Saturday, March 10, 2018

Greetings from Trump's America: Jefferson County, Indiana, where opioids run rampant


Suicides, Drug Addiction and High School Football.  (The New York Times, 3/8/2018)
Madison, in southeastern Indiana, is at the center of a drug-trafficking triangle connecting Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Louisville. It is battling life-or-death problems. 
The waitress at the bakery will tell you that. So will her only surviving son, who graduated from high school in May and talks about how he wanted to kill himself a few years ago. The bakery’s dishwasher will tell you a story, too. Her 26-year-old daughter died of multiple organ failure in 2015, after years of addiction. She left behind a drug-dependent infant.

Source:  Wikipedia




Source: Wikipedia

Other Trump's America posts:
Alabama
Autauga County.  (6/29/2017)
Bibb County.  (11/10/2017)
Covington County. (11/11/2017)
Dale County.  (12/12/2017)
Geneva County.  (11/11/2017)
Marion County.  (11/11/2017)

California
Mesa County.  (7/20/2017)
Shasta County.  (7/4/2017

Colorado
Morgan County.  (4/25/2017)

Florida
Citrus County.  (3/5/2017)
DeSoto County,.  (9/9/2017)

Idaho
Kootenai County.  (9/25/2017)

Illinois
Effingham County.  (2/15/2018)
Franklin County.  (2/27/2017)
McHenry County.  (2/5/2017)
Perry County.  (5/8/2017)
16th Congressional District.  (3/26/2017)

Indiana
Granger.  (3/26/2017)
Hendricks County.  (10/1/2017)
Huntington County.  (4/27/2017)
Posey County.  (10/21/2017)
Scott County,.  (10/21/2017)

Iowa
Boone County.  (1/15/2017)
Clinton County.   (10/15/2017)
Franklin County, (8/14/2017)
Marion County.  (5/23/2017)
Monticello.  (1/13/2017)
Poweshiek and Webster counties.  (2/7/2017)
Sioux County.  (2/22/2018)
Union County.  (9/10/2017)
Winnebago County. (12/17/2017)
Wright County.  (8/8/2017)

Kansas
Clark County.  (3/21/2017)
Mitchell County.  (1/29/2017)
Sumner County.  (10/1/2017)

Kentucky
Hancock County,.  (10/21/2017)
Jackson County.  (12/9/2017)
Knox and Whitley counties.  (2/17/2017)
Lee County.  (12/9/2017)
Letcher County.  (6/29/2017)
Perry County.  (10/10/2017)

Louisiana
Calcasieu Parish,.  (5/22/2017)
St. Martin Parish.  (4/26/2017)

Maine
Piscataquis County.  (7/3/2017)

Michigan
Macomb County.  (11/29/2017)
St. Joseph County.  (6/5/2017)

Minnesota
Lac qui Parle County.  (7/2/2017)
Nobles County.  (1/26/2018)

Mississippi
Pontotoc County.  (7/19/2017)

New Jersey
7th Congressional District.  (4/14/2017)

New York
UPDATE:  Essex County.  (11/29/2017)
Putnam County.  (2/27/2018)
19th Congressional District.  (3/26/2017)

North Carolina
Robeson County.  (12/1/2017)
Union County.  (3/9/2017)

North Dakota
Sargent County.  (10/22/2017)

Ohio
Adams County.  (12/9/2017)
Columbiana County,  (12/11/2017)
Defiance County.  (3/21/2017)
Highland County.   (3/19/2017)
Huron County.  (6/19/2017)
Jackson County.  (6/6/2017)
Lawrence County.  (2/25/2018)
Morgan County.  (10/10/2017)
Shelby County.  (3/2/2018)
Trumbull County.  (4/3/2017)
Van Wert County.  (4/12/2017)
Williams County.  (3/21/2017)

Oklahoma
Bryan County.  (5/5/2017)

Oregon
Douglas County.  (5/17/2017)

Pennsylvania
Dauphin County. (4/22/2017)
Erie County.  (9/2/2017)
Greene County.  (5/3/2017)
UPDATE. Luzerne County.  (1/14/2017)
Northampton County.  (7/20/2017)
Wayne County.  (3/1/2018)
Williamsport.  (1/24/2017)

