Retiring Guy's Digest: 2014-08-17

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Leave to Luxuria Music to dig up the most obscure -- some might say the most obnoxious -- music ever recorded

Born in Vietnam in 1944, Nai Bonet was a belly dancer, singer, and actress.

Her career highlights (courtesy of Wikipedia):

Began her professional career at age 13 as a belly-dancer, working in a show at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas.
Appeared on "The Beverly Hillbillies" in the role of Second Harem Girl
Worked in commercials
Recorded "Jelly Belly" in 1966.

Luxuria Music

Papa Murphy's Makes Return Engagement to Stonefield Glen Shopping Plaza

The take-and-bake pizza chain used to occupy another space within this plaza from 2000 to 2005.

In other jumping-around business news, Cost Cutters has recently moved into a space previously occupied by Great Clips.

Klinke's and The Nitty Gritty are the stalwarts of this plaza. Klinke's was there at the creation -- 1993 -- and Madison-based Nitty Gritty opened its second restaurant here in 2002.

Stonefield's Neighborhood Grill was the original occupant of The Nitty Gritty space. It remained in business until 1998 and would probably get my vote for the most family-friendly restaurants we've ever patronized.

From a letter to Mom written on March 11, 1995. Except for the fact that JoAnna is not here, the weekend is off to a routine start. After picking the boys up at Little Red [Preschool] yesterday, we made our usual Friday evening pilgrimage to Hollywood Video. Andy found a copy of The Lion King; Eddie picked out some sing-along title. Then we walked to the other end of the shopping strip and ate dinner at Stonefield’s, where Andy played video games, Eddie with Legos, until our food arrived. Since this restaurant caters to kids, we eat here regularly.

Aaron Rodgers Doppleganger Stars ion Scope Mouthwash Commercial

Grayce Puts Her Head in the Mouth of the Lion

The incident took place on June 7, 1974, a group of library school friends traveling to the Pittsburgh Zoo on beautiful Friday afternoon. A number of these lion drinking fountains were located throughout the zoo grounds.

Avalon Sculpture in Merrifield, Minnesota, makes an updated version of a lion drinking fountain, one that is A.D.A compliant.

Mark Driscoll and Proverbs 13:24

A Pastor's Brash Style That Filled Pews, Until His Followers Had Their Fill. (The New York Times, 8/22/2014)

Robbie Leib, as quoted in the article.....

Photo credit: LinkedIn

Mars Hill Church

Mark Driscoll on Facebook

An open letter to Mark Driscoll

New Calvinism

Proverbs 13:24

Rick Perry Vows to Deal with Mosquito Bad "with Every Fiber of My Being"

Perry Courts Primary State and Vows Fight at Home. (The New York Times, 8/22/2014)

It is and is isn't. In New Hampshire, Mr. Perry declared, “I’m going to fight this with every fiber of my being.”

At the luncheon here — where about two dozen guests sat with him, overseen by about as many members of the news media — many said the indictment was a nonissue, a position shared by a number of editorial boards and liberal pundits.

Some might also use this quote to describe Rick Perry's presence on the Presidential campaign.

Scott Walker Busted for Solicitation

Busted. As in getting caught doing something.

Scott Walker solicited money for conservative group, records show. (Wisconsin State Journal, 8/23/2014)

I know. It came as a big surprise to me, too. Gov. Scott Walker personally solicited millions of dollars in contributions for a conservative group during the 2011 and 2012 recalls, which prosecutors cited as evidence the governor and his campaign violated state campaign finance laws, records made public on Friday show.

Note the dates when the biggest money rolled in. (And this tally doesn't include the so-called dark money.)

Wisconsin Democracy Campaign Follow the Money

The Fat Lady Has Sung at Brookfield's Anthem College

Anthem College closes its Brookfield campus, stranding 150 students. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 8/22/2014)

Fly by night. The closing marks at least the fourth of a for-profit in the Milwaukee area in recent years. Everest College, Kaplan University and Sanford Brown have all left the Milwaukee market amid financial problems and pressures from federal officials to improve performance outcomes.

