Friday, August 21, 2015

"Brave black lady slams hypocrisy of #BlackLivesMatter protesters"

From LiveLeak:

Language Advisory



"The human 'superpredator' is unique -- and unsustainable, study says"

A coastal wolf hunts salmon in Canada. A new study finds that humans are a "superpredator" that puts serious hunting pressure on fish and land-based carnivores.
(Guillaume Mazille)
 
"If you’re looking for the world’s top 'superpredator,' look no further than your own reflection.

"A new study that examined more than 2,000 predator-prey interactions in populations around the globe has found that humans don’t only kill top carnivores at a rate far higher than all other top predators combined, but that our particular hunting behaviors are so devastating to species on land and sea that they challenge these populations’ ability to recover -- and in some cases could alter the course of their evolution.

"'Ultimately, humanity is feeling the impacts of our predatory dominance,' said lead author Chris Darimont, a conservation scientist at the University of Victoria.
"The findings, published in the journal Science, reveal the extent of the damage wrought by human hunting and fishing practices, and reveal that there might be hope for recovery -- if we learn better practices from the same carnivores that we are hunting down.

"'We have the unusual ability to analyze and consciously adjust our behavior to minimize deleterious consequences,' Boris Worm of Dalhousie University, who was not involved in the paper, wrote in a commentary. 'This final point, I believe, will prove critical for our continued coexistence with viable wildlife population on land and in the sea.'

"Many of the world’s large fish and land-based top predators -- your lions, your tigers, your bears -- have been on the decline for years, and it’s thought that humans have had a major hand in their downfall. Hunting, along with climate change and human habitat encroachment, all likely play a role."

Read more:  http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-human-superpredator-unique-predator-carnivore-fishing-hunting-unsustainable-20150820-story.html


Killing is what we do best.

"Now this beats the shit out of a piece o’ cardboard"

From Knuckledraggin My Life Away:


I grew up near North Beach.  Of course we played with sleds and toboggans on the lake bank in winter.  Near the end of summer, though, we would get the biggest cardboard boxes we could find and slide down the hill in the boxes because the grass was brown and dormant. You could really get some speed up, but not as fast as winter sledding.

A Home for the Church of the JT Irregulars

Credit: Racine County Eye
From Racine County Eye:

"Redeemer Lutheran Church In Caledonia Up For Sale"

By Denise Lockwood in Real estate · August 21, 2015 

"Redeemer Lutheran Church, 4649 Lora St., is for sale, according to real estate records on FlexMLS.

"Built in 1951, the Lutheran Church is part of the Missouri Synod. The property has an accepted offer and has been on the market for $135,000 for almost two months.

"Phone calls have been made to the Southern Wisconsin District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Tom Guziewcz, and Rev. Neil Carlson, of Christ the King Lutheran in Racine to get more information.

"The Southern Wisconsin District of the Lutheran Church has a church directory referring people to Prince of Peace Lutheran, 4640 Six Mile Road. While Prince of Peace Lutheran has guest pastors, it has been without a pastor for more than a year."

Read more:  http//racinecountyeye.com/redeemerltheuran-church-in-caledonia-up-for-sale/ 


We can all become "ordained" and never pay taxes again.

Open Blog - Friday


Have a great day.

Thursday, August 20, 2015

"Huge thank you to the anonymous donor who replaced a young boy’s bike"

Credit: Racine Uncovered
From RacineUncovered:

"We were just contacted by the mom of this little boy and Crystal has asked that we share this message to the person in the community who had a huge heart.

"Here is the link for the original story Young boy’s birthday present stolen on July 28th

"From Crystal B. – 'The biggest thank you to the gentleman that got in contact with the Police Department and I and replaced my son’s stolen bike. You’re such a blessing. From the bottom of both of our hearts Thank you again.

"'Can you share this on your page he seen the story there thank you!'"

Read more: http://racineuncovered.org/2015/08/huge-thank-you-to-the-anonymous-donor-who-replaced-a-young-boys-bike/


Thank you on behalf of all the decent citizens of Racine.  You've restored faith in a boy who probably lost it when his bike was stolen.

