Saturday, July 11, 2015

April 2015: A 'disturbing' month in Middleton, Wisconsin


From the April Middleton Police Report.



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Meet the Members of the Republican Study Committee: Todd Young (R-IN, 9th District)


Definitely not ready for the next generation of issues.

Photo credit:  U. S. House of Representatives

Ballotpedia identifies Rep. Young as neutral on same-sex marraige.

The cumulative tally




The Republican Study Committee membership
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana

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Scott Walker treads water in Iowa Republican presidential caucus polls


18% in past 3 polls.  His peak of 25% occurred in February.


The behinders in the 6/27-29 KBUR/WAA poll:
  • 5% - Ben Carson, Chris Christie
  • 4% - Rick Santorum, Rick Perry
  • 3% - Carly Fiorina
  • 2% - Bobby Jindal
  • 1% - John Kasich

More Iowa polling: 
Donald Trump places 2nd, behind Scott Walker, in latest Iowa Republican caucus poll.  (7/1/2015)
Scott Walker maintains lead in Iowa Republican presidential caucus polling.  (6/15/2015) 
Likely Iowa Republican caucus-goers are still groovin' on Scott Walker -- but not nearly as much as they were in February.  (6/4/2015)
Scott Walker finishes 1st in latest Iowa poll, but his best numbers are more than 3 months behind him.  (5/31/2015)
Rick Santorum: You ain't goin' nowhere in this presidential race.  (5/28/2015)
Kristina, 27, like the idea of Donald Trump running for President.  (5/23/2015)
Will the results of the August 2015 Iowa straw poll embarrass Republicans again?  (5/21/2015)
The Iowa straw poll, a slow death by many small cuts.  (5/21/2015)
Dreamboat Dixie channels Heart.  (5/17/2015)
Hey, Tanya, if you like Carly Fiorina, you'll love Scott Walker.  (5/17/2015)
Walt Rogers hitches his star to a political flameout.  (5/17/2015)
This Saturday, Republican presidential "wannabes" descend on Des Moines for "the fourth major, multi-candidate cattle call of the caucus campaign".  (5/14/2015) 
Jeb hurts Iowans' feelings.  (5/13/2015)
Pandering to social conservatives, Scott Walker and his buddies continue to box themselves into a corner.  (4/26/2015)
Let the intramural sniping begin.  (4/26/2015)
Reporter shares his sharp, blunt, candid assessment.  (4/26/2015)
'Veteran Republican Strategist' sez goodbye to Scott Walker the day after 'hello'. (3/18/2015)
Clothes make the man: The Iowa Caucus edition.  (3/18/2015)
Liz Mair stars in Scott Walker's 'Les Miz'.  (3/17/2015)
Motor runnin', Scott Walker gives a shout-out to these Iowa communities.  (3/9/2015)
Scott Walker serves up a helping of red meat to audience at Iowa Agriculture Summit.  (3/8/2015)
The insignificance of the Iowa caucus.  (3/7/2015)
Scott Walker is already booked, naturally, for the last weekend in April.  (3/3/2015)
Quinnipiac poll: Scott Walker is the Tea Party favorite among likely caucus-goers in Iowa.  (2/26/2015)
Mike Huckabee retakes Iowa lead, Walker falls to 3rd in NBC News/Marist poll.  (2/17/2015)

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No Day of Rest for Scott Walker


Walker set to sign budget Sunday.  (Wisconsin State Journal, 7/10/2015)

Not surprisingly, Democrats' efforts to remove the "One Day of Rest in Seven" provisions in the budget bill were to no avail.



Republican legislators were able to stuff AB 118 into motion #999.

This webpage will need to be revised.


Wisconsin State Statutes 103.85
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Meet the Members of the Republican Study Committee: Larry Bucshon, M.D. (R-IN, 8th District)



As found in Ballotpedia.

The cumulative tally




The Republican Study Committee membership
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana

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Meet the Members of the Republican Study Committee: Luke Messer (R-IN, 6th District)



As found in Indiana groups hail gay marriage ruling, seek more protections.  (Chicago Tribune, 6/26/2015)

The cumulative tally




The Republican Study Committee membership
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana

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Meet the Members of the Republican Study Committee: Susan Brooks (R-IN, 5th District)



As found in Candidate Profile:  Susan Brooks.  (NUVO)

The cumulative tally




The Republican Study Committee membership
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana

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Meet the Members of the Republican Study Committee: Todd Rokita (R-IN, 4th District)



As found in Ballotpedia. 

