Until the real thing comes along

Sources:  @joanwalsh, Merriam Webster (highlight added)

2nd usage example:  Impeach the presidency of Donald Trump.

Betty Burke Dickerson (1929-2018) Warren High School class of 1948

Source:  Warren Times Observer

1946 Dragon yearbook

Betty's high-school activities:

1967 Warren City Directory

• Dickerson Paul R (Betty E) mtce mn Sylvania h13 Hinkle
• Porter Inez A Mrs tel opr Warren State Hosp h107 1/2 State st North Warren

1983 Warren City Directory

• Dickerson Dale R emp G T E Sylvania r13 Hinkle St
• Dickerson David R imw Warren State Hoep h418 Rankin Av
• Dickerson Paul R & Betty E; mtcemn G T E Sylvania h13 Hinkle St

The popularity of Betty as a baby name is graphed here.

Source:  Social Security Administration

Llewellyn  never gained any traction.  He peaked at #712 in 1912, popped in and out of view during the 30s and early 40s, and hasn't been heard from since 1944.

Other class of '48 graduates:
2018
Stephen Cosmano.  (8/29/2018)
Beulah Fox Boll.  (3/16/2018)

2017
Phyllis Miller Maze. (12/27/2017)
Dorothy Anderson Turner.  (9/27/2017)
Margaret Mathyer Conroy.  (4/26/2017)

2016
Ruth Figliuzzi.  (11/5/2016)
Donna Mack Schuler.  (3/19/2016)

2015
Carol Jean Niver Hampson.  (10/22/2015)
Frank Marlett.  (9/13/2015)
John Giltinan.  (7/76/2015)
Lela Nichols Akeley.  (6/24/2015)

2014
Ella Atwell Blum.  (12/24/2014)
Betty Carlson Johnson.  (10/26/2014)
H. Kent Peterson.  (10/1/2014)
Kenneth Lundahl.  (9/21/2014)

2013 
Carl Leave.  (12/26/2013)

Ten days after the storm in Middleton: Bike/pedestrian path in the vicinity of Fiskars

Red arrow (see map below)

Photos by Retiring Guy

Orange arrow

Yellow arrow

Green arrow

Blue arrow

After the storm in Middleton (and Madison) posts:
Pheasant Branch Trail at Park Street (part 1).  (8/21/2018)
Pheasant Branch Trail at Park Street (part 2).  (8/21/2018)
Tiedeman Pond access at Pond Drive.  (8/21/2018)
Confluence Pond expands to become Confluence Lake.  (8/22/2018)
Tiedeman Pond access at Pond Drive.  (8/22/2018 update)
Powerwashing between the Beltline and Parmenter Street.  (8/22/2018)
Along Pheasant Branch Creek east of Parmenter Street.  (8/23/2018)
Costco and environs.  (8/23/2018 update)
Entrance to Esser Place parking lot, then and now.  (8/24/2018)
Boardwalk access ramp to Tiedeman Pond.  (8/24/2018)
Longmeadow Drive and Stricker's Pond, then and now.  (8/24/2018)
Voss Parkway.  (8/24/2018 update)
Stricker's Pond.  (8/24/2018 update)
Stricker's Park.  (8/24/2018)
The dual dead ends of Middleton Street.  (8/24/2018)
Greenway Station is open for business.  (8/24/2018 update)
Views of Pheasant Branch Creek from Parmenter Street bridge.  (8/25/2018 update)
Park Street and Tiedeman Pond.  (8/26/2018 update)
Intersection of U.S. highway 14 and Deming Way.  (8/27/2018 update)
Century Avenue and entrances to Pheasant Branch Conservancy trails.  (8/27/2018)
UW Health administration office building.  (8/27/2018)
Woodside Heights Park, Tiedeman Pond.  (8/28/2018 update)
Voss Parkway.  (8/28/2018 update)
The dual dead ends of Middleton Street.  (8/28/2018 update)
Longmeadow Gulch.  (8/28/2018)
Stricker's Pond footpath.  (8/28/2018)
Tiedeman Pond pumping.  (8/30/2018)
Tiedeman Pond access at Pond Drive.  (8/31/2018 update)
Woodside Heights Park.  (8/31/2018 update)

Big Brother and the Holding Company makes its first two appearances on Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending August 31, 1968

A lot of turnover this week.  And overall not an impressive class.  Of the 22 debut songs, only 4 reached the top 20 and just 1 the top 10.

