Time Warner Cable Technician "Fix"

A Time Warner Cable technician "fixed" my internet connection this morning.  I subscribe to Road Runner Turbo, which means I should be receiving 20 Mbps or higher.  The test above shows my current speed at 0.90 Mbps.  And they have the gall to charge me money for this.  This problem has been occurring for years. Time Warner technicians apparently are incapable of solving it. 

Now I have to wait till Friday for another "technician" to visit me.  That will make it a week of shit internet.  This has happened to me a dozen times or more.  I have no idea of how many internet hours I've lost to incompetence by TWC.   TWC don't care just as long as they get $ from me.  I am so sick of paying them to screw up my account.

"WisDOT - Close Call"

Nice. I would have crapped my pants.

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my sensuous souls!  How are you?  Are you enjoying the seesaw weather?  We go from broiling to chilly and back again.  Up and down, up and down, up and down.  It’s dizzying.  It’s also nauseating.  Still, I like the cool nights.  August lies ahead.  That’s when the broiling becomes nuclear and frying an egg on the pavement becomes possible. 

Racine’s County Fair starts today and runs through Sunday.  Check out   http://www.racinecountyfair.com/.  I’m a sucker for the demo derbies.  Road ragers should enter demo derbies to release their pent up anger and aggression.  Every year, I want to enter the derby, but Señor Zanza objects, for safety reasons.  He’s afraid that a celebrity driver like me would be a target for the other drivers.  Junior, of course, wants me to enter.  Actually, he wants to enter himself, but he doesn’t have a license or a vehicle.  He talks about riding with me, but I don’t think that the rules allow passengers.  I’m more than capable of holding my own in a demo derby because that’s how I normally drive.  Oh my.

I assume that you’ve all heard about the royal birth and baby.  It would be hard not to.  My best wishes for a healthy and long life for the baby boy and his parents.  I can’t say that I am a big fan of royalty because of the way that the aristocracy treated gypsies in my homeland.  At least Britain’s monarchy is more or less a figurehead.  I don’t think that the current crop of nobility can condemn people to torture and death.  That must take a lot of the fun out of it.  What good is it being king if you can’t say, “Off with his head!” 

The recent triathlon in Racine made me think, why can’t we have a similar challenge/race for people who are out of shape?  I’m glad that someone won the triathlon and I’m sure they worked very hard for it.  Yet, the average person in Racine is not a triathlete, or even an athlete.  The average person is probably a little overweight and sedentary.  It’s difficult for most of us to identify with the triathletes because we’re fat slobs.  If you want us to cheer someone on, give us other fat slobs.  We can relate to them.  We could have kringle eating contests and a Fattest Slob Contest.  At North Beach, we can see which contestant displaces the most water.  The Slobathlon would have to be a mile or less.  For those with personal mobility scooters, we could have races.  (Maybe a demo derby?)  It would be fun for everyone.    

Mr. OrbsCorbs contacted me regarding his troubles with the cable company.  I asked him to calm down, but he didn’t.  I finally had to dose him with elixir.  That quieted him.  He takes his sense of right and wrong so seriously.  I refused to produce the psychic atomic bomb that he wanted me to direct at his perceived enemies.  I told him that is kind of overdoing it.  I suggested meditation to Mr. Corbs to calm his nerves.  Ranting about injustices just gives them more power over him.   “Living well is the best revenge.”

Thank you, my sweets, for visiting my blog today.  I always appreciate your input concerning my output.  You are dear friends and I love you very much.

What does the cable company do with all of that money?  madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com 

Summer continues.  Enjoy the season and enjoy yourselves.  It’s time for relaxing and fun.  Get out there and get some.  Stay cool and stay hydrated.  And stay out of Lake Michigan if it rained recently. Ventripotent!

Useless Information

Did you Know:

Even as aspirins get old their strength will last a long, long, long time, BUT they will start to smell like vinegar.

acetylsalicylic acid can have a very long shelf life (years) if stored dark, dry, and cool.

Open Blog - Wednesday

That's flower power.

Open Blog - Tuesday

Nature is beautiful.

"RAIDERS RUNNING ATTACK PAVES WAY TO VICTORY"

"Racine Extends Winning Streak to 18 Games"

"July 22 (WILLIAMS BAY, WIS.) - The Racine Raiders were without regular starting quarterback Craig McClelland and wide receiver Dorian Palmer on Saturday night against the Lake Geneva Generals in Williams Bay, Wis. The running game picked up the slack and led the Raiders to a 44-29 win.

