Saturday, December 27, 2014

Luxuria Music Likes Its Novelty Tunes



The song, a curiosity that quickly wore out its welcome, spent 6 weeks -- 3 weeks at its peak position of  #51 -- on the Billboard Hot 100 in April and May of 1968  I was a senior in high school at the time and vaguely remember it getting some nominal airplay on AM radio.

Related post:
Leave to Luxuria Music to dig up the most obscure -- some might say the most obnoxious -- music ever recorded. (8/23/2014)

Arrowhead Pawn and the Iron Pipeline


Tracing Gun Used to Kill 2 Officers, Officials Wind Up in a Familiar Spot.  (The New York Times, 12/24/2014)

Welcome to Jonesboro, Georgia.
Although Arrowhead is nearly 900 miles away, New York police officials are familiar with the store, where on Tuesday a yellow, black and red sign in a neon-rimmed window promoted a $279.99 “super buy” for a 9-millimeter pistol. Another window featured a three-word advertisement, just above a notice of a Christmas sale, in bold, yellow letters: “We Buy Guns.” 

As recently as 2010, Arrowhead was the leading out-of-state source of guns recovered by the New York Police Department in crimes, according to an article in The Daily News. Georgia is also part of the “Iron Pipeline,” a chain of Southern states with looser gun laws that is responsible for sending a steady stream of firearms into New York and other Northern cities, where there are many more restrictions on who can purchase a gun.

Source:  Angels of Death

Page Duties and Position Descriptions


Apparently, I've developed a new reading interest:  library board minutes.


Minutes from the 11/13/2013 meeting are the most recent available at the library's website.

As noted in Administrative Essential 12 (Managing the Staff),  [t]he board must approve a position description that reflects the necessary qualifications and duties of the job.  

For every paid position in the library's organization chart, I would add.  The board should also adopt a Volunteer policy

And the director or other supervisor should take a judicious approach to the phrase "other duties as assigned".  Casting a wide net is not recommended.

Here's a Library Shelver example from the Franklin Public Library.  (page 1 of 2)


Once upon a time.....

Related post:
D. R. Moon Memorial Library.  (12/27/2014)

Ozaukee County WI: Public Access Internet Computers (1999-2013) and Print Serial Subscriptions (1996-2013)


2010 population:  86,395

Public libraries in Ozaukee County

        This line-graph series is the result of my wondering if there's any pattern to the number of print serial subscriptions held by public libraries in relation to the increasing number of public access Internet computers provided by public libraries since 1999. (Earliest year for which Wisconsin statistics are available.)


        Note: The 1996, 1997, 1998 Wisconsin public library annual reports asked for the following information: Libraries with Internet access. (Answered yes or no.) Libraries with electronic services. (Answered yes or no.) In 1999, public libraries reported the number of public access Internet computers for the first time in the annual report.

        Percentage change from peak year (1999-2013):  -32.9%
        Other posts in series
        (with percentage change in print serial subscriptions from peak year)
        Adams County, -35.6%.  (11/12/2014)
        Ashland County, -1.3%.  (11/13/2014)
        Barron County, -18.5%.  (11/14/2014)
        Bayfield County,+106%.  (11/15/2014)
        Brown County, -22%.   (11/16/2014)
        Buffalo County, -18%.  (11/17/2014)
        Burnett County, -4.4%.  (11/18/2014)
        Calumet County, -23.1%.  (11/19/2014)
        Chippewa County, -37.6%.  (11/20/2014)
        Clark County, -9.0%.  (11/21/2014)
        Columbia County, -11.3%.  (11/22/2014)
        Crawford County, -3.6%.  (11/23/2014)
        Dane County, -16.1%.  (11/24/2014)
        Dodge County, -21.2%.  (11/25/2014)
        Door County, -37.1%.  (11/26/2014)
        Douglas County, -19.1%.  (11/27/2014)
        Dunn County, -21.2%.  (11/28/2014)
        Eau Claire County, -39.5%.  (11/29/2014)
        Florence County, +429%.  (11/30/2014)
        Fond du Lac County, -32.5%.  (12/1/2014)
        Forest County, -20.8%.  (12/2/2014)
        Grant County, NA.  (12/3/2014)
        Green County, -1.6%.  (12/4/2014)
        Green Lake County, -11.0% . (12/5/2014)
        Iowa County, +9.1%.  (12/6/2014)
        Iron County, +50.9%.  (12/7/2014)
        Jackson County, +48.3%.  (12/8/2014)
        Jefferson County, -27.9%.  (12/9/2014)
        Juneau County, +46.3%.  (12/10/2014)
        Kenosha County, -37.9%.  (12/11/2014)
        Kewaunee County, -28.0.  (12/12/2014)
        La Crosse County, -30.2%.  (12/13/2014)
        Lafayette County, -1.0%.  (12/14/2014)
        Langlade County, -53.0%.  (12/15/2014)
        Lincoln County, -45%.  (12/16/2014)
        Manitowoc County, -28.5%.  (12/17/2014)
        Marathon County, -50.1%.  (12/18/2014)
        Marinettte County, NA.  (12/19/2014)
        Marquette County, -59.5%.   (12/20/2014)
        Menominee County, NA.  (12/21/2014)
        Milwaukee County, -76.0%.  (12/22/2014)
        Monroe County, -27.5%.  (12/23/2014)
        Oconto County, -32.4%.  (12/24/2014)
        Oneida County, +16.5%.  (12/26/2014)
        Outagamie County, -20.0%.  (12/26/2014)
        Ozaukee County, -32.9% .  (12/27/2014)