Squirrel Integration


One commentator wrote: "Probably just a crossbreed between a fox squirrel and a black squirrel."  I think it's more likely that it came from Chernobyl.

"Should Racine Unified Randomly Drug Test Students?"

From Racine County Eye:

Credit: Racine County Eye

 By Heather Asiyanbi in Community, Schools · August 20, 2015

"Crivitz High School is now amongst a handful of Wisconsin schools that randomly drug test students who are involved in extracurricular activities and/or park their cars on school property.

"Supporters of the move say the testing will help identify students who are using drugs and may be at risk for greater trouble down the road.

"'We have a growing drug problem in Marinette County and in talking with the police force and talking with school administrators and other conference athletic directors, I just felt that as a school we could do something to try to deter students,' Crivitz Athletic Director and varsity football Coach Jeff Dorschner told WBAY Channel 2 News.

"Opponents say the drug testing is an invasion of privacy, but most parents the news station spoke with agreed with the new policy.

"Testing will be done every two weeks in groups of five randomly chosen student numbers. Urine samples will be collected at school and tested immediately. Results will be confidential, and students will not be expelled, but their parents will be involved, the story continues.

"If a test comes back positive, the student receives a code violation, has to sit out activities and attend counseling.

"Additional Wisconsin high schools that randomly drug test students include Kimberly, Florence, and De Pere."

Read more: http://racinecountyeye.com/should-racine-unified-randomly-drug-test-students/

"Cheating website subscribers included WH, Congress workers"

From JSOnline:

The Associated Press

Hackers this week released detailed records on millions of people registered with the website one month after the break-in at Ashley Madison's parent company, Toronto-based Avid Life Media Inc.



"WASHINGTON (AP) - Hundreds of U.S. government employees - including some with sensitive jobs in the White House, Congress and law enforcement agencies - used Internet connections in their federal offices to access and pay membership fees to the cheating website Ashley Madison, The Associated Press has learned.

"The AP traced many of the accounts exposed by hackers back to federal workers. They included at least two assistant U.S. attorneys; an information technology administrator in the Executive Office of the President; a division chief, an investigator and a trial attorney in the Justice Department; a government hacker at the Homeland Security Department and another DHS employee who indicated he worked on a U.S. counterterrorism response team.

"Few actually paid for their services with their government email accounts. But AP traced their government Internet connections - logged by the website over five years - and reviewed their credit-card transactions to identify them. They included workers at more than two dozen Obama administration agencies, including the departments of State, Defense, Justice, Energy, Treasury, Transportation and Homeland Security. Others came from House or Senate computer networks.

"The AP is not naming the government subscribers it found because they are not elected officials or accused of a crime.

"Hackers this week released detailed records on millions of people registered with the website one month after the break-in at Ashley Madison's parent company, Toronto-based Avid Life Media Inc. The website - whose slogan is, 'Life is short. Have an affair' - is marketed to facilitate extra-marital affairs."

Read more: http://www.jsonline.com/news/usandworld/national/evidence-of-infidelities-spreads-online-in-wake-of-hack065953e72e9649e0bc6efb69b06295ed-322405831.html


I have to get elected to something or get a government job..  I wanna screw around on the net and get paid for it, too. 

Top 10 Media Thursdays

Open Blog - Thursday


"Thanks for the memories."

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

"Talgo to keep trains, get $10 million more in settlement"

From JSOnline:


"Madison — Wisconsin taxpayers will end up paying $9.7 million more for two state of the art train sets — for a total of roughly $50 million — but leave the trains with their Spanish manufacturer, under the settlement of a nearly three-year-old lawsuit.

"The settlement, which still needs to be approved in court, ends a political saga going back half a decade.