Billboard Hot 100

Big Brother and the Holding Company's self-titled first album, which contain the cut "Down on Me", was released by Mainstream Records in 1967.  It made its first appearance on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart in early September.  During its 30-week run, it peaked at #60.    Cheap Thrills, released by Columbia and on which "Piece of My Heart" appears, also had a late August 1968 chart debut.  During its 66-week run, it spent 8 weeks at #1.

Not to be morbid, but.....
Janis Joplin dies; Rock Star Was 27.  (The New York Times, 10/5/1970)
Big Brother and the Holding Company Guitarist James Gurley Dead at 69.  (Rolling Stone, 12/28/2009)
Big Brother and the Holding Company’s Sam Andrew Dead at 73.  (Rolling Stone, 2/14/2015)

Related posts:
Aretha Franklin's two-sided hit single among the newcomers on Billboard Hot 100 for the week 
ending August 17, 1968.

Iron Butterfly makes its first appearance on Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending August 24, 1968.

Merriam Webster descrdibes the charm of 'burglarious'

Sources:

• (left) Mauston men charged with stealing utility trailer.  (Madison.com, 8/30/2018)
• (right) The Words of P. G. Wodehouse.  (Merriam Webster)

UPDATE. The only opponent quoted in the article is a WMC lobbyist who once served as an intern for current Assembly Speaker Robin Vos

Wisconsin Public Radio, 8/30/2018

Photo credit LinkedIn

Headline:  WMC

Corydon is paid to lobby against closing the dark store tax loophole.

Reference to Corydon connection to Vos is found here.

Dark Store Theory resources found at League of Wisconsin Municipalities


Original 2/11/2018 post starts here.

In spite of bipartisan support for closing the loophole.

2017 Senate Bill 291 (red and blue highlights added)

Close the Dark Stores Tax Loophole. (Urban Milwaukee, 2/8/2018)

Here’s how Dark Store tax scheme works. Big Box retailers have a developed the “Dark Store Theory” to lower the value of their commercial property and shift their property tax burden onto local homeowners. Using the Dark Store theory, corporate tax lawyers argue that new, fully operational Big Box stores be assessed at the same value as the empty, abandoned store they have left behind. 

The corporate attorneys then seek massive property tax refunds from municipalities and threaten to sue if their request is rejected. They know that the deep pockets of the Big Box chains can extend a lawsuit for years and pressure the municipalities to settle for far less than the Big Box chain would pay under normal circumstances. This increases property taxes for homeowners, often by hundreds of dollars a year.

Related reading:
GOP Leaders Bow to Special Interests on “Dark Store” Bills.  (Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, 2/8/2018)

Their master's voice.  A more likely reason is Vos and Fitzgerald are caving in to powerful special interests that oppose the bills, led by Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC), the state’s largest business group. WMC secretly raised and spent about $32.7 million between January 2006 and December 2017 on outside electioneering activities in legislative and statewide races to support conservative and Republican candidate.

