"Police: Man Devours Fish Dish, Ditches Bill"

From Mount Pleasant Patch:

Posted by Heather Asiyanbi (Editor) , September 20, 2013 at 07:27 PM

"Mount Pleasant police say a man with a history of eat-and-run at local restaurants was at it again at Wells Brothers Pizza.

"Terrance Kitt, 33, of Mount Pleasant, was charged Friday in Racine County Circuit Court with one misdemeanor count of theft. If convicted, he faces up to nine months in jail and/or up to $10,000 in fines.

"According to the criminal complaint, Mount Pleasant police were called Thursday to Wells Brothers Pizza, 2148 Mead Street, for a report of theft involving a diner who said he didn't have any money to pay his bill. When officers arrived, they asked the defendant why he ordered food when he didn't have any money to pay for it.

"'I don't know, to get out of the house,' he answered, the complaint reads.

"Waitstaff told officers that Kitt ordered a $2 root beer and a $9.95 fried pollock meal. When he was done eating, he asked to use the Wells Brothers phone and went into the bathroom. Police say after he emerged from the restroom, Kitt exited the restaurant.

"Witnesses stopped him and reminded Kitt that he didn't pay so he told them he had friends coming to help him out. A few minutes later, Kitt admitted he didn't have friends coming with money and that waitstaff should "call someone to give him a ticket," the complaint reads.

"Police say Kitt has a slew of municipal citations for ditching his bill after ordering and eating a meal at local restaurants. When one of the restaurant owners arrived, they told officers that Kitt has pulled this before, but was allowed to owe Wells Brothers on occasion. Kitt was told he was no longer welcome at the restaurant and owners told police they wanted to press charges.

"Kitt remains in the Racine County Jail as of Friday night on a signature bond of $250. He has a pre-trial conference on Oct. 17."

Read more:  http://mountpleasant.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/police-man-devours-fish-dish-ditches-bill


If he stays in jail, he can eat for "free."  Unfortunately, no Wells Brothers food in the big house.

"How US bomber nearly nuked North Carolina in 1961"

Some things you might be better off not knowing. They say you don't want to see how sausage or legislation is made. You don't want to see the kitchen of your favorite restaurant. And I could have lived quite well without the knowledge of the thousands of near misses with nukes. If one goes off and I'm in range, I'll never know.

"Bras in Space: The Incredible True Story Behind Upcoming Film Spacesuit"

September 17, 2013 By Bryan Abrams

 

“'We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.' – President John F. Kennedy, September 12, 1962, Rice University.

"When we think of the Apollo 11 moon landing, what do we think of? President Kennedy’s bold vision. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s heroism (unfortunately we rarely think about Command Module Pilot Michael Collins). Perhaps we even think of the incredible engineers, rocket scientists, astrophysicists and all the other geniuses at NASA who made it possible. Now we want you to think about your grandma’s bra.

"Why? Because without the technology behind that brassiere (or girdle), the moon landing would have been impossible. It turns out that the 21-layers of gossamer-thin fabric in the Apollo spacesuits that kept Armstrong and Aldrin from 'the lethal desolation of a lunar vacuum,' as Nicholas de Monchaux puts it in his remarkable book 'Spacesuit: Fashioning Apollo,' was created by the same people who made your grandma’s bra. Playtex. And now, Warner Bros. has hired Richard Cordiner to adapt De Monchaux’s book, which is a story so good you almost believe it was scripted by a Hollywood scribe, not part of historical fact."

Read more:  http://www.thecredits.org/2013/09/bras-in-space-the-incredible-true-story-behind-upcoming-film-spacesuit/


Thanks to Timt for submitting this story.

I thought Playtex was only good for cross-your-heart bras.  Do the astronauts wear special space underwear under the spacesuits?  

Open Blog - Weekend

More watermelon!

"Journal Broadcast, Time Warner finally reach agreement; Channel 4 moves to Channel 2"

From JSOnline:

By Duane Dudek of the Journal Sentinel

 

"The good news is that the blackout of WTMJ-TV (Channel 4) on Time Warner Cable was resolved Friday afternoon. The dispute lasted one day shy of two full months.

"'All I can say at the end of the day is that we’re being fairly compensated for our programming, which is what we asked for all along,' said Steve Wexler, executive vice president of radio and TV for Journal Broadcast Group.

