Paul Soglin: Waxing America

COVID - 19 This Pandemic Outcome: You Got What You Need Post #11

The inability of the federal government and the state governments to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic was planned. I reviewed two hundred pages of reports from the CDC and NIH including the one's linked in previous posts such as the Pandemic Influenza Plan 2017 Update.

First, the studies accurately predict and model what is happening. The U.S. government did not obfuscate the probability of a pandemic or the subsequent consequences.

Secondly, the strategy to address a pandemic was clearly inadequate. There are no recommendations that the federal government prepare the nation for a pandemic on the scale modeled. The reports contain a series of recommendations placing the responsibility on the individual states. That reports acknowledges that the states do not have the ventilators, respirators or other necessary PPEs.

A conscious decision was made to recommend an inadequate response.

If you examine the reports there is only one conclusion. The present crisis is a victory for those who want a smaller federal government, advocate for "state's rights," and who believe economically it is best not to prepare.

No one is to blame, the right-wing won this health and economic battle. The Trump, 'get back to work' and Texas 'old people can die' viewpoint is simply a continuation of the mentality that crafted the reports.

You can't always get what you want

You can't always get what you want

You can't always get what you want

But if you try sometimes, well, you might find, You get what you need.

 

You  can't get your prescription filled at the Chelsea drugstore.

Yeah, and he said said one word to me, and that was "dead"

 

Cymbalta: Brilliant and Manipulative TV Commercial Hurts

There are a lot of offensive television commercials that make one push the 'off' button on the remote control, but Cymbalta may be the best.

These people are brilliant. Spend a few minutes a day watching their commercial and you cannot help but become depressed. The woman's droning voice accompanied by the images infects the happiest person with misery.

If people do not need your product, manipulate them and make sure they do.

Earth Day Looking Into the Future : Earth Day at 40

Forty years ago Tom Smith was a University of Wisconsin student. He was also the student organizer for the first Earth Day event which kicked off on April 17, 1970 and ran for an entire week.

Today Professor Thomas W. Smith is organizing the anniversary Earth Day at Forty. It is a good thing that some things do not change.

Then, as now, Tom was kind enough to invite me to speak Tuesday at Monona Terrace. It was a heady experience sharing the dais, on the eve of Earth Day, Tuesday night April 21, 1970, with Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-WI), Senator Mike Gravel (D- Alaska), Boyd Gibbons, Secretary to U.S. Council on Environmental Quality and of course the rock band, Oz.

I made my own small effort by introducing a resolution in the city council that proposed banning the internal combustion engine. That went nowhere.

I suggested using methane as an alternative fuel. That is finally making some progress.

Our fledgling movement to create a pedestrian, bicycle, and transit mall of State street took a small step forward as the blocks between Park Street and Lake Street were shut down for fair exhibitors.

Unfortunately the issues, as learned over the past four decades, are even more challenging. The oceans rise from global warming and those oceans are filled with thousands of square miles of floating debris, mostly plastics which are gradually degrading from the effects of sun and water into the seas that feed much of the world's population.

At the time, Senator Nelson was asked who could we afford to clean up the environment. He responded by asking "How could we not afford to clean the environment?'

Today our society is divided. One side looks at the externalities. They examine the  price of contamination that entire nations pay for an unregulated environment.

The air and the water are not free. Not when the cost of obtaining clean air and water is mounting daily for most people.

For centuries, in every nation it was recognized that while a stream might run through private property the landowner had no right to poison the water that an entire community needed for survival.

It is time for modern society to conserve that principle. That is what I will say this coming Tuesday. Some things do not change.

 

Francis D. Hole, Agnes Hole And the Wisconsin State Soil

We walked down the road a bit, with Dr. Hole in the lead, playing his fiddle and singing songs extolling the glories and mysteries of Soil. Suddenly he stopped playing, halting the march. He had us take off our shoes and socks and step barefooted out onto the prairie soil. Martha C. Anderson, PhD (Astronomy), Asst. Scientist (Soil Sci.)

