Iggy Pop - "Corruption"

Mr. Pop with a timely tune for our fair city:



Iggy and The Stooges will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this coming Monday, March 15th: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35838748/.

Racine Post: "City ready to settle Tingle lawsuit"

http://news.racinepost.com/2010/03/city-ready-to-settle-tingle-lawsuit.html

I think this sucks. I think it sucks that politicians misbehave and the taxpayers are punished for it. I think it sucks that the same bunch of City Council members that oversaw that administration are overseeing this one, and will make the decision on the payoff.

Why does our city have so much intrigue and malfeasance?

Photos From the 20's

Every day we have something to be thankful for…

….today we are thankful that the photographer was not standing on the other side!

Super Cool

Four for Fridays

Hello everybody! Can you believe it's Friday already? Time sure flies. This week's questions are about computers.

1) What kind of computer are you using?

2) Internet Explorer or Firefox?

3) How old is your computer?

4) Do you play online video games?

Have a good weekend folks!

"The real relaxation drink"

"To Whom it May Concern:

"I noticed you did a few pieces on relaxation drinks and also noticed that the only brands you had to review were sleep aids. I understand your writers' apprehension to drink either before bedtime, that's because the only effective ingredient either have in an effective dose is melatonin, a sleep hormone. We at Mini Chill set out to create a true relaxation drink that actually causes relaxation and improved mental focus without causing drowsiness. It's not only something to relax with, Mini Chill can be enjoyed at work on a stressful day and it will help you do your job more effectively. We have almost ten times the valerian root as either of the brands you covered. We also have the recommended effective levels of GABA, 5-HTP and L-Theanine, all natural herbs and amino acids that are guaranteed to cause relaxation, improve mental focus and improve mood WITHOUT causing drowsiness. Not only are we the only relaxation drink that's Dr. Formulated, we actually have published clinical research proving our product's effectiveness, which is unheard of in the beverage industry. Despite the fact that we obviously put more money and effort into developing a quality product than the competition, we retail at the same price as any relaxation shot out there. However, if you want to review Mini Chill, we would be happy to send you a free 12 pack. Please get back to me at your earliest convenience with a mailing address and I will expedite your free samples. Thanks for your time.
"Best
--
Ed Lamanna
Sales Director
Stevenson Products, LLC. The creators of Mini Chill™
58-17 255th Street
Flushing, NY 11362
Web: www.minichill.com"

I assume that the Irregulars will accept this offer.

St Paddy's Day Parade

For family-style Irish festivities, head Downtown on Saturday. At the center of the day's celebration will be Racine's fourth annual St. Patrick's Day Parade, which will make its way down Main and Sixth streets, beginning at noon from the corner of State and Main.

Select all that apply...

St. Paddy's Day Parade
	Have you gone in the past?
	Do you plan on going this weekend?
	Undecided
	Never go
pollcode.com free polls

I might be back online

I am back......have my old computer set up...will pick up my new one today or tomorrow and then attempt to set that up.

All you techies out there, is one router better than another? Which and why?

I did buy the TouchSmart HP....we'll see how smart it makes me...LOL.

Corporate America Has Officially Gone Bat Shit Crazy!

Okay, I upgraded to a nice Android phone last fall. I play with apps and saw the Bic Concert lighter app today. It is free so I downloaded it. It's a silly but fun app that puts an image of a lighter on your cell phone screen so you can wave it around at concerts.

I downloaded it and started it only to be hit with the following ominous warning: "This is obviously not a real lighter. However please do not let your children play with this applicaiton. This application should only be used by adults 19 years of age or older. Keep this virtual lighter and all real lighters away from children. No lighter is childproof. There is no substitute for proper adult supervision."

19 years old? You can DRIVE for three years before you a mature enough to have an image of a fake lighter on your screen? What kind of potential lawsuit could warrant this type of warning?

Rant over...back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Fantastic New Website

http://trololololololololololo.com/

I would consider this in the "positive" vein.

The Shredder

A young engineer was leaving the office at 3:45 p.m. when he found the Acting CEO standing in front of a shredder with a piece of paper in his hand.

"Listen," said the Acting CEO, "this is a very sensitive and important Document , and my secretary is not here. Can you make this thing work?"

"Certainly," said the young engineer. He turned the machine on, inserted the paper, and pressed the start button.

"Excellent, excellent!" said the Acting CEO as his paper disappeared inside the machine, "I just need one copy."


Lesson:
Never, ever assume that your boss knows what he's doing.