"The Raiders rushed for 332 yards on 36 carries, a 9.2 yard per carry average, and four touchdowns. Running back J.R. Taylor led the way with 19 rushes for 134 yards and a touchdown. Dom Kegel, filling in for McClelland at quarterback, had several electrifying runs en route to 133 yards on 11 carries and three touchdowns. Kegel also passed for one touchdown in the game.

"The Raiders moved backwards on their first drive of the game, losing 26 yards due mainly to a holding penalty and a sack. The Generals started their first drive in Raiders territory but Sir G Albrittin's second pass attempt of the game was intercepted by Raiders linebacker Nate Harris. Harris has now recorded an interception in three of the last four games, dating back to the 2010 Semi-Pro BCS national championship game in November.

"The Raiders marched down the field. On fourth-and-one at the Generals 23-yard line, Kegel took the snap and moved the pile forward for five yards but his helmet came off. On the next play, Taylor, playing quarterback, took the snap and ran for a touchdown but the play was called back on a holding penalty on fullback Marcus Baskin.

"With Kegel back in the game, Taylor punched out a two-yard run before Kegel ran the ball in from 23 yards out for the first score. The DaPra extra point was good and the Raiders led 7-0 with 5:26 to play in the first quarter. The drive went 60 yards on 10 plays and took 6:15.

"The Generals marched the ball into Raiders territory on the ensuing drive but stalled at the Raiders 45-yard line. Mike O'Brien punted the ball to Damonshay Pitt and Pitt broke several tackles, returning the punt 62 yards to the Lake Geneva 25-yard line.

"The Raiders gave the ball to Taylor on three straight plays and Taylor eventually reached the ball across the goal line on a seven-yard run. The DaPra kick was deflected at the line but went through to give the Raiders a 14-0 lead with 12 minutes to play in the first half.

"DaPra booted the kickoff high in the air and while several Generals watched the ball hit the ground without trying to grab it, Ross Toeller was able to pick it up for the Raiders, setting Racine up with the ball at the Lake Geneva 35-yard line.

"On the second play of the drive, Kegel, under pressure, rolled out to his right and found tight end Traves Worthington wide open for a touchdown. It was Worthington's third catch of the season and his third touchdown. The DaPra kick was good and the Raiders led 21-0 with 11:14 to play in the first half.

"Lake Geneva answered on their next drive, going 77 yards on 11 plays in 7:45. Albrittin hit Scott Torkelson on a one-yard pass and the Raiders lead was cut to 21-7 with 3:24 to play in the half.

"The Raiders responded right back as Kegel led the Raiders 86 yards on just seven plays, culminating in a 16-yard touchdown run by Kegel and the Raiders would take a 28-7 lead into halftime.

"The Generals came roaring back in the second half, outscoring the Raiders 14-3 in the third quarter, and trailing by just ten points heading into the final quarter. The third quarter marked the first time this season that the Raiders were outscored in a quarter.

"The Raiders slammed the door in the fourth quarter. Kegel had a 49-yard touchdown run and Torie Ruffin intercepted an Albrittin pass and returned it 74 yards for a touchdown to give Racine a 44-21 lead midway through the final quarter.

"The Generals scored one more time with under two minutes to play and completed the two-point conversion but they had no time outs remaining and couldn't recover an onside kick, giving the Raiders the 44-29 win.

"The Raiders extended their winning streak to 18 games and improved to 4-0 on the season and 2-0 in the Mid-States Football League (MSFL). The Generals lost their fifth straight game dating back to 2012 and fell to 0-4 overall and 0-2 in the MSFL.

"The Raiders have a division bye next week. The next game for Racine is Saturday, August 3, 2013, against the Milwaukee Venom (1-3, 0-1 MSFL) at Stephen J. Gavinski Stadium on the Greendale High School campus in Greendale, Wis. The game begins at 7 p.m. CT.

"The Racine Raiders, a 501c(3) not-for-profit organization, begin their 61st season of operations in 2013. The Raiders won their eighth national championship in 2012. Find out more about the Racine Raiders at http://www.racineraiders.com."

Open Blog - Monday

Is it really that bad?

"Funny, Craziest Magic Trick / Prank! Magician Cut in Half"

http://www.andygrosslive.com/

That's pretty good. How does he do it? Irregular minds want to know.

"Runner Poops In Mans Yard 4 Times"

Man that's some weird shit. Ha-ha-ha!

Is pooping in public a fetish that some people have? I assume that her jog gets her "going," and she relieves herself. I wonder where she's pooping during the week?

