I am upset

I did the ultimate and posted a comment on the Journal Times in the blogging area. My father died of pancreatic cancer, as did my husband's father and my cousin. All way too young.

This Italian Chick comes on and says that the onocologists and cancer clinics don't release the information that there is a cure for cancer. But they don't want it released because it would mean the end of their clinics and jobs. What the fat dog? Anyway, now I am all bent out of shape.

I know some cancers have had advances made. I do know that dead people are not financially beneficial to any doctor or clinic. Am I lost...living in a fantasy world?
By the way, my father would be 100 if he were still alive, so forget the artificial additives! Now why did I even reply to her post??? Am I nuts...oh wait, don't answer that one!

Now this is what I need.......

THE BIG THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!

I have to send out the biggest THANK YOU to my family. Never have I been at a loss for words but you guys got me good with this one. I truly could not have asked for a better group of people in my life. You are all so dear to me. Next I need to say, I read through my contract and am not sure I can adhere to all of the rules.....I must first READ all blogs before I comment? Are you kidding me? I never think before I speak this is going to be a tough one for me. I'll be dismissed if ever a piece of ice touches my wine? I'll have to give up wine!!!!!!!!! By the by I know who made up that rule! .......................................Halebopp...for your generosity blows me away.....Logjam.....I have not enough words of gratitude for you.............Fungi........I thank you from the bottom of my heart...........Avenging angel.............I know who you are now so You'll owe me a drink soon preferably some of the dago wine you brought last night..........Liz...My forever angel I wish nothing but the best for you from this day forward............Drew.............one of the biggest hearts I've ever met, thank you for your continued friendship it means the world to me. Orbs.......Big kisses........nuff said.......Ser the best big brother one could ask for. I'm so sorry I didn't get to share a drink with you last night......Beejay...I hope you know how much I adore you. KK.......You are my heart...........To all of my new family I luv ya all and will try to live up to my potential.

WIsh you were there!

Thanks to everybody that came out for our
1st annual Irregular Christmas party!

We had a nice, relaxing time visiting and hanging out
together.

To those of you that couldn't make it, try for the next
get-together.
I read somewhere that we are perceived to be a 'cliche'. (sp?)
Interesting, I've never been in a cliche, but usually an outsider.

These get-togethers are ALWAYS all inclusive, open to
anyone who would like to come.
My contact info is always available, and
it's never to late to come out and hang with us.
I'm not going to beg, but if you've been checking us out,
maybe consider joining us next time and see the real us,
we're a fun bunch!

A Little Life Story....

Sorry...I broke wind...

Broke wind my ass, you farted!

Is it embarrassing when it happens in public or do you own up to it and be proud that you had the opportunity to share it with everyone?

Actually, it can be quite embarrassing if it has a lump it! HOWEVER, if it has an aroma that can strip paint off the wall, stand up and take ownership!

You are on your first date and you have to let one rip, but nooooo you do not want to be embarrassed so you squeeze your cheeks tight to hold it in. Well we all know after a while the pain...oh the pain; you hold it back for so long when it does finally pop it is so brutal your pant legs flutter in the breeze! Then you have no choice but to take ownership.

Let me tell you a little story. A friend of mine picked me up in the morning to give me a ride to work. Well I happened to be out the night before and so was he. While riding down the street I let one “fly”; well that baby was so hot I thought it was going to put blisters on my ass! The best part he had a Mustang and you know how small they are in the inside, well this cookie had such an aroma my friend slammed on the brakes and jumped out the car and started puking, now that is a fart!

Some say women don’t fart...ya right.

However, there are some sayings out there like: ‘A burp is a smart fart, it took the elevator’ or ‘It’s better to burp and taste it then fart and waste it’. I am sure there are more sayings, but those are two that come to mind.

So in the future, there is no reason to feel the pain, let it fly and hold your head high!

Generation Y

- The Silent generation, people born before 1946.

- The Baby Boomers, people born between 1947 and 1964.

- Generation X , people born between 1965 and 1983.

- Generation Y, people born between 1984 and 2002.

- Why do we call the last one generation Y?

- I did not know, but a caricaturist explains it eloquently below...

A 3D Fly Through of a Supernova

I was at the AAS meeting last week and had little time to blog. Lots of cool results were announced. My favorite is a 3d fly though of the supernova remnant Cas A. This supernova blew up a little over 300 years ago and is one of the brightest radio sources in the sky and one of the closest and youngest supernova remnants making it a prime target for observing.

Only large stars can go supernova. This star probably had about 10 times the mass of our Sun. When it runs out of fuel, its core collapses to a neutron star. A neutron star, as its name implies, is made entirely of neutrons as the protons and electrons get crushed together and form neutrons (plus neutrinos, but they escape the star). The outer layers of the star star to collapse. As the neutrinos encounter the collapsing gas, a huge shock wave forms blowing the star apart. It's pretty complicated, but that's the basic picture (and the detials aren't entirely understood!)

