"Squashed and Basted"

From the Shepherd Express:

By Art Kumbalek

November 22, 2017

2:54 PM

I’m Art Kumbalek and man oh manischewitz what a world, ain’a? So yeah, I guess it’s that time of year when only an experienced woodsman knows the difference between beer nuts and deer nuts: Beer nuts are about a dollar-fifty, and deer nuts are under a buck. Ba-ding! (That one never fails to put the guys in the mood for a night of beer-bingeing after a long day outdoors shooting at each other, what the fock.)

And speaking of “that time of year,” I suppose I could blather on about things I’m thankful for, but believe me you, my platter’s pretty gosh darn light on that kind of fare this year. But I can be thankful that I never had to hear myself say, “But she told me she was 18, your honor. I swear,” and I’m thankful that presently I am not serving hard time with no chance for parole.

And I’m thankful for a loyal reader/fan I’ll call “Ingrid/Mae,” who per occasion sends to me a most fan-focking-tastically designed and scripted card that never fails to indirectly remind me that the problems of one little schmo with the initials of A.K. don’t amount to hill of beans in this crazy world, what the fock. So here’s looking at you, kid. Thanks.

I got to tell you’s I’m a tad torn about what kind of essay I ought to slap together here, this being the Thanksgiving week. Naturally, I feel like blowing the whole damn thing off ’cause that’s the kind of guy I am. Besides, I’d hate to think that people might be reading my essay instead of using that time to be actively engaged with their families, friends and assorted hangers-on of whom they may hobnob with but once a year come the holidays.

And then there are those of you’s who see the focking family every time you turn around and have just about had it up to here with that crowd. Yes, you would welcome any excuse at all for a little private time, even if that means having to lock yourself in the commode, sit on the crapper and peruse my essay, ain’a?

Which reminds me to suggest that wherever you may go for this holiday, besides perhaps bringing a dish to share, do not forget to pack a piece ala concealed-carry protection in the event some in-law at a get-together has too much eggnog, gets a little cranky and all of a sudden whips out a heater and wants to blow your head clean off ’cause he just remembered you didn’t come by to lend a hand and help take the focking pier out up at his crappy cottage by Crivitz last Labor Day.

So, I got to go but here’s the least I can do for some of you: For those of you who read this before trotting off to your Thanksgiving obligations, let me give you a little something you can take along and share at your gathering so you don’t show up empty-handed like some kind of freeloading fockstick. If you’re too damn lazy to bring a dish or gallon of bourbon, a humorous story would be a nice alternative, you betcha.

So this young Ivy Leaguer from the city goes down South to visit a distant great-uncle on his farm. For the first few days, the uncle shows him the usual things—chickens, hogs, the cotton crop. After three days, it was obvious that the nephew was bored on his ass, and the uncle was running out of things to amuse him with. The uncle has an idea: “Listen son, why don’t you grab a gun, take the dogs and go shooting?” This cheers the nephew up and off he goes with the dogs. Couple, three hours later, the nephew returns. Uncle says, “So, y’all have a good time?” Nephew says, “Absolutely great! Hey, got any more dogs?” Ba-ding!

And in conclusion, let me say that wherever you find yourself this Thanksgiving holiday, god speed and remember to fight the good fight ’cause I’m Art Kumbalek and I told you so.

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my sweet rolls!  How are you?  I'm fine.  Better than fine, even.  Senor Zanza and Junior have promised to make us a luxurious Thanksgiving meal.  I don't have to do anything (except, perhaps, clean up the mess afterwards)..I love turkey, so they better make a good-sized one.  I love all the trimmings, too, so they should be working in the kitchen from 5 AM on.  Provided that they don't burn the house down, I think I'll just sleep in tomorrow.  I have no interest in the parades on TV.  Heck, I have no interest in the live thing. 

The Packers lost last week against Baltimore.  This Saturday night they're scheduled to play against Pittsburgh.  Bring out the meat wagon.  I wonder how many injuries we can rack up in this one.

This week's standings in the Irregular Football League:

I'd hex you all, but you're my friends.

President Bozo continued to put on a good show.  Next time, let's elect Dancing With The Stars president.  Donald just puts out fires with half-truths, confusing everyone.  Then it's on to the next inferno.  Talk about flip-flopping, Donald is like a fish out of water, all water.  After a year, and countless resignations and forced firings, I can't think of anything Donald has done for us except confuse North Korea, just like us.  I think that Kim Jong Un is completely baffled by a president that can sling the horseshit as well as he.  So, Kim Jong Un, bring it, or STFU.  He's like a tick that's burrowed under your skin and now you have to burn him out.  You decide who "he" is.