Open Blog - Weekend

I hope that you can relax this weekend.

Four for Fridays

Welcome back to another hot edition of Four for Fridays! It sure is hot out there already... 82 degrees as of this posting. Makes me think of summer questions....

1) What do you love the most about summer?

2) What do you do to cool yourself off in the summer heat?

3) What do think is a perfect summer song?

4) Did you chase after fireflies when you were a kid?

Enjoy your weekend!

Mom wins for Caledonia!!

She was excited and a little surprised that she won

our of quite a few nominations. 

It was definitely toasty out there but at least it 

was early morning before it became unbearable. 

Random strangers stop at her house just to look, 

and if she's home, she happily gives them the whole tour. 

She's worked really hard and loves this stuff.

Open Blog - Friday

Have a fantastic one, too.

"'Senior moments' may have real link to Alzheimer's disease"

By Geoffrey Mohan

July 17, 2013, 2:19 p.m. 

"The 'senior moments' of unreliable memory may be a scientifically valid way to predict Alzheimer’s disease, after all.

 
"Alzheimer’s disease experts gathered at an international conference in Boston this week have a fancy name for that sense that your noggin’ is just not ticking like the old days – subjective cognitive impairment.
 
"Studies in the last few years have been trying to bridge a divide between the anecdotal evidence of memory decline and objective, measureable signs, such as atrophy of certain brain regions evident through imaging devices, genetic anomalies on a cellular level, and other clinical tests. Studies suggest that these measurable cognitive declines can lead to Alzheimer’s, and possibly to early dementia."

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-senior-moments-alzheimers-20130717,0,1159950.story


Uh-oh.  For years they've told us not to worry about occasional memory lapses as we age.  Now, they say, "Worry."  Next week, they'll tell us that worrying causes Alzheimer’s disease.  The week after that, they'll say that worrying is good for us.  Maybe I can just forget this whole thing.

Wisconsin Jazz Festival

"Detroit files for bankruptcy"

"The city of Detroit filed for bankruptcy on Thursday, making it the largest-ever municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history and marking a new low for a city that was the cradle of the U.S. automotive industry.

"In a letter accompanying the filing, Michigan's Governor Rick Snyder said he had approved a request from Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr to file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection saying 'it is clear that the financial emergency in Detroit cannot be successfully addressed outside of such a filing, and it is the only reasonable alternative that is available.'"

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-detroit-bankruptcy-20130718,0,6170774.story


How soon before Racine follows suit?  While Dickert rewards his cronies with millions of our tax dollars, our streetlights are taken down and our services cut.  $1.3 million tax dollars given to a multimillionaire to finance his private project: Porter's.  Why doesn't he use his own money?  Because he knows this will be another financial black hole.  He will piss away our money, but never his. 

I can't even conceive of $1.3 million.  Our tax dollars.  Given to a millionaire crony while our neighborhoods go dark and the trash piles up.  Why the hell should tax payers pay for this man's personal investments?  Where is he in the middle of the night when gangbangers attack?  Will he be there to help us?  Of course not, but he expects us to pay for his investments anyway.  Selfish swine and a traitorous mayor - they are enemies of Racine.       

Open Blog - Thursday

Some people just want it to be over.

"Colorado town considers licensing bounty hunters to shoot down drones"

"The tiny town of Deer Trail, Colo. — barely more than a wide spot on Interstate 70 about 55 miles east of Denver, population 546 — is considering an ordinance that would authorize licensed bounty hunters to shoot down unmanned aircraft violating its 'sovereign airspace.'

"A six-page petition circulated by a resident says that the threat of surveillance from drones — regardless of who is piloting them — is a threat to 'traditional American ideas of Liberty and Freedom' enjoyed by Deer Trail’s 'ranchers, farmers, cowboys and Indians, as well as contemporary citizens.'

"Therefore, drone incursions are to be seen as acts of war.

"According to the proposed ordinance, which will be considered by the town council at its next meeting on Aug. 6, prospective bounty hunters can get a one-year drone-hunting license for $25.

"Proposed bounties will be $25 for those turning in the wings or fuselage of downed aircraft and $100 for mostly intact vehicles. To collect the bounty, the wreckage must have 'markings, and configuration … consistent with those used by the United States federal government.'

"Such 'trophies' then become the property of Deer Trail."

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2013/07/16/colorado-town-considers-licensing-bounty-hunters-to-shoot-down-drones/#ixzz2ZMukdIbo

Drone hunting should be allowed throughout the United States.  Issuing licenses for bounty hunters is a good idea.  However, I believe that any property owner in the USA who sees a drone hovering over his property should be allowed to shoot it without a license. 