The outer layers of the star contain a wide variety of elements: helium, oxygen, neon, carbon and silicon among others. The added energy from the shock wave can fuse these elements to from gold, silver and, well, all the elements heavier than iron!

So how do we make this 3d fly through? The supernova remnant is 3 dimensional. We can see it expanding. Pieces that move at right angles to our line of site appear to move the quickest across the sky. Pieces coming straight toward or away from us appear not to move at all. For the pieces that appear to move slowly, we use doppler shifts to tell whether they are moving toward or away from us. We combine data from the Chandra X-Ray telecope, the Spitzer Space Telescope (which observes in infared) and ground based optical telescopes, run it through a program called 3D slicer, and you get this.



The little neutron star at the center is about 6 miles wide and has about 1.4 times the mass of our Sun. It rotates dozens of times a second (its rotations speeds up when it collapses similar to a figure skater pulling in her arms and spinning faster).

Fortunately, this was about 10,000 light years away because we don't want one of these blowing up near us!

Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.

Hale Bopp is slacking off.

It's very hard to believe he hasn't come across this very geeky website. I think he has but is keeping it from us. Geeks are hot too ya know.

http://www.hotforwords.com/

This is My Milwaukee

"With containment and decontamination well under way, young professionals are flocking back to Milwaukee. Night life is thriving as though nothing ever happened."

http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/37315034.html

How to Read a Wine Label (Without Ice)

1. Appellation of origin - Wine Growing region
To identify the region compare with the following list of the 13 German wine growing regions: Ahr, Mittelrhein, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Rheingau, Nahe, Pfalz, Rheinhessen, Franken, Hessische Bergstrasse, Württemberg, Baden, Saale/Unstrut, Sachsen.

2. Vintage
The vintage is the year the grapes were harvested. Wine is an agricultural product and consequently very dependent on the weather which in Germany, unlike more southerly climates, can be extremely variable.

3. Village and vineyard
The often difficult to pronounce names on the label indicate the village where the vineyard is located (identified by the -er suffix) followed by another name (often ending in -berg [=mountain, slope] indicating the vineyard site. Proprietary names like "Liebfraumilch" and "Bishop of Riesling" have no vineyard designation, they are a blend of wines from several vineyards.

4. Grape variety
The grape variety used to make a wine is the single most influential factor determining its taste. Different grapes have different flavors, just like different fruits have different flavors. For example: Riesling is a very fruit-driven grape variety providing a fine acidity. Gewürztraminer has very floral, perfumed flavors reminiscent of rose petals while Silvaner is lower in acidity and less floral, rather plain.

5. Level of dryness
The taste/style or level of dryness of a wine depends on the cellar master and is determined in the cellar by the winemaker; it is totally independent of the grape. Dryness levels are not to be confused with ripeness categories which depend on the ripeness of the grapes harvested in the vineyard. Whether a wine is dry or sweet can be indicated on the label. Trocken indicates dry wine without perceptible residual sweetness. It never contains more than 9 grams of residual sugar per liter and often less. It is very dry. Halbtrocken wines are semi-dry and may not have more than 18 grams of residual sugar per liter. With this barely perceptible sweetness, halbtrocken wines are considered "dry" by most wine lovers. If none of the above dryness levels can be found on the label, the wine is most likely a sweeter style wine, but it can range from off-dry to fully sweet. Generally, the sweetness in the wine does correlate with the ripeness levels.

6. Ripeness categories
The ripeness categories are Tablewine, Qualitätswein and Qualitätswein mit Prädikat. The latter is further divided into the ripeness levels Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauselese, Trockenbeerenauslese and Eiswein. More about that on our Ripeness category page.

7. Ap - number
The AP NR. or "Amtliche Prüfnummer," meaning "official approval number" identifies the wine and is required for all qba and qmp wines. It consists of several blocks of numbers identifying the wine like: 5 169 878 0009 93 5 stands for the testing center, where the wine was approved 169 stands for the village in which the winery is located that produced the wine 878 is the code number for the winery 0009 93 reflects, this is the 9th wine tested in the year 1993 (no necessary relation to the vintage of the wine but most often the year after the vintage) This coding enables the official testing centers to identify a wine. If there is any complaint or doubt of authenticity of the wine, sealed bottles which the winery has to keep for a number of years can be cross checked and tasted to investigate.

8. Producer vs. Bottler
Name of producer or estate, in this case the producer is Winzer Bacchus.There are about 100,000 grape growers in Germany, yet only about one fourth as many wine producers. If the label indicates "Erzeugerabfüllung" (estate bottled), it assures you that the grapes were grown and the wine was produced by one and the same grower or cooperative of growers (Winzergenossenschaft). As an alternative to "Erzeugerabfüllung," estates and growers which grow, produce, and bottle their own wine can use the term "Gutsabfüllung" on the label. The grower or collective group of growers is responsible for and guarantees the quality of the wine. Sometimes the bottlers or shipper will assume responsibility and will be identified on the label as "Abfüller."

