Saturday, March 15, 2014

Ron Johnson, Environmentalist (NoRoJo 2016)

Ron Johnson climate change:  "The science is far from settled".  (Capital Times, 3/14/2014)


Ninety-seven percent of climate scientists agree that climate-warming trends over the past century are very likely due to human activities,and most of the leading scientific organizations worldwide have issued public statements endorsing this position.

Related NoRoJo 2016 posts:
Chapter 1.  (1/2/2013)
Chapter 2.  (1/10/2013)
Chapter 3.  (2/12/2013)
Chapter 4.  (2/13/2013)
Chapter 5   (3/11/2013)
Chapter 6.  (3/25/2013)
Chapter 7.  (4/8/2013)
Chapter 8.  (4/9/2013)
Chapter 9.  (4/12/2013)
Chapter 10. (4/14/2013)
Chapter 11.  (5/2/2013)
Chapter 12.  (8/15/2013)
Chapter 13: One-trick pony?  (10/17/2013)
Chapter 14.  (10/24/2013)
Chapter 15.  (2/19/2014)

Susan Leonard Anderson (1940-2014) Warren High School Class of 1958

Warren Times Observer obituary

Warren High School 1958 Dragon yearbook

A big hit when the class of '58 graduated.

Wareham Free Library's Funding Problems

Wareham Library decertified.  (Wareham Week, 3/14/2014)

The consequence of decertificationAccording to a Board of Commissioners press release, "Denial of the MAR waiver results in immediate loss of certification in the State Aid to Public Libraries Program. Wareham will not receive State Aid to Public Libraries grants in the amount of $9,512.67. They are not eligible for grants from either the Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program or the Library Services and Technology Act Program, and neighboring libraries are not required to extend borrowing privileges to Wareham residents." \

Next step: Begging for money crowdfunding.

 
29 donations in 29 days.

Average donation:  $38.45.

Days required to meet goal at this pace:  2,340

Scott Walker is in a Bind

Wisconsin voters don't want Scott Walker to run for president. (Capital Times, 3/14/2014)

As Jack Craver notes.   At the very least, the responses suggest that Walker would be wise to avoid trips to Iowa if he wants a second term as governor. And the moves Walker has made to raise his national profile create a vulnerability that Democrats can attack.



More Today Than Yesterday: This is, perhaps, the best song by a one-hit wonder -- and the best jazz cover of a one-hit wonder



Peaked at #12 in June 1969 on the Billboard Hot 100.  (Highway robbery.)


From 1970.

Shocker: Viral Video Gets Slapped Down by Some Viewers

A Kiss Is Just a Kiss, Unless It’s an Ad for a Clothing Company. (The New York Times, 3/13/2014)

“That Adorable ‘First Kiss’ Video That Everyone Is Talking About Is a Fake."   But just as quickly as the video blew up, a negative reaction set in after viewers realized that some of those kissing strangers were modeling clothes for Wren. 

The video flashes “Wren presents” at the beginning and also mentions the company in the credits.


"About" provides a link to the company's website.

Where you can read about Melissa Coker's business.

How "corporate America" puts together a promotional video......

With a $1,300 budget:
  • Studio space
  • Video editor’s babysitting bill
  • Lunch 
  • Chocolate and mints

Wisconsin Headline? No, the Ohio Legislature Also Approved Model Voter Suppression Legislation from ALEC


The remaining 5 can be read at this Think Progress link.

Related posts:
And the hypocrisy just keeps on coming: Republicans can't even give lip service to their "principles".  (2/14/2014)
Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald sez "no" to 40 of his Assembly colleagues.  (12/30/2013)
Your Wisconsin Republican Assembly hard at work promoting Governor Walker's jobs agenda (and GOP principles).  (11/15/2013)
Mary Lazich: Caught in the act of undermining confidence in the voting process.  (11/4/2013) 
The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement asks a question about voter ID laws.  (11/28/2012)
Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) still drinking the Kool-Aid.  (11/12/2012)
Tennessee Supreme Court gives Memphis Public Library cards a thumbs up for voter ID.  (11/4/2012)
Tennessee Court of Appeals ruling pisses off Republicans.  (10/27/2012)
Early voting begins today (Monday, October 22) in Wisconsin.  (10/22/2012)
Judge finds at least one aspect of Tennessee voter ID law "nonsensical".  (8/1/2012)
Judge to weigh in on library cards in Memphis voter ID skirmish.  (7/30/2012)
Library card/voter ID fray in Memphis.  (7/10/2012)
I'd be careful making any long-term Voter ID assessments based on the February 21 primary election turnout.  (2/26/2012)
Hope you signed at least one recall petition, Ruthelle.  (12/5/2011)
True, but why not share a couple of examples with us, Deborah.  (11/11/2011)
Hoping that other state newspapers have similar local news to share.  (10/29/2011)
Walker sez "We're broke" but GAB could spend $600,000 on voter ID public education plan.  (10/12/2011)
ACLU of Wisconsin denounces photo ID policy reversal.  (10/7/2011)
Voter ID:  "A solution without a problem".  (9/25/2011)
Wisconsin State Bar's Civil Rights Section requests AG Holder to monitor Voter ID Bill.  (9/1/2011)
What's the matter with Wisconsin?  (7/27/2011)
Wisconsin Legislative Council information memorandum.  (7/15/2011)
Appleton Alderman Wants Pushback on State Voter ID Bill.  (2/7/2011)

