Social Security Administration

Joshua.  Underperformer during the 1st half of the 20th century.  Star performer into the 21st century.  His best years:  2002-2006 at #3.

Other class of 1963 graduates:
Deanne Janyce Reiff Rodriguez.  (10/21/2017)
Dean Shattuck. (5/1/2017)
John Hamilton.  (1/11/2017)
Patricia Anderson Bidwell.  (2/21/2016)
John Kiser. 12/1/2014)
Vincent Faga.  (1/4/2014)

With her Barbara Billingsley pearl necklace and zero irony, Sarah Huckabee Sanders shifts to concerns about King Jung-un's mental fitness



Reported in PoliticsThe Latest: Sanders defends Trump’s ‘nuclear button’ tweet. (Washington Post, 1/3/2018)

Related reading:
Reporter asks question on Trump’s 'mental fitness' at WH press briefing.  (The Hill, 1/3/2018)
Trump’s inner circle is worried about his mental state.  (Slate, 11/30/2017)
Trump is dangerous, mental health experts claim in a new book. Are they right?  (STAT, 9/29/2017)
Yes, it's OK to question Trump's mental health.  (CNN, 8/24/2017)

Auto tour of Hill Farms neighborhood, Madison WI




Hill Farms boundaries:
  • East:  Segoe Road
  • North:  Regent Street/Sheboygan Avenue
  • West:   Whitney Way
  • South: Mineral Point Way

(text boxes, highlights, and arrows added)

Auto tour route arrow designations
  • Black:  General, getting to know the neighborhood 
  • Red:  Richland Lane (1957 Parade of Homes)
  • Orange:  Pepin Lane (1958 Parade of Homes)
  • Green:  Juneau Road (1959 Parade of Homes)
  • Purple: Marinette Trail (1960 Parade of Homes)


Timeline and description
  • 1897.  UW purchases 159 acres of land from H. J. Hill in Town of Madison south of Sauk Road (now University Avenue), current location of Hilldale shopping center.  The area become known as Hill Farm
  • Additional UW land purchases bring total acreage to about 600. Approximate borders
    • North - University Avenue
    • East - Midvale Boulevard
    • South - Mineral Point Road
    • West - beyond Rosa Road
  • 1953.  State legislature authorizes UW to sell Hill Farms.  Proceeds used to purchase new research lands in Arlington.
  • 1955.  UW Regents hire consultants to prepare master plan of development.  Naturalistic approach to layout:  long blocks and curvelinear streets to fit rolling topography. 


  • 1956.  Sales of lots announced February.  First homes constructed.  Architecture featured popular housing styles of the period, e.g., Colonial Revival, split-level)
  • 1957.  Van Hise Elementary School opens
  • 1957.  Formation of neighborhood association
  • 1957-1960.  Parade of Homes site.
    • 1957 - original plate along Richland Lane
    • 1958 - Juneau Road
    • 1959 - Pepin Place (included Frank Lloyd Wright prefab)
    • 1960 - Marinette Trail (first floor family room becomes a more common feature)
  • 1958.  Special census report:  755 adults, 891 children, 428 units
  • 1959.  Karen Arms garden apartments (11 buildings) completed
  • 1959.  Van Hise junior high school addition opens



  • 1959-1961.  Construction of offices and headquarters of large companies, including Wisconsin Life Insurance Company, now site of Overlook at Hilldale apartments
  • 1960.  Completion of Whitney Way from University to the Beltline.
  • 1960.  Hill Farms Swim Club opens
  • 1961. Park Tower high-rise apartment, Madison's 1st, opens
  • 1961.  Former University trailer park along east side of Midvale Boulevard replaced with 4-unit apartment buildings
  • 1962.  12 subdivisions approved by this time
  • 1962.  Wisconsin Department of Transportation office building opens
  • 1962.  Hilldale Shopping Center opens (October )

Sources:



Related posts:
Auto tour of Nakoma neighborhood, Madison WI.  (12/26/2017)
Auto tour of Sunset Village neighborhood.  (12/20/2017)
Auto tour of Glen Oak Hills neighborhood.  (12/17/2017)
Auto tour of Crestwood neighborhood.  (12/8/2017)
Auto tour of Westmorland neighborhood.  (12/7/2017)
Approach and auto tour of Owen Parkway, Hoyt Park.  (12/6/2017)
Auto tour of Indian Hills subdivision,  (12/6/2017)
Auto tour of Pilgrim Village.  (12/5/2017)
Auto tour of Highlands.  (12/5/2017)
UPDATE.  Madison's "Levittown" at 66. (12/2/2017)

More evidence -- the most dangerous yet -- that Donald Trump suffers severely from size insecurity



Trump's peculiar obsession with physical size.  (Washington Examiner, 1/24/2017)
And now the size of his nuclear buttonHe's gotten into endless and prominent debates over the size of his poll numbers, the size of his fortune, the size of his hands, as well as other body parts. He has belittled adversaries over their height and health, and made fun of former employees for being too fat or having breasts that are too small.

CES 2018 preview: Samsung's GoBreath




Samsung to introduce smart glasses, lung recovery device at CES.  (c|net, 1/2/2018)
GoBreath, which looks like a teched-out inhaler, is a portable device connected to an app that teaches patients with lung damage techniques to help with postoperative recovery. Patients are often told to exercise deep breathing to speed up recovery, but lung pain can make it challenging. 

On the other hand:
The 3 Most Important Tips For Healing The Lungs Naturally.  (Live Love Fruit, 9/17/2013)
1.  Eat lung-healthy foods.  2.  Get moving.  3.  Avoid irritants.
15 Plants and Herbs That Boost Lung Health, Heal Respiratory Infections And Even Repair Pulmonary Damage.  (Real Farmacy)
Includes sage and thyme, but not parsley and rosemary.

