Friday, May 3, 2013
Four for Fridays
Hello everyone and welcome back! It has been a long week filled with excitement and drama... Maybe too much of it. Anyways, some questions for you...
1) What kind of camera do you use?
2) If you had your own TV network, what would you put on it?
3) How do you think the American family would change over the next 25 years?
4) What was the last thing you took a picture of?
Enjoy your weekend!
1) What kind of camera do you use?
2) If you had your own TV network, what would you put on it?
3) How do you think the American family would change over the next 25 years?
4) What was the last thing you took a picture of?
Enjoy your weekend!
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Alderman Jim Kaplan Recall
From an anonymous email:
"Recall on Kaplan should be official as of today. They are going to meet to gather signatures on Saturday -
"Recall on Kaplan should be official as of today. They are going to meet to gather signatures on Saturday -
'The
Kaplan recall committee has been formed and the official paperwork
was given to the city clerk this morning. Reasons for the recall were 1.
Ald. Kaplan engaged in discriminatory practices in his
official capacity as alderman of the fourth district. 2. Abuse of power. The
petitioner is Oscar Bueno the treasurer is Ray Bueno
his brother. They own a bar at 1600 Douglas Ave., it is not open
as of yet.'
"A signature drive is being held this
Saturday at 12:00 meeting at the bar. The hope is to
collect all 300 plus signatures that
day."
Obviously, some people are pissed off. Kaplan and Alderman Greg Helding told the Common Council that they were threatened online. They provided no proof. Now the Common Council is packing heat in City Hall while citizens are forbidden from doing the same.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
A Spotty Sunset
Low clouds dotted the western horizon at sunset in Tucson tonight. However, that is not all bad. They can slightly dim the setting Sun making it easier to photograph sunspots. Today there were plenty of good sized sunspots. These pics were taken with my Canon 60D and 70-300mm zoom lens (at 300mm).
If you want to compare it to today's Sun, check out the Spaceweather archive. Note, due to an effect called field rotation, the Sun is my pics is rotated 90 degrees clockwise relative to the image on Spaceweather.
Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.
"A Boy And His Atom: The World's Smallest Movie"
"Published on Apr 30, 2013
"You're about to see the movie that
holds the Guinness World Records™ record for the World's Smallest
Stop-Motion Film (see how it was made at http://youtu.be/xA4QWwaweWA).
The ability to move single atoms — the smallest particles of any
element in the universe — is crucial to IBM's research in the field of
atomic memory. But even nanophysicists need to have a little fun. In
that spirit, IBM researchers used a scanning tunneling microscope to
move thousands of carbon monoxide molecules (two atoms stacked on top of
each other), all in pursuit of making a movie so small it can be seen
only when you magnify it 100 million times. A movie made with atoms."
"Published on Apr 30, 2013
"How did IBM researchers move all
those atoms to make the world's smallest movie? This short
behind-the-scenes documentary takes you inside the lab. Meet the
scientists, see how they made a movie with atoms, and find out more
about their research in the field of atomic memory and data storage. See
the world's smallest movie at http://youtu.be/oSCX78-8-q0"
Dear Madame Zoltar
Hello, my thawing throngs!
How are you? Spring may have
sprung. The weather has been beautiful
the past couple of days. I actually saw
the sun. I thought maybe it had burned out.
The weather extremes that have affected the world are worrisome. I sincerely hope that we have a nice
summer. I know it has to get hot on some
days, but moderation is the key. With
the ozone layer depleting, the sun is like a microwave for your skin. Just lard on some sun block with an SPF of
1,000 or higher and you’re good to go outdoors.
Another sign of spring is bicyclists on the streets (and
sidewalks). If you drive, please be very
careful around bicycles. Although
they’re supposed to be subject to the same rules of the road as motor vehicles, the reality is that most of them do whatever they wish. There is no law enforcement regarding
bicycles in Racine. It is up to drivers to stay alert. Always expect the unexpected. Bicyclists often ignore stop signs, ride on the
sidewalk, ride against traffic, and ride at night with no lights. The other day, I was driving through an
intersection when a man on a bicycle, riding against traffic, with no hands on
the handlebars, and headphones on his head, cut directly in front of me. I locked my brakes. The man flipped me the bird. Oh, that makes me so angry. Racine
rudeness is everywhere.
My congratulations to Mr. Mayor Dickert for the complete
whitewash of the ethics complaints against him and others. You have to be darn smart to manage all the
scams that he does and get away with them.
When he becomes President of the United
States, we can say that we knew him
when. If he doesn’t go to prison first.