When we touched on state symbols last week, The Wisconsin State Bacterium and Other Blizzardy Thoughts I omitted commentary on our state soil, Antigo Silt Loam. Dr. Hole worked in spirited fashion ofr Wisconsin to adopt a state soil.

Francis and Agnes Hole were neighbors when we lived on Riverside Drive. Great neighbors.

When I was in the front yard and saw Dr. Hole and Mrs. Hole approaching, I knew I was in for a treat. It might be political commentary and a sly tale about some prominent politician.

But more likely it was a joke about my futile efforts to rid the front lawn of mushrooms emerging from the decayed roots of a departed elm tree, a lecture on bacteria in the soil, a suggestion to be better dressed for gardening, and an invitation to a puppet show.

Thanks to Jess the K for providing the link to the USDA link Wisconsin State Soil: Antigo Silt Loam and this site from the UW Soils Department recognizing the achievements of Francis D. Hole.

How could you not love a man who authored:

• "Popularizing the subject of soil" (1989)
• "Soil Songs"(pdf, 200kB)
• "More soil songs"(1985, 1991; contributed by Gundega Korsts)
• "The Pleasures of Soil Watching"(published in Orion Nature Quarterly, Spring 1988; pdf, 4.5MB)
• "The Earth beneath our Feet"(U of Wisc Emeritus Faculty Lecture, 13 Mar 1993; pdf, 1MB)
• "A conversation with terra loam, a voice of the soil" (1984, 1992; 120kB, pdf)
• "Terra loam encounters erosion, a puppet play"(120kB, pdf)
• "Some thoughts about studies of soil in k-12"(120kB, pdf)
• List of publications, 1943-1981(pdf)

Thanks to Phillip Barak, UW Associate Professor who provided this anthology and maintains the website in Dr. Hole's honor.

Francis and Agnes were always in love with each other and with life.

Take that all of you small-minded villains who try to hurt the University of Wisconsin.

His full obituary from the Wisconsin State Journal:

Hole, Francis Doan
MADISON - Francis Doan Hole died at Oakwood Village West Retirement Community, Madison, on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2002, at age 88. He suffered from multi-infarct dementia. Francis was born on Aug. 25, 1913, in Muncie, Ind., to Mary (Doan) and Allen David Hole. He had one older brother, Allen David Hole Jr. He grew up in Richmond, Ind., in a house on the edge of the Earlham College campus, where his father was a professor of geology from 1900 until 1940. His mother had been a professor of English literature at Wilmington College in Wilmington, Ohio. Francis was the student librarian for the Morton High School symphony orchestra, and played the violin under the baton of Joseph Maddy, who later founded the National Music Camp at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. He also learned to play the piano. He graduated from Earlham College in 1933, majoring in geology and biology, and earned an M.A. in French literature at Haverford College in 1934. From 1935 until 1938 he taught French and other subjects at Westtown Friends School in Pennsylvania, during which time he furthered his violin studies by taking lessons from Emmanuel Zetlin in Philadelphia. From 1938 until 1944 he pursued graduate work at the University of Wisconsin, where he earned a Ph.D. in geology and soil science, interspersed with two periods of teaching geology at his alma mater, Earlham College. In June 1941 he married Agnes Calvert, a former Earlham classmate. As a conscientious objector during World War II, he performed two years of civilian public service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture facilities at Coshocton, Ohio, Big Flats, N.Y., and Gatlinburg, Tenn. In July 1946 he joined the University of Wisconsin faculty as an assistant professor, initially with the Geological and Natural History Survey. This involved participation in soil surveys of 10 Wisconsin counties, which during the summers entailed one- and two-week sojourns to collect soil samples, followed up with cartographic work leading to the publication of county soil maps. Over the years his responsibilities grew to include teaching and research with the Department of Soil Science, and later his teaching of the geography of Wisconsin course in the Department of Geography, which earned enthusiastic acclaim from his students. A classically-trained violinist who played with the Madison Symphony Orchestra and numerous informal ensembles, he was perhaps best known for utilizing the violin during his lectures, and for the presentation of numerous songs which he composed extolling the importance of soil and the critical foundation for plant, animal and human life. His teaching excellence was recognized formally when he received the Chancellor's Award for Distinguished Teaching in 1974. Notable among his many publications, which often contained his own illustrations, were his "Soils of Wisconsin" and "Soil Genesis and Classification," a textbook still in use, co-authored with Drs. Ralph McCracken and Stan Buol. He also created "Soil Survey Horizons" in 1960, a periodical that has been continued by the Soil Science Society of America, and designed the "Soils of Wisconsin Map" published by the Wisconsin Geologic and Natural History Survey in 1968. His proudest accomplishment was the enactment of legislation in 1983 designating Antigo silt loam as the Wisconsin state soil, a culmination of his long campaign for a state soil symbol. Following his retirement from the University in 1983, he continued his active involvement as a professor emeritus by giving periodic lectures and courses. He also continued to give presentations on the importance of the soil, employing his soil songs and violin at schools and numerous other venues. Throughout his life and into retirement, he was involved individually and as a participant in organizations promoting world peace, non-violence, civil rights, social justice and preservation of the environment. A lifelong member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), he continued his active involvement in the Madison Monthly Meeting, Friends General Conference, and the Pendle Hill Quaker Study Center in Pennsylvania. He also traveled widely, including trips to Aalaska, Baja, Calif., New Zealand, China, India, England and Costa Rica. He is survived by his wife, Agnes; a daughter Sarah of Madison; and a son, Benjamin of College Park, Md. A memorial service will held at the UNITARIAN MEETING HOUSE, 900 University Bay Drive, Madison, on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2002, at 3 p.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Earlham College, Richmond, Ind., 47374.
Wisconsin State Journal, January 20, 2002

