Just an Early Notice

Bump - change your clocks tonight.

This Coming Sunday November 6th ..Daylight Savings Time again.

Don't forget to turn your clocks back!

"PUMPED UP KICKS|DUBSTEP "

Dubstep is a form of music I've been paying attention to lately. Wikipedia says,  "Dubstep (/ˈdʌbstɛp/) is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in south London, England. Its overall sound has been described as 'tightly coiled productions with overwhelming bass lines and reverberant drum patterns, clipped samples, and occasional vocals'.^[1]" 

Some dubstep I like, and some I hate. It's not a genre that I can say I love, but there are interesting things happening there.

And From the "Outstanding Citizen Award" Dept.....

WHOA! You bet these guys won't be getting the key to the city anytime soon. From WSTP.com for your Friday enjoyment.....

Daniel Everett Child Sex Abuse

Four for Fridays

Hello everyone! Welcome back to Four for Fridays after a long and exhausting week. This week's questions, once again, are random...

1) What kind of toppings do you like on your pizza?

2) For the girls-Do like facial hair on men?
For the guys-How much make-up should women wear?

3) Do you remember your dreams?

4) What did you do for your last birthday?

Enjoy your weekend!

Open Blog - Friday & Weekend

Have a wonderful day and an even better weekend.

Tweeting Curiosity

I am happy to announce that I have been selected to attend the launch of the Mars Curiosity Rover as part of the launch tweetup! The launch is currently scheduled for November 25th.

Curiosity is the next rover headed to Mars. It is much larger than the previous rovers, Spirit and Opportunity and will carry a much larger suite of instruments. Although Curiosity is not designed to directly look for life on Mars, it will continue our attempts to determine if Mars had life on it in the past and if there are any pockets where life could still exist. It's nuclear power source will let it cover a lot of ground and power more advanced instruments (and it won't have solar panels that can get covered with dust!) It will be able to drill into rocks and scoop up soil and dust to analyze.

A rover this large can't land with airbags. It has a really cool crane type system that will lower it to the surface of Mars while the crane unit is held aloft by rockets. Kind of hard to envision, so here's the really cool animation. As you watch the video, remember this all has to happen automatically. Real time communication is not possible at that distance so there is no chance to fix any problems that may develop!

150 Twitter users have been selected to attend the launch tweetup. We will spend November 23rd touring the Cape, talking to mission scientists and trying not to get into too much trouble. We will have a day off on Thanksgiving before watching the launch from the media center on November 25th. Of course we will all be tweeting and blogging about our tours and the launch. You can follow me on twitter @halfastro (for my facebook friends, all tweets are automatically posted to facebook). You can also follow @marscuriosity, @nasatweetup or the #nasatweetup has tag.

Obviously, I will be blogging and tweeting a lot that week!

Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my scampering squirrels! How are you? Are you enjoying the color still available in the area? We’ve had a fairly warm fall so far and the show seems to be going on a little longer than usual. I love the reds, yellows, browns, and greens backlit by the sun low in the sky. I’ve more or less stopped taking pictures of the foliage, though. I have so many photos from past years that I never look at. It’s a gorgeous repeat performance every year.

After a restful bye week, our marvelous, magnificent, and mind-blowing Green Bay Packers are destined to defeat the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium, this Sunday, Nov. 6th, at 3:15 PM. Hail, hail Packers! Enjoy the weather while you drain the Charges of their power. Not even the Energizer Bunny will be able to get them back up after the Packers are through.

I received two messages this week, my dears. The first is from our own Sheriff:

Dear Madame Zoltar:

Although the spam filters work well, we still receive an occasional unsolicited email at the JTI. The one below is a request for a link exchange. Considering the source, http://www.mypsychicadvice.com/ I thought it best to refer this one to you, dearest Madame. We haven't done link exchanges in the past, but if you advise us otherwise on this one, then perhaps we will consider it.

Thank you for your time and effort.

Respectfully,
The Sheriff

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From:
Date: Mon, Oct 31, 2011 at 6:05 AM
Subject: Link Exchange Inquiry to Relevant Site
To: jtirregulars@jtirregulars.com

Hello,

I was browsing the web when i saw your site jtirregulars.com, and when i look at it, the relevancy is the same to my site, would you mind if I offer you to have a link exchange (reciprocal link exchange) with my site, here is our site http://www.mypsychicadvice.com/

Here is our site info

Title : Psychics

URL : http://www.mypsychicadvice.com/

Description : Enjoy a complete site encompassing Online Live Free Psychics.