One for the Non-Smokers

THIS IS A CEILING MURAL IN A SMOKER'S LOUNGE.

Anyone Else Get a Little Something Extra in their Paycheck?

I just checked my first pay stub of this year and it was a few dollars more than my last one of last year. At first I wondered if my FSA contributions were screwed up, but they are fine. I am betting there was an adjustment in the withholding tables due to changed personal exemption for the 2009 tax year...any tax experts out there that can verify this since I am not feeling like digging through lots of IRS tables right now?

Betty Does Bailouts

Well, lots of space news recently from me, but have more than one trick. Moving onto another kind of black hole, it turns out that the the porn industry is now looking for a $5 billion bailout. Turns out they are facing hard times as well.

"But the industry leaders said the issue is a nation in need. "People are too depressed to be sexually active," Flynt said in the statement. "This is very unhealthy as a nation. Americans can do without cars and such but they cannot do without sex."

"With all this economic misery and people losing all that money, sex is the farthest thing from their mind. It's time for congress to rejuvenate the sexual appetite of America. The only way they can do this is by supporting the adult industry and doing it quickly."

So here is the argument. We need lots of people to have babies to produce the next generation of good little indebted consumers. If people are too depressed to have sex and hence babies, the economy will collapse. Porn inspires people to have sex, therefore, we need a bailout of the porn industry to save the economy. QED

I honestly thought this was a joke when I first saw it and I am still hoping it turns out to be.

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my lovely snowbirds! Welcome to this week’s blog.

First, I have some good news: a truce has been declared between me and that Mr. OrbsCorbs. He has agreed to treat me with dignity and respect, and I have agreed not to castrate him again with a hex. See, everything works out for the best in the long run.

I also want to announce that I will do my best to make an appearance at this weekend’s JTI Christmas Party. Saturday is a busy day for me, with astral projecting all over the place for private readings and seances, but I’ll see if I can’t sneak in a visit. If not, have a wonderful time without me, dearies.

Your responses to Mr. OrbsCorbs’ blog on his psychiatrist’s comments about Racine show that this is a healthy group. Accordingly, I’m still not receiving a lot of mail or messages about your problems. That’s a good thing, I suppose. So this week I’m going to join with the others who post musical videos for our enjoyment and edification.

Here’s a video starring Rada, “the Queen of the Gypsies.” Quite an attractive woman, and that pipe only adds to her allure:



The following video is one which I thought that Mr. Drewzepmeister in particular would appreciate. (Note that Mr. Danny Fender is one of my many satisfied customers, having purchased my Guitar Hero Potion #9 for years.)



Here’s a Band of Gypsies performing in San Francisco in 2006:



Finally, a video that explains why you rarely see adult male gypsies dancing. Who can keep this up into their 40’s and 50’s? (Ms. kkdither, perhaps this also helps explains why Mr. Zoltar’s physical movements became so stilted with time. He sure loved to dance, but it darn near crippled him.)



That’s it for this week, my friends. Don’t forget to send your questions and comments to: madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com.

Stay warm and don’t eat any yellow snow. Shalom.

Its okay to laugh

Bush had moments of comedy

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090103/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bushisms

My New Musical Fix: George Hrab

I just got back from the U.S. opening Ceremony for the International Year of Astronomy. Musician, skeptic and blogger George Hrab performed and it was great! I had heard of him before, but never really listened to his music or podcast. Well, color me converted. A man with a guitar and smart, funny lyrics about science, skepticism, and telling you who he is and what he believes (or doesn’t believe). Kind of reminds me of a more scientific version of Pat McCurdy. He also wrote and sings the theme song for the 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast.

So enjoy George Hrab’s “The Assumption”.

Astronomy

Seeing this is the International Year of Astronomy,I'd like to kick it off with an excellent tune from an underrated band,Blue Oyster Cult. These New Yorkers hit it big in the '70's with tunes like (Don't Fear)the Reaper and Godzilla. If you look underneath the surface of their big hits, you'll find a wealth of good tunes like Flaming Telepaths,Shooting Shark,E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrail Intellegence),and Joan Crawford. Not only these guys are talented musicians,they're crafty songwriters as well. They write songs about science-fiction,space,horror,and the Royal Canadian Mounties-often with an uncanny sense of humor. I was fortunate to see these guys in concert right here in Racine at Harbor Fest on 6/15/2002. Great show. This song can be found on their 1974 release Secret Treaties.

Well folks,put your hands together for Astronomy. Be sure to check out the special effects at the end of the tune.

