Marine Life

If you are interested in seeing more send an email to operator@wi.rr.com, I have a PowerPoint file I can send you and there are 79 pictures in it.

.....SER

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my sundry sunflowers! How are you? Have you been enjoying the summer so far? I bet Ms. Why Not is, gallivanting all over the place to soak up the sights and sounds. She probably does more sightseeing in one day than I do all year. Oh my. We have some decent weather, so Why Not? Tee-hee.

This coming Monday is the 4th of July, a day of celebration and/or debauchery in Racine, depending upon how you look at it. I am glad that I do not have to look at it as a police officer on that day. Oh dear. Our men and women in blue have their hands more than full on the 4th of July. Thank you so much, Racine Police, and Sheriff, and Mt. Pleasant and Caledonia police, and firefighters and paramedics and staff and everyone who works so hard to keep the rest of us safe on the holiday. May you be blessed with abundant patience and tolerance. May the day pass without serious incident. We are grateful to you all.

For some reason, Senor Zanza has no interest in the festivities in Racine on the 4th. In fact, he says he’s leaving town Friday, and will return “when things get back to normal.” Fine. Suit yourself. Junior and I will watch the parade near Mr. OrbsCorbs’ place. (He doesn’t know it yet, but he’s inviting us over for the 4th again this year.) I heard that Charlie received a 6 foot tall cat tree and we want to see him playing on it. Junior loves that cat. He also loves the girls walking around at the parade, so I have to keep an eye on him. The real problem is the fireworks. I don’t have much interest in that mob scene on North Beach, but Junior insists upon seeing them. I can’t blame him. I was the same way when I was his age. Last year, the crowd got so tight and close as everyone was leaving after the fireworks that I astral-projected Junior and I right out of there. As usual, we landed in the shrubbery outside home.

There’s so much more happening in our area this weekend that I can’t list it all. See for yourself at the Journal Times’ “Your guide to summer fun in Racine County:” http://www.journaltimes.com/lifestyles/leisure/article_ff8c2baa-7672-11e0-88b9-001cc4c03286.html

I wish Junior would just settle for watching this:



Thank you for reading my blog, my dears. The pleasure is all mine. I’m so lucky to be the JTI’s psychic. The most wonderful group of people calls me their friend. I am honored.

Who put the bomp in the bomp, bah bomp, bah bomp? Find out here: madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com.

Enjoy the hazy, crazy, lazy days of summer, my sweets. Have fun on the 4th, but be careful. (I’m such a mother.) I love you all. Lalochezia!

Open Blog - Wednesday

Happy Wednesday.

This is what's new

As some of you know, I lost my big iguana, Sly, early in June.
I was crushed. He was my cuddle buddy (I KNOW, some folks don't understand it but it's true).

I didn't think I would be ready to replace him this soon but I thought I should start checking adoption sites for what is out there. I only wanted to adopt a rescue lizard, as there are many out there in need of homes. Through Petfinder.com, Flash was listed. Flash is the bright green, super adorable little ig in the picture above. He was at an avian rescue and education place in Hubertus.
The more I read about Flash (which wasn't much), the more I felt drawn to him.
Maybe it was how out of place he must feel being kept, tho safe, in a place filled with loud birds. I called my sister and we took a road trip the very next day, and on June 14th, Flash became one of the family.

The 21st of this month, my neighbor's granddaughter (and a friend of ours), sent a message to me through facebook asking if there was any way I could take in their bearded dragon. This is actually the kind of lizard I was looking for, knowing 'froglover' was also interested, as we've had them before. They are docile, and cuddly, even though they are prickly. I told her we could, and as of June 25th, Titus became one of the family as well. His 1st day here was spend checking everything out, and looking for trouble. I kept the window of the enclosure open to see what he'd do, and sure enough, he was checking for an escape route - booger! He has since settled in and settled down. Both transitioned well to us, which is always a good thing. I went from lizardmom to lizardlessmom to dual lizardmom :) Life is good :)

Crazy question (PS - I'M BACK!)

Ok, what is the strangest thing you've ever done in the heat of frustration?

Did it turn out well?