Mayor Mason completely surprised me by keeping his campaign promise to veto the Events Center.  Apparently the Common Council has the votes to override this veto, so it's all part of the political game show.  My God, Racine, start building a travel tube from here to the Foxconn site, like they have on Futurama, NOW!  We don't want to be left behind Kenosha again, especially in our own county.  Some skillfully placed Transporter Pods could help immensely, too.  Stop diddling around with the few blocks in drunk downtown and head out west, young man, head out west!

I love you all, my dears, each and every one.  Thank you so much for reading my blog.  Sometimes I can't even stand it.

madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com

Get out and enjoy whatever sunshine you can, like today.  I get sick of the gray days piling up like so much deadwood.  Have fun.  Enjoy your Thanksgiving.  And give thanks.
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Please donate: paypal.me/jgmazelis
If you don't like PayPal, send me a note at madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com and I'll send you my street address so you can send a check or money order.  Thank you 

Another one bites the dust: David Cassidy Dies

This is what alcoholism and kidney failure can do to a person. 

Open Blog - Wednesday

The same to you, my dear.

"Uber is working on tools to fight motion sickness in self-driving cars"

Light, rushing air and vibrating seats might keep you well.

Jon Fingas, @jonfingas

1h ago in Transportation

Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

"Motion sickness is a real problem in self-driving cars. As you're not in control of where the car is going, you might feel queasy when the vehicle moves in ways you weren't anticipating. Uber clearly needs to minimize that urge to hurl if it's going to create an autonomous fleet -- and accordingly, it's exploring technology that could make you feel at ease. It's applying for a patent on a raft of technologies that would counter motion sickness by stimulating your senses as the car moves, distracting your brain.

"Light bars and screens could signal the car's intentions, giving your mind a chance to prepare for that upcoming turn. Alternately, your seat could twist in response to turns, or vibrate during braking. It could even blast you with air at varying directions and speeds to provide continuous stimulation that takes your attention away from the car's pitching and bobbing.

"This is just a patent application, and there's no guarantee that any of it will be implemented in future robotic cars. The Guardian notes that some techniques work more effectively than others: air may be a viable option, while a vibrating seat might not do much at all. With that said, Uber has a strong incentive to implement some kind of anti-sickness measure. Even if only a fraction of customers toss their cookies, that could represent a lot of lost business -- whatever Uber pays to keep your stomach settled could easily pay for itself through more rides."

From:  https://www.engadget.com/2017/11/21/uber-hopes-to-fight-motion-sickness-in-self-driving-cars/

I wonder if self-driving cars do better than some of the idiots I've seen out there.  Self-driving cars don't shave while they're driving.  They don't read books or newspapers.  They don't text.  They just concentrate on driving.  And still they get into accidents.  

"That ‘harmless’ radioactive cloud over Europe probably did come from Russia after all"

By Rick Noack November 21 at 8:59 AM

A city near the Ural Mountains in Russia that is increasingly looking like the origin of the radioactive cloud released in September. (David Filipov/The Washington Post.)

 "BERLIN — Remember that harmless radioactive cloud that mysteriously drifted across Europe back in September? Turns out it may indeed have come from Russia after all where it had radioactivity about 1,000 times higher than normal levels. Experts emphasized on Tuesday that the unusually high levels may still have been harmless.

"What remains a mystery, however, is what produced this cloud, with the most likely culprit, a serial offender of a nuclear reprocessing plant, still denying any connection.

"It was Austria that first detected unusually high levels of radiation on Oct. 3, with Germany confirming them the next day. Over the next two weeks the levels went up and down and finally faded away over a vast swath of the continent.

"France’s Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety calmed fears earlier this month, saying that the cloud of radioactive isotopes — Ruthenium-106 — had posed no health hazards. But the French researchers remained baffled by the cloud’s origins and over the next few weeks, they calculated that it most likely came from deep inside Russia. Germany's governmental Agency for Radiation Protection came to the same conclusion.

"At the time, Russian authorities denied the existence of a leak and the state-owned Rosatom corporation said there had been no leaks in any of its plants and no unusual levels of radioactivity in the area."

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/11/21/that-harmless-radioactive-cloud-over-europe-did-come-from-russia-after-all/?utm_term=.25085257cadc


Damn dirty dealers!

"Operating under US environmental protections would be new for Foxconn"

From the Foxconn in Wisconsin series

STEVEN VERBURG sverburg@madison.com 
September 3, 2017 

Conservationists are raising questions about Taiwan-based Foxconn's environmental record as the electronics giant considers opening a major facility in Wisconsin.  Above, employees gather outside Foxconn's parent company in New Taipei City.
Wally Santana, Associated Press.

