Saturday, January 18, 2014

Growing Orchids: Still a Thrilling Hobby!

How to grow orchids from seed.  (Hobbies & Interests, 2/24/2008)

Here's the proof!  To grow an orchid from seed can be a complicated process, but once mastered can provide a thrilling sense of satisfaction.

From bud  to bloom.  (Orchid Craze, 1/19/2012)
 
Here's more.  Watching orchids when its started to flower, was very thrilling, especially if its their first.

From  a 1957 magazine ad.


Other Side Effects Include Being Followed by an Elephant



Nancy is distressed.    I am certain the Elephant in the Spiriva Commercial, is in some distress and it bothers me greatly. It also appears that it is a very , very young Elephant, this just shouldn’t be done for the purpose of selling medicinal products, and I happen to suffer with COPD, my doctor was going too prescribe Spiriva for me, and I told her absolutely NOT, as long as they are using this poor Elephant in their commercials.

But would it be OK, say, for disposal diaper commercials?

Mae-king a Comeback

Thanks to this obituary, I have "Mae" on the mind.


Based on the number of Maes who achieved various degrees of popularity during Hollywood's silent and early sound eras-- Mae West, Mae Murray, Mae Marsh, Mae Busch -- I would have thought that Mae would have been a more popular baby name for girls in the 1920s, but by then she was already in decline.

Mae achieved her best years from 1887 to 1908, a run of 22 years in the top 60.  Best years:  1892 and 1895, when it reached #52.

Mae bounced back into view in 2010.

The best of the best Mae.


The Play-by-Play is More Exciting Than What's Taking Place In -- and Out Of -- the Ring

I guess I lead a sheltered life. Until today, I'd never heard of Mae Young.

She's 74 in this clip.  Seventy-friggin;-four!


Mae Young, Unladylike Wrestler Who Loved to Be Hated, Dies at 90.  (The New York Times, 1/17/2014)

Imagine. She was 76 at the time.  In 2000, she won the W.W.E.’s Miss Royal Rumble Bikini Contest, defeating women 50 years younger after removing the top of her bathing suit.

You'll have to find the YouTube footage on your own.

According to the WWE, her signature move was the "bronco buster",

Stoughton Public Library Kicks Off Fundraising Campaign


With usage up, Stoughton Public Library begins fund drive for upgrade. (Wisconsin State Journal, 1/3/2014)

Kickoff event on January 30.  All told, the renovations are expected to cost about $650,000, of which the city of Stoughton has pledged $410,000, said Dave Mannis of Stoughton, a retired sales manager for a paper company who is helping with the fundraising effort. The library is looking to raise about $250,000 to have a bit of a buffer for cost overruns, he said.

Rep. Dan LeMahieu (R-Cascade) is Retiring: Who's Going to Run for Office in the 59th Assembly District?

64.5 miles from Hartford to New Holstein.  

Public libraries in the (less than compact) 59th Assembly District
Campbellsport Public Library
Jack Russell Memorial Library, Hartford
Kewaskum Public Library
New Holstein Public Library

LeMahieu won his first election to the Assembly in 2002, winning 79.4% of the vote.  The second-highest vote-getter ran on the Libertarian ticket.

In each of his 5 re-elections, LeMahieu ran unopposed.

In partial answer to the question posed in the title of this post -- probably not a Democrat.  Even if one decides to run, this seat will remain in Republicans hands.

Other 2014 election posts:
1st Assembly District.  (12/13/2013)
Candidate scorecard for the 2014 Wisconsin Attorney General's race.  (12/8/2013)
22nd Assembly District.  11/21/2013)
17 Senate District.  (11/7/2013)
19th Assembly District.  (11/7/2013)
9th State Senate District. (10/23/2013)
15th State Senate District.  (10/10/2013)
Wisconsin Attorney General in 2014: Waukesha County DA Brad Schimel.  (10/10/2013
25th State Senate District.  (10/9/2013)

Friday, January 17, 2014

It's the Pits, Part 2: No Drizzle with a Pad

Yeah, I'm still milking that July '51 issue of Woman's Home Companion for all its worth.

Still an option.

WiseGEEK answers your questions about this product.  (It's the aluminum content.)

Some folks swear by it.

Related post.
About those stains....  (1/16/2014)

Hard to Believe That This Song Spent Just One Week on the Blllboard Hot 100

At #99.  For the week ending January 25, 1964.

It's certainly a much better song than Dale & Grace's "Stop and Think It Over", which debuted at #66 and eventually spent 2 weeks in the top 10.



But that's OK.  50 years later, Jackie is still having quite the career.

Jackie DeShannon website

Chris Christie Circling the Wagons

But first of all, let me share the 2 slightly different headlines for this New York Times report.

