Man says he 'was unaware' he wasn't allowed to possess firearm, despite felony conviction

From The Journal Times.com:

ADAM ROGAN adam.rogan@journaltimes.com

RACINE — A man accused of illegally trying to purchase a firearm last year has pleaded guilty to felony possession of a firearm by a felon.

Jonathan Shelton, 40, of the 900 block of Monroe Avenue in Racine, was convicted of burglary in Cook County, Ill., in January 1999. As a felon, he’s not allowed to own or even hold a firearm.

But on Aug. 13, 2018, he allegedly entered Dunham’s Sporting Goods in Regency Mall, 5600 Durand Ave., and attempted to purchase a handgun. Security footage recorded that day showed Shelton handling a gun at Dunham’s.

Shelton said during a plea hearing Tuesday morning he “was unaware” that, as a result of that conviction, it would’ve been illegal for him to handle a gun.

On Tuesday, a felony charge of false swearing in a government setting was dropped.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Dec. 13. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $25,000.

From:  https://journaltimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/man-says-he-was-unaware-he-wasn-t-allowed-to/article_008cd492-8d8c-5be6-86ab-1883eab6fcb3.html#1

Was UW-P scam preventable? Ex-employee, university differ as to level processes in place to thwart fraud

From The Journal Times.com

:

TERRY FLORES Lee Newspapers 

 KENOSHA — A former University of Wisconsin-Parkside employee believes an email phishing scam which defrauded the institution of more than $300,000 could have been prevented.

The college was lacking formal written processes in place for detecting such fraud at the time it occurred, according to Debi Rigney, former lead accounts payable specialist in the university’s business services department.

Rigney quit her job last month after 5½ years after she claims she was placed on “unpaid suspension” for five days in late July and issued a performance improvement plan after the university was defrauded.

According to documents related to her suspension, which Rigney shared with the Kenosha News, university officials faulted her for not developing “clear, secure and effective” accounts payable processes that they said directly led to the breach.

The university learned of the scam June 19 when a bank notified it of an issue with a new account. According to the university, an employee had changed the bank account routing numbers of two UW System vendors, after having been fooled by the email phishing scam.

According to Rigney’s personnel documents, an investigation determined that the banking information was changed by a Parkside graduate between May 1 and May 14, for two different vendors for the amounts of $125,000 and $190,000. The requests were then placed in an accounts payable box.

Rigney, who was on family medical leave at the time the scam occurred, said another employee had covered for her while she was gone.

According to the document, the employee reportedly followed what the employee believed the process to be for receiving and making vendor requested changes. That employee was also punished, Rigney claimed.

Read more:  https://journaltimes.com/news/local/was-uw-p-scam-preventable-ex-employee-university-differ-as/article_27e234cd-92e1-58ab-b048-0927c35c3865.html

Dead bugs reportedly found in Starbucks drink from Highway 20 store

From The Journal Times.com:

A photo, taken Friday, appears to show at least a dozen dead bugs inside a Skinny Mocha from Starbucks, 5658 Washington Ave. The photo was taken by Sara Lyle, who issued a complaint. Starbucks quickly worked to correct the issue, a health inspection report shows.
Photo by Sara Lyle, via Facebook

MOUNT PLEASANT — When Sara Lyle took a sip of her Starbucks Skinny Mocha on Friday morning, she wasn’t expecting to find a bunch of dead bugs in her cup. But that’s what she said she found.

"My coffee was about three-fourths of the way gone before I felt a bug in my mouth," she told The Journal Times. "And then I had a bad feeling."

Lyle said she had thought there had just been some solid coffee grounds in her coffee. But when she lifted the lid, she found what appeared to be at least a dozen dead bugs hanging on the walls of the cup and floating in the coffee.

 Lyle made a Facebook post about it, warning her friends to “Avoid Starbucks on Highway 20,” the location at 5658 Washington Ave.

"I definitely wouldn't want another drink from there," she told The Journal Times, although she did accept a $20 refund card as an apology from Starbucks.

The Facebook post went locally viral, which surprised Lyle considering she'd meant only to warn her friends about the potential health issue. The post picked up more than 1,100 reactions, nearly 500 comments and 5,200 shares in four days. One man commented: “If this is true they should rename it ‘Starbugs.’”

Lyle called the Central Racine County Health Department at around 11:30 a.m. that day. By the time an inspector arrived at the Starbucks, staff was already addressing the complaint.

According to a CRCHD inspection report, by the time an inspector arrived that day, staff had already thrown out the mix used to make Lyle's coffee, and had rinsed and sanitized the equipment used to make the drink.

After completing its inspection, the inspector advised Starbucks’ staff check all dry mixes and coffee beans before using them. However, the inspection “did not find any evidence of bug contamination of the food or food contact surfaces.
”

In a statement, Starbucks said: “We’ve connected with Ms. Lyle to apologize and learn more about her experience. Upon receiving Ms. Lyle’s complaint we immediately engaged a health inspector to visit the store. This independent investigation found no evidence of pests in the store. We are committed to providing a clean and safe environment in our stores.”

Lyle said she was told by Starbucks employees that the store had been dealing with a bug issue, although Starbucks' statement indicates that it believes there aren't any pests left at the store.

The following day, Lyle said she was told by a Starbucks representative over the phone that it would be "looking in to" who was employed at the store.

A manager at the Starbucks declined to comment on this story.

