A great quote to live by!

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming

-- WOW--What a Ride!"

Daylight Saving Time Ends Tonight

Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday at 2 AM, when it magically becomes 1 AM again. Don't forget to turn your clocks back or you will be an hour early for church tomorrow.

Piano stairs - TheFunTheory.com

http://www.thefuntheory.com/

"This site is dedicated to the thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better. Be it for yourself, for the environment, or for something entirely different, the only thing that matters is that it’s change for the better."

The site has more fun videos and entries for The Fun Theory Award.

Old British Postcards

Who says the Brits don't have a sense of humor?

Roy D. Mercer - Prank Call To Navy Recruiter

Four for Fridays

Hello everyone! Another Friday with another set of questions for you. So let's talk about lunch!

1) What's your favorite sandwich?

2) What do you prefer, soup or salad?

3) What's your favorite soup?

4) What dressing do you like on your salad?

Enjoy your weekend!

Open Blog - Weekend

Chill out.

"Pull 'Em Up! Supporters March To End Saggy Pants Culture"

In Winston-Salem, NC:



A tip of the hat to Racine's Inisder News Online for this video: http://racineinsider.blogspot.com/2010/11/pull-them-paints-up.html

I got this from a friend,
finally got around to watching it and had
the best laugh I've had in a long time,
hope my link works
(if not, I know some wonderful folks that
can make anything better:) )
enjoy!

funny!!

Mimi, Weather Girl for November 03, 2010

http://www.nma.tv/category/weather-girls/

They know how to do the weather in Taiwan.

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my autumn angels! How are you? It certainly has gotten nippy outside the past few nights, but our days have been pleasant enough. And the Big Wind died down. Oh my, wasn’t that something? Even a tornado! Thank goodness that no one was critically injured and that the CNH plant on Durand Avenue got back to production quickly. Thank you, Mother Nature, for your beneficence. No more jokes about your hearing problems, either, oh dear, no.

Once again our triumphant Green Bay Packers graced us with a win. Our banged-up defense kept the New York Jets scoreless. Hurrah! What a glorious afternoon it was. Our green and gold gladiators have this weekend off for a well-deserved rest. Sleep well, o mighty warriors. Dream of victory.

Many of us awaken today to what appears to be an altered political landscape. Much will be made of this for weeks to come. Madame Zoltar’s advice, however, is to take it all with a grain of salt. Two years ago, one group was celebrating. Today, another group delights. In two or four or more years, one or the other will celebrate again, then the other, then the other, back and forth, again and again. That is how this republic operates. At times, the greatest wonder to me is that we progress at all. Each of us must do our part by holding our representatives to high standards. I am so tired of the political bickering. Our representatives must shed their blind allegiance to party politics and use their minds and hearts and souls to do what is right, not what their parties dictate. Oh my, I didn’t mean to start pontificating. That is why I usually don’t talk politics – it always gets messy.

And that’s also way I’m posting something apolitical and irrelevant. Just for the comedy of it, enjoy Popeye the Sailor Man’s first animated cartoon, featuring Betty Boop:



Watching that reassures me that good triumphs over evil, no matter who won or lost an election. But it still doesn’t make spinach taste any better. I’m sorry, but, no thanks, I pass on that vegetable.

Thank you for reading my blog. My weekly “date” with the Irregulars is a highlight of my life. I am so happy and fortunate to have dear readers like you. Thank you so much.

I don’t tweet (the last I checked), so you’ll have to email me at: madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com.

The time approaches to break out the flannel pj’s and nightgowns. Don’t forget to stock up on supplies for enjoying hot cocoa. “The Iceman Cometh” and it’s a slippery slope from there. Obdormition!

Open Blog - Wednesday

That's right, I'll bend your ear any day.

Face lifts. Why do people do this electively?

I got a mini face lift.... My disability is progressive. As nerves are damaged, I lose muscle control. Sometimes not that big of thing if I can do a work around, somethimes it's aggravating. My right eye was drying out at night, the eye wasn't closing right. The Docs went in and raised my outside right lower eye lid. EEYoww. I don't know if I'm going to look forward to when the left needs this. Then again, a huge difference. I'm waking refreshed. The sleep is so much improved it's a quality of life issue.