In print:
Hiring by Christie Suggests
He May Be on the Defensive

Online:
A Hiring by Christie Raises
Questions Over Cooperation

So anyway, here's my favorite part, describing Christie's hiring of Randy M. Mastro.


OK, let's take a closer look at this "third-party perspective".

In the previous paragraph, Kate Zernkie reports that Christie and Guiliani are "longtime friends", who "have shared staff members and advisers.:"

Mr. [Randy M.] Mastro, introduced in paragraph 2 as "a longtime associate of Rudolph W. Guiliiani", is no outsider.  (After reading the Bloomberg article I linked here, you'll probably agree that both headlines apply.)

So whaddya think?  Has Christie inexorably damaged his chances to be the 2016 Republican Presidential candidate?

Don't let this column graph influencing your answer,.


Business Groups Pissed That Anyone Dare to Advocate for Workers

Advocates for Workers Raise the Ire of Business. (The New York Times, 1/16/2014)

According to a U.S. Chamber of Commerce report, "The Emerging Role of Worker Centers in Union Organizing", worker advocacy groups have received $57 million in support from 2009 to 2012.  To acknowledge their good works, I list the contributing foundations mentioned on pages 16 to 20 of the report.
  • Ben & Jerry Foundation
  • Marguerite Casey Foundation
  • Discount Foundation
  • Ford Foundation
  • General Service Foundation
  • Hill-Snowden Foundation
  • Kellogg Foundation
  • Kresge Foundation
  • Mertz-Gilmore Foundation
  • Moriah Fund
  • Nathan Cummings Foundation (Sara Lee Corporation)
  • Needmor Fund
  • New York Foundation
  • Norman Foundation
  • North Star Fund
  • Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation
  • Open Society Institute
  • Public Welfare Foundation
  • Rockefeller Foundation
  • Surdna Foundation
  • Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program Grants

New York Times reporter Steven Greenhouse spent some time with the shameless Mr. Berman (a.k.a. "Dr. Evil"), a prominent Washington lobbyist.  The following slide provides a quote from the article cited at the top of this post.


With this next news item, it's clear why Berman is on the warpath.

Big business gave $185 million to political groups in 2012.  (CBS News, 1/16/2014)

It's called deflecting attention.  Some of the biggest corporations in the U.S. poured at least $185 million into political nonprofit groups in 2012, according to a new analysis from the Center for Public Integrity.  (Dark Money Inc.)

And here's the U.S. Chamber's recent contribution to our federal elections.



Boulder Junction Opens New Library/Community Center

Boulder Junction prepares for new community center opening. (Lakeland Times, 2/9/2014)


Related posts:
There Patricia Mabie goes again.  (3/8/2012)
Patricia Mabie opines on the public library. (12/14/2011)
Cherie Sanderson: The Boulder Junction Public Library plays an important role in the quality of life in our community.  (10/15/2011, written in response to.....)
To build or not to build, that is the question in Boulder Junction.  (10/7/2011)
Boulder Junction considers three options for expanding.  (8/29/2011)
Space needs planning at the Boulder Junction Public Library.  (9/13/2010)

In the News (Here and Elsewhere): "Tiny House" Village for Homeless



Occupy Madison's 'tiny house' village plan embraced by some neighbors, cops not sold. (Capital Times, 1/16/2014)

The plan is to construct a cluster of eleven 99-square-foot homes in the Emerson East neighborhood of Madison.

Austin to Shelter Homeless in a Tiny Village. (Shareable, 11/19/2013)

Much more ambitious than the Madison plan.  In Austin, Texas, a project to offer affordable housing to some 200 chronically homeless citizens is on the move. Community First! Village, which has been in the planning stages for nearly 10 years, is set to soon break ground on a 27-acre property sprinkled with tiny houses, mobile homes, teepees, refurbished RVs, a three-acre community garden, a chapel, a medical facility, a workshop, a bed and breakfast, and an Alamo Drafthouse outdoor movie theater.

Tiny House Eco Village for the Homeless.  (Jetson Green, 5/20./2010)

Tiny House Community (website) covers the entire movement, not just communities for the homeless.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Coveting Heather Locklear's Nose

That Nose, That Chin, Those Lips.  (The New York Times, 1/15/2014)


Stacy Shanahan, 49, as quoted in the Times article, after spending $6,500 on a nose job.

From the Thursday Styles section, where the loopiest articles of the week are likely to be found.

But don't worry, Stacy, it appears that you have plenty of company in your wish to look more like a celebrity.

It's the Pits, Part 1: About those stains....

