Saturday, November 10, 2012
Creation
Wherever the dead are there they are and
Nothing more. But you and I can expect
To see angels in the meadowgrass that look
Like cows -
And wherever we are in paradise
in furnished room without bath and
six flights up
Is all God! We read
To one another, loving the sound of the s’s
Slipping up on the f’s and much is good
Enough to raise the hair on our heads, like Rilke and Wilfred Owen
Any person who loves another person,
Wherever in the world, is with us in this room -
Even though there are battlefields.
--Kenneth Patchen
"On December 13, 1911, Kenneth Patchen was born in Niles. A poor boy
throughout his childhood, he spent his time playing football and working
in a factory. He enjoyed publishing in his school newspaper, kept a
diary from the age of twelve, and began reading Homer, Dante, Shakespeare, Robert Burns, and Herman Melville.
"After high school, he moved to Wisconsin and attended Alexander Meiklejohn's Experimental College for one year and then the University of Wisconsin. Around this time, Patchen published a sonnet, 'Permanence,' in the New York Times. He continued his education in Arkansas and then spent years traveling. He was employed as a migrant worker in a variety of jobs in the United States and Canada."
Read more: http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/23
Nothing more. But you and I can expect
To see angels in the meadowgrass that look
Like cows -
And wherever we are in paradise
in furnished room without bath and
six flights up
Is all God! We read
To one another, loving the sound of the s’s
Slipping up on the f’s and much is good
Enough to raise the hair on our heads, like Rilke and Wilfred Owen
Any person who loves another person,
Wherever in the world, is with us in this room -
Even though there are battlefields.
--Kenneth Patchen
"After high school, he moved to Wisconsin and attended Alexander Meiklejohn's Experimental College for one year and then the University of Wisconsin. Around this time, Patchen published a sonnet, 'Permanence,' in the New York Times. He continued his education in Arkansas and then spent years traveling. He was employed as a migrant worker in a variety of jobs in the United States and Canada."
Read more: http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/23
Short Poem
This is Joe
Puke with his 7 little vomits
Swinging with
the latest throw-up music
from the Belch
room of the Puss Hotel
Featured
Vomitus, Heava Regurgitate
Poem
Standing on
the corner I meant to do no harm
along came a
Flatfoot and took me by the arm.
he took me
to the jailhouse he ran a funny bell
out came
Elvis Presley and took me to my cell.
I woke up in
the morning and look up on the wall
the bedbugs
and the cuties where having a game of ball.
the score
was 6 to nothing the cuties were ahead
along came a
bedbug and knocked me out of bed
Oh it ain’t
going to rain no more no more
it ain’t going
to rain no more so how in the heck
can I wash
my neck if it ain’t to rain no more.
Mary had a
steamboat the steamboat had a bell
Mary went to
heaven the steamboat when to
hello
operator give me number nine
if they do
not answer, give be back my dime.
"A Family Devastated, Little Lives Cut Short, Common Council Stop the Insanity"
From RacineUncovered.org:
"EDITORIAL: I attended the vigil last night at 7 p.m. that was held in front of the home where 2 girls lives were cut short, 9-year-old Dayja Scott and 8-year-old Dalijah Scott. 2 little boys were hurt 7-year-old Michael Scott and 5-year-old Luther Scott remain hospitalized.
"I saw a community come together, people young and old, people from all walks of life to show they care and to show sympathy after such a tragic loss. I saw tears coming from children’s eyes who played with the victims, friends and neighbors hugged each other, strangers that never met the family bow their heads. I went as a mother of two daughters to show my respect for the family, I could never fathom the pain they are going through right now.
"I stood in front of the boarded up house where 911 dispatchers heard that calls for help that children were trapped in a fire and screaming, the firefighters gave so much that they dropped because of exhaustion, where police officers were hurt trying to rescue the kids, as I looked at the home I couldn’t even imagine the chaos and pain that everyone earlier that day felt.
