Government to Garnish Social Security Checks

It is no longer an excuse to be old, poor, sick or down on your luck.....

Defaulted Loans May Haunt Seniors, The Wall Street Journal

Defaulted Loans May Haunt Seniors, Yahoo Finances (added)

The article describes a couple scenarios. Even the Wall Street Journal writes a biased story. I'm sure there are plenty who are collecting government checks who can afford to pay back their outstanding debt. Those examples were not on display.

Should we simply give a pass to those who make bad financial choices, even if they are now elderly? I don't think that is the right thing to do either.

Granted, the examples given should have been handled in a far more professional and certainly a more timely way. I can see the potential for horrible things happening to people due to illness they suffered. Each case should be allowed individual consideration.

There needs to be realistic, less difficult ways for those who owe the government (govt= us) to deal with their situation or any mistakes. No one should ever be left in poverty or extreme hardship.

Everything is so screwed up. Some people make millions and have way more than anyone would ever need. Some people are working their butts off, scrutinizing their budget, paying their way and just getting by. Some people are hungry.

The Shredder

A young engineer was leaving the office at 3:45 p.m. when he found the Acting CEO standing in front of a shredder with a piece of paper in his hand.

"Listen," said the Acting CEO, "this is a very sensitive and important Document , and my secretary is not here. Can you make this thing work?"

"Certainly," said the young engineer. He turned the machine on, inserted the paper, and pressed the start button.

"Excellent, excellent!" said the Acting CEO as his paper disappeared inside the machine, "I just need one copy."


Lesson:
Never, ever assume that your boss knows what he's doing.

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my penultimate penumbras! How are you? It is so wonderful to see the little signs of spring begin to peek out here and there. But it’s also quite messy. Where there isn’t snow, there is mud. Or dog poop. And all the other assorted trash that emerges as the dirty snow slowly melts. Now we’re supposed to get a few days of rain. That may wash away some of the mess (while revealing more), but I hope the rivers can take it. The ground is saturated and still partially frozen. Oh my!

There I go, getting negative, right from the start. Shame on me. The first thing I want to do this week is draw attention to Ms. Lizardmom’s blog on being positive: http://www.jtirregulars.com/2010/03/time-for-some-positivity.html. Hurray for you, Ms. Lizardmom! I agree with you completely. With all of the bad things that we have endured in Racine recently, we need some good vibrations. Lots and lots of good vibrations.



I know that was corny, but I honestly just thought of it as I wrote. Anyway, that’s a very good song, and Racine needs a lot of what it has. We all should work toward restoring our city’s good vibrations. Racine is worth it, we are worth it, we are Racine.

No vibrations, good, bad, or otherwise, shook the inbox this week, my dears. I did receive an interesting piece of spam a few weeks ago and contacted the author. It turned out to be my old friend, Gamel the Gypsy. He’s working a different angle these days and has gotten into spam. That’s too bad. He used to be such a nice boy.



Now, don’t you feel better after watching that? I know I do. There are positive and good vibrations all around humor. It’s just difficult to get enough of them into your diet to crowd out the bad news. Here, try this:



You should be feeling great now, so give Ms. Lizardmom’s blog another visit and add to the positive. It feels good to do good, oh my goodness. And it feels good to spend time with my beloved irregulars. Thank you for reading my blog this week, my friends.

Discard your negative thoughts and energy at: madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com.

Be careful in the rain and the mud, my dears. The butt you save may be your own. Deliquescence!

Stuff Christians Like

I remember a while ago someone posted a blog about Stuff White People Like which takes aim at the lefty whites in this country (and does it pretty well...having someone make fun of you is one thing...the least they can do is make it truly funny). Now someone has done the same for Christians with Stuff Christians Like.

I tell ya, I am getting an education about all you Christians out there!

I just peeked around out of curiosity and there is a Stuff Conservatives Like web site, but it is not nearly as good as the Stuff White People Like. Seems more like hackish attacks rather than the higher level satire of Stuff White People like. It's fairly new and only has 8 entries, so maybe he will get better.