No way would I do this for vanities sake. There is no way to make me handsome, so I accepted me ages ago. It wasn't until the Docs said i needed this that I bothered to even look in the mirror. When I did, it was an "Oh wow" moment. "Hey, my eyelids do droop, and the right is real bad." Before I had it done, Bob said maybe I could do a Carnival freek show. From the right, Japanese, and from the left Chinese. Hey, my humor is dark and Asshole buddies are appreciated, Not distinct now that it's done. As the swelling goes down, I'm not looking handsome, but I'm looking normal. Good enough for me. Just take my picture from the right.

Check your ballots if you vote in the 62nd

There have been reports of ballots for the 61st district being cast in the 62nd district. I wont air my conspiracy theory here, however, if your ballot does not say Cory Mason and Chris Wright, ask for a new ballot.

Morning wake up music plus a kicker

Something different woke me up. First it was Billy Thorp Children of the Sun which segued into GFR's (I'm your captain) Getting closer to my Home. and while looking them up this last oldie but Goody popped up.








Where have I been? Darn computer probs. Had to pull out a rusty crusty to get back on line.

Did you vote

Please report in here your polling place and the number you were. Also, how is the turnout at your voting place?

It is your right to vote. If you dont vote, dont participate, you lose the right to complain when things go wrong! Even if it is only for one race, please vote today.

Report in Here!

Please report in when some radio station switches over to Christmas Music. I think it was mid-november last year.

How I see it on Tuesday

Here are my predictions for the election on Tuesday, and in no way represents any opinion but my own:

Govenor
Barrett 44%
Walker 56%

Senate
Feingold 51%
Johnson 49%

House District #1
Ryan 65%
Heckelively 35%

State Senate
Lehmann 48%
Waanngard 52%

State Assembly 61
Turner 60%
Meyer 40%

State Assembly 62 (I really hope I'm wrong on this one)
Mason 55%
Wright 45%

Total Senate
D - 55
R - 45

Total House
D 211
R 224

John Boehner named House Majority Leader.

What do you think?

Open Blog - Monday

Waaa!

"Psychic" Octopus Dies in Germany

I hope you are not insulted by this, Madame Zoltar. The "psychic" tag is part of the AP's title for the video.

Or perhaps you are grieving? In any case, this is sad news.

Venus Passes Through Inferior Cojnunction

Venus passes between the Earth and the Sun tomorrow, October 29th. We usually don't see this phenomena as Venus is up during the day. However, Venus does not pass directly between the Earth and Sun. From our perspective, it passes slightly below the Sun. The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) has a camera with a coronagragph (a little disk the blocks the Sun) and gives us a nice view. Here is a pic from today.

Venus is the bright guy at the bottom. The streak is due to the fact that Venus is so bright, it bleeds over into neighboring pixels.

Now the main reason I mention this is that next time Venus undergoes inferior conjunction, it will pass directly between the Earth and the Sun. This is called a transit and will happen on June 5th/6th 2010 2012 (and I am telling you now, so no crazy people get to say in 2012 that no one predicted this before!) With proper solar filters or a solar telescope, you can see the disk of Venus on the face of the Sun. For most of North America, the transit will be in progress at Sunset (you can find more info about what you can see from your location here). We will see the first part but not the entire transit. The last time this happened was in 2004 and the transit was in progress at Sunrise. If you put the two together, I will have seen a whole transit!

Mark you calendars, because these are much more rare than you think. They occur in pairs separated by 8 years. After the 2012 transit, you have to wait until 2117 for the next one!

Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.

Four for Fridays

Hello everyone! Another wild and crazy week of overtime for me...and I'm not done yet! Hope your week went better than mine. Anyways, here are this weeks' questions on Halloween...

1) What are your plans this weekend? Any Halloween parties planned?