"A massive Foxconn Technology Group manufacturing campus in Wisconsin would test the Taiwan-based electronics giant’s willingness to meet U.S. environmental standards.

Just how tough a test it would be remains to be seen.

"The company’s proposal to bring large-scale liquid-crystal-display television manufacturing to the U.S. for the first time comes as state and federal leaders are making pollution watchdogs friendlier to business.

"As Wisconsin lawmakers wrestle with a proposed $3 billion incentive package for Foxconn, more questions are surfacing about how Wisconsin’s air and water would be protected from an influx of toxic chemicals used by the LCD industry.

"Conservation groups are also concerned about whether the Great Lakes would be harmed by withdrawals needed to quench the plant’s expected need for millions of gallons of water each day.

"Environmental advocates point to the LCD panel industry’s reported air and water pollution problems in China, where lax enforcement is attributed in part to investment partnerships between industry and government."

Read more: http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/operating-under-us-environmental-protections-would-be-new-for-foxconn/article_584f9456-1484-5247-b3c2-f1928f26b935.html 


They'll be peeing and pooping directly into Lake M. 

"Dear Village Board, and Foxconn CEO Terry Gou"

This is what is happening down at the MTP ViIllage Hall - right now!

A Message from From Village Idiot - OOPS - strike that - Village President David DeGroot - hiding behind 'anonymous" - well, maybe, but no one can be really sure... but it sure sounds like him...

Oh no, Guess what the Tide has Turned. It seems like KG’s Facebook page has posted some negative postings about Ken Otwaska, because he voted for the 2018 budget.

 

Ansley Noble – If Trustee Otwaska folds on the residents for a $19 MILLION dollar budget, what will happen with a $10 BILLION dollar FoxConn project. My guess is a fold on using Eminent Domain on the residents.

 

Ansley Noble – 2018 Village budget spending increased by $2.5 million with shell game accounting. The Village transfered $1.7 MILLION from the Villages fund balance and the Village wages increased by $550 thousand, looks like the Village will start the 2019 budget process with $2.2 million in the hole. Then add $2.5 million more spending for infrastructure and equipment looks like $4.7 million dollars will get paid by the businesses and residents. Looks like low income, fixed income, and families will need to cut there personal expenses to pay for even bigger local government.

 

How many of you believe that Ansley Noble is Really Kelly G?

 

Cindy Sherman – Not Your Friend and Not in Tennessee

To Foxconn CEO Terry Gou -

WE DON''T  WANT YOU OR YOUR MANUFACTURING FACILITY IN OUR COMMUNITY!

MTP RESIDENTS JUST SAY NO!

https://concernedracinecountyresidentsjustsaynotofoxconn.wordpress.com/

GO AWAY - GO ELSEWHERE.

YOUR FRIEND DONALD TRUMP IS AN IDIOT!

Giles was caught appearing to encourage Flake to run for president in 2020.

"I am not throwing smoke at you, but you are the guy -- just for fun, think about how much fun it would be -- just to be the foil, you know, and point out what an idiot this guy is," Giles said, apparently referring to Trump. "Anyway, I hope you do it."

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/republican-senator-caught-live-mic-gop-toast-leadership/story?id=51239423

Sincerely,
Tim & Cindy

"Dear Village Board"

Dear Village Board,

 

Now MTP is calling for an "Intergovernmental oversight panel" which is simply a ruse to fool Residents into believing that something which will not actually happen - will.

 

It's desperation time as Fake Republicans are outed - while more false promises from incompetent soul selling Politicians are claimed to be the "Saving Grace' which will turn the bankrupt City of Racine, indeed, the whole of Racine County from the impending bankruptcy which is coming.

 

As Foxconn Terry Gou receives more input from concerned Residents telling him to go elsewhere - like - to another Third World Country with substandard environmental and labor protection laws - the MTP project will be abandoned. 

Scary indeed - as another TAXING AUTHORITY is being asked to be created by government decree!

Foxconn Technology Group plans to build a massive manufacturing facility on 1,198 acres east of Interstate 94, west of Highway H, north of Highway KR and south of Braun Road.

The oversight commission would be made up of four members: the Mount Pleasant village president and another elected official from the village; and the Racine County executive and another elected official from the county.

The commission could have the power to borrow money “if and when that borrowing is needed,” Marcuvitz said, with the approval of the village and county boards.

http://journaltimes.com/news/local/intergovernmental-oversight-panel-for-foxconn-endorsed/article_a73b8a77-66a4-5b24-bd1c-311d16a77ccf.html

To Mr. Terry Gou - take your manufacturing facility elsewhere - outside of MTP Wisconsin - we don't want you here - or your environmental issues, slave wage labor, substandard working conditions, or taxpayer subsidies.

