Retiring Guy's Digest: 2017-01-15

Saturday, January 21, 2017

Donald Trump in so many words: It's all an act, folks

@realDonaldTrump (highlight added)

Let's take a look at some of these'reviews':

Los Angeles Times, 1/20/2017

New York, 1/20/2017

Sydney Morning Herald, 1/21/2017

Vanity Fair, 1/20/2017

USA Today, 1/20/2017

Washington Post, 1/20/2017

Women's March on Madison: From Bascom Hill to the State Capitol

We walked from Lot 60 on the far west side of the UW-Madison campus, both to get some exercise and to avoid the crush of traffic on the Isthmus.

View from lower Bascom Hill, State Street in middle far distance

All photos and videos by Retiring Guy

We milled around the Library Mall for more than a half hour, during which time I read the following tweet.

We heard anecdotal reports that State Street and the Capitol Square were already thronged with people. Did the marchers have anywhere go to? I wondered.

View from the 'porch' of the brutalist, much-maligned Humanities Building,

shown at right in above photo

As you'll note in the these photos, the pink pussycat cap was the fashion statement of the day.

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign. Some were created with great care.

Others were quickly scrawled. (But, in this case, still worthy of note.)

Not wishing to remain in a standing-still position 20 minutes after the official noon starting ti, we decided to walk beyond the Lake Street/State Street intersection, where we assumed major gridlock was occuring. To avoid the crush of people, we headed to Langdon Street, which we followed until we reached North Frances, at which point we turned right. Once we passed the Graduate Hotel, we saw movement on State Street.

No auto traffic was allowed to cross the 8-block length of State Street from 10 a.m. (I'm guessing) until 2:30 or so. Here's a view of where West Johhson and North Henry cross State Street at the same point.

Spotting people on the rooftop of the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, we decided to check out the view ourselves.

Making our way up the steps of the glass building

From the top

The best view, in my opinion, is from the 4th floor of the Wisconsin Historical Museum.

State Street is still thronged with people at 1:45.

(Wisconsin State Journal, 1/21/2017)

Everyone's homework assignment: "I hope more people will decide to do the grassroots thing and get this started from the bottom up."

Get, and stay, involved, in other words. The march was an exhilarating, very positive event, but much more, and much harder (i.e., one-on-one) work needs to be done.

America First before Donald Trump

Source: United States History

Photo credit: Biography

How Midwest states voted in the past 3 Presidential elections

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Related reading:
America First, for Charles Lindbergh and Donald Trump. (The New Yorker, 7/24/2016)

An excerpt

In the news: Johnson Creek, Wisconsin

Source: U.S. Census QuickFacts

A morning happy hour with taps and Donald Trump in Johnson Creek. (Wisconsin State Journal, 1/20/2017)

Wherein.....

Gerry and the Pacemakers' 4th single to make the Billboard Hot 100, "I Like It" debuted at #66 for the week ending September 26, 1964. It spent 9 weeks on the chart and peaked at #17.

Related posts:
Get me rewrite: Buncha white people in Boone County, Iowa, talk about Trump. (1/15/2017)
UPDATE. Luzerne County, Pennsylvania is a Trump election success story. (1/14/2017)
Monticello, Iowa. New York Times joins the search for Trump's America, a very white place. (1/13/2017)
UPDATE. Boston Globe reporter continues to explore Trump's America, where mostly white people live. (1/13/2017)

North Shore Library (Glendale) holdings, 2011-2015

Source: Wisconsin Public Library Service Data

2011-2015 changes:

Books | -43,045
Audio | -205
Video | -410
Periodicals | -83
Expenditures | +$502 (+1%)

Photo credit: TBR News Media

North Shore Library

Shared online catalog: CountyCat (Milwaukee County Federated Library System)
Collection development policy (not available online)

Other updates and additional entries to series:

Abbotsford Public Library. (9/20/2016)

Adams County Public Library. (9/20/2016)

Albertson Memorial Library. (9/20/2016)

Algoma Public Library. (9/21/2016)

Alma Public Library. (9/21/2016)

Altoona Public Library. (9/22/2016)

Amery Area Public Library. (9/22/2016)

Lettie W. Jensen Public Library. (9/23/2016)

Antigo Public Library. (9/23/2016)

>Appleton Public Library. (9/23/2016)

Arcadia Free Public Library. (9/24/2016)

Argyle Public Library. (9/24/2016)