I haven't been able to post thanks to my hubby's tinkering with a whole different account on my computer. Somehow it connected them both and something went haywire and I lost my ability to connect and be able to post.
I couldn't get back into my own blog, it would not recognize me even tho my email address and other things were still correct.

I have been tinkering and trying my darnedest to come up with something that would work.
I gave up and created a 2nd blog to replace the one I could no longer access :(
Fine, all well and good, except it messed up my settings here too...

He tells me earlier this week that we're switching internet providers....
I HATE CHANGE, and I very very very much dislike having to change email addresses. This put me over the edge and I sprung for my own domain. it was cheap and I had enough of his changes, and sent him the very 1st email from my new domain account to tell him - HA!! Was he surprised, amazingly not as much as I would have thought! I guess we've been married long enough I don't surprise him by much anymore LOL!!!

Do I have a clue what I'm doing, heck no. I just wanted to own thing.
I checked on a whim to see if lizardmom.com was available. When it said it was,
after I stopped laughing in amazement, I did it!
Am I happy I did, yup. Still kinda tickled that it exists.
Will I do anything with it? probably not, as I have no clue what to do and nothing really to do with it.

I'm usually a little more rational and roll with whatever but hearing of one more change put me over the top. I needed an email and identity that wouldn't change, an account that was compatible with BOTH this blog as well as my own, an NO MORE CHANGES if I have anything to do with it.

I'm a very patient person but I do have my limits.
(brings back the day a coworker of mine pointed out that while I was telling her I'm a patient person, I was very mad at someone else haha)

Tell me I'm not the only one to do something crazy when pushed a little too far too often - please :)

Something to Do........

TRY TO PUT THE ARROW ON THIS GUY'S FACE

Self Control Freak

WOMEN

A real woman is a man's best friend.

She will never stand him up and never let him down. She will reassure him when he feels insecure and comfort him after a bad day.

She will inspire him to do things he never thought he could do; to live without fear and forget regret.

She will enable him to express his deepest emotions and give in to his most intimate desires.

She will make sure he always feels as though he's the most handsome man in the room and will enable him to be the most confident, sexy, seductive and invincible...

No wait...SORRY.

I'm thinking of whiskey. It's whiskey that does all that shit.

Never mind.......

Best Roller Coaster Ever!

I so want to go this ride :)

Rollercoaster Safety with Patrick Warburton - watch more funny videos

Mapping the 2010 U.S. Census

This is really neat, you can see all kinds of demographics of anywhere in the US

Mapping the 2010 U.S. Census

The Crowd at the Beach!

My boyfriend and I went out for drive this weekend and I decided to take some pictures of North Beach. I just couldn't believe how crowded it was not only on shore but out on the water too. Also just trying to drive through there was unbelievable. They finally but the fence up on the left side so no one can park on the grass now.

This is a picture by the beach you can see a lot of people on the sand. There are some people out in the water also.

This picture is a couple of boats lined up by the shore. There was so many lined up there I couldn't get more than this. There was also a lot of sailboats out on the water.

This is a jet ski with someone on the inner-tube in back. I thought this was really neat and I wanted to get this picture.

I just thought I would share with you how it looked down by the beach this weekend. The traffic there was horrible and I am glad we didn't stay that day. I hope everyone enjoys the pictures.

Ya ya songs?

While I couldn't "hear" the Yas, yas song, this one popped into my head.

Open Blog - Monday

Watch out.

Sunday Afternoon Videos

I've been around....traveled... Over the years of my life, I've seen the majestic snow capped mountains of Colorado reflecting a mirror image on a crystal clear lake. Seen the vast waters and felt the sea breeze of the Pacific Ocean as I waded in the waves off the coast of Oregon. Gazed in wonder along the lines of palm trees at the golden sandy hills of Southern California. Yet, to this Midwestern native from Wisconsin, there is no place like home...


Home, that someone would describe as "flat as a pancake". Yeah. From what I see in this land of rolling hills of corn, the ample barns and silos and desolate towns and villages is the integrity of the people who live here. The integrity of who we are... Farmers and industrial workers. The blue collar of America's Heartland and taking pride in who we are....

