"Bonded kittens looking for a home"

From RacineUncovered:

Credit-Wisconsin Humane Society

"Everyone launches into busy weekends and holiday travel, we wanted to tell the stories of two brave kittens whose paths were destined to cross. If we all hit that little Share button, I’m certain we could find them a home in time for the holidays!

"Yankee, a tiny grey and white kitten, was found alone under a trailer in an alleyway. He had an injured shoulder and was terrified of people. After he was brought to the WHS Racine Campus, our staff persistently showed him what it felt like to be loved, and he soon blossomed into an affectionate little gentleman.

"Pine Cone, on the other hand, was a ham for attention from the day she arrived at the shelter, despite having two infected, ruptured eyes and no vision. Our Dr. Langston knew the only way she would be healthy and pain-free was to remove what was left of her eyes. She was a wonderful patient and healed up very nicely.

"Knowing that both of these kittens had been through so much at such a young age, we introduced Yankee to Pine Cone. They took to each other immediately; playing when they felt well and cuddling when they needed comfort. Once we saw how bonded they had become, we made them an official Required Pair and they’ve been searching for a family together ever since. 

"If you know someone who has room enough if their home and heart for two truly remarkable friends, please pass along Yankee & Pine Cone’s information!"

http://www.wihumane.org/adopt/animal?id=21502643

http://www.wihumane.org/adopt/animal?id=21588857

Read more: http://racineuncovered.org/2013/12/bonded-kittens-looking-for-a-home/

If I didn't already have Charlie, I would love to adopt these two.  

"Free access to Journal Times e-edition throughout weekend"

From The Journal Times.com:

"December 20, 2013 10:00 am  •  Journal Times staff

"RACINE - Forecast weather conditions for freezing rain and snow will likely result in delayed delivery of weekend editions of The Journal Times, especially in rural areas.

"Access to electronic replica copies of The Journal Times will remain free throughout the weekend. For the current day's newspaper, visit http://jo-ee.journaltimes.com/eedition."

Read more:  http://journaltimes.com/news/local/free-access-to-journal-times-e-edition-throughout-weekend/article_41a52482-6988-11e3-931c-001a4bcf887a.html

Free is good, right?

Open Blog - Weekend

Atta girl.

From AARP.org - Memory Test

"Test your smarts about normal forgetfulness and early signs of dementia:"

http://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/info-10-2012/memory-quiz.html

I got 8 out of 9 right.  I guesed at a few, but blew it on the last question.  Should I be proud that I know so much about dementia?  I'll probably forget it all anyway.  

Indian Robbing a Bank

Post by LOL Loved It.

Do You Know What Google Knows?

I have an Android phone and suspect some of you do too. When you set it up, Google asks for permission to use your location for various reasons. There is some utility for this so you may have said yes. I say yes for some applications but not for others depending on what advantages it offers and if I want to use those features.

It turns out you can find out exactly what info google collects on you, organized by day. Log into your google account and go to http://maps.google.com/locationhistory and you will see a map of everywhere you (or at least your phone) went that day. Here is the map that comes up for a recent random day in my life.

One thing you will notice is that I appeared not to follow the roads! I assure you I was not drunkenly driving across people's lawns all day. My best guess is that they only take data at certain times so the exact route you take from point A to B is lost.

Google offers you the option to delete your history for that day or delete all your history. I am not sure how "deleted" your history really is when you choose this option. You can export your history as a KML file (if you know how to analyze them) and see time stamps of every data point they have. 

I don't know if Apple Maps has a similar feature, but I bet they collect similar info if you allow it.

I wonder how much data is collected even if you turn off all location services? I know there are useful services that are enabled by this data yet there are definitely lots of reasons to be wary of abuse by both government and corporate interests. 

Now you know why Walter White always used burners!

Four for Fridays

Hello everyone and welcome back! Busy, busy. busy! It has been a hectic week preparing for Christmas... Between weather issues, shopping and overtime, I'm surprised that I haven't lost my marbles....yet.... Anyways, here are your questions.... 

1) What is your favorite Christmas movie?

2)  What Christmas traditions do you have?

3) What is one Christmas memory can you share?

4) What put you into a Christmas mood?

Enjoy your weekend!

Open Blog - Friday

Oh my.

I think the snake ate Milo

Wild Root Market: "The News You Have Been Waiting For!"

"We can hardly hold back our excitement as we make the announcement we know you have all been waiting for!  We are so pleased that our holiday gift to you is the news that WE HAVE A CONTRACT IN PLACE FOR A SITE FOR WILD ROOT MARKET COOPERATIVE!

"(Drum roll, please)

"Our first Racine location will be:

1101 Grove Avenue in West Racine

(Formerly the site of a Piggly Wiggly grocery store)

"We recognize there has been a great deal of speculation in the community that this property would be our eventual site and it may come as no surprise that we made this decision.  While the potential of this site may have seemed obvious, there were many factors to evaluate and consider for this location and others -- and we needed to be ready to make this commitment on your behalf.  We also needed a critical threshold of owners to take this important step and we are so grateful for the trust and faith each of you has shown in this project.