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my penultimate penumbras! How are you? It is so wonderful to see the little signs of spring begin to peek out here and there. But it’s also quite messy. Where there isn’t snow, there is mud. Or dog poop. And all the other assorted trash that emerges as the dirty snow slowly melts. Now we’re supposed to get a few days of rain. That may wash away some of the mess (while revealing more), but I hope the rivers can take it. The ground is saturated and still partially frozen. Oh my!

There I go, getting negative, right from the start. Shame on me. The first thing I want to do this week is draw attention to Ms. Lizardmom’s blog on being positive: http://www.jtirregulars.com/2010/03/time-for-some-positivity.html. Hurray for you, Ms. Lizardmom! I agree with you completely. With all of the bad things that we have endured in Racine recently, we need some good vibrations. Lots and lots of good vibrations.



I know that was corny, but I honestly just thought of it as I wrote. Anyway, that’s a very good song, and Racine needs a lot of what it has. We all should work toward restoring our city’s good vibrations. Racine is worth it, we are worth it, we are Racine.

No vibrations, good, bad, or otherwise, shook the inbox this week, my dears. I did receive an interesting piece of spam a few weeks ago and contacted the author. It turned out to be my old friend, Gamel the Gypsy. He’s working a different angle these days and has gotten into spam. That’s too bad. He used to be such a nice boy.



Now, don’t you feel better after watching that? I know I do. There are positive and good vibrations all around humor. It’s just difficult to get enough of them into your diet to crowd out the bad news. Here, try this:



You should be feeling great now, so give Ms. Lizardmom’s blog another visit and add to the positive. It feels good to do good, oh my goodness. And it feels good to spend time with my beloved irregulars. Thank you for reading my blog this week, my friends.

Discard your negative thoughts and energy at: madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com.

Be careful in the rain and the mud, my dears. The butt you save may be your own. Deliquescence!

Stuff Christians Like

I remember a while ago someone posted a blog about Stuff White People Like which takes aim at the lefty whites in this country (and does it pretty well...having someone make fun of you is one thing...the least they can do is make it truly funny). Now someone has done the same for Christians with Stuff Christians Like.

I tell ya, I am getting an education about all you Christians out there!

I just peeked around out of curiosity and there is a Stuff Conservatives Like web site, but it is not nearly as good as the Stuff White People Like. Seems more like hackish attacks rather than the higher level satire of Stuff White People like. It's fairly new and only has 8 entries, so maybe he will get better.

There is a Stuff Black People like (very amateurish...even more so than Stuff Conservatives Like) but Stuff Gay Guys like has potential.

Sorry, I am getting distracted and randomly googling "stuff ______ like" where you can fill in the blank with your favorite racial group/political affiliation/sexual orientation/etc.

ROBOPLOW

Sure, now they come out with it, after winter is almost over...

Deer Season versus Python Season

Beginning on Monday, Florida is having their very first Python Hunting Season in the Everglades. I believe the season lasts a week or ten days. I wouldn't want our avid sportsmen to miss the opportunity to slosh through alligator infested waters in search of giant snakes! Hssssssst.

Time for some positivity!!

OK gang, it's time to brighten things up.

With all the negativity in the news lately,
it's down-right depressing.

This blog is a shout out to anything positive,
encouraging, or just plain awesome.

Is there somewhere you went that wow'd you?

Is there anyone that just really made your day?

This is mine.

This was an awesome and above and WAY beyond
reward for the incredible job my
drive thru did last Thursday.
We watch our drive thru times daily.
I gave them a challenge that they
blew out of the water!

I made a deal with the owner of Larsen's Bakery
on Hy 20. Really nice guy!
I told him about my challenge and he loved the idea.

If we made our breakfast DT times of 75 sec or less
then they would earn humongous donuts.
There is no stronger driving force that food!

Well, my gang ended Thursday breakfast at 69.
I went straight up to show him, and
couldn't be more proud.
Today, he not only made the ones
we agreed on but even more,
AND delivered them.

Each of the above donuts are more than
1 foot in diameter, just enormous!!

Thank you Don and the Larsen's gang!!!

and thanks to my Thursday morning
drive thru crew for blowing me away
and really working for your reward!

Adaptive Optics on the 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast

Well, actually ANOTHER 365 Days of Astronomy podcast. Today is one of my days and myself and a couple of my students talk about adaptive optics technology.

Adaptive optics is a collection of technologies we use to overcome the blurring effects of Earth's atmosphere. By measuring how Earth's atmosphere is distorting images, we can correct the images and end up with images from ground based telescopes that are nearly as good as those from the Hubble Space Telescope (and soon we will surpass Hubble image quality).

