Retiring Guy's Digest: 2014-03-30

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Barcalounger Logic: Just What the Koch Brothers Want You to Think

Library Circulation Per Capita: Top 10 and Bottom 10+ States

Source: Institute of Museum and Library Services "Public Libraries in the United States Survey, Fiscal Year 2011"

Related posts:
Library visits per capita: Top 10 and bottom 10 states. (4/5/2014)
The biggest and the smallest U.S. public libraries: Hours of operation (2011). (4/3/2014)
Hours of operation. (4/3/2014)
Public Libraries: Larger and Smaller Units of Governance, Iowa and South Carolina. (4/1/2014)
Number of public libraries in the ten most populous states. (4/1/2014)
Percentage distribution of public libraries by legal service area population. (3/30/2014)
Public libraries by type of legal basis. (3/30/2014)
Public library revenue. (3/24/2014)
Number of libraries, 2011 (administrative units). (3/19/2014)
Library staffing, 2001-2011. (3/19/2014)

Library Visits Per Capita: Top 10 and Bottom 10 States

Source: Institute of Museum and Library Services "Public Libraries in the United States Survey, Fiscal Year 2011"

Related posts:
The biggest and the smallest U.S. public libraries: Hours of operation (2011). (4/3/2014)
Hours of operation. (4/3/2014)
Public Libraries: Larger and Smaller Units of Governance, Iowa and South Carolina. (4/1/2014)
Number of public libraries in the ten most populous states. (4/1/2014)
Percentage distribution of public libraries by legal service area population. (3/30/2014)
Public libraries by type of legal basis. (3/30/2014)
Public library revenue. (3/24/2014)
Number of libraries, 2011 (administrative units). (3/19/2014)
Library staffing, 2001-2011. (3/19/2014)

Turning a Blind Eye to Bill Kramer's Unacceptable Behavior

Merriam-Webster

In other words, to ignore something that is just plain wrong.

Ron Johnson did not tell police of assault allegations three years ago. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 4/4/2014)

Actually, a number of eyes were involved.

The first set. U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, his chief of staff and a Waukesha County GOP official were all told three years ago of allegations that a then-aide to the senator had been sexually assaulted by state Rep. Bill Kramer, but none of them took the matter to the police or Assembly leaders.

The second set. In the meantime, Kramer's Assembly colleagues elected him last fall to the job of majority leader, the No. 2 position in that house. Before that vote, some Republicans in the Assembly who opposed Kramer's bid raised concerns about his behavior.

Related posts:
What a difference a day makes, 24 little hours. (4/4/2014)
Who will run in the 97th Assembly District now that Bill Kramer is not running for re-election. (3/24/2014)
Walker's office responds to sexual harassment allegations against Rep. Kramer: Lalalalalalalalalala (hands over ears). (3/2/2014)
What did Assembly Republicans know and when did they know it? (3/1/2014)

Wisconsin's Top 10 Smartest Cities and Their Per Capita Incomes

These Are the 10 Smartest Places in Wisconsin. (Motovo Blog)

Source: 2010 United States Census Data and the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates via Wikipedia

I'm trying to do this by median household income, but the best source I found doesn't provide a ranking.

Library Users Make Their Wish Known

Marathon County Public Library

Marathon County libraries expand hours. (Wausau Daily Herald, 4/4/2014)

And the library responds. Respondents to a recent library survey indicated they wanted a consistent schedule, instead of separate winter and summer hours, the release said.

Winner of the 2014 PEN/Faulker Award for Fiction

Karen Joy Fowler Wins PEN/Faulkner Fiction Prize. (The New York Times, 4/2/2014)

Thumbnail summary. Ms. Fowler’s novel focuses on Rosemary Cooke, the 22-year old daughter of an Indiana University psychology professor, whose family was disrupted in the aftermath of a peculiar psychological experiment that Rosemary’s father conducted when she was a child.

75 holds on 31 copies in LINKcat. (print)
46 holds on 5 copies. (audiobook)

PEN/Faulkner Foundation

Friday, April 4, 2014

What I'm Listening To Right Now

Oh, dear, what can the matter be? No copies of "How To Poo on a Date" in LINKcat.