"The bizarre and expensive outcome for Wisconsin — paying for a product but not keeping it or ever using it — reflects the depth of the political disagreement in which Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle signed, and then GOP presidential candidate and Gov. Scott Walker nixed, a no-bid contract with Talgo Inc. for trains from Madison to Milwaukee and then on to Chicago

"The manufacturer ended up suing Walker and Transportation Secretary Mark Gottlieb seeking a clean title to the trains — and also sought an additional $10 million as a final payment on them — and has reached a settlement that largely achieves that, said Lester Pines, an attorney for Talgo. If the manufacturer is able to sell the trains, it will return 30% of the net proceeds of the sale, up to a limit of $9.7 million, to Wisconsin.

"Spokespersons for the Walker administration and the state Department of Justice did not respond to requests for comment late Wednesday. But Pines confirmed details of the settlement and provided a copy of a stipulation in the case that was signed Wednesday by both sides and that will be filed in Dane County Circuit Court Thursday."

Read more:  http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/talgo-to-keep-trains-get-10-million-more-in-settlement-b99560687z1-322348321.html


The taxpayers take it in the ass again.  No money for basics, but plenty of $ for the fat cats.  They just cost us $10 million.  Will anyone do anything about it?  Hell, no.  We are the sheeple.  The pigs know we won't do anything, so they just keep thieving from us.

"...two state of the art train sets — for a total of roughly $50 million..."  That's what we paid, $50 million for trains we'll never use or even see.  That, my friends, is insanity.

"As Batgirl, Yvonne Craig fought for equal pay"




Yvonne Craig passed away today at 75. 

"Jason Paul's Freerunning Illusions"



Way cool!

Oops.

"This explains a lot"

From The Lonely Libertarian :



That's right.  Dogs are angels.  Cats, too, and lizards and whatever other pets we have.

"Russia probes 'selfie with dead' online community"

"Moscow (AFP) - Russia is investigating an online community that urges members to post selfies with dead people and even offers cash prizes for the best shot, police told AFP on Monday.

"A police spokesman in the northern city of Syktyvkar told AFP they have opened an investigation into a community called 'Selfie with the Deceased' on popular Russian social networking site VK.

"The community's administrators pledge to pay between 1,000 and 5,000 rubles ($15-$76) for the best selfie with a corpse. They say the selfie-taker should be smiling because the deceased 'has gone to a better place.'

"The community's page is filled with photographs of people posing alongside dead bodies at funeral homes."



Humans are crazy. 

I want to sleep there


That's gorgeous.

Hollywood has moved


Like so many corporations, Hollywood has moved overseas where labor rates are lower.  To the left is the new Clint Eastwood, accompanied by the new Al Pacino.

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my delightful friends!  How are you?  The heat of the last week has wilted me, but on Tuesday evening as I write this, it’s in the 70’s with a cool breeze and more summer thunderstorms headed our way.  We can use the water, but not the lightning strikes that knock out power.  Today, Wednesday, is supposed to be even cooler.  That’s fine with me.  It’s always more difficult to get things done when it’s hot and humid.  I just fade from the heat. 

Our mighty Green Bay Packers didn’t fade in their preseason game with the New England Cheaters, I mean, Patriots.  (Is it Patriotic to cheat?)  Our next victims are the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Aug. 23, at noon.  The glorious Packers will defeat them, too.

Locally, the City of Racine continues to gouge residents in any way possible.  They have to take in a lot of money to fight the dozen or so lawsuits against them.  Now they want to increase “fees” on recycling carts after promising us that they’d be free by now.  People are really beginning to get fed up with the BS that Mr. Mayor spews.  STOP lying to us!  The opposition is here.  It might take another lie or incident to coalesce us, but we’re fighting back the lies with the truth.  When the right organizer appears, we’ll take back our city from the liars and thieves and cheats.  I placed the dreaded Zoltar Curse™ on Mr. Lying Mayor.  He just sinks deeper and deeper into the muck of his lies.  If we’re lucky, he’ll drown in it.

Of course, the Journal Times joins Mr. Mayor to rub our faces in their lies.  Hey, JT, think you’re immune from lawsuits?  I know of one that seeks to destroy the JT and damage Lee Enterprises.  Just keep lying to us . . .