While Governor Scott Walker and his accomplices need to be impeached for violating the State of Wisconsin Constitution and their Oath of Office

https://concernedracinecountyresidentsjustsaynotofoxconn.wordpress.com/
 
Sincerely,
Tim & Cindy

"Elderly couple suing police alleging excessive force after hibiscus plants mistaken for marijuana"

The Kenaf is a hibiscus plant that shows large flowers when in bloom: Wikimedia Commons

"An elderly couple in Pennsylvania is suing their insurance company and their local police after they were allegedly arrested and mistreated after their hibiscus plants were wrongly reported as marijuana plants.

"Edward Cramer, 69, and his wife Audrey, 66, from Buffalo Township, allege they were handcuffed and forced to sit in a hot police car for hours last month aft arrived looking for drugs.

"The couple are suing the Buffalo Township police and the Nationwide Insurance Company over the incident, claiming excessive force, false arrest, false imprisonment, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional stress over the incident, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

"The incident occurred after a neighbour’s tree fell onto the couple’s property in September. When a member of the insurance company came to assess the damage on the property, he took photos of the hibiscus plant and, believing them to be marijuana plants, sent them to police.

"Days later officers arrived at the couple’s home with a search warrant. Ms Cramer was half dressed when she answered the door and claims she was handcuffed and forced into a police car without being allowed to put on a pair of trousers.

"Mr Cramer repeatedly told the police the plants were hibiscus plants, indicating the blooming flowers on them, according to the complaint, FoxNews reported.

"The couple allege in the suit that sergeant Scott Hess, who was at their home, did not himself believe the plants were illegal but bagged them up with a label reading: 'tall, green, leafy, suspected marijuana plants'.

"Speaking to Channel 11, Ms Cramer said through tears: 'I was not treated as though I was a human being.'

"Describing being forced outside of her home in her underwear, she said: 'And that’s when I asked them again if I could put pants on. And he told me "no", I had to stand out on the porch,' she added.

"'Sometimes I think they look for crime where it doesn’t exist in order to justify their existence,' Mr Cramer told the channel.

"Ms Cramer said she has been suffering from emotional trauma since the incident, claiming that she does not sleep at night and she does not want to be left alone in her house."

From: https://www.yahoo.com/news/elderly-couple-suing-police-alleging-132141689.html

To serve and protect.  Sue the fuck out of them.

Open Blog - Tuesday

Or not.

"Packers running back Aaron Jones faces marijuana-related charge"

(Photo: Jim Matthews/USATODAY NETWORK-Wi)

"GREEN BAY - Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones was arrested in early October and faces several charges after a traffic stop in which he admitted to smoking marijuana.

"Jones, 22, has pleaded not guilty to counts of speeding, driving without a valid license and operating a vehicle with a controlled substance in his system, according to Wisconsin court records. The district attorney’s office for Brown County filed charges on Oct. 2, several days before Jones made his first start against the Dallas Cowboys.

"The arrest and subsequent charges previously had been unreported. The Packers did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

"Coach Mike McCarthy said he was aware of the situation regarding Jones during his Monday morning news conference and had spoken to him about it after the incident.

"'He made a mistake,' McCarthy said."

Read more:  http://www.packersnews.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2017/11/20/packers-running-back-aaron-jones-faces-marijuana-related-charge/880409001/

"Charles Manson, Cult Leader Behind Tate-LaBianca Murders, Dead at 83"

Charles Manson, the notorious criminal who upended the Sixties with the Tate-LaBianca killings, has died at age 83. AP

"Charles Manson, the cult leader of the Manson family who masterminded the Tate-LaBianca killings of 1969 and one of the most reviled and fascinating figures in American pop culture, died Sunday night, CBS Los Angeles reports. He was 83. Manson had been rushed to a Bakersfield, California hospital from Corcoran State Prison earlier this month for an undisclosed medical issue

"Manson died of natural causes at Kern County hospital, according to a California Department of Corrections statement.

"A career criminal, amateur musician, enigmatic cult leader and unrepentant racist, Manson became synonymous with the dark underbelly and ominous end of the Sixties. The two-day killing spree he orchestrated in August 1969 left seven people dead and, as legend has it, sprang from his mad interpretation of the Beatles' White Album – specifically the song "Helter Skelter" – which he believed foretold a coming apocalyptic race war."

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/charles-manson-dead-at-83-w458873

Open Blog - Monday

Screw you!

