Take time to shape the future of conservation in Wisconsin tonight
The annual Conservation Congress spring public hearing starts tonight at 7 p.m. Traditionally, each county holds a hearing at the same time in a designated location. Last year, the hearing went virtual, and once again, this year, people are welcome to vote and submit resolutions online beginning at 7 p.m.Visit the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources website to take part.
A history of Middle Wisconsin
In the cold dark days of February 2011, Act 10 was passed. That struck down many unions in Wisconsin. The teachers were demoralized.
Moving Forward in Wisconsin
In Wisconsin, the chauvinistic, conservative – and I would add racist – voice of the Republican legislature is obstructing just about everything good for people. A number of “clearly common sense” actions are being blocked or ignored by political leadership who – as Jimmy Carter once said about Republicans – “are men of narrow vision, who are afraid of the future.”
Stepping back is hard to do
When you decide to step away from something you feel is important, it is much like when you have a sudden onset disability. The change in your life is disruptive. You find yourself itching for the old routine and sometimes slip into autopilot even months after. This is normal. These routines have been reinforced through years of training and it takes time to weaken the neural pathways you created in your brain. You will create new pathways as you build up a new routine. That is what our brain does.
The fascinating hobby of moon study
First, watch the full moon rise from the eastern horizon — preferably with binoculars. It’s fun to see the top ridge of the moon come up first, then the rest of the moon. Select an eastern horizon that is free of obstructions. Your horizon should be as clear as possible and as level as you can find.
Too Lazy; Doesn’t Read (TL;DR)
Originally this phrase was Too Long Didn’t Read or TL;DR. This expression was first used on me by someone I considered a friend. After looking up the new acronym, I was insulted and a little hurt. Well, not immediately. I knew that they were busy with school and had family issues that took up a lot of their time and mental capacity. Then it occurred to me that if in fact they were too busy or too tired, why did they take the time to even be where they could see what I wrote? After all, it is not as though I wrote it out in soup in the kitchen floor. So, they must have had another reason for taking the time to write those four letters. What could those reasons be?
Moving forward on voting
Since Biden won the presidential election, Republicans have been waging a coordinated, unpatriotic war on democracy and voting rights. In Wisconsin, Sen. Ron Johnson and Rep. Tim Tiffany continue to repeat the blatant lies about “election fraud” and Biden stealing the election. GOP legislators in Wisconsin, and across the nation, are pushing bills to make voting more difficult.
Working from home works
In the past year, many people have had their first go at working from home. Some people have ranged farther afield taking their tablet computers, cellular phones and laptops to more exotic locations like parks, beaches or even vantage points along highways just to take a break from being at home all the time.
The road to poverty is paved with good intentions
As a proposed increase to the minimum wage became part of the COVID Relief bill, then later scrapped, my subconscious pointed out a flaw in my thinking. I had a vivid dream where I was talking to numerous business owners who are a part of our vibrant local food scene. Many of these restaurateurs, farmers, and value-added food producers make $50,000 per year or less while paying the current minimum wage, or slightly more. Paying workers based on a wage ratio limit would not necessarily guarantee a living wage, so in the dream they were asking me what they should pay. What would be a competitive pay rate?
The purpose of government is to help
There once was a story of America. It told of the aspiration of centuries of human struggle, of the glowing proof that people from every nation, every walk of life, every religious belief, could come together for the good of all. It told of a magnificent government – of, by, and for the people. It was a story of hope, fairness and respect, a story of community, of caring for one’s fellow man, a story of all the best that humans could be.