CAR25 is now BelleTV

BUMP.  Racine Community Media (http://racinecommunitymedia.tumblr.com/) has an interesting commentary on this subject from one of CAR25's former staff:. 

"Former Racine  Employee RIPS Racine Journal Times Via Commentary"

"This commentary was sent in to us by a former employee of The City Of Racine, in regards to an article written about CAR25/BelleTV, by the Racine Journal Times. Here’s a link to the story, and also his submitted commentary, enjoy!
 
"http://journaltimes.com/news/local/contractor-embarking-on-ambitious-re-branding-of-city-s-cable/article_959e9c32-ed44-11e2-9d7a-0019bb2963f4.html

"I’m a long time consumer of the Racine Journal Times, and fully understand the challenges of a small paper asked to do more with less. Unfortunately, I have to complain today about your article discussing the re-branding of Racine’s cable access channel. 
 
"Your story is incredibly one-sided. Although you make the minor effort of getting two different people to quote, they work for the same company (Skies Fall) and represent almost identical viewpoints. There’s no quote from any of the old CAR 25 staff, members of the community, or aldermen. You don’t even present a view point outside of the narrative Belle TV has given you. This is not journalism. It’s weak, P.R. style writing. You owe the citizens of Racine better than that.

"For example, I worked at CAR 25 for almost three years prior to the outsourcing of the channel. Our spending power was never $106,000 as you suggest in your story. We were always told to stay under an operating budget of $80,000, with the other $26,000 in a separate account that our manager was never able to freely spend. Because of that, we never got the kind of upgrades to equipment or staff hours that we needed. It’d be nice to hear that side of the story, rather than have it be ignored.

"I have worked professionally as a videographer for four years, and can critique a variety of things Belle TV has struggled with. They consistently shoot interviews with a window in the background, leading to a ton of issues with their lighting. They often frame interview subjects poorly, without any natural 'looking space;. The camera shots are often shaky, and aren’t white balanced. Interview questions are incredibly soft and repetitive. I could go on with other legitimate critiques. It’s astounding that you published this article without talking to anyone who could give expert evaluation and criticism to some of Belle TV’s work.
 
"I was a print and broadcast journalism major at UW-Milwaukee. It takes more than just reporting what someone tells you to craft a strong story. You need to objectively capture every detail you can about any story, in a way that lets a reader decide for themselves what to think and believe. Question what people tell you. Investigate the numbers, dig a little deeper and expose people’s lies or half-truths. It’s incredibly frustrating to read your stories, and know that some of the information is simply wrong.

"Thanks for reading my thoughts,

"Justin Wheeler

"After thought to my letter to the Journal Times (Or an overly simplistic look at why newspapers don’t work like they used to, and what we can do about it):
 
"I’ve lived in Racine for the entirety of my existence. Though it’s fairly common place and acceptable to criticize some of the qualities of our local newspaper, the Racine Journal Times suffers from a much larger problem that is destroying journalism in our country.
 
"That’s the shrinking of the 'News Hole', the amount of space in a newspaper after the advertisements and fluff pieces have been situated.  At the core of the news hole is the investigative, inquisitive, journalism that our democracy thrives on. 
 
"But that kind of writing is extremely expensive and time consuming.  I don’t need to highlight the financial struggles the newspaper industry has found itself in. But the reason newspapers don’t make money like they used to might surprise you. It’s not as much about subscription rates going down. It’s more about how little newspapers can charge for online advertisements, in comparison to color print ads in the actual paper. 
 
"Obviously, the Journal Times was a little slow in developing online subscription charges, and once they did, even more people left to consume news elsewhere. 
 
"So here we are, newspapers around the country face a reality of operating on sometimes less than 1/4^th of their staff sizes in the early 1990’s. Instead of having three or four government reporters, small papers have maybe one journalist to write multiple stories every day. Instead of having the time to question the quotes and information, newspaper journalists are in a race to stay relevant, pushing their stories out quickly. 
 
"To fill space, papers use more 'Associated Press' stories, which lack the local context and personality of our individual cities. More, cheap, stories dominate our papers. Instead of a month long investigation into crime rates in the inner city, we get stories about natural stress relief tips and the benefits of frozen yogurt. Recently, the Racine Journal Times began publishing old stories from their archives. While interesting, this is a substitute for new stories they can’t produce.
 