"Republican senator caught on live mic saying GOP was 'toast' under leadership of Roy Moore, Donald Trump"

"Malcolm Young, AC/DC Guitarist and Co-Founder, Dead at 64'

"Malcolm Young, guitarist and co-founder of AC/DC, died Saturday at the age of 64. Young had been suffering with dementia for the past three years, an illness that forced his retirement from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted band he founded with his brother Angus Young in 1973."

Read more:  http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/malcolm-young-acdc-guitarist-and-co-founder-dead-at-64-w512164

His last performance with the band:

"Foxconn Working Conditions Violate Labor Protection Laws and Contribute to Worker Suicides, While Foxconn Replaces Human With Robots"

On November 18, 2017 By Paul Revere

Concerned Residents of Mount Pleasant need to be aware that Foxconn has proven itself to be an irresponsible Corporation which actively exploits it’s workers, pays substandard wages, demands excessive overtime, often breaks it’s promises, and seeks to replace  Human workers with Robots. It is NOT a good fit for Mount Pleasant, WI and should look elsewhere for the slave wage labor it demands.

From The Guardian:

Foxconn’s $10bn move to the US is not a reason to celebrate

The company doesn’t have a great track record of keeping its job-creation promises, for one. Then there’s the issue of worker conditions in China

The announcement by the Taiwanese giant Foxconn that it will build an LCD-manufacturing facility in Wisconsin worth an estimated $10bn was met with considerable fanfare.

But the state has a troubled history in matters of economic development, and the company, a supplier to Apple, Google, Amazon and other tech giants, has a lackluster record when it comes to fulfilling its promises. The news should raise red flags.

The deal, backers say, will create 13,000 jobs in six years – in return for a reported $3bn in state subsidies. Only 3,000 of those jobs will come immediately. Furthermore, the Washington Post has reported that Foxconn has a track record of breaking such job-creation promises. In 2013, the company announced plans to hire 500 people and invest $30m in Pennsylvania. The plan fizzled out.

Read more: https://concernedracinecountyresidentsjustsaynotofoxconn.wordpress.com/2017/11/18/foxconn-working-conditions-violate-labor-protection-laws-and-contribute-to-worker-suicides-while-foxconn-replaces-human-with-robots/

"US Navy apologizes after one pilot draws huge penis in the sky"

Published on Nov 17, 2017

"What a Maverick! US Navy is forced to apologize after one of its pilots drew enormous penises in the sky

"Navy officials issued an apology after a pilot created obscene drawing contrails in the sky
Residents of Okanogan, Washington caught sight of the drawings this week
One mother was upset she might have to explain the drawings to her children
Another local found the matter to be comical and said, it was 'pretty funny to see'

"It's unclear whether the contrail tracings were apart of a training exercise"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11SI014j0ZM

Open Blog - Weekend

Who would say, "No, Weekend!"

"WiGWAG: Trump and McDonald's, 'Mueller Time,' and more"

From the Wisconsin Gazette

News with a twist

Lisa Neff and Louis Weisberg, Staff writersNov 16, 2017 Updated 20 hrs ago 

 McDonald in the White House

Donald Trump so loves McDonald’s he even ordered the White House kitchen staff to recreate the fast-food chain’s fried apple pie and Quarter Pounder with cheese — minus the pickle and with extra ketchup, according to a Politico report. But apparently ingredients at the White House are too high-grade and the chef couldn’t satisfy Trump’s tastes — and so a senior staffer found himself at the Golden Arches. Pity the poor driver when the president downloads UberEATS to his phone.

Comforting words

A woman wrote to ask Pat Robertson — the ethically challenged preacher and host of CBN’s The 700 Club — why God allowed her 15-year-old son to die. Robertson had an answer for God at the ready: God let her son die to prevent him from becoming an alcoholic or atheist later in life. Robertson previously described the Las Vegas massacre as God’s retribution for America’s disrespect of Donald Trump.

OB-GYN’s ‘oh my’

A gynecologist in Altoona, Pennsylvania, says she was inundated with calls from men trying to schedule appointments with her office. The calls came after media publicized that OB-GYNs were able to prescribe medical marijuana. Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana law, passed in 2016, provides for prescriptions for patients dealing with 17 qualifying conditions. Male menopause is not one of them.

So much for Southern neighborliness

After years of an ongoing political feud, a neighbor of U.S. Sen. Rand Paul just couldn’t take it any more. Rene Albert Boucher, 59, attacked Paul from behind as he was mowing his lawn in Bowling Green, Kentucky, forcing the senator to the ground and fracturing five of the his ribs. Paul is a Republican, Boucher is a registered Democrat. Boucher’s been charged with fourth-degree assault with a minor injury, a misdemeanor.

