Disclaimer

Every year when we change our clocks for Daylight Saving Time, we should also check the batteries in our smoke alarms and read the JT Irregulars Disclaimer at the bottom of our webpages.

It's a beautiful piece of work.  It discourages us from taking ourselves too seriously.  If you haven't read it, you should. 

My favorite line from the Disclaimer is, "We do not discriminate against the mentally ill!"

Thank God, or I wouldn't be here.

"Rubber band Babies"

This video is 9 months old, but it was new to me.

The first thing my mother would've said would be, "Stop it! You'll hit somebody in the eye!"

"Racine WI Scanner"

Submitted by Richard Head:

Racine WI Scanner (http://racinescanner.com/) and

Racine County Scanner on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/RacineCountyScanner)

Both have been added to our sidebar Local News sites

Grins

More Problems with Racine's Ethics Board and Cable Commission

From Racine Community Media:

"City of Racine pushes Formal Ethics Complaint of Mary Osterman to Cable Commission, which Mary Osterman (the accused) is a member!!!!!!! And also the secretary!!!!

"All this was done prior to any action or discussion by the City of Racine Ethics Board!!! The community is asking questions as to the procedure used, and just how a Formal Ethics Complaint could be discussed in a City Cable Meeting with the person being accused in the complaint, without it going to the Ethics Board first?"

Read more:  http://racinecommunitymedia.tumblr.com/post/78856238371/city-of-racine-pushes-formal-ethics-complaint-of

Open Blog - Weekend

Enjoy yourselves!

Ice Can See for Miles Too

Here are the latest pictures taken of Lake Michigan from Shoop Park, Thursday afternoon. As you can see, the ice reaches beyond the Racine Reef Lighthouse, which is two miles out there. I saw NO open water...

This is the worse I have seen the ice! The latest ice cover is at 92 percent for Lake Michigan. Wow..

While I'm on this subject here, I'd bring to your attention the rapidly declining duck population. Reports have poured from all over of dead diving ducks on the ice.With this ice cover, there is really no place to go for these hungry birds! If anyone sees a stranded or and injured duck, please call the humane society or the DNR. Thanks! (Below, a Red Breasted Merganser, photo taken at Lakeshore State Park in Milwaukee 2/22/2014)

More Double Dealing from Racine's Ethics Board and Cable Commission

Four for Fridays

Hello everybody and welcome back! Do I feel spring in the air? I hope so... I think we are all getting a little sick of winter. Anyways... here are your questions....

1) When do you think the ice will finally melt on Lake Michigan?

2) Would you ever take a Polar Bear plunge?

3) If you found a $100 bill on the ground what would you do with it?

4) What is your stance on hunting?

Enjoy your weekend!

"This Is What War Does To Children"

http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.8D6E/Official_Site.htm

A chilling and effective video. Will humans ever learn to live in peace?

Open Blog - Friday

Have a great day.

BINGO....

http://charlotte.cbslocal.com/2014/03/05/scientists-build-orgasm-machine-for-women/

Open Blog - Thursday

I'm thankful for the JT Irregulars.

this coming weekend....

Don't Forget to Move Your Clocks Ahead on March 9th Daylight Savings Time Begins

"Racine firefighters collecting supplies for Mitchell students & staff"

From RacineUncovered:

http://racineuncovered.org/2014/03/racine-firefighters-collecting-supplies-for-mitchell-students-staff/

Also

From Racine County Eye:

"How You Can Help The Students From Mitchell Elementary"

http://racinecountyeye.com/2014/03/02/can-help-students-mitchell-elementary/

ZZ Top - "Pearl Necklace"

In honor of this week's Bedtime Games.