A Detailed Guide on How to Poop While on a Date. (Laughing Squid, 4/3/2014)

Winner of the 36th annual Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year.

What a Difference a Day Makes, 24 Little Hours

Wisconsin State Journal

Justice is served. If Kramer is convicted of one or both of the felony sexual assault charges, he would be constitutionally barred from office upon sentencing. A strong gun-rights advocate who sometimes presided over the Assembly while armed, he also would be barred from possessing firearms.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

It doesn't feel like the first time. By deciding not to oust Kramer, legislative leaders also avoid the prospect of taking testimony from witnesses such as Keith Best, the vice chairman of the Waukesha County Republican Party. Best was told of the 2011 incident at the time, according to the criminal complaint.

Related posts:
Who will run in the 97th Assembly District now that Bill Kramer is not running for re-election. (3/24/2014)
Walker's office responds to sexual harassment allegations against Rep. Kramer: Lalalalalalalalalala (hands over ears). (3/2/2014)
What did Assembly Republicans know and when did they know it? (3/1/2014)

Taylor's blood alcohol count, please.

Driver arrested Downtown after allegedly hitting five parked vehicles. (Wisconsin State Journal, 4/4/2014)

Thanks Mom and Dad! (Just guessin' on the year.)

Best years

Baby boy Taylor: 1993 @ #51.
Baby girl Taylor: 1994-96 @ #6.

Who Will Run in the 10th Assembly District Now That Sandy Pasch is Not Seeking Re-Election?

Rep. Sandy Pasch won't seek re-election. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 4/4/2014)

Family comes first. Rep. Sandy Pasch (D-Shorewood), the assistant Assembly minority leader, said she was leaving in part to take care of a nonagenerian father who increasingly needs her care. That brings to 16 the number of Assembly members who won't be returning next session.

Public libraries in the 10th District

Milwaukee Public Library

Shorewood Public Library

Scott Walker Still "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again"

In other words, he continues to tread water, hold steady, at about 5% in polling for the 2016 Republican Presidential nomination.

AllMusic.

Bob Dylan - Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again from kovacsmaff on Vimeo.

Related posts:
While Mary Burke campaigns for Governor, Scott Walker continues to run for President. (3/28/2014)
The Washington Examiner offers a boost to Scott Walker Presidential campaign without a hint of irony. (3/26/2014)
Let's do an ID update on this Townhall straw poll. (3/25/2014)
Scott Walker for President 2016: Pundits like the idea but the public sez "meh". (3/16/2014)
Scott Walker is in a bind. (3/15/2014)
Christie/Walker meme, part 3. (3/8/2014)
Christie/Walker meme, part 2. (3/7/2014)
Christie/Walker meme, part 1. (3/7/2014)
The chattering class falls hard for Scott Walker, but the voters are still scratching their heads. (3/6/2014)
So he, too, can embarrass himself. (12/30/2013)

Supreme Court Ruling a Fee Speech Victory

On Politics: High court ruling will lift Wisconsin's campaign donor limits, experts say. (Wisconsin State Journal, 4/4/2014)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 2/3/2014

Nationwide is on his side. A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel analysis showed that the Republican governor raised $5.1 million from last July through December, and about half of what he raised from individual donors came from those living out of state.

Related posts:
You'd like it, too, with this kind of campaign cash flow. (4/4/2014)
Leave it to our Republican-appointed SCOTUS Chief Justice to confuse First Amendment fundamentals with fat wallets. (4/2/2014)
Scott Walker has also accepted a "tens of thousands" campaign donation from Sheldon Adelson. (3/28/2014)
What's in Their Wallets? Wisconsin Legislative Campaign Cash Balances. (3/21/2014)
Scott Walker Says "You're Welcome" to Todd Wanek. (3/11/2014)
Shocker: Wall Street Willful Ignorance on Editorial Page. (3/9/2014)

You'd like it, too, with this kind of campaign cash flow

Marshfield News-Herald, 4/3/2014

The biggest of the big contributors.