Join In the IYA Opening Ceremony

I should have blogged this earlier, but tonight is the opening ceremony in the US for the International Year of Astronomy. The ceremony is taking place at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Long Beach (I am manning the IYA booth right now).

You can watch the ceremony streaming at the US IYA web site. They will be premiering 400 Years of the Telescope, a movie produced for IYA.

The festivities begin at 7:45pm CST (9:45pm CST) so you night owls can check it out if you are bored!

"Developers propose stores, 55 apartments for West Racine block"

http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2009/01/06/local_news/doc4962c6fe678b0232588945.txt

“'We accepted proposals like this before, so I don’t know why we would not accept this one,' (City Development Director Brian O’Connell) said."


Three words: State and Main.

Wasn't that touted as housing for a new breed of "55 and betters" who wanted to live the urban dream? But when you wake up to the reality of the situation, many of the rentals are subsidized by Section 8, while the retail space on the lower level remains vacant. (I know, I heard, a sandwich shop is going in there. We'll see.) I'm told that the rental tenants are enjoying the on-site theater and gymnasium, while they last.

Mr. Chase Hendrix' comment on the Journal Times story above is one of the most intelligent things I have read on the local development scene. Developers in Racine throw up buildings or rehab standing ones in pursuit of federal and state monies and incentives, then leave generations of us to deal with the consequences. Why does City Hall not only allow this, but endorse it?

As I drove by State and Main today, I again saw an "Emergency Flood Restoration" van parked outside with a large tube leading into the building. They were also parked out there last spring after the rains. And who knows how many other times? This is the building that had to be gutted halfway through its construction because of a massive mold problem. This is the building that was described as an "anchor" for the northern end of downtown (even though the pre-existing and much more aesthetically pleasing M&I Bank building sits directly north of it).

Just so City Hall knows: anchors can sink things, too.

NSF: Science Is Hard

INDIANAPOLIS—The National Science Foundation's annual symposium concluded Monday, with the 1,500 scientists in attendance reaching the consensus that science is hard.

"For centuries, we have embraced the pursuit of scientific knowledge as one of the noblest and worthiest of human endeavors, one leading to the enrichment of mankind both today and for future generations," said keynote speaker and NSF chairman Louis Farian. "However, a breakthrough discovery is challenging our long-held perceptions about our discipline—the discovery that science is really, really hard."

You can read the complete story here.

Note: I am at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Long Beach and probably won't have much time to blog...I might try bloggind a press conference tomorrow for fun (if I can get a wireless signal there!)

Talk about reruns

Gladiators will be returning to the Colosseum to celebrate the 2,000 year anniversary of it's founder's birth, the Emperor Vespasian (b 9 AD, d 79 AD). His son, Titus, completed the project.

You know it had to be some show if it's still in reruns after 2,000 years.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,470047,00.html

My Shrink says Racine is in "Massive Denial"

Just got back from my three month/3,000 mile check up. Of course, I'm still crazy. In yammering with my psychiatrist, though, he made some statements about Racine that I found interesting. While I was whining about my problems, he said, "And it doesn't help having to deal with all of that in a city like Racine." I said something along the lines of while I know that many people bash Racine, I don't think it's such a bad town. "Not bad," he said, "but the people are in massive denial about their feelings. Everyone is passive-aggressive. In Chicago, I have to lead aggression suppression groups because people there are in touch with their feelings and angry; in Racine, you can't even get people to talk about their feelings. I know another small town in Michigan like this one - everyone is repressed."

He also said that the economic meltdown is providing the average person with a "historic" look at how "completely corrupt" our government and business leaders have become, and he expects there will be psychological ramifications from that as people try to reconcile the lies they have been told and believe with the reality of the situation.

I thought he was supposed to make me feel better. :(

It Must Be Monday

No word yet on whether or not Brian murdered the interviewer, or if he just slunk off and committed suicide.

Sheriff's Deputy's Car Rolls Over

SLINGER -- A Washington County Sheriff's Deputy's squad car flipped over and landed on its roof early Sunday morning. Authorities believe the slippery, icy condition of Highway 41 after hours of sleet and freezing rain may have caused the vehicle to flip.

As for the deputy, he reportedly had to be pulled out of his car but has only minor injuries.

He was responding to a motorist in the ditch when the accident happened. The deputy is a seven year veteran of the Washington County Sheriff's Department.

It is unknown if speed and alcohol could have been factors in the crash.

Oh, I just could not resist adding that! They do it for everyone else.

Proof that the Detroit school system works!

This is an actual picture of a Burger King in Detroit .

Woman Sues NYC Transit for $10 Million

"A woman who claims her 120-pound dog is protection from childhood memories of sex abuse is in a big-bucks battle with NYC Transit over whether the animal can ride the rails.

"Estelle Stamm, 65, won $10,000 from the city after two cops gave her a ticket for bringing the pony-sized dog into a subway station.

