Retiring Guy's Digest: 2012-09-23

Saturday, September 29, 2012

As you already know, Fox News is shameless

The New York Times, 9/23/2012

Excerpt: But even as warming temperatures are upending traditional Greenlandic life, they are also offering up intriguing new opportunities for this state of 57,000 — perhaps nowhere more so than here in Narsaq.

Vast new deposits of minerals and gems are being discovered as Greenland’s massive ice cap recedes, forming the basis of a potentially lucrative mining industry.

One of the world’s largest deposits of rare earth metals — essential for manufacturing cellphones, wind turbines and electric cars — sits just outside Narsaq.

This could be momentous for Greenland, which has long relied on half a billion dollars a year in welfare payments from Denmark, its parent state. Mining profits could help Greenland become economically self sufficient, and may someday even render it the first sovereign nation created by global warming. [Emphasis added]

"Welcome to the epicenter of global warming."

Minneapolis Central Library: Second Floor

Floor plan

Love this shelf lighting

I lived in Minneapolis during the summer of 1970 at 3026 W. Lake Street, working after-hours maintenance at the downtown Dayton's Department Store (now Macy's). But you won't find me here. (Business Science Stacks & Reference)

All photos taken by Retiring Guy on Saturday, September 8, 2012.

Related post.
Minneapolis Central Library: 1st floor.
Minneapolis Central Library: Exterior and Atrium.

Minneapolis Central Library: 1st Floor

We took a right-hand turn at this point -- to the Children's Library.

Storytime room.

What? Just 3 copies of books by Carl Hiaasen on the "General Fiction shelves?

Well, the rest of them could be checked out or stored in the "Fiction Stacks".

Book return area.

All photos taken by Retiring Guy on Saturday, September 8, 2012.

Related post.
Minneapolis Central Library: Exterior and Atrium.

Minneapolis Central Library: Exterior and Atrium

About the library.

Library opened May 20, 2006.

353,000 square feet with 140,000 square feet of underground parking.

8,140 square-foot atrium links two buildings that make up the library.

Ninety-five percent of the old Central Library building was recycled; the pillars in the new building are from recycled cement

All photos taken by Retiring Guy on Saturday, September 8, 2012.

Friday, September 28, 2012

Who's Running for State Office in Wisconsin 2012: 42nd Assembly District (General Election Edition)

Assembly District 42 (...compact and contiguous...)

Public libraries in the district.
Angie W. Cox Public Library, Pardeeville
Brandon Public Library
Cambria Public LIbrary (link not working this morning)
Endeavor Public Library
Fox Lake Public Library
Hutchinson Memorial Library, Randolph
Lodi's Women's Club Public Library
Mill Pond Public Library, Kingston
Poynette Area Public Library
Rio Community Library
Wyocena Public Library

Seat currently held by Fred Clark (D-Baraboo). Clark is now running in the 81st Assembly District, currently represented by Helen Kelda Roys, who finished a distant second in the 2nd Congressional District Democratic primary.

The Republican Incumbent

Biography. Born Madison, November 13, 1961; married; 3 children.

Graduate Lodi H.S. 1980; UW-Madison farm and industry short course 1981.

Farmer and small business owner.

Member: Wis. Soybean Marketing Bd. (fmr. pres., vice pres.); Badger Agvest LLC (fmr. pres. and co-founder); Wis. Corn Growers Assn. (fmr. pres., vice pres.); Wis. Farm Bureau; Lodi FFA Alumni (fmr. pres., co-founder); Columbia, Sauk and Dane Co. Republican Party; Yellow Thunder Snowmobile Club; Ducks Unlimited; Poynette Bowhunters Club.

Town of Dane Supervisor 2006-08.

Elected to Assembly 2008; reelected 2010.

No primary opponent in 2010. Won general election with 57% of the vote.

The Democratic Challenger: Paula Cooper

Thursday, September 27, 2012

What's That Smell? The Pants Worn by the Staff at the Government is Not God PAC

LINK

In the past few days, this group of loonies has also registered "False" twice and "Mostly False" once on the Truth-o-Meter.

Pew Research Looks at News Consumption

In Changing News Landscape, Even Television is VulnerableTrends in News Consumption: 1991-2012. (Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, 9/27/2012)

With this visual, the future of print newspapers looks might grim.

At the same time, small town and rural residents prefer tradtitional media, TV and newspaper, for local news and information.

How people get local news and information in different communities. (Pew Research,9/26/2012)

Excerpt: Small town residents: Along with rural residents, people who live in smaller towns are more likely to rely on traditional news platforms such as television and newspapers to get local news; newspapers are especially important to them for civic information. Small town Americans prefer the local newspaper for a long list of information—including local weather, crime, community events, schools, arts and culture, taxes, housing, zoning, local government and social services. Residents of smaller towns are also the most likely to worry about what would happen if the local newspaper no longer existed.

Michael Ennis's "The Malice of Fortune" Gets a Rockin' Video Promo

33 holds on 11 copies in LINKcat, a consortium with 49 library locations.

Not exactly a rockin' response.

Library Porn: What's the Point?

At 0:56 a woman being interviewed replies, "That's not the point."

I watched this video three times and am still wondering what the point of it is. Does it have a point of view? It appears to be BoozWheez's only video upload (of 118) on the topic of libraries.

Don't know whether or not this news article provides any background.

The Menasha Public Library is Ready for Its Close-Ups

....and panning shots, zooms in and out....

The view from the Director's office starts around the 0:30.

Picture Perfect Library Cards @ the Fresno County Public Library

Anyone else think the song used here sounds at least vaguely familiar?