Really Neat Video

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my fellow snow souls!  How are you?  Snow and cold, snow and cold, snow and cold, it never ends.  We’re trapped in some hideous time loop that makes winter forever.  Or at least until August when it’ll be hot and dry, hot and dry, hot and dry.  Wisconsin is that land of extremes.  Polarization in politics now affects our weather.  Neat trick, when you consider the roots of “polarization.”  In any case, the polar vortex owns us.  We are slaves to it until spring kicks it in the yo-yos.  Go, spring!  Any day now!  Send those yo-yos spinning.

Right after posting my blog last week, Mr. Mayor Dickert and many of his associates were named as the defendants in a federal civil rights lawsuit brought against the city by minority former bar owners.  This is considered to be one of the aftershocks of Pattern or Practice (http://patternorpractice.com/), the film which documents the treatment of said bar owners by the city.  Oh my, oh dear, oh my.  I hope that wrongs can be righted, but it’s a shame that the citizens have to pay for the sins of our leaders. 

The fire at Mitchell School was devastating.  I hope that RUSD is up to the challenge.  Blessings to the firefighters and emergency personnel, blessings to the students, their families, and their teachers.  God bless you all and protect you.  Let’s come together to overcome this tragedy.  Here's a link from Racine County Eye to how you can help: http://racinecountyeye.com/2014/03/02/can-help-students-mitchell-elementary/

“March Madness” is what sets in with basketball now, correct?  Truly, I need little to go mad.  A gentleman I didn’t know recently held the door open for me as we entered a restaurant.  As it turned out, we both left at the same time, too.  Again, he held the door open for me.  I thanked him.  He tapped me on the shoulder and said, “You know the world is changing.”  My, oh my, did I ponder on that.  Was he speaking of the deterioration of civility in the present day, or was he referring to my profession?  Or something else?  It’s a mystery rolled up in an enigma tied off with a conundrum.

I have cabin fever.  I don’t care if it’s snowing or cold outside; I want to go out and do something, anything.  The Señor shares my sentiment and Junior hasn’t stopped bouncing off of the walls since Christmas.  I want to picnic someplace pleasant and then go to a drive-in movie.  I want to lie back and look at the stars.  I want to do anything which will destroy the drudgery of these cold, gray, snowy days and nights.  Anything, that is, except for a Polar Plunge.  Just because Jimmy Fallon does it, doesn’t mean I’m going to do it.

What a nice way to bring people together, in the ER.

Take my advice: avoid anything that says “polar,” “plunge,” or “vortex.”  That will take care of half of the weather problems in your life.

Thank you, my Sons and Lovers, for reading my blog today.  You energize me with your visits. But I’m no Energizer Bunny®.  I’m a dynamo who gives as freely as she gets, who regenerates the love that you give to me and returns it you a thousand fold.

It’s Ash Wednesday.  Repent now: madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com

Watch out for the March slush and mush and mud.  Roads that look safe can have a layer of black ice.  Take it slow, enjoy the view, and have a lovely week, my lovely loves.  Sciapodous!

Open Blog - Wednesday

B & B and P & P.

Another Complaint Filed Against Dickert & Cohorts

From Racine Community Media:

"BREAKING NEWS: LOCAL GROUP FILES FORMAL COMPLAINT WITH RACINE DISTRICT ATTORNEY ASKING FOR AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE CITY OF RACINE FOR FAILING TO FILL PUBLIC OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS, AND ALSO FAILING TO NOTICE A FORMAL COMPLAINT FILED AGAINST CABLE COMMISSIONER AND MAYOR JOHN DICKERT’S CAMPAIGN TREASURER MARY JERGER OSTERMAN."

Read more: http://racinecommunitymedia.tumblr.com/post/78585821383/breaking-news-local-group-files-formal-complaint

Open Blog - Tuesday

Is that Charlie again?

Thank You, JT Irregulars!

Thank you all for your recent support of me and especially for being my friends.  I've never known a finer group of people.  I'm proud to be a member.  I encourage others to join.

You've already saved my life more times than you know. 

Are you pooping right??

This guy makes me laugh, the things he comes up with,

enjoy!