"Now she's going for $10 million in a federal suit that argues Wargas, her service dog, is protected under the Americans With Disabilities Act.

"'These sons of bitches don't like to be told what to do,' Stamm told the Daily News as she waited for a federal judge to decide whether the suit should be tossed."

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/01/04/2009-01-04_woman_sues_for_10m_for_being_denied_subw.html


Ooo, I think I just got an idea for suing Racine's Belle Urban System. First, I have to get a service cow . . .

Aprons

I rec'd this in an e-mail today...brought a smile to my face when I thought about growing up on the southside of Milwaukee where most of the Moms were seen with those big old aprons with pockets. They got them at Goldmans' Dime Store 'down on Mitchell Street.'

The History of APRONS
I don't think our kids know what an apron is.The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, because she only had a few, it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and they used less material, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms.Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.Send this to those who would know, and love, the story about Grandma's aprons. Or it can be a good history lesson for those that have no idea how the apron played a part in our lives.REMEMBER:Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw. They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron. I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron, but love !!

A Bailout for Newspapers?

Connecticut lawmakers are petitioning state government to help local newspapers: 2009: The Year of the Newspaper Bailout?

Of course, some people are already pointing out the obvious: How objective will newspapers' reporting be on government matters if the government is paying their bills? Kind of like, what kind of reporting can you expect on a newspaper's largest advertisers?

What a farce.


Meanwhile, on the local front:

The Journal Sentinel Online: Lee Enterprises debt raises concerns about future

The Racine Post: Journal Times' parent reports huge loss for 2008

The Journal Times: POLICE REPORTS: Jan. 2

CALMNESS IN OUR LIVES

I am passing this on to you because it definitely works and we could all use a little more calmness in our lives. By following simple advice, you too can find inner peace.

The way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started and have never finished.

So, I looked around my house to see all the things I started and hadn't finished, and before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of Zinfandel, a bottle of Tequila, a package of Oreos, the remainder of my old Prozac prescription, the rest of the cheesecake, some Doritos, and a box of chocolates.

You have no idea how freaking good I feel right now.

Uncle Jay Explains: Year-end! 12-22-08

This (to me) is a scream. It should put a grin on your face!

Where DId the Wooly Mammoths Go?

A report today in the Journal Science (subscription required) argues that comet or metorite impacts may have lead to the demise of the wolly mammoth as well as early human settlers in North America. You can read a BBC article on the research here.

It's pretty widely accepted that impacts can cause mass extinctions. The most famous example is the dinosaurs about 65 million years ago. We have found multiple lines of evidence that an impact caused this extinction including iridium and other unusual elements in sedimentary rocks from this time period and the impact crater off the coast of the Yucatan peninsula (I am not going to try and spell the name of the crater!)

The impact in question would have occurred about 12,900 years ago. They have found iridium in rock layers (called the Younger Dryas or YD Boundary) as well as evidence of large wildfires that can be started by large impacts. They also found nanodiamonds at various sites around North America. Nanodiamonds don't form naturally on Earth's surface, but can form in impacts (if you want go get really technical, they found both cubic diamonds and what are called n-diamonds which have unusal indicies of refraction. n-diamonds are known to occur in metorites but not form naturally on Earth's surface).

But what about the crater? One idea is that the impactor never hit the ground but instead gave rise to an air burst. This would not produce a crater. The Tunguska impact in 1908 was an airburs and leveled quite a large area of forest in Siberia.

This would be an exciting discovery if they could prove an impactor caused this extinction. The more we learn about impacts, their frequency and effects on Earth, the better prepared we will be to handle potential future events.

Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.

911 Call

New Years Day Dip....

Known as the Splash and Dash. Since 1990 the Splash and Dash has grown to see hundreds of Racine residents jump in Lake Michigan on January 1st. and hundreds more come down to North Beach every year to witness this bone-chilling event.

This year I went “as a witness”. Unfortunately, the waves and the ice made it too dangerous to enter the water, so they held a “dry plunge”. I watch several groups get into the spirit of the event and they where running around with just their swimsuits on! I think a few “liquid spirits” help some of these individuals get into the “spirit” of the event.

I did take a few pictures for everyone’s view pleasure. The event had a very nice turnout.

Young Astronomer's Video Contest Winners From Racine

I had to blog this...the Young Astronomer's Video Contest had a winning entry from Racine this year. Students at the Prairie School won for making a short video answering the question, "What is a Black Hole?" The contest was sponsored by Astronomy Magazine, the National Earth Science Teacher's Association and telescope maker Celestron.

Actually, the Prairie School took the top five spots. You can view all their videos here. All the videos are short (less than three minutes) and the last one ends with a fun little poke at all the 2012 end of the world nutjobs.

Congrats to Prairie on a clean sweep!