Ad from Women's Home Companion, July 1951

Out, Out, Pesky Sweat Stains. (The Wall Street Journal, 5/11/2011)

Half a century later, we're still fighting a war on this front. Coming soon, heat, haze, humidity—and underarm stains. 

With summer a little more than a month away, count on sweating ruining at least one shirt with a yellow armpit stain. It's often a bigger problem for men: Remove the sport coat and there's that embarrassing reveal of twin sweat circles, dashing the whole power suit image.

Underarm sweat may bother you, but it fuels an industry of deodorant, stain remover and absorbent shield makers. Many admit they're still struggling to discover a true cure for this common sweat zone and its resulting shirt stains.

Arrid is still available, but it's not among the top 5 sellers.

Pew Research Report on E-Reading

E-Reading Rises as Device Ownership Jumps. (Pew Internet & American Life Project, 1/15/2014)

The first sentence of the Overview pretty much sez it all.   The proportion of Americans who read e-books is growing, but few have completely replaced print books for electronic versions.



Other ebook/reading-related posts:
Book sales update as of October 2013.  (1/10/2014)
The 24-hour news recycle: Mein Kampf edition.  (1/7/2014) 
Peering into the reader's mind.  (12/25/2013)
Booksellers hope print is on shoppers' gift lists.  (12/20/2013)
Survey sez: News of the death of print is greatly exaggerated.  (12/9/2013)
Not a Good Year on the Ebook Front for Barnes & Noble.  (11/29/2013)
Tell me again about ebooks ruling the publishing world.  (11/27/2013)
Other ebook market trendspotting confirms latest BISG report .  (11/1/2013)
Book Industry Study Group: "Consumer Attitudes Toward E-Book Reading" (Volume 4, 2013).  (11/1/2013)
Word of the day:  accretive.  (10/21/2013)
Survey sez: 72% of U.S. adults have read at least 1 book during the past 12 months.  (10/8/2013)
For years, many people asked the wrong question about ebooks and print books.  (10/6/2013) 
Ebook Flash Sales Grab Consumers' Attention.  (5/27/2013) 
BookStats 2013: It's not all about ebooks.  (5/15/2013)
Staying ahead of the learning curve.  (4/9/2013)
"Books are dead yet," sez Salon.  (3/21/2013)
Ebooks and the hype of emerging technology.  (1/8/2013)
Based on this column graph, print books are not likely to go away anytime soon.  (1/2/2013)
Printed books still lead ebooks by a significant margin.  (12/28/2012)
Ebook market pauses to take a breath.  (12/25/2012)
Year-to-date book revenues:  Jan-Jul 2011 and Jan-Jul 2012.  (11/1/2012)
Libraries get screwed when it comes to price of and access to ebooks.  (9/10/2012)
Millennials lead the way....to fewer bookstores?  (8/22/2012)
Ebooks sliding down the peak of inflated expectations.  (8/18/2012)
Adult hardcover book sales hold their own, paperbacks sales drop in 1st quarter of 2012.  (6/17/2012)
Library ebook circulation skyrockets @ the Greendale Public Library and throughout Wisconsin.  (5/29/2012)
In so many words:  Libraries will have a place at the table. (4/30/2012)
3M Cloud Library ebook lending service goes beta at select libraries.  (4/28/2012)
Pew Research:  The rise of e-reading, summarized. (4/5/2012)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution attempts to get a handle on the ebook era.  (4/2/2012)
And I quote from "Bringing Up an E-Reader".  (3/29/2012)
The Philadelphia Inquirer editorial board weighs in on ebooks and libraries. (3/19/2012)
Carl Zimmer responds to Franzen.  (1/31/2012)
It's only Monday but this is still the best ebook headline of the week.  (1/20/2012)
Jonathan Franzen has something to say about ebooks.  (1/30/2012)
As they have been doing all along, libraries adapt to technology.  (1/29/2012)
Floating an Idea: The Harvard Library Innovation Laboratory's Library License.  (1/17/2012) 
Getting in line @ your library for ebooks.  (1/15/2012)
The Post-Christmas ebook sales surge. (1/10/2012)
Honey, we've been 'trying' it.  For years.  (12/25/2011)
Chris Bohjalian on our totemic connection to books.  (12/20/2011)
Hold that bricks-and-mortar bookstore obituary.  (12/13/2011)
Your local public library: The greenest option of all in the ebooks vs. print books debate.  (12/11/2011)
Go directly to Amazon, do not pass library.  (11/3/2011)
Ebooks in U.S. public libraries.  (10/22/2011)
How ebook buyers discover books.  (9/27/2011)
Cookbooks make the transition to digital publishing.  (9/27/2011)
Redefining what an ebook is and who gets to publish it. (9/19/2011)
The L.A.Times on ebooks: An Amazon tablet, push into interactivity. (9/16/2011)
The Economist:  "Great digital expectations".  (9/16/2011)
Lev Grossman presents a short history of the reading device..  (9/6/2011)
Speaking of gadgets, here's the latest iteration of ebooks.  (8/25/2011)
Sounds like another digital divide in the making.  (7/30/2011)
Libraries and ebooks:  Any book, not any time soon.  (6/1/2011)
On the distinction between the book reader and the book owner.  (5/10/2011)
Demand for ebooks grows exponentially in Wisconsin.  (5/2/2011)
Struggling to find an ebook common agenda between libraries and publishers.  (4/5/2011)
Ebooks and libraries:  "The challenges just keep piling up".  (3/28/2011)
Publishers Weekly tracks ebook sales.  (3/18/2011)
Word is getting out:  Ebooks @ your library.  (3/18/2011)
Ebooks continue to gain market share.  (3/17/2011)
Publishers look to bottom line in formulating ebook policies for libraries. (3/15/2011)
News stories on HarperCollins ebook decision go mainstream.  (3/5/2011)
9 years of book sales:  trade and ebook.  (2/17/2011)
Will ebook readers be wooed by Barbara Cartland?  (2/12/2011)
The impact of ebooks on libraries.  (2/11/2011)
OverDrive news release: Library eBook circs up 200% in '10. (1/10/2011)
Mashable: 5 ebook trends that will change the future of publishing. (12/29/2010)
Christmas 2010 the tipping point for ebooks?  (12/24/2010)
Ereader as brown paper bag.  (12/9/2010)
The ebook reader compatibility surprise.  (12/3/2010)
Ereader ownership:  Survey says....  (11/30/2010)
David Carnoy asks, "Does the Kindle pay for itself?" (11/29/2010)
Need to repair that ebook reader?  (11/19/2010)
Who uses an ereader:  Survey says....  (9/22/2010)
Book industry wrestles with print vs. pixels.  (9/2/2010)
Coming soon to a screen near you:  Ads in ebooks.  (8/20/2010)
Ebooks now comprise 8.5% of book sales. (8/12/2010)
Genre paperback publishers drops print.  (8/6/2010)
Ebooks and libraries.  (5/4/2010)
Ebooks eliminate a free form of adversiting:  the book jacket.  (3/31/2010)
Ebooks: another round of false promises?  (3/19/2010)
The skinny on ebooks.  (3/8/2010)
Hardcover vs. ebook:  Breaking down the costs.  (3/1/2010)

