Retiring Guy's Digest: 2014-09-21

Saturday, September 27, 2014

A Frenzy of Ants, the Sequel

Soundtrack courtesy of luxuriamusic.com

Related post:
The original. (8/16/2014)

There's Nothing "Christian" About This Broadcaster

Christian broadcaster: Ebola could cleanse US of atheists, gay people, and sluts. (Raw Story, 8/7/2014)

TruNews. Rick Wiles.

Lake Mendota Road at 3.1 Miles Per Hour (Part 3)

Spring Harbor Beach

Spring Harbor history

Photos by Retiring Guys

Spring Harbor Neighborhood Association

Related posts:
Lake Mendota Road at 3.1 Miles Per Hour (Part 1). (9/27/2014)
Lake Mendota Road at 3.1 Miles Per Hour (Part 2). (9/27/2014)

Subprime Auto Loans and Starter Interrupter Devices

Miss a Payment? Good Luck Moving That Car. (The New York Times, 9/24/2014)

Remote control.

Auto loans to borrowers considered subprime, those with credit scores at or below 640, have spiked in the last five years. The jump has been driven in large part by the demand among investors for securities backed by the loans, which offer high returns at a time of low interest rates. Roughly 25 percent of all new auto loans made last year were subprime, and the volume of subprime auto loans reached more than $145 billion in the first three months of this year.

But before they can drive off the lot, many subprime borrowers like Ms. Bolender must have their car outfitted with a so-called starter interrupt device, which allows lenders to remotely disable the ignition. Using the GPS technology on the devices, the lenders can also track the cars’ location and movements.

Rick Hewson will put you to sleep in less than 2 minutes.

Lake Mendota Road at 3.1 Miles Per Hour (Part 2)

New construction slated at 5328.

City of Madison Planning Division

Related post:
Lake Mendota Road at 3.1 Miles Per Hour (Part 1). (9/27/2014)

Lake Mendota Road at 3.1 Miles Per Hour (Part 1)

The average human walking speed.

During the nearly 30 years that I've lived in Dane County, I have driven and biked Lake Mendota Drive many times but have never walked any portion of it.

Until yesterday.

The unpaved stretch of Epworth Court, an access path to Lake Mendota.

The view from near the lakeside.

The lake view.

Photos by Retiring Guy

Frac Sand Mining Growth: More Hills Poised to Go Away

Video from 2011.

Wisconsin's sand mining industry poised for growth. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 9/25/2014)

A booming industry.

Deb Dix, the Department of Natural Resources' point person on industrial sand mining, agreed that demand is growing. Her latest tally: 140 mines, processing plants and rail sites can be found across the state. In 2010, there were five sand mines and five processing plants, according to the DNR.

Locations as of October 2013

Other mining posts:
Report: Communities At Risk: Frac Sand Mining in the Upper Midwest. (9/26/2014)
Makes you wonder: Do campaign contributions pay for a license to pollute? (9/15/2014)
Maybe it has something to do with the hardhat. (8/9/2014)
In other words, Kevin, people don't want to live near a frac sand mining operation. (8/7/2014)
UPDATED: Scott Walker continues his "Thank You for Your Contributions" tour. (8/3/2014)
What a mere $8,000 will buy you in the Scott Walker House of Favors, (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)

More Than Half of Don Keefer's New York Times Obituary Describes a Classic "Twilight Zone" Episode

329 of 625 words, to be exact.

Don Keefer, Actor Who Had Bad Thoughts on ‘Twilight Zone,’ Dies at 98. (The New York Times, 9/26/2014)

Some of his other credits.

Don Keefer played many distinctive roles in a long acting career. He was the son of Willy Loman’s neighbor in the original Broadway cast of “Death of a Salesman,” which opened in 1949, and for the next half-century he was a sought-after character actor onstage and in films, including “The Caine Mutiny,” Woody Allen’s “Sleeper” and “Liar, Liar,” starring Jim Carrey.