From: https://journaltimes.com/news/local/dead-bugs-reportedly-found-in-starbucks-drink-from-highway-store/article_49c20a02-a38b-5874-a75b-beb2a7f4cd92.html#1

Opioid crackdown forces pain patients to taper off drugs they say they need

Hank Skinner and his wife, Carol, are no strangers to pain, having collectively experienced multiple illnesses and surgeries. Hank relies on a fentanyl patch but is now being forced to lower his dosage. (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post)

By Joel Achenbach and

Lenny Bernstein

September 10 at 10:54 AM
 

Carol and Hank Skinner of Alexandria, Va., can talk about pain all day long.

Carol, 77, once had so much pain in her right hip and so little satisfaction with medical treatment she vowed to stay in bed until she died.

Hank, 79, has had seven shoulder surgeries, lung cancer, open-heart surgery, a blown-out knee and lifelong complications from a clubfoot. He has a fentanyl patch on his belly to treat his chronic shoulder pain. He replaces the patch every three days, supplementing the slow-release fentanyl with pills containing hydrocodone.

But to the Skinners’ dismay, Hank is now going through what is known as a forced taper. That’s when a chronic pain patient has to switch to a lower dosage of medication. His doctor, Hank says, has cut his fentanyl dosage by 50 percent — and Hank’s not happy about it. He already struggles to sleep through the night, as Carol can attest.

“He’s moaning, he’s groaning, he’s yelling out in pain,” Carol says.

“Why am I being singled out? I took it as prescribed. I didn’t abuse it,” Hank says.

He is part of a sweeping change in chronic pain management — the tapering of millions of patients who have been relying, in many case for years, on high doses of opioids. With close to 70,000 people in the U.S. dying every year from drug overdoses, and prescription opioids blamed for helping ignite this national catastrophe, the medical community has grown wary about the use of these painkillers.

Chronic pain patients form a vast constituency in America and millions of them take opioids for relief. Changes in medical guidance covering opioids have left many of them frustrated, confused and sometimes howling mad. They feel demonized and yanked around.

Hank Skinner has been tapered gradually over the course of the year. The situation is worse for people forced to cut back their medication too quickly. Even medical experts who advocate a major reduction in the use of opioids for chronic pain have warned that rapid, involuntary tapering could harm patients who are dependent on these drugs.

There is little doubt among medical experts that opioids have been prescribed at unsound and dangerous levels, particularly in their misuse for chronic pain. But at this point there’s no easy way to dial those dosages back. Long-term use of opioids creates dependency. Tapering can cause extreme pain from drug withdrawal, regardless of the underlying ailment.

The United States is now in the midst of a “national experiment” as misguided as the one it conducted 20 years ago, when doctors put millions of patients on opioids with little understanding of the consequences, says Tami Mark, senior director of behavioral health financing and quality measurement for RTI International, a North Carolina think tank. She has conducted one of the few formal studies of “forced tapering” of opioid patients.

Read more:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/opioid-crackdown-forces-pain-patients-to-taper-off-drugs-they-say-they-need/2019/09/10/3920f220-c8da-11e9-a4f3-c081a126de70_story.html

Racine could dedicate $19.2 million for home repair loans

Racine Mayor Cory Mason

Scott Paulus

By Sean Ryan  – Reporter, Milwaukee Business Journal

4 hours ago

Racine would raise more than $19.2 million in low-interest or forgivable loans for home repairs under a proposal Mayor Cory Mason’s office aims to have approved this month.

From: https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2019/09/10/racine-could-dedicate-19-2-million-for-home-repair.html

Distraction: Magician sneezes his head off

John Bolton was fired, and the price of oil instantly fell

New York (CNN Business)Oil prices fell swiftly on Tuesday after President Donald Trump fired Iran hawk John Bolton as national security adviser.

The surprise exit of Bolton prompted speculation that the tensions between the United States and Iran could ease, or at least that the chance of a military conflict had decreased.

 

Bolton was a strong proponent of the Trump administration's "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran. That campaign was built on tough sanctions that caused Iran's oil exports to plunge.

 

US oil tumbled as much as 2.2% to $57.30 a barrel immediately after Trump tweeted out the firing of Bolton. Crude bounced off those lows and was recently trading around $57.75 a barrel.

 

Read more:  https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/10/investing/john-bolton-oil-prices/index.html

Former Judge Tracie Hunter dragged out of the courtroom, ordered to serve six months in jail

This is a long video.  Skip to the last minute to see the fireworks.

Milwaukeeans are trying to get a big payday during the 2020 DNC by renting their properties

From JSOnline:

Milwaukeeans are hoping for a big payday from the Democratic National Convention in 2020 by renting out their homes to attendees, journalists and support staff.

More than 350 properties are available on short-term rental site Airbnb in the Milwaukee area during that week next July. And many are trying to make a lot.

One host on the platform is advertising a condo on Old World Third Street — close to the epicenter of the event at Fiserv Forum — for $7,000 a night.

That's astronomically higher than what is normally charged for the five-star rated condo that sleeps 11 guests in two bedrooms with two bathrooms. To rent the property in June of 2020, it's listed for $351 a night.

To be sure, the short-term rentals will be needed to house some of the 50,000 people who will come to the city for the convention July 13 to 16, 2020. Housing assignments for the state delegations were announced last month with 2,926 hotel rooms in Wisconsin and 2,841 hotel rooms in Illinois.