There is a Stuff Black People like (very amateurish...even more so than Stuff Conservatives Like) but Stuff Gay Guys like has potential.

Sorry, I am getting distracted and randomly googling "stuff ______ like" where you can fill in the blank with your favorite racial group/political affiliation/sexual orientation/etc.

ROBOPLOW

Sure, now they come out with it, after winter is almost over...

Deer Season versus Python Season

Beginning on Monday, Florida is having their very first Python Hunting Season in the Everglades. I believe the season lasts a week or ten days. I wouldn't want our avid sportsmen to miss the opportunity to slosh through alligator infested waters in search of giant snakes! Hssssssst.

Time for some positivity!!

OK gang, it's time to brighten things up.

With all the negativity in the news lately,
it's down-right depressing.

This blog is a shout out to anything positive,
encouraging, or just plain awesome.

Is there somewhere you went that wow'd you?

Is there anyone that just really made your day?

This is mine.

This was an awesome and above and WAY beyond
reward for the incredible job my
drive thru did last Thursday.
We watch our drive thru times daily.
I gave them a challenge that they
blew out of the water!

I made a deal with the owner of Larsen's Bakery
on Hy 20. Really nice guy!
I told him about my challenge and he loved the idea.

If we made our breakfast DT times of 75 sec or less
then they would earn humongous donuts.
There is no stronger driving force that food!

Well, my gang ended Thursday breakfast at 69.
I went straight up to show him, and
couldn't be more proud.
Today, he not only made the ones
we agreed on but even more,
AND delivered them.

Each of the above donuts are more than
1 foot in diameter, just enormous!!

Thank you Don and the Larsen's gang!!!

and thanks to my Thursday morning
drive thru crew for blowing me away
and really working for your reward!

Adaptive Optics on the 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast

Well, actually ANOTHER 365 Days of Astronomy podcast. Today is one of my days and myself and a couple of my students talk about adaptive optics technology.

Adaptive optics is a collection of technologies we use to overcome the blurring effects of Earth's atmosphere. By measuring how Earth's atmosphere is distorting images, we can correct the images and end up with images from ground based telescopes that are nearly as good as those from the Hubble Space Telescope (and soon we will surpass Hubble image quality).

Adaptive optics is critical to systems such as the Boeing Airborn Laser Testbed which recently successfully shot down a missile in a test. A major plot of my podcast is about an alien attack on Earth and how adaptive optics plays a role in the battle.

And in terms of peaceful, non-astronomy related applications, adaptive optics is being used in medical applications, particularly vision. Adaptive optics technologies play a role in measuring vision defects, LASIK, and retinal imaging.

Adaptive Optics: It's not just for astronomers!

ROUTE 66 and BURMA SHAVE........

For those who never saw any of the Burma Shave signs, here is a quick lesson in our history of the 1930's thru the '50's.

Before there were interstates, when everyone drove the old two lane roads, Burma Shave signs would be posted all over the countryside in farmers' fields.

They were small red signs with white letters. Five signs, about 100 feet apart, each containing 1 line of a 4 line couplet .... and the obligatory 5th sign advertisingBurma Shave, a popular shaving cream.

Here are some of the actual signs:

DON'T STICK YOUR ELBOW
OUT SO FAR
IT MAY GO HOME
IN ANOTHER CAR.
Burma Shave

TRAINS DON'T WANDER
ALL OVER THE MAP
'CAUSE NOBODY SITS
IN THE ENGINEER'S LAP
Burma Shave

SHE KISSED THE HAIRBRUSH
BY MISTAKE
SHE THOUGHT IT WAS
HER HUSBAND JAKE
Burma Shave

DON'T LOSE YOUR HEAD
TO GAIN A MINUTE
YOU NEED YOUR HEAD
YOUR BRAINS ARE IN IT
Burma Shave

DROVE TOO LONG
DRIVER SNOOZING
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT
IS NOT AMUSING
Burma Shave