2) What costumes did you wear when you were a kid?

3) Did you ever pull any Halloween pranks? If so, what?

4) What was your favorite Halloween/scary movie?

Enjoy your weekend!

Open Blog - Weekend

Enjoy your weekend!

Have you ever seen a baby porcupine?

The Great World Wide Star Count 2010

Okay, it's the fall version of the citizen science efforts to help quantify light pollution around the world, the Great World Wide Star Count. Participation is simple and requires nothing more than your eyes and a little knowledge. All you have to do is go outside after dark and observe an easy to find constellation (Cygnus if you live in the northern hemisphere, Sagitarius if you live in the southern hemisphere) and match what you see in the sky with one of their star charts. Once you have your data, you enter it along with your latitude, longitude, time and date of your observation and that's it. There is a handy link that will help you find your latitude and longitude based on your address or let you click on a map. You can use a GPS unit or your phone's GPS unit as well. Once you enter your data, you can see it on the results page.

If you go outside your house at make a measurement, that is great. However, you can make multiple measurements at different locations. If you go out to dinner or a movie, take a minute to look up. Don't worry if someone else has already taken a measurement at the same spot...multiple measurements are useful!

I have blogged on light pollution and its effects many times in the past. Light pollution is an big old energy waster since light going to space doesn't do much good for those of us on the ground. People who live near the oceans are familiar with the effects of light pollution on sea turtles. Here in Tucson there is a research project underway to study the effects of light pollution on bats and there are numerous studies underway investigating light pollution's effects on human health as well.

Now as I have mentioned before, the solution is not to turn out all the lights but to make sure we have well designed lighting. Well designed lighting puts light only where it is needed and when it is needed and only the minimum amount needed (too much light can increase glare and can create harsh shadows which reduces visibility). Groups such as the International Dark Sky Association have guides on well designed nighttime lighting.

Light pollution is one of those problems that can be solved with a little citizen involvement to foster awareness on the part of government and businesses when they replace their lights. The benefits include reduced energy consumption, a more natural nighttime environment for wildlife, and increased human health and safety. The first step it to gather data and build awareness which is a major goal of the Great Woldwide Star Count.

Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.

Your Big Ass Storm

Don't know if any of you say this...the storm that passed yesterday...from space.

Pretty impressive...it set the record for lowest pressure in the continental interior (excluding hurricanes and noreasters) at 28.20" (or 954.0mB for those into metric). That is well into hurricane pressure, usually a category 2 or 3. Now this was very different from a hurricane as it was not fed by warm ocean waters but was a cold core storm. Winds won't typically build up quite as intense over land as water either.

Still, it was impressive. Jeff Masters has a blog entry on the storm he posted earlier today. Check out his take on it.

Glad you all seemed to come through all right.

The wind shows us how close to the edge we are.
- Joan Didion





Painting by Vladimir Kush

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my Halloween ghosts and goblins! How are you? How about that wind? Oh my. How frightening to have a tornado touch down right in our county, near a factory and shopping center and schools. And so much property damage done in Racine and Kenosha. And today is supposed to be more of the same. Oh my, oh my. We were enjoying such a long and pleasant run of weather. I thanked Mother Nature loudly and often for her blessings. Perhaps not loud and/or often enough? What is she, deaf? I don’t know. In any case, prepare for the worst, my dears. Batten your hatches and tie down anything that could blow away, including your pets. The meteorologists say that the huffing and puffing should subside tonight. I’ve never really followed that religion, but I’ve noticed that sometimes they are right about the weather. And sometimes not.

I really noticed our magnificent Green Bay Packers on Sunday night as they defeated the Minnesota Vikings. That game went back and forth, back and forth. A real rock-em, sock-em, spectacle. I almost felt a little sorry for Mr. Brett Favre as he hobbled about the field after the game, greeting Packers that he knew. Almost. Right now, though, I think I may feel a little more sorry for his wife. Thank you, our wonderful, beat-up and bruised Packers, for once again giving us a fantastic game and making us proud of you. May you devastate and annihilate the New York Jets this coming Sunday, Halloween. May the powers of the season align themselves with you. Boo!

