Christmas Greetings from the Family Scrapbooks: The Hendricksons

Pastor and Mrs. Albert Hendrickson

Sharon, David, Rachel, Rosanne
(date unknown)

Albert Hendrickson was a classmate of my dad's at Augustana Seminary in Rock Island, Illinois.  

Here's a snippet from the history of Elim Lutheran Church in Port Orchard, Washington, a community located just south of Bremerton on the west side of Puget Sound.

At the annual meeting in January, 1943 it was decided to call a pastor and furnish $720 per year toward his salary. A senior at Augustana Seminary, Pastor Albert Hendrickson was extended a call and arrived during the summer of this same year to serve the congregation of Elim. During the previous year (1938) property was purchased for the parsonage. With these two events the congregation really began to grow and prosper. 

Pastor Hendrickson was the first resident pastor, coming in August 1943, and during his term here he also conducted services at the Orchard Heights church where there was a Navy installation consisting of housing for 2,900 families of Navy employees and Navy personnel. Pastor Hendrickson's family consisted of his wife, Merle, and children David, Sharon, Rachel, Rosanne, and Peter.

Wow!  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI inflation calculator, $720 in 1943 equals $9,700 today.   (No wonder Rev. Hendrickson served a second congregation.)

Granted, most ministers and their families at that time lived in a church-owned parsonage, a "benefits" package that also included utilities.

Now I see in a different light this [annotated] passage Dad wrote in a letter to his parents on Labor Day 1952.

The people [the members of Messiah Lutheran Church in Auburn, Washington] do not want us to go but they realize that this is an advancement for me.  [A move to First English Lutheran Church in Great Falls, Montana.]  Everyone appreciates advancement.  I must consider this fact that I have been in the ministry for 9 years and my present salary is no more than what seminarians get in their first call [2d sense of noun form].  

Robert Hammerbeck (1926-2013) Warren High School Class of 1945

Warren Times Observer obituary

Warren High School Dragon yearbook

The Popularity of Robert as a Baby Name: 1880-2012.  The #1 most popular boy's name in 1926.

Other Roberts in the class of 1945.  (98 boys in the class)

• Robert "Bob" Betts
• Robert "Chris" Christensen
• Robert "Herk" Frederick
• Robert "Bob" Johnson
• Robert"Bob"  Knapp
• Robert "Bob" Lundberg
• Robert "Irish" Scalise
• Robert "Bob" Swick
• Robert "Snork" Uhr
• Robert "Hotch" Wilder

The #1 song in June of 1945.

1930s Madison, Wisconsin, Column-Graphed (Part 3: Telephones)

1939 Madison

(from Retiring Guy's postcard collection)

Source:  Madison (WI) City Directory 1941

In 1927, 37% of U.S. households had telephone service.  This number fell to 31% by 1932,   (1933 is generally considered the year when economic conditions during the Great Depression were at their worst.)  By 1940, 35% of U.S. households had telephone service.  It would be another year before the percentage of telephone households matched the 1927 number.



From the Telephony Museum's webpage on telephone history.     Of course, everything was up for grabs when the depression hit. During a two year period in the early 1930s, telephones in service declined by 10% across the nation and Western Electric laid off 85% of its work force. The only thing keeping Western from an almost total lay off was its conversion of manual telephones to dial. 

Then there's this bit of wholesale history from AT&T at "130 Years of the Telephone - A Brief History of the Telephone and Information Transmission".  1930s The first colored phones were introduced. The painted finishes were offered in gray, ivory, oxidized silver, statuary bronze and old brass.

Retiring Guy takes a look back.  The conversion to manual phones didn't take place in Warren PA until 1958.  I remember it well. Until I was 8 years old, our only telephone, black in color, didn't have a dial. When I picked up the heavy receiver, an operator chirped, "Number, please." The response time seemed to lengthen and the level of courtesy decrease as the conversion date approached.

Related posts:  
Column graph 1:  Postal receipts.  (12/11/2013)
Column graph 2:  Gas meters.  (12/12/2013)

When is a Grilled Cheese Sandwich Not a Grilled Cheese Sandwich?

When it needs to be microwaved.

Spotted in the frozen food section of Woodman's.

Chef M. J. Brando

Engineered in Buffalo Grove, Illinois

Ya gotta be kiddin' me with the butter, honey.  .

Who's Running for State Office in 2014? (1st Assembly District)

Public libraries in the 1st Assembly District:
Algoma
Door County (8 locations)
Kewaunee
Brown County (4 townships in its service area)

Johnsrud declares candidacy for Assembly. Green Bay Press Gazette, 12/10/2013)

Arnie Johnsrud ran in 2012 but lost the Democratic primary to Patrick Veeser by 30 votes.

Veeser went on to give the incumbent, Garey Bies (R-Sister Bay) a run for his money in the general election.

Ballotpedia

Other 2014 election posts:
Candidate scorecard for the 2014 Wisconsin Attorney General's race.  (12/8/2013)
22nd Assembly District.  11/21/2013)
17 Senate District.  (11/7/2013)
19th Assembly District.  (11/7/2013)
9th State Senate District. (10/23/2013)
15th State Senate District.  (10/10/2013)
Wisconsin Attorney General in 2014: Waukesha County DA Brad Schimel.  (10/10/2013
25th State Senate District.  (10/9/2013)

Where's the Outcry Over Lt. Gov. Kleefisch's Closed Roundtables?