Fears squashed

An 81-year-old resident of Bretten, Germany, alerted police after he came across an “object, which really did look very like a bomb,” according to a statement from local law enforcement. The object was about 16 inches in length, weighed 11 pounds and was found in a garden. Any guesses? Yep, it was a rather large zucchini.

Texas humor

Activists are crying foul over a restaurant’s use of pre-op images of Bruce Jenner from the Olympics on the door of its men’s room and Caitlyn Jenner’s famous Vanity Fair cover on the women’s room. Dodie’s Place Cajun Bar & Grill in Allen, Texas, shared photos of its weekly specials and new bathroom doors in a Facebook post that went viral.

Dumb strength

A new study published in the journal Translational Issues in Psychological Science says Donald Trump stands out among other politicians as being exceptionally low in analytic thinking. Processing speeches, debates and written documents in intelligent text analysis software, the researchers identified where Trump falls on the analytic-narrative continuum. He scored a 23.8 to Ben Carson’s 39.1, Marco Rubio’s 48.7, John Kasich’s 48.9 and Ted Cruz’s 62.1. The conclusion: The analytically minded see Trump as superficial and uninformed but his supporters see him as straightforward and relatable.

The ultimate selfie

The Greater Columbus Convention Center has turned a popular cultural practice into a dramatic piece of art. Visitors to the Ohio center provide their faces to create — and recreate — “As We Are,” a 14-foot-high “interactive sculpture” shaped like a human head. Step into a 3-D photo booth, and next see your face become the sculpture’s face, thanks to the head’s custom-built, 850,000 LED display screens. A phone selfie will never be the same.

She-ro loses job

A White House photographer caught D.C. bicyclist Juli Briskman flipping off Donald Trump with her middle finger as the president’s caravan carted him to his golf course in Sterling, Virginia. The picture went viral immediately, with the hashtag #Her2020. But it also caught the attention of her employer, White House contractor Akima, LLC. While the masses declared Briskman a “she-ro,” her boss declared her fired.

Welcome to ‘Mueller Time’

Every time Special Counsel Robert Mueller indicts an associate of President Donald Trump, the Bird DC — a bar in the U.S. capital — will offer a special $5 “Moscow Mueller” cocktail. The drink is the restaurant’s variation of the Moscow Mule, made with vodka, ginger beer and lime juice. Earlier this year, the Bird announced $4 happy hour drinks on days when Trump fired a White House staffer.

From:http://www.wisconsingazette.com/blogs/wigwag-trump-and-mcdonald-s-mueller-time-and-more/article_9a0ffe06-cae3-11e7-8d0b-ef86c0cb7250.html 

Four for Fridays!

Good morning everyone I hope you are staying nice and warm. Drew has been home yesterday and today with a bad cold. I went this morning and got him his prescription from the doctor. Yes even though he is down sick I am out very early doing errands and I still have more to do. Here are your questions.

1) Who do you think will have there Christmas decorations up first Lizardmom or OKIE?

2) Do you put your Christmas decorations up the weekend of Thanksgiving or some time in December?

3) Have you started your Christmas shopping?

4) How much more Christmas shopping do you have left?

Have a nice weekend and stay warm. 

Open Blog - Friday

Only one week away.

"Mount Pleasant considering beer gardens"

Alright!  I can't wait to see the fights and drunk driving: http://journaltimes.com/news/local/mount-pleasant-considering-beer-gardens/article_d4bdb9fd-fbf5-55ca-9d38-3b93b2244c67.html

"10 Inventions Predicted By Cartoons"

Open Blog - Thursday

Check everything out.

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hi-ho, hi-ho, my friends and enemies.  How are you?  I'm doing well.  The weather today is why I hate winter.  Soon, there will be a white coating on most of it, but the same dull, dark gray clouds will prevail.  Maybe I should get into a tanning bed to get my dose of sunshine.  Put me on high for 20 minutes, then turn me over for another 20.  Sniff-sniff, what's that I smell burning?  The wicked witch.  That's me!  My globe gets too hot, and then starts little fires.

The Packers won last week.  Let's hope they can get a streak going this Sunday at 1 PM when they host Baltimore.

Here are the standings in the Irregular Football League:

   
Ah! I feel better when there is more space between me and Mr. OrbsCorbs.  The Mighty Bears are a nice spacer.

Foxconn, Foxconn, Foxconn!  O my.  They're going to have driverless delivery trucks and flying cars.  It's widely believed that Mr. J.C. Himself may make an appearance at the Foxconn groundbreaking.  Personally, I would prefer Satan, as I believe he played no small part in this deal.  Give credit where credit is due.  A lot of the current residents of Hades will probably end up working for Foxconn.   They know how to get things done. 