In the vein of the Halloween season, I found a couple of appropriate videos for my dear Irregulars. The first is an informative short from National Geographic entitled “Halloween History:”



And for laughs, here is “Funny Halloween Pranks:”



Thank you for reading my blog this week my dear, dear friends. Be sure to cheer on our beloved Packers this Sunday and enjoy your Halloween, too. I’m thinking of going to a costume party this weekend as a meteorologist. What do they typically wear?

Please send your tricks or treats, or both, to: madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com.

I love you, my readers, both manual and telepathic. Be sure to be very careful in the windy winds of wind today. Driving, walking, almost anything can be hazardous. Even just sitting at home. Oh my. Lexiphanicism!

Open Blog - Wednesday

Have a bright, purple day!

Remember, cell phones go public this month

Call this number from your cell phone so you don't have to worry about telemarketers or political candidate calls running up your minutes.

REMEMBER: Cell Phone Numbers Go Public this month.
REMINDER.... all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls.

.... YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS

To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: 888-382-1222.
It is the National DO NOT CALL list It will only take a minute of your time.. It blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number.

HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON .. It takes about 20 seconds.

Do Not Call

Why Police Officers Train So Hard

The 2011 Chandra Calendar

The Chandra X-Ray Space Telescope has just released its 20011 Calendar. Best part is its free and you can download it in various sizes. In the olden days, you would have to take it to a professional printer, but now photo quality printers give many people the ability to print the wonderful images on these calendars at home (just be sure you have a lot of black ink handy!)

Chandra observes the universe in X-rays instead of visible light. X-rays are much higher energy and the universe looks very different through X-ray eyes. Chandra observes supernova remnants, active galaxies, neutron stars, hot gas clouds and other high energy objects.

January's image of N49 is a good example of a supernova remnant.

This image is a composite of X-ray data from Chandra and a visible light image from Hubble. The expanding supernova remnant is interacting with the surrounding gas giving rise to an intricate array of filaments. The leftover neutron star is a soft gamma repeater, a neutron star that gives off low energy gamma rays (well, low energy for a gamma ray at least...they really are pretty energetic!) The neutron star is the bright "star"toward the top of the image, just slightly left of center. This explosion was not symmetric so the neutron star got blasted to the side.

So download the calendar...there are 11 more wonderful images and stories to go with this one.

Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.

Our SER is a real gem

I just received a voicemail from SER, telling me he had gone out to my house to check and make sure it was okay after the tornado went through. What a guy....thanks, SER, you made my day. I had just heard the news or rather saw it and was a mite concerned.

I tried to find a picture of Mr. Potato with a crown....boo-hoo...anyway, pretend there is one right here.

Thanks again, SER!!!!!!

Clorox vs. Peroxide: VERY interesting and inexpensive.

This was written by Becky Ransey of Indiana (a doctor’s Wife),

This is what she told me. ‘I would like to tell you of the benefits of that plain little ole bottle of 3% peroxide you can get for under $1.00 at any drug store. What does bleach cost? My husband has been in the medical field for over 36 years, and most doctors don’t tell you about peroxide. Have you ever smelled bleach in a doctor’s office? NO!!!

Why? Because it smells, and it is not healthy! Ask the nurses who work in the doctor's offices, and ask them if they use bleach at home. They are wiser and know better! Did you also know bleach was invented in the late 40's? Its chlorine, folks! And it was used to kill our troops. Peroxide was invented during WWI in the 20’s. It was used to save and help cleanse the needs of our troops and hospitals.

Please think about this:

1. Take one capful (the little white cap that comes with the bottle) and hold in your mouth for 10 minutes daily, then spit it out. (I do it when I bathe.) No more canker sores and your teeth will be whiter without expensive pastes. Use it instead of mouthwash.

2. Let your toothbrushes soak in a cup of peroxide to keep them free of germs.

3. Clean your counters and tabletops with peroxide to kill germs and leave a fresh smell. Simply put a little on your dishrag when you wipe, or spray it on the counters.