Read more: https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/2019/09/10/2020-dnc-milwaukeeans-trying-get-big-pay-day-airbnb/2167093001/

He Had a Kill List With Thousands of Animals On It

Alan Wilson targeted endangered animals and kept a score of all the animals he had shot, trapped or poisoned (Image: SSPCA/Daily Record)

• by: Care2 Team
• recipient: Scottish Authorities

61,079 SUPPORTERS

65,000 GOAL 

 

Alan Wilson is a 61-year-old former game keeper in Scotland. He's also an animal serial killer with no remorse. Wilson made a "kill-list" of thousands of animals that he brutally murdered. Yet, somehow, he will not serve one single day in jail for his crimes against animals.

Sign the petition if you think Alan Wilson must be held accountable for his crimes.

The list including cats, hedgehogs, foxes, goshawks, buzzards and stoats. He would murder them and then place them in a "stink pit" to rot where they would attract more animals which would then also be killed. He was committed to kill just about anything that moved, showing a horrifying lack of respect and care for a life.

When he was caught, he was also found to be in possession of a banned pesticide that is dangerous to animals and humans. As we know, animal abuse often turns into or accompanies human abuse. This is just another reason that someone this careless about life should not be allowed to roam free among people and animals.

Even worse? Authorities suspect his kill-list is not even a full account of all the animals he has mercilessly killed. Many of the animals he killed were even legally protected species and he set illegal traps as well. He has been charged with animal cruelty and will have to do a lot of community service.

But that kind of punishment won't keep him from killing more animals like an actual prison sentence would. That's why we are joining activist in Scotland in calling for a prison sentence for Alan Wilson. Will you join us?

https://www.thepetitionsite.com/145/104/275/?z00m=32004923&redirectID=2931558452

Maryland woman, 73, charged with killing neighbor, 82, with brick at senior center

A 73-year-old woman in Maryland has been charged with killing her 82-year-old neighbor with a brick, officials in Prince George's County said Monday.

The woman was killed sometime before 7:15 a.m. Sunday in the town of Bladensburg, a community of around 9,000 northeast of Washington, D.C.

Chun Yong Oh is accused of striking Hwa Cha Pak multiple times with a brick, the Prince George's County Police Department said in a statement. She then called 911 to report the murder, according to police.

Read more:  https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/maryland-woman-73-charged-killing-neighbor-82-brick-senior-center-n1051791

Trapped crew members rescued from capsized cargo ship

A US priest, a Philippine village, and decades of secrecy

From The Journal Times.com:

TALUSTUSAN, Philippines (AP) — The American priest's voice echoed over the phone line, his sharp Midwestern accent softened over the decades by a gentle Filipino lilt. On the other end, recording the call, was a young man battered by shame but anxious to get the priest to describe exactly what had happened in this little island village.

"I should have known better than trying to just have a life," the priest said in the November 2018 call. "Happy days are gone. It's all over."

But, the young man later told The Associated Press, those days were happy only for the priest. They were years of misery for him, he said, and for the other boys who investigators say were sexually assaulted by Father Pius Hendricks.

Read more:  https://journaltimes.com/news/world/a-us-priest-a-philippine-village-and-decades-of-secrecy/article_2df8a39e-36c2-53b2-948c-68fddfe6469b.html#comments

Open Blog - Tuesday

Hello.

Apple says Foxconn violated Chinese temporary staff rule, as supply chain ramped up iPhone 11 production

The Chinese Labor Watch group released a lengthy report alleging several violations of Chinese law against Foxconn, the key iPhone assembler. Apple said it investigated and denies most of the allegations but did say that it found Foxconn’s iPhone factory workforce was made up of 50% temporary labor, way above the 10% rule according to the law.

Although Apple nor Foxconn will say explicitly, this is clearly a result of the usual supply chain rush to manufacture Apple’s new iPhone models, believed to be called iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro, ready for the September sales season.

Apple said that it is working closely with Foxconn to resolve the issue, but Chinese Labor Watch claim that Apple is allowing Foxconn to continue using the workers despite it technically breaking Chinese law. Presumably, Apple and Foxconn are looking to correct the balance but an immediate change to the labor supply would be too disruptive to iPhone production.

The labor watch organization had claimed that Foxconn was requiring workers to do overtime shifts. Apple conducted its own investigation and said it could not find evidence to support these claims, saying that all overtime was voluntary.

Student intern workers are not allowed to do overtime. Nevertheless, Apple and Foxconn found a small number voluntarily working extra hours (to earn extra money) and say these cases have been corrected. During the iPhone X production season in 2017, there was a much larger outbreak of student overtime.

Read more:  https://9to5mac.com/2019/09/09/iphone-11-chinese-labor-laws/

‘Someone’s Gotta Tell the Freakin’ Truth’: Jerry Falwell’s Aides Break Their Silence

At Liberty University, all anyone can talk about is Jerry Falwell Jr. Just not in public.
“When he does stupid stuff, people will mention it to others they consider confidants and not keep it totally secret,” a trusted adviser to Falwell, the school’s president and chancellor, told me. “But they won’t rat him out.”

That’s beginning to change.

Over the past year, Falwell, a prominent evangelical leader and supporter of President Donald Trump, has come under increasing scrutiny. News outlets have reported on business deals by Liberty University benefiting Falwell’s friends. Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen claimed that he had helped Falwell clean up racy “personal” photographs.