South Carolina
Spartanburg County.  (6/5/2017)

South Dakota
Lawrence County,.  (4/27/2017)

Tennessee
Campbell County.  (12/10/2017)
Marion County.  (4/1/2017)
Maury County.  (10/31/2017)
Union County.  (5/30/2017)

Texas
Gaines County.  (4/26/2017)
Shackelford County.  (2/26/2018)

Washington
Grays Harbor County.  (8/20/2017)

West Virginia
Cabell County.  (8/4/2017)
Fayette County.  (1/24/2017)
Jackson County.  (6/18/2017)
Marshall County.  (2/7/2018)
Mason County.  (12/16/2017)
McDowell County.  (7/10/2017)

Wisconsin
6th congressional district.  (1/27/2018)
Adams County.  (2/6/2017)
Buffalo County.  (3/19/2017)
Burnett County.  (2/24/2018)
Clark County,.  (3/19/2017)
Fond du Lac County.  (3/7/2018)
Green Lake County.  (1/26/2018)
Jackson County.  (3/8/2018)
Johnson Creek.  (1/21/2017)
Juneau County.  (2/23/2017)
Manitowoc County.  (8/10/2017)
Monroe County.  (3/8/2018)
Oneida County.  (4/24/2017)
Pepin County.  (12/21/2017)
Price County.  (10/21/2017)
Richland County.  (11/10/2017)
Sawyer County.  (3/20/2017)
Taylor County.  (3/19/2017)
Waushara County.  (2/6/2017)
Winnebago County.  (11/27/2017)
Wood County.  (3/8/2018)

Marian Peed Weisz (1941-2018) Warren High School class of 1959



1959 Dragon yearbook


1967 Warren City Directory
1983 Warren City Directory

Marian, never quite as popular as Marion, nonetheless followed a similar trajectory -- a strong 1st half of the 20th century, followed by a rapid decline thereafter.  

Source:  Social Security Administration

Q:  OK, so why the bump in 1954?

A:  In 1953, with the encyclical Fulgens corona, Pope Pius ordered a Marian year for 1954, the first in Church history. The year was filled with Marian initiatives, in the areas of Mariology, cultural events, and charity and social gatherings. (Wikipedia)


Other members of the class of '59
2018
Linda Lou Tuller Weilacher.  (2/20/2018)
Caroline Blythe Haslet.  (1/28/2018)

2017
Leona Mead Harrington.  (12/15/2017)
Martha Cline Peed.  (9/6/2017)
Carla Mae Gay.  (8/1/2017)
Sharron Lord Rose.  (6/29/2017)
Helen Long Sykes.  (5/24/2017)
William Sweigert.  (4/23/2017)
Raymond Kane.  (1/7/2017)

2016
Suzanne Spattifor Carlson.  (6/27/2016)

2015
David Valone.  (3/7/2015)

2014
Daniel Otterbein.  (9/20/2014)
Jeanne Williams.  (5/25/2014)
Clara Swanson Carlson.  (5/22/2014)

UPDATE. Like his Colorado counterpart, California school district superintendent has fears about March for Our Lives activities being widely publicized online



Quoted in Paso schools tell kids: Walk out to protest guns and you'll be in trouble.  (The Tribune, 3/9/2018) 


But regular school activities.  Not so much.

District calendar

Bell schedule

District athletic calendar



Original 3/2/2018 post, ""Widely publicized online" snow job from Colorado school superintendent", starts here.


Reported in Durango school superintendent discourages student walkout over gun violence.  (Durango Herald, 2/28/2018)

This 'widely publicized online' calendar tells us when students will be in school


'Widely publicized online' bell schedules are available.


Sports?  Durango High has sports 'widely publicized online'.


