Saturday, May 19, 2012

Our Tax Dollars at Work

This stuff kills me; spend tax dollars to arrest more people....Seems like a dictatorship!

Seat belt enforcement in Racine, Caledonia.

Journal Times staff JournalTimes.com
Posted: Saturday, May 19, 2012 5:48 am.

RACINE — The City of Racine and Village of Caledonia police departments will mobilize for Click It or Ticket safety belt enforcement from Monday to June 3.

The City of Racine and the Village of Caledonia police departments will intensify enforcement of Wisconsin’s mandatory safety belt law during the annual Click It or Ticket mobilization. Officers will stop a vehicle and issue citations for an unbuckled driver or passenger. The goal of this effort is not to issue more citations, but to have everyone buckle up voluntarily and reduce the number of traffic deaths in Wisconsin to zero.

Read more: http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/seat-belt-enforcement-in-racine-caledonia/article_1a8533a0-a144-11e1-aa9f-001a4bcf887a.html#ixzz1vLrz1HLY

Open Blog - Weekend


Happy weekend.

Friday, May 18, 2012

"You're vs. Your"

Adult Language Advisory 



What about it's and its?

Every Airplane That Was Ever Built


For all of you who enjoy airplanes, this is a neat site to view them from all over the world.

Click here for Every Airplane That Was Ever Built

Four for Fridays

Hello everyone! Welcome back to Four for Fridays after a short and pleasant week after my vacation. Thank you for your patience while I was on vacation. Here are some questions...

1) Did you climb trees when you were a kid?

2) Did you read comic books when you were a kid? If so, which ones?

3) Where did you often play at?

4) Where did you go swimming as a kid?

Enjoy your weekend!

Open Blog - Friday


Yahoo, too!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Spring In Wisconsin Wildflowers!

This part is pictures I have taken from up north over the weekend. It is pictures of wildflowers and the names of them. I was able to get these pictures in between getting wildlife pictures, visiting Drew's family, cookout by my son on Saturday for Mother's Day and my older daughters graduation.

Yes while driving around looking for wildlife I was looking for the wildflowers so I could get pictures of them. Drew's mom showed some of them to me by their house that she has coming up too. I was having fun walking around the yard and taking pictures of the flowers with his mom. Then she showed me a wildflower book she has so we could look up the names of the flowers. I could not believe how many different wildflowers that are out there.


This is a Bird-Foot Violet. This was found up north by Drew's mom and dad's house. This has the larger blossom of the wild violets. They are a very pretty violet flower too.



This a Broom Snakeweed flower. This is really different and hard to find the name but a very pretty flower. This was also found by Drew's parents house. I found out on the computer that this can come in a bush of flowers or in singles.



This is a Wood Violet it was also found in the yard of Drew's parents. This violet can be found all over the world. It is a very common flower. I have not seen this violet down here at all and we have been driving around all over down here.



This flower is a Trillium. Yes this is a very common flower are here but this was taken in the driveway of Drew's parents. Driving around up north you will see these flowers and it looks like a very light blanket of snow with these flowers on the side of the roads. They are a very pretty flower.



This flower is a Viola Sororia it is in the family of the Violets. This is also Wisconsin's State Flower. This flower comes in many different colors. They are also a family of the Pansy being tri-colors. This is another flower found by Drew's parents house. The flower below is another Viola Sororia that I had taken. I just wanted you to see the different colors of them.



Yes all the pictures here was up north when we visited Drew's parents. We had a really nice visit with them and I really enjoyed walking around the yard looking at the different wild flowers they have growing. I already miss being up that way with it being so quiet and just driving around on the country roads. Yes I also miss the families. I did get to see my granddaughter that is another post by itself of some pictures of her. I hope you all enjoy these pictures just as much as I enjoyed taking them!♥

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my beautiful butterflies!  How are you?  Our glorious spring continues unabated.  It’s been temperate for so long now that all thoughts of winter fade into two years ago.  I really don’t know what’s going on.  Mother Nature still is not speaking to me.  Perhaps she’s drunk or high on something.  It appears that everything is a month or more ahead of schedule.  I’m putting my tomatoes in this weekend.  I’ve heard of quite a few other people who have already started their vegetables.  My green thumbs are ready for action.