Based on scores of new interviews and documents obtained for this article, concerns about Falwell’s behavior go well beyond that—and it’s causing longtime, loyal Liberty University officials to rapidly lose faith in him.

More than two dozen current and former high-ranking Liberty University officials and close associates of Falwell spoke to me or provided documents for this article, opening up—for the first time at an institution so intimately associated with the Falwell family—about what they’ve experienced and why they don’t think he’s the right man to lead Liberty University or serve as a figurehead in the Christian conservative movement.

In interviews over the past eight months, they depicted how Falwell and his wife, Becki, consolidated power at Liberty University and how Falwell presides over a culture of self-dealing, directing university resources into projects and real estate deals in which his friends and family have stood to make personal financial gains. Among the previously unreported revelations are Falwell’s decision to hire his son Trey’s company to manage a shopping center owned by the university, Falwell’s advocacy for loans given by the university to his friends, and Falwell’s awarding university contracts to businesses owned by his friends.

“We’re not a school; we’re a real estate hedge fund,” said a senior university official with inside knowledge of Liberty’s finances. “We’re not educating; we’re buying real estate every year and taking students’ money to do it.”

Liberty employees detailed other instances of Falwell’s behavior that they see as falling short of the standard of conduct they expect from conservative Christian leaders, from partying at nightclubs, to graphically discussing his sex life with employees, to electioneering that makes uneasy even those who fondly remember the heyday of the late Rev. Jerry Falwell Sr., the school’s founder and Falwell Jr.’s father, and his Moral Majority.

In January, the Wall Street Journal reported that in the run-up to Trump’s presidential campaign, Cohen hired John Gauger, a Liberty University employee who runs a private consulting firm, to manipulate online polls in Trump’s favor. Not previously reported is the fact that, according to a half-dozen high-level Liberty University sources, when Gauger traveled to New York to collect payment from Cohen, he was joined by Trey Falwell, a vice president at Liberty. During that trip, Trey posted a now-deleted photo to Instagram of around $12,000 in cash spread on a hotel bed, raising questions about his knowledge of Gauger’s poll-rigging work. Trey did not respond to requests for comment.

Read more:  https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/09/09/jerry-falwell-liberty-university-loans-227914

Heat wave expected this week. Muggy, too.

From JSOnline:

A warm front is forecast to push its way into Wisconsin and boost temperatures into the mid-80s along with humid conditions, according to the National Weather Service.

Monday is expected to be relatively balmy with a high of 72 in the Milwaukee area, though dew points will begin creeping up later in the day. But then it'll get hot.

High temperatures Tuesday are expected to hit 86 degrees with dew points around 70.

As a rule, dew points of 60 to 65 start to feel sticky, with 65 to 70 feeling really humid.

An area of low pressure approaching from the Great Plains will sweep into Wisconsin on Monday followed by a switch in wind direction from the south, funneling hot air into the region, Sarah Marquardt, a National Weather Service meteorologist based in Sullivan, said Sunday evening.

Read more:https://www.jsonline.com/story/weather/2019/09/08/wisconsin-weather-hot-muggy-days-forecast-week/2259810001/

Open Blog - Monday

Promise?

Instead of prosecuting alleged child rapist, charges dropped, in part because of possible deportation

From The Journal Times.com:

RACINE — Two men accused of raping the same 12-year-old girl have had charges brought against them in the past year, and each faced a maximum sentence of at least 60 years in prison. They also are facing deportation.

One of their cases was dismissed in March in part because the suspect, 38-year-old Juan Ramon-Pacheco, was likely going to be deported to Mexico, according to court documents reviewed by The Journal Times, although he  remains in jail as of Friday.

The other suspect, Lorenzo Bernabe-Lucas, 29, who allegedly impregnated the 12-year-old, was charged Wednesday with first-degree sexual assault of a child under the age of 13. He is being held in the Racine County Jail on an immigration detainer, Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling confirmed.

Dismissing the first case

Despite "a fair amount of reluctance" from Racine Circuit Court Judge Mark Nielsen, he approved the Racine County District Attorney’s Office request to dismiss charges against Ramon-Pacheco on March 22.

Nielsen, while dismissing the two counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child under the age of 13, characterized the motion to dismiss the case thusly: “This defendant (Ramon-Pacheco) is going to be deported and won’t be our problem,” he said, according to a court transcript. “(It) simply makes our problem, Mexico’s problem, I suppose.”

Immigration and Customs Enforcement's detainee locator indicates Ramon-Pacheco has not yet been deported and was being held at the Kenosha County Detention Center as of Friday.

Bernabe-Lucas is from Guatemala and had entered the U.S. illegally, according to Shawn Neudauer, a public affairs officer for ICE. Ramon-Pacheco is a Mexican national.

Nielsen said he wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to dismiss the charges, but deferred to the judgment of the District Attorney’s Office and approved the motion anyway.

“I have seen a lot weaker cases proceed to trial,” Nielsen said on March 22. “I am trying to understand why (the prosecutor) wants me to dismiss other than the fact that the gentleman will be deported ... In this case: an accusation of sexual assault of a child. You appear to have a fair amount of pretty clear evidence that he committed these crimes.”