"We who consume the news must be aware of this.  We must be ever more resourceful in finding real journalism. It’s still out there.  What you see on MSNBC and Fox News isn’t journalism. It too, functions as cheap(er) filler for real news. We could pay hundreds of journalists to produce enough real news for a 24 hour news cycle. Or we could pay 4 or 5 idiots to debate immigration policy for an hour a day. Which one saves more money? 
 
"So, read more blogs, and talk with more people that share different opinions than you. Let the open market competition of ideas reveal a more accurate truth. Still read the newspaper, because they still do a lot of things very well. Just keep in mind, more with less doesn’t work in the field of journalism. And we the people are paying for it.

"Questions or Comments? 
 
"Follow Justin on Twitter @The1Life2Live4
 
"Or Facebook: Justin Wheeler
 
"Or Email: wheele27@uwm.edu"

http://racinecommunitymedia.tumblr.com/post/55713077850/former-racine-employee-rips-racine-journal-times-via


Thank you, Journal Times and lying John, for fucking over our community.  We have to get rid of Dickert.  We also have to get rid of management at the JT which poisons the population with Dickert's lies on a daily basis.   They are enemies of Racine and should be treated as such.  They're not even from Racine.  Lee Enterprises sends in their carpetbaggers to pump all the money that they can out of a community.  They don't give a damn about Racine or you or me.  The Journal Times constantly berates others for doing exactly what it does.  Hypocrites and deceivers. Get the lying liars out of our city!     


Originally published on July 15, 2013 at 8:48 PM:

 
CAR25 is kaput.  It's replacement, BelleTV, promises to be a mouthpiece for Dickert and his pals.

I thought that these cable stations were given to communities so that residents could produce their own TV programs.  CAR was Cable Access Racine.  It doesn't look like that is going to happen with BelleTV.  They want to sell ad time instead.

Dickert already controls the Journal Times.  Now he controls what we see and hear on our cable access channel.  Soon an ordinance will be in place giving Dickert complete control over who says what during the public comment portion of Common Council meetings.

What's next?  Loyalty oaths?

      *     *     *     *     *

BelleTV home page: http://belletv.tv/

JournalTimes.com BelleTV story: http://journaltimes.com/news/local/contractor-embarking-on-ambitious-re-branding-of-city-s-cable/article_959e9c32-ed44-11e2-9d7a-0019bb2963f4.html

Racine 4th of July Parade, 2013: http://vimeo.com/69958466

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my hot tamales!  How are you?  Now this weather is more like it: hot and humid.  That’s summer.  August can get baking hot.  It will be interesting to see if we continue to get rain.  Everyone’s lawn is green.  Usually, the grass goes dormant in August because of the heat and lack of moisture.  That may not happen this year.

Please don’t forget about your pets in the heat wave.  If kept outdoors, they need a lot of water and some shade.  Never leave your pets in your car while you shop.  It gets very hot very quickly in vehicles parked outdoors, even if the windows are cracked open.

What gets to me is that as I wrote the above, I thought, “I probably should say ‘pets and children.’”  Unfortunately, there are individuals in Racine who treat their children worse than dogs.  Don’t leave your children in the parked car while you shop, either.  It can get hot enough to kill them.  Also, who knows what nut is running loose where?  Child abduction can occur within seconds.

Beat the heat.  If you don’t have air conditioning at home, you can go to public buildings to stay cool.  Drink plenty of water.  Wear light, loose fitting clothing.  Protect your eyes and skin if you go outdoors.  Also, wear a hat if you go outdoors.  A cool bath might make you feel better than a hot shower. 

I found the video below by accident.  It’s very short and to the point. 

Oh my, that wasn’t very nice.  I think that gentleman needs to take anger management classes.  If he slapped me like that, I’d slap him back into the last century.  The “clairvoyant” in the video is not a certified Professional Psychic (PP).  You get what you pay for.

Thank you, my friends and otherwise, for dropping by my blog.  I love visitors.  “The more, the merrier.

How hot is it?  madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com.

Enjoy the weather, my dears, but don’t overdo it.  Remember to drink plenty of fluids.  Heat exhaustion and heat stroke can occur rapidly.  Take it easy.  Take care of yourselves.  Wittol!

Open Blog - Wednesday

What's a "Beary Wacky Wednesday?"

Toothache Home Remedy

Unfortunately, I posted this too late to help lizardmom and SER.

The best remedy I had was to hold a shot of bourbon in my mouth up against the bad tooth. An alcohol bath. Then I swallowed the shot. Repeat until I can't feel a thing.