"'We asked for fair market value, which is what we ended up getting.' The blackout was 'unfortunate and avoidable, but I’m glad we can put it behind us.'

"The bad news is that, on Time Warner, the station lost the Channel 4 dial location it has held since 1953.

"On the cable service, WTMJ is now seen on Channel 2 in standard definition but retains its Channel 1004 dial location in high definition. In Racine, Kenosha and Plymouth, 'they couldn’t put us on Channel 2' so the station will be on Channel 83 'until they free up a more favorable position in those communities,' Wexler said.

"Time Warner sold the standard-definition Channel 4 dial location to the Game Show Network during negotiations.

"'We could have kept debating and arguing about this, but we accommodated that request so we could expedite the agreement,' Wexler said. 'Channel 1004 is where the viewing is.'

"WTMJ remains at Channel 4 on the dial over the air and on DirectTV, DISH and AT&T U-verse."

Read more: http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/entertainment/224578771.html


Let there be festivity and celebration throughout the land!  The blackout has ended.  Channel 4 is now Channel 2 or 83 or 1004, maybe.

Insuring Victory

The JT Irregulars Fantasy Football season is underway and we are all scrambling to find the best players and put the strongest teams we can out there each week. But what happens if that star player goes down with a season ending injury?

Good news! You can buy insurance for that! Fantasy Sports Insurance has been covering your top players since 2008 making sure you don't lose out on that big payoff at the end of the season. Last year they claim to have paid out over $15,000 due to injuries of star players.

Insuring fantasies...I can only imagine where this is going!

Four for Fridays

Hello everyone and welcome back! Work, work, work is all I did during the week. I've been pulling some serious overtime and still have more to go... Anyways, some questions from my tired bones.

1) What was your first paying job?

2) What was the first thing you learned how to cook?

3) What do you do for exercise?

4) I'm starting a series here... What event do you think signifies (or you identify with) the '60's?

Enjoy your weekend?

Open Blog - Friday

Yummy!

"Millennials: We Suck and We're Sorry"

It's about time that they apologized for the mess that they're leaving themselves.

"Wealth Inequality in America"

"Published on Nov 20, 2012 
Infographics on the distribution of wealth in America, highlighting both the inequality and the difference between our perception of inequality and the actual numbers. The reality is often not what we think it is.

"References:
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2...
http://danariely.com/2010/09/30/wealt...
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011...
http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/19/news/..."

Read more:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPKKQnijnsM

Is there any way to allow free enterprise without almost all of the wealth and power ending up concentrated amongst a few?  Is that an inevitable result of the system, or have some conspired to make the rich richer and the poor poorer?

Harvest Moon

The Harvest Moon is the full Moon that occurs closes to the vernal equinox. Depending on how you count for you time zones, its either the 18th or the 19th. In my time zone, the time of the full Moon is slightly closer to the evening of the 18th so I am counting tonight. With that, here are a few pics of the Harvest Moon rising in Tucson.

Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.

Everyone needs at least one good piece of advice per day!!

How to hold on and not fall on the bus

 

 

International Talk Like A Pirate Day

http://www.talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html

Ahoy, landlubbers, today is International Talk Like A Pirate Day.  Speak like a buccaneer or I'll keelhaul ye!

Open Blog - Thursday

Enjoy your day. Meow.

Apple Picking Game

This will keep you busy for a while....

 

Click Here to Play

Poll: "Milwaukee Public Schools makes shift away from letter grades for K-8"

From JSOnline:

By Coral Garnick and Erin Richards of the Journal Sentinel

"MPS joins growing number of districts emphasizing performance" 

"The dreaded F.

"Most parents are alarmed by that letter on a child's report card. But they won't see it this year in Milwaukee's K-8 and elementary schools, as the district does away with traditional letter grades in favor of a new scoring system that separates academic progress from social skills.

"In doing so, Milwaukee Public Schools joins a growing number of districts that are eliminating traditional letter grades or untethering student behaviors from academic marks.

"The changes — which can include no longer docking points from academic grades for late assignments and offering students multiple chances to submit their work — are a big shift for some teachers, and a head-scratcher for many parents.