Related reading:
ALEC Exposed:  Democracy, Voter Rights, and Federal Power.  (Center for Media and Democracy, 9/28/2012)
Right-Wing Operatives Take Up ALEC's Voter Suppression Agenda.  (Center for Media and Democracy's PR Watch, 4/19/2012)
Voter Suppression 101.  (Center for American Progress. 4/4/2012)

Susan Johnson Wolfe (1947-2013) Warren Area High School Class of 1965

Warren Times Observer obituary







Warren Area High School Dragon yearbook 1964

Susan's  husband was also a member of the class of 1964, but I have no idea if they attended the event pictured below.

WAHS Class of 1964 25th-year reunion
July 8, 1989

The #1 song when the class of '65 graduated.



The #1 song when the 25th reunion was held.  (For me, Roland Lee Gift's vocals have always brought Eric Burdon to mind.)

Free Library of Philadelphia: One of the Urban Library Council's 2013 Top Innovators



Have a Layover?  Hit the Library.  (The New York Times, 3/14/2014)

Reaching out in new ways.  The new lounge is part of a growing trend of partnerships between United States airports and local libraries: Seattle-Tacoma (Washington), Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (Florida), and Manhattan Regional (Kansas) airports all have experimented with virtual or physical libraries to entertain passengers over layovers.

Positioning the Library.  Free Library of Philadelphia, PA Flying High: Library of Philadelphia Touches Down in the International Airport.   (page 11)

Queens Library: Is Everybody Happy?


Officials Investigating Spending by Director of Queens Library. (The New York Times, 3/8/2014)

Among the office renovation:  a private outdoor deck.  The inquiry, by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, federal prosecutors and New York City’s Department of Investigation, will examine spending over the last three years by Thomas W. Galante, the library’s president and chief executive, who has directed the library for more than a decade. The renovation to his office at the branch in Jamaica, Queens, cost a reported $140,000.

Not everyone is happy.

)


Related post:
Library director on the hot seat.  (2/4/2014)

The San Francisco Public Library Revises Its Code of Conduct

S.F. library proposes new code of conduct with penalties. (SFGate, 3/13/2014)

Looking at the bright side.   Behavior at the Main Library is getting better overall, library staff points out. Since late last year, the library has hired seven extra security staff members, and more police officers are patrolling the building as well. There were 238 incidents of problematic behavior at the library in December, 183 in January and 148 in February. Considering that 5,000 people use the Main Library every day, that's not too bad.



Related posts:

Community Gets Its Wish: Gary's Main Library Will Reopen

I hope the plans include creating a more welcoming exterior.


The Main Library closed on January 2, 2012, leaving this struggling city of 80,000 with 4 neighborhood branch libraries.  (Administrative offices are still located at the Main Library.)

Gary Public Library seeking bids for main branch interior. (Northwest Indiana Times, 3/8/2014)

[Note:  You'll have to watch a commercial in order to earn a free day's access to the website.]

October is the target date for the reopening.  Ideas for the new library and cultural center include an expanded Indiana Room, a renovated auditorium and about 50 computers in a larger computer lab. The plans for renovations do not include changes to the current structure, Morrow said. Public opposition to losing the library, including more than 5,000 signatures on petitions, led to the board dropping the museum concept.

Related posts:
Gary's main library is closed.  (3/1/2012)
Director recommends closing main library.  (1/19/2011)
Library looking at 50% budget cut.  (12/12/2010)
Gary Indiana: Not Louisiana, Paris, France, New York, or Rome. (1/9/2010)
Kennedy Branch:  When it rains, it pours.  (1/9/2010)

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

The Paul Ryan Dilemma: The Real Culture Problem is Why People Think This Guy is So Smart


Paul Ryan Slams 'Lazy Inner City Men'. (Crooks and Liars, 3/12/2014)

"Not on my radar," I imagine Paul Ryan saying.

Rasmussen Poll: Mary Burke Tied with Scott Walker

I suspect the Walker team is not having a good day.