Belated Happy Mother’s Day.  I hope yours was wonderful.  Señor Zanza and Junior made and served me breakfast in bed.  Well, actually, Señor Zanza did it while Junior “supervised” (taste-tested).  It was delicious and so charming.  I am blessed to have these men in my life.  Later, the Señor and Junior fired up the gill and we had a cookout.  Again, the men did all the work.  Señor Zanza gave me a delightful, sheer nightie.  Junior gave me the latest video game for his gaming system, which I immediately “lent” to him.  All in all, it was a delightful day.

Warning!  Warning!  Danger, Will Robinson!  Warning!  Yes, I am talking about bicycles vs. motorists in Racine.  Motorcycles, too, are often “invisible” to drivers of other vehicles.  We have to be alert to see them and give them their right of way on the road.  Bicycles (and scooters and skateboards), however, are more likely to dart out unexpectedly into your path.  I bring this up because of story in The Journal Times.com a few days ago about a bicyclist who was traveling the wrong way on Wisconsin Ave. at night with dark clothes and no light.  He hit an SUV. http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/cyclist-was-conscious-after-hitting-suv/article_f0ecbc70-9be4-11e1-941e-0019bb2963f4.html

I have noticed an increase every year in the number of “two-wheelers” on the streets (and sidewalks) of Racine.  Many of these riders do not obey the rules of the road as it applies to bicyclists.  Many of them, I suspect, don’t even know the rules.  In any case, motorists must be especially wary of bicycles and other contraptions on the road.  This time of year we have to learn to share the roads all over again.  Be especially careful around bicyclists.  Never assume that they will follow the rules of the road.  Keep your eyes and ears open for riders coming from any direction.  Keep yourself and the two-wheelers safe.

I’m going to briefly weigh in on two local political issues.  First, I don’t believe that anyone in Racine County should have to pay a cent toward a new arena for Milwaukee.  Second, I don’t believe that anyone in Racine County should have to pay a cent toward Mr. Mayor Dickert’s legal bills, nor should our insurance be covering his losses.  This will just drive premiums up.

Third, thank you so much for reading my blog today.  Each and every one of you is a dear, dear friend of mine.  I love my Irregular family and my regular readers family. Love, love, love. 

Is it love or lust?  Find out: madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com.

Au revoir, my dears.  Continue to enjoy the marvelous weather. Continue to enjoy life.  Turn a frown upside down and all the blood will rush to your head.  Oh my.  Gelastic!

"Groucho kazoo band members hanging up their noses"

From JSOnline

"Jim Stingl | In My Opinion"


"Don McLean might call it the day the buzzing died.

"The One, the Only, the Original All Kazoo Band is breaking up after 34 years of organized chaos and many miles of marching in parades while disguised as Groucho Marx.

"'I think we've aged ourselves out of existence,' said Trish Andrae, 68, a member from the beginning with her husband, Dan.

"'We don't have enough people to keep going,' said Chuck Wilkie, 70, who led the ragtag bunch since 1995.

"The group's final parade was in Wauwatosa last year for the Fourth of July. For years, they made that trip down North Ave., sometimes rushing over to West Allis with a police escort to march in another parade there. They also appeared once or more in Cedarburg, Glendale, Greendale, Milwaukee's City of Festivals Parade, the Illinois State Fair, the Jerry Lewis telethon and on stage for the finale of 'The Nutcracker.'

"The kazoo band was created in 1978 by Tom Jakubowski at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in West Allis. He led it until he died in 1994 at age 53.

"No musical talent was required, of course, and the band swelled to more than 100 members at its peak."



That is a great human interest story.  Had I known about the existence of the band, I would have sought out a performance.

Open Blog - Wednesday


Crazy, man.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

BOEING 797

From Harry Wait:
It can comfortably fly 10,000 Miles (16,000 km) at Mach 0.88 or 654 mph (1,046 km/h)
with 1000 passengers on board !
They have kept this secret long enough.
This shot was taken last month by an amateur photographer
.
 