Road Rage Reducer Brings Civility To Traffic Jams

The Sorry Thanks Road Rage Reduction Project is pure genius.

 

(Hat tip: Quomodocumque)

- Barry Orton

WMC, Cohorts Return for Another Round of Deception

With the statewide elections less than twelve months away, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) returns touting misleading and deceptive studies. Citing a 'new study" WMC Urges Rejection of Global Warming Task Force Proposals

In the wake of a new study citing massive job and personal income loss, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce Thursday urged the Legislature to reject Wisconsin-only global warming proposals endorsed by a governor’s task force.

The "new study" is a piece of work commissioned by the Wisconsin Public Research Institute (WPRI), an organization that should know better. They commissioned the Beacon HIll Institute (BHI) to produce the Economics of Climate Change Proposal in Wisconsin which concludes:

Wisconsin will experience a negative shock to its economic well being, that given the economic damage of the proposals, may well inhibit its ability to fully recover the lost ground in the medium term.

All of which is predicated upon research and conclusions that are inadequate and misleading. To assess economic and fiscal impacts, BHI uses its copyrighted "STAMP® (State Tax Analysis Modeling Program) for Wisconsin" which is akin to being put on double-secret probation. No one knows what it is but it sounds ominous. As best as we can ascertain, it is a model not unlike the Tax Foundation's, which analyzes taxes and fees without any regard for their relationship or the truth.

A good example of the flawed methodology in the report is the section on renewable energy, Production, Capture and use of Animal Methane.

This policy recommendation focuses on increasing the capture of methane produced by farm animals in the form of decomposing waste.  The amount of captured methane would be enhanced through the use of digesters, which would speed decomposition and methane production.  The methane would be burned to produce electricity.

Targeting methane capture is a solid strategy to reduce GHG emissions, since it is considered “over 20 times more effective in trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.”30  However, the program’s cost appears to be high, since methane is typically produced through the decomposing of waste (either manure or landfill), and increasing methane production would be difficult.  The proposed digesters merely help to hasten the natural process, not create more.

Duh. Biodigesters are not about creating more methane. A biodigester is a system that more than hastens the natural process. The biodigester captures the methane rather than having it enter the atmosphere. In addition the biodigester has different strains of bacteria including those that can remove most of the sulfur which is detrimental to the use of the methane as fuel. The biodigester cleans the methane so it can be used as a fuel.