The Remnants of LifeSkills Academy, Wisconsin Voucher School Boondoggle

The school's website is no longer available, but you can still access its rarely visited Facebook page.


For the historical record, let me share how LifeSkills Academy promoted itself.




Taron and Rodney Monroe's favorite song?  My guess is "Paper Moon".  And I suspect they always sing along to the lyrics that have to do with the circus guys.

As reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

January 14, 2014.
Milwaukee voucher school LifeSkills Academy closes 'in the dead of the night'.   (School received more than $2 million in public funds since 2008.)

January 15, 2014. Leaders of closed Milwaukee voucher school are now in Florida.  (School administrators Taron and Rodney Monroe foreclosed on a 5-bedroom, 3.5-bath home in West Bend.)

LifeSkills is a case study in "The Voucher Boondoggle in Wisconsin".  (The Progressive, 6/13/2013)

It sounds as though we'll be able to substitute "Wisconsin" for "Minnesota" later today


A, B, C, or some combination thereof.  A gaining economy drove a projection Thursday of a nearly $1.1 billion Minnesota Wisconsin budget surplus, touching off an instant scramble from people seeking more spending, tax cuts or saving for a rainy day.

Guess what Scott Walker is positioning himself for?

Here's the Wisconsin Budget Project's take.  Increased Tax Revenue Creates Opportunities to Close Budget Gaps and Invest in the Future.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

This Bedroom Reminds Me of the "Mother" I Never Knew


This 1979 photo shows the condition of my former bedroom 11 years after I graduated from high school.  It definitely did not look like this when I inhabited it, although no photos exist to confirm this observation.

I share the photo because if I had been a twice-divorced, successful science-fiction writer in 1979 and decided to move in with my mother, I could have done nothing to return this room to its former state.

0:53.  "I want my room back."
A great movie, by the way.

The stuff of my youth was not packed away in the attic, (although plenty of other family junk still is.  But that's because my youngest brother, who has slept in the same bedroom for most of his life, is a packrat.)  

Nor did I take any of it with me to college or any of the places I lived after graduation.  I lived a very mobile life during the 1970s.  In fact, for a number of years, my belongings comprised whatever I could pack into a VW Beetle or Datsun B210.