"What I didn’t see, public officials coming to pay their respect. One alderman showed up to pay his respects. What happened to our city? Our leaders? Our Priorities? Do they they think because its not in their district it doesn’t affect them? Or because it wasn’t in the perfect neighborhood people don’t count?
"We face a fire station possibly being closed because the Mayor said cut the budget. But we are going to buy property and pay $70,000 a year to maintain it so it looks good? $400,000 on bathrooms, $200,000 to fix the transit center that was built very poorly in the first place? Giving loans (Tifs) for over a million dollars? The list goes on and on. But we can’t spend $3.10 per person to keep this city safe? Businesses and people won’t move here or thrive here if there aren’t the vital services that a city needs to sustain itself.
"All that remains this morning is a boarded up home where happy memories
once happened and tragedy occurred and lives stolen too young. There
are two little angels looking down on their family right now and 2
little boys fighting to live.
"It is a very sad time in the city I love so much and fight for. I can only hope that the Common Council realizes that WE RESIDENTS are #1 priority, not concrete, not copper roofs or marble bathrooms, that the breathing living people that love this city deserve the protection and demand it. I don’t want to write about people losing their lives or their homes because the city didn’t want to spend the money. Some may say well it goes into certain funds, in the end it comes out of all of our pockets.
"There is a public meeting on Monday November 12th at 6 p.m. at City Hall concerning the closing of Station #5. I highly encourage everyone to contact their elected officials and demand better of them. Show up at this meeting you are allowed to speak your mind and even if you don’t want to speak, show up to support the community before it’s too late."
Beth David
Editor “Racine Uncovered” www.racineuncovered.org
Read more:http://racineuncovered.org/2012/11/a-family-devastated-little-lives-cut-short-common-council-stop-the-insanity/
That is one of the best editorials I have ever read.
"EDITORIAL: I attended the vigil last night at 7 p.m. that was held in front of the home where 2 girls lives were cut short, 9-year-old Dayja Scott and 8-year-old Dalijah Scott. 2 little boys were hurt 7-year-old Michael Scott and 5-year-old Luther Scott remain hospitalized.
"I saw a community come together, people young and old, people from all walks of life to show they care and to show sympathy after such a tragic loss. I saw tears coming from children’s eyes who played with the victims, friends and neighbors hugged each other, strangers that never met the family bow their heads. I went as a mother of two daughters to show my respect for the family, I could never fathom the pain they are going through right now.
"I stood in front of the boarded up house where 911 dispatchers heard that calls for help that children were trapped in a fire and screaming, the firefighters gave so much that they dropped because of exhaustion, where police officers were hurt trying to rescue the kids, as I looked at the home I couldn’t even imagine the chaos and pain that everyone earlier that day felt.
"What I didn’t see, public officials coming to pay their respect. One alderman showed up to pay his respects. What happened to our city? Our leaders? Our Priorities? Do they they think because its not in their district it doesn’t affect them? Or because it wasn’t in the perfect neighborhood people don’t count?
"We face a fire station possibly being closed because the Mayor said cut the budget. But we are going to buy property and pay $70,000 a year to maintain it so it looks good? $400,000 on bathrooms, $200,000 to fix the transit center that was built very poorly in the first place? Giving loans (Tifs) for over a million dollars? The list goes on and on. But we can’t spend $3.10 per person to keep this city safe? Businesses and people won’t move here or thrive here if there aren’t the vital services that a city needs to sustain itself.
"It is a very sad time in the city I love so much and fight for. I can only hope that the Common Council realizes that WE RESIDENTS are #1 priority, not concrete, not copper roofs or marble bathrooms, that the breathing living people that love this city deserve the protection and demand it. I don’t want to write about people losing their lives or their homes because the city didn’t want to spend the money. Some may say well it goes into certain funds, in the end it comes out of all of our pockets.
