The Rival "Pads" are Coming Soon: As low as $100: FT.com:

The Cheaper IPad look alike versions are coming soon. Click on the post for the story.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Madison Marathon Course "Closed" at 11am due to Extreme Heat

Extreme heat conditons that had a rising number of runners at the medical stations at the finish as well as rising numbers of incidents needing medical attention on the course caused race directors to close the course, or stop the timing, but continuing to have support personnel in place.

The Observer was on the scene this morning, and the rising number of sirens brought back memories of a Syttendae Mai race that got out of control years ago.

Click on the post for the story in the Wisconsin State Journal.

Home Sales Plunge in Former Bubble Markets: Bloomberg

Temporary pull back or permanent? Stay tuned. Click on the post for the full article in Bloomberg.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Thursday, May 27, 2010

More Employees Quitting: Yahoo: Finance

With the economy starting to improve, employees are beginning to seek greener pastures. Click on the post for the full story.

Memorial Day Activities; Evansville, Wi

Click on the post for the parade details; Rally in the Alley etc.

Janesville School Board debates Budget Actions: Gazette

Raising taxes in an environment of falling wages----
the debate in Janesville will be echoed throughout Wisconsin. Click on the post for the story.

CapTimes; The Overture Update

Some years ago, the Madison Common Council did not follow the advice of Mayor Dave. Now the city might pay bigtime. Click on the post for the story

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

nostalgia: Video; Podcast: The Art of Jonathan Wilde

Click on the post for the podcast version of the "Art of Jonathan Wilde" that was presented by the docents of the Chazen Museum from Madison at The Evansville Senior Center in 2009. There are three video clips plus the complete audio file.

There has been considerable traffic nationally and locally on this topic. Enjoy.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Mailbag: ECP: Downtown Spring CleanUP Day is Thursday: May 27th: 8:30AM--10AM

The Downtown Spring Clean-Up is set for this Thursday May 27th from 8:30-10 and we need your help. We have about 40-45 third grade volunteers (and 3 teachers) but we need to have many adults on hand so we can break up into smaller groups, have some supervision, and get things done.

We mostly pick up LOTS of trash, pull weeds, sweep, etc. and usually cover the following areas:

Main St. from 1st to Maple (both sides of the street)
Madison St. from Montgomery Ct. to Church St. (both sides of the street)


We will meet at Shannon Law Office at 8:30; students will be leaving to return to school around 10:00.
Please let me know ASAP if you see any areas that need special attention and reply to this email if you can work with us.

The BEST way a business can help is to ask 1 (or 2) staff members to volunteer with us that day--it makes a HUGE difference and we need to have as many hands on the street as possible.



Memorial Day is already next week and we want to have the Downtown looking as nice as we can make it look for the upcoming events. 90 minutes of clean-up now can make a lasting impact all Summer. Please take the time to work alongside these wonderful kids as they continue this great Evansville tradition.



Thank you,


Jim Brooks

Community Coordinator

Evansville Community Partnership, Inc.

608-882-0598 www.evansville-wi.net

Building Our Future. Together.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Twitter: Local Evansville Artists Exhibition opens this Friday at Eager Free Lib----

A must see event. This Friday a special presentation will be made on John Wilde the painter.

School Scoop: School Testing in Review

Click on the post for the latest from Melissa Hammann's blog.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Energy: Stocks; Reflection: What is your COST BASIS?"

Every family that is going through the "Graduation" process this spring, has to reflect on the "Cost Basis" of that achievement-----this is always noted in the graduation speeches...and maybe the grads know what is being talked about, but surely the parents do...all the sacrifice...all the loans to be paid back...and all the hopes to be realized ...maybe...

The very same thing is present in energy----Do you know what the COST BASIS of a stock your have held ...well....forever...is? It is not enough to say to the IRS that you do not remember....trust me....you do need to know. DITTO for ENERGY ----

What is the cost basis for the first therm of nuclear energy? ANSWER---we do not know yet.

Click on the post for the article on wind energy.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Eager Library: May 21, 2010: Special program on John Wilde

{Ed.note: There has been considerable interest nationally in John Wilde following a presentation at the Senior Center last year that is on the podcast list on the right on the Observer. This John Wilde program is a must see event.}


Eager Free Public Library will host an Opening Reception for its 4th Annual Local Artists' Exhibit on Friday, May 21st starting at 6:00 p.m. Two docents from UW-Madison's Chazen Museum of Art will give a presentation and lead a discussion of Evansville's own Surrealist artist John Wilde. There will be Wilde artwork at the Library that evening, and a buffet. Work by many talented Evansville artists will be on display throughout the Library, and artists will be present to discuss their work. Call 882-2260 for details.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Wall Street Suits: Essential Reform or just a shakedown?

Love the dance step. First ya bail em out. Then ya shake em down for violations. At the end of the day...will there be essential reform and effective regulation?

Click on the post for the article in the New York Times. Enjoy.

Feingold fights to Audit the Fed...: CapTimes; Nichols

Click on the post for the article. Audit of the Fed is just the beginning.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Comedy Corner: Business: Markets

This morning on a noted business channel, a cute young thing was explaining what all the markets were abuzz about----it seems that even though the giant rescue plan had been implemented for the euro, and the markets had relaxed ...well...for a few minutes....they were still very excited and concerned about debt-----not so concerned that they wanted to pay higher taxes...and relax...not so concerned that they wanted to stop any foreign wars....and relax even further...not so concerned that they wanted to cut some spending....folks were just concerned---and furthermore, they were putting options, or rather complicated hedge options called straddles on the euro, oil and gold.