Related articles: 
March for Our Lives disciplinarian: Texas school superintendent leaves the dirty work to his Director of Community Relations.  (2/24/2018)
Texas school superintendent Curtis Rhodes chooses to go negative, bully and threaten students over March for Our Lives participation.  (2/22/2018)
UPDATE. Waukesha school superintendent learns that acting like a bully has negative consequences.  (2/22/2018)

From the start, it's all about the vetting process, not the Senate Dems



Business Insider, 11/15/2017




iPhone screenshot

Yes, you fight back by sending money.

Beyond CES 2018: Hasbro Companion Pet Cat relieves the need for kitty litter




Beyond the Vacuum: Companion Robots Coming Home.  (Robotics Business Review, 3/8/2018)
A lifelike cat or dog, complete with the look and feel of a well-groomed feline or puppy, sits on your lap. As you pet it, the dog or cat reacts. Put the cat on the couch, and it stretches, licks its paws, and acts like a cat — without any of the undesirable parts of owning a feline like veterinarian bills, feeding, or litter box cleaning. Blue Frog Robotics

Hasbro Joy for All companion pets.  ($99.95)

Very few unhappy customers


Other before, during and after CES 2018 posts.  Or not.
March 2018
Meet Buddy, social robot personal assistant.  (3/9/2018)
 
February 2018
You could use LinkSquare or just eyeball those pieces of tuna.  (2/22/2018)
Dogbot, by Boston Dynamics.  (2/21/2018)
Petrics, a smart bed for your best friend.  (2/21/2018)
Household robot from the loins of Rosie.  (2/15 /2018)
Sorry, folks, but I'm going to pass on this Lovebox gadget.  (2/14/2018)
Meet Somnex, the sleep robot.  (2/8/20
Deskcise Pro V9 Bike Desk allows you to work and exercise at the same time.  (2/8/2018
The Hyperloop has some folks giddy, light-headed, and untethered.  (2/5/2018)
Ovie Smarterware, refrigerator manager.  (2/5/2018)
Colgate smart toothbrush provides you with a 3D brushing coach.  (2/1/2018)
Meet Laika, a gadget that rolls around the house and keeps you connected to your dog all day long.  (2/1/2018)

January 2018
Bloomberg reviewer definitely not impressed with this $400 window cleaning robot.  (1/30/2018)
Cinema snowglobe.  (1/28/2018)
Hip airbag for seniors leaves knees and elbows unprotected in a fall.  (1/27/2018)
Meet ElliQ, the active aging companion. (1/2 4/2018)
CLOi, robot touted as 'ultimate in simplicity' gets a case of stage fright.  (1/23/2018)
Robots, robots, and more robots.  (1/23/2018)
Rollable OLED TV.  (1/21/2018)
Meet Forpheus, the ping-pong playing robot.  (1/20/2018)
You'll need Keecker-ready walls and ceilings to get the most use out of this robot.  (1/19/2018)
At a list price of $8700, you have plenty of time to procrastinate about this umbrella purchase,  (1/18/2018)
For just under a thousand bucks, Foldimate will save you from the tyranny of folding laundry.  (1/17/2018)
Softcore toilet porn from Kohler.  (1/16/2018)
Smart mirror could use more of a human touch.  (1/16/2018)
Meet Aibo, the robot dog.  (1/15/2018)
File this Modius Health headset under 'absurd'.  (1/15/2018)
The creepy underbelly of CES 2018. Robot strippers.  (1/14/2018)  
Toyota introduces e-Patette, autonomous vehicle, modular store.  (1/14/2018)
Meet AvatarMind's iPal.  (1/12/2018)
Security robot Nimbo scares away the bad guys.  (1/12/2018)
Concept robots designed to eliminate service sector jobs.  (1/5/2018)
Travelmate Robotics suitcase.  (1/5/2018)
Samsung's GoBreath.  (1/3/2018)
A robot that plays Scrabble without making a mess.  (1/1/2018)

December 2017
Keratase hair coach.  (12/23/2017)
Travis the Translator.  (12/20/2017)
Pro-Protection toothbrush holder.  (12/19/2017)
PetMio smart technology.  (12/18/2017)
Rinspeed Snap concept vehicle.  (12/17/2017)
SignAll, an automated sign language translator.  (12/13/2017) 
Homni sleep solution.  (12/11/2017)