Yet, some amazing music has come from America's heartland... First we have John Cougar Mellencamp. Born and raised in Indiana, Mellencamp often sang about teen rebellion, the plight of the farmers and life of the heartland of America.... He often gets political, but we're not going to into to it are we? Here's one of my favorites, "Small Town", from the Scarecrow album.



Next is Kansas, a progressive rock band from where else? Kansas, of course. This six piece band rose to fame in the '70's with their heart warming lyrics of spiritual uplifting, Native Americans and other things that will ponder the mind. Their music is a mix of American-style boogie-rock and complex, symphonic arrangements with changing time signatures. Here is a cool video of one of their lesser known songs, "Cheyenne Anthem" off of their best album, Leftoverture.



The recent passing of Clarence Clemons, of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band had affected me deeply. Few musicians can match the "Big Man" in the terms of the sax.His sax solo on "Jungleland" is one of the most impressive I've ever heard. I've never seen Bruce Springsteen in concert, but I've heard it's an experience itself. An experience I'd always wanted to try. "The Boss", lyrically has the most visionary approach to the America's Heartland that I've ever known. His blue collar feel singing away about the misfortunes of America, yet embracing to the heart. Springsteen is the true defender of the faith in the heart of America.

Question of the day...

Nagasaki 1945, after the atomic bomb:



Nagasaki 2011, following earthquake and tsunami:



And now for that question ...

Just what in the hell is that arch
made out of anyway?

Kenosha Fresh Market

WOW!! I finally drove down and checked the place out. I have NEVER seen such a HUGE variety of produce and meat. Goat meat anyone? Cactus? So many different types of peppers you get lost wondering what's hot, what's flame thrower, and what might be easy on my American pallet. After getting the flier for a year, I finally went. I'll be going back. It looks like I'll be doing some new food experiments as the choices were enough to make eating very interesting.

City of Racine is Inconsistent

Here is a business reported by OrbsCorbs about Cosmic Corner and their painting of their building. The city says it doesn’t fit with the look of the area.

Well here ya have a property owned by the city which doesn’t fit the color scheme of the area either; West Racine, but I don’t see them complaining about this!

This building use to be Santa’s House during the Christmas season. They use to have a Santa in there during certain hours of the day for the kids.






Cosmic Corner Colors Will Change

Culled from Spam

I trade spam emails with a few buddies, including SER. We forward the latest gags and videos and whatever to each other. Often these emails have various things attached to them (advertisements and/or links) that I try to remove, as well as the recipients' history, before I pass them along. Yesterday, I came across this little ditty at the bottom of an email about a completely different subject. I removed it before forwarding the email, but I saved it. I think it's kind of neat and it deserves a blog of its own:

This is funny, but true.

There's always a little truth behind every just kidding.

A little knowledge behind every I don't know.

A little emotion behind every I don't care.

And a little pain behind every it's okay.
 

Four for Fridays

Hello everyone! Welcome back to another amazing episode of Four for Fridays after an extremely long week. The questions are random....

1) What is the oldest thing you own?

2) What is your idea of a perfect romantic evening?

3) What role in a movie would you like to play?

4) Have you ever locked keys inside your car?

Enjoy your weekend!

Open Blog - Friday

Aloha!

"Respect The Senior"

I know kk will appreciate the music.
 

"New…Mayor John Dickert is now suing the City of Racine"

From Racine Uncovered:

"12:40 p.m. – Mayor John Dickert is now suing the City of Racine related to the William Bieldfelt civil case. I just spoke with Tom Santarelli, the attorney representing William Bieldfeldt. Civil case William Bielefeldt vs. John T Dickert et al Racine County Case Number 2011CV001078

"To date the City of Racine has not responded to the claim from Mayor John Dickert in the lawsuit. Tom Santarelli stated during my interview that yes in fact Mayor John Dickert has filed a lawsuit against the City. Basically what it comes down to is if Dickert loses this lawsuit he wants to City of Racine to pay for it. It’s also stated that part of the reason this is being done is to try to possibly obtain a new judge, because of the way the current judge has ruled so far."

Read more:

http://racineuncovered.org/2011/06/mayor-john-dickert-is-now-suing-the-city-of-racine/

lol. I love a circus.
 

