Saturday, February 11, 2017

"Racine County Judge John 'Jack' Jude Dies Of Heart Attack"

From Racine County Eye:

Photo by The Johnson Foundation
"Retired Racine County Judge John 'Jack' Jude died unexpectedly of a heart attack on Friday, according to friends close to the family.

"Mark F. Nielsen, who became a Racine Circuit Court Judge this year, was a friend of Jude’s for 35 years. Jude retired in July and he helped Nielsen transition to succeed him, he said.

"'Everyone is just shocked,' Nielsen said. 'I am just one of many who will miss him very much.'

"Jude Saw The Good In People"

 

"Jude prided himself on championing a number of initiatives, but he was also good to people in and out of the courtroom. A member of St. Patrick Catholic Church, Jude’s faith guided him in his decision-making, Nielsen said.

'He had an open heart and he was open to the good in people. He looked for it and he was confident that it was there, but he wasn’t naïve,' Nielsen said. 'He lived in the real world. If there was one tenant that drove him it was this: Most people are good and if they weren’t good, he knew that they could be better.'

"Outside the courtroom, Jude spent his time on trying to fix the fundamental flaws he saw in the community. 

"He served as president of the board for Family Services of Racine, set up review panels for organizations seeking funding from United Way of Racine County, and served on the Racine Collaborative for Children’s Mental Health.

"The Johnson Foundation honored Jude for being a Hero for Health and highlighted Jack’s work with children and the need for creating a more responsive mental health system.
In that story Jack wrote:

"'If we train our police officers and community members to recognize signs of mental health issues, these young people will have a better chance at receiving the treatment they really need,' he wrote.

"Jack’s Personality"

 

"Barb Tylenda, former direct for the Health Care Network, said Jack was a kind and gentle man.

"'He was on the side of the underdog and all the issues he became involved with  helped them,' Tylenda said. 

"'He supported them in HCN because it helped people who were low-income and uninsured. He was more than busy with his own legal work, but he still found time for the things he cared about.'

"Friends described Jude as a gentleman because he was genuine, kind and approachable.

"'His death is a huge loss for his family and his friends for sure, but it’s also a huge loss for our community as well,' Tylenda said.

"Tylenda recalls seeing Jude at a Racine Interfaith Coalition breakfast trying to find someone to sit with and it was Jude who reached out to her.

"'Jack saw me and saw the dilemma I was having,' Tylenda said. 'He came over and said that he hoped I didn’t have plans to sit with anyone. "I’d love for you to sit with us… That was Jack. It was nice to feel included…that’s what I’ll remember."'

"When we find out the funeral details, we’ll update the story. What are your memories of Jack? Please feel free to comment below."

Friday, February 10, 2017

Four for Fridays!

Hello everyone I hope all of you are doing well. I want to say a special thank you to Daddy Orbs for doing the Four for Fridays last week when I was down sick. He is one special man to do this for me. Here are your questions.

1) Do you eat out more or do you cook at home more?

2) If you do eat out more what is your favorite restaurant?

3) What is your favorite meal to cook at home?

4) When you cook at home do you prefer to cook on the grill or on the stove?

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my swans and ugly ducklings!  How are you?  I'm feeling pretty good today, and I don't know why.  Maybe I'm just lucky.  I was at my doctor's earlier and my weight and blood pressure came in normal.  I had "water on the elbow" (bursitis) and he drained it and bandaged it.  He said it's a very common injury.  It must be - I don't remember hurting my elbow.  The doctor says that's normal, too.  He said just leaning on your elbow can cause it.  Lord, I hate getting old, but I'm not ready for the alternative just yet.