So far, it's all been just talk.  How this comes to fruition will be interesting to see.  There are so many hands already in the pot, I think I'll stick mine out, too.  I helped recruit Foxconn!  I did so by keeping my mouth shut.  That will be $1,000, please.

So, where has our new mayor been?  Or is this another deal where he'll let the city administrator run the show while he sits back and collects the pay?  I heard that they're going to build a hotel on top of the new events center.  That will save a lot of space.  Maybe we can put some parking lots up there, too.  And some gallows for the politicians and other crooks who look to profit from this.  Hanging a politician or two always clears the air. 

And don't limit it to Foxconn.  Let's hang all of the crooks in office.  Man, that gallows will be working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 

I love you, my babies.  Take good care of each other.  That's all we really have: each other.

madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com

Enjoy whatever good days you can.  Soon enough, we'll be buried in white.  Of course, that's not very pc, but who's going to call Mother Nature on it?  Last I heard, she was orbiting one of Mercury's moons.
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Open Blog - Wednesday

Something smells.

"Got To Be Fruitcake Weather"

From the Shepherd Express:

by Art Kumbalek

November 14, 2017

4:33 PM

I’m Art Kumbalek and man oh man manischewitz what a world, ain’a? So here we go, a reoccurring dream, that it’s a Tuesday morning and I’m feeling like I got hit by a train sometime during the night, which causes me to believe that I may not have enough smoke up my ass to blow out a fully formed essay for you’s this week, I kid you not.

And I’m trying to remember what the heck happened that I should feel the way I feel. Cripes, I don’t remember any tracks; I don’t remember any whistles; I don’t remember any bells; I don’t remember any swinging lanterns, any crossing signals; so, what the fock.

What I do remember is parking my butt on a stool smack-dab barside over by the Uptowner tavern/charm school. I remember Little Jimmy Iodine asking how long it would be until a big-time disaster movie called November, 2016 would hit the theaters.

I remember Ernie saying that since children of any age can now carry a gun whilst hunting in our Dairy Land’s glens and dales, it’s got to be only a matter of time ’til they can pack one with their lunch and take it to school for protection purposes.

And then I remember somebody asking this question: “If a man says something in the middle of the woods and no woman hears him, is he still wrong?”—which reminded me of a little story:

So these two older ladies were having their breakfast at Webb’s one morning. Norma notices something odd about Mabel’s ear and says, “Mabel, do you know you’ve got a suppository sticking out of your left ear?” Mabel says, “What?” So Norma repeats the question: “Mabel, do you know you’ve got a suppository sticking out of your left ear?” Mabel says, “I have a suppository in my ear?” She pulls it out, stares at it and says, “Good heavens, Norma, I’m glad you noticed this thing. It gives me a gosh darn good idea where to find my hearing aid.” Ba-ding!

I forget which one of us knobs asked the question—“If a man says something in the middle of the woods …” blah-blah-blah—but I do remember then a heated debate that nearly came to rationality broke out. Herbie was the most concise of the group: “Listen you focksticks, whatever it is that this focking guy in the woods might say, you can bet your buck two-eighty that you’ll never hear him say, ‘Let’s watch Oprah.’ You’ll never him say, ‘Yeah, I was hoping my mother-in-law could’ve stayed over longer.’ And you’ll never hear him say, ‘Hon, do you think this condom makes me look fat?’”

I think I remember that I pretty much stayed out of the discussion—metaphysics was never my strong suit. I’m more of a quantum mechanics guy who likes to wonder about all the invisible stuff in the universe we haven’t discovered yet, stuff that had it been specifically mentioned in the Bible could definitely be of use in this day and age.

Yeah yeah, that goddamn Bible. Hey, I like a story about casting stones at whores or sacrificing barnyard animals as much as the next guy, but a little Lordly help with quantum electrodynamics would’ve been nice—especially the part that offers up the perhaps dire possibility that the universe we seem to be part of right now could disappear with all of us in it in a split second and we wouldn’t even know it ’cause some kind of unseen vacuums could flip around in a blink of the eye, focking-A.
This discussion meandered a tad, and then Julius proposed a toast to the poet Dylan Thomas, who died 64 years ago the other day, and who sometime said: An alcoholic is someone you don’t like who drinks as much as you do.