Miller Mile 225

In Pit garages,shmoozing with drivers and crew, adored by foxy women. The tyke with the gold walker had the most amazing happy personality I ever saw. What a weekend.

still fighting with picture size. But closer

"I'm just sayin"

Speech mannerisms of the Droop Drawer Set. Like, I'd rather listen to a Valley Girl like. It kind of gags me with a spoon to read those words and like, the words are usually right after a moronic post. At least a Valley Girl has like, a tan, ya know? I'm just sayin....

it's cloudy and raining. time for country

And under, Life is truly amazing, THIS guy actually has GROUPIES.

Local Company hits the News

"US Airways cross-dresser says he does it for fun"

From The San Francisco Chronicle:

"(06-22) 17:23 PDT PHOENIX -- A man who flies US Airways in women's skimpy clothing, including little more than undergarments at times, said Wednesday that he does so to make business travel more fun, and complies with employees' requests to cover up - though they rarely ask.

"The 65-year-old Phoenix man, who spoke to The Chronicle on the condition that his name not be published, said he was unaware that a photo taken of him wearing ladies' blue underwear and black stockings at the airport in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on June 9 had thrust him into a debate about racial profiling, travelers' security and appropriate airline attire.

"The man said he works as a business consultant and flies several times a month as a preferred customer on US Airways. He's flown in scanty female clothing for several years and has put on a sweater or pants the few times an employee has asked, he said.

"'It has never been my intent to put people in a situation where they feel uncomfortable,' the man said during a phone interview. 'I try to respect other people's opinions. As long as my dress is not indecent from a legal perspective, and so long as the airline does not object, I have the right to wear what I wear. And others have the right to wear what they want to wear.'

"The photograph of the white-haired traveler at the Fort Lauderdale airport showed his exposed mid-section and thighs, and was taken by a passenger who said US Airways employees had ignored other passengers' complaints about his apparel.

"Six days later, a college football player at San Francisco International Airport allegedly refused a US Airways employee's request to pull up his sagging pants, sparking an argument that led to his arrest.

"That man, 20-year-old Dashon Marman of San Francisco, was booked on suspicion of trespassing, battery and resisting arrest, but prosecutors have not decided whether to charge him.

"Marman's attorney, Joe O'Sullivan, accused US Airways of racial discrimination for requiring his client - who is African American - to pull up his pants, while allowing a white passenger to fly 'in his underwear.'"

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/06/22/BAH01K1EK2.DTL#ixzz1Q3Y3fQDZ

I don't think they should let this guy fly in ladies' underwear publicly, but if that's the way they want to run their airline, who am I to say?  But then it does seem seem hypocritical to bust a guy for sagging pants. 

Angels - "My Boyfriend's Back"

Damned if I know why this stuff pops into my head.
 

To my friends

Be mindful that happiness isn't based on possessions, power, or prestige, but on relationships with people we like and respect.

Remember that while money talks,

CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM SINGS!

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my water lilies! How are you? Did you survive last night’s storms? There was plenty of thunder and lightning and rain. And there’s supposed to be more on its way. Oh my. I guess that’s the price we pay for our summer warmth. Summer storms can be beautiful to watch, but they can also be destructive. I hope that all of my dear Irregulars and everyone else is OK.

I don’t know if any of you noticed this story on the Racine Uncovered website, but I feel that I must comment on it: "Porn Star to visit Racine". I urge Ms. Cherokee D’Booty to please stop degrading herself for the perverse pleasure of her sick audience. And if she must do it, then please do it somewhere other than Racine. Did you see that poster? Oh dear. Oh my. Oh dear, oh my, oh dear.

Ms. D’Booty aside (if that’s possible), I must admit to a little apprehensiveness over the approaching three-day 4th of July weekend. I fear that some people will display their “patriotism” by making one big binge out of it. Please, if you are inclined to party hearty, please remember to have a designated driver and maybe even a designated babysitter to control you if you get too rowdy. They could be one and the same. In any case, everyone be careful, but have a great time. The 4th of July events in Racine are something we all can crow about.

The upcoming weekend in Racine is no slouch, either. Once again, I’ve posted a screenshot of events posted on the Journal Times website at “Your guide to summer fun in Racine County". That is a wonderful public service that they provide. Out of all of the events, the one that sticks out to me is the Armenian Picnic. Mmm, yummy good!