New Year's Rant

One of the most agonizing times of the year for us long time athletes is January. We get all these New Year Resolution wannabes joining us and suddenly the machines and weight benches are exceptionally crowded. Worse yet, its crowded with people who don't know what they are doing and who think sitting on a machine for 5 minutes in between sets is part of a good workout. Newbies also have no concept of allowing someone to "work in" during those five minute rests either. Rule: If you notice other people doing three or four sets during your rest break, your rest break is too long.

Fortunately, the half-life of the newbies is fairly short. Unfortunately, we get another influx of them in mid-January when the college students return (for college students New Year's Resolutions start when the semester does). Then you get the ones that sit on machines and don't let anyone else use them while talking on cell phones...to the person who has stopped running on a treadmill since they can't talk and run at the same time.

If I can make it February, most of the newbies are gone and things get back to normal. My advice...don't sign a 12 month contract...I have a pretty good idea of the odds of any given newbie making it that long!

Happy International Year of Astronomy!

Today marks the first day of the International Year of Astronomy (IYA). The IYA celebrates 400 years since Galileo made his historic observations. Over 130 countries have national committees organizing events.

The US IYA has its official opening ceremony in Long Beach, California on January 6th in conjunction with the American Astronomical Society meeting. I am involved in a few projects, including the Galileoscope and Dark Skies Awareness. Since I am bloggind and may do a couple of podcasts, I will also be marginally involved in the New Media outreach efforts.

You can follow IYA events on Facebook, Myspace and Twitter.

I would like to point out two events that are already underway. First is the Cosmic Diary. This blog will let you get to know astronomers arond the world. They will blog about their their research as well as their lives, hobbies, families etc. The goal is to let people know what astronomers really do (I know my career is much different than I thought it would be when I was a young boy wanting to be an astronomer!)

The second is the 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast. Each day will feature a 5 - 10 minute podcast produced by a different person or group on a different topic in astronomy. These podcasts are intended for a general audience. You can subscribe via iTunes or listen streaming at the site. And if you have a little interest, you can produce your own podcast for this project! Dates are available later in the year.

There are many more events coming up throughout the year and I will blog them as they come up.

Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.

The Money Shot...

I snapped this one tonight. I walked about a block to get away from my building to get a better view of the western horizon.
Click to embiggen. Look closely between the two palm trees near the center of the image. Those two guys are Mercury and Jupiter! Yep, I got the foursome tonight.

Better yet, I submitted the photo to KVOA, our local NBC affiliate, and they just used it on the local newscast! So yeah, I am feeling a little smug tonight.

Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicst Blog.

Time Warner Cable to Lose 19 Channels at Midnight

Most of the commenters on the Journal Times story are upset: http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2008/12/31/local_news/doc495bc3efe9214389847089.txt

I would miss Comedy Central, TV Land, and some of the movies on Spike.

Welcome 2009...the Year of...

And 2009 has its share of yearly declarations as well.

The big one for me is the International Year of Astronomy. I am involved in a couple of the projects and on one of the planning committees. I am going to the American Astronomical Society meeting in Long Beach to give workshops and the U.S. opening ceremony.

On a related note, 2009 is also the Year of Science. I like 2009 already!

For the animal lovers, 2009 features the Year of the Gorilla.

And when you buy new clothes, remember that 2009 is the International Year of Natural Fibers.

These are just a few of the celebrations we have to look forward to starting tomorrow!

Goodbye to 2008...the Year of...

Lots of things to say goodbye to and I am not going to try and outdo the newspaper lists, but rather, say goodbye to some things you might never have said hello to.

For example, 2008 was the United Nations International Year of the Potato. That's Indiana Spud who seems very happy with his discovery.

We also bid farewell to the Year of the Frog. Yes, Kermit was involved, but the message was a little more serious...trying to get out the word about declining amphibian populations.

And the International Year of the Reef is also coming to an end. Hope everyone had a chance to go scuba diving.

2008 was the Year of Reading in the UK, so you are participating by reading this.

And my personal favorite...2008 International Year of Sanitation. It may sound like a joke, but not so much if you live in a country without good sanitation.

I am sure there are other organizations that celebrated their own years in 2008 so feel free to add to my list of Celebrations of the Year gone by.

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, peoples! A Most Joyous, Wonderful, Memorable, Prosperous, Healthy and Happy New Year to each and every one of you! May the Sun light your way through every day of the coming year, and may the Moon illuminate your backside as each night falls.

I have consulted my crystal ball and I am ready to make personal predictions for some of my fellow Irregulars. First, I’d like to say that the overall 2009 outlook for JTI bloggers and readers, with one notable exception, is good. I see us learning from our mistakes and taking comfort with others when we hurt. I see us helping others. I see us growing as individuals and as members of the human race. I see us becoming more irreverent, more irregular, and more irresistible.

[The exception, of course, is that arrogant, mean-spirited, little man who infects this site. His year will be as hellish and dark as his soul. Enjoy, OC.]