November 2017
Guz 2 electronic dartboard connects you to the world.  (11/22/2017)
I assume the SureFly will also be able to carry women.  (11/21/2017)
Now you can party every day and rock all night at any age.  (11/17/2017)
Pointivo.  (11/17/2017)
Jibo, the social robot, makes the cover of TIME.  (11/17/2017)

The wit and wisdom of Marc Thiessen, Scott Walker mouthpiece and cheerleader



You remember Marc Thiessen, right?  He's the ghost writer of Scott Walker's 2013 presidential campaign biography.

(red line added)

And you also remember how richly the Wisconsin GOP was rewarded two months ago?



And what about Scott Walker's high level of confidence in being rewarded by the voters going into 2018?

Source:  Daily Cardinal


Rich, white and Republican Oconomowoc school district in a tizzy over white privilege discussion


Source:  City-data.com

Oconomowoc schools impose limits on 'privilege' discussions after parents complain.  (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 3/9/3018)
Oconomowoc Superintendent Roger Rindo said he was directed by board members during a closed-door, executive session shortly after the Jan. 15 assembly not to allow future activities around the topic of privilege except in classrooms where it is related to a specific course and teachers can provide appropriate context. 
"Schools are a microcosm of their communities. And we had parents in our community who felt like the concept of privilege went a little far, particularly for some of our younger students," Rindo said last week.

Median household income:
  • U.S. - $55,322
  • Wisconsin - $54,610
  • Oconomowoc - $73,500
Percent living in poverty:
  • U.S. - 12.7%
  • Wisconsin - 11.8%
  • Oconomowoc - 5.2%



Related reading:
Jury acquits Oconomowoc parents accused of hogtying son before a night out.  (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 3/8/2018)

Friday, March 9, 2018

Betsy Colt Brinkley (1948-2018) Warren Area High School class of 1966



1966 Dragon yearbook

1967 Warren City Directory
  • Brinkley Verl W (Dorothy L) mtcemn Wire &^ Metal Specialty h216 Eddy
  • Colt Howard T (Margt M) buyer New Process h103 2nd av
  • Colt Peter H student r103 2nd av
1983 Warren City Directory
  • Brinkley Veryl H & Betsy C; tchr Warren County Sch Dist h9 Dahl St
  • Colt Margt M Mrs retd h7 4th Av

Although she never hit the big time, Betsy enjoyed a respectable mid-century run, spending 29 years (1937 to 1965) in the top 300, peaking at #228 in 1959.


Other members of the class of '66:
Deborah Snyder Sproveri.  (8/8/2017)
Sally Johnson Horrocks.  (4/3/2015)
Charlene Postlethwait Knowlton. (10/8/2014)
Dennis Peterson.  (8/31/2014)

Eugene Schwanke (1938-2018) Warren High School class of 1957



1956 Dragon yearbook

Eugene (Gene)  is in the 3rd  row, 3rd from right.

1967 Warren City Directory
  • Schwanke Carl L (Bernice F) retd h10 Plum
  • [county section] Schwanke Cynthia 204 Liberty Russell
  • [county section[ Schwanke Eugene 204 Liberty Russell
1983 Warren City Directohry 
  • Schwanke Eugene field supt Warren Erection r10 Oak Ln 

The popularity of Eugene as a baby name is graphed here.  Let's take a look at Bonnie.


During the 20th century, Bonnie spent 73 years in the top 200, 50 years in the top 100.  She thrived during the 1940 and into the early 1950s, peaking at #33 in 1941, 1946 and 1950.  Poor thing fell off a cliff in the early 1980s, disappeared in 2004, and then resurface in 2014 -- although she still seems to be gasping for air.