Now, after 28 years at the same address, we'd need a small U-Haul just to pack the family archives.

JCPenney Sez Goodbye to Wisconsin 5 Times








The JCPenney Disaster Timeline.  (Business Insider, 6/16/2012)

J.C. Penney Company, Inc. History.  (A detailed account from Funding Universe, although the final subject heading is "Doing it Right, 1995 and Beyond".)

"Thou art lost and gone forever, dreadful sorry, Clementine"

It was never a particularly popular name in the first place, and one with a curiously zig-zagging history.  Its best year:  1882 when it reached #363. 


My 4th grade teacher at Jefferson Elementary School was named Clementine Carlson.   In the classroom, we called her Mrs. Carlson, of course, but behind her back, she was variously referred to as "Crabapple", "Mrs. Crabapple", and "Crabapple Carlson".  She had a reputation as an unstinting disciplinarian, which is fancy talk for "being mean".


Other baby name posts:
Jason, The Straight Dope, and Here Come the Baby Name Suggestions.  (1/1/2014)
Joni Mitchell, Jane Fonda, and the Popularity of Chelsea as a Baby Name.  (12/30/2013)
Elenore/Eleanor.  (12/27/2013)
The meteoric rise and fall of Tammy.  (12/18/2013)
Anita and Wanda: When you're hot, you're hot, when you're not, you're not. (12/15/2013) 
Autumn's child has it all over Spring Byington.  (12/12/2013)
Are you a boy or are you a girl?  (12/7/2013)
April, May, and June:  The baby names of spring.  (12/4/2013)
[Nose tinkle] Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle clue: 7 down, Daughter in "Bewitched".  (12/1/2013)
Anna, a model of consistency through the years.  (11/30/2013)
Rubies and Pearls.  (11/29/2013)
The Lucy and Ethel synchronized dive.  (11/28/2013)
The George Burns and Gracie Allen line graph.  (11/27/2013)
Rick, Dick & Rich -- but above all, Richard.  (11/26/2013)
When Jennifers rules the world.  (11/24/2013)
Ralph and Alice part ways in 1988. (11/23/2013)
Now Appearing in a Colorful Line Graph -- The 6 Jans.  (11/23/2013)
Which Do You Prefer: Catherine/Cathy or Katherine/Kathy?  (11/22/2013)
Just when you thought he was going, going, gone, Eugene bounces back.  (11/21/2013)
Sidney swings both ways.  (11/21/2013)
Popular baby names:  Nancy (1880-2012).  (11/17/2013
Madge: Off the chart even when she was an advertising icon.  (11/16/2013)
Cindy: Not Always a Nickname for Cynthia (Since 1938).  (11/15/2013)
Lizabeth:  There's only one reason why this name made the list.  (11/14/2013)
Paul and Paula:  1954 was their very best year together.  (11/14/2013)
Bonnie and Clyde take a dive together.  (11/13/2013)
Joseph demonstrates more staying power than Mary.  (11/12/2013)
The popularity of Elizabeth as a baby name:  1880-2012.  (11/12/2013)
The popularity of William as a baby name.  (11/12/2013)
The popularity of Thomas as a baby name.  (11/11/2013)
Susan is losin' popularity.  (11/11/2013)
The popularity of Robert as a baby name: 1880-2012.  (11/10/2013)
The popularity of Denise as a baby name:  1926-2012.  (11/10/2013)
The popularity of John as a baby name:  1880-2012.  (11/9/2013)
The popularity of Sheila as a baby name:  1917-2002, 2003-2004.  (11/9/2013)
The popularity of James as a baby name: 1880-2012.  (11/7/2013)
The popularity of Michael as a baby name: 1880-2012.  (11/7/2013)
The popularity of Sherry as a baby name:  1926-1995.  (11/7/2013)
Friends choose 15th and 16th most popular baby names for their unexpected twin boys.  (11/3/2013) 
Destiny Hope Cyrus's impact on popular baby names for girls.  (10/15/2013)
There really was something about Mary.  (9/22/2013)
"Gone With the Wind" and baby names.  (11/27/2011)
The baby names list, 1900-1999.  (5/11/2010)

"And, oh, did I mention that I'm running for re-election this year?"


Americans for Prosperity (of Koch Brothers) Already Pumping Big Bucks into 2014 Election Attack Ads



Ads Attacking Health Law Stagger Outspent Democrats. (The New York Times, 1/15/2014)

An ongoing spending spree by plutocrats.  Since September, Americans for Prosperity, a group financed in part by the billionaire Koch brothers, has spent an estimated $20 million on television advertising that calls out House and Senate Democrats by name for their support of the Affordable Care Act.