BROTHER SPEEDER
LET'S REHEARSE
ALL TOGETHER
GOOD MORNING, NURSE
Burma Shave

CAUTIOUS RIDER
TO HER RECKLESS DEAR
LET'S HAVE LESS BULL
AND A LITTLE MORE STEER
Burma Shave

SPEED WAS HIGH
WEATHER WAS NOT
TIRES WERE THIN
X MARKS THE SPOT
Burma Shave

THE MIDNIGHT RIDE
OF PAUL FOR BEER
LED TO A WARMER
HEMISPHERE
Burma Shave

AROUND THE CURVE
LICKETY-SPLIT
BEAUTIFUL CAR
WASN'T IT?
Burma Shave

NO MATTER THE PRICE
NO MATTER HOW NEW
THE BEST SAFETY DEVICE
IN THE CAR IS YOU
Burma Shave

A GUY WHO DRIVES
A CAR WIDE OPEN
IS NOT THINKIN'
HE'S JUST HOPIN'
Burma Shave

AT INTERSECTIONS
LOOK EACH WAY
A HARP SOUNDS NICE
BUT IT'S HARD TO PLAY
BurmaShave

BOTH HANDS ON THE WHEEL
EYES ON THE ROAD
THAT'S THE SKILLFUL
DRIVER'S CODE
Burma Shave

THE ONE WHO DRIVES
WHEN HE'S BEEN DRINKING
DEPENDS ON YOU
TO DO HIS THINKING
Burma Shave

CAR IN DITCH
DRIVER IN TREE
THE MOON WAS FULL
AND SO WAS HE.
Burma Shave

PASSING SCHOOL ZONE
TAKE IT SLOW
LET OUR LITTLE
SHAVERS GROW
Burma Shave

And From The "Assault WIth A Deadly Teat: Dept.....

This gives a whole new meaning to "carrying a concealed weapon". I bet the cop didn't know what he had coming when she pulled it out of the "holster".

Woman Charged for Squirting Breast Milk at Deputy - Incredible Health - FOXNews.com

Posted using ShareThis

Crime Over Spilt Milk

Lactating Kentuckian charged with squirting liquid into jailer's face

MARCH 8--A Kentucky woman is facing a felony assault charge for allegedly squirting breast milk into the face of a female jailer. After Toni Tramel, 31, was arrested last Thursday for public intoxication, she was transported to the Daviess County Detention Center in Owensboro. While there, Tramel, pictured in the above mug shot, was directed to change into a jail uniform. But the uncooperative suspect was "too intoxicated to complete the task on her own," so Officer Lula Brown sought to aid her, according to the below incident report. While in the jail's shower room, Brown told Tramel that she "needed to take her shirt and bra off" before changing into a green jail smock. That is when Tramel "took off her bra, grabbed her breast and squirted breast milk, hitting me in the face and neck region," reported Brown. Tramel attempted a second lactation assault, "but was unsuccessful," added Brown. Tramel is now being held in the Daviess County lockup on $5000 bond. As for Brown, a jail press release noted that the officer was successfully able to "clean the bio-hazard off her."

Got My Census Letter Today

I got the letter that the Census sends you to tell you that they are going to send you the Census. Mom got one, too. I assume that every household in the United States gets one.

I wonder what it costs to mail everyone notice that you are going to mail them something? A million dollars? Two million? Who knows? Who cares? It's only government money, and that's free, right?

http://2010.census.gov/2010census/

TV Commercials

In the past week or so there are two commercials, one which I think is totally wrong and one which makes me laugh.

The wrong one is for Tide Laundry Detergent. There is a young girl, 10 -12 years old, who is complaining about her ‘hand-me-down’ blue jeans from her sister. The little girl say, “the pair of jeans she wants is only a $100.00 dollars, but now that her mom washed the old ones in Tide, the spot is gone and she ends up with them”.

Why is Tide telling young people that spending a $100.00 on a pair of jeans is okay? Are they out of their mind! To me...if you spend a $100 bucks on a pair of jeans, you do not have any money problems and you are pretty well off!