The cumulative tally




The Republican Study Committee membership
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana

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Friday, July 10, 2015

In his interview with Scott Walker, Charlie Sykes neglects to ask the obvious follow-up question, "What other 'things like that'?"


(emphasis added)

As quoted in Scott Walker: Open records changes 'a huge mistake' that 'didn't come from us'.  (Wisconsin State Journal, 7/10/2015

Listen to the interview here.

After Walker's typically weaselly answer, Sykes immediately shifts gears, excitedly, almost giddily asking Walker about his highly anticipated Presidential candidacy announcement.

These 2 guys should just get a room, for crying out loud.



Related posts:
Wisconsin Assembly Republicans are hoping that voters are not paying attention on Tuesday, November 8, 2016.  (7/10/2015)
Dear Scott Walker, As for the awareness question, a simple "yes" would have sufficed.  (7/7/2015) 
The road not taken by Joint Finance Co-Chair Nygren and Assembly Speaker Vos.  (7/7/2015) 
Open records and Scott Walker's concerns with constituents' privacy.  (7/5/2015)
Scott Walker does David Bowie.  (7/4/2015)
Open records and Scott Walker's irresolute response.  (7/4/2015) 
When it comes to transparency, ALEC wants to have it both ways.  (7/4/2015)
You have to wonder what dictionary Joint Finance co-chair John Nygren is working from.  (7/3/2015) 
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos's definition of transparency: All the self-serving Republican news releases I see fit to print
Good question, Albert Darling. So why the lack of transparency in Wisconsin? (7/3/2015)
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Just what every library needs: a smokeless ashtray




Audit Details $310,000 in Prohibited Expenses by Queens Library’s Leaders.  (The New York Times, 7/8/2015)

No itemized expenditures reports at Queens Library? (bullet points added)
Among the abuses, library executives used library funds to pay for 
  • “extravagant meals,” 
  • alcohol, 
  • tickets to a Maroon 5 rock concert, 
  • admission to Disneyland, 
  • airline upgrades, 
  • Apple TVs, 
  • a smoking balcony off the president’s office and 
  • smokeless ashtrays 
— all while maintaining that the library system was running a deficit, said Scott M. Stringer, the New York City comptroller, whose office conducted the audit and a related inquiry into possible misconduct.


Related posts: 
Employment opportunity at Queens Library.  (12/20/2014)
Now I wish I'd been following this story more closely.  (11/13/2014) 
Is everybody happy?  (3/13/2014)
Queens library director on hot seat. (2/4/2014)
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Biking the Graber Pond trail for the 1st time


I entered the trail from a point across Graber Road from Springs Window Fashions.  (red arrow on map below)


From this point, I continued along the "snake-path" portion of the trail.


The Misty Valley development is seen in the center-left background.   Only a few lots remain for sale.


The boardwalk portion of the trail.  (Seen from orange arrow location.)


I have to say that Graber Pond isn't much to look at.  (Seen from green arrow location)




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One of the most colorful little box of discards set-up I've encountered


Somewhere in the Seminole Forest neighborhood of Fitchburg.  Spotted as I took a meandering scenic route to the Alliant Center to attend a meeting.


And on the inside.  (Just what you'd expect to find.)

Photos by Retiring Guy

Related posts:
Little box of discards with benches.  (5/6/2015)
Get me rewrite: Little boxes of discards have big appeal.  (5/1/2015)
Middleton little free library cleaned out; Independent bookseller suspected.  (12/19/2014)
Charter #5763.  (8/14/2014)
Charter #8443.  (7/25/2014)
Unchartered #2.  (7/24/2014)
Unchartered #1.  (7/21/2014)
Charter #5719.  (7/19/2014)
Charter #0657.  (7/18/2014)
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Admiral 19 inch television console (1950 magazine advertisement)


As advertised in National Geographic, March 1950

And here's a sample of what you'd be able to watch on a TV with a 'superpowered chassis'.



The Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI Inflation Calculator notes $495 in 1950 has the same buying power as $4,884.34 today.