Election 2014:  Wisconsin Governor.  (Rasmussen Reports, 3/12/2014)


Rasmussen poll has Mary Burke, Scott Walker tied in Wisconsin governor's race.  (Capital Times, 3/1`2/2014)

No matter how you spin it, bad news for Walker.  Any poll showing the race tied would be good news for Burke, who has trailed in recent polls by at least several points, but it is especially heartening to Democrats that the poll comes from Rasmussen Reports, a firm founded by conservative activist Scott Rasmussen that is often criticized for results that favor Republicans.

Mary Lazich's Modern Way

News release: Senator Lazich statement applauding Senate Approval of Modernizing Campaign Finance Laws.  (3/12/2014)


Senate Bill 324

Senate Bill 655

Dust-Up in the Wisconsin State Senate

Sen. Carpenter says Sen. Lazich "hates" minorities, GOP demands apology. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 3/11/2014)

Word choice? Republicans like Sen. Paul Farrow (R-Pewaukee) responded that Carpenter owed Lazich an apology for his "rude and reprehensive" comments.  (Although you will find the word at Merriam-Webster.)



Not necessarily offered in Carpenter's defense.

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

The Coming Republican Party Split Has Nothing to Do with the Tea Party

Young Republicans Find Fault With Elders on List of Social Issues.   (The New York Times, 8/10/2014)

64% of attendees at the recent CPAC 2014 conference were 40 or younger.

46% were in the 18-25 age range.

62% of attendees think marijuana should be legalized, although 21% say it should be for medicinal purposes only.


Legalizing marijuana.  (From a Times/CBS News poll.)
  • 50% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents under 45 support legalizing marijuana
  • 67% of Republicans over 45 oppose legalizing marijuana

Another major fault line:  same-sex marriage.  (From a Times/CBS News poll.)
  • 56% of Republicans under 45 support same-sex marriage rights
  • 29% of Republicans 45 and older support same-sex marriage rights

What about rock and roll? you must be asking yourself by now.

Just Happenstance or Another Example of Income Inequality

Offering More Than Luxury, Supercars Draw a Crowd of Makers and Buyers. (The New York Times, 3/7/3014)

Whose numbers appear to be growing.   While Europe’s mass-market carmakers are still struggling in their home market, some builders of high-performance supercars — which are on gleaming display at the Geneva Motor Show, ending on March 16 — are selling their models faster than they can build them. The number of competitors is proliferating, as entrepreneurial shops and big car companies alike seek profits from the world’s wealthiest people.

Starts at $360,000

)

McLaren reveals details of 650S.  (The Telegraph, 2/17/2014)

Related posts:
The very rich are not spending their money on job creation, suckers.  (3/5/2014)
Income inequality and the political process.  (1/12/2014)
Rich man wins, poor man pays.  (9/18/2013)
Wisconsin Budget Project: Little growth in income except for those at the top, part 4.  (9/14/2012)
Part 3.  (9/13/2012)
Part 2.  (9/12/2012)
Part 1.  (9/11/2012)
Shop til you drop:  Only if you're the 1%.  (11/16/2011)
Wisconsin ranks 46th in income inequality according to Census Bureau report.  (10/30/2011)

Ebooks and the Hype of Emerging Technology: Have We Finally Reached the Slope of Enlightenment?


Ebook Sales Slow, Strategies Shift. (EContent, 3/10/2014)

"The Evolution of the Book Industry: Implications for U.S. Book Manufacturers and Printers," a study of about 800 respondents, found that nearly 70% of consumers feel it is unlikely that they will abandon print books by 2016, as they have an emotional and visceral/sensory attachment to print books and possibly consider them a luxury item. Additionally, 60% of downloaded ebooks are never read in the U.S., despite their perceived popularity. 

Top 3 reasons why consumers prefer print books:
  1. Lack of eye strain when reading from paper versus digital, 
  2. the feel and look of paper, and 
  3. the ability to add a print book to a bookshelf or library 

Other ebook/reading-related posts:
Pew Research report on e-reading.  (1/16/2014)
Book sales update as of October 2013.  (1/10/2014)
The 24-hour news recycle: Mein Kampf edition.  (1/7/2014) 
Peering into the reader's mind.  (12/25/2013)
Booksellers hope print is on shoppers' gift lists.  (12/20/2013)
Survey sez: News of the death of print is greatly exaggerated.  (12/9/2013)
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)

The Comments Section of Most Websites Would Seem to Indicate Otherwise

15 Theses About the Digital Future. (Pew Research Internet Project, 3/11/2014)

Hopeful thesis 2.   The spread of the Internet will enhance global connectivity that fosters more planetary relationships and less ignorance.  (Well, I will agree to fostering "more planetary relationships".)