Reprsentatives Fred Clark (D-Baraboo) and Jeffrey Mursau (R-Crivitz) just felt the heat.

Capital Times, 12/11/2013

Demands for transparency.  After an outcry from critics across the political spectrum over news that an environmental forum for legislators would be closed to the public, the hosts of the event announced that the meeting would be open to the media and others after all.

Is someone getting a free pass here?

Appleton Post-Crescent,  12/12/2013

Lack of communication of chutzpah?  A reporter for the Beloit Daily News tried to attend, but was not allowed in until the final segment an hour after the meeting began. 

Walker, in a Tuesday press release, touted the Beloit round table as the first in a series around the state to “start a conversation with Wisconsinites and gather information and input from taxpayers on the real impact of Wisconsin taxes in consideration of future tax reform.” 

Walker said the meetings are an “outstanding opportunity for the hardworking taxpayers to voice their opinions and offer suggestions on Wisconsin’s tax climate.”

Contact the Lt. Gov's office.

Dear Wisconsin Republicans, "Don't believe a word of those silly things you've heard, they're just rumors"

And guess who's been fanning the flames of this silliness?

Common Core panel wants limits on school use of fingerprints, retinal scans. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 12/12/2013)

Do dooby do dooby sha la la la loo. Democrats dismissed many of the recommendations as silly. 

Rep. Sondy Pope (D-Cross Plains) said no districts are performing retinal scans, [at least not in the name of Common Core standards] and that putting restrictions on taking biometric information could inhibit the ability of schools to monitor the health of special-needs students or record the temperature of a sick child. 

Source:   Myth v. Fact: Taking on the Tallest Tales about Common Core State Standards 

Other Common Core posts:
Outside experts like Sam Blumenthal?  (11/1/2013)
Legislators hear a wide range of opinions at Common Core public hearing.  (10/4/2013)

This New Rule Will Bring Them Out of the Woodwork

Macho men. But then, who knows, maybe the Village People, too.



The Play at the Plate: Safer. (The New York Times, 12/11/2013)

We have to stop meeting like this.    In the first step to formally eradicating a thrilling but dangerous staple of the game — and an emphatic response to the concussion crisis that has gripped other sports — Major League Baseball’s rules committee voted Wednesday to eliminate home-plate collisions.

Which Glass Cleaner Do You Prefer?

Bedtime Under Glass. (The New York Times, 12/11/2013)

Was wondering about the bathroom location.   At a little less than 1,800 square feet, the scale of the Glass House is modest enough that bullet-point highlights can be registered with ease. There is the elegant glass envelope itself, and the pure symmetry that, flouting strict modernist tenets, Mies van der Rohe derided as decorative. There is the cylindrical brick service core housing a spartan bathroom and hearth.

Philip Johnson

New York Times obituary, 1/25/2005

What Were Once Communes are Now "Intentional Communities"

No Tie-Dye Required.  Bay Area Millennials Are Flocking to Communes. (The New York Times, 12/11/2013)

Langton Laboratories

Autumn's Child Has It All Over Spring Byington

Social Security Administration Popular Baby Names

Autumn made her first appearance in 1969 and continues to reach new heights -- #68 in 2012.



Spring made her only appearances in the 133-year history of the SSA's Popular Baby Names rankings in the 1970s.  5-and-out.



Other baby name posts:
Are you a boy or are you a girl?  (12/7/2013)
April, May, and June:  The baby names of spring.  (12/4/2013)
[Nose tinkle] Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle clue: 7 down, Daughter in "Bewitched".  (12/1/2013)
Anna, a model of consistency through the years.  (11/30/2013)
Rubies and Pearls.  (11/29/2013)
The Lucy and Ethel synchronized dive.  (11/28/2013)
The George Burns and Gracie Allen line graph.  (11/27/2013)
Rick, Dick & Rich -- but above all, Richard.  (11/26/2013)
When Jennifers rules the world.  (11/24/2013)
Ralph and Alice part ways in 1988. (11/23/2013)
Now Appearing in a Colorful Line Graph -- The 6 Jans.  (11/23/2013)
Which Do You Prefer: Catherine/Cathy or Katherine/Kathy?  (11/22/2013)
Just when you thought he was going, going, gone, Eugene bounces back.  (11/21/2013)
Sidney swings both ways.  (11/21/2013)
Popular baby names:  Nancy (1880-2012).  (11/17/2013
Madge: Off the chart even when she was an advertising icon.  (11/16/2013)
Cindy: Not Always a Nickname for Cynthia (Since 1938).  (11/15/2013)
Lizabeth:  There's only one reason why this name made the list.  (11/14/2013)
Paul and Paula:  1954 was their very best year together.  (11/14/2013)
Bonnie and Clyde take a dive together.  (11/13/2013)
Joseph demonstrates more staying power than Mary.  (11/12/2013)
The popularity of Elizabeth as a baby name:  1880-2012.  (11/12/2013)
The popularity of William as a baby name.  (11/12/2013)
The popularity of Thomas as a baby name.  (11/11/2013)
Susan is losin' popularity.  (11/11/2013)
The popularity of Robert as a baby name: 1880-2012.  (11/10/2013)
The popularity of Denise as a baby name:  1926-2012.  (11/10/2013)
The popularity of John as a baby name:  1880-2012.  (11/9/2013)
The popularity of Sheila as a baby name:  1917-2002, 2003-2004.  (11/9/2013)
The popularity of James as a baby name: 1880-2012.  (11/7/2013)
The popularity of Michael as a baby name: 1880-2012.  (11/7/2013)
The popularity of Sherry as a baby name:  1926-1995.  (11/7/2013)
Friends choose 15th and 16th most popular baby names for their unexpected twin boys.  (11/3/2013) 
Destiny Hope Cyrus's impact on popular baby names for girls.  (10/15/2013)
There really was something about Mary.  (9/22/2013)
"Gone With the Wind" and baby names.  (11/27/2011)
The baby names list, 1900-1999.  (5/11/2010)