Representing the state via the District Attorney’s Office, Assistant District Attorney Diane Donohoo argued that by dropping the charges, even if Ramon-Pacheco were considered to be a danger, public safety wouldn't be at risk considering Ramon-Pacheco could be deported. As of Friday, Ramon-Pacheco was still being held at Kenosha County Jail, more than five months after charges against him were dropped.

"He will be subject to deportation proceedings. He has been in custody for a substantial period of time here," Donohoo said on March 22. "Given all of that, I believe that it is in the best interests of the victim and it does not harm the public that this case be dismissed at this time."

The District Attorney’s Office has not replied to requests for comment on this story.

After Nielsen questioned Donohoo on why weaknesses weren’t revealed “long ago” — Ramon-Pacheco had been in custody since Sept. 12, 2018 — Donohoo said that she doubted a jury would convict, despite having testimony from the victim saying that Ramon-Pacheco had raped her multiple times.

Nielsen dismissed the case with “a fair amount of reluctance,” he said, partially because he didn’t feel deportation would be effective in protecting the public.

“I have a fair amount of experience from my prior federal practice with how effective deportation is, which is to say that generally means they won’t be back for months,” Nielsen said before dismissing the case on March 22, according to the court transcript. “But why are we dismissing this case? … I mean, it’s a sexual assault of a child.”

Read more: https://journaltimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/instead-of-prosecuting-alleged-child-rapist-charges-dropped-in-part/article_1ca88686-b4c7-5e36-9d45-e99fd1fb6dd7.html


This is why Racine is a toilet: ineffectual, wishy-washy judges who always side with the criminals.  As Nielsen said himself, this guy will be back in months.  Then he will rape more children.  What a fucked up judiciary.  Our judges should be rounded up and deported.

Security News This Week: An Unprecedented Cyberattack Hit US Power Utilities

Photograph: Ullstein Bild/Getty Images

Let's not overplay this: There was no blackout, and it's not even clear that it was a specifically targeted attack. But hackers did use firewall vulnerabilities to cause periodic "blind spots" for grid operators in the western US for about 10 hours on March 5. It's the first known time a cyberattack has caused that kind of disruption—which, again, did not affect the actual flow of electricity—at a US power grid company. The incident was originally referenced in a Department of Energy report in April, but only in vague terms. A new North American Electric Reliability Corporation document described it in more detail, including the type of vulnerabilities that let hackers compromise the web portals in question. No need to panic about this incident specifically, but given the extent to which Russia and others continue to probe the power grid, it's an unsettling reminder that weaknesses are out there.

Read more: https://www.wired.com/story/power-grid-cyberattack-facebook-phone-numbers-security-news/

Wisconsin Cannabis Expo

From The Shepherd Express:

Click here to sign up today for our Cannabis Connection email newsletter. You'll be the first to hear when tickets go on sale for the Wisconsin Cannabis Expo and more about the event. Cannabis Connection is your bi-weekly guide to stay informed about the growing availability of legal cannabis products in Milwaukee and what's happening at the state level with respect to Wisconsin's movement towards legalization, what's happening in other states and in the rest of the world.

Read more:  https://shepherdexpress.com/shepherdevents/wicannabisexpo#//

Microsoft the Musical

Madison restaurant owner has no plans to change Pho King Good name

Ting Cai Zhou is calling his Vietnamese noodle restaurant Pho King Good and has no intention of changing its name.
SAMARA KALK DERBY, STATE JOURNAL

A Madison restaurateur who is calling his Vietnamese noodle restaurant Pho King Good has no intention of changing its name after learning it includes words that sound obscene when spoken together.

“He didn’t mean to say a dirty word, that’s not his meaning or his main purpose,” said Shuai Yuan, who translated for his friend Ting Cai Zhou, who speaks little English and owns the proposed restaurant.

Ting insists he had no idea that the name was controversial until a reporter pointed out that “pho” — the popular Vietnamese soup pronounced “fuh” — plus “king” sounds to English speakers like an expletive.

Read more:  https://madison.com/wsj/entertainment/dining/restaurants/madison-restaurant-owner-has-no-plans-to-change-pho-king/article_7916746e-2e5a-577b-989d-5fa687b6de0b.html

Cudahy couple sentenced to prison for extensive child abuse inflicted on 15-year-old daughter

From JSOnline:

Felicia Boon walks the courthouse halls before joining her husband for trial July 23. (Photo: Mike De Sisti / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Parents from Cudahy were sentenced to prison Friday for the extended abuse and neglect of their 15-year-old daughter at the hands of the couple's other children.

Kevin Boon-Bey, 48, and Felicia Boon, 35, were convicted in July after a jury heard what Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Michael Hanrahan called overwhelming evidence of physical and emotional injuries inflicted on the girl until her rescue by Cudahy police in December.

"Both of you are either in complete and utter denial of reality, under delusion, or still engaged in outright lying and manipulation," Hanrahan said. "Either way it concerns me deeply."

He sentenced Boon, who was portrayed as the intelligent, organized and undisputed leader of the household, to seven years in prison plus five years of supervision on each of three counts, plus three years in prison and three on supervision for a fourth count.

All the sentences are to run concurrently, meaning she'll serve seven years in prison and five on supervision.

Boon-Bey was sentenced to six years in prison and five on supervision. He was found guilty of three counts, the sentences for which were also made concurrent.