Lester Public Library of Arpin. (9/25/2016)

Vaughn Public Library, Ashland. (9/25/2016)

Augusta Memorial Public Library. (9/26/2016)

Baldwin Public Library. (9/27/2016)

Balsam Lake Public Library. (9/28/2016)

Baraboo Public Library. (9/29/2016)

Barneveld Public Library. (9/30/2016)

Barron Public Library. (10/1/2016)

Bayfield Carnegie Library. (10/2/2016)

Beaver Dam Community Library. (10/3/2016)

Belleville Public Library. (10/4/2016)

John Turgeson Public Library, Belmont. (10/5/2016)

Beloit Public Library. (10/6/2016)

Benton Public Library. (10/7/2016)

Berlin Public Library. (10/9/2016)

Big Bend Village Library. (10/10/2016)

Black Creek Village Library,. (10/11/2016)

Black Earth Public Library. (10/12/2016)

Black River Falls Public Library. (10/13/2016)

Blair-Preston Public Library. (10/14/2016)

Blanchardville Public Library. (10/15/2016)

G. E. Bleskacek Memorial Family Library. (10/16/2016)

Bloomington Public Library. (10/17/2016)

Hildebrand Memorial Library, Boscobel. (10/18/2016)

Boulder Junction Public Library. (10/19/2016)

Boyceville Public Library. (10/20/2016)

Brandon Public Library. (10/21/2016)

Brillion Public Library. (10/22/2016)

Brodhead Memorial Public Library. (10/23/2016)

Brookfield Public Library. (10/24/2016)

Brown Deer Public Library. (10/25/2016)

Brownsville Public Library. (10/26/2016)

Bruce Area Library. (10/27/2016)

Burlington Public Library. (10/28/2016)

Butler Public Library. (10/29/2016)

Forest Lodge Public Library, Cable. (10/30/2016)

Cadott Community Library. (10/31/2016)

Jane Morgan Memorial Library, Cambria. (11/1/2016)

Cambridge Community Library. (11/2/2016)

Cameron Public Library. (11/3/2016)

Campbellsport Public Library. (11/4/2016)

Cashton Memorial Library. (11/5/2016)

Eckstein Memorial Library, Cassville. (11/6/2016)

Cedar Grove Public Library. (11/7/2016)

Cedarburg Public Library. (11/8/2016)

Centuria Public Library. (11/9/2016)

Calhoun Memorial Library, Chetek. (11/10/2016)

Chilton Public Library. (11/11/2016)

Chippewa Falls Public Library. (11/13/2016)

Clear Lake Public Library. (11/14/2016)

Clinton Public Library. (11/15/2016)

Clintonville Public Library. (11/16/2016)

Cobb Public Library. (11/17/2016)

Colby Public Library. (11/18/2016)

Colfax Public Library. (11/19/2016)

Coloma Public Library. (11/20/2016)

Columbus Public Library. (11/21/2016)

Cornell Public Library. (11/22/2016)

Crandon Public Library. (11/23/2016)

Rosemary Garfoot Public Library (Cross Plains). (11/24/2016)

Cuba City Public Library. (11/25/2016)

Cudahy Family Library. (11/26/2016)

Thomas St. Angelo Public Library, Cumberland. (11/27/2017)

Darien Public Library. (11/28/2016)

Johnson Public Library, Darlington. (11/29/2016)

Deer Park Public Library. (11/30/2016)

Deerfield Public Library. (12/1/2016)

DeForest Area Public Library. (12/2/2016)

Delafield Public Library. (12/4/2016)

Aram Public Library, Delavan. (12/5/2016)

De Soto Public Library. (12/6/2016)

Dodgeville Public Library. (12/7/2016)

Dorchestesr Public Library. (12/8/2016)

Frederic Public Library. (1/12/2017)
Neuschafer Community Library, Fremont. (1/13/2017)
Galesville Public Library. (1/14/2017)
Gays Mills Public Library. (1/15/2017)
Genoa City Public Library. (1/16/2017)
Germantown Public Library. (1/18/2017)
Gillett Public Library. (1/19/2017)
Western Taylor County Public Library, Gilman. (1/20/2017)

Friday, January 20, 2017

UPDATE. The Trump transition divide, graphed

Source: Washington Post/ABC News poll

Donald Trump’s brutal pre-inauguration poll numbers, in context. (Washington Post, 1/17/2017)

Original 1/17/2017 post, "Gallup poll shows most folks don't approve of Trump", starts here.

