This is part of a two-part series describing the similarities and differences between Madison and Boulder, the cities & the schools. Now that I have lived in Boulder for a year, I feel as though I can make an accurate assessment. First, the similarities:
Both are:
College towns
Party schools
Various kinds of bars
Bike towns
Public transit
Microbrews
Great scenic beauty
Near larger citi(es)
Liberal
Ethnic restaurants
Pedestrian malls
Farmers markets
Sailing
Anyone got anything else?
Showing posts with label WI. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WI. Show all posts
27 October 2008
10 October 2008
Yay! These are OUR lakes, bitches!
The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Compact has successfully been passed, ensuring responsible regulation of their waters by the bordering states, and to prevent the water from being stolen by remote cities/states, like what has happened to the Colorado River. The National Wildlife Federation has more information about conservation in the Great Lakes region.
I took a limnology class in college, which was very interesting, and we learned about things like this, as well as other super interesting things. I actually thought about going into it for a while, but the actual work didn't seem very exciting. Not that sittin in a lab all day growing up and crystallizing proteins is, but whatever.
IN ADDITION, NWF has answers to important conservation issues by the presidential candidates. They are limited to 200 words per answer, so its not terribly heavy reading. Just looking at it, it appears as though Obama has given longer, but more thoughtful answers, with actual policies stated! So, yay. Obama believes in conservation!!! The last question asks what animal they would want to be; McCain answers a jaguar, but sadly, Obama doesn't answer directly :/
I took a limnology class in college, which was very interesting, and we learned about things like this, as well as other super interesting things. I actually thought about going into it for a while, but the actual work didn't seem very exciting. Not that sittin in a lab all day growing up and crystallizing proteins is, but whatever.
IN ADDITION, NWF has answers to important conservation issues by the presidential candidates. They are limited to 200 words per answer, so its not terribly heavy reading. Just looking at it, it appears as though Obama has given longer, but more thoughtful answers, with actual policies stated! So, yay. Obama believes in conservation!!! The last question asks what animal they would want to be; McCain answers a jaguar, but sadly, Obama doesn't answer directly :/
25 September 2008
The Birthplace of the Progressive Movement
Apparently, Wisconsin lays claim that it was the birthplace of the Progressive Movement. If true, it would be another source of pride of mine for my birth state. Obama mentioned it at a rally in Green Bay on Monday, and I thought I would check out if it was true!
The big guy in the Wisconsin progressive movement was Robert "Fighting Bob" La Follette, who was a governor and senator in the early 20th century. He and the chancellor of UW forged the Wisconsin Idea, which means that the University would be instrumental in forging policies and improving the lives of everyone around the state. Professors at UW were involved in much of the legislature that the Progressive movement is based on. (Even though the University still upholds the Wisconsin Idea, they do so only in the sense that "the boundaries of the University are the boundaries of the state." I think the profs should be involved in the legislature again!) Unfortunately, it seems as though we are fighting for the same things now as they were a century ago. Not much in the way of progress. In any case, La Follette was tied for first in a 1982 historian's survey for the Greatest Senators in American History. I'm sure he's still up there somewhere, 16 years later.
SO. Is Wisconsin the birthplace of the Progressive Movement? Might as well be. Perhaps if people realized this, they wouldn't lump us all as backwards hicks. When people say something like that to me along those lines, I say, "Have you ever BEEN to Madison?!" Srsly.
Some excellent quotes by Robert La Follette, which can still be applied today:
* "The will of the people shall be the law of the land."
* "In times of peace, the war party insists on making preparation for war. As soon as prepared for, it insists on making war."
* "The purpose of this ridiculous campaign is to throw the country into a state of sheer terror, to change public opinion, to stifle criticism, and suppress discussion. People are being unlawfully arrested, thrown into jail, held incommunicado for days, only to be eventually discharged without ever having been taken into court, because they have committed no crime. But more than this, if every preparation for war can be made the excuse for destroying free speech and a free press and the right of the people to assemble together for peaceful discussion, then we may well despair of ever again finding ourselves for a long period in a state of peace. The destruction of rights now occurring will be pointed to then as precedents for a still further invasion of the rights of the citizen."
* "America is not made, it is in the making. Mere passive citizenship is not enough. Men must be aggressive for what is right if government is to be saved from those who are aggressive for what is wrong."
ON WISCONSIN!
The big guy in the Wisconsin progressive movement was Robert "Fighting Bob" La Follette, who was a governor and senator in the early 20th century. He and the chancellor of UW forged the Wisconsin Idea, which means that the University would be instrumental in forging policies and improving the lives of everyone around the state. Professors at UW were involved in much of the legislature that the Progressive movement is based on. (Even though the University still upholds the Wisconsin Idea, they do so only in the sense that "the boundaries of the University are the boundaries of the state." I think the profs should be involved in the legislature again!) Unfortunately, it seems as though we are fighting for the same things now as they were a century ago. Not much in the way of progress. In any case, La Follette was tied for first in a 1982 historian's survey for the Greatest Senators in American History. I'm sure he's still up there somewhere, 16 years later.
SO. Is Wisconsin the birthplace of the Progressive Movement? Might as well be. Perhaps if people realized this, they wouldn't lump us all as backwards hicks. When people say something like that to me along those lines, I say, "Have you ever BEEN to Madison?!" Srsly.
Some excellent quotes by Robert La Follette, which can still be applied today:
* "The will of the people shall be the law of the land."
* "In times of peace, the war party insists on making preparation for war. As soon as prepared for, it insists on making war."
* "The purpose of this ridiculous campaign is to throw the country into a state of sheer terror, to change public opinion, to stifle criticism, and suppress discussion. People are being unlawfully arrested, thrown into jail, held incommunicado for days, only to be eventually discharged without ever having been taken into court, because they have committed no crime. But more than this, if every preparation for war can be made the excuse for destroying free speech and a free press and the right of the people to assemble together for peaceful discussion, then we may well despair of ever again finding ourselves for a long period in a state of peace. The destruction of rights now occurring will be pointed to then as precedents for a still further invasion of the rights of the citizen."
* "America is not made, it is in the making. Mere passive citizenship is not enough. Men must be aggressive for what is right if government is to be saved from those who are aggressive for what is wrong."
ON WISCONSIN!
23 July 2008
Catching Up... & Madison ROCKS
Madison is the number 3 healthiest city in America, AND they showed the Union terrace on the Today show. Le sigh. Here's the video, they talk about Madison first, briefly.
AANNNNDDD....
Here are all the cool links I've run into for the past few weeks that I've wanted to share with THE WORLD.
Christian the Lion is so sweet, I cried every time.
Nintendo is BACK.
This article entertained me a for a good few hours, looking through all the links. I was literally laughing out loud at work. In my defense, it was a Friday afternoon...
AANNNNDDD....
Here are all the cool links I've run into for the past few weeks that I've wanted to share with THE WORLD.
Christian the Lion is so sweet, I cried every time.
Nintendo is BACK.
This article entertained me a for a good few hours, looking through all the links. I was literally laughing out loud at work. In my defense, it was a Friday afternoon...
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