Kevin Boon-Bey waits for court to begin at the Milwaukee County Courthouse on July 23. (Photo: Mike De Sisti / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Deputy District Attorney Matthew Torbenson noted how many people wrote letters in support of the couple and came to the hearings, including to Friday's sentencing. They were "seeking mercy and compassion" that Boon never showed the victim, he said.

He wanted them to know that the evidence at trial wasn't even all of the evidence since two of the three children who imposed the "discipline" on the victim declined to testify.  They are facing their own criminal charges in juvenile court.

The victim read a statement in court Friday. "All this time I'd been thinking I'm the problem, but I'm the victim," she said. "Your opinion no longer matters to me."

She had testified at trial about being locked in an upstairs bedroom where she had to sleep on the floor and use a pail as a toilet. Her half-siblings, ages 15, 14, and 12, burned her with boiling water, zip-tied her hands together and beat her with their fists, a belt and a pole. She once was choked with a cord until she passed out.

Police went to the home in December after getting a call about a girl throwing boiling water on another girl. The officer said the stench of urine and feces that hit him after opening a door to the upstairs was overpowering.

He found the victim in tattered clothes with cuts and bruises to her head and neck, and she said she hadn't eaten or drank in three days.

Boon-Bey and Boon have four younger children who were in the custody of child protective services after their arrests.

From: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/crime/2019/09/06/cudahy-couple-sentenced-prison-extensive-child-abuse/2236211001/

Open Blog - Weekend

Dance.

President Obama tells Trump to 'stop whining'

Mount Pleasant, Racine ranked as ‘worst driving cities,' police chief calls study ‘suspect'

Pictured here, three vehicles are involved in a crash on Sunnyslope Drive near Mariner Drive in Mount Pleasant on May 31. A study published in late August said that Mount Pleasant is the "worst driving city" in the State of Wisconsin.
ANDREW ROSENTHAL, Journal Times file photo

RACINE COUNTY — Three of the “worst driving cities” in Wisconsin are located in Racine County.

That is according to an analysis conducted by QuoteWizard, which stated that Mount Pleasant is the worst driving city in the state, followed by Racine in second-to-worst place. Caledonia placed sixth worst.

However, Mount Pleasant Police Chief Matthew Soens questioned the study, saying its methodology was “suspect at best.”

Read more:  https://journaltimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/mount-pleasant-racine-ranked-as-worst-driving-cities-police-chief/article_116b0def-3433-5731-b0b9-a40218a70351.html#1

Also see: https://www.jtirregulars.com/2019/09/here-are-top-10-worst-driving-cities-in.html

Kid Rock - Bawitdaba

Theory of a Deadman - Bad Girlfriend [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

Eminem - Criminal [Lyrics]

Sci-Fi Short Film "FTL" | Presented by DUST

McDonald's Just Revealed a Surprising New Product That Is a Huge Threat to Chick-fil-A and Popeyes

Getty Images

In case you've been living in a cave on the side of a mountain for the past few months, we are in the middle of a major chicken sandwich war. The two heavy hitters in this war have been Chick-fil-A, which has sold its iconic chicken sandwich since 1964, and Popeyes, which introduced a remarkably popular (and quickly sold out) spicy chicken sandwich of its own last month.

Yesterday, however, fast-food giant McDonald's decided it was time to introduce its own spicy chicken sandwich--hoping to steal some of the thunder from its archrivals Chick-fil-A and Popeyes.

On September 11th, McDonald's will start selling its new Spicy BBQ Chicken Sandwich in restaurants nationwide. According to the company, the star of the show will be a buttermilk crispy chicken fillet on a sesame seed bun with slivered onions, pickles, and a spicy BBQ glaze.

In addition to this new chicken sandwich specifically designed to compete with Chick-fil-A and Popeyes, McDonald's is also introducing Spicy BBQ Glazed Tenders--essentially, a turbocharged chicken nugget.

So, how will McDonald's new spicy chicken sandwich stand up to the sandwiches sold by its rivals?

That remains to be seen.

Read more:  https://www.inc.com/peter-economy/mcdonalds-just-revealed-a-surprising-new-product-that-is-a-huge-threat-to-chick-fil-a-popeyes.html

Four for Fridays!

Good morning everyone I hope you made it through the Holiday weekend. We just stayed here around home we didn't want to deal with all the idiots and traffic. We can deal with it around here instead of traveling. Here are your questions.

1) Have you ever went downtown Racine for the first Friday of the month?

2) If so when was the last time you did?

3) Was it what you expected it to be?

4) What kind of music was playing?

I hope you have a great weekend!

Open Blog - Friday

Have a ball.

Review: Heart’s comeback roar echoes through Tacoma Dome during all-star Love Alive tour stop

Heart brought their Love Alive tour to the Tacoma Dome Wednesday. Sisters Nancy, left, and Ann, seen here during a previous tour stop, are playing their first... (Kimberly Adamis, file) More

“Ooh. Barra-cooo-da,” wailed Ann Wilson, an upward inflection on that razor sharp “cooo” sticking like a switchblade on a sticky bar top.

Meanwhile, her sister Nancy Wilson hammered that unmistakable galloping riff, with two other ace guitarists chugging along in unison like three well-oiled pistons powering Heart’s motoring classic, “Barracuda.” As if closing this two-hour joy ride through the Northwest rock greats’ 40-plus-year career — with many scenic detours — with anything else were a serious option. The on-their-feet Tacoma Dome crowd erupted in appreciation after the final downhill churn.