"The good news is we are well prepared to move forward and we are confident this centrally located site offers the best potential for a successful store.  Among its many advantages:

• It was formerly a grocery store so it already contains important infrastructure that may reduce construction expense.
• It generated the highest sales projections in both our market studies.
• It has plenty of parking and it is on a bus line.
• It is located within a densely populated residential area that also happens to be a federally designated 'food desert.'
• Its location next to a CVS Pharmacy and its close proximity to other thriving businesses in West Racine offer important retail synergy"

Read more: http://wildrootmarket.createsend1.com/t/ViewEmail/r/75481615AC99E2F72540EF23F30FEDED/AE30CC3ACC6E7065025DA65DC0D0F53A

See also: http://wildrootmarket.coop/


I wish them good luck.  I've thought about joining in the past, but I don't know if it'd be worth it.  It costs $200 to join.  

Christmas Lights 2013 Part 3!

I have been busy with going out and getting Christmas light pictures, making my Christmas cookies and trying to get Christmas presents wrapped. I really am not getting to much accomplished or that is how I am feeling. Last night Drew and I went out to get a few more pictures to share with you so I decided to share them with you right away. Here are the pictures:

                                       This picture was taken on Main St. in Racine by the Zoo.

                                       This picture was taken on Main St. in Racine by the Zoo.

                                       This picture was taken on Main St. in Racine by the Zoo.

                                        This picture was taken on Main St. in Racine by the Zoo.

                                             This is the Christmas Tree on Main St. in Racine.

This is the Nativity set up on Main St. in Racine by the tree. I like this picture because they put a star above it this year.

Yes the theme today is all down Main St. and there is more pictures to come. I have to get my cookies done by this weekend so I can get Daddy Orbs his plate of Cookies so he don't think I forgot about him. So I will try to get more pictures on here tomorrow. Everyone be careful out there we have snow and sleet coming tonight.

Open Blog - Thursday

Hang on! It's almost Friday.

Which Turkey meat is more tender?

Take a break, you need a good laugh!

Dear Madame Zoltar

Madame Zoltar has gone on a mini-sabbatical to her timeshare condo in Cancun to battle the winter blues.  She sends her love to all of the Irregulars and looks forward to resuming her blog next week, on Christmas Day.

Open Blog - Wednesday

It's the Wednesday Hippopotamus!

Comet Lovejoy and the Hercules Cluster

I got behind posting here, but last Sunday morning I went out to get Comet Lovejoy as it was passing a little over 5 degrees from the Hercules Globular cluster, also known as M13. It would have been better Saturday morning, but I got back from a trip late Friday night and getting up early Saturday just didn't happen.

The problem Sunday morning was the Moon. The Moon was approaching full and lit up the sky when I got to Saguaro National Park east. I couldn't see Lovejoy with the naked eye, but found it with binoculars. I took a few pics while waiting for the Moon to set. Once the Moon set, there was a very brief window before morning twilight started brightening the sky. Fortunately, I was ready to make the most of the 20 minutes or so I had. 

Here is Comet Lovejoy in the lower right of the image and the fuzzy blob of M13 in the upper left. 

Next I zoomed in for a closer view of Lovejoy.

Lovejoy still has a very nice tail. I could see the comet as a fuzzy blob naked eye once the Moon set, but it is not quite as bright as it was a couple of weeks ago.  Finally, as the sky began to gradually brighten, I found a nice saguaro and did a much wider shot with the comet.

The Moon is entering the morning sky and will make Comet Lovejoy much less impressive, but it should still be in reach of binoculars. The comet if forecast to slowly fade to a magnitude of about 6.0 by the end of the month when the Moon will finally get out of the way. You would need really dark skies to catch it with the naked eye although it should still be all right in binoculars. Due to the Moon, I probably won't try for it again for a couple of weeks. However, I hope to use some of the slower time around the holidays next week to try some photography in the evening!

Reprinted with permission from the Half-Astrophysicist Blog.

Christmas Lights Part 2

Since I am up early this morning I thought I would post some more Christmas lights to share with everyone. Here they are:

I think it is not Christmas without the Peanuts this was taken at Candy Cane Lane in West Allis Wi..

A Dinosaur pulling the sliegh this was taken at Candy Cane Lane in West Allis Wi.. I just could not believe how tall this dinosaur was.

                        Mickey Mouse and Sponge Bob at Candy Cane Lane in West Allis Wi.

                                     The Little Drummer Boys on Aberdeen Dr. in Caledonia Wi.

    This house is on Aberdeen Dr. in Caledonia Wi. This house has music playing from the radio station.

                                        This tree was taken on Aberdeen Dr. in Caledonia Wi..

I have been out taking more pictures since these so I hope that everyone enjoys the pictures. There is more to come soon.

Open Blog - Tuesday

Ahem.

"Priceless: Wild's Coyle Makes Young Fans Day"

He'll remember that.

"Can The City of Racine Afford Mayor John Dickert?"