Those days are long gone. So are my teeth.

Fluffing Up Lately?

Visa recently completed a study and found that people who use their credit cards at fast food restaurants spend (on the average) 30% more then if they paid with cash.

So when you get on the scale and it says "one at a time please" maybe you should pay cash the next time you stop for the special burger you have a taste for.

Open Blog - Tuesday

♪ Sing your song! ♫

Open Blog - Monday

I hate all the days of the week.

"RACINE RAIDERS EXTEND WIN STREAK TO 17 GAMES"

"Raiders Beat Madison Mustangs, 51-33, in Rivalry Renewed After Nearly 40 Years"

"July 14 (RACINE) - The Racine Raiders (3-0, 1-0 MSFL) extended the team's winning streak to 17 games against a team that is used to winning, the Madison Mustangs (0-1, 0-1 MSFL) in front of 1,458 fans at Historic Horlick Athletic Field in Racine Saturday night..

"The Mustangs won 54 straight games before losing in the Ironman Football League championship game last season and have now lost two straight for the first time since at least 2007. It was the first time the two franchises played since October 12, 1974, when Racine beat Madison using a second half comeback.

"The Raiders gave the Mustangs defense a heavy dose of running back J.R. Taylor early on and it paid off as Taylor had 12 carries for 116 yards and 3 touchdowns at the half and the Raiders led 21-6 going into the locker room.

"The teams combined to put up 41 points in the third quarter. Raiders quarterback Craig McClelland started to heat up in the second half, tossing three touchdowns to three different receivers in the third quarter.

"David Pietrowiak and the Mustangs kept pace, however, as Petrowiak also threw three touchdowns in the third quarter, including a 20-yard pass to Austin Ryan as the clock expired to pull Madison to within 16 points heading into the final quarter.

"The Raiders controlled the ball for nearly seven minutes to open the fourth quarter and got a 30-yard field goal from Joel DaPra to extend their lead 45-26.

"Racine would turn Pietrowiak's third interception of the game into another touchdown on a 9-yard run by Ivry Lashley, the rookie's first touchdown as a Raider, and increased lead to 25 points with 4:30 to play.

"Madison scored one more touchdown, this one a defensive touchdown. Raiders running back Floyd Underwood never got the handle on a handoff from McClelland and coughed it up right into the hands of Noah Williams who returned it 60 yards for a touchdown to make the final score 51-33 in favor of Racine.

"Pietrowiak set a Madison record with 381 yards passing. He threw for four touchdowns but also had three passes intercepted and lost a fumble. Taylor finished with 145 yards and the 3 touchdowns. McClelland threw for 176 yards and 3 touchdowns.

"The Raiders hit the road until August 7. They head to Williams Bay High School to play the Lake Geneva Generals next week. The Raiders are 3-0 all-time against Lake Geneva. The game will be broadcast on News/Talk 1400 AM WRJN beginning with the pregame show at 6:45 p.m. CT.

"The Racine Raiders, a 501c(3) not-for-profit organization, begin their 61st season of operations in 2013. The Raiders won their eighth national championship in 2012. Find out more about the Racine Raiders at http://www.racineraiders.com."

The Mother of All Russian Dashcam Videos

Some of these I've seen, some I haven't. I appreciate that dashcams are so popular in Russia. They've provided me with much entertainment.

Useless Information

 

Did you Know:

 

75% of the noise generated on US highways is caused by tire noise not engine noise!

"Mail Jumpers Leap to Deliver Wisconsin Mail"

Did you see that mansion? (See image above before playing video, and 0:55 - 0:58.) That's just their summer home.

"Meet ATLAS!"

Send these things overseas instead of our troops. Drones and robots will make war remote controlled.

Open Blog - Weekend

Happy weekend!

"Trolls Pull Awful Flight 214 Prank On News"

I would have thought that she'd catch on while pronouncing the third name.

Four for Fridays

Hello everyone and welcome back! All I can say it has been a crazy week filled with 12 hour work days. I'm tired. Anyways, some questions for ya....

1) How would you describe your investing strategy?

2) What movie scares you?

3) If you were to get a tattoo, what would you want it to be and where?

4) If you were to teach a class, what would you teach?

Enjoy your weekend?

Open Blog - Friday

Weeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!! 

Now get your head back into the car.

"Hooligan Gang Fight Narrated by David Attenborough"

I saw the original video a week ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmCQYWTQ4LU  It's two football (soccer) teams brawling.  David Attenborough's narration is perfect, and funny as hell.