Wisconsin Democracy Campaign

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Tweety sez, "It's cold outtide".

Great Album, Great Song, Great Album Cover

Discogs

Skydog's Elysium

My album cover shows much more wear and tear.

40 years later, I wish I could remember how this album entered my life, never to leave.

Related post:
Coffee, tea, or functional drink? (7/5/2013)

Discouragement: The Other Side of Voter Suppression

Much easier than legislating.

September 9, 2013

February 12, 2014

Hopes Frustrated, Many Latinos Reject the Ballot Box Altogether. (The New York Times, 3/30/2014)

Republicans blamed, but there's unhappiness with Obama. Across the country, immigrant-rights advocates report mounting disillusionment with both parties among Latinos, enough to threaten recent gains in voting participation that have reshaped politics to Democrats’ advantage nationally, and in states like Colorado with significant Latino populations. High hopes — kindled by President Obama’s elections and stoked in June by Senate passage of the most significant overhaul of immigration law in a generation, with a path to citizenship for about 11 million people here unlawfully — have been all but dashed.

Paired with voter suppression laws, a double whammy for Democrats.

Meet Mossin' Annie

Gathering Moss. (The New York Times, 4/2/2014)

Moss lady. However the writing turns out, she is an accomplished monologuist. “I come from a line of talkers,” she said. In her Appalachian cadence, which she says she likes to embellish for theatrical effect, a word like “moss” can fill two syllables, sometimes three. Put another way, though she grew up the daughter of a dentist and made a career in college media production, today she sounds more like Kathleen Turner playing the matriarch of the McCoy clan.

Mountain Moss.

Glenn Grothman Wants to Go to Washington

Glenn Grothman plans to challenge Petri. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 4/3/2014)

Duey wanna reconsider?

Photo sources

Glenn Grothman (l): Wisconsin State Legislatyure

Tom Petri (r): U.S. Congress

Grothman, 58, was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in a special election in December 1993. He was re-elected in 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, and 2002. In September 2004, he crushed the incumbent Mary Panzer in the Republican primary, gathering 79% of the votes. He went on to win the November election and was re-elected in 2008 and 2012. (In other words, if he loses to Petri, he still keeps his State Senate seat. And he has upending a incumbent on his resume.)

Petri, 73, was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 1972 and re-elected in 1976. In April 1979, he won a special election to the U.S. House of Representatives and was re-elected in 1980, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2012. Petri ranks 9th on the longevity list for current members of the House, right behind another Wisconsin congressman, James Sensenbrenner.

Related post:
Two-Term State Assembly rep considers run against career U.S. House rep. (3/30/2014)

The Biggest and the Smallest U.S. Public Libraries: Hours of Operation (2011)

Two disturbing facts jump out at me.

In 2011, 9 public libraries serving a million+ residents were open between 30 and 39 hours per week
In 2011, no public libraries serving a million+ residents were open more than 59 hours per week

2014 Update:

The Houston Public Library (Central) is currently open 58 hours per week.
On the other hand, the Philadelphia Free Library (Central) is currently open 69 hours per week.

Two -- or is it three -- surprises here. Which 1 library in a service area of less than 1,000 is open 70+ hours per week, and which 2 libraries in a service area of 1,000 to 2,499 are open 60 to 69 hours per week?

Source: Institute of Museum and Library Service Public Libraries in the United States Survey, Fiscal Year 2011.

Related posts:
Hours of operation. (4/3/2014)
Public Libraries: Larger and Smaller Units of Governance, Iowa and South Carolina. (4/1/2014)
Number of public libraries in the ten most populous states. (4/1/2014)
Percentage distribution of public libraries by legal service area population. (3/30/2014)
Public libraries by type of legal basis. (3/30/2014)
Public library revenue. (3/24/2014)
Number of libraries, 2011 (administrative units). (3/19/2014)
Library staffing, 2001-2011. (3/19/2014)

U.S. Public Libraries: Hours of Operation (2011)

Source: Institute of Museum and Library Services

Public Libraries in the United States Survey, Fiscal Year 2011

47.2% of U.S. public libraries are open less than 40 hours per week.