It's the same all over. At least 10 of Anthem's 40 campuses across the country are closing, according to Dies. Anthem has six main campuses and about 34 branches, including the Brookfield branch, he said. Anthem is owned by Florida Career Colleges*, which is being sold to International Education Corp., according to Dies.

*$250 campaign contribution to Scott Walker from Tommy Peeler.

Don't expect the current majority in the Wisconsin State Legislature to tackle this problem anytime soon.

The Center for Media and Democracy's PR Watch, 7/16/2013

Anthem College

Related post:
Money derails efforts to hold for-profit colleges accountable for graduation rates and employment outcomes. (3/24/2013)
Spotlight on Westwood College. (8/21/2010)

Hey guys and gals, Scott Walker is not 100% convinced that Glenn Grothman can win the 6th CD

Recount sought in state Senate primary; Leibham accepts defeat. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 8/22/2014)

That's a big IF. Walker said both Leibham and Grothman ran strong campaigns. The governor said Grothman will likely win on Nov. 4 if he focuses on constituent services.

Friday, August 22, 2014

Forbes Bangs on the Drum All Day, All Week, All Month, All Year.......

7/14/2014

6/5/2014

5/22/2014

1/21/2014

12/13/2013

9/1/2013

12/31/2012

Parking By Special Permit Only

I watched the drunk driver leave his vehicle and stagger into the store.

Community Canvases Exhibit at the Middleton Public Library

Link to brochure about this community project.

Participation agreement
Important dates
Guidelines
Open studio sessions
Artist's statement

You don't see this very much in baseball anymore

Knee-high socks.

Alex Williams, for one, would like to see more of this in baseball.

Baseball Pants, a Sight for Sore Eyes. (The New York Times, 10/25/2013)

Oh, for those days of yesteryear. The World Series is a showcase for not only the finest teams in the game, but also, for about the 15th year running, the regrettable fashion trend of the baggy, pajama-pant look. At one point, the style may have communicated a certain rebel swagger, but now everyone from baseball purists to fashion wags is crying “foul.”

San Francisco Giants rightfielder Hunter Pence takes the old style to new heights. There's even a Hunter Pence High Socks Facebook page, though it has just 17 "likes".

(Above photos taken at August 7 Brewers-Giants game.)

Then there's the traditional stirrup look.

Sultans of Sock: Stirrups Hang On in Minor Leagues. (The Wall Street Journal, 4/21/2009)

Naperville Muffed its Effort to Muffle Growth in the 1980s

Naperville Aims To Muffle Growth Explosion. (Chicago Tribune, 6/20/1985)

As it turned out, growth accelerated during the rest of the decade. In Naperville, where growth has been the city`s main claim to fame for a decade, the population has risen to nearly 56,000 from nearly 43,000 in 1980. The Du Page County city 30 miles west of Chicago had a population of nearly 24,000 in 1970.

Suburban Chicago: A Selected Bibliography, 1985-1994

Naperville aims to muffle growth explosion. (Chicago Tribune, 6/20/1985)

Harvey left reeling as 3 firms bail out. (Chicago Tribune, 8/9/1985)

Odds better than fair for Warrenville growth. (Chicago Tribune, 1/21/1986)

Bad image masks Cicero's comeback. (Chicago Tribune, 2/23/1986)

Town ends silence on touchy issues. (The New York Times, 3/10/1986) Cicero.

Growth cheered, vilified in Lake Village Township. (Chicago Tribune, 6/16/1986)

Neighbors come to boil as suburb labors for birth. (Chicago Tribune, 7/7/1986)

Forest View an enclave of industrial riches. (Chicago Tribune, 7/27/1986)

The Barringtons. Five communities place premium on posh living. (Chicago Sun-Times, 2/27/1987)

Horsey set helped shape area's history. (Chicago Sun-Times, 2/27/1987)

Gold rush spreads to 2d suburb. Oakbrook Terrace homeowners may sell to developer. (Chicago Tribune, 7/3/1987)

The little town beyond the land beyond O'Hare. (Chicago Tribune, 8/30/1987) Virgil.

