Saturday, March 19, 2011
No, not more war
Good thing no one here has kids. The draft is right around the corner.
Top Dog Hot Dogs - The Name Says It All
I don’t know how many times I drove by that cart and thought to myself, “I have to try a dog one of these days.” But I didn’t, until yesterday. I was driving down Wisconsin Avenue, thinking about food, when I suddenly realized I was in Top Dog’s territory. I parked and walked to the food court’s rear door, directly across the street from Kewpee’s restaurant.
I lived in Chicago for ten years and while there I became a hot dog snob. I only like Chicago style hot dogs now, and I only like them done right. I’ve suffered through some pale (and sometimes weird) imitations in Racine and elsewhere. After all the raves I’ve heard about Top Dog, I figured that if anybody in town can get it right, it should be them.
At Top Dog’s counter, I ordered a Chicago style dog. And, much to my delight, that is exactly what I received. It was superb. In fact, it was perfect. Maybe it’s been too long since I’ve had a good Chicago style hot dog and I’m overreacting, but I’d say that the only thing missing from the hot dog I ate yesterday was the sound of the El overhead. I heartily recommend Top Dog’s Chicago style hot dog. I’m also going to go out on a limb and recommend all of their hot dogs. Anybody who can make a perfect Chicago style hot dog can make any other kind, too.
I noticed from their menu that Top Dog also offers Italian beef sandwiches. That is another taste I acquired in Chicago. When I can afford it, I’m trying one of those next. If they do Italian beef as well as they do Chicago style hot dogs, I may seek residence above the food court.
Top Dog Hot Dogs, 520 Main St. (Monument Sq.), Racine, 262-637-7043
Here’s their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Top-Dog-Hot-Dogs/164695702294
Below are scans of their menu:
Draft Lottery.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Full Moon of 19 March 2011
"The last full Moon so big and close to Earth occurred in March of 1993," says Geoff Chester of the US Naval Observatory in Washington DC. "I'd say it's worth a look."
Full Moons vary in size because of the oval shape of the Moon's orbit. It is an ellipse with one side (perigee) about 50,000 km closer to Earth than the other (apogee): diagram. Nearby perigee moons are about 14% bigger and 30% brighter than lesser moons that occur on the apogee side of the Moon's orbit.
Full report at: Da Moon
The Pepsi Syndrome
Looking at the dates is interesting. The Three Mile Island accident started on March 28th, 1979 and this episode aired on April 8th. They sure didn't wait long!
I remember watching this skit even though I was pretty young. I loved Barabara Wawa. She delivered the classic monologue:
"Hewwo, this is Baba Wawa speaking to you wive fwom Two Miwe Iwand. I'm speaking to you wive fwom the Two Miwe Iwand Nucweaw Weactow site whewe wumows awe wunning wampant that the pwesident has been exthposed to wethaw wevews of wadiation. And he has gwown to an incwedibly widiculous pwopowtion. He's weawwy, weawwy, wawge. Pwesentwy, Woss Denton, spokespewson fow the utiwity company which wuns the nucweaw weactow wiww enter this woom to wespond to the pwess. Watew tonight, at 10:30, 9:30 centwaw, ABC wiww pwesent a speciaw half houw wepowt, "How big is the President?" hosted by Fwank Weynolds and Wodney Dangewfiewd. [ Ross enters the room with Rosalyn Carter and Dr. Edna Casey ] I see Woss Denton is appwoaching the podium and seems weady to speak. Wet's wisten in."
Unfortunately, I can't find a video of this classic online (you can buy the episode from Amazon). However, I found the complete transcript you can read.
Four for Fridays
1) Who was the first person you spoke to this morning?
2) If you were in a band what instrument you'll be playing?
3) If you were to go back in time, what year you would like to visit?
4) What habits annoy you the most?
Enjoy your weekend!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Leprechaun Sighting
I used to see leprechauns on St. Paddy's Day, too, but then I stopped drinking...
True story...
She asked "What does that mean?" .... I was waiting for something profound...
He said, "President's Day is when Obama steps out of the White House and if he sees his shadow, we have 2 more years of unemployment."
I almost snorted my iced tea...