OK, that’s enough bile.  I’m in a bad mood, but I shouldn’t let it spill over into my blog.  It’s just difficult to stand by and do nothing as criminals ruin our city.

Here’s an endorsement: Smoke’d on the Water, the boat launch concession stand, is great.  Mr. Caleb Robinson serves up his delicious goodies like always.  The view by the lake is wonderful and the temps are usually cooler.  You can sit outdoors and chat with friends while eating tasty treats.  He also serves beer if that’s your style.  Great prices and local beauty – I love it.

Junior and I visited Smoke’d on the Water last week.  I had to have a Chicago dog because Mr. OrbsCorbs raves and raves about them.  Junior had, I think, a double-order of cheese fries and God-knows-what-else.  The Chicago dog was delicious.  Junior approved of his food, too, by belching loudly.  That boy!

The weather has cooled and I’m feeling a little drowsy.  I think I’ll end this blog right here.

Thank you for reading my blog today.  I love all of my readers.  Someday we’ll have a huge orgy.

Have a problem?  Ask MadameZoltar@jtirregulars.com

Enjoy the summer weather, friends.  I hate to think that we’re already in mid-August.  Soon enough, the s-word will reappear.  But that’s months off, isn’t it?

Open Blog - Wednesday


Is that Puff the Magic Dragon?

Monday, August 17, 2015

"Arizona Rattlers Football Dancing Player"



Hot damn!

"Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Televangelists (HBO)"



Don't you go ripping on my favorite televangelist, Robert Tilton. He speaks in tongues. I don't know whose.

Charlie gets brain freeze

From LiveLeak:

"City alderman, citing national news, asks about police use of force policy"

From The Journal Times.com:



"RACINE — Alderman Terry McCarthy is asking Police Chief Art Howell to give him and his fellow City Council members a review on the department’s policy regarding use of force.

"McCarthy said the request to have Howell speak on the issue before the Committee of the Whole doesn’t stem from complaints he’s received about local policing. He simply wants the city to avoid the allegations of excessive force that have rocked communities elsewhere in the state and country.

"'If anything were to happen in Racine, we should know how the Police Department would react,' McCarthy said. 'If we have any concerns about that, this would be our chance to influence the policy, etc., maybe ahead of time.

"'Every month there is something on the radio: the unnecessary use or force here, the unnecessary use of force there. I want to make sure we are prepared from a policy perspective, and procedural perspective. I want to know the chief’s thoughts on it and what he thinks makes sense.'

"McCarthy said he wanted to make sure that in the event an incident occurred in which force was used, the City Council didn’t learn there was 'official accepted policy' in place that they didn’t know about that didn’t make sense to them.

"'I don’t want to be complaining afterwards. I want to be understanding ahead of time,' he said."

Read more:  http://journaltimes.com/news/local/city-alderman-citing-national-news-asks-about-police-use-of/article_79635660-91b4-5d43-a8dd-6313d591c3e4.html


I just sent an email that states police are "damned if they do, and damned if they don't."  The worst case scenario is our officers second-guessing themselves at the moment of interaction with a possible criminal.

I'm thinking about buying a motorcycle...


I wonder what kind of mileage it gets.

Phone Scammers

Two days in a row now I've received a phone call from a man with a very, very thick Indian accent.  Yesterday, I just hung up.  Today, I played with him. I'm not sure what he's saying, but I think he wants to "fix" my computer.  He had a hell of a time with my first name, so we decided I'm Dennis.  I kept trying to interrupt him, but he was rolling on and on with his spiel.  Finally I got his attention and said, "You must be more polite with people.  Slow down and maybe some will buy into your scam."  That ignited another spiel.  At the end he asked for permission to do something to my computer (which wasn't even on).  Obviously, I said no.  He wanted to know why.  "Because it's a scam," I said.  He said, "How do you know?  Are you a policeman?" I said, "No, Secret Service."  Click.  Bzzzzzzzz.....

Open Blog - Monday


Let's get it over with.