Friday, June 24, 2016

"Free Smoke Detectors Available for City Residents"

From Racine County Eye:

By Heather Asiyanbi in Community · June 23, 2016 · No comments 

"The City of Racine Fire Department is making available to city residents free smoke detectors to help families stay safe.

"Through a $54,848 grant from the Department of Homeland Security and The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), RFD will go door-to-door talking with residents in lower income neighborhoods about fire safety and offering to install a free smoke alarm.

"The Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin Charitable Foundation (PFFWCF) is partnering with the Wisconsin Smoke Alarm Fire Education Committee and fire departments across Wisconsin to install 3,600 smoke alarms in homes in low-income areas.

"'One of the greatest risk factors for fire related death is poverty. For this reason, priority was given to fire departments protecting the highest number of people living below the poverty level,' a press release from Racine fire Lt. Scott Sorce reads.

"RFD has 180 smoke alarms ready to go. Residents who live in the City of Racine and do not have working smoke alarms should call the Racine Fire Department, Fire Prevention Bureau at (262) 635- 7915."

Read more:  http://racinecountyeye.com/free-smoke-detectors-available-city-residents/

Four for Fridays!

Good morning everyone. I hope your week did not go to fast for you and I hope you have a great weekend.
here are your questions.

1) Do you wish when an old friend that has moved away came to town that you had time to visit with them?

2) Do you hate waiting for a package to come in the mail that is suppose to come on a certain day and is late?

3) How many weekends in a row have you been real busy?

4) Do you see more idiot drivers in the city or on the highways or both?

"Two-legged kitten ditches tiny wheelchair for something much better"



Edit: more Cassidy:

Happy St. John's Day!

While growing up, every June 24th my mother would wish me a "Happy Namesday."  She told me this holiday was a big deal in Latvia (and most of northern Europe, as it turns out).

From Wikipedia:

"Midsummer"

 "From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Midsummer, also known as St John's Day, is the period of time centred upon the summer solstice, and more specifically the Northern European celebrations that accompany the actual solstice or take place on a day between June 19 and June 25 and the preceding evening. The exact dates vary between different cultures. The Christian Church designated June 24 as the feast day of the early Christian martyr St John the Baptist, and the observance of St John's Day begins the evening before, known as St John's Eve.
 
"These are commemorated by many Christian denominations.[1] In Sweden the Midsummer is such an important festivity that there have been serious discussions to make the Midsummer's Eve into the National Day of Sweden, instead of June 6. It may also be referred to as St. Hans Day.[2]

. . . . . 

"Latvia"

"Main article: Jāņi
 
"In Latvia, Midsummer is called Jāņi (plural of Latvian name Jānis, which is equivalent to John) or Līgo svētki (svētki = festival). It is a national holiday celebrated from the night of June 23 through June 24 on a large scale by almost everyone in Latvia and by people of Latvian origin abroad. Celebrations consist of a lot of traditional and mostly pagan elements – eating, Jāņi cheese, drinking beer, baking pīrāgi, singing Latvian folk songs dedicated to Jāņi, burning bonfires to keep light all through the night and jumping over it, wearing wreaths of flowers (for women) and oak leaves (for men) together with modern commercial products and ideas. There are tens and hundreds of different beliefs and traditions all over Latvia on what should be done on that day for good harvest, for predicting the future, for attracting your future spouse etc. People decorate their houses and lands with birch or sometimes oak branches and flowers as well as leaves, especially fern. In rural areas livestock is also decorated. In modern days small oak branches with leaves are attached to the cars in Latvia during the festivity. Jāņi has been a strong aspect of Latvian culture throughout history, originating in pre-Christian Latvia as an ancient fertility cult.
 
"In the western town of Kuldīga, revellers mark the holiday by running naked through the town at three in the morning. The event has taken place since 2000. Runners are rewarded with beer, and police are on hand in case any 'puritans' attempt to interfere with the naked run.[22]"

Read more:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midsummer
 

Open Blog - Friday


It's been a long time since my pom-poms were shaken.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

"Gaslighting"

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

"Gaslighting or gas-lighting is a form of mental abuse in which a victim is manipulated into doubting their own memory, perception, and sanity.[1][2] Instances may range from the denial by an abuser that previous abusive incidents ever occurred, up to the staging of bizarre events by the abuser with the intention of disorienting the victim.

"The term owes its origin to the 1938 play Gas Light and its film adaptations. The term has been used in clinical and research literature.[3][4]"
 
Ingrid Bergman in the 1944 film Gaslight  
  
Read more:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaslighting

"Introducing SpotMini"



I want one to be Charlie's pal.

Wildflowers!