"There is a public meeting on Monday November 12th at 6 p.m. at City Hall concerning the closing of Station #5. I highly encourage everyone to contact their elected officials and demand better of them. Show up at this meeting you are allowed to speak your mind and even if you don’t want to speak, show up to support the community before it’s too late."
Beth David
Editor “Racine Uncovered” www.racineuncovered.org
Read more:http://racineuncovered.org/2012/11/a-family-devastated-little-lives-cut-short-common-council-stop-the-insanity/
That is one of the best editorials I have ever read.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Sentry Food Store Closing In Racine Wi!
When Drew called me on his lunch break from his work I told him about the phone call. We both tried to figure out what this was all about. But we both had a feeling this was not good at all. I thought it might have been about the Holidays coming up, the store closing, new store policies and being sold. This was on my mind all day Wednesday.
When I went to work for the meeting everyone was standing around waiting to clock in for the meeting. Then the meeting started and the owner and all the managers came in to the room. That is when we got the news that the store is going to be closing January 11, 2013. We received a letter at the meeting telling use about the closing and one of the managers read it to use. The owner felt really bad about having to close the store. The store has been in Racine, Wi for five years and has not really made any kind of a profit. Then we have Wal-Mart coming across the street from us and that is really going to hurt the store even more. After the meeting a lot of the employees were so upset, yes I do understand why but there is nothing we can do about the decision the owner has made.
I started there August 1, 2011 and I can say from my own experience working there that it is a really nice store to work for. Yes like any job you have your ups and downs. But when I have asked for time off I was always able to get it. A lot of the other employees I get along with really good. I am going to miss working there and seeing the friends I have made while working there.
Yesterday it was in the paper about the store closing. While at work yesterday I was also let known that the store will only be open from 8am to 8pm. Yes that means less hours for me now. That is when I finally realized the store is really going to close and I will be out of a job for sure. So now I am going to have to start to look for a new job and that is not going to be easy around here. It took me almost a year before I found this one when I moved her with Drew and now I have to go through it again. Next week I am going to start looking on the computer for a job and if I get one before the store closes then I get one and I pray I can find a good job with insurance.
Today when I went into to work the customers complained about the store closing and asked me why the store was closing. So I told them the reason was because of Wal-Mart coming across the street and the owner sad that we could not compete with that. So many customers said this was the main store that they would shop at and would never shop at Wal-Mart.
Saturday parade
The parade is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. at the intersection of Main Street and State Street. The parade route continues south down Main to Sixth Street, where it continues to City Hall
Downtown Holiday Parade
Four for Fridays
Hello everyone! Welcome back to the weekly Four for Fridays! It's been a slow and sluggish week, yet interesting.... Looking forward to the weekend. Anyways some questions for you....
1) What is your favorite car you have ever owned?
2) Who taught you to drive?
3) Who comes to you for advice?
4) What small business would you like to start?
Enjoy your weekend!
1) What is your favorite car you have ever owned?
2) Who taught you to drive?
3) Who comes to you for advice?
4) What small business would you like to start?
Enjoy your weekend!
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Is it over?
I don’t
think so.
This morning around 10am I received a call on my cell phone; the young lady wanted to know if I would take an ‘Exit Poll on Heath Care Issues Facing America’.
I asked her, “Where did you get this number?”
She ‘asked’ is it a home phone or cell phone.
I told her it was a cell phone and she said they have ‘auto dialers’ and have no control over what number it comes up with.
Then she asked, “Would you like to finish the survey”?
I answered, HELL NO!
She never said another word and hung up…how rude.
This morning around 10am I received a call on my cell phone; the young lady wanted to know if I would take an ‘Exit Poll on Heath Care Issues Facing America’.
I asked her, “Where did you get this number?”
She ‘asked’ is it a home phone or cell phone.
I told her it was a cell phone and she said they have ‘auto dialers’ and have no control over what number it comes up with.
Then she asked, “Would you like to finish the survey”?
I answered, HELL NO!
She never said another word and hung up…how rude.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
The Blues Magoos - "(We Ain't Got) Nothin' Yet"
This just popped into my head. I wonder if something had to pop out?