For the delectable Ms. kkdither, I predict an encounter with a mysterious, tall, dark stranger in 2009. He will turn out to be from the IRS. Tee-hee. I’m sorry, I jest. What I really see for her is some peace in 2009, some room to breathe, as it were. Just don’t inhale too deeply – Racine is out of EPA compliance.

I predict a stellar year for Lizardmom, including recognition and reward at work and at home. I see that she will continue to master projects in and outside the home. I suspect that she might even reward the author of this blog with some delicious treats at the upcoming 1st Annual JTI Christmas Party.

My crystal ball told me that SER will win big in the lottery in 2009. It also told me that he will give most of it away, because that’s the kind of guy he is. Then he will get that visit from the tall, dark IRS agent.

AvengingAngel will also win in the lottery next year. He will lose his winnings in the schizophrenic stock market and on sports bets. However, he will have a hell of a good time doing it.

I see that while he recovers from his recent surgery, it will be discovered that Mr. logjam inadvertently received an elbow joint in place of his knee. This strange situation will lead to his becoming professional baseball’s first pitcher to throw with his leg. While the odd delivery method throws most of his opponents off of their game, it is eventually ruled that the “foot-ball,” as logjam’s pitch becomes known, is illegal.

In early 2009, I predict that Robert Plant will change his mind about a Led Zepplin reunion tour, which will kick off in midyear. Mr. drewzepmeister will enter a contest for tickets to one of their shows in Chicago. He will win the grand prize of dinner with the band, front row seats and backstage passes to all three of their Chicago shows, plus a weekend’s stay at the same hotel as the band in adjoining rooms with access to all private press and party events. Don’t forget your earplugs, Mr. drew.

Mr. hale-bopp will continue to find professional and personal success in the coming year. He will ascribe this to his native intelligence coupled with hard work and his charming personality. I will continue to let him believe that.

Beejay, perhaps the biggest-hearted Irregular, will have a relatively reptile-free year in 2009. Her optimism and work with others will nourish her flowering as a person.

I predict that Huck Finn will enjoy watching the new administration establish itself.

Cyndi and ABBY, the party animals of the JTI, will take part time jobs as go-go girls at a newly opened bowling alley-discothèque in downtown Racine. The establishment will be called “Gutterz.”

My crystal ball shows that RWWackostu will win his first election in 2009, starting him off on a political career that ultimately will culminate at the White House, with his appointment to a newly created cabinet post, Secretary of Music Videos.

DogAddicts will heal in the next year and continue to find love with family, friends, and pets.

Mary, homemomof2, Why Not?, fungi, and all the others will be blessed in ways small and large in 2009. Happy New Year to you all!

Don’t forget to send your questions and comments to me at: madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com.

Mew, mew, my kittens. Adieu.


P.S. Behave tonight!

Where does women's money go....

China is Building the World's Largest Radio Telescope

For about 45 years, the 1000 foot diameter radio telescope at Arecibo has been the largest in the world (also known as that radio telescope they used in Goldeneye). Now China has something bigger planned.

They call if FAST (Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope...I wonder how that translates?) and is is being built by the National Astronomical Observatories. It will have a similar design, built into a natural depression. It's collecting area will be about 2.5 times that of Arecibo. The telescope will not be able to move. By moving the receiver, they can observe anything within 40 degrees of vertical.

The telescope will observe in frequencies from 70Mhz (a little below the FM band) up to 3gigaherz (a little above our typical microwave oven's 2.4Ghz).

As the Chinese embark on this project, Arecibo is fighting for survival. It must find more external funding sources to survive due to National Science Foundation budget cuts. It is still a great facility and can do cutting edge research with proper instrumentation.

China has already taken the lead over the U.S. in manufacturing...I shudder to think what will happen if they take over the lead in science research. You might think who cares if they take over the lead in astronomy, but they have their eyes on other scientific fields as well so we had better get our act together.

Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicst Blog.

Happy New Year!

Have you made any resolutions for the coming year?

I think this past year has seen me through a very difficult time in my life. I have found out that I am worthy in my own right; that I am a strong woman and very capable.

I have started doing volunteer work at our local library in a bookstore that is stocked with donated books from people in our area.

I have also had a couple of men ask me out...the latest was a street-corner minister. He owns a farm in the Everglades...that sent up red flags, let me tell you! Think the phyton that tried to eat the alligator. Maybe I read too many of those scary books! And, NO, I am not going out with him. I'm sure he has an alligator as a house pet.

I will also be starting to tutor in the adult literacy program in both proper language usage and math. This should be very interesting. I only have one student, so it is one person's life I'm about to turn upside down either for the good or not so good. Thank goodness it's only one! I have spoken to the student, who reads at a third grade level and has no math skills. She wants to be an LPN or Phlebotomist (is that spelled right???)...Guess she could have said brain surgeon next, oops, that would a neurologist!