        Friday, December 26, 2014

        Frog and Toad Asunder


        Photo by Retiring Guy 
        Location: Vilas Park, Madison, WI

        Digital-Age Business Skills Defined


        M.B.A. Programs Start to Follow Silicon Valley Into the Data Age.  (The New York Times, 12/25/2014)

        Digital age business skills
        That’s because the degree suggests a person steeped in finance and corporate strategy rather than in the digital-age arts of speed and constant experimentation — and in skills like
        • A/B testing:  method of testing for an advertising campaign that involves two different versions of a web page to see which is more effective
        • rapid prototyping:  process used to build a physical model from a computer drawing by creating layers of the shape and joining them together.
        • data-driven decision making.   Also known as data-driven decision management (DDDM):  an approach to business governance that values decisions that can be backed up with data that can be verified.
        the bread and butter of Silicon Valley.

        Speaking of.......



        Believe it or not, this catchy little ditty spent 7 weeks in the Billboard Hot 100's top 10 and 2 weeks at #2 in September-October 1964.  It played bridesmaid to "The House of the Rising Sun" one week and "Oh, Pretty Woman" the next.

        Lessons Not Learned



        Man 'looking for cash' finds and steals it from West Side hotel, police say. (Madison.com, 12/26/2014)
        This is the third theft of cash this month from the front desk of a Madison-area hotel, with the suspect's description pretty similar in each case.

        The New York Times Dubs it "The Year of the Shrinking S.U.V."


        Excellent example of car porn.



        Move Over Land Yachts, Compact S.U.V.s Are in Demand.  (The New York Times, 12/25/2014)

        Sheila Mahoney of Gilbert, Arizona, loves her Buick Encore.
        “This is definitely the smallest vehicle I’ve ever had, but it’s perfect.  There’s just enough room to haul groceries around, and now instead of filling up the tank once a week, I’m at the gas station maybe every two weeks. 

        Then there's this "reading and marking" entry.
        <With automakers poised to sell nearly 17 million vehicles this year in the United States, their best year since 2007, sales of the so-called crossovers — which are built on more comfortable car frames instead of rigid truck ones — are higher than ever. And while sales of the biggest seven-passenger, three-row people haulers remain strong, particularly for General Motors, it is the smaller S.U.V.s that are making a name for themselves.>

         I suppose sense 2 of crossover as defined by Merriam-Webster provides general coverage.


        Attending "The Interview" in the Service of Free Speech




        Crowds Gather as 'The Interview' Begins Screening in 331 Theaters.  (The New York Times, 12/25/2014)


        This was not a midnight Mass. It was one of the first screenings of Sony’s “The Interview,” which improbably became a symbol of free speech in the last week as hackers who attacked the studio first got the movie withdrawn from distribution, then, after a groundswell of support for releasing it that reached the White House, watched it open after all.

        At this point, Box Office Mojo has yet to post its Christmas Day estimates.