1930s Madison, Column-Graphed, Part 2

Source:  Madison (WI) City Directory 1941

This Ohio reminiscence will have to do for the time being.  Growing Up During the Great Depression in the 1930's: Our Frugal Lifestyle.

One of the most popular songs of 1932.



Related post:  
Column graph 1:  Postal receipts.

Background on the National Conference of State Legislatures for Leah

State's top ALEC officials say group is becoming more transparent. (Wisconsin State Journal, 12/12/2013)

Photo credit:  Wisconsin State Legislature

National Conference of State Legislatures

• Legislators and legislative staffers automatically become members, no matter what party they belong to.
• Provides the tools, information and resources to craft the best solutions to difficult problems.
• Occasionally provides model legislation, such as....
• An act imposing a uniform, statewide E911 charges on the retail sale of prepaid wireless telecommunication services to consumers
• Facilitating Business Rapid Response to State Declared Disasters Act of 2013

ALEC, on the other hand, provides model legislation for everything under the sun, it appears.

There's also this NCSL item from 1996:  Model Code of Conduct for Legislative Staff.

Code of conduct?   ALEC recently considered initiating a loyalty oath

 “I will act with care and loyalty and put the interests of the organization first”

for state chairmen, a tone-deaf proposal even for this group.

Other ALEC posts:
ALEC transparency?  Up to a point.  (12/12/2013)
From ALEC to Andre to us: Rep. Jacque (R-DePere) whittles model bill down to the basics.  (9/1/2013)
NRA/ALEC "Docs and Glocks" law finally makes its way to Wisconsin.  (6/18/2013)
Robin Vos, "an ALEC Wisconsin Foot Soldier" (SourceWatch).  (6/13/2013) Pat McCrory Cain't Say "No" to ALEC.. (6/10/2013)
ALEC'd to Death: Wisconsin Republicans Continues to Depend on the Koch Brothers' Playbook. (6/7/2013)
ALEC's State Budget Reform Toolkit: "Asset Sale and Lease Opportunities".  (6/6/2013)
Selling State Properties? It's in the ALEC Playbook.  (5/22/2013)More cookie-cutter legislation from ALEC.  (4/7/2013)
The New York Times Provides an overview of school choice without mentioning ALEC's orchestration.  (3/28/2013)
Selling state properties:  It's in the ALEC toolkit.  (2/17/2013)
Performance funding: They love this stuff at the Lumina Foundation and ALEC. (11/19/2012)
Splashy full-page ad for a movie few want to see.  (9/30/2012)
AT&;T, ALEC have their way with South Carolina legislature.  (7/2/2012)
What the Koch Brothers left under Scott Walker's 2010 Christmas tree.  (6/19/2012)“
….really, what ALEC is, is a bipartisan association of state legislators….” (Wisconsin State Senate version, 4/10/2012)“

ALEC Transparency? Up to a Point.

State's top ALEC officials say group is becoming more transparent. (Wisconsin State Journal, 12/12/2013)

Do you want real transparency?  Do you want a list of names of Wisconsin legislators with ALEC ties?  Well, you won't get it from Nygren.  You'll need to go to....

SourceWatch.