The Seattle-grown rock heroes’ Love Alive tour barreled through Tacoma Dome on Wednesday, marking the Wilson sisters’ first tour together in three years. Family tension put Heart on the shelf after Ann Wilson’s husband, Dean Wetter, allegedly assaulted Nancy Wilson’s then 16-year-old twin sons backstage during a 2016 White River Amphitheatre concert. Wetter eventually pleaded guilty as part of a plea deal that spared him jail time.

There would be no overtly sentimental show of harmony Wednesday on the curtain-lined stage, done up like an elegant ballroom. Really, one of the only gratuitous displays of affection came from a canoodling couple in the crowd during the band’s potent (and more popularized) spin on Toronto’s “What About Love,” which made Tacoma Dome feel like a cozy, glitzy (given the ballroom motif) karaoke bar, listening to someone with way better pipes than your co-worker. If only Tacoma Dome brass would’ve sprung for personal fog machines under each of those roomy new seats it would’ve been ’80s nostalgia heaven.

“Yep, it’s us,” Ann Wilson said with a chuckle after a bewitched “Magic Man” early on. It was the only real acknowledgment of the temporary split, unless we’re to read into their intro music choice of The Pretenders’ “I’ll Stand By You.
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As a whole, the Love Alive tour has been a comeback roar, boosted by a rotating cast of equally powerful women rockers in support, including Brandi Carlile and Sheryl Crow on select dates. Wednesday night featured Southern fried vocal dynamo Elle King and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, the latter making for a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer two-for-one. Like Heart, Joan Jett helped kick down the door for women in the hard rock world, and the rock icon hasn’t lost her edge. We half expected the rock ‘n’ roll renegade to unfurl a pack of Reds from her sleeve after an attitude-drenched “Cherry Bomb” lit up the crowd.

Read more:  https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/music/review-hearts-comeback-roar-echoes-through-tacoma-dome-during-all-star-love-alive-tour-stop/

Volkswagen Will Now Convert Classic Beetles To Electric Power Which Is Maybe Even Better Than A New EV Beetle

I knew that even though Volkswagen ended Beetle (including Beetle-dressed Golfs) production in July, they wouldn’t ever really be able to not build some sort of Beetle, and I think this announcement proves that to be correct. VW is partnering with German EV conversion company eClassics to do conversions of classic, air-cooled Beetles into EVs with modern electric drivetrains. The first one they’re showing is a 1973 Super Beetle convertible, and it looks fantastic.

The really interesting part about all of this is how they’re doing the conversions. Unlike other vintage Beetle (and Bus, and Porsche 356, etc.) conversions we’ve seen before from companies like Zelectric that use an electric motor mated to the car’s existing transaxle and batteries placed in existing luggage areas, the VW/eClassic conversion is using the drivetrain from VW’s e-Up! city car
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From what I can see from VW’s press pictures, it appears that the whole e-Up! transverse drivetrain has been transplanted to the back of the VW chassis, replacing the whole longitudinal transaxle/engine setup

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It’s a very nice, tidy setup, and the e-Up!’s power pack fits remarkably well in the back of the Beetle. I can see that some extra motor mounts and supports have been added to the rear torsion tube housing, and the frame “horns” that once carried the transaxle have been cut off. New rear shock absorber mounts seem to be added as well.

The drivetrain, being transverse, is a bit shorter than the original transaxle/flat-four setup, so its weight is more focused over the axle line, and as such is less of an “outboard” motor, which will likely improve handling a good bit.

Read more: https://jalopnik.com/volkswagen-will-now-convert-classic-beetles-to-electric-1837900039

Review: 28 MPH VeeGo 750 electric fat bike

A New Study Shows There‘s No Link Between Pubic Grooming and Getting Certain STIs

If you’ve ever heard the urban legend that shaving or waxing your pubic hair could increase your risk of contracting certain STIs, a new study by Ohio State University is here to debunk that myth. The research, released today, found that there’s no link between removing your pubic hair and testing positive for chlamydia and gonorrhea.

The study, led by Jamie Luster, a former graduate student in public health at Ohio State (yas, queen), looked at the self-reported grooming habits of 214 female college students as well as their laboratory-confirmed STI tests. And survey says? There was no connection—not even among those who self-identified as “extreme groomers” who remove all their pubic hair.

“There are multiple theories about why pubic hair grooming could potentially increase the risk of chlamydia and gonorrhea,” explained Luster in an email to Cosmo. “Biologically, grooming may cause micro-trauma in the skin’s barrier, allowing pathogens to more easily enter the body. However, this has not been confirmed or documented for chlamydia and gonorrhea specifically.

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That said, Luster highlighted in a press release about her findings that this does not mean the research in this area is conclusive. Instead, her study should be viewed as something that helps color in a better picture of STI contraction and prevention techniques. 

Plus, Luster’s work only looked at chlamydia and gonorrhea. But when it comes to contracting herpes or pubic lice, personal grooming may still be a factor. Notably, your risk for contracting herpes increases if you shave or wax your pubic hair, and your risk for contracting pubic lice decreases if you shave or wax, explains Viselav Tonkovic-Capin, MD, who is board-certified in dermatology and dermatopathology. 