At that time in the tv presentation, it seems that the commentator got a little confused about what folks were taking puts or calls on, and well...the straddle proposed did not make much sense, but only one reporter noticed.

I would propose that no news reporter should be allowed to describe a complicated option strategy on the news unless they have completed a course of some sort in options. Only 1/2 of 1% of Americans are even financially qualified to be sold these instruments, and by the hype of the media, one would think every neighbor was daytrading. That is how I see it.

Melissa Hammann: New Education Blog: School Scoop

Click on the post for the latest from Melissa Hammann, former member of the Evansville School Board.

Discover Wisconsin to feature Rock County: Otterstein speaks: Gazette

Click on the post for the article in the Gazette. Evansville was not mentioned.

Mailbag; Film Update; Ryan McNeal

(Ed.note: Click on the post to see the wesite of the film.)


Hey everyone,


Due to popular demand, I thought I would send out an update on my film's progress.


If you haven't heard, I have been working on short film titled Minuet. It is a traditional narrative short about a grandfather haunted by the tragic death of his daughter. Through the child she left behind (Elise), Cairpre has a second chance at happiness. It was written, executive produced, and directed by me over the last year. Through the journey of this project, I have experienced tremendous personal and professional growth.


The principal photography took place near Sheboygan, Wisconsin. We shot it in four days time with a crew of thirty experienced peers also from Columbia College Chicago. The cast was played by Frank Heinrich (Cairpre), Izabel Machada (Elise), and Leann Van Mol (Claire).


We are currently in post-production, taking the image through the editing, coloring, and scoring stages. I am working directly with composer Jennifer Thomas (www.jenniferthomas.com) to create an original score for the film. She has been great to work with and may be collaborating with the very talented vocalist, Poppi London (www.poppilondon.com), who has worked on the score of such films as Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Ocean's Twelve, Hero, Pearl Harbor, and The Man with the Iron Mask.


I have very high hopes for festivals in the fall. (the film should be 100% completed by the end of August) We are getting a lot of very good comments from our professors and peers.


I also decided to send my newest desktop design for my film to everyone. I think it is my best one so far. Please enjoy.

New Circuit Breakers coming for Wall Street: NYT

Market gurus have not determined what happened but are determined to solve the problem. Click on the post. Stay tuned.

yahoo: Thursday Stock Plunge; Trades Cancelled List

Where the stock had fluctuated more than 60 percent, and occurred between 2:40 and 3:00PM, and is on the list(click on the post) the trade is cancelled.

The story is just unfolding about the plunge yesterday, but most of the talk seems to be the usual fast talk about jobs etc this morning. Stay tuned.

Yahoo: Stocks Plunge:

Those darn Greeks. Wish they could just restrain their spending some....I just wonder if we could cut as easily as they have or have not. Click on the post for the latest plunge in the stock market.

Charities face "doomsday" scenario; loss of tax exempt status: StarTrib

Click on the post for the latest on the crisis hitting charitable institutions.

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Sly in the Morning v. Woodmans: You make the call

Click on the post to hear Sly talk regarding the elimination of mental health coverage from the Woodmans health group policy.

RockNetRoots: Blog: Politicians should wear NASCAR type patches

Arm patches are great because they clearly indicate who is bought and paid for. Hence the wonderful application for politicians. Click on the post for the article in RockNetRoots.

GM hires marketing Whiz

This marketing whiz had the market campaign that said if you lose your job, they would take back the car....

There seems to be a trend: the winning company says: If you are unsatisfied in any way with our product, or if something adverse happens to you to change your circumstances...send the product back.....We are on your side....

Click on the post for the full story.

Newsflash: 2025: Back to the Future: FICTION

Newsflash---Evansville considers adopting a purchasing policy, after two decades of discusssion.

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Notice of Open Book

Notice of Open Book
CITY OF EVANSVILLE
City Hall, 31 S. Madison Street
Evansville, WI


The 2010 Assessment Roll will be available for inspection beginning May 17, 2010 at City Hall, 31 S. Madison Street, Evansville, Wisconsin, during regular business hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Assessor, Dean Peters, will have Open Book and be available to answer questions on Tuesday, May 18, 2010, from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Please schedule an appointment with him by calling Associated Appraisal Consultants, Inc., at 1-800-721-4157.

The 2010 Board of Review will be held on Thursday, June 3, 2010, from 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers, Third Floor of City Hall, 31 S. Madison Street, Evansville, Wisconsin. The Board of Review may not hear an objection to the valuation of property unless, at least 48 hours before the Board’s scheduled hearing, the objector provides to the Board’s Clerk written or oral notice of intent to file an objection.


Judy Walton
City Clerk

Monday, May 03, 2010

Spain might be next: NYT

Click on the post for the full story in the New York Times.

Minn House rejects attempt to ease booze restrictions at TCF Stadium--- StarTrib-

Click on the post for the story in the Star Trib: The TCF stadium has a very special open air, sober, atmosophere.

Greeks and Us: Greeks riot over austerity moves; NYT

Austerity and deflation are a bad combo. Click on the post for an article in the New York Times that reviews the prospects for Greece.

Elkhorn Videostreaming School Board Meetings: Gazette

Elkhorn as the role model. Video streaming is next step up from audio and video clips. Click on the post for the story in the Gazette.