Assembly

• Rep. Tyler August (R-Lake Geneva)
• ALEC International Relations Task Force
• Federal Relations Working Group Member
• Education Task Force Member
• Rep. Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan)
• ALEC Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force Alternate 
• Public Safety and Elections Task Force Alternate
• Rep. Kathy Bernier (R-Chippewa Falls) 
• ALEC Public Safety and Elections Task Force Member 
• Rep. David Craig (R-Big Bend), 
• Received a $750 ALEC "scholarship" in 2012
• Rep. Mike Endsley (R-Sheboygan)
• ALEC Civil Justice Task Force Member 
• Rep. Andre Jacque (R-De Pere), 
• ALEC Civil Justice Task Force Member'
• International Relations Task Force Member
• Rep. Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield)
• ALEC Civil Justice Task Force Alternate
• Rep. John Klenke (R-Green Bay)
• ALEC Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force Alternate
• Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force Member
• Rep. Dan Knodl (R-Germantown)
• ALEC Health and Human Services Task Force Alternate
• Public Safety and Elections Task Force Alternate
• Rep. Dean Knudson (R-Hudson)
• ALEC Education Task Force Alternate'
• Rep. Bill Kramer (R-Waukesha)
• ALEC Communications and Technology Task Force Alternate
• Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force Member
• Rep. Scott Krug (R-Wisconsin Rapids)
• ALEC Public Safety and Elections Task Force Alternate 
• Rep. Mike Kuglitsch (R-New Berlin)
• ALEC International Relations Task Force'
• Civil Justice Task Force Member 
• Rep. Tom Larson (R-Colfax)
• ALEC Communications and Technology Task Force Member
• Rep. Daniel LeMahieu (R-Cascade)
• ALEC Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force Alternate
• Rep. Amy Loudenbeck (R-CLinton)
• ALEC Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force Alternate
• Rep. Stephen Nass (R-Whitewater)
• Education Task Force Member
• International Relations Task Force Member
• Rep. John Nygren (R-Marinette)
• State Chairman
• ALEC Health and Human Services Task Force Member
• Education Task Force Member
• Rep. Warren Petryk (R-Eleva)
• ALEC Health and Human Services Task Force Member
• Rep. Keith Ripp (R-Lodi) 
• Rep. Michael Schraa (R-Oshkosh)
• disclosed $1,200 in expenses related to ALEC in 2012 that had not yet been reimbursed
• Rep. Erik Severson (R-Star Prairie)
• ALEC Health and Human Services Task Force Member
• Rep. Jim Steineke (R-Maple Grove)
• ALEC Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force Member
• Rep. Patricia Strachota (R-West Bend)
• ALEC Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force Member [23] \
• Rep Rob Swearingen (R-Rhinelander)
• Rep. Jeremy Thiesfeldt (R-Fond du Lac)
• ALEC Education Task Force Alternate
• Rep. Travis Tranel (R-Cuba City)
• ALEC Public Safety and Elections Task Force Alternate 
• Rep. Robin Vos (R-Burlington)
• State Chairman
• Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force Member
• Attended 2011 ALEC annual meeting
• Rep. Chad Weininger (R-Green Bay) 
• ALEC Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force Alternate

Senate

• Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills)
• ALEC Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force Alternate
• Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force Member
• Sen. Michael Ellis (R-Neenah) 
• Sen. Paul Farrow (R-Pewaukee)
• ALEC Communications and Technology Task Force Member
• Education Task Force Member
• Sen. Scott Fitzgerald (R-Junean)
• ALEC Public Safety and Elections Task Force Member 
• Former State Chairman
• A staff member stated in a July 2013 email to constituents that Sen. Fitzgerald is no longer an ALEC member, but in September 2013 the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that he had rejoined ALEC
• Sen. Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend)
• ALEC Education Task Force Member'
• International Relations Task Force Member
• Sen. Sheila Harsdorf (R-River Falls) 
• Sen. Neal Kedzie (R-Elkhorn) 
• Sen. Frank Lasee (R-1\De Pere)
• ALEC Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force Alternate 
• Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin)
• ALEC Health and Human Services Task Force Member
• Sen. Lazich told a constituent by email in March 2013 that she is no longer an ALEC member.[48] Lazich confirmed to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in September 2013 that she had not rejoined ALEC
• See Legislators Who Have Cut Ties to ALEC 
• Sen. Terry Moulton (R-Chippewa Falls)
• ALEC Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force Member
• Sen. Leah Vukmir (R-Wauwatosa)
• ALEC Health and Human Services Task Force Co-chair 

Other ALEC posts:
From ALEC to Andre to us: Rep. Jacque (R-DePere) whittles model bill down to the basics.  (9/1/2013)
NRA/ALEC "Docs and Glocks" law finally makes its way to Wisconsin.  (6/18/2013)
Robin Vos, "an ALEC Wisconsin Foot Soldier" (SourceWatch).  (6/13/2013)

Pat McCrory Cain't Say "No" to ALEC.. (6/10/2013)
ALEC'd to Death: Wisconsin Republicans Continues to Depend on the Koch Brothers' Playbook. (6/7/2013)
ALEC's State Budget Reform Toolkit: "Asset Sale and Lease Opportunities".  (6/6/2013)
Selling State Properties? It's in the ALEC Playbook.  (5/22/2013)More cookie-cutter legislation from ALEC.  (4/7/2013)
The New York Times Provides an overview of school choice without mentioning ALEC's orchestration.  (3/28/2013)
Selling state properties:  It's in the ALEC toolkit.  (2/17/2013)
Performance funding: They love this stuff at the Lumina Foundation and ALEC. (11/19/2012)
Splashy full-page ad for a movie few want to see.  (9/30/2012)
AT&;T, ALEC have their way with South Carolina legislature.  (7/2/2012)
What the Koch Brothers left under Scott Walker's 2010 Christmas tree.  (6/19/2012)“
….really, what ALEC is, is a bipartisan association of state legislators….” (Wisconsin State Senate version, 4/10/2012)“
….really, what ALEC is, is a bipartisan association of state legislators….” (Wisconsin State Assembly version, 4/9/2012))

Playing on the Soundtrack of My Life: Jim Hall's Concierto

Jim Hall, Jazz Guitarist, Dies at 83.  (The New York Times, 12/11/2013)

If you've never heard him play, this is the best place to start.