Ford Heights tries to keep faith. (Chicago Tribune, 1/17/1988)

Tinley Park greets flood of changes. (Chicago Tribune, 7/3/1988)

Out with the middle-income homes. And in with high-priced development. (Chicago Tribune, 9/12/1988)

A new view. Schaumburg works as a city or suburb. (Chicago Tribune, 3/5/1989)

As Naperville grows, so do its problems. (Chicago Tribune, 3/19/1989)

Fox River rambling toward an urban future. (Chicago Tribune, 5/7/1989)

Hoffman Estates heading into traffic jam. (Chicago Tribune, 7/2/1989)

Commercial developers discover south suburbs. (Chicago Tribune, 7/19/1989)

Hoffman Estates Journal. New Home in Suburbs Seems Tailored to Sears. (The New York Times, 7/19/1989)

The power to grow. Is the driving force behind Gurnee location or pyramid? (Chicago Tribune, 7/29/1989)

Stressed out in suburbia, by Nicholas Lemann. (The Atlantic, November 1989(

Choking on growth (Note: 5 long-form articles. Most newspapers can't be bothered with this type of reporting anymore.)

Suburbs creep toward gridlock. (Chicago Tribune, 2/18/1990)
Tollway paves suburbs' road to congestion. (Chicago Tribune, 2/19/1990)
Long commutes make roads work overtime. (Chicago Tribune, 2/20/1990)
Mass transit mostly runs on empty. (Chicago Tribune, 2/21/1990)
Trying to steer clear of others' mistakes. (Chicago Tribune, 2/22/1990)

Blacks find Du Page success has a high price. (Chicago Tribune, 4/22/1990)

Busy expressways can be noisy neighbors, residents complain. (Chicago Tribune, 4/22/1990)

RTA looking to future with rail cars for 1. (Chicago Tribune, 4/24/1990)

Oak Brook loses some luster as a corporate home. (Chicago Tribune, 4/29/1990)

Two-way street to success. Homes lure developers west of Randall Road. (Chicago Tribune, 9/16/1990)

Lot of space, few buyers in suburban office market. (Chicago Tribune, 9/18/1990)

North suburbs pulling away in personal income. (Chicago Tribune, 6/2/1992)

Lake County's popularity exacts price in crowded roads, schools. (Chicago Tribune, 6/29/1992)

Beauty of suburban growth is in eye of beholder. (Chicago Tribune, 6/30/1992)

Inner, middle suburbs still alive. Arlington Heights' growth part of surprising trend. (Chicago Tribune, 9/91990)

In open space battle, residents can be casualties. (Chicago Tribune, 7/1/1992)

Lake County must choose between 2 futures. (Chicago Tribune, 7/2/1992)

The newest frontier is as close as Schaumburg. (Chicago Tribune, 7/7/1992)

Chicago Suburb Finds Truth in Arson Rumors. (The New York Times, 7/14/1992). Chicago Heights.

New Sears site a far, better place. But loction poses dilemma for staff: Commute or quit. (Chicago Tribune, 8/3/1992)

Sears sure to reshape landscape of suburbs. (Chicago Tribune, 8/4/1992)

'We're all racist now', by H. G. Bissinger. (The New York Times Magazine, 5/29/1994). Proviso West High School.

It's Showtime!

Photo by Retiring Guy

The photo was taken during the summer of 1974, well before I gave myself the Retiring Guy moniker. At the time, I was a student at the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies (GSLIS, pronounced gis-lis, sometimes good-naturedly disparaged to as "useless") at the University of Pittsburgh. The school has since dropped "library" from its name.

Taking up most of the background is the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette building, which places this photo in the vicinity of Point State Park, the destination on this particular day of a group of friends who regularly got together on Friday afternoons to explore the area.