"I'm gonna do that JTI thing."

Really, does he say 'JTI?'

Open Blog - Thursday

Yes, do.

"Thingstarter: Tiny Diapers for the Tip of Your Penis"

Wow, why didn't I think of that?

"The Best Trained Dog You'll See Today"

That dog can do more than I can.

I'm almost positive I've seen this video before.  It was posted to Break and YouTube today, but that doesn't mean that it's new.  People re-post videos all of the time.  Often, they're unaware that another copy of the video is already up.  

SUV Slammed Into Gas Pump By Our House!

Last night I was sitting on our patio playing cards with my ex's nine year old daughter. Then all of a sudden I was hearing sirens and then more sirens. I got Drew and he heard them, then he looked on the computer to see if he could find out what is happening and he said that there is a fire at the Mobil gas station right on the corner of 3 Mile Rd and Main st..

So the three of us walked over to see what was happening, They had the street in front of our apartment complex blocked off and there was about four or five fire trucks, about seven police cars and one ambulance. The owners of the gas station are all alright. I was talking with the lady and she said the the driver of the SUV was a woman and she just came off of 3 Mile Rd and slammed into the gas pump. It is just so scary when it happens so close to home. What is so weird is that I was at the gas station about three hours before this happened.

Of course Drew did bring the camera with so he could get some pictures of what happened. Here are a couple pictures to share with you!

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my summer soul mates!  How are you?  We’re finally in the temperatures appropriate for this time of year, but the rain hasn’t stopped.  Last year was just the opposite: dry as a desert.  Did God promise not to destroy the Earth by water again?  We should be safe, then, from too much flooding.  While we’re soaked, wildfires rage across the dry western states.  Like our politics, our weather is polarized.

I hope you all had a fun and safe Independence Day.  I didn’t go to the parade.  Señor Zanza and I stayed home and cooked on the grill.  Junior went to the parade, stopped home afterwards to wolf down some brats and burgers, and then took off with his friends again.  God knows what those kids do all day.  I’ll worry ten times as much when Junior learns how to drive.

I’d like to thank all of the volunteers who helped clean up North Beach on the 5^th of July.  Bravo!  You represent the best of Racine.  Unfortunately, the people who left the mess represent the worst.  Boo!  Why can’t they bring along some plastic grocery bags and clean up before they go?  Is that so hard?  I guess so…  I’ve tried talking to litterbugs.  They don’t appreciate it.  I think some will be littering their entire lives while others will be picking up after them their entire lives.  It’s almost symbiotic.

Did anyone go to Summerfest in Milwaukee?  It’s been quite awhile since I went.  Last time, I almost passed out on one of the carnival rides, the Zipper.  Never again.  No carnival rides.  None.  Never.  Summerfest can become very crowded and I don’t like that.  When I see large groups of drunken people, I am reminded of the drunken rioters in my native Romania, who burned out the Gypsies.  I’m better off staying away from Summerfest and enjoying what Racine has to offer: smaller groups of drunken people.

Oh my, I’m teasing.  I love Racine. 

Poor Paula Deen, crucified for admitting to using the dreaded “N-word.”  Really.  I think it would be odd if she, or anyone else her age, had not used the word at some point in their lives.  Unless she’s been using it recently to degrade others, I don’t quite understand the fuss.  We have ceded so much power to the “N-word.”  We fear it like superstitious natives.  A collection of symbols can destroy a career.  That’s preposterous, but true. 

Finally, is Racine broke or not?  I keep hearing different stories.  Our Mr. Mayor Dickert has many ambitious projects in the works, but furlough days and removing streetlights have been required to keep the books balanced at City Hall.  Is everything going to happen with borrowed money?  Who will pay it back?  Oh my. 

Thank you for reading my blog today.  Thank you for being you.  I look forward to my visit with the Irregulars and others every week.  I appreciate your patronage. 

Looking for love in all the wrong places?   madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com

Enjoy summer.  It’s hard to believe that the 4^th of July is already over.  Take advantage of the weather while you can, because 6 months from now we’ll be in the deep freeze.  Pedestrians and drivers: look both ways, please.  Docta ignorantia!

Open Blog - Wednesday

Let your freak flag fly.

Open Blog - Tuesday

Tuesday Afternoon

"Honda 'Hands'"

 

Published on Jul 3, 2013

"Honda 'Hands' film celebrates the curiosity of Honda engineers, which has led to some of the most successful Honda innovations over the past 65 years."