All About Jazz.  Jim Hall:  Concierto.    Amongst the many CTI classics of the 1970s, few stand the test of time as well as guitarist Jim Hall's Concierto, an ambitious album that, in its original form, married one side of modern mainstream with a second taken up by a 19-minute version of Joaquin Rodrigo's 1939 piece for classical guitar and orchestra, "Concierto de Aranjuez."

This album has been in high rotation in my life for the past 10 years.

1930s Madison, Column Graphed, Part 1

Source: Madison (WI) City Directory 1941

Photo credit:  Federal Judiciary Center

U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, Madison, Wisconsin (1929)

How About Drug Tests for Members of Congress?

Political Fight on Farm Aid and Food Stamps Hits Home in the Delta. (The New York Times, 12/10/2013)

Mean white guys on drugs. But a proposal by Republicans in the House version would cut about $40 billion from food stamps, which would result in the removal of five million people nationwide from the program, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a left-leaning research organization. The Senate is insisting on a much lower reduction in food stamps. 

The House version also includes new work requirements and drug tests for food stamp recipients.

Miami Herald, 11/19/2013

Photo credit:  U.S. Congress

Related posts:
Where the cuts in food stamps hit Wisconsin's children hardest.  (10/31/2013) 
Meet Dustin and Tarnisha, two people whom some Republicans call freeloaders.  (9/5/2013)
Jesus has a message for the Republican warriors in the fight against food stamps.  (8/30/2013)
The Republican War on an Increasing Number of Americans (a.k.a The Republican War on Food Stamps).  (8/29/2013)
John Adams has a whopper to share with us.  (11/23/2012)

No Getting Lost in the Stacks at the New Nampa Public Library

Sight lines galore.



Nampa's new 62,000-square-foot library is scheduled to open in early 2015.

A new library for a rapidly growing community.  Nampa is located 20 miles west of Boise on Interstate 84.

Idaho State Historical Society Reference Series:  "The Origin of the Name Nampa"

Related post:
Nampa Idaho's $23,000,000 Library Square project begins construction in May. (3/6/2013)

Editorial Boards Make Sport of Rep. Chad Weininger.

Editorial: Push for redistricting reform growing. (Appleton Post-Crescent, 12/10/2013)

Weininger's to-do list:    As the Wisconsin State Journal noted in a Tuesday editorial ["Weininger should stop stalling"], Weininger’s committee is taking on weighty issues like the state’s definition of “land surveyor” and the makeup (no pun intended) of the state Cosmetology Examining Board. Surely, it could hold a hearing on such an important topic as redistricting reform.

I don't think it's a matter of Weininger's stalling, per se.  

Photo credit:  Wisconsin State Legislature

Related posts:
Much to their chagrin, Republicans can't make redistricting reform go away.  (12/10/2013)
Redistricting pipe dream.  (12/9/2013)
An unintended consequence of redistricting.  (11/12/2013)
Taxpayer money and political contributions.  (11/2/2013)
Iowa's nonpartisan approach to legislative redistricting.  (10/14/2013)
Wisconsin State Journal editorial board not impressed with The Little Soldier.  (10/14/2013)
Against much evidence to the contrary, Sen Neil Kedzie (R-Elklhorn) spouts the company line.  (9/20/2013)
Wisconsin Democratic legislators who have yet to sign on as co-sponsors of Senate Bill 163/Assembly Bill 185 (Redistricting Reform) -- UPDATED.  (9/17/2013) 
Common Cause in Wisconsin calling out Sen. Lazich and Rep. August.  (8/19/2013) 
Undoubtedly, Tyler August is just following orders.  (8/12/2013)
Will Republican Leadership in Wisconsin Fail to Support Redistricting Reform? (7/22/2013)
The Redistricting Weasels Sing a Chorus of "Because I said so!!"  (5/16/2013)
Common Cause in Wisconsin asks, "Do your state legislators support non-partisan redistricting reform?"  (5/14/2013)
A trio of non-responses in this redistricting story.  (4/22/2013) 
Actually, Robin, Your Riposte is Patently Absurd.  (12/30/2012)  Expect a Frigid Reception from Wisconsin Republicans to This Redistricting Bill.  (12/7/2012)
Close, but no cigar, in this Republican redistricting effort to steal an Assembly seat.  (11/20/2012)
Redistricting in Wisconsin:  The plumber controls the spigot.  (11/15/2012)
Eric Litke can't see the forest for the trees.  (11/12/2012)
Robin Vos and religious imagery.  (10/15/2012)
The faces of gerrymandering.  (10/9/2012)
What it's all about in Wisconsin.  (8/1/2012)
Who's running for state office in Wisconsin:  31st Assembly District.  (7/4/2012)
Not anymore!  (2/7/2012)
Redistricting in Wisconsin:  the Basics.  (12/6/2011)
Define "judicial activism".  (12/3/2011)
More headaches but this time Sen. Lazich has the cure.  (10/27/2011)
Legislative redistricting in Wisconsin, part 2.  (10/24/2011)
Legislative redistricting in Wisconsin,  part 1.  (10/18/2011)
Legislative Reference Bureau legislative brief:  Local redistricting readjustment.  (9/6/2011)
Let's call this bill exactly what it is:  an unfunded mandate.  (7/21/2011)
Wisconsin redistricting plan popeils DeForest, Windsor.  (7/21/2011)
Fred Clark gets redrawn out of  his district?  Just a coincidence, of course.  (7/21/2011)
Oshkosh Northwestern editorial board tells it like it is.  (7/29/2011)
Wisconsin legislative redistricting:  Abandoned principles, interactive maps, bill text, and more. (7/13/2011)
Congressional redistricting in Wisconsin.  (6/19/2011)

