My First Senior Citizen Discount – Should I be Grateful, or Offended?

Or both?

I went to KFC today to get food for a friend. I ordered a two piece meal and gave the man behind the counter the specifics. He pointed to the sign behind him and asked, “Do you want the separate two piece meal, which comes with two sides and a biscuit, but no drink?” Yes, that’s exactly what my friend wanted. The man rang it up on the cash register. The total, with tax, was $5.29. After giving me my change, he went to package the food.

As I waited, I looked over the posted menu. I looked to where the man had first pointed. There, the two piece meal was listed for $5.59, before tax. “Huh?” I thought. Just then, the man said, “Your order is ready, sir.” As I walked out to my truck, I looked over the register receipt. It carried the full price for the meal, then a 10% senior citizen discount, then the tax, totaling $5.29. I didn’t ask for a senior discount; I didn’t even know one was available. If I had known, I would have assumed that I don’t qualify because I’m 58. The man behind the counter was just that: a man, not a teenager. I would guess his age to be in the early 30’s.

Anyway, I’m not sure if I feel bad that I look old enough to get a senior citizen discount, or if this is something that I should be looking forward to. Should I start asking for a discount? How old do you normally have to be? 60? 65? 55? It’s funny, because I belong to both AARP and AAA, and they both promise all sorts of discounts to their members, but I have yet to purchase/rent anything that qualifies.

Maybe I should dye my hair white, and use a cane when I shop: “Eh, what’s that you say, sonny?” Maybe the more I dodder, the deeper the discount. But the thing is, they don’t offer senior citizen discounts on what I buy most: groceries and gasoline. It would hardly be worth my effort. I guess I’ll take today’s experience to be just another affirmation of the relentless march of time. Thanks for the discount, ‘sonny,’ whether I deserved it or not. In these hard times, I’ll take anything I can get.

'The Pill' Turns 50

A pill for men? What for? We don't have babies...

Racine, WI Photos From the Past

There are more good ones here: Old Racine Photos

Four for Fridays

Hello everyone! Did everyone have a good week? To honor Mother's Day this Sunday, I came with these questions.

1) Do you celebrate Mother's Day?

2) How do you celebrate Mother's Day?

3) Describe what is your mother like.

4) What you think it takes to be a good mother?

Enjoy your weekend!

What ever Happend to the Good Old Days

The Latest Development in Security...

I just got a spam email (using the Department of Homeland Security logo) trying to sell surveillance cameras. Here it is
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ISIS: New Video Camera Sees It All



The Imaging System for Immersive Surveillance (or ISIS) takes new video-camera and image-stitching technology and bolts it to a ceiling, mounts it on a roof, or fastens it to a truck-mounted telescoping mast

Like a bug-eyed fisheye lens, ISIS sees v-e-r-y wide. But that’s where the similarity ends. Whereas a typical fisheye lens distorts the image and can only provide limited resolution, video from ISIS is perfectly detailed, edge-to-edge. That’s because the video is made from a series of individual cameras stitched into a single live view like a high-res video quilt.

“Coverage this sweeping, with detail this fine, requires a very high pixel count,” says program manager Dr. John Fortune, of S&T’s Infrastructure and Geophysical Division, “ISIS has a resolution capability of 100 megapixels.” That’s as detailed as 50 full-HDTV movies playing at once, with optical detail to spare. You can zoom in close…and closer…without losing clarity.

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There is a link, but I am not clicking on it and I can't vouch for its safety, so I left it off.

Anyway, the point here is that it is EASY to find info on security systems. Want to have some fun, google a phrase like "hidden security camera enclosures". You will get links to companies that sell them. Peruse those links for a while. Okay, now go to Wal-Mart, a courthouse, the airport, etc. and look around. With minimal effort, you have just learned how to pick out most of the security cameras!

Okay, once you finish accusing me of "helping the bad guys", stop and think for a moment. I revealed nothing that is not publicly available and if some nogoodnick didn't think of this on his own, he probably isn't smart enough to get too far anyway. Besides, I am not the one sending these emails to random accounts!

The point is that there is a lot of info out there for anyone to find that can be abused. I have always thought a fun job would be a security expert, specifically, the guy who is paid to try and circumvent security systems. I ALWAYS want to do that...not because I want to steal anything or cause trouble, but just because I have ideas and want to see if they work.

There was a point to this, but I got distracted and went off the tracks...

Oil Rig Fire

I am sure most of you have heard or read about the oil rig leaking into the gulf, these are photos of the rig while it was on fire. A horrible tragedy where so many lives where lost.

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my torrid tulips! How are you? I had a great time last week – in Aruba! I don’t know if you noticed, but my last couple of blogs were kind of ‘down.’ I started to think about maybe sneaking away for some time just for me, and the next thing I knew, I was flying south, and not under my own power. Things fell into place conveniently: Junior already had plans to spend the week at a friend’s house, the business is slow and doesn’t need my constant mothering right now, and I had a rash of cancellations of readings and personal consultations. I also won a couple thousand dollars on the lottery (oh my, how did that happen?), which financed my getaway.

At this point, I’d like to say that the enhanced security measures at our airports are beyond impressive. Way beyond. I was frisked, x-rayed, body scanned, psychoanalyzed and cavity-searched. I told them to forward the results to my physician so I won’t have to pay for tests the next time I see him. Hmph! They must have thought it was odd when I commented on my flying abilities in the astral plane. I will grant you that I am unique, but I hardly fit the profile of a terrorist. I don’t envy those government employees now. Beware the Zoltar® Curse!

Aruba, though, was wonderful. It was warm, it was dry, it was heaven. I met all sorts of interesting people. I also spent an incredible night at a place called the Sopranos Piano Bar (yes, those Sopranos: http://sopranospianobar.com/frontpage/). Oh my, I don’t know how many Tsunamis I drank. It all became a blur towards the end, but I do remember one handsome gentleman telling me that the Kama Sutra has nothing on the Cosa Nostra. Those island breezes (and rum cocktails) can play tricks with your head and your heart. Before I knew it, that gentleman and I were moving to the rhythms of the native beat, if you know what I mean. It was hot and sexy and sexy hot. Oh dear. Anyway, a smart lady is prepared and so I was and so was he. I don’t even remember his last name (if he even told me), but I really don’t care. It was right for the moment and the moment was right.

Am I overusing that literary device? Or is the device overusing me?

Upon returning home, I read about the brouhaha over the Laurel Clark Fountain. How disappointing for the children (and adults) who liked to play there. It’s OK, I guess, to just sit and watch the fountain, but I think the temptation to have some fun will be harder to resist in the hotter months. I’m going to spend a little time meditating on a hero to save the day for the fountain and Racine’s kids. Maybe someone will step forward with a little psychic prodding. Wait and see.

Did I mention my tan? Oh my, I don’t want to drone on about my trip, but I look darker than midnight in a coal mine. Aruba has some topless (and bottomless) beaches, so no tan lines. Oh my².

Thank you my dear Irregulars for spending some time with me this week. Thank you for remaining loyal while I took a week off for fun in the sun and love in the sand. I also love each and every one of you. I look forward to seeing you all at the upcoming get together.

Remember to send your losing lottery tickets to: madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com.

Enjoy the beauty and bounty of spring. It is here but a short while before summer saunters in. Then it will be time for the Christmas displays in stores again. Papiamento!