From Racine Exposed:

"On November 13, 2013, The Committee of the Whole met in a regularly scheduled meeting to discuss the Mayor’s Budget. You would have thought that the City of Racine Finance Director, Dave Brown, and Mayor John Dickert,  would have been prepared with readily available facts and figures to answer the questions and concerns of the Alderman. The purpose of the meeting is for the Aldermen to discuss the budget and then vote on whether or not to move the budget forward to the Common Council for a vote. WELL, as we shall see, they did not come prepared, were unable to answer a simple question, and, once again,  provided an evasive answer by making uncorroborated claims."



Read more: http://racineexposed.wordpress.com/2013/12/15/can-the-city-of-racine-afford-mayor-john-dickert/

"Mega Millions jackpot jumps, could reach $1 billion"

"(CNN) -- The Mega Millions jackpot is juicy, but thanks to new, longer odds, it's entirely possible the payout could reach $1 billion by Christmas.

"Nope, that wasn't a typo -- 'b' as in 'boy.'

"When no winner was selected in Friday's drawing, the jackpot rolled over to $550 million, the second-largest payout ever. It jumped again Monday to $586 million, with a cash payout of $316.5 million, said Tandi Reddick, a spokeswoman for the Georgia Lottery.

"The total could easily increase again before Tuesday night's drawing.

"So, the real question is: What are the chances of winning?

"Well, as CNN reported last week, you have a much, much better chance of being killed by an asteroid, and while those are long odds, they're even longer than they were in early October."

Read more:  http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/16/us/mega-millions-lottery-odds/ 

I'm gonna buy a lottery ticket.  I do this only when the jackpots are huge.  I know I don't have a chance.  If I get hit by an asteroid instead, hale-bopp can blog about it.

Local Loyalty - Borzynski's

Today's feature is Borzynski's Farm and Floral Market, 

11600 Washington Ave, Mount Pleasant, between Hy. V and I-94.

There hours are - 

Monday - Saturday 8:00am - 7:00pm, 

Sunday 10:00am - 6:00pm

Check them out!

BORZYNSKI'S

I had the best time visiting with Kristin Borzynski!

I've been to their store, and every time I find something new and exciting. 

It truly is a place like no other. It's the best of many worlds, 

farmers market, gift shop, bakery, speciality foods store and much more. 

The 3 words Kristin chose to describe their store, are - 

Welcoming (most definitely!)

Delightful (spot on!)

and Delicious (to all senses!)

We visited up in the loft.

(all the times I've been there, I hadn't even noticed the loft)

It was warm and cozy, a wonderful place to get something from the bakery, go up and read and enjoy the homey, coziness of it all. What a wonderful escape from the crazy pace our lives keep.

They grow as much as their produce as possible, in the fall, it is very plentiful! They bring in other seasonal fruits and veggies, and the quality is awesome!

This year marked their 20th anniversary as a store. Before having the store, they had a rich heritage of farming, primarily cabbage. They have many fields here in WI, but also in Georga, Texas and Illinois.

I grew up in the country, surrounded by cabbage fields, so we had somewhat of a connection :) 

The popcorn they carry, is grown just down the road - talk about local! I love that!! Years ago, my girls had braces and could only have "hulless" popcorn. 1st question was 'what the heck is hulless'? We found out and I've been somewhat of a popcorn snob ever since. I didn't know I could get it locally, so I was ordering it online out of Port Washington. One day while visiting Borzynski's, I noticed they carried the same kind! I was so excited! They I found out it was grown just down the road, way awesome! My favorite 2 kinds are baby white or yellow rice (small kernel like regular white popcorn), and orchard blossom (big kernel like yellow). Good stuff! Give it a try!

Besides the website, they can also be found on Facebook.

I encourage you to stop on down the road and check them out. The gift shop is simply wonderful, and the smells coming out of the bakery, yum!

What are you waiting for? Go! :)

"Into The Atmosphere"

http://shainblum.smugmug.com/

I am not a number, I am a free man!

Open Blog - Monday

I wonder what kind of service they give?

Crow Kills on the Highway

This is very important to know about the CROW KILLS on the highways across the nation.

 

Researchers for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority found over 200 dead crows near greater Boston recently, and there was concern that they may have died from Avian Flu.

 

A Bird Pathologist examined the remains of all the crows, and, to everyone's relief, confirmed the problem was definitely NOT Avian Flu. The cause of death appeared to be vehicular impacts.

 

However, during the detailed (and probably very costly I might add) analysis it was noted that varying colors of paints appeared on the bird's beaks and claws. By analyzing these paint residues it was determined that 98% of the crows had been killed by impact with trucks, while only 2% were killed by an impact with a car.

 

Did you know that paint is different on trucks than on cars?

 

I don't know how do they know that stuff? ... Scary Hey?

 

MTA then hired an Ornithological Behaviorist to determine if there was a cause for the disproportionate percentages of truck kills versus car kills.

 

The Ornithological Behaviorist very quickly concluded the cause:

 

when crows eat road kill, they always have a look-out crow in a nearby tree to warn of impending danger. They discovered that while all the lookout crows could shout "Cah",

 

........... not a single one could shout "Truck."

 

Absolutely amazing!