I look forward to seeing my friends again at next month’s JTI gathering. Senor Zanza wants to meet all of you, especially Mr. OrbsCorbs in order to allay his fears about Senor Zanza’s intentions towards me. You must promise to behave, boys. I don’t want any fighting over me. Tee-hee.

Thank you dear you for visiting my blog today. I love the company. I enjoy your input. I feel your thoughts. We are all one. The JTI is only a website to some, but to me it is alive and well. Thank you, thank you.

What will the next Washington scandal be? Which celebrity hits rehab next? Want to know? Contact me: madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com.

Try to keep your powder dry, my dear Irregulars, in the days to come. As long as it rains during the week and not on the weekend, most people will be happy. They say it’s impossible to make all of the people happy all of the time, but that’s because “they” haven’t tried Madame Zoltar’s® Joy Juice, with my secret ingredient, Happinex™. Gambrinous!

Racine's water best in the nation.

RACINE - Racine's water has been named the best in the nation.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors awarded Racine the title of best tasting city water in America.

Mayor John Dickert picked up a $15,000 cash prize from a contest sponsor for his city.

Racine's water comes from Lake Michigan and is double-filtered.

Racine Water

Open Blog - Wednesday

Enjoy your day.

"Senator Congressman Small Weiner Gets in Trouble Again"

Another YouTube submission from Mike P.:

"Ganzenpas"

"Een doordeweekse dag in Diest" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxDjuZY1oC0

Google Translate says the title means "Goose" (Dutch). And the phrase above means: "A weekday in Diest."

I like it.

Business Opportunity for Beejay

"Village bites into snake business"

"(Reuters) - This sleepy village nestled in the heart of vast farmland in China's eastern Zhejiang province hides a deadly secret.

"A step into the homes of any of the farming families here brings visitors eye-to-eye with thousands of some of the world's most feared creatures -- snakes, many of them poisonous.

"Cobras, vipers and pythons are everywhere in Zisiqiao, aptly known as the snake village, where the reptiles are deliberately raised for use as food and in traditional medicine, bringing in millions of dollars to a village that otherwise would rely solely on farming.

"'As the number one snake village in China, it's impossible for us to raise only one kind of snake," said Yang Hongchang, the 60-year-old farmer who introduced snake breeding to the village decades ago.

"'We are researching many kinds of snakes and the methods of breeding them.'

"In 1985, Yang started selling snakes he caught around the area to animal vendors. He soon began to worry that the wild snakes would run out and thus began researching on how to breed snakes at home.

"Within three years, he had made a fortune -- and many other villagers decided to emulate his success.

"Today, more than three million snakes are bred in the village every year by the 160 farming families."

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/20/us-china-snakes-odds-idUSTRE75J46F20110620

Dang, I wish there was something I could gather up around Racine and sell. We have only the two-legged variety of snakes and no one wants them.

Open Blog - Monday

Yup.

So KK You Wanted Paris.....

Sorry, didn't go to the top. I wasn't going to wait in line for FIVE FRICKIN' HOURS!







SANCTUARY! Otherwise know as Home of the Fighting Irish.






Visiting this choked me up a little. After WWII, a postage stamp was issued with a picture of American soldiers, specifically the 101st Airborne marching under the Arch. My father was somewhere in that picture.




This is a tomb believe it or not. And as big as it is, there is only one guy buried there, and he was a little squirt only 5 foot something.






This was taken in the district were all the ritzy perfume shops are located. You could pass a 20 megaton SBD there and no one would ever notice.





The palace at Versailles located about 20 miles from Paris. It was King Louie's "hunting lodge".








Ah....The City of Lights....... The schmucks that started waiting at 9 in the morning are probably just getting to the ticket window when this picture was taken.

Happy Fathers Day!

I just want to wish all the Dad's a Happy Fathers Day. I hope they all have a wonderful day.