With the warmer weather also comes more parties for Racine. This Friday is a First Friday downtown. Saturday, May 4th, is Kiwanis
Pancake Day at Festival Hall. In Festival
Park, the Lakefront Artists Fair
will be held concurrently with Pancake Day. Those are just the big things that I know
about. I’m sure there’s more going on,
and there will be even more as the season progresses. Racine
is a party town, and getting drunk is the recommended way to achieve
enlightenment. Party hearty, Racine!
Finally, my dears, I just learned of a website devoted to Racine’s
nightlife: RacineNightOut.com, http://www.racinenightout.com/ That site has a link on the City of Racine
homepage, so I’m sure it’s well connected.
Thank you for visiting my blog today. I enjoy the company and companionship. You light up my life.
Know the future before it becomes the past: madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com
Enjoy this glorious weather, my friends. We’ve been deprived so long that anything
above 50 degrees calls for a celebration.
Get them old bones moving and have some fun. Psychorrhagy!
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
"Asleep at the wheel: City of Racine Ethics Commission"
Bumped again! The Journal Times reports that the Ethics Board dismissed all complaints against lying John: http://journaltimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/car-ethics-complaints-dismissed/article_2ce8a830-b18b-11e2-9ebe-001a4bcf887a.html Again, the board has two lying John cronies on it who refused to recuse themselves. Lying John flaunts the law left and right. He doesn't play by the rules. Why should we?
Racine Exposed also has a story up on this: http://racineexposed.wordpress.com/2013/04/30/a-matter-of-trust/
Bump! I'm bumping this blog because Racine Transparency has put up a three minute video of Racine's Official Ethics Board Meeting on April 16, 2013. You can watch the video, and some commentary, here: http://racinetransparency.tumblr.com/post/48939655429/the-ethics-board-in-the-city-of-racine-is-being
I'm not sure if that's the old guy snoring at the beginning of the video, or just some microphone noise. Of course, there is the travesty of two of lying John's buddies being on the board that is judging him. It looks like they're really going to do it. They're going to make a kangaroo court of the hearings. That takes some audacity. It is spitting in the face of every Racine resident. They're doing it because they can. They're going to get away with it, too.
Originally published April 16, 2013 at 5:57 PM:
From Racine in Ruins:
"Today at Racine City Hall there was a meeting of the City of Racine Ethics Commission.
"The above is a photo taken of a member of this group.
"I and others saw this member sleeping as the meeting was held and planing talked about for the upcoming Ethics complaints filed on Mayor John Dickert Other City of Racine Staff and members of the City of Racine Cable Commission over issues about CAR 25.
"Can the above Member do his job? Is the public being served by this?
"Is this how the City thinks how to best serve the public?"
http://racineinruins.wordpress.com/2013/04/16/asleep-at-the-wheel-city-of-racine-ethics-commission/
City Hall is a vicious joke to Racine residents. We pay and pay and pay, and lying John lies and lies and lies. Look at the above pictures. Our city government in action. Who do we complain to about the ethics of the Ethics Board?
Racine Exposed also has a story up on this: http://racineexposed.wordpress.com/2013/04/30/a-matter-of-trust/
# # # # #
Originally published April 26, 2013 at 8:58 PM:
Bump! I'm bumping this blog because Racine Transparency has put up a three minute video of Racine's Official Ethics Board Meeting on April 16, 2013. You can watch the video, and some commentary, here: http://racinetransparency.tumblr.com/post/48939655429/the-ethics-board-in-the-city-of-racine-is-being
I'm not sure if that's the old guy snoring at the beginning of the video, or just some microphone noise. Of course, there is the travesty of two of lying John's buddies being on the board that is judging him. It looks like they're really going to do it. They're going to make a kangaroo court of the hearings. That takes some audacity. It is spitting in the face of every Racine resident. They're doing it because they can. They're going to get away with it, too.
# # # # #
Originally published April 16, 2013 at 5:57 PM:
From Racine in Ruins:
"Today at Racine City Hall there was a meeting of the City of Racine Ethics Commission.
"The above is a photo taken of a member of this group.
"I and others saw this member sleeping as the meeting was held and planing talked about for the upcoming Ethics complaints filed on Mayor John Dickert Other City of Racine Staff and members of the City of Racine Cable Commission over issues about CAR 25.
"Can the above Member do his job? Is the public being served by this?
"Is this how the City thinks how to best serve the public?"
http://racineinruins.wordpress.com/2013/04/16/asleep-at-the-wheel-city-of-racine-ethics-commission/
City Hall is a vicious joke to Racine residents. We pay and pay and pay, and lying John lies and lies and lies. Look at the above pictures. Our city government in action. Who do we complain to about the ethics of the Ethics Board?
Monday, April 29, 2013
Useless Information
Did you know:
The Tootsie Roll Company in Chicago manufactures 83
million Tootsie Rolls per day.