Wisconsin after the Budget Repair Bill
BJ on the Road Again |
Case High School |
Orbs' Garage and Blacksmith Works |
KK's Garden |
Lizardmom making baskets for a few bucks on the side |
The New Racine Police Dept. |
Laid off Police officers |
Mayor Dickert's Laundry |
Tender Heart making Lunch |
Everyone Headed to Illinois |
St. Patrick's Day!
St. Patrick's Day has been a Religious Holiday ever since the ninth century. It was named after the Saint Patrick of the Patrons Saints of Ireland. Back then the color was Blue. They made the color Blue because of the color that the Patrons wore.
Then in the 17th century the color changed to Green. They changed the color because of the the clovers and the shamrocks.
This day is observed my many Religions. Some of them are the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox and the Lutherans. There are more but these are the ones that observed this day back then.
In the 17th Century this day became a Feast Day and a celebration for the Irish. This also became a public holiday in Ireland. They made St. Patrick's Day on March 17th so it didn't interfere with the Holy Week. Holy Week is Palm Sunday and Lent.
In 1903 St. Patrick's Day became an Official Public Holiday in Ireland. This was with the help of the bank act 1903 an act of the United Kingdom Parliament. This was introduced by Irish MP James O'Mara. He is the person that helped get this day for a holiday for the Irish culture.
The first parade was held in the Irish Free State of Dublin in 1931. They had to close the pubs and bars down because to many people were drinking and getting really out of hand. Starting fights in the middle of the streets and in the bars and pubs.
The first festival was held on March 17, 1996 this was a one day event. Then in 1997 it became a three day event and in 2000 it became a four day event. In 2000 there was more than 675,000 people at the festival. The festival included concerts, bands, the parade, theatre performances and fireworks.
The biggest celebration was held in Downpatrick, County Down. They had more than 2,000 participants and 82 floats, bands and performers. This was in 2004 and it was a week long festival.
In 2007 Vincent Twomey wrote this " It is time to reclaim St. Patrick's Day as a Church Festival." They are worried that this day has gotten way out of hand.
This is how the Holiday St. Patrick's Day had started many years ago.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
GetHuman.com
Dear Madame Zoltar
I want to express my deepest sympathies and condolences to the people of Japan. The tragedies which have befallen their nation are horrific. I pray for the rapid rescue of survivors and the swift rebuilding of their country. May the nations of the world extend their goods and helping hands to Japan. May we each do what we can.
You can meet and greet the candidate that I endorse for mayor of Racine, Alderman Eric Marcus, at upcoming forums and meetings. Racine Uncovered has all the details as usual with one of their informative articles: http://racineuncovered.org/?p=32165 I’ve taken the liberty of copying the list of Mr. Marcus’ appearances from RU and reproduced it below. I hope they don’t mind. You can meet Mr. Marcus as early as tomorrow:
March 17th – Racine Taxpayers’ Association Candidate Forum – 7pm
March 18th WRJN Radio Candidate Forum - 9am
March 19th WRJN – 9:30am
March 21st Landlord’s Forum - Buckets - 6pm
March 22nd Dino’s Restaurant “Meet the Candidate” - 6pm
March 24th City Haul Lounge “Meet the Candidate” – 3:30pm
March 25th Marcus Historic Home at 1520 College Avenue “Meet the Candidate” – 6pm
March 29th Greater Mt. Eagle Missionary Baptist Church Candidate Forum – 6pm
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, my beloved Irregulars! Don’t forget, the holiday starts tomorrow, Thursday, March 17th:
Unlike the fellow in the above video, please use a little restraint if you intend to celebrate tomorrow. You should wait until at least noon before you start guzzling booze. Oh dear no, I’m sorry, that was a sick joke. Please use a designated driver or a cab if you’re going out tomorrow to have some drinks. I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to any of my precious Irregulars. I so appreciate you taking the time each week to stop by and peruse my blog. We are family and must watch out for each other. If any of you happen to accidentally overindulge tomorrow and have no way of getting home, please contact me and I will astral project you to your destination. Be forewarned, however, that astral projecting is an inexact science at best, especially when second party transportation is involved. You might be better off staying sober than risk ending up embedded in one of your home’s walls. Oh my.
Learn the secrets of your future or bury those of your past – contact Madame Zoltar®: madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com.