        Republicans Gone Wild in Kansas

        Photo credit:  Kansas Legislature

        GOP lawmakers in Kansas float tax proposals to close budget gap but with little enthusiasm.  (Daily Journal, 12/24/2014)

        Veto-proof, but not idiot-proof, majorities
        Republican leaders expect to rely on GOP votes to pass a budget-balancing plan, given the party's majorities of 32-8 in the Senate and 97-28 in the House. Democrats so far are letting Republicans stew, having argued that the income tax cuts pursued by Brownback would create exactly the kind of budget problems the state is experiencing.

        Related posts:
        Dear Governor Brownback.  (12/25/2014)
        Dueling Headlines, or, Just because Sam Brownback says it, doesn't mean it's so.  (12/20/2014)
        KC Healthy Kids needs to work on its timing.  (12/20/2014) 
        Sam Brownback: "The sun is shining in Kansas and don't let anyone tell you different."  (12/11/2014)
        Why it's probably best not to be in Kansas anymore.  (12/11/2014)
        So....does this make Sam Brownback a liar?  (12/10/2014)
        Scott Walker takes his tax cut cues from Sam Brownback.  (11/13/2014)
        Scott Walker, Sam Brownback, and Rick Scott: The comeback copycats.  (10/25/2014)
        Governors Sam Brownback and Scott Walker use the same playbook.  (9/15/2014)
        You don't have to inhale deeply to catch a whiff of Wisconsin here.  (9/15/2014)
        It's not a pretty picture for Kansas Governor Sam Brownback.  (7/18/2014)
        As Kansas becomes increasingly irrelevant, a goofy sideshow.  (2/14/2014)

        Outagamie County WI: Public Access Internet Computers (1999-2013) and Print Serial Subscriptions (1996-2013)


        2010 population:  176,695

        Public libraries in Outagamie County

              This line-graph series is the result of my wondering if there's any pattern to the number of print serial subscriptions held by public libraries in relation to the increasing number of public access Internet computers provided by public libraries since 1999. (Earliest year for which Wisconsin statistics are available.)


              Note: The 1996, 1997, 1998 Wisconsin public library annual reports asked for the following information: Libraries with Internet access. (Answered yes or no.) Libraries with electronic services. (Answered yes or no.) In 1999, public libraries reported the number of public access Internet computers for the first time in the annual report.

              Percentage change from peak year (1999-2013):  -20.0%
              Other posts in series
              (with percentage change in print serial subscriptions from peak year)
              Adams County, -35.6%.  (11/12/2014)
              Ashland County, -1.3%.  (11/13/2014)
              Barron County, -18.5%.  (11/14/2014)
              Bayfield County,+106%.  (11/15/2014)
              Brown County, -22%.   (11/16/2014)
              Buffalo County, -18%.  (11/17/2014)
              Burnett County, -4.4%.  (11/18/2014)
              Calumet County, -23.1%.  (11/19/2014)
              Chippewa County, -37.6%.  (11/20/2014)
              Clark County, -9.0%.  (11/21/2014)
              Columbia County, -11.3%.  (11/22/2014)
              Crawford County, -3.6%.  (11/23/2014)
              Dane County, -16.1%.  (11/24/2014)
              Dodge County, -21.2%.  (11/25/2014)
              Door County, -37.1%.  (11/26/2014)
              Douglas County, -19.1%.  (11/27/2014)
              Dunn County, -21.2%.  (11/28/2014)
              Eau Claire County, -39.5%.  (11/29/2014)
              Florence County, +429%.  (11/30/2014)
              Fond du Lac County, -32.5%.  (12/1/2014)
              Forest County, -20.8%.  (12/2/2014)
              Grant County, NA.  (12/3/2014)
              Green County, -1.6%.  (12/4/2014)
              Green Lake County, -11.0% . (12/5/2014)
              Iowa County, +9.1%.  (12/6/2014)
              Iron County, +50.9%.  (12/7/2014)
              Jackson County, +48.3%.  (12/8/2014)
              Jefferson County, -27.9%.  (12/9/2014)
              Juneau County, +46.3%.  (12/10/2014)
              Kenosha County, -37.9%.  (12/11/2014)
              Kewaunee County, -28.0.  (12/12/2014)
              La Crosse County, -30.2%.  (12/13/2014)
              Lafayette County, -1.0%.  (12/14/2014)
              Langlade County, -53.0%.  (12/15/2014)
              Lincoln County, -45%.  (12/16/2014)
              Manitowoc County, -28.5%.  (12/17/2014)
              Marathon County, -50.1%.  (12/18/2014)
              Marinettte County, NA.  (12/19/2014)
              Marquette County, -59.5%.   (12/20/2014)
              Menominee County, NA.  (12/21/2014)
              Milwaukee County, -76.0%.  (12/22/2014)
              Monroe County, -27.5%.  (12/23/2014)
              Oconto County, -32.4%.  (12/24/2014)
              Oneida County, +16.5%.  (12/26/2014)
              Outagamie County, -20.0%.  (12/26/2014)