"'I think (district administrators) want letter grades to go away because they want to blur the line of failing students,' said Sara Andrea-Neill, a parent in the Kenosha Unified School District.

"Administrators say the changes capture a more nuanced picture of a student's academic progress. They also align with the push schools are making to implement the Common Core, a set of nationwide academic standards voluntarily adopted by most states that raise the bar on what students should know and be able to do in core academic subjects.

"According to MPS, the updated report card identifies the skills students need to master in each grade level, and replaces overall letter grades with an AD for advanced, PR for proficient, BA for basic and MI for minimal. Proficient is the level expected for a student's grade level.

"The report card offers separate feedback about a student's work habits, behavior and effort — such as following rules or arriving to class prepared — on a scale of 1 to 4.

"Known as 'standards-based' grading, the new system has been implemented more widely in recent years, and is reaching more MPS K-8 and elementary schools this year.

"'Students are still graded; it's just not a traditional letter grade,' said Tony Tagliavia, MPS spokesman. 'This is a better way to assess how well students are learning, so they stay on track to be successful in college and careers.'

"It's harder for high schools to abolish the traditional A-F system because those grades are commonly tied to grade-point averages necessary for many college applications. The letter grades students earn in elementary and middle school do not factor into the cumulative GPA students build in high school."

Read more:  http://www.jsonline.com/news/grades-b9996297z1-223933981.html#

I agree with the Kenosha parent who said administrators want to blur the lines between passing and failing, but I know little to nothing about education today.  In "the good old days," kids who received an F worked harder and/or were tutored.  If they really couldn't hack it, they were held back a grade.  It just seems odd to me that people who were raised in that system can't figure out how to educate children today.  

My Road Rage is Gone

"I no longer have problems with road rage. You may not have known I had issues with road rage. However, since I picked up my new bike people no longer seem to annoy me anymore. Maybe I have mellowed. Just wanted to let you know I'm over all of that now".

 

 

Maybe I should tailgate Dickert, ya think it will make him nervous?

 

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my eloquent elves!  How are you?  There definitely is a chill in the air.  Autumn approaches.  It’s supposed to be warm for the next couple of days, but the shortening days and cold nights belie the truth.  When I was younger, I enjoyed autumn.  The beautiful colors of leaves enchanted me.  I relished the fall holidays.  However, those days are no more.  I hate to be a Debby Downer, but the truth is that autumn now signifies the coming cold of winter to me.  Oh my.  I’ve watched others head for Florida or Arizona for decades.  I didn’t understand the attraction.  Now I do.  If I moved, I’d miss my Racine family and friends so much.  But my aching bones would thank me.  Oh well, I’ll just take another sip of Madame Zoltar’s® Magic Tonic™ to keep me warm.

Hip, hip, hurray!  Hip, hip, hurray!  Hip, hip, hurray! Our sublime, superb, and sumptuous Green Bay Packers decidedly defeated the Washington Redskins last Sunday.  The balance of nature has been restored.  This coming Sunday, our radiant and resplendent Packers meet the Cincinnati Bengals in Cincinnati.  The game starts at noon.  May the Packers slaughter and skin the Bengals.  I’d love to have a tiger skin throw rug.

At right are the scores from last week’s games in the Irregulars Football League.  The Fighting Mongrels are in first place, my Screaming Psychics are in second place, and Mr. OrbsCorbs’ Orbliterators are in third, but the season is very young.

Speaking of Mr. OrbsCorbs, he sent me an email the other day.  Here’s his message:

Dear Madame Zoltar,

I suddenly realized something tonight that has me spooked.  My mother died on December 20.  Exactly three months later, on March 20, my sister died.  On June 19, my doctor told me to go to the Emergency Room or I’d be dead the next day, June 20, exactly three months after my sister died.

I went to the hospital and I’m still recovering.  Now September 20 is fast approaching.  That’s exactly three months after my hospitalization.  What the hell should I expect?

Sincerely and respectfully,

OrbsCorbs

Oh my, Mr. OrbsCorbs, that’s intimidating, but I assure you that it’s simply coincidence.  I foresee nothing ominous for you on that day.  You don’t need superstition when you have psychic science on your side. Try to ease your mind and relax a little.  Want some Magic Tonic™?

Finally, some words on the Washington Naval Yard mass shooting:  Oh my God.