Original date of broadcast: November 3, 1961 (not 1959, as the obituaries inaccurately notes)

Top 10 "Twilight Zone" episodes

#8 on IGN (6/27/2014)
#8 on TIME
"10 of the Best", Flavorwire (10/6/2013)
#5 on CBS
#9 on "Top Ten Must-See Episodes", ListVerse (11/11/2009)
Best Episodes, Classic Film Guru (10/31/2013)

Don Keefer's long list of credits on IMDb

Don Keefer's Broadway credits

Wisconsin Fall Election Preview: Assembly District 41

Republican incumbent vs. Democratic challenger

Joan Ballweg, Republican incumbent

Campaign website
Twitter (58 followers)
Wisconsin Eye interview (9/17/2014)
Cash on hand (as of 8/18/2014): $22,614.39

Joe Kallas, Democratic challenger

Campaign website
Facebook (285 likes)
Wisconsin Eye interview (8/25/2014)
Vote Wisconsin
Cash on hand (as of 8/18/2014): $2,032.64

Kallas challenged and lost to Rep. Tom Petri in 2012.

Ballotpedia

41st Assembly District

Public libraries in the 41st Assembly District

Adams County Library
Berlin Public Library
Caestecker Public Library, Green Lake
Ethel Everhard Memorial Library, Westfield
Kilbourn Public Library, .Wisconsin Dells/Lake Delton
Markesan Public Library
Montello Public Library
Neshkoro Public Library
Oxford Public Library
Packwaukee Public Library
Princeton Public Library
Ripon Public Library

Academic library
Lane Library, Ripon College

Related posts and notes:

1st Senate District (9/6/2014)

1st Assembly District. (8/26/2014)
2nd Assembly District. 2-term Republican Andre Jacque (De Pere) is running unopposed.
3rd Assembly District. 14-term Republican Al Ott (Forest Junction) is running unopposed.

2nd Senate District. 7-term Republican Rob Cowles (Green Bay) is not up for re-election this year. Cowles also served in the Assembly from 1982 to 1987.

4th Assembly District. (8/27/2014)
5th Assembly District. (8/29/2014)
6th Assembly District. 4-term Republican Gary Tauchen (Bonduel) is running unopposed.

3rd Senate District: 3-term Democrat Tim Carpenter (Milwaukee) is running unopposed.

7th Assembly District. (9/2/2014)
8th Assembly District. (9/3/2014)
9th Assembly District. 6-term Democrat Josh Zepnick (Milwaukee) is running unopposed.

4th Senate District. Three-term Democrat Lena Taylor (Milwaukee) is not up for re-election this year.

10th Assembly District. Democratic newcomer David Bowen (Milwaukee) won a 4-way Democratic primary and is running unopposed.
11th Assembly District. Freshman Democrat Mandela Barnes (Milwaukee) is running unopposed.
12th Assembly District. (9/4/2014)

5th Senate District (9/8/2014)

13th Assembly District. Freshman Republican Rob Hutton (Brookfield) is running unopposed.
14th Assembly District. 2-term Republican Dale Kooyenga (Brookfield) is running unopposed.
15th Assembly District. (9/5/2014)

6th Senate District. Freshman Democrat Nikiya Harris Dodd (Milwaukee) is not up for re-election this year.

16th Assembly District. 11-term Democrat Leon Young (Milwaukee) is running unopposed.
17th Assembly District (sorry, somehow got lost in the shuffle; need to re-do)
18th Assembly District. Freshman Democrat Evan Goyke (Milwaukee) is running unopposed.

7th Senate District. (9/9/2014)

19th Assembly District (9/12/2014)
20th Assembly District (9/13/2014)
21st Assembly District. Freshman Republican Jessie Rodriguez (Franklin) is running unopposed

8th Senate District. 6-term Republican Alberta Darling (River Hills) is not up for re-election this year. Darling also served 2 1/2 years in the Assembly (May 1990-January 1993)

22nd Assembly District. (9/14/2014)
23rd Assembly District. (9/16/2014)
24th Assembly District. 3-term Republican Dan Knodl (Germantown) is running unopposed.

9th Senate District. (9/15/2014)

25th Assembly District. Freshman Republican Paul Tittl (Manitowoc) is running unopposed.
26th Assembly District. (9/16/2014)
27th Assembly District. (9/18/2014)

10th Senate District. 4-term Republican Sheila Harsdorf (River Falls) is not up for re-election this year. Harsdorf also served 12 years in the Assembly (1989-2001)

28th Assembly District. (9/19/2014)
29th Assembly District. 4-term Republican John Murtha (R-Baldwin) is running unopposed.
30th Assembly District. (9/20/2014)

11th Senate District. (9/22/2014)

31st Assembly District. 2-term Republican Amy Loudenbeck (Clinton) is running unopposed.
32nd Assembly District. (9/21/2014)
33rd Assembly District. Republican candidate Cody Horlacker (Mukwanago) is running unopposed.