Approval of Trump Transition Still Low as Inauguration Nears. (Gallup, 1/13/2017)

A polarizing President for polarizing times. Republicans' rating of Trump's transition has remained positive, with 87% approving in the Jan. 4-8 poll, similar to the 86% recorded last month. Very few Democrats approve, which has also been fairly steady, at 13% this month versus 17% in December. Meanwhile, his transition approval among independents has fallen from 46% to 33%.

Trump, of course, begs to differ.

12/15/2016 fake news update, "Breitbart News goes into swoon over Trump's decidedly mediocre approval ratings", starts here.

Breitbart News, 12/15/2016

After 8 GOP-foaming-at-the-mouth years in office: advantage Obama.

Sources:

Obama (Real Clear Politics daily average)
Trump (Remington Research Group, founded by GOP consultant and strategist Jeff Roe)

Related posts:
UPDATE. And the 'fake news' assertions just keep on comin' at Breitbart News. (12/13/2016)
Your source for migrant hysteria. (12/11/2016)
Breitbart editor in cheif Alexander Marlow can't name one. (12/6/2016)
Verrrrrry-interesting. Breitbart picking on Paul Ryan. (12/1/2016)
Breitbart resorts to dog whistle headline in wrangle with Kellogg's. (12/1/2016)
Breitbart toots Trump's horn over November jobs report. (12/1/2016)
More fake news on climate change from Breitbart. (11/30/2016)
According to Breitbart, 6 incidents of pickpocketing in 6 months is a spree.. (11/28/2016)
True the Vote: Right-wing, cry-wolf, voter suppression, fake news operation is at it again. (11/28/2016)
All you need to know about this 'news' website: Breitbart readers prefer a crank for Secretary of State. (11/26/2016)
In its anti-immigration zeal, Breitbart replays a story from June 2016. (11/21/2016)
For Donald Trump, it's always good news week at Breitbart. (11/18/2016)
Possibly the dumbest man on the Internet defends Steve Bannon. (11/15/2016)
Breitbart polls: Life is just a fantasy. (10/3/2016)
UPDATE: More wishful thinking extraordinaire from Breitbart. (6/8/2016)

Original 11/21/2016 post, "Comparison of Obama/Trump favorability/unfavorability ratings, 2008/2016", starts here.

Obama source: Real Clear Poltics

Donald Trump’s Favorability Reaches New Highs. (Morning Consult, 11/21/2016)

Not such a big deal when placed in perspective. “This honeymoon phase is common for new presidents.

Also of note from Pew Research:

UPDATE. The fussin', feudin', and finger-pointin' continues in Sauk County

Reported in Sauk County hires new top official amid public calls for board chair to resign. (Madison.com, 1/19/2017)

1/6/2017 update, "The Sauk County government horror show continues", starts here.

Photo credit: Baraboo News-Republic

Quoted in Sauk County supervisor, attorney exchange words over man's death. (Madison.com, 1/4/2017)

Records show county officials had declared Mueller’s property a public health nuisance nearly two years before to his death. They alleged he didn’t have a working septic system, was dumping human waste, and had an illegal junkyard outside his unpermitted mobile home.

Sauk County Corporation Counsel mission statement.

Original 12/8/2016 post, "Sauk County sends Season's Greetings to its taxpayers with this", starts here.

Sauk County administrator's dismissal to cost $135,000. (Madison.com, 12/7/2016)

Fry was selected for the job in March after the county paid a search firm nearly $24,000 to find qualified candidates. Her predecessor, Interim Administrative Coordinator Brentt Michalek, signed a similar deal in June in which he was paid nearly $25,000 to resign.

With State Superintendent candidate John Humphries, it's surface over substance

State superintendent candidate John Humphries defends dental work paid by campaign funds. (Madison.com, 1/20/2017)

State superintendent candidate John Humphries on Thursday paid a dentist $300 for teeth whitening he initially accepted for free as an in-kind campaign contribution.

With that brand-new $650 per day contract from the Dodgeville School District, he could have asked for a half day's worth of consulting.

Or tried this low-cost method.

Related posts:
Meet John Humphries, your GOP/private school voucher industry candidate for WI State Superintendent of Public Instruction. (1/19/2017)
Dodgeville School Board to John Humphries: Have we got a deal for you!! (1/5/2017)