How Far Will That Benjamin Go?

As you might expect, it depends where you live.

The Tax Foundation created a map that shows the value of the goods that $100 can buy in each state relative to the national average.

What $100 Buys You, State by State. (Vocativ, 8/20/2014)

The value of a dollar and average income. Now it shouldn’t come as much as a shock that the states where the purchasing power of your dollar is the lowest also generally have a higher average income. Same goes for states with high-purchasing power and low income. This, however, is not a hard and fast rule

Wisconsin = $107.64

Loss of Funding Threatens Continued Operation of Oregon Youth Center

YMCA to pull out of Oregon Youth Center, leaving its future in question. (Wisconsin State Journal, 8/22/2014)

About the Oregon Youth Center. The supporters have since caught a break. Dane County, which helps fund the center, requires a 90-day notice before an entity it funds can stop providing services. Consequently, the YMCA has agreed to continue operating the center until Nov. 5, giving supporters more time to formulate a plan.

The center, 110 N. Oak Street, is a modest affair, staffed by two part-time YMCA employees and housed in a former village EMS garage. It offers free after-school programs, clubs, summer activities and community service projects for children in fifth through eighth grade.

The center was founded in 2000 by community residents, who organized an advisory board to help oversee its operations.

The numbers from its 2013 annual report:

212 youth served
6414 activity participations

The facility is open 15 hours per week, approximately 780 per hear, which gives it an average activity participation rate of just over 8 per hour.

The City of Middleton closed its youth center twice, in 2010 and 2013, due to declining attendance.

Perhaps the third time will be the charm.

Middleton Youth Center

County Commissioners in Pennsylvania Can't Agree on How to Proceed with Jail Project

Fayette commissioners clash over jail options. (TribLive, 8/20/2014)

The current facility, pictured above, is 125 years old. Its architectural design, Richardsonian Romanesque, was very popular at the time.

I have to wonder, though, how many more incidents will it take?

Stark Racial Divisions in Reactions to Ferguson Police Shooting. (Pew Research, 8/18/2014)

The new national survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted Aug. 14-17 among 1,000 adults, finds that the public overall is divided over whether Brown’s shooting raises important issues about race or whether the issue of race is getting more attention than it deserves: 44% think the case does raise important issues about race that require discussion, while 40% say the issue of race is getting more attention than it deserves.

The biggest shift occurred among Independents.

Related posts:
Parents throughout St. Louis County (and elsewhere, it appears) insulted their children in the spring 2014 elections. (8/18/2014)
Isn't that redundant? (8/15/2014)
In the news. (8/12/2014)

Thursday, August 21, 2014

A Very Selective History of Conversing Cars

Inspired by the print headline. Cars Conversing with Cars. (The New York Times, 8/20/2014)

1952. Susie doesn't converse, but she does show lots of emotion.

1965-66. This bit of TV silliness lasted just 1 season.

2006. They don't shut up.

In real life, as the New York Times reports......

At a government-sponsored pilot program here in Ann Arbor, being run by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, nearly 3,000 vehicles driven by volunteers are being tested in real-world conditions. Transmitters in the vehicles send and receive information 10 times a second: speed, direction, location and other data that automakers and federal regulators hope will usher in a new era of road safety.

Bobby Jindal's Tea-Party Pandering Gets Him Nowhere

Fight on Common Core is Dividing Louisiana. (The New York Times, 8/18/2014)

He flips! Mr. Jindal, a Republican who many believe has presidential aspirations for 2016, has become an outspoken detractor of academic standards that he ardently supported when the state originally adopted them in 2010, along with more than 40 other states. Many conservatives, who say the standards were foisted upon states by the federal government, regard opposition to the Common Core as a litmus test, and critics of Mr. Jindal’s say he has changed his views mainly to court Tea Party supporters.

He flops!