Thank you for reading my blog this week.  I enjoy visitors of all size, shape and species.  It’s nice to feel loved.  Thank you so much.

Where to get Madame Zoltar’s® Magic Tonic™?  madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com

There’s still plenty of sunshine and fun left in this year.  Get out and enjoy it.  For once the snow flies and the fingers freeze, it’ll be too late.  I love you all.  Ecphonesis!

Open Blog - Wednesday

What is that thing?

Poll: "Council members recommend civility guidelines for meeting"

From The Journal Times.com:

"RACINE — City aldermen, meeting as a Committee of the Whole, voted 9-1 Monday evening to recommend additional public decorum guidelines for City Council meetings.

"The recommendation was toned down somewhat, however, from what was proposed earlier by 8th District Alderman Q.A. Shakoor II. For example, instead of heading toward ordinance form, the guidelines would simply expand the existing “rules and procedures” for conduct at City Council meetings.

"The vote followed about 45 minutes of discussion during which aldermen recommended adding this sentence to the existing policy: 'Speakers and the audience should refrain from profane remarks, disruptive outbursts or other conduct which interferes with the orderly conduct of the meeting.' At the insistence of some aldermen, the word 'abusive' was removed from an earlier proposal, as some thought there could be no consensus on what is abusive.

"The Committee of the Whole is comprised of the City Council but does not take final action. With four aldermen absent, the 9-1 vote seems to indicate the Council will adopt the changes. Only 1st District Jeff Coe voted 'no,' saying the changes were unnecessary.

"The new rules and procedures also will add language that will tell people how they can officially bring a concern before the mayor and Council."

Read more:  http://journaltimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/council-members-recommend-civility-guidelines-for-meetings/article_ef2ea66e-1f91-11e3-ae2b-001a4bcf887a.html

Racine Community Media has posted some comments and a video of the Common Council meeting which they say has been censored: http://racinecommunitymedia.tumblr.com/post/61506554264/warning-offensive-negligent-content

Another waste of time. Any comments on the blog below would probably apply here, too.

Why are our "representatives" so afraid of us? They've armed themselves against us while denying our right to do the same. Things have gone horribly wrong in Racine.

Poll: "Aldermen move toward banning smoking at city recreation areas"

From The Journal Times.com:

"RACINE — Outdoor smoking would be banned in all city recreational areas under an ordinance alderman have directed the city attorney to formulate.

"Meeting as a Committee of the Whole on Monday evening, aldermen voted 7-1 to have the ordinance drafted. It would prohibit smoking and smoking by-products such as cigar and cigarette butts in city parks and park shelters, golf courses, playgrounds, beaches and sports complexes such as Horlick Athletic Field. The ordinance as proposed would include designated parking areas.

"The discussion and vote followed a presentation about smoking and its effects by Racine Health Department Administrator Dottie-Kay Bowersox. She said 845 municipalities across the country have passed smoke-free-park legislation, and 170 so far have banned smoking on beaches.

"In her presentation she cited Parks Superintendent Mike Willis’ statement that smokers are a particular problem on city beaches. Cigarette butts cast aside can only be collected by hand, and are left behind by the thousands while taking approximately 15 years to decompose.

"11th District Alderman Greg Helding said he was more concerned with the litter than the smoking but said, 'If you go after one you have to go after the other.'

“'I think it’s a great idea,' said 3rd District Alderman Michael Shields. But he wanted to know the fiscal impact and how such an ordinance would be enforced.

"Bowersox said a $7,000 grant would cover most or all of the cost of signage.

"And she said, 'The nice thing about our society is we’re self-regulating, we’re self-compliant.' Most people would voluntarily comply, she said.

"Sidewalks outside the parks and other recreational areas would become the available smoking areas, Bowersox said after the meeting.

"In response to a question, she said the prohibition would not include electronic cigarettes, because the federal government has not so far put them in the same classification with regular cigarettes.

"15th District Alderman Eddie Diehl voiced concern that a ban could snag some visitors from out of town who might miss the signs.

"The Committee of the Whole is comprised of the entire City Council but does not take final action. With four aldermen absent and Shields not voting, only 1st District Alderman Jeff Coe voted against directing the city attorney to draft an ordinance.