"Racine Zoo 'Three Little Pigs' Naming Contest"
From The Journal Times.com:
"The Racine Zoo is anxiously awaiting the arrival of three baby mini pigs to include in our new Barnyard Safari exhibit opening this Memorial Day Weekend. The three little pigs will join dwarf Nigerian goats, Tunis sheep, llamas, alpacas, and others in the new exhibit. Get ready for a truly wonderful and interactive animal experience!
"In anticipation of their arrival, help us name these three little pigs! Submit names April 24 through May 8 to the Racine Zoo Facebook page or to the Journal Times. Zoo staff will narrow entries down to five finalists. Voting for finalists opens May 15 through May 26. The winning names will be announced on May 28.
"The winning submission receives a Zoo prize package that includes plush piggies, a family membership, and special animal encounter, in addition to oinking rights, of course."
Enter the contest here: www.journaltimes.com/pigs
I have to admit that I love that URL address.
"The Racine Zoo is anxiously awaiting the arrival of three baby mini pigs to include in our new Barnyard Safari exhibit opening this Memorial Day Weekend. The three little pigs will join dwarf Nigerian goats, Tunis sheep, llamas, alpacas, and others in the new exhibit. Get ready for a truly wonderful and interactive animal experience!
"In anticipation of their arrival, help us name these three little pigs! Submit names April 24 through May 8 to the Racine Zoo Facebook page or to the Journal Times. Zoo staff will narrow entries down to five finalists. Voting for finalists opens May 15 through May 26. The winning names will be announced on May 28.
"The winning submission receives a Zoo prize package that includes plush piggies, a family membership, and special animal encounter, in addition to oinking rights, of course."
Enter the contest here: www.journaltimes.com/pigs
I have to admit that I love that URL address.
How The Grandkids Are Growing!
We went up north this past weekend. A friend of mine was getting married so I called Drew's mom and we stayed the weekend by his parents. It was so nice to see them and just sit there and talk with them. So on the way home Sunday we stopped by my mom's house and my son came over with the Grandkids. It was so nice to see all of them again. We both just enjoyed the whole weekend with everyone. Here are some new pictures of the Grandkids.
In this picture it is Amanda, Donny and Skylee. Skylee was playing bashful with us at first.
This is Ace and he is sitting on Grandpa's lap. He looks so tired here because we have been playing with him.
I found out Ace is five inches shorter than Skylee already. Skylee is 1 1/2 yrs old and Ace is 6 monthe old.
I found out Ace is five inches shorter than Skylee already. Skylee is 1 1/2 yrs old and Ace is 6 monthe old.
Bad News About Grandpa
An elderly man had a massive stroke and the family drove
him to the emergency room.After a while the ER doctor appeared wearing a long face.
“I’m afraid Grandpa is brain-dead, but his heart is still beating”.
“Oh, Dear God”, cried his wife
“We’ve never had a liberal in the family before!”
Fifteen Minutes
Last Thursday I had an early meeting at work. To be sure I was on time, I got up 15 minutes earlier than usual to go for my morning run.
Fifteen minutes might now seem like a lot but can make a big difference. Several businesses that open at 6am were closed when I ran by instead of open. The crossing guard I usually see near a middle school midway through my run hadn't arrived to patrol his intersection yet. The people I usually see waiting for the bus at Broadway and Pantano were not there and replaced by an entirely different set of people waiting for the earlier bus. A man was putting up signs outside an apartment complex advertising all the amenities and specials they have (those signs are always up when I ran by so I didn't know they took them down at night!) Students had not started arriving at the high school I pass near the end of my run.
Fifteen minutes...it might now seem like much, but it can feel like an entirely different part of the day.
Fifteen minutes might now seem like a lot but can make a big difference. Several businesses that open at 6am were closed when I ran by instead of open. The crossing guard I usually see near a middle school midway through my run hadn't arrived to patrol his intersection yet. The people I usually see waiting for the bus at Broadway and Pantano were not there and replaced by an entirely different set of people waiting for the earlier bus. A man was putting up signs outside an apartment complex advertising all the amenities and specials they have (those signs are always up when I ran by so I didn't know they took them down at night!) Students had not started arriving at the high school I pass near the end of my run.
Fifteen minutes...it might now seem like much, but it can feel like an entirely different part of the day.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
"Ship My Pants"
Bump! I bumped this blog because today's Journal Times has a story on the creator of this ad. He's from Racine: http://journaltimes.com/news/local/with-video-ship-is-the-word----racine/article_fa905fba-afbc-11e2-b83d-0019bb2963f4.html
# # # # #
Originally published on April 13, 2013 at 4:42 PM:
I almost shipped my pants watching this.