"Former Racine city administrator hospitalized in Mich. with self-inflicted gunshot wound"
http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/former-racine-city-administrator-hospitalized-in-mich-with-self-inflicted/article_6dcae17a-2954-11e2-90fa-0019bb2963f4.html
Apparently, Ben Hughes tried to kill himself. I'll never forget the look on his face when Becker was busted. He hightailed it out of Racine as soon as Becker stepped down. I bet there are stories he could tell . . .
Dear Madame Zoltar
Hello, my electoral collegiates! How are you?
Yesterday was the big vote day. As
I write this, Mr. President Obama has been re-elected. Of course, I knew the outcome. Unfortunately, it would have been unethical to
reveal such information before the results were official. Mr. Mitt Romney has conceded. Too bad they both didn't. Ha-ha, we can only wish.
I saw some small patches of snow on the Wisconsin
weather radar. Yuck. I’m OK with a white Christmas, but I’m no fan
of blizzards, ice storms, snow drifts, and deep freezes. Last winter was perfect from my perspective,
but I know that the landscape suffered for it.
Because of the drought, many foods have risen in price. So, let there be snow this winter, but,
please, no monster storms. And no
accumulations above 6 inches. Please?
Our phenomenal, sensational, stupendous Green Bay Packers slaughtered
the Cardinals last Sunday.
Hip-hip-hooray! I love Green
Bay! For their
efforts over the weeks, the Pack has earned a well-deserved bye week. Their next astounding performance is
scheduled for November 18, noon,
against the Detroit Lions in Ford Field.
May the Pack maul them.
I received another delightful e-mail from the ebullient Mr.
SER. He wrote:
Dear Madame Zoltar,
With the end of the world coming on or about 12/21/2012 what’s the chance of
having you work your magic and move Christmas from December 25th to
November 22nd, Thanksgiving Day?
The only real problem I see is what will happen with all the
Christmas trees….
…SER
Dear Mr. SER, thank you for contacting me. Personally, I’d like to see Christmas moved
to the Friday after Thanksgiving, thus giving us two big holidays in a row and
two days to recover. Or we could go
pedal to the metal with Halloween II, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year in
one weekend.
In any case, I’m not sure that my “magic” is up to such an
undertaking. There would be a lot of
ticked-off merchants besides the tree salesmen.
The best way may be to just tell everyone you know that you
are celebrating Christmas along with Thanksgiving this year. I mean, certainly if we can have Fesitvus
Poles, then we can have Christmas any darn day we want. Experts agree that December 25 is probably
not the date of Jesus Christ’s birth. It
was put there to coincide with the pagan solstice activities. So let’s get creative with Christmas. What’s the worst thing that could happen? The world will end? Ha!
Enjoy our brisk days and longer nights, my dears. The end of Daylight Saving Time always seems
like the beginning of winter to me. It’s
the darkness earlier in the evening.
Remember to change the batteries in your car flashlight and key ring
light.
Keep your eyes peeled for children getting onto and off of
buses. Soon we’ll be slip sliding down
the streets. Be careful, my loves. Hippophile!
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Monday, November 5, 2012
"Station 5 first on the scene of massive house fire-3800 block of Spruce-VIDEO"
From RacineUncovered.org:
"4:30 p.m. – A full response from the Racine Fire Department responded to a house fire in the 3800 block of Spruce this evening. Station 5 was the first on scene and began setting up and battling the blaze. The fire has gone defensive at this time, meaning it is to dangerous to enter ( This is the SAME station that the City of Racine wants to shut down due to budget issues)."
Read and see more: http://racineuncovered.org/2012/11/station-5-first-on-the-scene-of-massive-house-fire-3800-block-of-spruce/
As RacineUncovered states, Station 5 is the fire station that Dickert wants to shut down. He does this while increasing the slush fund for outside counsel. More money for more lawyers defending Dickert's lies, while basic services are cut back for residents, perhaps with deadly consequences.