Other dark store posts:
UPDATE. Based on this weaselly Scott Walker quote, the answer is 'no'. (5/10/2017)
In the case of Meijer, you might want to watch what the other hand is doing.  (8/4/2015)
Dark store disaster strikes Peter White library.  (2/23/2015)

Meet one of Donald Trump's biggest fanboys, Robert Chain

Photo credit:  CBS

Reported in F.B.I. Arrests California Man After Threats to Kill Boston Globe Employees.  (The New York Times, 8/30/2018)

Related post:
Fomenter-in-chief: Trump incites his evangelical base to action.  (8/30/2018)

The two faces of Duncan Hunter

Reported in Duncan Hunter’s Political Promise Foiled by Hard Partying and a Corruption Scandal.  (The New York Times, 8/26/2018)

Other Duncan posts:
UPDATE. GOP troglodyte Duncan Hunter still in with Trump, thrilled with transgender ban.  (7/26/2017)

Point/Counterpoint: Puerto Rico's Hurricane Maria recovery efforts

Sources:

• (left) Puerto Rico will be an enduring stain on Trump's presidency.  (CNN, 5/31/2018)
• (right) Trump describes response to Hurricane Maria as 'fantastic,' a day after higher death count.  (USA Today, 8/29./2018)

Fomenter-in-chief: Trump incites his evangelical base to action

Reported in If G.O.P. Loses Hold on Congress, Trump Warns, Democrats Will Enact Change ‘Quickly and Violently’.  (The New York Times, 8/28/2018)

Foxconn UPDATE. The indefatigable Louis Woo

Foxconn exec: 13K jobs 'absolutely' attainable.  (Racine Journal Times, 8/22/2018)


8/26/2018 update, "Latest blather from Foxconn mouthpiece Louis Woo begs the question:  Where is the company's business plan?", starts here.

Reported in Foxconn responds to change in fabrication facility plans.  (Kenosha News, 8/23/2018)


Original 8/25/2018 post, "Scott Walker is Foxconn's puppet on a string", starts here.

Reported in Foxconn now declines to say it plans to build type of factory named in state, local contracts.  (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 8/23/2018)

Related posts:
UPDATE: Goofy Scott Walker sure to offend voters all over the state with Foxconn headgear and desperate re-election message.  (7/31/2018)
Dear Scott Walker, We're waiting for a list to back up your bullshit 60 counties claim.  (7/6/2018)
UPDATE. Dear Scott Walker, Most voters aren't buying your Foxconn benefits BS.  (6/24/2018)
Yet another example of how poorly Foxconn treats its employees.  (6/11/2018)
Wisconsin cities with highest unemployment rates could use some of that Chicago millennials Foxconn love that Scott Walker is dishing out.  (1/27/2018)
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)
Foxconn job projections: Reality bites a hole in Scott Walker's bubble world.  (9/10/2017)
UPDATE. Funny how there's all this talk about Foxconn jobs that pay well below the alleged average salary.  (8/12/2017)
Of which just 3,000 of these 'new' jobs are permanent.  (7/31/2017)
While Wisconsin and Michigan duke it out for low-paying jobs, Foxconn announces $5 billion investment in India.  (7/8/2017)

Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district is #4 on FiveThirtyEight's list of U.S. House election forecast disagreement

Open seat.  And with such jack-shit crazy gerrymandering, the percentages below should be taken with a fistful of salt as points of comparison.

Source:  Ballotpedia 

Election Update: Here Are 25 Districts Where Our Model And Other Experts Disagree.  (FiveThirtyEight, 8/23/2018)

Trump received 47.6% of the vote in 2016 compared to 45.9% for Romney in 2012 and 42.1% for McCain in 2008.

Clinton received 48.7 of the vote in 2016 compared to 52.9% for Obama in 2012 and 56.6 for Obama in 2008. 

The award-winning 

("most elevated level of chutzpah")

art of the Pennsylvania gerrymander

(what the district looked like until 2/17/2018)