Nuggets from the 2013 Pew Research Center Report on Public Libraries

How Americans Value Public Libraries in Their Communities

Margin of error of 1/22/2013 report:  +/- 2.3%

Margin  of error of 12/11/2013 report:  +/- 1.5%

From the 12/11/2013 report on Public library use and library website use:    Recent library visitors are more likely to be 

• women, 
• those under age 65, 
• adults who have college degrees, and 
• adults who live in households earning $100,000 or more.

As for Wisconsin......

The number of (onsite) annual visits to Wisconsin public libraries peaked in 2009 at 35,781,390. Since then the number of visits has declined 6% to 33,627,277.

Source:  Wisconsin Public Library Service Data

Related post:
Pew Research Center Report: How Americans Value Public Libraries in Their Communities.  (12/11/2013)

Pew Research Center Report: How Americans Value Public Libraries in Their Communities

From the summaries of findings. Americans strongly value the role of public libraries in their communities, both for providing access to materials and resources and for promoting literacy and improving the overall quality of life. Most Americans say they have only had positive experiences at public libraries, and value a range of library resources and services.

In Other Words, Wade into the Rising Tide of B.S. At Your Own Risk

If a Story is Viral, Truth May Be Taking a Beating.  (The New York Times, 12/9/2013)

Sorry, it's not what you think.  This Man Is Hilariously Live-Tweeting His Flight-and-Feud With The Woman in #7A.  (Storify)

P. T. Barnum alert. That Viral "Poverty Thoughts" Essay Is Totally Ridiculous. (Houston Press, 11/29/2013)

It's a trifecta of gullibility.  Kid's Santa Letter With the Amazon Link Was a Hoax.  (Mashable, 12/4/2013)

Fact checking?  Guess what?  No time!



Related posts:
This obituary time line needs fact checking.  (11/5/2011)
Reference Librarian to the Rescue; or, No, Folks, It Ain't Wal-Mart.  (12/4/2010)
Fact checking: Isn't this one of the reasons we need news librarians? (5/21/2010)
She certainly should have known better.  (9/12/2008)

Much to Their Chagrin, Republicans Can't Make Redistricting Reform Go Away

Job creation rises to top of legislative agenda. (Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, 12/9/2013)

Redistricting was also discussed.  And the company line was spouted.

See for yourself:

• Wisconsin
• Iowa

Iowa certainly doesn't have one of these. 

Or one of these.

The sprawling 79th

Dean, you don't do "compact" with scissors.

Related posts:
Redistricting pipe dream.  (12/9/2013)
An unintended consequence of redistricting.  (11/12/2013)
Taxpayer money and political contributions.  (11/2/2013)
Iowa's nonpartisan approach to legislative redistricting.  (10/14/2013)
Wisconsin State Journal editorial board not impressed with The Little Soldier.  (10/14/2013)
Against much evidence to the contrary, Sen Neil Kedzie (R-Elklhorn) spouts the company line.  (9/20/2013)
Wisconsin Democratic legislators who have yet to sign on as co-sponsors of Senate Bill 163/Assembly Bill 185 (Redistricting Reform) -- UPDATED.  (9/17/2013) 
Common Cause in Wisconsin calling out Sen. Lazich and Rep. August.  (8/19/2013) 
Undoubtedly, Tyler August is just following orders.  (8/12/2013)
Will Republican Leadership in Wisconsin Fail to Support Redistricting Reform? (7/22/2013)
The Redistricting Weasels Sing a Chorus of "Because I said so!!"  (5/16/2013)
Common Cause in Wisconsin asks, "Do your state legislators support non-partisan redistricting reform?"  (5/14/2013)
A trio of non-responses in this redistricting story.  (4/22/2013) 
Actually, Robin, Your Riposte is Patently Absurd.  (12/30/2012)  Expect a Frigid Reception from Wisconsin Republicans to This Redistricting Bill.  (12/7/2012)
Close, but no cigar, in this Republican redistricting effort to steal an Assembly seat.  (11/20/2012)
Redistricting in Wisconsin:  The plumber controls the spigot.  (11/15/2012)
Eric Litke can't see the forest for the trees.  (11/12/2012)
Robin Vos and religious imagery.  (10/15/2012)
The faces of gerrymandering.  (10/9/2012)
What it's all about in Wisconsin.  (8/1/2012)
Who's running for state office in Wisconsin:  31st Assembly District.  (7/4/2012)
Not anymore!  (2/7/2012)
Redistricting in Wisconsin:  the Basics.  (12/6/2011)
Define "judicial activism".  (12/3/2011)
More headaches but this time Sen. Lazich has the cure.  (10/27/2011)
Legislative redistricting in Wisconsin, part 2.  (10/24/2011)
Legislative redistricting in Wisconsin,  part 1.  (10/18/2011)
Legislative Reference Bureau legislative brief:  Local redistricting readjustment.  (9/6/2011)
Let's call this bill exactly what it is:  an unfunded mandate.  (7/21/2011)
Wisconsin redistricting plan popeils DeForest, Windsor.  (7/21/2011)
Fred Clark gets redrawn out of  his district?  Just a coincidence, of course.  (7/21/2011)
Oshkosh Northwestern editorial board tells it like it is.  (7/29/2011)
Wisconsin legislative redistricting:  Abandoned principles, interactive maps, bill text, and more. (7/13/2011)
Congressional redistricting in Wisconsin.  (6/19/2011)