Other class of '57 grads:
2017
JoAnn Plowright Lauffenburger. (6/6/2017)
Jon Erickson.  (5/7/2017)
Gerald Dorrion.  (2/20/2017)

2016
Jay Anthony Hollingshead.  (11/21/2016)
Robert McKelvy.  (8/2/2016)

2015
Charles Still.  (3/21/2015)

Here's a proposal that's chock full of nuts



I-94 shoulders could become lanes for self-driving trucks.  (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 3/9/2018)
The I-94 project will widen the highway from six lanes to eight from south of College Ave. to Highway 142 in Kenosha County and improve interchanges. Work has begun on frontage roads in Racine County.

The red arrow points to a 16.7% greedy grabfest of the Rebuilding America program.



Speaking of an outsized straw

 Other Foxconn posts:
March 2018
The toxic possibilities of Foxconn's wastewater discharge.  (3/8/2018)
Marquette Law School poll: Most folks aren't buying Scott Walker BS about statewide benefits of Foxconn deal.  (3/5/2018)
Wisconsin Department of Administration policy analyst: Walker pretty much shot his wad with Foxconn deal.  (3/5/2018)
UPDATE. John and Kim Mahoney take issue with that 'generous offers' happy talk.  (3/3/2018)
 
February 2018
Make way for robots.  (2/25/2018)
Foxconn now classified as public works project.  (2/21/2018)
Two peas in a pod: Scott Walker in top 10 of least popular governors, Terry Gou's Foxconn in top 10 of America's most hated tech companies.  (2/13/2018
Scott Walker pins his hopes on an old-fashioned manufacturing kind of guy.  (2/13/2018)
Con artists reap benefits of Scott Walker's Foxconn deal.  (2/10/2018)
Get me rewrite: Foxconn CEO Terry Gou interested in UW-Madison AI expertise to automate his factories.  (2/9/2018)
Foxconn puff piece: Will the real Naoki Hosoya please stand up.  (2/8/2018)
Wisconsin taxpayers carry the burden for job creators.  (2/6/2018)

January 2018
Not to mention Grantsburg, Hayward, Bayfield, Ashland, Hurley, Eagle River, Crandon, and Florence.  (1/26/2018)
Wisconsin cities with highest unemployment rates could use some of that Chicago millennials Foxconn love that Scott Walker is dishing out.  (1/27/2018)
GOP bastion in Racine County sez 'no' to Foxconn-related development.  (1/21/2018)
UPDATE. Here comes that specious Foxconn-Boeing comparison again.  (1/18/.2018)
The Foxconn ka-ching ka-ching ka-ching.  (1/17/2018)
FierceWireless's buzzkill on the Foxconn deal.  (2/16/2018)
Official press agency of People's Republic of China: 'Villagers' in Racine County rebel against Foxconn land grab.  (1/12/2018)
Owner of company that wins Foxconn road construction contract serves up heaping helping of hyperbole, as well campaign contributions to GOP incumbents.  (1/5/2018)

December 2017
Historic giveaways: Most expensive taxpayer-funded jobs in history is Scott Walker's top accomplishment in 2017.  (12/26/2017)
Gateway Technical College cutting-edge Foxconn curriculum does not include workforce development, employee relations, and management concepts.  (12/25/2017)
Let's put this Foxconn deposit in perspective.  (12/23/2017)
UPDATE. Scott Walker Monday tweet storm attempts to distract us from his highway funding mess.  (12/19/2017) 
GOP legislative aide and letter writer Keith Best needs to brush up on his Foxconn analogies.  (12/16/2017)
UPDATE: The Wisconn Valley Way to Wisconsin's fiscal and moral bankruptcy.  (12/15/2017)
Scott Walker, meet Andrew Ng, who wants to help Foxconn bring intelligence displayed by machines to Racine County.  (12/14/2017)
Some residents of Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and Illinois will help to foot the bill for a $140,000,000 Foxconn campus electrical substation.  (12/12/2017)
A deafening silence: What role will robotics play at Foxconn's Mount Pleasant manufacturing plant?  (12/12/2017)
Inquiring minds want to know why driverless technology wasn't discussed during Foxconn contract negoatiations, Scott Walker.  (12/12/2017)
Donald Trump and Terry Gou: Scott Walker loves these two peas in a pod.  (12/9/2017)
Reggie White:Green Bay Packers:: Foxconn:Wisconsin (Scott Walker analogy reveals his crazed desperation).  (8/10/2017)