LINK

Dear George, It will take more than denial to get over climate change in Greenland

George Will's blind spot

The New York Times, 9/23/2012

Excerpt: Vast new deposits of minerals and gems are being discovered as Greenland’s massive ice cap recedes, forming the basis of a potentially lucrative mining industry.

One of the world’s largest deposits of rare earth metals — essential for manufacturing cellphones, wind turbines and electric cars — sits just outside Narsaq.

This could be momentous for Greenland, which has long relied on half a billion dollars a year in welfare payments from Denmark, its parent state. Mining profits could help Greenland become economically self sufficient, and may someday even render it the first sovereign nation created by global warming.

The Wisconsin Budget Project: Numbers Worth Repeating

Page 1 of U.S. Census report , referenced in the WBP post

New Census Data Shed Light on State and Local Revenue and Spending. (Wisconsin Budget Project, 9/26/2012)

Where Wisconsin ranks. (Based on 2010 census data.)

Total state and local taxes when measured as a percentage of personal income.

Total state and local taxes when compared on a per capita basis.

Excerpt: Our state always ranks much higher in taxes than in total General Revenue because we rely less on charges and fees and receive less federal funding than most other states. (Wisconsin ranked 42nd in federal aid to state and local governments per capita in 2007.)

Also from the report. Wisconsin ranked 32nd nationally in both of those revenue sources (measured relative to income).

It's not 100% clear to me to what the "both" refers.

Taxes and other charges/fees?

Charges/fees and federal funding?

Total general revenue? (My "Trivial Pursuit" gut feeling, but you know what always happens when you think about the question for too long.)

I'm waiting to hear back from Jon Peacock.

Whatever the case, the point is that when considering all revenue sources, Wisconsin's ranking drops to somewhere in the middle, as shown by this 2010 Wisconsin Department of Revenue report, "2006-07 State and Local Government Tax and Revenue Rankings".

Hey, there's that "32" again. (This was also my son Andy's jersey number for high school baseball and basketball.)

Who's Running for State Office in Wisconsin 2012: 39th Assembly District (General Election Edition)

Public libraries in the 39th Assembly District
Beaver Dam Public Library
Brownsville Public Library
Horicon Public Library
Hustisford Community Library
Iron Ridge Public Library
Jack Russell Memorial Library, Hartford (service area)
Juneau Public Library
Lomira Quadrophonics Community Library
Mayville Public Library
Theresa Public Library

An open seat, as the 39th's current representative, Jeff Fitzgerald, set his sights on a U.S. Senate seat. (You'll note on the map that there are no dark blue counties.)

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Candidate profiles: State Assembly District 39. (Wisconsin State Journal, 10/9/2012)

The Republican Candidate: Mark Born

Born's current position: Dodge County Sheriff's Department, Corrections Administration Division. (Detention Facility?)
Vice-President, Dodge County Historical Society.
Member, Beaver Dam Lake Improvement Association
Former member, Beaver Dam Common Council.

Wisconsin Eye interview

The Democratic Candidate: Jim Grigg

Who's Running for State Office in Wisconsin 2012: 38th Assembly District (General Election Edition)

38th Assembly District

(plus ca change)

Public libraries in the district
Cambridge Community Library
Deerfield Public Library
Johnson Creek Public Library
L. D. Fargo Public Library, Lake Mills
Marshall Community Library
Oconomowoc Public Library

The Republican incumbent

Biography. Born Waukesha, June 8, 1971; married; 2 children.

Graduate Waukesha North H.S. 1989; B.A. Pepperdine U. 1993.

Small business owner. Former investigative television news reporter for WISN-TV; legislative policy advisor and constituent director.

Member: Watertown Elks Club; Watertown Moose Club; Okauchee Lions Club; Musky Mike’s fishing pro-staff; Lakewatch Volunteer Organization (founder).

Elected to Assembly 2004; reelected since 2006. Minority Caucus Vice Chairperson 2009.

Re-election no contest in 2010.

The Democratic challenger: Scott Michalak

Wisconsin Eye interview

The Libertarian challenger: Leroy Watson

Wisconsin Eye interview.

Otherwise, all I know about Watson is that he got crushed in his 2010 run against Rep. Steve Nass, although, looking on the bright side, I suppose you could say that getting 10% of the vote is not a bad showing for a 3rd-party candidate.

Who's Running for State Office in Wisconsin 2012: 37th Assembly District (General Election Edition)

37th Assembly District

Sidebar: How redistricting reshaped the 37th.

Public libraries in the 37th Assembly District

Columbus Public Library

DeForest Area Public Library

Karl Junginger Memorial Library, Waterloo

Lowell Public Library

Reeseville Public Library

Watertown Public Library

The Republican Candidate

John Jagler (Watertown) wins a 5-way primary with 52% of the vote.

About. John and his wife Heidi have raised their three children in Watertown for over two decades. John was a familiar voice to thousands of people who woke up to him each day on Newsradio 620 WTMJ for over 15 years. Now, John wants to be your voice in Madison.

For the past two years, John has served as Communications Director for Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald. He helped guide one of the most important and remarkable legislative sessions in history. John was on the frontlines in the battle to move our state forward. He is committed to improving the economy, lowering taxes and listening to the people of the new 37th Assembly District.

Wisconsin Eye interview.

The Democratic Candidate

Mary Arnold wins a 2-way primary with nearly 71% of the vote.

Mary Arnold is Vice-President of the Columbus School District Board of Education

Wisconsin Eye interview.

21 Emerge Wisconsin Women to November Election.