The second is (I believe) is State Farm. A man and his wife are sitting in an auditorium listening to a play and he asks her for some lip balm and she hands him her lip stick and he puts it on without checking! Way tooooo funny, just makes me giggle my ass off!

JTI Statistics, March 2010, preview...

Our stat page source is giving us new information. This was interesting to me and I thought I would share it with you...

They are now posting Exit Links from our homepage. I can click on this feature and it will show whose blogs are drawing the most visitors. Ever wonder how your blogs go over with the readers?

Here is a sample of the current running of the last 500 pageloads:

1. kkdither - Childcare in Racine, 58 exits
2. SER - My Living Will, 55 exits
3. Drew - Four For Friday, 53 exits
4. Logjam - Why Is It That, 30 exits
5. Drew - Thoughts for Food, 27 exits
6. Why Not? - Swedish Music, 25 exits
7. Stu - It's Beer Friday, 24 exits
8. Drew - Benefit Review, 22 exits
9. Stu- Tin Hat, 18 exits
10. Orbs - Bee Boy Dance, 17 hits
11. Why Not? - Schlager, 15 hits
    
12. Orbs - Bacon Rocket, 14 hits
    
13. kkdither - World gone Crazy?, 14 hits

Mom always did like me best! ;>

Today is International Women's Day

http://www.internationalwomensday.com/

Treat an international woman to lunch.

Has The World Gone Crazy?

I read this morning, from our local news source, that The Racine Unified School District didn't spend the referendum money we granted to them on the 44 maintenance projects they proposed. They, instead, completed 3 projects. Imagine that, Unified not spending money as they promised..... I also saw the headline about Becker needing more sex offender counseling. Really, you think that is a safe call, judge???

I was disgusted with the local fodder and was unable to read further. I decided to go more regional in my pursuit of news. I turned to TMJ4's news from Milwaukee. This is what I found under top news stories:

• Realtor in custody for armed sexual assault at UWM. He has prior charges of domestic abuse and 2 restraining orders out from different women.
• Sex offender charged with assault of 6-year-old child
• Man in custody in Wauwatosa for kidnap, assault of 14-year-old who claims he abducted and raped her.

I've asked this question recently.... What is happening, people? Has the world gone insane?

I was thinking maybe I should go national in my hunt to read the news. I don't think I can do it..... it will probably be crazier still!

The Benefit Review

Last night, I went to the Thoughts for Food Benefit. I had a good time! If anybody is interested, just follow this link over to my blog and read about it there. It took me over an hour to write it up. I would take me too long copy and paste it over here. I'm a SLOW typer. Thanks!

BTW fungi, thanks for the drink!

Bacon Rocket

rathergood.com is a great site. I didn't realize that there is also a YouTube channel.

One of my favorite rathergood videos: http://www.rathergood.com/laibach

And From The "Why Is It That " Dept........

This is your time to post your "why is it that"s. You know those questions of life and the universe that no one has yet to answer. OK I'll start:

Why is it that farts don't sound as funny when done in the bathroom than when done in any other room in the house?

And yours is?........

MY LIVING WILL

Last night, my kids and I were sitting in the living room and I said to them, 'I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine and fluids from a bottle. If that ever happens, just pull the plug.'

They got up, unplugged the Computer, and threw out my wine.

They are SO on my shit list ...

Thoughts for Food

The 18th Annual Thoughts for Food Benefit is tomorrow night. Many great local bands will be playing this year. I am particularly on seeing Mean Jake and Lydon Moon. I may bring my camera and blog about this show. Hope to see you all there this year!

Thoughts for Food link

Childcare in Racine

Why is it that just when you think you have a grip on things, something new comes around to grind your stone or uncork your bottle?

I went with a friend to a favorite margarita watering hole yesterday evening. A woman entered carrying a baby in a child-toter seat. She had 2 additional young-uns with her. She cozied up to the bar, ordered a drink and eventually 4 more adults came to join her.

The baby seat was placed behind the bar stool, on the floor, right in the walk way with baby inside. The two other under-7 children, took a bar table across the room and helped themselves to the free taco bar. This went on for approximately 2 hours and through several rounds of drinks on their part.