Finally.......in 2014.......with State Elections on the Near Horizon........

Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, 12/9/2013

2011.

2012.

2013.

At least that's the word from one part of the state.  Job creation will be the state Legislature’s focus when it reconvenes in the new year, area Republicans vowed Monday.

So say Republicans Dean Knudson (Hudson),  Warren Petryk (Pleasant Valley), and Tom Larson (Colfax).

What took them so long?

(It's a rhetorical question.)

WUMW, 12/13/2011

It's Been a Roller-Coaster Sales Ride Since Scott Walker's "Unintimidated" Peaked on Its 3rd Day of Publication

The best the book could do:  #181 on Thursday, November 21.  (Which translates into sales of about 250 in one day.)

The post-Thanksgiving rally, when the book started to rebound from a ranking of 892, can probably be attributed to an ill-advised Amazon-bombing campaign of 1-star reviews.   In response, Walker's supporters launched a 5-star campaign of their own, cranking out 290 "rave" reviews in 3 days (December 2-4), which certainly must have generated a burst of sales.

It would have been better to allow the book to pass away quietly, on its own sinking lack of merit.

As for the reviews, well, it's been very quiet on this front for nearly a week now.  The bombing missions are apparently at an end.

Other Unintimidated posts:
Dear V S, Thanks for your fake review of Scott Walker's "Unintimidated".  (12/6/2013)
Scott Walker's "Unintimidated" book review parties seem to be over.  (12/6/2013)
"Unintimidated" book reviewers running out of steam?  (12/5/2013)
A variation on a theme: Like little Mighty Mice coming to their hero's rescue.  (12/4/2013)
In one day: Fans of Scott Walker "Unintimidated" to post 115 five-star reviews on Amazon.  (12/3/2013)
Scott Walker's Fans Accuse "Union Thugs" of Writing Fake Reviews of "Unintimidated", Then Do Likewise.  (12/2/2013)
Scott Walker "Unintimidated" by roller coaster ride on Amazon.  (11/28/2013)
Scott Walker "Unintimidated" to peak early on Amazon during first week of book's publication.  (11/26)
On day 6, Scott Walker's "Unintimidated" reverses course, but the bad reviews keep rolling in.  (11/24/2013)
Day 5: Scott Walker's "Unintimidated" experiences that overnight sinking feeling. (11/24/2013) 
Day 4: Scott Walker Unintimidated As his book slowly slip slides away.  (11/23/2013)
On day 3, Scott Walker Unintimidated to tread water.  (11/22/2013)
On day 2, "Unintimidated" Shows Sales Momentum, but Reviews Still Split.  (11/21/2013)
Day one:  Amazon's best-selling books "Unintimidated" by Scott Walker.  (11/19/2013)
Once again, Scott Walker is unintimidated by the facts.  (11/2/2013)
Unintimidated by the facts.  (10/28/2013)

Survey Sez: News of the Death of Print is Greatly Exaggerated

Study: 70 Percent Of Consumers Tied To Print, Most eBooks Are Never Read. (CBS Denver, 12/9/2013)

Key quote:  The study mentions that much of the discussion about eBooks’ popularity is reinforced by “popular press headlines rather than factual data,” when in reality a majority of Americans can’t see themselves giving up printed books anytime soon.