In this video, Republican Sheila Salter sez Obamacare is "driving her to drink".  Should the committee members have asked her if she drove to the hearing?

Is it a typo or does a boy named Sue now work at Cline Resource and Development?


The "Curiosities" of Bob Seitz

Mining firm takes tougher stance with state DNR. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 1/14/2014)


Is it just me, or does anyone else think that these "curiosities" to which Seitz obliquely refers have everything to do with worker safety and environmental protection?

While doing some research about Cline Resource and Development, I stumbled across a similarly named company, the Cline Mining Corporation.

Here's a timeline of articles from the Denver Post regarding a failed mining operation in Trinidad, Colorado.

December 8, 2010
Coal mine is a gold mine for Las Animas.   Coal mine closed for 20 years reopens, providing 400 jobs.

May 24, 2011
New Elk mine near Trinidad, Colo., has more coal than predicted.   385 tons, 73 tons more than anticipated.  Mine will eventually employ 450.

July 11, 2012
Sixty-day closure of Trinidad mine results in temporary layoffs. A temporary suspension of production impacts 200 employees, or 78% of the work force.  That means the total employment at the mine was 256.  (Guess they didn't reach their target employment of 450.)

Photo credit:  Colorado Mountain Spirit

September 19, 2012
Production at New Elk mine won't resume till market improves.  Trinidad has experienced a sharp decline in population:  from 12,545 in 2000 to 9,096 in 2012.

December 18, 2012
Owner of New Elk Mine in Trinidad defaults on $2.5 million payment.    Cline is unable to make $2,5 million debt payment.  Job loss of "about 250" people.  Small crew of 22-25 are maintaining the facility.

December 27, 2012
Owner of New Elk mine announces financial restructuring of company.  Suspension of production still in effect.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Warren Pennsylvania Notables and the Homes Where They Lived (The Logan-Wallace House)

Address:  500 West Third Avenue (at the corner of Poplar)

Years of construction:  1918-1920

Architectural style:  English Tudor

Architectural firm:  Albert Joseph Bodker, Inc.

Photo credit:  Retiring Guy before he was Retiring Guy (September 1979)

First floor:  
  • foyer
  • living room (to right)
    • walnut paneling
    • leaded windows
    • fireplace
    • 6 secret compartment
    • dumbwaiter (from basement)
  • Loggia
    • originally unenclosed
    • family room
  • Entrance hall
  • Library/study
  • Dining room
  • Breakfast room (enclosed in glass)
  • Kitchen/butler's pantry
Second floor
  • 4 bedrooms
  • Bathrooms, I assume, though none are mentioned
Third floor
  • Three maids' room
  • One bath
  • Walk-in cedar closets
Basement
  • pool/recreation room
  • Darkroom
  • Safe room (Cury Safe Company)
  • Boiler room (with 3 boilers)

From Retiring Guy's postcard collection

Oil baron's stately mansion in Warren is reminiscent of England's grand Tudors.  (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 10/20/2001)

On Millionaires' Row.  Among Warren's most elegant turn-of-the-century residences is the Logan-Wallace house on West Third Avenue. It took workers three years to build this seven-bedroom brick English Tudor mansion for H. A. Logan, a wealthy oil refinery owner. 

As current owner Beverly Sibertson recalls, Harry Logan was married to an English actress and "he wanted to make her feel at home." So he commissioned New York architect Albert Joseph Bodker to design a house reminiscent of one in the English countryside.

Obituary for Harry A. Logan, Jr. (1925-1989).  From the New York Times.

Harry Jr. graduated from Princeton University.  His absence from any of the Warren High School y yearbooks from the 1940s leads me to assume that he attended private boarding schools before going to college.

Meet Some Jersey Democrats Who Enjoy the Slop from Christie's Trough

Photo credit:  Town of Harrison

Photo credit:  City of Union City


Photo credit:  Essex County


But here's what happens when you refuse.

Photo credit:  newjersey.com

Photo credit:  City of Jersey City

The pattern, as the Times article points out, is clear.   Throughout his four years as governor, and particularly in his re-election campaign last year, Mr. Christie has worked his powers of government as an arm of his political operation, awarding favors to those who rewarded his political ambitions and punishing those who got in his way. A system of give and take has always been part of American politics, but the documents from Jersey City, obtained through a Freedom of Information request, demonstrate Mr. Christie’s particularly aggressive embrace of it.