Read more:  https://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/a28912315/pubic-grooming-sti-study/

10 Most Protected People In The World

Open Blog - Thursday

A short work week brings the weekend faster.

Cara Delevingne Plays "Sweet Home Alabama" on Guitar Behind Her Back

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my dears!  How are you?  I hope your Labor Day went well.  At least the weather cooperated.  Señor Zanza and I just hung out in the yard.  Junior stopped by with a load of friends looking for free food.  They got what they wanted.  We grilled brats, burgers, and hot dogs.  It was delicious.  I hate to see summer go.  Sigh.  Autumn I can take.  It's winter that I hate.  Only three more months until the s-word becomes a reality.  Yuck.

The Irregular Fantasy Football League starts its season this week.  I can't wait to trounce my competitors, Mr. OrbsCorbs especially.  I'm going to take first place this year - that's my prediction.  The others might just as well not play.  Either way, I'm going to waste them.

Speaking of waste, did you read in the Journal Times about how our Common Council doesn't know what happened to $900,000?  Gee, I wonder why we're looking at a budget shortfall.  They pee away money on consulting firms and other nonsense, then they can't figure out why we're broke.  Idiots and thieves - that's what runs this city.  Mayor Butterball Mason is a lying piece of crap.  $13 million has disappeared into the Machinery Row debacle, and no one will tell us where the money went.  Bunch of crooks.  I'm tempted to put the Zoltar Curse on some of our aldermen, but they're already hobbled.  Clowns and criminals.

The article from Racine County Eye on the 10 worst Wisconsin cities to drive in ranked Mount Pleasant and Racine as number 1 and 2 respectively.  No surprise there.  Anyone who drives in this area already knew it.  We've become a toilet in so many ways.  Heaven help us.

School has started and the school buses on the road just add to the madness.  They've already had two accidents near Red Apple School.  No children were hurt, so that's a blessing.  And Unified has announced that middle school kids have to leave their cell phones in their lockers.  We'll see how that works out.  I think that if a child violates that policy, his/her cell phone should be confiscated.  And smashed.  Oh my!

People who lost their homes to the Foxconn development are still complaining.  Some have been made millionaires.  Would they give the money back to have their homes again?  I wonder.  I don't trust Foxconn.  Time will tell, but I wouldn't be surprised if they don't meet expectations.  The Racine area always gets screwed.

We have the highest (or second or third highest) unemployment rate in the state, but there's a shortage of competent employees.  Perhaps too many people are used to the government supporting them and they don't want to work.  Or they're too stupid to pull it off.  In any case, we have a lot of dead weight in the city.  That starts at the top, Butterball.

I'm sorry to complain so much, but it gets frustrating to watch local government throw away our tax dollars and enrich themselves and friends.  I hear that Mayor Butterball has four or five assistants.  Is that true?  What does he need so much help for?  If he's so incompetent that he can't handle the job, then maybe he should resign.  The taxpayers are fed up with paying so much and getting so little in return.  Butterball always makes an appearance or comment on good news, but he's nowhere to be seen when the poop hits the fan.  What a coward.

That's it, my dears.  I love you all and wish you nothing but the best.  May the bluebird of happiness poop in your coffee.

madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com

Don't forget to be kind and respectful to each other.  Love is the answer to all.  Feel it and show it.  Make me proud.
________________________ 
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.

Open Blog - Wednesday

Happy Wednesday to ugly people, too.

Here Are The Top 10 Worst-Driving Cities In Wisconsin

From Racine County Eye:

Mount Pleasant has seen its share of orange barrels in 2019. (Scott Anderson, Patch Staff )

MOUNT PLEASANT, WI — They say there are only two seasons in Wisconsin: winter and road construction season. It’s true that the typical motorist in Southeastern Wisconsin has seen their share of fender benders, pot holes and detours.

According to QuoteWizard best and worst driver studies Wisconsin typically ranks near the middle of the pack in overall driver quality.

After the results were tallied, Mount Pleasant was rated as the worst-driving community in the state. Superior was the best.

According to Quote Wizard, “Mount Pleasant is in a high traffic spot that makes it a perfect location for incidents. Folks traveling from Milwaukee to Chicago are bound to find themselves in heavy traffic in Mount Pleasant. The combination of traffic and bad drivers in Mount Pleasant puts the city on top as the worst drivers in the state.”

It can be argued that the remote city of Superior had geography on its side. According to Quote Wizard, “Superior takes the top spot as the best drivers. Rightfully so, the city sitting on its namesake lake is so far away from any traffic areas avoiding road incidents.”

To determine overall driver quality in Wisconsin, Quote Wizard ranked the 50-largest cities in the state. The group analyzed more than 49,000 insurance quotes from Wisconsin drivers using QuoteWizard.com and ranked cities by the highest rate of incidents.

Incidents include accidents, speeding tickets, DUIs, and citations.

The 10 Worst

1. Mount Pleasant
2. Racine
3. Franklin
4. Menomonee Falls
5. Germantown
6. Caledonia
7. Mequon
8. Menomonie
9. Oconomowoc
10. Stevens Point

The 10 Best

1. Superior
2. Onalaska
3. Middleton
4. Howard
5. Cudahy
6. Ashwaubenon
7. Green Bay
8. Beloit
9. De Pere
10. Oak Creek

From: https://www.racinecountyeye.com/here-are-the-top-10-worst-driving-cities-in-wisconsin/