Get link from http://www.mypsychicadvice.com/LinkPartnersList.aspx

If your interested make this link live and you can email us back with your site details, looking forward to grant my request. You can put link it anywhere close to homepage.

Thanks,

Dear Sheriff, my psychic advice to you is to avoid mypsychicadvice.com like the plague it is. They are unscrupulous charlatans preying on the weak on the web. It disgusts me. Always check for the PPPA (Professional Psychics Pseal of Approval) somewhere on the site, literature, or on display in the room of any psychic. It is there to protect you.

The second message came from our beloved Ms. kk:

Dearest Madame. I recently found this advertisement.(attached)
I really don't know what to say.... I never recall you pulling at your clothes like that during any sessions we've had together.

kk

Dear Ms. kk, Thank you so much for contacting me in regard to this practice. Again, I can almost assure you that this “psychic” is not certified by the PPPA. Her lurid tearing and rending of her clothing is to assure the rapt attention of her audience while her partners in crime pick their pockets and purses. One of the oldest tricks in the book. How shameful! I detest faux “psychics” that give us a bad name.

Thank you all for reading my blog this week. It is an honor to be visited by you. You make me what I am. I love all Irregulars and regulars. I am here to help you and guide you on your journey. Never hesitate to contact me if you have a problem.

You can reach me here: madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com. In an emergency, meditate upon me and chant my name three times. I will appear. Or I overshot my mark again and I’m in your neighbor’s wall. Oh my.

Have a safe and sane week my wonderful friends. The Christmas onslaught has already started. Try not to let it spoil your holidays. However, if I ever have to endure Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer again, I will not be responsible for the consequences. Cosmogenic!

Love 1950’s style

Open Blog - Wednesday & Thursday

Ah, to be a child again...

Are you a “Black Friday Shopper”?

When I was working I use to listen to some of the ladies discuss their “Plan of Attack” for the day. It was some serious business to them; they would have it written down on paper exact time of when and where they would be. “Pick up Susie at 4am, go to Denny’s for breakfast, be at Target at 5 and yada, yada, yada, I got a big chuckle out of it.

I see now Kohl’s has joined in the “early opening scheme’ along with other large retailers such as Macy’s and Target. These stores have now committed to opening at midnight November 25th and remain open for 24 hours.

I think it’s a good idea verses fighting the long lines at checkout. I wouldn’t doubt in the next few weeks 24-hour restaurants will advertise specials for the wee early morning shoppers.

Archie Bell & The Drells - "Tighten Up"

I remember the song well, but I think this is the first time I ever saw them.

Binary Clock

As long as we're on a clock kick, here is the binary clock from my desk (surrounded by cats).

Yes, I can read it, can you?

"Time Twister - LEGO Mindstorms Digital Clock"

In keeping with SER's time theme below:

http://tiltedtwister.com/

Check out his site. He has a couple of other robots using Rubik's Cubes.

Open Blog - Monday & Tuesday

Happy Halloween!

like a slow child
that does not heed
i stand at summer's knees -
and from the primer of the wood
i spell that life and love are good -
i learn to read.

"The Wonder of Breasts with Riki Lindhome"

http://www.comediva.com/breasts

I want to do my part and adopt a pair of breasts. Do we get to choose whose breasts we're adopting?

Halloween Trick-or-Treat times

The official Halloween Trick-or-Treat times for Racine and surrounding communities are:

• Burlington, Sunday, 3-5 p.m.
• Caledonia, Sunday, 4-7 p.m.
• Dover, Monday, 6-8 p.m.
• Elmwood Park, Sunday, 4-7 p.m.
• Kenosha, Sunday, 3-6 p.m.
• Lyons, Saturday, 3-5 p.m.
• Mount Pleasant, Sunday, 4-7 p.m.
• North Bay, Sunday, 4-7 p.m.
• Norway, Sunday, 5-7 p.m.
• Racine, Sunday, 4-7 p.m.
• Raymond, Sunday, 4-8 p.m.
• Rochester, Sunday, 3-6 p.m.
• Somers, Sunday, 3-6 p.m.
• Sturtevant, Monday, 5-7 p.m., bonfire at 7:30 p.m. at Fireman’s Park.
• Union Grove, Monday, 5:30-7 p.m.
• Waterford, Monday, 5-7:30 p.m.
• Wheatland, Sunday, 2-5 p.m.
• Wind Lake, Sunday, 5-7 p.m.
• Wind Point, Sunday, 4-7 p.m.
• Yorkville, Monday, 5:30-7 p.m.