City of Racine to Ask Surrounding Communities to Help Pay for City's CAR25/BelleTV Public Access Station

From Racine Community Media:

"BREAKING NEWS: CITY OF RACINE TO ASK CALEDONIA, MT. PLEASANT, WIND POINT, AND OTHER SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES TO HELP PAY FOR CITY’S CAR25/BELLETV ACCESS STATION!!!!" 

"Racine- According to Racine Aldermen and Cable Commissioners, the surrounding communites have had access to the City Of Racine’s cable access tv station, for free, long enough. Despite The City Of Racine residents paying $160K a year for the under utilized channel, The City Of Racine will ask outlying communities to pay 3 percent for CAR25/BelleTV. It’s a very suprising move considering the 2012 budget was $80K a year and they currently have no sponsors, and currently have less than 6 community members producing programming. It’s mostly old 3 Stooges, Andy Griffith and Bonanza re-runs airing on the channel now days, and that’s when the channel is even functioning or on-air. In a move that was sold to the community and residents 10 months ago by Mayor John Dickert and others, outsourcing the community channel was to SAVE MONEY and be SELF SUFFICIENT. In less than one year, the budget has doubled and the City Of Racine will now ask outlying communites to contribute 3 percent. When asked what the surrounding communities would recieve in return, the answer from the Racine Cable Commission? NOTHING!!!!" 

Read more: http://racinecommunitymedia.tumblr.com/post/78436399224/breaking-news-city-of-racine-to-ask-caledonia

Bed Bug Apocalypse - Epilog

Today marks four weeks since the last sighting of a bed bug in my apartment.  Four weeks is notable because that’s how long it takes for a bedbug to grow from egg to adult.  I’ve seen none of the bugs or their telltale poop.

I sleep on a blanket on the floor where my bed will be.  My pillows are next to the wall’s baseboard, where bed bugs love to nest.  There’s a nightstand to one side of me and a dresser to the other.  Again, good places to live.  Even the folds in the blanket are good places for them to hide.

I’ve seen nothing.  Especially the poop, I haven’t seen the poop.  Bed bugs move and hide, but their poop remains.

I thought I’d let you all in on this.  However, I don’t consider my place cleared of bed bugs.  Not yet.  I’ll wait another week before I finally start putting things in the basement storage, I think.  Just to be sure.  Just to be double-sure.

I’m still hypervigilant.  I still don’t believe.

It would be an exaggeration to say that bed bugs destroyed my life, but they did considerable damage to both my property and my psyche.  If, God willing, they are gone from my apartment, I pray that I never see another one, anywhere.  I also pray that this curse never visits my friends or my enemies.

Maybe I'll have a pool party to celebrate: Bed Bug Beach Blanket Bingo.


Related: http://www.jtirregulars.com/2014/01/bed-bugs-pests-from-hell.html

http://www.jtirregulars.com/2014/01/bed-bugs-pests-from-hell-saga-continues.html

Local Loyalty - Dragon Flies and Dreams

Welcome back for another instalment of Local Loyalty!

Today's feature is - 

 Dragon Flies and Dreams

9415 Durand Ave. 

Sturtevant.

884-7970

Mon-Sat. 9-5, 

closed Sundays.

This was a new find for me, as I 1st saw the sign a couple weeks ago, coming home from Kenosha. The name caught my eye and piqued my curiosity. 

How unobservant am I? I've gone past it many, many times, and I found out that it's been there since 2000! Now my eyes are actively trying to find what else I've been missing, geez! 

If any of you, like me, didn't even know this was there, here's the scoop!

Dragon Flies and Dreams is a really cool, quaint, stamping shop. 

I had the best time visiting with Sande, the owner. She knows everything you could possibly want to know about stampers, ink, projects and what anybody could need, whether they're a newby like me, 

or a very creative, super talented person. 

She opened up at this location back in 2000, 

when her craft room at home was full and she decided to open up a shop. 