Source:  govtrack

And now

Thank you Pennsylvania Supreme Court

Other retirements/resignations:
Martha McSally, Arizona 2nd.  (10/8/2017)
Jeff Denham, California 10th.  (10/9/2017)
David Valadao, California 21st.   (10/10/2017)
Steve Knight, California 25th.  (10/11/2017)
Ed Royce, California 29th.  (10/12/2017)
Mimi Walters, California 45th.  (2/12/2018)
Dennis Ross, Florida 15th.  (4/12/2018)
Brian Mast, Florida 18th.  (10/13/2017)
Carlos Curbelo, Florida 26th.  (10/14/2017)
Mike Bost, Illinois 12th. (10/15/2017)
Rod Blum, Iowa 1st CD.  (2/12/2018)
Kevin Yoder, Kansas 3rd.  (10/16/2017)
Andy Barr, Kentucky 6th CD.  (2/12/2018)
Mike Bishop, Michigan 8th CD.  (2/12/2018)
Erik Paulsen, Minnesota 3rd.  (10/17/2017)
Don Bacon, Nebraska 2nd.  (10/18/2017)
Tom MacArthur, New Jersey 3rd.  (10/19/2017)
Leonard Lance, New Jersey 7th.  (2/14/2018)
Lee Zeldin, New York 1st CD.  (2/12/2018)
John Faso, New York 19th CD.  (2/12/2018)
Claudia Tenney, New York 22nd.  (10/21/2017)
John Katko, New York 24th CD.  (2/12/2018)
Steve Chabot, Ohio 1st CD. (2/12/2018)
Ryan Costello, Pennsylvania 6th.  (10/23/2017)
Will Hurd, Texas 23rd.  (4/15/2018)
Pete Sessions, Texas 32nd.  (4/15/2018)
Scott Taylor, Virginia 2nd.  (8/28/2018)
West Virginia 3rd.  (4/16/2018)

Meet GOP Ron DeSantis's opponent in Florida gubernatorial race. Democrat Andrew Gillum, Tallahassie mayor

DeSantis Warns Florida Not to ‘Monkey This Up,’ and Many Hear a Racist Dog Whistle.  (The New York Times, 8/29/2018)

Headline:  HuffPost, 1/28/2018

Excerpt from above cited NYT article

Related post:
Meet 'the crazies' in the U.S. House of Representatives: Ron DeSantis (R-FL).  (9/30/2015)
Meet the members of the Republican Study Committee.  (7/5/2015)

Population growth of selected Dane County municipalities, 1990-2017

Source:  U.S. decennial census and estimates via Wikipedia

Stephen Cosmano (1931-2018) Warren High School class of 1948

Source:  Warren Times Observer

1948 Dragon yearbook

Beulah's high-school activities:

Spanish Club (3).

1967 Warren City Directory

• Cosmano Prudence A (wid Samuel J) plant wkr Warren Components h214 Madison av
• Cosmano S (Marcia A) Asst Cashier Warren Natinoal Bank h105 Conewango av

1983 Warren City Directory

• Cosmano Prudence A Mrs retd h214 Madison Av
• Cosmano Stephanie M legal sec Harper Eberly & Marti r12 Linwood St
• Cosmano Stephen S & Marcia A Assistant Vice-President and Regional Manager Marine  Bank h12 Linwood St

Stephen was a steady performer during the 20th century, particularly after 1950, when he put together a string of 30 years (1943-1972) in the top 30, peaking at #19 in 1949-1951.  He's currently doing a 21st-century slow fadeout.

Source:  Social Security Administration

Other class of '48 graduates:
2018
Beulah Fox Boll.  (3/16/2018)

2017
Phyllis Miller Maze. (12/27/2017)
Dorothy Anderson Turner.  (9/27/2017)
Margaret Mathyer Conroy.  (4/26/2017)

2016
Ruth Figliuzzi.  (11/5/2016)
Donna Mack Schuler.  (3/19/2016)

2015
Carol Jean Niver Hampson.  (10/22/2015)
Frank Marlett.  (9/13/2015)
John Giltinan.  (7/76/2015)
Lela Nichols Akeley.  (6/24/2015)

2014
Ella Atwell Blum.  (12/24/2014)
Betty Carlson Johnson.  (10/26/2014)
H. Kent Peterson.  (10/1/2014)
Kenneth Lundahl.  (9/21/2014)

2013 
Carl Leave.  (12/26/2013)

Feeling overwhelmed by recent rains and flooding? Hey, it's just 'par for the course".