Then Ray took the bait and became Captain Cat, the old blind sea captain from the poet’s great work, Under Milk Wood, who told us the following story:

An old retired sailor puts on his old retired uniform and heads for the docks once more, for old time’s sake. He engages a prostitute and takes her up to a room.
He’s soon going at it as well as he can for a guy his age, but needing some reassurance, he asks, “How am I doing?” The prostitute replies, “Old sailor, you’re doing about three knots.”
“Three knots?” he asks. “What’s that supposed to mean?” She says, “You’re knot hard, you’re knot in, and you’re knot getting your money back.” Ba-ding-ding-ding!

And I remember Little Jimmy saying the Big Bang has to be the granddaddy of disaster explosions—now nearly 14 billion years since, and where’s the upside? And I remember saying “fock if I know,” ’cause I’m Art Kumbalek and I told you so.

From:  https://shepherdexpress.com/around-milwaukee/art-kumbalek/got-to-be-fruitcake-weather/

Open Blog - Tuesday

Whatever floats your boat.

"Chaos In Detroit: Undercover Cops Battle Each Other In Sting Operation Gone Wrong"

by Tyler Durden

Nov 12, 2017 8:30 PM

 This weekend, a big “embarrassment” is festering inside the Detroit Police Department after undercover units from two separate police precincts exchange blows during a sting operation gone wrong.

Fox2 says it all started when two special operations officers from the 12th Precinct were posing as drug dealers to entrap city residents in a ‘push off’.
The officers were working in Andover on Detroit’s east side, known for high drug activity.
As officers from the 12th Precinct pretended to be dope dealers, two special operations officers from 11th precinct showed up pretending to be customers. As the deal went bad, the 11th precinct officers ordered the 12th Precinct officers to the ground not knowing that they were fellow colleagues.
That is when all hell broke out and we’ll let Fox2 describe what happened next:

FOX 2 is told the rest of the special ops team from the 12th Precinct showed up, and officers began raiding the drug house in the 19300 block of Andover. But instead of fighting crime, officers from both precincts began fighting with each other.

Sources say guns were drawn and punches were thrown while the homeowner stood and watched. The department’s top cops were notified along with Internal Affairs. One officer was taken to the hospital.

Taryn Asher, Fox2 Anchor/Reporter in Detroit, shares her story of what went wrong...

In a rare incident of ‘blue on blue violence’– this is something that is rarely discussed nevertheless happens. Each officer is now under investigation- as the top brass of the police department and internal affairs have now started their investigations. Nevertheless, top brass of the Detroit Police Department declined to comment and said more details next week.
Bottomline: The story is still developing and we suspect this incident could gain more attention when the ‘reported body-cam footage’ is released.

From:  http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-11-12/chaos-detroit-undercover-cops-battle-each-other-sting-operation-gone-wrong


How reassuring.

"The US's most secretive intelligence agency was embarrassingly robbed and mocked by anonymous hackers"

Reuters

"The National Security Agency, the US's largest and most secretive intelligence agency, has been deeply infiltrated by anonymous hackers, as detailed in a New York Times exposé published Sunday.

"The NSA, which compiles massive troves of data on US citizens and organizes cyberoffensives against the US's enemies, was deeply compromised by a group known as the Shadow Brokers, which has made headlines in the past year in connection to the breach.

"The group now posts cryptic, mocking messages pointed toward the NSA as it sells the cyberweapons, created at huge cost to US taxpayers, to any and all buyers, including US adversaries like North Korea and Russia.

"'It's a disaster on multiple levels,' Jake Williams, a cybersecurity expert who formerly worked on the NSA's hacking group, told The Times. 'It's embarrassing that the people responsible for this have not been brought to justice.'

"'These leaks have been incredibly damaging to our intelligence and cybercapabilities,' Leon Panetta, the former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, told The Times. 'The fundamental purpose of intelligence is to be able to effectively penetrate our adversaries in order to gather vital intelligence. By its very nature, that only works if secrecy is maintained and our codes are protected.'

"Furthermore, a wave of cybercrime has been linked to the release of the NSA's leaked cyberweapons.

"Another NSA source who spoke with The Times described the attack as being at least in part the NSA's fault. The NSA has long prioritized cyberoffense over securing its own systems, the source said. As a result the US now essentially has to start over on cyberinitiatives, Panetta said."
 
Read the full story at The New York Times here.

From:  http://www.businessinsider.com/nsa-embarrassingly-robbed-mocked-by-shadow-brokers-2017-11 


I believe that these various groups and businesses are being "invaded" by hackers at the very highest levels.  For the U.S., it's a giant security breach.  For many of the hackers, it's a lark.  So, cyber security more or less doesn't exist with our government.  What a mess.  Hire the hackers.

Open Blog - Monday

Already?

"Women Should 'Grind Flour, Sweep Floors To Stay Fit' Says Rajasthan's Manual"