States with the largest percentage of libraries open less than 10 hours per week:

15.8% - North Dakota (12 libraries)
13.9% - Alaska (10 libraries)
7.4% - Nebraska (16 libraries)
7.0% - Maine (15 libraries)
5.7% - Vermont (9 libraries)

States with the largest percentage of libraries open more than 70 hours per week:

4.2% - Kentucky (5 libraries)
2.7% - Illinois (17 libraries)
2.5% - Montana (2 libraries)

America's Shrinking Middle Class, Self-Perceived

Gallup

What happens when respondents are given 3 choices?

Pew Research

Related posts:
Washington's bubble world vs. Main Street's reality. (2/3/2014)
Pew Research on "the lost decade of the middle class". (8/22/2012)
Dropping out of the middle class, Denver edition. (10/23/2011)

County Board Elections in Buffalo and Trempealeau Counties: "The tide is turning against frac sand mining"

Election Results In Western Wisconsin May Signal Shift Against Frac Sand Mining. (Wisconsin Public Library, 4/2/2014)

No more free passes for mining industry. Concerns about frac sand mining has led to a string of county board victories for candidates endorsed by the League of Conservation Voters in western Wisconsin.

This was the first time the League of Conservation Voters endorsed candidates running for local government posts. They endorsed seven candidates running for board supervisor seats in Buffalo and Trempealeau counties. Six of those candidates won.

Other frac sand mining posts:
What a mere $8,000 will buy you in the Scott Walker House of Favor. (3/30/2014)
Frac sand mining and property values: Homeowners vs. landowners. (3/30/2014)
Nevertheless, transparency would have been in the general pubic's best interest. (3/15/2014)
Wisconsin Towns Association has second thoughts about that "gentler" frac sand mining regulation bill. (3/4/014)
Scott Walker likely to support Tom Tiffany's new mining bill. (2/27/2014)
The vision of Trempealeau County as one big mining operation -- nipped in the bud. (2/20/2014)
Glenwood City Council members defeat their recall challengers by a hair. (12/18/2013)
Wyoming's Republican Governor has a message for Wisconsin mining industry's "Tom Terrific". (11/24/2013)
The mining industry's "Tom Terrific" gets pushback from his Republican colleagues. (11/18/2013)
In so many words: Dear Sen. Tiffany, Your bill sucks, Sincerely, Pepin County Board. (11/13/2013)
Follow the Gogebic money. (11/7/2013)
Sand mine industry leaders put our minds at ease. (11/5/2013)
Scott Walker donor promises jobs, permanence for Independence and Whitehall residents. (10/29/2013)
Sen. Tom Tiffany's sand mine bill a hot potato. (10/28/2013)
Another Walker campaign donor for SB349. (10/25/2013)
Expensive to the Tune of $430,505.49 (as of June 30, 2013). (10/25/2013)
The Nipper Chronicles: The frac sand mining masters speak. (10/18/2013)
Things aren't so tranquil in Glenwood City Wisconsin lately (10/10/2013)

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Welcome to City Methodist Church in Gary Indiana

From the website. City Methodist Church, located in Gary Indiana, is one of the best known and most popular Midwest locations for Urban Explorers (UrBex), movie crews, indie films, music video shoots, and photographers. It's even been host to goth weddings and receptions! Not bad for a structure that's been abandoned since 1975, and is slowly crumbling.

Abandoned USA

Opacity

Leave It to Our Republican-Appointed SCOTUS Chief Justice to Confuse First Amendment Fundamentals with Fat Wallets

Justices strike down political donor limits. (CNN, 4/2/2014)

Smirking for the camera
Photo source: Wikipedia

Who Will Run in the 55th Assembly District Now That Dean Kaufert Has Been Elected Mayor of Neenah?

Dean Kaufert unseats George Scherck as Neenah mayor. (Appleton Post-Crescent, 4/1/2014)

Sweeps to victory. Kaufert’s foresight proved correct, and by a surprisingly wide margin. Kaufert collected 58 percent of the vote, compared with Scherck’s 42 percent, to earn a four-year term as the city’s top elected leader. He carried all six polling places.