Efficiently capturing and cleaning the methane allows a farm to produce enough electricity at the rate of 25 households for every 100 cows. The economics could be better, but under present circumstances it works. The report also fails to include the economic value of the manure and the dry matter as both fertilizers and bedding. Figure a farmer can save $7,000 on bedding costs for every one hundred head. The manure applied to the fields has 90-95% of the pathogens destroyed, thus reducing the need for herbicides and pesticides.

Today's formula:   WMC + WPRI + BHI (STAMP®) = DECEPTION & MISREPRESENTATION

Wisconsin According to the McGiver Institue

The McGiver Institute for Public Policy sounds special. It conjures up images of solid thinking researchers and policy analysts looking out for the public interest.

In a post entitled, Behold What Madison Hath Wrought we get this pearl of wisdom:

...we present to you, in all its gory, the lowlights of what the Governor and your legislative 'leaders' have wrought.

In no particular order, they are:

...Double The Garbage Tax - This will raise Wisconsin's garbage tax to the highest in the nation. Don't worry, I'm sure your local government will just absorb the increase in their budget. They would never pass that along to property taxpayers...

Give team McGiver an "A" for brevity and an F for everything else.

There is no mention of the issue of out-of-state haulers bringing in garbage and rapidly filling Wisconsin landfills. That is an "F" in engineering.There is no discussion about the enormous costs associated with the development and construction of new landfills. That is an "F" in economics. There is no consideration of the environmental impact of unregulated landfills. That is an "F" in logic.

By the way, it was state government not Madison that did all the wroughting. That is state government that equally represented every person in Wisconsin. Might as well give them an "F' in civics while we are at it.

Wisconsin Obesity. Who Cares? You Do.

The latest report from theTrust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) on obesity shows Wisconsin has the 25th highest rate of adult obesity in the nation, at 26.0 percent and the 12th lowest of overweight youths (ages 10-17) at 27.9 percent.

That prompted one Boop to comment, "This is still a free country (I think). People are still responsible for their own choices of food and beverages they consume."

Yes it is a free country but your neighbors' dietary habits have a major impact on your pocketbook. Even if you have little regard for their health, disease and disability associated with obesity is a cost you share, whether it is lost productivity, increases in the cost of health care or tending to orphaned kids you pay.

It reminds me of the motorcycle helmet debate - a rider should be free to ride helmetless and become a vegetable. And then when the insurance runs out after hundreds of thousands of dollars in surgeries, we contnue to pay for the expensive life time of nursing care.

Earth-Venus smash-up possible in 3.5 billion years: study

A force known as orbital chaos may cause our Solar System to go haywire, leading to possible collision between Earth and Venus or Mars, according to a study released Wednesday.

The good news is that the likelihood of such a smash-up is small, around one-in-2500.

And even if the planets did careen into one another, it would not happen before another 3.5 billion years.

Another good reason not to worry about global warming, brushing your teeth, and listening to your parents.

And to claim that the earth is less than 17,000 years old.

Twitter This

I am holding out and not signing up for Twitter. Enough is enough.

I started onto this entire Internet adventure in the early 1990's when I bought my first PC and signed up for CompuServe.  CompuServe was invaluable when traveling in the early 1990's, since it had the best dial-up network throughout the country. Far superior to AOL, which I never joined.

I moved on to various applications such as Yahoo, which I still launch on startup, Netscape, and Google- my favorite search engine.

I migrated from Microsoft Explorer to Firefox.

I have five yahoo emails, one hotmail, but no gmail. I have this blog, and my own domain and email for Soglin Consulting.

When social networking caught on I first used CompuServe's system and then looked at Yahoo's Profile and IM.

Enough was enough when it came to social networking.

While I ignored MySpace, I did explore youtube when my daughters' acting was recorded and posted. I was late to join Facebook and having just gotten the hang of it, joined Linkedin last week, after pestering from numerous friends.

In reviewing my evolution, I love Facebook for bringing me in touch with friends I had not spoken with in over forty years, and for knowing what they are doing now. I do appreciate the posts about the vacations, the pictures of the children and grandchildren, and the social, cultural, and political commentary.

The blog, the business website, and the one week of Linkdin did not bring a single business opportunity.

Now I see everyone is Twittering.

Well, Twitter Tweet this. No.