Related posts:
Another storm hits Chris Christie's world.  (1/14/2014)
Pew Research emphasizes wrong element of poll.  (1/14/2014)
Bill Baroni, a regular Fred Astaire.  (1/11/2014)
Let's look back to September 2013.  (1/11/2014)
Chris Christie & the I/Me/My's (Appearing with Word of the Day).  (1/11/2014)
"Refreshing Forcefulness": A Euphemism for "Misguided Bullying".  (1/9/2014)
The Chris Christie option:  No October surprise here.  (6/5/2013)
New Jersey's Gov. Christie does not love and value libraries. (5/20/2010)


A Chagrined, Frustrated Joel Kleefisch Pulls Up His Pants

Lawmaker withdraws child support bill aimed at helping GOP donor. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 1/14/2014)






That would be multimillionaire businessman Michael Eisenga, whose 3 kids are on BadgerCare.

What we have here is a textbook case of a politician getting caught with his pants down, metaphorically speaking, of course.


Related posts:

Rep. Tom Larson's hardship in life: Expressing himself coherently.  (11/13/2014) 
How stupid does Joel Kleefisch think we are?  (1/11/2014)


Meteors, Glaciers, and Climate Change



The Flood Next Time.  (The New York Times, 1/13/2014)

Disappearing act.  The sinking is fastest in the Chesapeake Bay region. Whole island communities that contained hundreds of residents in the 19th century have already disappeared. Holland Island, where the population peaked at nearly 400 people around 1910, had stores, a school, a baseball team and scores of homes. But as the water rose and the island eroded, the community had to be abandoned.



Last Sinking House on Holland Island.  (Washington Post, 10/26/2010)

Severe flooding is already an issue in Norfolk, Virginia.   Norfolk’s mayor, Paul Fraim, made headlines a couple of years ago by acknowledging that some areas might eventually have to be abandoned.  (Another excerpt from the New York Times article.)



Other climate change posts:
Climate change spurs northward growth of mangroves.  (1/1/2014)
Dear Skeptics, Climate change is already driving informed business decisions.  (12/15/2013)
Florida's vulnerable coastline.  (11/12/2013)
Promoting the need for regionalism among nations along the Bay of Bengal coast.  (10/14/2013)
Climate change not taking a back seat everywhere in Wisconsin.  (9/27/2013)
Climate change deniers continue to jump on the Daily Mail crazy train (or Oops! they did it again).  (9/25/2013) 
Cal Thomas: This climate change bulletin just in from the Daily Mail.  (9/24/2013) 
Cal Thomas needs a research assistant.  (9/23/2013)
Climate change, as a matter of fact.  (8/31/2013)
Outagamie County residents will be better served with a more proactive approach.  (8/20/2013)
Here's what got Ron Johnson's undies in a bundle (NoRoJo in 2016, chapter 12).  (8/15/2013)
Georgia's anti-science climate denier caucus.  (7/31/2013)
Here's a comforting headline.  (3/8/2013)
Making Fox News-Inspired Jokes About Climate Change? Consider Australia.  (3/5/2013)
The New Normal: Living With Extreme Weather (Northeastern U.S. Edition).  (2/10/2013)
1975: "There's a new ice age coming, but I wouldn't want to predict when.".  (1/27/2013)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Embargoes Use of Phrase "Climate Change"?  (12/31/2012)
Can you say 'climate change'?  (11/28/2012)
As you already know, Fox News is shameless.  (9/29/2012)
Dear George, It will take more than denial to get over climate change in Greenland.  (9/27/2012)
Climate change results in Coast Guard's "unprecedented" deployment to North Shore of Alaska.  (7/23/2013)
Weather history is made in the Northeast.  (10/30/2011)
Climate change in the American mind.  (6/8/2011)
Stuff you won't see on Fox News.  (1/8/2010)

Another Storm Hits Chris Christie's World



Embattled N.J. Governor Christie faces probe over Sandy funds. (Reuters, 1/13/2014)

Will Chris Christie be stronger than the storms he's currently weathering.   The inspector is focusing on a federally financed $25 million marketing campaign intended to draw visitors back to the Jersey Shore as the area struggled to rebuild from the damage unleashed by Sandy in late 2012. The campaign included a television commercial featuring Christie and his family that cost $2 million more than a competing bid that would not have featured them.

I suspect some folks might categorize this latest development as "piling on".

Related posts:
Pew Research emphasizes wrong element of poll.  (1/14/2014)
Bill Baroni, a regular Fred Astaire.  (1/11/2014)
Let's look back to September 2013.  (1/11/2014)
Chris Christie & the I/Me/My's (Appearing with Word of the Day).  (1/11/2014)
"Refreshing Forcefulness": A Euphemism for "Misguided Bullying".  (1/9/2014)
The Chris Christie option:  No October surprise here.  (6/5/2013)
New Jersey's Gov. Christie does not love and value libraries. (5/20/2010)


Pew Research Emphasizes Wrong Element of Poll

Christie Story Attracts Little Public Interest. (Pew Research Center for the People and Press,
1/13/2014)


With a polarizing political figure like Chris Christie, it should come as no surprise that 60% of respondents haven't changed their opinion about him.  There are plenty of Democrats AND Republicans who don't wish the man well in his 2016 Presidential aspirations.