4. After rinsing off your wooden cutting board, pour peroxide on it to kill salmonella and other bacteria.

5. I had fungus on my feet for years until I sprayed a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water on them (especially the toes) every night and let dry.

6. Soak any infections or cuts in 3% peroxide for five to ten minutes several times a day. My husband has seen gangrene that would not heal with any medicine but was healed by soaking in peroxide.

7. Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water and keep it in every bathroom to disinfect without harming your septic system like bleach or most other disinfectants will.

8. Tilt your head back and spray into nostrils with your 50/50 mixture whenever you have a cold, plugged sinus. It will bubble and help to kill the bacteria. Hold for a few minutes, and then blow your nose into a tissue.

9. If you have a terrible toothache and cannot get to a dentist right away, put a capful of 3% peroxide into your mouth and hold it for ten minutes several times a day. The pain will lessen greatly.

10. And of course, if you like a natural look to your hair, spray the 50/50 solution on your wet hair after a shower and Comb it through. You will not have the peroxide-burnt blonde hair like the hair dye packages but more natural highlights if your hair is a light brown, reddish, or dirty blonde. It also lightens gradually, so it's not a drastic change.

11. Put half a bottle of peroxide in your bath to help get rid of boils, fungus, or other skin infections. 12. You can also add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of whites in your laundry to whiten them. If there is blood on clothing, pour it directly on the soiled spot. Let it sit for a minute, then rub it and rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary.

13. I use peroxide to clean my mirrors. There is no smearing, which is why I love it so much for this.

14. Another place its great is in the bathroom, if someone has been careless & has peed on the floor around the toilet & it's begun to smell of urine. Just put some peroxide in a spray bottle & spray. In the blink of any eye all the smell will be gone & the bacteria eliminated! I could go on and on.

It is a little brown bottle no home should be without! With prices of most necessities rising, I ' m glad there's a way to save tons of money in such a simple, healthy manner! This information really woke me up. I hope you gain something from it, too.

Know your States

I think this one may have been posted once before, but it's a good refreshers

Know Your States

Open Blog - Monday

Here we go again.

KK Learns How To Play Fantasy Football

Couldn't resist...be sure to watch the whole thing!

Park 6 Re-opening Blowout

Park 6 was open again last night after a 45 day suspension. All hell broke loose. Read the story and see pictures at (where else?) Racine Uncovered: http://racineuncovered.org/?p=22404

Didn't there use to be a newspaper in Racine that covered local stories?

Jethro Tull - "Wind Up"

For the liars, thieves, and perverts who fed me crap for 12 years of Catholic school.
You must be proud of lying John.

Saturday Night Grin

Phil goes to his doctor for his physical and gets sent to the urologist as a precaution. When he gets there, he discovers the urologist is a very pretty female doctor.

The female doctor says, "I'm going to check your prostate today, but this new procedure is a little different from what you are probably used to. I want you to lie on your right side, bend your knees, then while I check your prostate, take a deep breath and say, '99' ".
Phil obeys and says,"99".

The doctor says, "Great". Now turn over on your left side and again, while repeat the check, take a deep breath and say, '99".
Again, Phil says, '99'."

The doctor said, "Very good. Now then, I want you to lie on your back with your knees raised slightly. I'm going to check your prostate with this hand, and with the other hand I'm going to hold on to your penis to keep it out of the way. Now take a deep breath and say, '99'.
Phil begins, "One .. Two ...Three".

"Man Eats Pumpkin, Pumpkin Eats Man"

http://www.youtube.com/user/MrArturoTrejo

I think this is funny, but I've learned that I have a warped sense of humor. The guy has 63 videos uploaded to his YouTube site (above) and almost 50,000 subscribers, so someone else must enjoy him, too. I suspect that Nancy is a very understanding woman.

What kind of drinker are you????