Source: Real Clear Politics (red arrow added)

Career Politician Glenn Grothman Moves One Step Closer to Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District General Election

Photo credit and resume information: Wisconsin State Legislature

Grothman keeps narrow lead over Leibham in official canvass. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 8/20/2014)

The canvass tally:

Glenn Grothman: 23,247
Joe Leibham: 23,028

A canvass, "a routine review of vote summaries", is not the same as a recount. Leibham still has this option open to him.

Related posts:
To the tune of $692,000. (8/14/2014)
Glenn Grothman: A man without a mandate. (8/14/2014)
Glenn Grothman to Tom Petri: Thank you for your 35 years of service. (8/1/2014)
Duey Stroebel can't be bothered with fundraising, looks to buy seat instead. (8/1/2014)
Clearly, "common-sense bills" and "Grothman" should never be used in the same sentence. (7/9/2014)
Two career politicians pledge limited service in the U.S. House of Representatives. (7/8/2014)
Glenn Grothman, Affirmative Action, and the demographics of Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District. (4/28/2014)

Brown County Sheriff's Department Saves $696,100

Wisconsin agencies have $28M in surplus military gear. (Appleton Post-Crescent, 8/20/2014)

Shopping for bargains. In Brown County, the sheriff's department received a massive mine resistant ambush protected military surplus vehicle in April. It only had to pay $3,900 to have the vehicle, valued at about $700,000, shipped from Texas, said Lt. Dan Sandberg, commander of the Brown County Sheriff's Office SWAT team.

And I quote: "There is no fail-safe measure that can prevent all loss of life and limb on this or any other battlefield, especially against a ruthless and resourceful enemy. That is the brutal reality of war. But vehicles like the M-ATV and MRAP provide the best protection available against roadside bombs and other improvised explosive devices. And so the need for these types of vehicles will not soon go away."

Brown County crime mapping by category (past 12 months)

Property (485)
Violent (157)

Harassment (112)
Sexual assault (24)
Disturbance-weapons (12)
Robbery (5)
Assault (3)
Bomb (1)

Proactive policing (539)
Noise (129)
Disorder (2114)
Other (1202), including....

Welfare check (367)
Miscellaneous (320)
911 hang-up (256)

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Ferguson Cop Looks Like He's Scared Shitless

Here's the video.

Related posts.
Parents throughout St. Louis County (and elsewhere, it appears) insulted their children in the spring 2014 elections. (8/18/2014)
Isn't that redundant? (8/15/2014)
In the news. (8/12/2014)

The 1980s Suburban Chicago Population Boom: A Very Selective Bibliography with Line Graphs

Subtitle: Goodbye photocopied newspaper articles

Du Page boom commutes to Kane. (Chicago Tribune, 5/7/1986)

The Boom Accelerates

Will County may be next boom area. (Chicago Tribune, 11/23/1986)

May be? Make that Will be!

Booming Du Page flexes growth muscles. (Chicago Tribune, 9/30/1987)

Kane learns lessons of growth. (Chicago Tribune, 10/22/1987). Print headline.

Growing pains. Du Page County breaks out of Cook County's shadow to confront its own urban sprawl. (Chicago Tribune Magazine, 10/25/1987)

The Boom Cools, Finally (Running out of Room?)

Poor knock in vain on Du Page's door. (9/12/1988) Not everyone is invited to the Boom.

Hanging tough. The last thing Henry County wants is to be the next congested and overdeveloped suburb of Chicago. (Chicago Tribune Magazine, 10/30/1988). Fat chance!

The Boom Continues

I can't imagine the Tribune not covering the growth in Lake County. Maybe the articles were published on days when I didn't buy the paper.

No more double-digit growth

Blended

Catching Up

Tiedeman Pond American Lotus

Photo by Retiring Guy

Some people fear that this plant will take over the surface of both Tiedeman and Sticker ponds. Perhaps with good reason as they have greatly expanded their reach this year. (See august 3 post.)

The American Lotus is a native, non-invasive plant.