Watch out for that green beer, my dears! It has left more than one reveler a little green around the gills. I love you all and wish you a wonderful week! Ranunculaceous!
The Ventures Live 1966
There are four videos in the playlist. The performances are awesome. Turn it up LOUD.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
The Jupiter and Mercury Conjunction
It was cloudy last night, but cleared up tonight so I got a couple of pics. I am in Yuma so they were just taken outside my hotel, not the most scenic area but some nights you take what you can get.
Jupiter left, Mercury right. Mercury will keep getting higher in the sky and Jupiter will get lower over the next few days. Very easy to watch them move.
Many people have never seen Mercury...this is a good time to give it a shot!Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.
"Just to get you in the mood for St. Patrick's Day"
They even have their own website: http://stavrosflatleyofficial.com/
AT&T sets monthly limits on broadband use
Looking at the usage AT&T is saying to reach 150 gigabyte I should not exceed the limit.
To exceed the 150-gigabyte cap, you would have to stream 10 high-definition movies a month, watch 100 hour long online television shows, stream 5,000 one-minute YouTube videos and upload several thousand photos to social media sites, according to AT&T.
That sure seems like a lot to me; but once it’s set up, who knows how fast it will/can change!
Using the analogy of the water meter it does make sense, to me. I guess we will have to wait and see.
AT&T DSL
Funky Hotel
Sometimes I take a chance on a local joint. This time I found the Hotel Des Arts near Chinatown in San Fran. This modestly priced hotel is in an older building with smaller rooms (some have a shared bath, I sprung for a private bath) and has a very European vibe to it. It's not uncommon to hear other languages in the lobby or at breakfast.
The cool thing about this hotel is that every room has been painted by a local artist. Your room comes with its very own mural and art. Here is the room I stayed in.
Outside your room, the hallways are art galleries. You can buy the art as well. One of the artists also works the front desk.
While maybe not for everybody, I enjoyed my stay there. Good price, good location, fun room. Hard to beat that combination.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Japan Before and After
Before and After
Little Vito
and you shoot one of them, how many will be left?"
She calls on Little Vito.
He replies, "None. They will all fly away with the first gunshot."
The teacher replies, "The correct answer is four, but I like your thinking."
Then, Little Vito says, "I have a question for YOU. There are
three women sitting on a bench having ice cream:
One is delicately licking the sides of the triple scoop of ice cream.
The second is gobbling down the top and sucking the cone.
The third is biting off the top of the ice cream. Which one is married?"
The teacher, blushing a great deal, replied,
"Well, I suppose the one that's gobbled down the top and sucked the cone."
To which Little Vito replied, "The correct answer is 'the one
with the wedding ring on', but I like your thinking."
LITTLE VITO ON MATH
Little Vito returns from school, and he says he got an "F" in arithmetic
"Why?" asks Little Vito's father?
"The teacher asked me: 'How much is 2x3'? I said '6," replies Little Vito.
"But that's right!" says Little Vito's Dad.
"Yeah, but then she asked me: "How much is 3x2?'"
"What's the fucking difference?" asks Little Vito's father.
"That's what I said!"
LITTLE VITO ON ENGLISH
Little Vito goes to school, and the teacher says,
"Today, we are going to learn multi-syllable words, Class.
Does anybody have an example of a multi-syllable ! word?"
Little Vito says, "Mas-tur-bate."
Miss Rogers smiles and says, "Wow, Little Vito, that's a mouthful."
Little Vito says, "No, Miss Rogers. You're thinking of a blow-job."
WATER......
we are consuming 1 kilo of Doo Doo.
However, we do not run that risk when drinking rum, whiskey, beer or other liquors because alcohol has to go through a distillation process of boiling, filtering and fermenting.
It is my duty to communicate to all of you people who are drinking water, to STOP doing so, it has been scientifically proven that it is UNHEALTHY and BAD for you.
WATER = Doo Doo
ALCOHOL = HEALTH
Free yourself of Doo Doo, drink ALCOHOL!!! It is better to drink alcohol and talk Doo Doo than to drink water and be full of shit.
3 Minute Management Course
An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing. A small rabbit saw
the eagle and asked him, "Can I also sit like you and do nothing?"
