PUBLIC EDUCATION IN WISCONSIN
by: Kristina Reser-Jaynes
It is frustrating to see lawmakers still celebrating Wisconsin’s new biennium budget. They’re stumbling over themselves to spin it as a bipartisan compromise. It seems a lot more like a bipartisan sell out to me, and the consequences to our public schools will be devastating.
To call it a compromise, when the Republican led Joint Finance Committee (JFC) literally tossed out Governor Evers’ entire budget proposal, is disingenuous. Calling it bipartisan, when one party has near total control, is comical.
In the dark of night, scramb...
TIFFANY AND VAN ORDEN FAILURES
Tom Tiffany and Derrick Van Orden have failed spectacularly as representatives of residents in western Wisconsin. Many people criticized their support for Medicaid and ACA cuts, which are likely to lead to the closure of hospitals and clinics. Others are appalled that each has remained silent as the current President seizes power over spending decisions once made by Congress. Some people would like to know why ICE, whose mission was to go after the worst criminals, seems to spend most of its time arresting agricultural and service workers who pose no threat to America ...
Why Verifying Smart Contracts Matters — and How to Do It Right
I once clicked into a token contract on a block explorer and felt that familiar knot in my stomach. Looks shiny. No source. Hmm. You can see the code on-chain — the bytecode — but you can't read the human-friendly source that explains intent. That gap is where trust evaporates. Verifying a contract turns opaque bytecode into readable Solidity, and suddenly the community can audit, reuse, and trust what’s running on Ethereum.
Short version: verification equals transparency. Long version: it’s about reproducible builds, exact compiler settings, constructor ...
Balancer, BAL and Building Better AMM Pools: A Practical Guide for DeFi Makers
Okay, so check this out—I've been in the trenches with AMMs for years, and Balancer still surprises me. Whoa! At first glance it looks like a Uniswap clone with more knobs. But actually it's a fundamentally different design that rewards creativity and careful engineering. My instinct said "this is neat," and then my brain started cataloging where it helps and where it hurts.
Here's the thing. Balancer lets you make pools that aren't just 50/50 token splits. You can set arbitrary weights. You can include three, four, or more tokens in one pool. That flexibility opens ...
Summer Reading
“I am looking at a witch hazel
blooming in a garden
The bright yellow flowers in the
middle of wintertime
And I tell my heart be strong like the
witch hazel flower
And you will not be injured by this
dark and troubled time.”
From the folk song “Witch Hazel” by Tom Gala. Some nice renditions are available online.
In these dark and troubled times, one refuge is reading. Escape novels can be useful, but more serious books can also provide perspective and comfort. This article talks about some recent reading I found cathartic.
...
Social Security Turns 90
Social Security turns 90 on August 14th of this year! However, did you know....
The Social Security Commissioner is shifting about 1000 staff from processing claims to answer phones to 'pretend' that customer service is improving. Another attempt to fool Americans. This only takes a longer time to process claims... DUH! Time to call their bluff!! The 1-800 number at SSA is for triage, not handling cases.
Bottom line here is that congress needs to pass legislation to force THIS administration to hire enough worker to staff the Social Security Administrati...
Childcare After the Budget
I have owned and operated a childcare center for the past 19 years. So not only do I make sure staff and the bills are paid, I clean toilets, clean windows and change diapers. I have devoted my life to educating and caring for young children. I didn't go into this profession to line my pockets with money. But everyone in my field deserves a living wage and to know they are supported in their community. My goal is to always create a safe and nurturing learning environment for the children that enter my center. My belief is that parents who enter have decided to ...
THE IMPORTANCE OF HISTORY
As a former world history teacher at Wausau West and Newman high schools, I am dismayed by the attacks on this academic discipline in contemporary United States. As Mark Twain said, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.” History is a story of the past and cannot be repeated because change has occurred, but history does present us a narrative of the development of contemporary society. According to Twain, human behavior and the development of societies follow rhythmic patterns that are consistent over time. In that way we can discern repeating ...