Courtesy of the Racine Journal Times

CLICK HERE for JT Article

Cyndi Lauper - "Time After Time"

This one's been stuck in my head for the last few days.

Home

I didn't know I was grateful
            for such late-autumn
                        bent-up cornfields

yellow in the after-harvest
             sun before the
                        cold plow turns it all over

into never.
            I didn't know
                        I would enter this music

that translates the world
             back into dirt fields
                         that have always called to me

as if I were a thing
              come from the dirt,
                          like a tuber,

or like a needful boy. End
             Lonely days, I believe. End the exiled
                           and unraveling strangeness.

--Bruce Weigl

"Bruce Weigl (born January 27, 1949, Lorain, Ohio) is an American contemporary poet who teaches at Lorain County Community College. Weigl enlisted in the United States Army shortly after his 18th birthday and spent three years in the service. He served in the Vietnam War from December 1967 to December 1968 and received the Bronze Star . When he returned to the United States, Weigl obtained a bachelor's degree from Oberlin College,^[1] and a Master of Arts Degree in Writing/American and British Literature from the University of New Hampshire. From 1975-76, Weigl was an instructor at Lorain County Community College in Elyria, Ohio."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Weigl

The Fat Sun

Just getting caught up after my Florida trip. The last night I was there, I went out for sunset as I do many nights. Each night brings something a little different. Tuesday night's sunset showed off how Earth's atmosphere refracts sunlight and can distort its shape.

As sunlight passes through Earth's atmosphere, its path is bent thought a process called refraction. You have probably seen refraction before. It's the same process that causes a pencil to appear bent when it is partially submerged in a glass of water and the same process that your eyes (and glasses if needed) use to focus light. In the Sun's case, refraction causes the Sun to appear a little higher in the sky than it would if Earth had no atmosphere.

But the Sun is not a point source. Near sunset, light from the upper limb of the Sun passes through less atmosphere than light from the lower limb of the Sun. That means light from the lower limb of the Sun is shifted upward more than light from the top limb of the Sun. The upshot of this is that the Sun will appear to be squeezed vertically and appear much fatter the lower it gets in the sky.

This effect was pronounced on Tuesday. I took a bunch of my photos and put them into a short video. The pictures are not equally spaced in time (I tend to take pics more frequently as the Sun gets lower and a rapid burst near the end of sunset). You also may notice when I change camera settings due to the changing lighting conditions as the Sun sets. And you can look see some birds flying across some pics. Really watch the last frames and you can see the last tip of the setting Sun gets very stretched horizontally.

I started my burst too soon and the buffer in the camera filled up which killed any chance of a green flash pic. However, I didn't see a green flash visually so I am not too disappointed with that. I am happy any time I capture some good atmospheric optics at Sunset!

Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.

Four for Fridays

Hello everyone! Welcome back to Four for Fridays after a short week...I'll be heading off the the boondocks with my lady shorty for a little R&R. Here are some questions about Halloween...

1) What was your favorite Halloween costume?

2) What was the most scariest movie you have ever seen?

3) Are you handing out Halloween candy this year?

4) Describe a favorite Halloween memory.....

Enjoy your weekend!

Are You Starting to Get Nervous?

concealed-weapons permits starting Nov. 1

Open Blog - Friday & Weekend

Sorry, no slur intended, but I think that's supposed to be a Mexican jumping bean.

Exclusive Video of the Last JTI Road Trip

I don't remember. Who was driving the bus?

Uploading Pictures

I am having a problem uploading pictures and this is what is coming up - This image could not be uploaded due to an internal error. I was just wondering if anyone else is having this problem or is it just my computer. Thanks

One for Toad.....

Ya gotta have a sence of humor....

NEUROLOGICAL SKILLS

This is REALLY a neat quiz and quite challenging - no joke

TEST YOUR NEUROLOGICAL SKILLS...

THIS IS REALLY COOL

CLICK HERE

Pendulums In Motion

This is really neat to watch.

Harvard built a device with a series of fifteen pendulums in a row, each one of them slightly longer than its neighbor.

The pendulums were set into motion and the result was captured on video.

The patterns that appear in this short video are fascinating to watch and to think about.

Prepare to be captivated by this simple device!