I think the emphasis here should be on the numbers 6 and 16.


16% of respondents with a less favorable view of Chris Christie?  That's a significant drop in my book

Granted, this is not a poll of likely voters, but a net favorability drop of 10% means things are not going your way.

And apparently, Christie's problems are only going to get worse.

Related posts:
Bill Baroni, a regular Fred Astaire.  (1/11/2014)
Let's look back to September 2013.  (1/11/2014)
Chris Christie & the I/Me/My's (Appearing with Word of the Day).  (1/11/2014)
"Refreshing Forcefulness": A Euphemism for "Misguided Bullying".  (1/9/2014)
The Chris Christie option:  No October surprise here.  (6/5/2013)
New Jersey's Gov. Christie does not love and value libraries. (5/20/2010)

50 Years Ago This Week: Beatlemania Crosses the Atlantic


"I Want to Hold Your Hand" debuts at #45 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending January 18, 1964.  Two weeks later, it reaches #1, where it remains for a total of 7 weeks.

In early April, the Beatles accomplish a previously unequaled feat that no one has since been able to match. Five of their singles chart simultaneously on the top 10 -- the top 5, actually.
  1. "Can't Buy Me Love"
  2. "Twist and Shout"
  3. "She Loves You"
  4. "I Want to Hold Your Hand"
  5. "Please Please Me"
In fact, the Beatles occupied 12 positions on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending April 4, 1964.

Beatlemania at 50:  The Fab Four's Legendary Chart History.  (Billboard, 1/13/2014)



Monday, January 13, 2014

Rep. Tom Larson's Hardship in Life: Expressing Himself Coherently

Republicans defend controversial child support bill.  (Wisconsin State Journal, 1/13/2014)

As quoted in the State Journal article.

Speaking of "less values". The three children of a Columbus businessman receive their health insurance through the state's plan for low-income families, BadgerCare, despite their father's estimated worth of $20 million. ("Millionaires children on BadgerCare", WKOW, 5/20/2012)

The Assembly Committee on Family Law (Tom Larson is chair) will hold a public hearing on the bill at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, January 15, 2014.

Related post:
How stupid does Joel Kleefisch think we are?  (1/11/2014)

The Madison Public Library's Lego Club Explained



Zooming in on "Overtown" in Warren PA 16365 (October 1979)

From the vantage point of the green arrow

At left-center in the above photo.  First United Methodist Church.  The building just right of center is ERIEBANK, although I'll always know it as the Pennsylvania Bank & Trust Building.
 
Credit:  Google Maps (satellite view)


From the vantage point of the yellow arrow

The building in the above photo just to the right of the old Pa. Bank & Trust is the former Warren National Bank. now First Niagara.   Move your eyes to center-right and you'll see the tower of the former East Street Elementary School.  (Yes, "former" is a useful adjective when describing Warren landmarks.)

Closer to my subjects years later.

United Sportsmen of Wisconsin Pleads to IRS for Mercy, Blames Its Problems on a Dead Guy


United Sportsmen seeks exemption from penalty for faulty tax filings. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 1/12/2014)

Chutzpah is the word for it.   In its unsigned [???] letter, the group said the tax mistakes had largely been made by board member Scott Maves, who was in charge of its finances and who died in June.

The latest news on the group's website -- "Calling All Hunters" -- is for an August 19, 2013, public hearing on Assembly Bill 194.

Related posts:
May I see your fishing license, please?  (10/1/2013)
Joint Finance Co-Chairs Say the Darndest Things.  (9/19/2013) 
Canceled $500,000 grant: it's big news all over except at the United Sportsmen of Wisconsin website.  (9/7/2013)
Wisconsin DNR advisory: Conduct a close expenditure review of the United Sportsmen of Wisconsin's $500,000 grant.  (9/4/2013) 
United Sportsmen of Wisconsin support legislation critical to the interests of its members.  (9/4/2013) 
Looks like United Sportsmen of Wisconsin still  needs office help.  (9/4/2013)
Rep. Al Ott needs to see an otolaryngologist.  (9/4/2013)
United Sportsmen of Wisconsin President Andy "One and Done" Pantzlaff might be looking for office help in the near future.  (8/30/2013) 
When is a DNR grant not a grant?  (8/30/2013)
Rookie donors land $500,000 sportsmen's grant from Joint Finance.  (8/26/2013)