12th Senate District. First-term Republican Tom Tiffany (Town of Little Rice) is not up for re-election this year. (Tiffany also served in the Assembly for 2 years -- 2011-2013.)

34th Assembly District. Freshman Republican Rob Swearingen (Rhinelander) is running opposed.
35th Assembly District. Freshman Republican Mary Czaja (Irma) is running unopposed.
36th Assembly District. 5-term Republican Jeff Mursau (Crivitz) is running unopposed.

13th Senate District. (9/23/2014)

14th Senate District. 3-term Republican Luther Olsen (Ripon) is not up for re-election this year. (Olsen also served 10 years in the Assembly, first elected in 1994.)

40th Assembly District. 4-term Republican Keith Peterson (Waupaca) is running unopposed.

Jackson County: Public Library Circulation and Program Attendance, 1996-2013

2010 population: 20,449

Public libraries in Jackson County

Winding Rivers Library System

% change (1996-2013)

Circulation: 57.3%
Program attendance: 52.3%

Line graphs data source: Wisconsin Public Library Service Data

Related posts: (with 1996-2013 % changes)

Adams County. (9/1/2014)

Circulation: 320%
Program attendance: 132%

Ashland County (9/2/2014)

Circulation: 13.5%
Program attendance: 116%

Barron County (9/3/2014)

Circulation: 32.1%
Program attendance: 237%

Bayfield County (9/4/2014)

Circulation: 127%
Program attendance: (7.2%)

Brown County (9/5/2014)

Circulation: 35.2%
Program attendance: (22.3%)

Buffalo County (9/6/2014)

Circulation: 1.9%
Program attendance: 812%

Burnett County (9/7/2014)

Circulation: 104%
Program attendance 466%

Calumet County (9/8/2014)

Circulation: (32.7%)
Program attendance 20.0%

Chippewa County (9/9/2014)

Circulation: 24.6%
Program attendance 28.8%

Clark County (9/10/2014)

Circulation: 21.6%
Program attendance 86.5%

Columbia County (9/11/2014)

Circulation: 40.5%
Program attendance 84.2%

Crawford County (9/12/2014)

Circulation: 58.1%
Program attendance (28.3%)

Dane County (9/13/2014)

Circulation: 83.0%
Program attendance 246%

Dodge County (9/14/2014)

Circulation: 53.9%
Program attendance 186%

Door County (9/15/2014)

Circulation: 23.2%
Program attendance (7.1%)

Douglas County (9/16/2014)

Circulation: 81.1%
Program attendance: 33.9%

Dunn County (9/17/2014)

Circulation: 14.2%
Program attendance: 178%

Eau Claire County (9/18/2014)

Circulation: 23.7%
Program attendance: 86.6%

Florence County (9/19/2014)

Circulation: 251%
Program attendance: 195%

Fond du Lac County (9/20/2014)

Circulation: 24.2%
Program attendance: 72.6%

Forest County (9/21/2014)

Circulation: 68.4%
Program attendance: 261%

Grant County (9/22/2014)

Circulation: 44.3%
Program attendance: 87.9%

Green County (9/23/2014)

Circulation: 14.4%
Program attendance: 111%

Green Lake County (9/24/2014)

Circulation: 33.8%
Program attendance: 125%

Iowa County (9/25/2014)

Circulation: 39.8%
Program attendance: 122%

Iron County (9/26/2014)

Circulation: 5.4%
Program attendance: 121%

Friday, September 26, 2014

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation Says It With Flowers

The headquarters for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, located at 4802 Sheboygan Avenue in Madison, opened for business in 1964. The building contains approximately 368,000 square feet on 10 floors plus a basement level.

The Invasive "Mile-a-Minute" Vine (Asiatic Tearthumb)

A northeastern U.S. headache.

On Patrol With the Weed Warriors. (The New York Times, 9/24/2014)

What it is, what it does.