 The BOEING 797
Boeing is preparing this 1000 passenger Jet Liner that could reshape the Air Travel Industry. Its radical "Blended Wing & Fuselage" design has been developed by Boeing in cooperation with NASA Langley Research Centre. The mammoth aircraft will have a wing span of 265 feet compared to 211 feet of its 747, and its been designed to fit within the newly created Air Terminals for the 555 seat Airbus A380, which is 262 feet wide.
The new 797 is Boeing's direct response to the Airbus A380, which has racked up orders for 159 already. Boeing decided to kill its 747X Stretched Super Jumbo in 2003 after little interest was shown for it by Airline Companies, but continued to develop its "Ultimate Airbus Crusher", the 797 at its Phantom Works Research Facility in Long Beach, California.
The Airbus A380 had been in the works since 1999 and has accumulated $13 Billion in development costs, which gives Boeing a huge advantage. More so because Airbus is thus committed to the older style tubular structure for their aircraft for decades to come.
There are several big advantages in the "Blended Wing & Fuselage" design, the most important being the ‘Lift to Drag’ ratio which is expected to increase by an amazing 50%, resulting in an overall weight reduction of the aircraft by 25%, making it an estimated 33% more fuel efficient than the A380, and thus making the Airbus's $13 Billion Dollar investment look pretty shaky.
"High Airframe Rigidity" is another key factor in the "Blended Wing & Fuselage" technology. It reduces turbulence and creates less stress on the airframe which adds to fuel efficiency, giving the 797 a tremendous 10,000 Mile range with 1,000 passengers on board cruising comfortably at Mach 0.88 or 654 MPH, which gives it another advantage over the tube-and-wing designed A380's 570 MPH.
The exact date ! for introduction of the 797 is as yet unclear, but the battle lines are clearly drawn in the high-stakes war for future civilian aircraft supremacy.

Open Blog - Tuesday


Pretty butterfly.

Monday, May 14, 2012

Two Miles of Road

Sorry, that I haven't been around for awhile...I took a long needed break to the boondocks of Northern Wisconsin. Three days with no phone, no TV and no internet. Refreshing. However, I did bring back a story to tell...

It was that stretch of road on Hwy 47 between Black Creek and Langstad when it all happened... That is where the waters from the springtime rains overflowed the banks of Black Creek and White Lake, turning the surrounding basins into a marshy field. Abundant wildlife thrives there in the mid evening hours as the sun starts to drift toward the horizon. Armed with a camera while eyes were wide open, gazing over the farm fields.

"Crane!" Tender Heart called out as she slammed on the brakes of the car. Tires spit gravel as she wheeled the white Chevy around for a better view...


Sure enough, a pair of Sandhill Cranes were grazing on cultivated corn in a farm field. Standing at about 38 inches tall and with the wingspan of almost seven feet, the Sandhill Crane is one of the largest birds in North America. After seeing so many crane in these parts, it is hard to believe that this elegant bird was once endangered in the 1940's. Because of human intervention, the crane has thrived and flourished... It still remains endangered in several states.

While snapping away at the crane, Tender Heart taps me on the shoulder, "Sweetheart, I just saw something big fly into that tree over there". I saw it, but I wasn't sure what is was... "Probably a raven or a hawk, but let's take a better look", I whispered. We crept forward. I could hear the sound of crunching gravel under the wheels of the car. The humongous bird flew from the oak tree with a black bird chasing it. It was a Bald Eagle! I clearly saw the white head and tail as it turned around flew towards us, its seven and a half foot wingspan kissing the sky. The raptor then swooped down to about 200 feet away from us, snatching a Red-winged Blackbird with its massive talons. Somehow, the black bird managed to get dropped and fell to the ground as the magnificent bird of prey flew to its roost. This is where I took this snapshot...


Excited and satisfied with the series of photos (even though the traffic was blasting past us), we headed back on the road. We had a couple of more hours of travel ahead of us. We didn't even get more than a couple of miles before I called out,"Turkey!" On my side of road there were a dozen or so Eastern Wild Turkey in an unplowed farm field. Some of these gobblers were engaged in a courtship display trying to impress the hens. With their puffed up feathers, tails fanned out and wings dragging, they were so engaged in what they were doing that they barely even noticed us.


Just behind the turkeys, we noticed a White Tailed Deer foraging in the field. It was that time of the year that we couldn't tell if it was a buck or doe, for its antlers hasn't grown in yet. Mammals by nature, are more skittish than birds. To get a close up shot of our beautiful state animal was nearly impossible, even with my Sony DSC-H2 camera. To complicate matters, the animal was trotting off to the woods intending to get out of sight. After a short chase, I managed to get a shot of it glancing at us, just before it stepped out of sight....


We didn't get to our destination till WAY after nightfall, by then we have seen more turkey and deer along the way. It was worth it....