"4:30 p.m. – A full response from the Racine Fire Department responded to a house fire in the 3800 block of Spruce this evening. Station 5 was the first on scene and began setting up and battling the blaze. The fire has gone defensive at this time, meaning it is to dangerous to enter ( This is the SAME station that the City of Racine wants to shut down due to budget issues)."
Read and see more: http://racineuncovered.org/2012/11/station-5-first-on-the-scene-of-massive-house-fire-3800-block-of-spruce/
As RacineUncovered states, Station 5 is the fire station that Dickert wants to shut down. He does this while increasing the slush fund for outside counsel. More money for more lawyers defending Dickert's lies, while basic services are cut back for residents, perhaps with deadly consequences.
Lots of Sunset Pics
Lots of pics from the weekend that I didn't have time to post. First, Saturday night. Sun set nicely behind Kitt Peak. The Sun was kind of split when it set over the peak producing two very bright green flashes, easily visible and two of the brighter ones I have seen in a while.
Obviously I am done getting the behind Kitt Peak photos for a while. The Sun is setting farther south each night until the winter solstice. I will get another chance in early February when the Sun sets behind Kitt Peak on its journey north toward the Summer solstice.
I took pictures on Saturday and Sunday night of the Sun setting behind Kitt Peak. Lots of little green flashes. Saturday night was particularly spectacular as the green flashes jumped out naked eye (I use a cable release to take the pics so I can watch sunset and photograph at the same time!).
Here is a gallery of Saturday and Sunday night pics. Click any of them for a larger view. The last four are from Sunday night. Look for a couple of mock mirage flashes at the top of the Sun (the little piece that appears to have broken away from the Sun).
The Sun is setting south of Kitt Peak now and I really can't get home from work in time to photograph sunset, so I am pretty much confined to weekend pics now until next spring. I am already looking forward to early February when the Sun will set behind Kitt Peak on its journey north.
Hale Bopp is holding out on us.
Superman's Home World found...
http://news.yahoo.com/supermans-home-planet-krypton-found-181524658.html
Sunday, November 4, 2012
"Nonprofits absent from Racine voluntary tax program"
From JSOnline:
"Racine - A Racine program asking churches and other tax-exempt nonprofits to pay taxes anyway has so far come up empty.
"Mayor John Dickert sent letters in September to 182 local nonprofits. He asked them to consider paying a portion of the property tax the city would normally charge them if their properties were taxed.
"City Administrator Tom Friedel told The Journal Times of Racine Friday the city has yet to collect any money through the program.
"The intent of the 'Racine's Fair Share' program was to raise money the city could apply toward its 2013 budget to help the city weather a nasty financial season."
Read more: http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/nonprofits-absent-from-racine-voluntary-tax-program-bh7g0ef-177107531.html
That's an AP story now. It's gone out over the whole world.
We also have this: "BBC to bring Racine County’s election perspective to world," http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/bbc-to-bring-racine-county-s-election-perspective-to-world/article_3153d6ce-2536-11e2-8ca5-0019bb2963f4.html
What a chance for a major screw-up.
"Mayor John Dickert sent letters in September to 182 local nonprofits. He asked them to consider paying a portion of the property tax the city would normally charge them if their properties were taxed.
"City Administrator Tom Friedel told The Journal Times of Racine Friday the city has yet to collect any money through the program.
"The intent of the 'Racine's Fair Share' program was to raise money the city could apply toward its 2013 budget to help the city weather a nasty financial season."
Read more: http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/nonprofits-absent-from-racine-voluntary-tax-program-bh7g0ef-177107531.html
That's an AP story now. It's gone out over the whole world.
We also have this: "BBC to bring Racine County’s election perspective to world," http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/bbc-to-bring-racine-county-s-election-perspective-to-world/article_3153d6ce-2536-11e2-8ca5-0019bb2963f4.html
What a chance for a major screw-up.