For the coming year, I resolve:

To be a better person than I was this year. Play nice and fight fair. (No, not Ken Fair!)

To continue to let my heart heal; I think I'm doing well in that department, finally. Sort of.

To continue to not act my age (that's a good thing, I think?)

To continue to let people think I can dance (NOT). Right up there with not acting my age.

To learn more about football. The only thing I am sure about is a touchdown and a field goal. I do know what colors the Packers uniform is..honest...

To try to avoid being run over by one of these elderly folks in their motorized wheelchairs. My leg is still bruised. The nerve of that man, no back-up alarm on his little trolley. Almost had me in his lap.

And to find a way to fix the economy as well as the world hunger issues. Oh wait, I think SER said he would do the economy for me and Liz probably has some great plan for the world food problem. You know how effective she is in that area.

But all-in-all, I think I will just end up being Beejay who loves to talk and joke and have fun. Remember, there is humor to be found in almost any situation.



I want to hear some outrageous New Year Resolutions from you guys. Oh, SER, we know what you will be doing...get that calculator out NOW. My stocks need help.

To each of you I wish only the best of the best for 2009!

Hypnotize Yourself

Relax. Relax. Relax. You will send all of your financial information to orbscorbs@jtirregulars.com. Relax. Relax. Relax. . . .

Thought JT Couldn't Get Any Worse....

Thought the JT blogs couldn't get any worse... Think again. I just took a recent browse at the old site and was shocked to find commercialized blogs on the site! It seems that advertisers are paying to post blogs up now. I realize that the Lee Enterprises stock is only about $.50 cents a share now,but this is plainly ridiculous. That site is basically a ghost town now. Glad I'm here!!!

http://my.journaltimes.com/post/Businesses/Urban_Trends/blog/_introducing_eyelash_extensions_.html

Another Chance at the Threesome...

Not THAT kind of threesome Orbs. I am talking about the Moon, Venus and Jupiter. They are not nearly as close now. Jupiter is much lower in the sky and you probably need to get out fairly quickly after Sunset to catch it. I did that tonight. Jupiter is below and slightly to the right of the Moon, barely above the building. Venus and the Moon should be obvious.

The Moon is going to be closer to Venus tomorrow night and closest on December 31st (the forecast for Racine is not good for tomorrow night but potentially good for the 31st.) You can really see the movement of the planets relative to each other compared to the conjunction in early December.

I took these pictures a few minutes ago. I turned around and looked east and saw Orion rising above the Rincon mountains and couldn't resist trying my hand at that shot.

You can see some prickly pear cactus in the foreground and the familiar outline of Orion, including his sword. You can see some coloration on the left mountain peak...that is snow if you can believe that. Actually, you dont' have to believe me...you can see. Here is a picture of
the mountain taken a couple of days ago.
Not quite the same zoom settings, but you can see the cactus and the mountain.

Wisconsin's Most Absurd News for 2008

From the Journal Sentinel Online: http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/36814459.html

Beejay, it includes one for you:

"But that surprise paled when compared with one in Beloit when a landlord checked a vacated home and found someone left behind a pet with a disconcerting rattle - a baby western diamondback rattlesnake.

"The Rock County Humane Society removed the snake, then tried to figure out what to do with it, after making sure there was some anti-venom serum on hand.

"'We thought maybe it was a python, or something else, because no one has rattlesnakes,' said James Hurley of the humane society."

If 2008 is dragging on for you, here's why

Make sure you enjoy that extra second.

"Obama bristles as the bubble closes in on him"

"The media glare, the constant security appendage and the sheer production that has become a morning jog or a hankering for an ice cream cone – it’s been closing in on Barack Obama for some time.

"Now the president-elect appears increasingly conscious of the confines of his new position, bristling at the routine demands of press coverage and beginning to chafe at boundaries that are only going to get smaller."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/16882

I understand the need for security around the president or president-elect, but does he need to be followed around full time by a cortege of reporters? The story above notes that Obama ordered a tuna melt sandwich on 12 grain bread as reporters hurriedly scribbled down his every action. Do we really need to know what he is eating, right down to the type of bread? More importantly, what does such prying do to those who are constantly spied upon? Our leaders are further and further insulated from the realities of our day-to-day life by the people who are supposed to be keeping the public informed, but in reality they are looking for the slightest scrap of dirt, any possible misstep, or other unfortunate incident to trumpet to the world as news. These are the same yahoos who immediately stick a camera and microphone in the face of survivors of a tragedy, or swarm like locust to feed on suffering anywhere in the world. As they point to the wrongdoing of others like kindergarten snitches, they never once look at themselves or the immeasurable harm that they inflict upon others in their quest to manufacture news. To me, today's journalists are about the same as the politicians themselves: just another group of liars and self-serving obstructionists that we the people have to wade through in our pursuit of the truth.