CLICK HERE

Pumpkin Carvings

I think pumpkin carvings are pieces of art. The creativity of some of these are just a marvel to me, especially when they go to an extreme. Although I done some in the past (like the one I did that said PACKERS across it), none of them quite match up to some of them found on the Internet...

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my gorgeous goblins! How are you? I want to say right off that this will be a short, hurried blog. No disrespect meant my dear, dear Irregulars and regulars – I simply took on a project that was bigger than I thought and I lost track of time. Now I am hurriedly trying to finish the day’s work, about three hours worth, in 45 minutes. Oh my. It’s been one of those days. It happens to the best of us. Insert your own cliché here.

The weather has certainly not been much to write about, although we have been getting some sun in the midday. Soak it up while you can, my dears. Soon old Sol will slide further south and take it easy for awhile. As you know, I make no predictions about the weather. I just want to say that I am in favor of anyone who is predicting a mild winter, because that’s what I want.

Our spectacular Green Bay Packers once again defeated their hapless foe. This time it was the Minnesota Vikings. Hail, hail, Packers! Still undefeated! Green Bay is on “bye” this week. Rest well, o mighty warriors. You deserve it.

As usual, there is not much I want to comment on in the news. I read about Racine’s new budget and its cuts, which always hit the poor the hardest. I pray for our city.

In keeping with the season, here is the “Haunted History of Halloween” from History.com:



Thank you for reading my blog this week, my sweets. It is so nice of you to stop by and visit. I love you. You are all so boo-tiful. Tee-hee.

Haunted? Find out: madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com.

I hope that each and every one of you has a wonderful Halloween. Don’t eat too much candy. Watch out for ghosts and things that go bump in the night. Like my toe when I stub it on my way to the bathroom. Oh dear. Fuliginous!

Open Blog - Wednesday & Thursday

I'm not sure if that image is appropriate, but it has Hump Day, lizards (for lizardmom), and a GEICO reference. It has to be funny.

Turpentine vs. Holy Water

A little boy was sitting on the footpath with a bottle of Turpentine... He was shaking it up and watching all the bubbles.

A Priest came along and asked the little boy what he had. The little boy said, 'This is the most powerful liquid in the world; it's called Turpentine.'

The Priest said, 'No, the most powerful liquid in the world is Holy Water. If you rub it on a pregnant woman's belly, she'll pass a healthy baby.'

The little boy replied, 'If you rub turpentine on a cat's ass, he'll pass a Harley Davidson.

Happy Halloween!

Yes I know this is early. I will not be around for weekend to post this.

My boyfriend and I are going away for the weekend so I just figured I would get this post out now.

When I was young I remember my mom telling me the day before Halloween they would go on one side of the railroad tracks to see if they could get candy. Then on Halloween they would go on her side of the railroad tracks. This is down in Illinois. They did get the candy the day before Halloween. I didn't think they would get the candy.

I also remember taking my kids trick or treating the different costumes I would get them. There was a couple of them that I did put together for them. I really enjoyed taking my kids out trick or treating because I had just as much fun with the kids as they did.

The only thing I don't like about Halloween is how the older kids think it is funny scaring the little kids. Yes I can see how some of them like to do it but I remember how much it hurt my youngest daughter. My son did it to my youngest daughter and I spend some endless nights up with her.

I think carving the pumpkins with the kids is so much fun. My kids made some really neat ones. I also remember taking my son to a haunted house and he was so scared. I also like some of the music that they have out for Halloween and there are also some really good scary movies to watch.

Some people have Halloween parties that you can go to so that the adults can dress up too. But to me Halloween is for the kids and I don't dress up.

I am going to leave you with one of my favorite Halloween videos. I would like to hear what you like about Halloween!♥

Venus and Mercury: Close, But No Conunction!

Tonight after sunet, I kept shooting some photos. Venus is becoming an evening object again and Mercury is putting in an appearance as well. It took some shooting, but I got both of them together in one shot (click to enbiggen).

Venus is near the top of the photo and Mercury is almost directly beneath it (offset a touch to the right). Mercury is very dim so look close.

These to planets are going to get much closer together and be about 2 degrees apart in early November and stay that close until about mid-November. Although they are very close together, they never have a true conjunction since they never have the same right ascension. It will still be a very scenic pairing that you can watch over the next couple of weeks. Mercury will get easier to see as it rises higher in the sky. Right now, it is definitely a test of your eyesight!

Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.