Other CES 2018 preview posts:
A robot that plays Scrabble without making a mess.  (1/1/2018)
Keratase hair coach.  (12/23/2017)
Travis the Translator.  (12/20/2017)
Pro-Protection toothbrush holder.  (12/19/2017)
PetMio smart technology.  (12/18/2017)
Rinspeed Snap concept vehicle.  (12/17/2017)
SignAll, an automated sign language translator.  (12/13/2017) 
Homni sleep solution.  (12/11/2017)
Guz 2 electronic dartboard connects you to the world.  (11/22/2017)
I assume the SureFly will also be able to carry women.  (11/21/2017)
Now you can party every day and rock all night at any age.  (11/17/2017)
Pointivo.  (11/17/2017)
Jibo, the social robot, makes the cover of TIME.  (11/17/2017)

This week in the cereal aisle: Giant size bargains to kick off the new year


Photo by Retiring Guy

Cold cereals USA: The Top 10 brands in the first half of 201703-Aug-2017 By Gill Hyslop.  (Bakery and Snacks, 8/2/2017) 
Rah, rah, sis boom bah!  A bowl of ready-to-eat (RTE) cereal isn’t just something to break the fast, but a genuine meal anytime of the day. According to Mintel, almost half of the American public identify themselves as cereal consumers who embrace a bowl for lunch or dinner.

(highlights added)

Leaves us guessing on private label sales % percentage (+/-)

Related posts:
Satisfy your craving for chocolate.  (12/22/2017)
Pumpkin Spice runs amok.  (11/7/2017)
Danger lurks.  (11/2/2017)
Dan G. wets himself over Special K Blueberry with Lemon Clusters.  (9/20/2017)
Limited Edition Mocha Crunch.  (7/16/2017)
Kellogg's Frosted Flakes with Marshmallows.  (2/1/2017)
A marriage between General Mills and Girls Scouts of America.  (1/19/2017)
Alpha-Bits is getting squeezed out.  (11/23/2016)
Special K continues to branch out.  (10/23/2016)
Wedding bells chime.  (10/5/2016)
The price of convenience (22.54 cents per ounce).  (8/19/2016)
Make up your mind already!  (8/14/2016)
Remember Nabisco Shredded Wheat?  (7/13/2016)
Features Batman and Superman.  (7/7/2016)
Post wants you to have ice cream for breakfast.  (6/30/2016)
Tiny Toast.  (6/21/2016)

Lunging to the right: Scott Walker pees his pants over Paul Soglin/Fidel Castro meeting that took place 40 years ago


It's not like Soglin's gubernatorial campaign is going anywhere anyway.


Mayor Paul Soglin remembers Fidel Castro as 'a popular leader who inspired generations of Cubans'.  (Wisconsin State Journal, 11/27/2016)
Soglin's first of 2 meetings with Castro.  Amid the tension and icy relations, Soglin and a delegation from Madison were invited to Cuba in 1975 on a tour that included visits to a research agricultural center, several dairy stations and the former DuPont family estate near Veradero, the Wisconsin State Journal reported at the time. Castro dropped in unexpectedly at their hotel room about 11 p.m. the night before their departure and stayed until about 2 a.m.

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Richard Hansen (1934-2017) Warren High School class of 1952



1952 Dragon yearbook

1967 Warren City Directory (no entries)
  • [county section] Hansen Daisy r Box 226 Russell
  • Hansen Richd E (Diana M) firefighter Warren Fire Dept h1 New Court pl
  • Hansen Russell slsma Walker Creamery Prod r Box 226 Russell
1983 Warren City Directory
  • Hansen Richd firefighter Warren Boro Fire Dept

The popularity of Donald as a baby name is graphed here.  (Now at #160 in 2016).  Let's take a look at Daisy.

The 60th most popular name in the 1880s and 85th most poular in the 1890s, Daisy peaked at #81 to kick off the 1900s.  By 1972, she looked as though she was heading for oblivion, but Catherine Bach soon came to the rescue.  She played Daisy Duke in the TV series The Dukes of Hazzard from 1979 to 1985, corresponding to a period when the popularity of Daisy as a baby name rose from #606 in 1978 to #214 in 1983.  The Dukes of Hazzard was a top 10 show in its second through fourth seasons.

Other class of '52 grads:
2017
Donald "Dean" Webster.  (8/2/2017)
Earl Henry Campbell.  (7/17/2017)
Theodore Shaw.  (6/7/2017)
Richard Suppa.  (5/27/2017)
Neil Siefert.  (4/18/2017)
Mary Anne Handest McHenry.  (3/23/2017)
Reynold Flatt.  (2/27/2017)
2016
Donald Merkle.  (9/23/2016)
Minnie Bonavita Miller.  (6/10/2016)
Myra Wilson Babcock.  (5/19/2016)
Norma Pierce Nielsen.  (4/6/2016)
Santo 'Sam' Pascuzzi.  (2/14/2016)
2015
Glenn Culbertson.  (10/23/2015)
2014
Elizabeth Eggleston Hoffman.  (10/17/2014)

Scott Walker in the hands of God


God may have his own plans for Scott Walker in 2018.


Ocean's greatest hit -- 3 other early 70s singles never made it above #73 -- debuted at #87 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending March 13, 1971.  It spent 14 weeks on the chart, 7 of them in the top 10, peaking at #2.  It was #33 on Billboard's list of top 100 singles of 1971.