At one point, the baby stood up in the seat and tipped the unit backwards, conking its head on the stone floor. Not until the screams of the baby took over the din of the joint, did the parent notice there was a problem. The other children then carried this baby around to comfort it.

I heard murmurs of disgust from at least 3 nearby tables in the bar. Of course, no one made issue of this publicly.

Are there no rules concerning children in bars? I am upset that the management of this establishment doesn't step up and put an end to this. This is not the first time I have had to endure noisy or unruly children in various establishments. In fact, once, I just had enough of it and said something to the parent of a screaming, running child that this is not an appropriate setting and we should not have to babysit her kids while we are out for adult entertainment. You can only imagine how thrilled she was to know my opinion.......

It is equally bad when parents don't understand that their pre-teen or teenage children shouldn't be taken to adult functions or chipping into adult conversations. But this, this infant and child situation, to me, is totally out of whack.

Am I just getting old and crabby, or has the world gone to hell in a hand basket?

It's Beer Friday!

Finally Friday, and after this week, who couldn't use a tall cold one! If that's you I have just the thing! Tonight the Sturtevant Volunteer Fireworks Committee is holding a Micro Brew beer tasting from 6 pm to 9 pm! The ticket price includes sampling 24 different beers from 12 breweries and appetizers and a live band. Also a silent auction will be available. Tickets: $20 in advance, $25 at the door Tickets available at: JQ Foxes Bar and Restaurant, Hiawatha Bar, Village Liquor, Sturtevant Village Hall, Joey's on Lathrop, M&M Citgo. (I also have tickets)

Come to the village have a couple and support a great cause!

Schlager

Seeming I brought up schlager in my last post I thought I would give an example.. I really only need to give one example as they are all built up pretty much the same. This is an artist named Carola and she is Sweden's sweetheart. She has been in the limelight since she was very young this was from a few years ago in the Eurovision Song contest, a contest that most countries in Europe send in one song that best represents their country and they compete against each other (a kind of musical Olympics), the country that wins gets the honor of hosting the event the next year. Anyways out of about 32 songs that the Swedes could choose from this is what was sent..



But alas Sweden didn't win that year this is what won: From Finland I give you Lordi

Swedish Music

Hey,
I thought maybe I'd share a little Swedish music. Don't worry I wont post any ABBA. You can get quite a wide variety of music here in Sweden from the very bad to quite good of course depending on what your music taste is, but I would almost say no one would agree that the music style called Schlager is good music. For whatever reason it just will not disappear. Anyways here is a song called Under Ytan (Under the Surface) by a man named Uno Svenningsson. I liked this song even before I understood Swedish, but enjoyed it even more after I learned what the lyrics were saying, so I thought I would do my best to translate it..





Under the surface
there are big and small
under the surface
there is laughes and cries
there is much there that happens
that we do not understand
but we always find the answer
there in the bottom of ourselves
Under the surface

I know, I know, I know that you are there
I know, I know, I know that you are there
I know, I know, I know that you are there
I know, I know, I know

It laughs and it cheers
but it ends quickly in chaos
someone kicks and hits the wretch there
that is completely with a chance
I see that no one seems to care
neither do I
The fear is too big and strong
to do anything at all

Under the surface
I am ashamed for my self
Under the surface
the image burns me

I know, I know, I know that you are there
I know, I know, I know that you are there
I know, I know, I know that you are there
I know, I know, I know

I think of you often
as if you were my own brother
then I have changed as well
to a monster without mercy
when I see all of this evil
that we people have let loose
the meaningless suffering
then I have difficulty understanding
that we all have been children
and helpless at sometime
loved without boundries
loved without force.

Under the surface
we are all small
under the surface
can a good soul perish

Four for Fridays

Good morning everybody! This week's blog is about a day in the life...

1) What's the first thing you do in the mornings?

2) What time do often get up?

3) Are you a planner or just spontaneous?

4) What time do you often go to bed?

Have a good weekend folks!