Get Me Rewrite: Wisconsin Big Business Interests Back Design for Bigger Trough

Wisconsin big business interests back campaign finance bill.  (Capital Times, 3/11/2014)

Let it rain.   Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the state business lobby, and the Wisconsin Realtors Association have both registered in support of SB655 [co-sponsored by State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald and State Senator Mary Lazich], which, among other things, would repeal a law that previously prohibited lobbyists from making contributions before June of an election year. Under the proposed changes, lobbyists could begin making contributions on April 15, the day when candidates may begin gathering signatures to get on the ballot. 

The point of the current law is to prevent lobbyists from contributing to legislators during the legislative session, which usually runs into the early spring of an election year.

Wisconsin Democracy Campaign:  Hijacking Campaign 2014

Monday, March 10, 2014

Joe and Jennifer Korb Struggle to Get By in Their $800,000 Home


Daniel Bice:  No Quarter.  Couple shown in governors' group's anti-Burke ad aren't really poor. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 3/9/2014)

Far from it.   As the announcer talks about jobless Wisconsin families, a photo of a couple appears on the screen. 

The two are never identified. But it's a picture of the Korbs, who live in Madison. 

The Korbs help run CHT Apartment Rentals, which owns and manages 600 rental units all around Madison. 

The company is owned by Joe's parents, though Joe is listed as an owner on his LinkedIn page. Dun & Bradstreet estimates the company has two dozen employees and annual revenue around $1.5 million. 

Dane County records show the Korbs' home has an estimated fair market value of $841,000. 

Bonus round.   Joe Korb also contributed $1,625 to 4 Republicans in 2012.

Minority Outreach Appears to be the Last Thing on Most Republicans' Minds


A quote from the HuffPost article. Conservative firebrand Ann Coulter and the Daily Caller's Mickey Kaus held a one-sided debate on Saturday that mostly served as a 50-minute screed from Coulter on the "browning of America" due to immigration.

Related posts:
(White) male youth well-represented at CPAC 2014.  (3/10/2014)
Scott Walker gets some love at CPAC.  (3/9/2014)

(White) Male Youth: A Demographic Well-Represented at CPAC 2014

Conservative Political Action Campaign



I suspect most of the attendees are white, but this information is not provided.


As a result, this headline shouldn't come as a big surprise.  (41%, to be exact.)


Related post:
Scott Walker gets some love at CPAC.  (3/9/2014)

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Hardee's Ad Reaches out to Families



Pitifully embarrassing. 

But what would you expect from a chain whose reputation is in the toilet?

Nancy Goodwill Bonavita (1942-2014) Warren High School Class of 1960

Warren Times Observer obituary

It always intrigues me when an obituary omits a reference to a spouse.

The Bonavita surname is listed 11 times in the 1967 Warren City Directory.   No (Nancy).

The Bonavita surname is listed 20 times in the 1983 Warren City Directory.

One of the listings is for.....

Bonavita Dennis J & Nancy R; city editor Warren Times Observer h116 N Irvine St

Dennis Joseph Bonavita -- Flair for dramatic . . . never at a loss for words . . . high ideals -- is also a 1960 WHS graduate. 

Warren High School 1960 Dragon yearbook

Also on the page.
  • George's brother Larry graduated with me in '68.
  • Ginny's parents used to own Gnagey's Food Shop, a "corner grocery" just down the street from where the Rev. and his family lived.  It was known as Foreman's Market by the time we moved to Warren PA in 1957.  During the years (1961-65) that I had a paper route, I delivered the Sunday Erie Times to the Gnageys, who still lived in a 2nd-floor apartment above the store.  For this service, I collected 20 cents each week.  Ginny occasionally answered the door on these visits.

Class superlatives:  Most athletic
Best athletes:  Dick White, Nancy Goodwill


This song was moving up the charts quickly when the class of '60 graduated.

Shocker: Wall Street Willful Ignorance on Editorial Page

The Really Big Money? Not the Kochs. (The Wall Street Journal, 3/6/2014)


The Center for Responsive Politics provides this clear caveat, which the Wall Street editorial writer didn't read or chose to overlook.  (Emphasis added,)

It's also important to note that we aren't including donations to politically active dark money groups, like Americans for Prosperity, a group linked to the Koch brothers, or the liberal group Patriot Majority — because these groups hide their donors; see a list of top donors that we've been able to identify to such groups. We are working to revise this list to take into account the new realities of campaign finance created by the Citizens United decision, but as it currently stands, there are significant omissions.


 
This just in from Bubble World.    The Wall Street Journal’s Kimberley Strassel either has no understanding of campaign finance, or is willfully misleading her readers. In either case, her column today about the Koch brothers’ political spending—which parrots a meme that has bounced around conservative blogs and websites like a bad chain e-mail—gets the facts about Koch spending versus union spending completely wrong.