This guy sez so.

Quoted in Storm drops nearly 9 inches of rain and more - maybe much more - is on the way.  (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 8/27/2018)

The heavy rains Sunday night centered over Ozaukee and Washington counties. Port Washington saw 8.5 inches, Saukville 6.7 inches and Grafton 5.34 inches. It's the third storm to have dropped more than 7 inches of rain in some areas in a little more than a week across southern Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Weather, 8/21/2018

At 9:20 AM 15.33" was reported out of Cross Plains, WI setting a new 24hr rainfall record for Wisconsin. The previous record for 24hr precipitation was 11.72" at Mellon in 1946.  (On June 20th.)

La Crosse area digs out from massive flooding; Coon Valley takes major hit as rain won't relent.  (La Crosse Tribune, 8/27/2018)

Other pars for the course (August 26, 2018):

• 9.98 - Westby
• 7.42 - Stoddard
• 7.25 - Cashton

Castellated Little Free Library on Longmeadow Road in Madison WI

Photos by Retiring Guy

Other LFL posts:
2018
UPDATE. Lots of Harlequin choices in Chamber of Manitowoc County's LFL.  (7/29/2018)
What’s in a middle school Little Free Library during summer vacation? (6/28/2018)
Hate has no home here.  (5/15/2018)
Hilldale Little Free Library: Too much taking, too little returning.  (4/25/2018)
UPDATE: The Little Free Library of the Lost Gable.  (3/30/2018)

Here is the church, here is the steeple, open the door, and see all the books.  (2/24/2018)

2017
Slim Pickins in this Little Free Library.  (12/23/2017)
UPDATE: St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church will say a little prayer for you (Dionne vs. Aretha).  (11/15/2017)
Across the street from Weston Place.  (4/1/2017)
Seen yesterday while doing a lit drop for Hans Hilbert, candidate for Middleton mayor redux.  (3/29/2017)
Seen yesterday while doing a lit drop for Hans Hilbert, candidate for Middleton mayor.  (3/28/2017)

2016
Nearly empty Little Free Library has since been replenished and includes 2 Bart Starr biographies.  (10/15/2016)
This colorful Little Free Library features James Clavell's chunkster novel Noble House.  (9/14/2016)
Little Free Libraries spotted during yesterday's Elroy-Camp Douglas Omaha Trail bike ride.  (8/8/2016)
Little Free Library at end of Woodrow Street in Madison has Scruples Two.  (7/10/2016)
Little Free Plant Stand meets Little Free Library.   (5/21/2016)
UPDATE: This Little Free Library now features 3 Jeffery Deaver titles.  (3/21/2016)

2015
More taking than returning at this Little Free Library location.  (11/2/2015)

Taking Little Free Libraries to the next level.  (10/20/2015)
An attractively designed, little box of discards on Amherst Road.  (10/13/2015)
Kudos to this Little Free Library design on 13th Street in Two Rivers, Wisconsin.  (7/27/2015)
One of the most colorful little box of discards set-up I've encountered.  (7/10/2015)
Little box of discards with benches.  (5/6/2015)
Get me rewrite: Little boxes of discards have big appeal.  (5/1/2015)

2014
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)

Get me rewrite: Less than 0.5% of Facebook employees form snowflake union

Source: Statista

Dozens at Facebook Unite to Challenge Its ‘Intolerant’ Liberal Culture.  (The New York Times, 8/27/2018)

The activity is a rare sign of organized dissent within Facebook over the company’s largely liberal workplace culture. While the new group is just a sliver of Facebook’s work force of more than 25,000, the company’s workers have in the past appeared less inclined than their peers at other tech companies to challenge leadership, and most have been loyalists to its chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg.

The New York Times

Related reading:
Why Mark Zuckerberg lets Facebook workers do things he disagrees with.  (CNBC, 1/29/2018)

Take me out to the ballgame: The endurance test

 Both games I attended at Miller Park so far this season have exceeded the average.  In fact, the Father's Day games against the Phillies lasted an excruciating 4 hours and 2 minutes.