The eagle answered: "Sure, why not." So, the rabbit sat on the ground below
the eagle and rested.
All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.
Management Lesson:
To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.
Lesson Two:
A turkey was chatting with a bull. "I would love to be able to get to the
top of that tree," sighed the turkey, "but I haven't got the energy."
"Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?" replied the bull. "
They're packed with nutrients."
The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough
strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree. The next day, after eating
some more dung, he reached the second branch.
Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of
the tree. He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.
Management Lesson:
Bull shit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.
Lesson Three:
A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold, the bird
froze and fell to the ground into a large field.
While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him. As the
frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm
he was. The dung was actually thawing him out! He laid there all warm and
happy, and soon began to sing for joy.
A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate. Following the
sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly
dug him out and ate him.
Management Lesson:
(1) Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy.
(2) Not everyone who! gets you out of shit is your friend..
(3) And when you're in deep shit, it's best to keep your mouth shut!
This ends the three minute management course.
Medical Bloopers (Sure To Make Your Day Better)
have her baby in the cab!" I grabbed my stuff, rushed out to the
cab, lifted the lady's dress, and began to take off her underwear.
Suddenly I noticed that there were several cabs - and I was in the
wrong one.
Submitted by Dr. Mark MacDonald, San Antonio, TX.
At the beginning of my shift I placed a stethoscope on
an elderly and slightly deaf female patient's anterior chest wall.
"Big -breaths," I instructed. "Yes, they used to be," replied the patient.
Submitted by Dr. Richard Byrnes, Seattle, WA
One day I had to be the bearer of bad news when I told
a wife that her husband had died of a massive myocardial infarct. Not
more than five minutes later, I heard her reporting to the rest of the
family that he had died of a "massive internal fart."
Submitted by Dr. Susan Steinberg, Manitoba, Canada
During a patient's two week follow-up appointment with
his cardiologist, he informed me, his doctor, that he was having
trouble with one of his medications. "Which one?" I asked.
"The patch. The nurse told me to put on a new one every six hours
and now I'm running out of places to put it!" I had him quickly
undress and discovered what I hoped I wouldn't see. Yes, the man had over
fifty patches on his body! Now, the instructions include removal of the old
patch before applying a new one.
Submitted by Dr. Rebecca St. Clair, Norfolk, VA
While acquainting myself with a new elderly patient, I asked,
"How long have you been bed-ridden?" After a look of complete
confusion she answered..."Why, not for about twenty years - when my
husband was alive."
Submitted by Dr. Steven Swanson, Corvallis, OR
I was caring for a woman and asked, "So how's your breakfast
this morning?" "It's very good, except for the Kentucky Jelly. I
can't seem to get used to the taste" the patient replied. I then asked to
see the jelly and the woman produced a foil packet labeled "KY Jelly."
Submitted by Dr. Leonard Kransdorf, Detroit, MI
A nurse was on duty in the Emergency Room when young woman with
purple hair styled into a punk rocker Mohawk, sporting a variety of
tattoos, and wearing strange clothing, entered.
It was quickly determined that the patient had acute appendicitis,
so she was scheduled for immediate surgery. When she was completely
disrobed on the operating table, the staff noticed that her pubic
hair had been dyed green, and above it there was a tattoo that read,
"Keep off the grass."
Once the surgery was completed, the surgeon wrote a short
note on the patient's dressing, which said, "Sorry, had to mow the lawn."
Submitted by RN no name
AND FINALLY!!!................
As a new, young MD doing his residency in OB, I was quite
embarrassed when performing female pelvic exams.
To cover my embarrassment had unconsciously formed a habit
of whistling softly.
The middle-aged lady upon whom I was performing this exam
suddenly burst out laughing and further embarrassing me.
I looked up from my work and sheepishly said,
"I'm sorry. Was I tickling you?"
She replied," No doctor, but the song you were whistling was, "I
wish I was an Oscar Meyer Wiener".
Dr. wouldn't submit his name
As I Mature
someone love you. All you can do is stalk
them and hope they panic and give in.
I’ve learned that no matter how much I
care, some people are just assholes.
I’ve learned that it takes years to build up
trust, and it only takes suspicion, not
proof, to destroy it.