Mile-a-minute (Persicaria perfoliata), an invasive plant from Asia, is a sticky vine with tiny barbs and triangular leaves that grows six inches a day, climbing over shrubs and trees, until the landscape is cloaked in a dense, tangled mat of pale green. Called the kudzu of the north, it deprives plants of light and air, so they fail to flower and fruit. Seedlings of native trees and shrubs don’t stand a chance.

How it became a problem.

The seeds of mile-a-minute weed are thought to have come into the eastern United States on rhododendron plants imported from Asia in the 1930s. The plant was observed in a nursery in southern Pennsylvania in 1946, and by the mid-1990s was spreading through the Mid-Atlantic region, where it is now considered an invasive weed. By 2000, it was moving through Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

University of Connecticut. Mile-a-minute vine website.

In a Small Library, the Director Does It All

Alma Public Library

Now Hiring Part-time Director/Librarian for the City of Alma, WI. (City of Alma, 9/24/2014)

Scott Walker Throws His West Bend Campaign Volunteers a Big Piece of Red Meat

Walker promise of drug tests for jobless could be hard to deliver. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 9/25/2014)

A quote from the article.

West Bend is the county seat of Washington County.

U.S. Census note. Hispanics may be of any race, so also are included in applicable race categories.

Related post:
On Scott Walker's 2015 agenda: Drug tests. (9/14/2014)

Drive With Caution During Deer Mating Season

Source: Wisconsin Department of Transportation

Authorities warn drivers to beware of deer this fall. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 9/25/2014)

The 2013 tally.

With mating season for Wisconsin's whitetail deer population starting soon, authorities are expecting a sharp increase in car-deer accidents.

Last year, Wisconsin law enforcement agencies handled 18,338 reported deer vs. vehicle crashes. Waukesha County had the most reported crashes with 809 last year, according to Department of Transportation statistics. Dane County was second with 786 and Shawano County with 748 reported crashes. Many car-deer accidents are not reported.

A Personal Account of the Impact of Frac Sand Mining

From the YouTube description:

Small business owner, Brenda Tabor-Adams, lives with her husband and 2-year-old son in a silica frac sand mining district between New Auburn and Chetek, WI. They are surrounded by mines. Two separate facilities are within a third of a mile and three more are within one mile of her once-quiet, rural property. In addition, several more mines are proposed or already operating nearby. Brenda's clients now compete with 1,000 sand trucks per day, or 20 trucks every 15 minutes, in order to get their horse trailers in and out of her property. With trucks running for 12 hours/day, 6 days/week, her life has been turned upside down. Dismissed as "collateral damage" by local officials, she fears for the environmental impact, the health of her family and neighbors and the sustainability of her small business.

WiVoices.org

Report: Frac sand industry impacting lives of thousands who live near mines. (Capital Times, 9/26/2014)

Follow-up. Wisconsin residents blame fracking for a boom in sand mining facilities. (CBS, 4/18/2014)

No improvements.

Resident Brenda Tabor-Adams said, "The trucks drive past here, and there's sand on the road, there's sand on the ditch, so I do get a lot in my house."

All that blowing sand is a health concern for Tabor-Adams. Her farm is surrounded by four sand mines.

"After now dealing with it for a couple of years, I am starting to get some respiratory issues," she said. "Wheezing. It'll wake me up at night."

Report: Communities At Risk: Frac Sand Mining in the Upper Midwest

From page 5 of the report

Report: Frac sand industry impacting lives of thousands who live near mines. (Capital Times, 9/26/2014)

Frac sand rush.

Trinko has not opened the windows of her house since the fall of 2012.

“The billowing of silica sand has not abated since the mine was constructed in 2011. One truck passes down my road every three minutes or less,” she said. “My life has been negatively impacted by this industry. I am resisting the idea of moving. But a person’s life is priceless.”

According to the report, there are thousands of others living in close proximity to sand mines and processing centers, with little to no oversight by the government to monitor the impacts of the industry on the water supply or the air quality.

Communities At Risk: Frac Sand Mining in the Upper Midwest: Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Section 1. Introduction to Frac Sand Mining
Section 2. Description of Frac Sand Operations
Section 3. Number and Location of Frac Sand Facilities in Wisconsin and Minnesota
Section 4. Impacts of Frac Sand Operations on Communities
Section 5. Externalities - Human Health and Environmental Costs