My doctor also put on a long Ace bandage.  (I believe that's meant to prevent any elbow bending.)  I've already had to "rearrange" the Ace bandage because my wrist and hand were swelling up.  Couldn't we just put the bandage around the elbow area?  I believe they make bandages for that specific area.  The doctor said to avoid using my left arm/hand.  Ever try to blow your nose with just one hand?  It's not pretty.  He also said to ice the area.  Right.  When I asked him how, he said fill a large Zip-loc bag with ice and stick my elbow in it.  Well, obviously that requires loosening, or even removal, of the Ace bandage.  I don't think there's much chance of icing it today.  Maybe tonight . . .

Well, the fallout from Junior's accident while driving Señor Zanza's car has started to settle.  First off, no one was hurt in the accident.  Thank you, Lord.  Señor Zanza has excellent automobile insurance coverage and they took care of everything.  However, the accident revealed something that they didn't know about: Junior.  If Señor Zanza wishes to retain the coverage that he had and still live under the same roof as Junior, it will cost more than $1,500 a month.

Gulp.

Señor Zanza requested that a rider be added to his policy specifically eliminating coverage if Junior drives the car.  Nope.  One of them has to move to a different address.  This is just what Junior wants: to live "on his own," but we pay for it.  I never let my auto insurance know about Junior and I'm not going to.  What a mess.  These guys better figure out a solution to this.  I don't want either of my men leaving our home.  I love them both too much to part with either.

Have you heard the latest on the "bedbug wars' going on in Washington, D.C.?  Read about it here: http://hannertimes.blogspot.com/2017/02/white-house-infested-with-bed-bugs.html  Bed bugs are terrible little parasites that can drive you mad.  I hate them.  Really, really hate them.  I had them once and that's enough.  And it's very expensive to get rid of them. You can pick them up anywhere and a full infestation starts before you even know it.  Sometimes their poop is the first thing seen.  Whatever, please get rid of the bed bugs in the White House.  Our nation's "home" shouldn't be infected with anything other than politicians.  And they're probably the most dangerous infestation.

Thank you all for reading my blog.  I know it's very late.  I just have too much to do sometimes.  I love you all and wish you peace and happiness.  And no bed bugs.

Know of a good doctor?  Please let me know at madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com

Enjoy the ups and downs of our weather.  The roller coaster is taking us right toward spring.  That's OK with me.  Take care of yourselves.  I love you all. 
__________________________
Please donate: paypal.me/jgmazelis
If you don't like PayPal, send me a note at madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com and I'll send you my street address so you can send a check or money order.  Thank you.

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Cupid’s Bull

From The Shepherd Express:

By Art Kumbalek 1 hour ago


I’m Art Kumbalek and man oh manischewitz what a world, ain’a? So listen, the other night I dreamt that I was me in an alternate universe, or maybe it was alternate-universe me dreaming of me in this universe. I know, it’s complicated, what the fock. Past, present, future—couldn’t figure which was which, but I wrote down what I remembered and here she blows:

Hey, it’s damn near Valentine’s Day, which means one thing: Presidents’ Day is right around the corner. So it’s high time for me and the guys to rendezvous pronto and gird up the plans for our annual Presidents’ Day costume party gala event to honor the day and the office, so’s to dress up like a dead president and then knock off a couple, three cases of ice-cold bottled beer rather than dress up normal and knock off a couple, three cases of ice-cold bottled beer as if it were just any ol’ damn day. Hoist to the chief.

And what this means to you is that I can’t deliver my expected thinking-man’s essay ’cause somehow I goofed and devised a confab with the guys about our Presidents’ plans at the exact time I customarily whip out my essay, what the fock. There’s nothing I can do about it now ’cause I’m already late to be up over by the Uptowner tavern/charm school. Tag along if you like, but you cover the first round. Let’s get going.

Ernie: So Emil, make sure you still got a couple bucks on you by the end of the night you can lend me.

Emil: You got money ’cause I just seen you buy a drink, so fock you.

Ernie: Yeah, I got money now, but I won’t by closing time, and tomorrow I got to buy the wife some candy bars for the Valentine’s so I don’t end up in the doghouse again this year. So no, fock you.