Source:  Baseball Reference

Related reading:

Why do baseball games take so long?  (Boston Globe, 6/9/2013)

Where there is an abundance of guns, there is a epidemic of violence

Just another day in the U.S.A.

11 wounded

Madison.com, 8/27/2018

Source:  Vox, 10/2/2017

For most Americans, it's a bullshit, not a bull, market

The New York Times, 8/22/2018

Make that 3,458 days.

Photo credit:  Universitat Bonn

Related post:
It's Deja Vu Vu Vu All Over Again: The Rich Get Richer, the Poor Poorer.  (8/12/2014)

Six days after the storm in Middleton: Costco recovery underway in earnest, gas station open for business

Latest 2 photos taken yesterday by Retiring Guy

Costco could be open next week.  (Madison.com, 8/24/2018)

Reported 3 days ago.   About a foot of water covered the sales floor Monday and Tuesday after heavy rains swamped the region but the store also lost power for more than 14 hours. That meant that any frozen or cold items had to be discarded. Food from the deli and bakery were also tossed along with other non-food items that may have come in contact with the water, Koza said. 

It’s unclear if the 153,000-square-foot store will open early next week or later in the week. 

“We just don’t know. There’s a lot of work being done and the goal is to be open as soon as possible,” Koza said. “We lost some of everything.”

Top priority?  That would be the street.  Sidewalk awaits its repair turn.

Photos by Retiring Guy

  
The water is not nearly as wide -- returning to rivulet status.

What a diff'rence a day or two makes

UW Health Court is open to traffic.

Original 8/22/2018 post starts here.

A top priority will be to repair this stretch of Deming Way, a major access route for Costco and UPS.  (Some Costco employees, mostly, and shoppers spent Monday night at the Middleton store as they were stranded.  Costco wasn't the only business to show such hospitality.)

All photos by Retiring Guy

Under normal circumstances, there is at most a rivulet of water to be seen in this stormwater detention system.  Nearly 12 inches of rain created a river.

Photo above taken at lower red arrow.  Photo below taken at red arrow pointing to left.

Another view, looking at Costco's parking lot.

The alternative access road to Costco, UW Health Court, also flooded.

After the storm in Middleton (and Madison) posts:
Pheasant Branch Trail at Park Street (part 1).  (8/21/2018)
Pheasant Branch Trail at Park Street (part 2).  (8/21/2018)
Tiedeman Pond access at Pond Drive.  (8/21/2018)
Confluence Pond expands to become Confluence Lake.  (8/22/2018)
Tiedeman Pond access at Pond Drive.  (8/22/2018 update)
Powerwashing between the Beltline and Parmenter Street.  (8/22/2018)
Along Pheasant Branch Creek east of Parmenter Street.  (8/23/2018)
Costco and environs.  (8/23/2018 update)
Entrance to Esser Place parking lot, then and now.  (8/24/2018)
Boardwalk access ramp to Tiedeman Pond.  (8/24/2018)
Woodside Heights Park, Tiedeman Pond.  (8/24/2018 update)
Longmeadow Drive and Stricker's Pond, then and now.  (8/24/2018)
Voss Parkway.  (8/24/2018 update)
Stricker's Pond.  (8/24/2018 update)
Stricker's Park.  (8/24/2018)
The dual dead ends of Middleton Street.  (8/24/2018)
Greenway Station is open for business.  (8/24/2018 update)
Views of Pheasant Branch Creek from Parmenter Street bridge.  (8/25/2018 update)
Park Street and Tiedeman Pond.  (8/26/2018 update)
Intersection of U.S. highway 14 and Deming Way.  (8/27/2018 update)
Century Avenue and entrances to Pheasant Branch Conservancy trails.  (8/27/2018)
UW Health administration office building.  (8/27/2018)
Park Street and Tiedeman Pond.  (8/28/2018 update)