Other ebook/reading-related posts:
Not a Good Year on the Ebook Front for Barnes & Noble.  (11/29/2013)
Tell me again about ebooks ruling the publishing world.  (11/27/2013)
Other ebook market trendspotting confirms latest BISG report .  (11/1/2013)
Book Industry Study Group: "Consumer Attitudes Toward E-Book Reading" (Volume 4, 2013).  (11/1/2013)
Word of the day:  accretive.  (10/21/2013)
Survey sez: 72% of U.S. adults have read at least 1 book during the past 12 months.  (10/8/2013)
For years, many people asked the wrong question about ebooks and print books.  (10/6/2013) 
Ebook Flash Sales Grab Consumers' Attention.  (5/27/2013) 
BookStats 2013: It's not all about ebooks.  (5/15/2013)
Staying ahead of the learning curve.  (4/9/2013)
"Books are dead yet," sez Salon.  (3/21/2013)
Ebooks and the hype of emerging technology.  (1/8/2013)
Based on this column graph, print books are not likely to go away anytime soon.  (1/2/2013)
Printed books still lead ebooks by a significant margin.  (12/28/2012)
Ebook market pauses to take a breath.  (12/25/2012)
Year-to-date book revenues:  Jan-Jul 2011 and Jan-Jul 2012.  (11/1/2012)
Libraries get screwed when it comes to price of and access to ebooks.  (9/10/2012)
Millennials lead the way....to fewer bookstores?  (8/22/2012)
Ebooks sliding down the peak of inflated expectations.  (8/18/2012)
Adult hardcover book sales hold their own, paperbacks sales drop in 1st quarter of 2012.  (6/17/2012)
Library ebook circulation skyrockets @ the Greendale Public Library and throughout Wisconsin.  (5/29/2012)
In so many words:  Libraries will have a place at the table. (4/30/2012)
3M Cloud Library ebook lending service goes beta at select libraries.  (4/28/2012)
Pew Research:  The rise of e-reading, summarized. (4/5/2012)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution attempts to get a handle on the ebook era.  (4/2/2012)
And I quote from "Bringing Up an E-Reader".  (3/29/2012)
The Philadelphia Inquirer editorial board weighs in on ebooks and libraries. (3/19/2012)
Carl Zimmer responds to Franzen.  (1/31/2012)
It's only Monday but this is still the best ebook headline of the week.  (1/20/2012)
Jonathan Franzen has something to say about ebooks.  (1/30/2012)
As they have been doing all along, libraries adapt to technology.  (1/29/2012)
Floating an Idea: The Harvard Library Innovation Laboratory's Library License.  (1/17/2012) 
Getting in line @ your library for ebooks.  (1/15/2012)
The Post-Christmas ebook sales surge. (1/10/2012)
Honey, we've been 'trying' it.  For years.  (12/25/2011)
Chris Bohjalian on our totemic connection to books.  (12/20/2011)
Hold that bricks-and-mortar bookstore obituary.  (12/13/2011)
Your local public library: The greenest option of all in the ebooks vs. print books debate.  (12/11/2011)
Go directly to Amazon, do not pass library.  (11/3/2011)
Ebooks in U.S. public libraries.  (10/22/2011)
How ebook buyers discover books.  (9/27/2011)
Cookbooks make the transition to digital publishing.  (9/27/2011)
Redefining what an ebook is and who gets to publish it. (9/19/2011)
The L.A.Times on ebooks: An Amazon tablet, push into interactivity. (9/16/2011)
The Economist:  "Great digital expectations".  (9/16/2011)
Lev Grossman presents a short history of the reading device..  (9/6/2011)
Speaking of gadgets, here's the latest iteration of ebooks.  (8/25/2011)
Sounds like another digital divide in the making.  (7/30/2011)
Libraries and ebooks:  Any book, not any time soon.  (6/1/2011)
On the distinction between the book reader and the book owner.  (5/10/2011)
Demand for ebooks grows exponentially in Wisconsin.  (5/2/2011)
Struggling to find an ebook common agenda between libraries and publishers.  (4/5/2011)
Ebooks and libraries:  "The challenges just keep piling up".  (3/28/2011)
Publishers Weekly tracks ebook sales.  (3/18/2011)
Word is getting out:  Ebooks @ your library.  (3/18/2011)
Ebooks continue to gain market share.  (3/17/2011)
Publishers look to bottom line in formulating ebook policies for libraries. (3/15/2011)
News stories on HarperCollins ebook decision go mainstream.  (3/5/2011)
9 years of book sales:  trade and ebook.  (2/17/2011)
Will ebook readers be wooed by Barbara Cartland?  (2/12/2011)
The impact of ebooks on libraries.  (2/11/2011)
OverDrive news release: Library eBook circs up 200% in '10. (1/10/2011)
Mashable: 5 ebook trends that will change the future of publishing. (12/29/2010)
Christmas 2010 the tipping point for ebooks?  (12/24/2010)
Ereader as brown paper bag.  (12/9/2010)
The ebook reader compatibility surprise.  (12/3/2010)
Ereader ownership:  Survey says....  (11/30/2010)
David Carnoy asks, "Does the Kindle pay for itself?" (11/29/2010)
Need to repair that ebook reader?  (11/19/2010)
Who uses an ereader:  Survey says....  (9/22/2010)
Book industry wrestles with print vs. pixels.  (9/2/2010)
Coming soon to a screen near you:  Ads in ebooks.  (8/20/2010)
Ebooks now comprise 8.5% of book sales. (8/12/2010)
Genre paperback publishers drops print.  (8/6/2010)
Ebooks and libraries.  (5/4/2010)
Ebooks eliminate a free form of adversiting:  the book jacket.  (3/31/2010)
Ebooks: another round of false promises?  (3/19/2010)
The skinny on ebooks.  (3/8/2010)
Hardcover vs. ebook:  Breaking down the costs.  (3/1/2010)