"It was clear a few were thinking about exceptions instead of a blanket ban. Sixth District Alderman Sandy Weidner, for example, said she might want to make exceptions in places where mainly adults play — for example, at adult softball games.

"And Helding questioned banning cigars on the golf courses, saying, “A cigar while golfing is as American as apple pie.'”

Read more:  http://journaltimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/aldermen-move-toward-banning-smoking-at-city-recreation-areas/article_4bc04cf8-1f91-11e3-8c0b-001a4bcf887a.html


I think this is asinine. I feel so bad for my hometown. Monsters are destroying it. As usual, lying worm Greg Helding wants one set of rules for himself and a different set for others.

Open Blog - Tuesday

Have a good one.

"PMU - Assassination Of President John F. Kennedy Commercial"

Published on Sep 9, 2013 

"The commercial is for PMU, a French online betting and gambling website.

"I have a pretty dark sense of humor, but I think this spot may be stepping over the line just a smidge — mainly because an unseen subsequent image of this Dealey Plaza scenario is the exploded head of President John F. Kennedy, an image many of us have now seen.

"The spot is probably only airing on French TV, but as of today, it's airing all over the world on YouTube.

"My critique of the ad simply as an ad is: The joke is forced, not that funny, and doesn't tie back to product well at all.

"A second less-disturbing commercial makes light of the Titanic disaster.

"Ad agency: Publicis Conseil, Paris."

Read more: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1d3Vsmz8bA

The PMU Titanic commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6qyju1ThYU

I must say that I was offended by this commercial.  I'm not easy to offend.  The JFK assassination was a personal event for me.  I was a kid and watched it all unfold on TV.  It hurt.  I'll never forget it.

Crepuscular Rays

Just a quick post of tonight' sunset which features lots of crepuscular rays. I shifted to my zoom lens for sunset. I got a mock mirage breaking off the top of the Sun tonight.

After sunset, there was a nice scene so I switched back to a wide view.

Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.

"Tipping Servers $200"

When I had money, I was a heavy tipper. That was the result of working one weekend as a busboy at Dino's 46 years ago. Servers have a tough job.  I don't know what the biggest tip I've left was, but it wasn't near $200.  Maybe twenty bucks.

"Spooky clown mystery grips Northampton"

From the Northampton Herald & Post:

Written by STEVE SCOLES
 
"A spooky clown has been scaring Northampton residents in full costume and make up.

"He is red haired and white faced and has appeared in several locations in the Abington and Kingsley areas.

"A Facebook page has now been set up for the clown called Spot Northampton's Clown which has already achieved over 3,000 likes since it went live yesterday.

"The clown has proved a sensation on social media and has its own Twitter hashtag #northamptonclown.

"According to reports it has knocked on someone's door and offered to paint their sills despite having no painting equipment.

"Let us know if you see it too. Here are some Tweets about the clown so far:

Had to look out my window to check for a clown. No clown. Phew. #clownwatch #northamptonclown
— Matthew Whitehouse (@matt_whitehouse) September 13, 2013"

Read more:  http://www.northampton-news-hp.co.uk/News/Northampton-News/Spooky-clown-mystery-grips-Northampton-14092013.htm


Clowns scare me.  The clown in this story is a dedicated bozo to put on a costume and all that makeup just to spook people.  If he did that in the USA, he might be shot.

South African Handshake

Open Blog - Monday

Calvin and Hobbes were great.

John Mayall - "Room to Move"

This song has been stuck in my head all day.

"A Look at the Budget"

From Racine Community Media:

"The time is approaching for Mayor John Dickert & The City of Racine to present the 2014 City Budget to the residents and taxpayers of the City Of Racine. Please pay close attention, as in years past this administration has attempted to trick the entire community and mislead the public into believing false numbers and misleading fiscal amounts. Remember this story below, just two short years ago."

Read more:  http://racinecommunitymedia.tumblr.com/post/61259313728/the-time-is-approaching-for-mayor-john-dickert

Another New Blog

http://mayorjohndickert.wordpress.com/

This one is entitled "Mayor John Dickert."  It's been added to our sidebar list of Local & Area Blogs & Sites.

"TrueMove H : Giving "

Tearjerker Alert!



I've gone through two boxes of tissues in the last few days.