I’ve learned that you can get by on charm
for about fifteen minutes. After that, you’d
better have a big willy or huge boobs.
I’ve learned that you shouldn’t compare
yourself to others – they are more
screwed up then you think.
I’ve learned that you can keep vomiting
long after you think you’re finished.
I’ve learned that regardless of how hot
and steamy a relationship is at first, the
passion fades, and there had better be a
lot of money to take its place!
I’ve learned that 99% of the time when
something isn’t working in your house, one
of your kids did it.
I’ve learned that the people you care most
about in life are taken from you too soon
and all the less important ones just never
go away.
.
3-14 is a Real Geek Day...
Most people know March 14th as Pi Day and students around the country are eating pie and engaging in other pi related activities.
However, it is also Albert Einstein's Birthday so we are also celebrating Talk Like a Physicist Day. If you can't talk like a physicist, I recommend reading some XKCD comics or Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal.
Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.
Great Chance to See Mercury and Jupiter
Mercury is a difficult planet to observe. It rarely ventures far from the Sun and is frequently lost in twilight. The next couple of nights, bright Jupiter serves as a useful marker to find Mercury as they have a nice close conjunction. Here is a finder chart.
Although they are close together in the night sky, they are nowhere close to each other in space. Jupiter is on the far side of the Sun over 550 million miles from Earth. Jupiter is getting lower in the sky each evening. Mercury is moving away from the Sun in the sky and getting higher each night. Mercury is about 100 million miles away.
Mercury will be farthest from the Sun on March 23rd. Near the spring equinox is the best time to observe Mercury in the evening since the ecliptic makes a very steep angle with the horizon for observers in the northern hemisphere. You can watch it get higher in the sky each night until about the 23rd when it will turn around and head back toward the Sun.Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Trip to Kenosha
The Dinosaur Discovery Museum was SOOO cool! Being a dinosaur nut, I still find it amazing to see the sheer size of these creatures! The above picture is a tyrannosaurus rex as compared to some of the other predatory dinosaurs. I certainly wouldn't want to mess him! (Nor any other dinosaur for that matter)
Just down the road was the Kenosha Public Museum. That one was really neat! The museum has various displays showing art, heritage and a cool walk through the years! The picture above is a display of Indians that lived in the region thousands of years ago. The picture below was the most complete skeleton of a mammoth in North America. Discovered in Kenosha County in 1994, the creature was said to be killed and butchered by hunters over 14,000 years ago.
Our next stop was the Civil War Museum next door. Kinda neat too! The museum shows reenactments of the Civil War era. It was interesting to see the old fashioned clothes and tools that they used. Also inside, is a memorial to those served in ALL of the American wars. Below picture is a cannon used in the Civil War.
Admission for both the Dinosaur Discovery Museum and the Kenosha Public Museum is free, while it is ten bucks per person for a non Kenosha resident to see the Civil War Museum.
Here's the weblink.
Melt down, radiation and you
The explosion that blew the roof off the containment building was caused by vented gases straight from the core. The "containment" building is supposed to contain leaks from accidents. OOPS sorry there is no building to do this anymore. What's more, there is no double loop cooling system and sea water is being pumped directly into the core. That water has to go somewhere. whups, right back out into the ocean. It is picking up flakes, pieces and debris from the "partial meltdown" and flowing right out to sea.
The spin by the spin doctors is full of holes. One article claims you are only in danger from short exposures of high radiation. Well, if that's the case, why do Xray techs hide when they give Xrays? The answer is radiation damage is cumulative. Low doses over longer periods are just as bad. The reason for the spin is because we need to embrace an energy source that will produce after we run out of fossil fuels. If everyone is afraid (and rightly so) of the nuclear boogy man, it won't sell. No need to let the people panic and stop a money maker like nuke energy.
Oddly, it is no longer easy to find jet stream weather patterns for the far East. When I called up the jet stream maps for my research, they linked instead to temperature maps. I found that very odd. Not too odd though, it goes hand in hand with the placating "experts." Don't look behind then curtain boys and girls. I did eventually find world jet stream maps, and lets just say, you don't want to know.
Never fear, your local government disaster agency has plans for quick and easy radiation detectors you can make at home. They work and are a fun project for the entire family.
http://glx.net/~exile/electro.htm