Taxi Suite (excerpt: 1. After Anacreon)

When I drive cab
         I am moved by strange whistles and wear a hat.

When I drive cab
         I am the hunter. My prey leaps out from where it
         hid, beguiling me with gestures.

When I drive cab
         all may command me, yet I am in command of all who do.

When I drive cab
         I am guided by voices descending from the naked air.

When I drive cab
         A revelation of movement comes to me. They wake now.
         Now they want to work or look around. Now they want
         drunkenness and heavy food. Now they contrive to love.

When I drive cab
         I bring the sailor home from the sea. In the back of
         my car he fingers the pelt of his maiden.

When I drive cab
         I watch for stragglers in the urban order of things.

When I drive cab
         I end the only lit and waitful thing in miles of
         darkened houses.

--Lew Welch


"Lewis Barrett 'Lew' Welch, Jr. (August 16, 1926 — May 23, 1971?) was an American poet associated with the Beat generation of poets, artists, and iconoclasts.
Welch published and performed widely during the 1960s. He taught a poetry workshop as part of the University of California Extension in San Francisco from 1965 to 1970.
On May 23, 1971, he was believed to have committed suicide, after leaving a note. His body was never found[1]"

Read more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lew_Welch

See also: http://epc.buffalo.edu/authors/welch/

"Property Assessments for City of Racine Elected Officials"

From TSE:
 
"Property  Assessments for City of Racine Elected Officials – Compiled from Open Records"

"OFFICE  HELD                   NAME                               ADDRESS               CURRENT ASSESSMENT"

"Mayor                                   John Dickert                       151 Westminister Sq.                     $179,000
City Administrator          Tom Friedel                       1904 Dwight Ave.                             $111,000
1st.  District                         O.Keith Fair                        509 6th. St                                             $173,000
2nd. District                         Krystyna Sarrazin             1753 College Ave.                            $260,000
3rd. District                          Michael  D. Shields         1850 13th. St                                        $89,000
4th. District                          Jim Kaplan                          400 Kewaunee St.                            $145,000
5th. District                          Melissa A. Becker            2050 LaSalle St.                                 $126,000
6th. District                          Sandy Weidner                 2310 Thor Ave.                                  $130,000
7th. District                          Raymond Dehahn            2706 Diane Ave.                               $97,000
8th. District                          Q.A. Shakoor                     1516 West 6th.St                                $115,000
9th. District                          Terrence McCarthy         317 West Blvd.                                  $189,000
10th. District                        Dennis Wiser                     2517 Pinehurst Ave.                       $102,000
11th. District                        Gregory T. Helding          2001 Thurston Ave.                         $92,000
12th. District                        Aron Wisneski                  1025 Arthur Ave.                              $140,000
13th. District                        Jim Morgenroth                 1500 Monroe Ave.                           $116,000
14th. District                        Ronald D. Hart                   4420 Republic Ave.                         $101,000
15th. District                        Robert Mozol                    407 Johnathon Dr.                           $165,000"

Open Blog - Monday


Happy Monday to enemies, too.

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Useless Information



Did you know:

No one knows when the first Black and White TV was invented?

"Key & Peele: Auction Block"



http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/key-and-peele

I just found out about these guys. I bet their show is funny as hell.

"Citizens group calls for Mayor and City Administrator to resign"

From RacineUncovered.org:

"The group-CITIZENS UNITED FOR PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY has sent out a press release to area media outlets saying that Mayor John Dickert and Administrator Tom Fridel should resign immediately. 

"Date: May 13, 2012
The responsible, decent and hardworking Citizens of Racine call on Mayor John Dickert, and City Administrator Tom Friedel, to resign their posts and return to private life. Their recent activities indicate that they are ethically and morally challenged and unsuitable for Public Office. In addition to being are wreckless and irresponsible with Taxpayers money they are unresponsive to the hardworking Citizens of Racine who are engaged in private Business and Employment. They have destroyed the business climate of Racine through their questionable activities with awarding contracts and perceived nepotism/cronyism that has completely destroyed any credibility of the Mayor and City Administrators Office. In addition, their activities have engaged the City of Racine in numerous lawsuits."


Related: http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/mayor-s-slander-lawsuit-costs-city-s-taxpayers/article_10727e22-9cbc-11e1-b90b-0019bb2963f4.html


Party on, lying John!