The toxic possibilities of Foxconn's wastewater discharge



And rightly so
Star-Tribune, 3/7/2018


Reported in Chinese Apple suppliers face toxic heavy metal water pollution charges.  (The Register UK, 4/5/2013)

Related reading:
Apple's Chinese suppliers again under fire as activists level water pollution allegations.  (appleinsider, 8/5/2013)

 Other Foxconn posts:
March 2018
Marquette Law School poll: Most folks aren't buying Scott Walker BS about statewide benefits of Foxconn deal.  (3/5/2018)
Wisconsin Department of Administration policy analyst: Walker pretty much shot his wad with Foxconn deal.  (3/5/2018)
UPDATE. John and Kim Mahoney take issue with that 'generous offers' happy talk.  (3/3/2018)
 
February 2018
Make way for robots.  (2/25/2018)
Foxconn now classified as public works project.  (2/21/2018)
Two peas in a pod: Scott Walker in top 10 of least popular governors, Terry Gou's Foxconn in top 10 of America's most hated tech companies.  (2/13/2018
Scott Walker pins his hopes on an old-fashioned manufacturing kind of guy.  (2/13/2018)
Con artists reap benefits of Scott Walker's Foxconn deal.  (2/10/2018)
Get me rewrite: Foxconn CEO Terry Gou interested in UW-Madison AI expertise to automate his factories.  (2/9/2018)
Foxconn puff piece: Will the real Naoki Hosoya please stand up.  (2/8/2018)
Wisconsin taxpayers carry the burden for job creators.  (2/6/2018)

January 2018
Not to mention Grantsburg, Hayward, Bayfield, Ashland, Hurley, Eagle River, Crandon, and Florence.  (1/26/2018)
Wisconsin cities with highest unemployment rates could use some of that Chicago millennials Foxconn love that Scott Walker is dishing out.  (1/27/2018)
GOP bastion in Racine County sez 'no' to Foxconn-related development.  (1/21/2018)
UPDATE. Here comes that specious Foxconn-Boeing comparison again.  (1/18/.2018)
The Foxconn ka-ching ka-ching ka-ching.  (1/17/2018)
FierceWireless's buzzkill on the Foxconn deal.  (2/16/2018)
Official press agency of People's Republic of China: 'Villagers' in Racine County rebel against Foxconn land grab.  (1/12/2018)
Owner of company that wins Foxconn road construction contract serves up heaping helping of hyperbole, as well campaign contributions to GOP incumbents.  (1/5/2018)

December 2017
Historic giveaways: Most expensive taxpayer-funded jobs in history is Scott Walker's top accomplishment in 2017.  (12/26/2017)
Gateway Technical College cutting-edge Foxconn curriculum does not include workforce development, employee relations, and management concepts.  (12/25/2017)
Let's put this Foxconn deposit in perspective.  (12/23/2017)
UPDATE. Scott Walker Monday tweet storm attempts to distract us from his highway funding mess.  (12/19/2017) 
GOP legislative aide and letter writer Keith Best needs to brush up on his Foxconn analogies.  (12/16/2017)
UPDATE: The Wisconn Valley Way to Wisconsin's fiscal and moral bankruptcy.  (12/15/2017)
Scott Walker, meet Andrew Ng, who wants to help Foxconn bring intelligence displayed by machines to Racine County.  (12/14/2017)
Some residents of Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and Illinois will help to foot the bill for a $140,000,000 Foxconn campus electrical substation.  (12/12/2017)
A deafening silence: What role will robotics play at Foxconn's Mount Pleasant manufacturing plant?  (12/12/2017)
Inquiring minds want to know why driverless technology wasn't discussed during Foxconn contract negoatiations, Scott Walker.  (12/12/2017)
Donald Trump and Terry Gou: Scott Walker loves these two peas in a pod.  (12/9/2017)
Reggie White:Green Bay Packers:: Foxconn:Wisconsin (Scott Walker analogy reveals his crazed desperation).  (8/10/2017)