Read more: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dxy4n0UT82o

Every Honda owner I've known has loved his/her car or motorcycle.  They last forever.  100,000 mile is just break-in for a Honda.  Even their lawn mowers and snow throwers are excellent.  They once kicked Detroit's ass, and deservedly so. 

Open Blog - Monday

I can't afford a swear jar.

"Racine Common Council To Consider Eliminating Free Speech"

Bump.  This story is finally being covered by the Journal Times: "Time to be nice? Alderman wants ordinance requiring civility during public comments at public meetings," http://journaltimes.com/news/local/time-to-be-nice-alderman-wants-ordinance-requiring-civility-during/article_22e94fae-e6bc-11e2-9a94-001a4bcf887a.html
The comments are overwhelmingly negative.


Originally published on May 23, 2013 at 3:29 PM.

From Racine Community Media:

"RACINE- It appears the Racine Common Council will be considering an ordinance that will give Racine Mayor John Dickert the power and control to pick who he feels is 'disruptive', and who is being 'respectable' and who is 'conducting themselves with civility,' during the public comment portion of the Council Meetings.

"The Public Comment section of the meeting is the residents opportunity to address their elected officials, either with gratitude or disapproval.  Sec.2-64 of the Racine Ordinance will also give the Mayor the power to end a speakers time for being 'disrespectful' or 'abusive,' basically giving the mayor the right to gavel anyone down with whom he may not agree with or like.

"We’ve done hours of research watching old Common Council meetings going back over 4 years looking for any sort of personal attacks or abusive remarks by residents or people speaking at the pubic comment section, and we found nothing even close to anyone acting out of line or irrational. So we ask, is this constitutional? What is considered 'abusive' and what exactly is 'a level of civility'?"

Read more:  http://racinecommunitymedia.tumblr.com/post/53254601049/racine-common-council-to-consider-eliminating-free


Party on!

"RACINE RAIDERS HIT THE GAS IN SECOND HALF"

"Defense forces six turnovers in 16th stratight win"

"July 7 (RACINE) - The Racine Raiders (2-0 overall, 0-0 MSFL) scored on their first drive of 2013 but then stalled through the rest of the first half, taking a 7-0 lead into halftime and eventually coasting to a 31-6 win over the Lima Warriors (4-4, 4-2 HFL) Saturday night at Historic Horlick Athletic Field in Racine, Wis.

"The defense put the pedal to the metal in the second half, forcing turnovers on each of the Warriors first two drives and turning those turnovers into ten points and a 17-0 lead just over three minutes into the second half.

"Lima cut into the Raiders lead when Jeremy Bott scored on a six-yard run that capped a 12 play, 7-0-yard drive with 4:46 to play in the third quarter.

"With a 17-6 lead, running back J.R. Taylor broke the game open on a 57-yard touchdown run with 10:08 to play in the game. The Joel DaPra extra point gave the Raiders a 24-6 lead.

"Defensive back Ross Toeller put an exclamation point on the win when he picked off a pass that was deflected by Eric Feest and returned it 55 yard for a score.

"The Raiders had five interceptions off of two different Lima quarterbacks and recovered a fumble in the first half.

"The Raiders remain flawless against teams from Ohio, improving to 25-0 all-time. In addition, they extended their winning streak to 16 games, the longest streak since the Raiders won 23 games between 1994 and 1995.

"The Raiders host the Madison Mustangs next week in the opening weekend of the 2013 Mid-States Football League season. The Mustangs came over from the Ironman Football League (IFL) in the offseason. They had won five IFL championships.

"The Mustangs own the all-time series record against the Raiders, 11-5 and are 5-3 at Historic Horlick Athletic Field. The teams last played in 1974, with the Raiders beating the Mustangs, 23-10.

"The game starts at 7 p.m. If you can't make it, catch the Raiders broadcast on WRJN 1400 AM with the pregame show beginning at 6:45 p.m.

"Tickets are available at nine local outlets or the Historic Horlick Athletic Field box office. Ticket prices are $8 for adults, $6 for senior citizens and $4 for school age children. Military veterans receive free admission when in uniform or by showing proper identification.

"The Racine Raiders, a 501c(3) not-for-profit organization, begin their 61st season of operations in 2013. The Raiders won their eighth national championship in 2012. Find out more about the Racine Raiders at http://www.racineraiders.com."

Why....

Why can’t people get along verses all the shootings, domestic voilance and child abuse?

A nice peaceful song to relax too for a couple minutes.......SER

A true Great Song

One of the GREATEST song ever produce......