Adaptive optics is critical to systems such as the Boeing Airborn Laser Testbed which recently successfully shot down a missile in a test. A major plot of my podcast is about an alien attack on Earth and how adaptive optics plays a role in the battle.

And in terms of peaceful, non-astronomy related applications, adaptive optics is being used in medical applications, particularly vision. Adaptive optics technologies play a role in measuring vision defects, LASIK, and retinal imaging.

Adaptive Optics: It's not just for astronomers!

ROUTE 66 and BURMA SHAVE........

For those who never saw any of the Burma Shave signs, here is a quick lesson in our history of the 1930's thru the '50's.

Before there were interstates, when everyone drove the old two lane roads, Burma Shave signs would be posted all over the countryside in farmers' fields.

They were small red signs with white letters. Five signs, about 100 feet apart, each containing 1 line of a 4 line couplet .... and the obligatory 5th sign advertisingBurma Shave, a popular shaving cream.

Here are some of the actual signs:

DON'T STICK YOUR ELBOW
OUT SO FAR
IT MAY GO HOME
IN ANOTHER CAR.
Burma Shave

TRAINS DON'T WANDER
ALL OVER THE MAP
'CAUSE NOBODY SITS
IN THE ENGINEER'S LAP
Burma Shave

SHE KISSED THE HAIRBRUSH
BY MISTAKE
SHE THOUGHT IT WAS
HER HUSBAND JAKE
Burma Shave

DON'T LOSE YOUR HEAD
TO GAIN A MINUTE
YOU NEED YOUR HEAD
YOUR BRAINS ARE IN IT
Burma Shave

DROVE TOO LONG
DRIVER SNOOZING
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT
IS NOT AMUSING
Burma Shave

BROTHER SPEEDER
LET'S REHEARSE
ALL TOGETHER
GOOD MORNING, NURSE
Burma Shave

CAUTIOUS RIDER
TO HER RECKLESS DEAR
LET'S HAVE LESS BULL
AND A LITTLE MORE STEER
Burma Shave

SPEED WAS HIGH
WEATHER WAS NOT
TIRES WERE THIN
X MARKS THE SPOT
Burma Shave

THE MIDNIGHT RIDE
OF PAUL FOR BEER
LED TO A WARMER
HEMISPHERE
Burma Shave

AROUND THE CURVE
LICKETY-SPLIT
BEAUTIFUL CAR
WASN'T IT?
Burma Shave

NO MATTER THE PRICE
NO MATTER HOW NEW
THE BEST SAFETY DEVICE
IN THE CAR IS YOU
Burma Shave

A GUY WHO DRIVES
A CAR WIDE OPEN
IS NOT THINKIN'
HE'S JUST HOPIN'
Burma Shave

AT INTERSECTIONS
LOOK EACH WAY
A HARP SOUNDS NICE
BUT IT'S HARD TO PLAY
BurmaShave

BOTH HANDS ON THE WHEEL
EYES ON THE ROAD
THAT'S THE SKILLFUL
DRIVER'S CODE
Burma Shave

THE ONE WHO DRIVES
WHEN HE'S BEEN DRINKING
DEPENDS ON YOU
TO DO HIS THINKING
Burma Shave

CAR IN DITCH
DRIVER IN TREE
THE MOON WAS FULL
AND SO WAS HE.
Burma Shave

PASSING SCHOOL ZONE
TAKE IT SLOW
LET OUR LITTLE
SHAVERS GROW
Burma Shave

TV Commercials

In the past week or so there are two commercials, one which I think is totally wrong and one which makes me laugh.

The wrong one is for Tide Laundry Detergent. There is a young girl, 10 -12 years old, who is complaining about her ‘hand-me-down’ blue jeans from her sister. The little girl say, “the pair of jeans she wants is only a $100.00 dollars, but now that her mom washed the old ones in Tide, the spot is gone and she ends up with them”.

Why is Tide telling young people that spending a $100.00 on a pair of jeans is okay? Are they out of their mind! To me...if you spend a $100 bucks on a pair of jeans, you do not have any money problems and you are pretty well off!

The second is (I believe) is State Farm. A man and his wife are sitting in an auditorium listening to a play and he asks her for some lip balm and she hands him her lip stick and he puts it on without checking! Way tooooo funny, just makes me giggle my ass off!

Today is International Women's Day

http://www.internationalwomensday.com/

Treat an international woman to lunch.

The Benefit Review

Last night, I went to the Thoughts for Food Benefit. I had a good time! If anybody is interested, just follow this link over to my blog and read about it there. It took me over an hour to write it up. I would take me too long copy and paste it over here. I'm a SLOW typer. Thanks!

BTW fungi, thanks for the drink!