              Thursday, December 25, 2014

              Foxcatcher Creates No Excitement


              Count your blessings that you didn't end up here today.

              Photo by Retiring Guy

              Although a reviewer for the Washington Post got suckered into Sony Classic Pictures' hype.
              ‘Foxcatcher’ Steve Carell’s performance as an aristocratic oddball represents a breakthrough for someone more associated with comedy and winsome drama. Ann Hornaday writes, "'Foxcatcher' exerts a mesmerizing pull, not only because it affords the chance to witness three fine actors working at the height of their powers, but also because it so steadfastly resists the urge to clutter up empty space with the filigree of gratuitous imagery and chatter."

              Mesmerizing??!!

              Here's the real scoop, folks.

              Messy, at best.

              Let's write a screenplay about the most boring people imaginable and then film it as a snooze-inducing, pretentious movie.

              In a most laughable turn of events, Steve Carell received a Golden Globe nomination for "Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama", a performance that would clearly be the nadir of any actor's resume.  What's was he -- or the director -- thinking?

              Overall, the movie is a criminal waste of talent and further evidence that Hollywood can no longer tell a coherent story.

              Interstellar.

              Need I say more?

              The movie should have been listed here.

              Christmas Day 2014 at 43.0725° N, 89.5572° W

              Current temperature:  39 degrees, about 10 degrees above the historical average.

              Photo by Retiring Guy

              No Friend to the Environment: Republican Representative Todd Rokita, Indiana's 4th Congressional District


                Photo sourceU.S. Congress
              Text sourceHuffington Post

              Rokita was re-elected to a 3rd term with 67% of the vote.   He serves on no environmental committees.

              Recommended reading for Rep. Rokita and his west-central Indiana constituents.

              Economist: Climate change could reshape crop agriculture.  (Purdue University News Service, 12/6/2010)

              No Friend to the Environment dishonor roll.

              Alabama Congressional delegation:  U.S. House of Representatives.   (Their anti-environmentalism can be summed up in one word:  coal.  Which is odd, since Alabama contributes a mere 1.9% of U.S. production, good enough for an overall ranking of 13.  The state's peak year of production:  1990)  
              Alaska Congressional delegation:  U.S. House of Representatives
              • At-large District.  Don Young (R).   Ridiculed environmentalists as a “self-centered bunch of waffle-stomping, Harvard-graduating, intellectual idiots.....not Americans, never have been Americans, never will be Americans.” 
               Arizona Congressional delegation:  U.S. House of Representatives
              Arkansas Congressional delegation:  U.S. House of Representatives
              California Congressional delegation:  U.S. House of Representatives
              Colorado Congressional delegation:  U.S. House of Representatives
              No House Republicans hail from Connecticut and Delaware. 
              Florida Congressional delegation:  U.S. House of Representatives
              Georgia's Congressional delegation:  U.S. House of Representatives
               Idaho's Congressional delegation:  U.S. House of Representatives
               Illinois' Congressional delegation:  U.S. House of Representatives
               Indiana's Congressional delegation:  U.S. House of Representatives
              • 2nd District.  Jackie Walorski (R).  That’s My Congress” notes Rep. Walorski has followed a conservative course when voting on environmental legislation -- and everything else, for that matter.   Earned a 0% rating from the League of Conservation Voters after her first year in the House.
              • 3rd District.  Martin Stutzman (R).  Signed Americans for Prosperity’s “No Climate Tax Pledge” a month before being sworn in as a member of Congress in 2010. 
              • 4th District.  Todd Rokita (R).  This climate change denier respects "God's green earth".  Anyone who thinks otherwise is arrogant.