She has classes a couple days a week, and also has a card making workshop once a month, where you go in and make 10 cards in 2 hours. 

The 3 words she chose to describe her place - 

1. Unique 

(she carries stamps that the big places don't, 

and she likes to deal with smaller places as well)

2. Friendly - 

yes, most definitely! I had the best time with her!

3. Creative - 

ok, if you, like me, don't have that gene, 

she can still help you!

 

Here are a couple of the stampers I bought. I put together the designs with the words, so each picture is actually of 2 different stamps, that I then used colored pencils to color them in -

(and no, I'm not a crafty kinda person but this isn't bad for a newby!)

My goal is to go back and get some more, and more color ink pads. What a simple, creative way to jazz something up, or just to send a note to somebody with a nice added personal touch.
If I can do this, anybody can! And Sande is just the right person to help you out, stop in and check it out!
Don't forget to tell her you saw it here!

"Journal Times nabs 15 state awards"

Congratulations, Journal Times!

From The Journal Times.com:

15 hours ago  •  By Aaron Knapp

"RACINE — The Journal Times has earned five first-place awards from the Wisconsin Newspaper Association for work including breaking news coverage, business coverage and general web excellence.

"The paper also won six second-place awards and four third-place awards. Two reporters also earned awards from the State Bar of Wisconsin.

"All of the awards were announced during the WNA’s convention Friday.

“'I’m thankful for the hard work and dedication of all of our staff,' said Managing Editor Rob Golub. 'We have won first place in several key categories and we have a lot to be proud of.'

"The Journal Times took first-place awards for:

"- Breaking News Coverage. Current and former reporters Stephanie Jones, Alison Bauter, Luke Feuerherm and Lindsay Bullock as well as photographers Scott Anderson and Gregory Shaver were recognized for their continuing coverage of a fatal fire in Racine that took the lives of three children in November 2012.

"- Business Coverage. Reporter Michael Burke was specifically honored for his January 2013 job skills gap coverage, which analyzed the Racine County businesses’ struggle to find employees qualified for open positions.

"- General Web Excellence. Bridget Thoreson, Brenda Wishau, Greg Giesen, Clint Wiedholz, Jerry Boehme and Golub were specifically recognized for election night coverage.

"- Reporting on Local Government. Reporter Cara Spoto was recognized for her ongoing coverage of the City of Racine’s government.

"- Special Section – Editorial: Michael Burke, Loreen Mohr, Brenda Poppy and Ann Walter were honored for the Modern Manufacturing section.

"The State Bar of Wisconsin also awarded a Golden Gavel to reporters Kristen Zambo and Stephanie Jones for their ongoing coverage of the trial of Curt Johnson, an heir of the Johnson family household product fortune accused of molesting his teenage stepdaughter.

"Zambo also received a Certificate of Commendation from the State Bar for her May article, 'Waiting in Jail,' about individuals having to wait in jail several weeks longer than usual for probation agents to prepare pre-sentence investigations reports for judges."

Read more: http://journaltimes.com/news/local/journal-times-nabs-state-awards/article_e7551006-a0d1-11e3-9ce5-0019bb2963f4.html


Congratulations, Journal Timers!

"Is The Racine City Tavern League a Corrupting Influence?"

From Racine Exposed:

"The latest edition of the  Racine City Tavern League Hospitality Times declares,  RCTL Director Blanca Webers running for 12th. District Alderman!  'Please help us get one of our own elected.'

"But do the People of The City of Racine need yet another Tavern League Member as part of the Dickert Administration? And why is it so important to the  Racine City Tavern League that they place yet another one of their  members into a position of political power who can be counted on to vote 'Team Dickert'?"

Read more: http://racineexposed.wordpress.com/2014/03/02/is-the-racine-city-tavern-league-a-corrupting-influence/

Open Blog - Monday

Good question. Maybe hale-bopp knows

Watching Comedies