Little Jimmy Iodine: Someone should really tell the young people today that being the husband and wife isn’t going to be a cakewalk in the beach with a balloon every day, ain’a? You know the experts say that the marriage is something you have to work at.

Emil: You got to be jerking my beefaroni. Fock the experts. That’s why I never got married, you betcha. You work all day at your crummy job and you finally get home just looking to take a load off—but no—now you’re supposed to roll back up the sleeves and hit the goddamn grindstone with your nose in it, just so the wife doesn’t put you to sleep in the doghouse again? It’s cruel and inhuman.

Julius: Hey, listen to this I’m reading in the paper here: “Under the lax rules of the chimp mating system, a female is likely to be inseminated several times, and males need to deliver competitive volumes of ejaculate to have a chance at paternity.” Cripes, sounds like a free-for-all. I tell you, if we get reincarnation when we die, I sure as hell know what I’m signing up for to come back, and it sure isn’t no goddamn canary.

Little Jimmy Iodine: It just doesn’t sound fair that chimps get a lax mating system and we don’t. Those chimps just better pray to God they never have to evolve like the human had to.

Ray: Hey Emil, don’t tell me about the doghouse. When I was the married man, no matter how hard I tried to watch my step, one way or the other somehow I’d still step smack-dab into some kind of pile of crap and there I’d be—scraping off the bottom of my shoe in the doghouse, again. Cripes, I spent so much time in the doghouse that come the Father’s Days, my kids never thought for a second to get me a necktie or a pipe, no sir. I’d get a flea collar and a bath with the hose.

Ernie: That sounds familiar from somewheres, ain’a?

Ray: Yeah, my favorite part of the day would be when everybody else was out of the house so I could drink out of the toilet.

Little Jimmy Iodine: Hey, Artie! Over here. Put a load on your keister.

Art: Hey gents. What do you hear, what do you know.

Emil: Ray was telling us about drinking out of the toilet.

Art: Oh yeah, that. Nothing quite like being married to the girl of your dreams, ain’a?

Herbie: I’ll never forget what the philosopher Henny Youngman said: “My wife and I have the secret to making a marriage last. Two times a week we go to a nice restaurant, a little wine, good food. She goes Tuesdays; I go Fridays.”

Art: And I’ll always remember the difference between a tornado and an ex-wife.

Julius: Oh yeah, what’s that again?

Art: There isn’t any—they both get the house. Ba-ding!

(Hey, it’s getting late and I know you got to go, but thanks for letting us bend your ear, ’cause I’m Art Kumbalek and I told you so.)

From: http://shepherdexpress.com/article-29190-cupid%25E2%2580%2599s-bull.html

Open Blog - Tuesday


As long as it's after noon, I'm OK with it.

Monday, February 6, 2017

Sunday, February 5, 2017

Miscellaneous

Announcing the start of an occasional feature on the JT Irregulars: "Miscellaneous."  Miscellaneous is essentially a gripe session to air your pet peeves and other grievances in this modern world of ours.  Add your gripes in the comments section below, or start another Miscellaneous blog.

For my first and foremost gripe: cars parking in the fire lane at Walmart Neighborhood Mart and Piggly-Wiggly.  I was at Walmart earlier today and the parking lot was total gridlock because a couple of cars decided to just stop and park in front of the store in opposing lanes.  I have sat behind such assholes and laid on my horn.  They ignore it.  I've walked up to some of the cars and told the people off.  They ignored it.  The only thing that works is the threat of the police.  Sometimes now as I see someone parked in the fire lane, I'll tell them off and then say that I've alerted the police to their presence.  That usually gets them moving.

I foresee a day when people will just stop their cars in traffic, get out and go shopping.  People have told me to ignore it because I could get into a fight or get shot.  See, everyone has ignored this type of shit for so long that it's almost impossible to get people to change.  Ignore it and it just gets worse and worse.  Ignore them and they won't go away.