Related article:
Comparing the inflated cost of living today from 1950 to 2014: How declining purchasing power has hurt the middle class since 1950.  (mybudget360.com, 2/23/2014)
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100 Years of Frank Sinatra: "Suddenly"


"Suddenly", a compact (75 minutes) film noir, had its premier at Loew's Mayfair in New York City on October 7, 1954.  Frank Sinatra's co-stars include Sterling Hayden and the once ubiquitous James Gleason (163 acting credits to his name from 1922 to 1958). 

Here's a clip.



New York Times movie critic Bosley Crowther opens his 10/8/1954 review of this "taut little thriller"  by posing the following question:
Who would have dreamed, this time ten years back, when Frank Sinatra was making sweet moan as the current fascination of the bobby-sox brigade, that he would ever be cast in a movie to play the repulsive role of a fellow grimly intending to assassinate the President of the United States?

Look as though someone else has something nefarious on his mind.


Other Frank Sinatra 100 posts:
"Our Love".  (2/14/2015)
"I'll Never Smile Again".  (2/15/2015)
"Fools Rush In".  (2/16/2015)
"Dolores".  (2/17/2015)
"Oh Look At Me Now".  (2/18/2015)
"This Love of Mine".  (2/20/2015)
"There Are Such Things."  (2/24/2015)
"Night and Day".  (2/26/2015)
"The Night We Called It a Day".  (2/27/2015)
Paramount Theater, December 30, 1942.  (3/2/2015)
Reveille with Beverly.  (3/4/2015)
"You'll Never Know".  (3/7/2015)
Higher and Higher.  (3/8/2015)
"People Will Say We're in Love".  (3/10/2015)
The Shining Future.  (3/17/2015)
"I Couldn't Sleep a Wink Last Night".  (3/19/2015)
Step Lively.  (3/20/2015) .
"Saturday Night (is the Loneliest Night of the Week)".  (3/21/2015)
"You'll Never Walk Alone".  (3/23/2015)
"Oh What It Seemed to Be".  (3/24/2015)
Anchors Aweigh.  (3/26/2015)
"Day by Day".  3/27/2015)
Till the Clouds Roll By.  (3/29/2015)
"Always".  (3/30/2015)
It Happened in Brooklyn.  (3/31/2015)
"I've Got a Crush on You".  (4/3/2015)
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas".  (4/5/2015)
"It Only Happens When I Dance With You".  (4/7/2015)
The Miracle of the Bells.  (4/9/2015)
The birth of Tina.  (4/11/2015)
The Kissing Bandit.  (4/16/2015)
"Some Enchanted Evening."  (4/19/2015)
Take Me Out to the Ball Game.  (4/22/2015)
"The Huckle Buck."  (4/24/2015)
On the Town.  (4/28/2015)
A blowup in Houston.  (4/30/2015)
1st television appearance.  (5/3/2015)
"The Frank Sinatra Show".  (5/5/2015)
"I'm a Fool to Want You".  (5/7/2015)
"Mama Will Bark".  (5/10/2015)
Double Dynamite.  (5/13/2015)
Frank and Ava get married.  (5/15/2015)
Meet Danny Wilson.  (5/19/2015)
"I Could Write a Book".  (5/24/2015)
His Final Recording for Columbia Records, "Why Try to Change Me Now?"  (5/28/2015)
A new musical era with Capital Records.  (6/2/2015)
Filming begins on From Here to Eternity.   (6/15/2015)
"I've Got the World on a String".  (6/20/2015)
"Young at Heart".  (6/21/2015)
Songs for Young Lovers.  (6/22/2015)
Best supporting actor Oscar.  (6/28/2015)
Swing Easy.  (7/4/2015)



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Would you spend $23 for 32 ounces of a tea-based cocktail mixer?




Owl’s Brew Tea-Infused Cocktail Mixers Find Their Flow.  (The New York Times, 7/8/2015)
Tea is the second-most-consumed beverage in the world, after water, according to the Tea Association of the U.S.A. In 2014, four out of every five consumers drank tea, and millennials are the biggest fans — 87 percent say they drink tea. Mintel, a market research firm, said about 82 percent of United States consumers over the age of 18 drink tea.
I drink tea on occasion.  Iced tea, or, more frequently, an Arnold Palmer.  But never at home, only when I'm dining out.  And we have a selection of Celestial Seasonings teas on hand, but they tend to be winter evening choices, just before bedtime.

I won't be contributing to the green line you see below.

Sales figured obtained from The New York Times article

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