6 beers



2 glasses of wine



2 bottles of wine .. shared, of course



too many margaritas



3 kamikazes



7 rum and Cokes



1 LARGE purple haze



3 Martinis



1 Bottle of Tequila

My life has moved on!

SER, DA, KK, ORBS, STU, ABBEY,LIZARDMOM, TOAD, and anyone else who was here three years ago.

Three years ago today, my husband lost his battle with heart disease. It doesn't seem possible, but, yes, it has been three years.

Immediately following his funeral, like probably two days, you guys set up a gathering at a little restaurant on Hy 20....I hemmed and hawed, but finally got out of my car and went into that joint alone, for the very first time in my entire adult life. I never entered a bar/restaurant alone unless my husband was waiting for me or I was meeting a friend. Here I was meeting a bunch of folks I had met (gasp) on-line. You opened your arms to me and really were there for me during Doug's final illness and immediately after his death.

Thank you all so much for all the love you showed then and you show now.

I have found out who I am without a man and then decided since I was pretty okay with that, I would try the waters again. Wow...luck was with me and now I have another wonderful man in my life...and, again, you guys opened your arms to me with this new guy.

Thanks for the friendship and support you have given me during these changing times in my life.

Love,

Beejay

Tell me a joke!

I've had enough serious crap to last a lifetime this week...tell me a joke....I want to laugh so hard I cry....

Another Swedish Musician

I'm actually getting out and about tonight, going on a hot date with my husband. We are going to go to a concert at a very small and intimate venue so I am really looking forward to it. The performer we are seeing is named Kristofer Åström and he has been someone I have liked for some time now.. I tought this would be a great opportunity to share a song of his to you. This song is one of my favorites by him. I think it is musically beautiful to listen to but the lyrics are quite the opposite. This time it's in English so please enjoy..

Four for Fridays

Hello everyone! Thank goodness, it's Friday! It has been a crazy week working overtime. Looking forward to relaxation this weekend. Here are this week's random questions...

1) Do you have a certain phobia? If so, what are you afraid of?

2) Who do you think is the best American president?

3) If were on death row, what do you want your last meal to be?

4) What you think is the best sight in your town?

Enjoy your weekend!

Open Blog - Weekend

Whew! "Bearly" made it.

The Flu Shot

http://www.flu.gov/

Last year there was a big hoopla about the H1N1 (swine) flu and vaccinations. I got both the regular flu shot and the H1N1 shot. I always get the regular shot and have already received this year's vaccination, which includes the swine flu strains in it.

Are you getting vaccinated this year? Why or why not? Irregular minds want to know.

Are you getting the flu shot?

• Yes
• No
• Undecided

View Results
Create a Blog Poll

A Suicidal Comet

Comets pass near the Sun all the time. We rarely see them since they are frequently small and they are up in the middle of the day since they are close to the Sun in the sky.

Occasionally, one catches our attention. The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) has been up there looking at the Sun since 1995 and seen thousands of these comets. Yesterday it saw a good one. Click the picture to animate it.

The comet doesn't re-emerge on the other side! It probably didn't "crash" into the Sun in the classic sense of the word. Comets are primarily made of ice and this was a small comet so it would have melted long before it hit the surface of the Sun. We see the nice tail form as bits of the comet break off as it melts.

This comet is probably part of what is known as the Kreutz family of comets. Kreutz Comets are sungrazing comets. Based on their orbits, we have a lot of evidence that they all came from a large comet that passed near the Sun and broke up into small pieces a few thousand years ago (based on the number of pieces and their orbits, we can work backwards to get an approximate time frame). SOHO has seen many of these comets over the years.

Comets are cool...watching their last pass of the Sun is spectacular!

Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.

The Very Model of a Modern U.S. President

This ought to test the sense of humor of all political stripes here.

Legal Thievery

Why should we worry about shootings, robbery or any crime in Racine when you have the local government and school board members treating the people of Racine like...I won’t say it, but it ain’t good.

But they will tell you it is for the better of the people!

Taxes on the Rise

More shit from Unified

Doormats with a difference

I got a chuckle out of these so I thought i would post them!