My dad has been gone for about thirteen years now. I miss him so much on the Holidays. He was very strict with us but I know how he just wanted the best for us. There was only my older sister, myself and my younger sister he had no boys. My son was his his boy and sometimes my son could do no wrong with Grandpa. I know my Dad is watching over all of us and right now I know he would really like my boyfriend very much. I know how much my Dad loves us. My Dad would give the shirt of his back to help someone out. That was just how he was. He would do anything to help his kids out or his Grandkids out. He was a very special man I miss him and I love him very much.

My ex father in law is a very nice man. Even though I am divorced from his son he still considers me part of his family. I am so thankful for that because I still consider him a father to me. I know he loves his kids and his grandkids very much. He had just met my boyfriend last month and he has excepted him into the family also. He sees how much my boyfriend cares and loves my kids too and knows he is there for my kids and he really likes that.

My boyfriend's Dad is a very nice man. I can see when I am at his parents house that yes he was a strict dad but he loves his kids very much. I also can see he would do anything he can to help them out. I remember at Easter I was sitting there and joking around with his dad. I really like my boyfriends dad he is really nice. When my boyfriend and I started  seeing each other his Dad was always really nice to me.

Now for my boyfriend he loves his son and daughter very much and he would do anything he could to help them out. He told me he made on promise to God that is he would always be there for his kids. He is also there for my kids too and I love him for that. When we first met he told me he would never push my kids away and he has never did that. We have been together for a year and he is a wonderful father to his kids and mine. I could not have asked for a better man to be with I love him so much for everything. When my kids call me the first thing he asks me are they alright. I can tell you this he worries, cares and loves both of our kids very much.

I want to wish all four Dads a Very Happy Fathers Day and  I love all four of you Very Much!♥

Satuday Night Videos

As summer is getting closer to the mark, I've been finding myself hitting rummage sales and thrift shops, anywhere I could buy music for real cheap. One of these stops, was at at a blogging friend RWWackoStu's rummage sale in Sturtevant. There I picked up Oranges and Lemons from XTC. Those who don't know XTC, it is a band that is best described as New Wave meets the psychedelia pop of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's and the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds with a twist of REM. Sounds different don't it? It is. Oranges and Lemons is a record exploding with details, while sonically rich and filled with immaculately crafted songs.



This afternoon, my girlfriend and I stopped at the library to check out the book sale that they were having there. Not only we picked up some books and video cassettes for dirt cheap, I picked up a dozen albums for a buck. Two of these were for the Southern prog rock band, the Dixie Dregs. I've heard of these guys before and I was familiar with the guitarist Steve Morse who played for Kansas and Deep Purple. The Dixie Dregs is a complicated band. Mostly instrumental, the Dregs employ a wide variety of sounds to the listener. It's Southern rock with a violin player and a keyboardist. Kinda like an instrumental version of Lynyrd Skynyrd meeting with Kansas, Yes and bluegrass. Hard to explain, yet I like it. To make our day, we ran into OrbsCorbs on the way out.



The band I've been digging SOOO much lately is Badfinger. Although my Badfinger tapes have been silent for the past few years, much of the resurgence was due of interest in john's Rock Roots blog. As I pulled my tapes to listen to, I remembered what I was forgetting-a Beatleque like band with strong catchy hooks and crafty lyrics. Anyone can sing along to their songs! Anyways, Badfinger suffered dearly due mismanagement of the band. Once recording under the Beatles' Apple Records label, the band fell under hard times when Apple Records went under. Unable to secure a new label, the band went under. Because of the financial issues, guitarist/vocalist Peter Ham committed suicide by hanging, followed by the baas player Tom Evans years later. A damn shame, These are f#*king good! If you love the Beatles, you'll like these guys!

She Lives In A Boeing 727

What a creative idea! Joanne Ussary bought a used Boeing 727. She paid $2,000.00 for the plane. It cost $4,000.00 to move and $24,000.00 to renovate. (She has a LOT of wood and specialty windows for $24,000! I want her carpenter!) But not bad for a $30,000.00 investment... The stairs open with a garage door remote and one of the bathrooms is still intact. There is a personal Jacuzzi in the cockpit. The Boeing home is featured as part of a collection of creative conversions. It has a spectacular view! (I wonder how much the land with this view cost!!!) WOW!!!

These pictures are being posted for Orbs

HAPPY FATHERS DAY

Have a great and safe Fathers day all you JTI fathers!