I know I haven't posted wildflowers lately I was busy with Drew's surprise party and I was getting ready for the Grandkids coming down here. Here are some pictures I hope everyone likes them.

This is a picture of a Brown Eyed Susan the picture was taken at Richard Bong State Recreational Area in Brighton Wi.

This is a picture of a Multi-Flora Rose the picture was taken at Richard Bong State Recreational Area in Brighton Wi.

This is a picture of a Evening Primerose the picture was taken at Richard Bong State Recreational Area in Brighton Wi.

This is a picture of a Crested Dwarf Iris the picture was taken at Richard Bong State Recreational Area in Brighton Wi.

This is a picture of a Carolina Fanwort Water Lily the picture was taken at Richard Bong State Recreational Area in Brighton Wi.

This is a picture of Orange Hawkweed the picture was taken at Richard Bong State Recreational Area in Brighton Wi.

I hope everyone is going to enjoy the pictures as much as we enjoy going out to take the pictures to share.

Ooo, Good Time for a Selfie

Top 10 Media Thursdays

Open Blog - Thursday


Have an upside down one, too.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

"IT’S OFFICIAL!! EVERYTHING RACINE MAYOR JOHN DICKERT TOUCHES, TURNS TO SHIT!"

From Racine Community Media:

  

"RACINE RESIDENTS TO SEE MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF WAUKESHA SHIT WATER FLOWING INTO RACINE’S ROOT RIVER.

"Thanks to Racine Mayor John Dickert, Waukesha will divert an average of 8.2 million gallons of Lake Michigan water per day and return treated wastewater to the lake via the Root River.

"Under the plan, Waukesha would buy Lake Michigan water from Oak Creek, and build new infrastructure to pipe it west. Waukesha would treat and clean the water after it is used, and deposit it in the Root River, where it will flow back into Lake Michigan through the city of Racine.

"Mayor John Dickert said, 'it’s my job to protect the citizens of Racine.' he also asked if Waukesha residents would be willing to swim outside its treatment plant where wastewater will be discharged.

"Cathy Stepp, the Wisconsin DNR secretary and former state senator from Racine County who cast the state’s vote in favor."

http://journaltimes.com/news/waukesha-water-diversion-approved/article_49f02af0-aaa2-573d-a750-dc493df00104.html

Read more: http://racinecommunitymedia.tumblr.com/post/146310073463/its-official-everything-racine-mayor-john

"BREAKING: 14-Year-Old Girl Missing Since Sunday"

From Racine County Eye:

By Denise Lockwood in Breaking, Police and fire · June 22, 2016 · No comments

"Tataynia Ellis, a 14-year-old Racine girl, has been missing since Sunday.

"She was last seen by Lockwood Park, 4500 Graceland Boulevard. She is described as being five-foot six-inches tall, 120 pounds and is known to hangout on the north side, according to SAFE Haven of Racine, Inc.
 
"She goes by the name Tati. A missing persons report was filed with the Racine Police Department.

"If seen, please call 911 to report it to the Racine Police Department."

Read more: http://racinecountyeye.com/14-year-old-girl-missing-since-sunday/

"City of Racine Mayor 'Lying John' Dickert and Carpetbagging State Rep Cory Mason Can Go and Pound Sand"

From News the JT Can't Use:




June 21, 2016. from The JT:

Waukesha water diversion approved

"CHICAGO — In a major defeat for Racine leaders who battled against the plan, a Great Lakes governing body on Tuesday unanimously approved Waukesha’s proposal to obtain Lake Michigan water.

"LOL.

"Let those two Sore Losers (butt-hurt much?) go and POUND SAND at North Beach! While they continue to whine and hopefully comfort each other. (UGH!)



"Sore Losers 'Lying John' Dickert and Carpetbagging Cory Mason were all FOR IT, until Dickert’s bid was too high to supply it. Too bad. So sad. Shouldn’t have been so greedy.



"But the Fat Lady still hasn’t sung in Racine  – NO – not just yet……"

Read more: https://newsthejtcantuse.wordpress.com/2016/06/22/city-of-racine-mayor-lying-john-dickert-and-carpetbagging-state-rep-cory-mason-can-go-and-pound-sand/

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, dear friends and enemies and maybes and do bees and don't bees!  How are you?  We've been feeling the heat lately, but it's supposed to drop into the 70's, and even the 60's,  the next few days.  And all heck is supposed to break loose today with thunderstorms and rain into tomorrow.  We need the rain.  We need a good, day-long, soaking rain.  Those cloudbursts that form in the heat just dump a load of water at once, and it almost all washes away.  But I could do without the thunder and lightning.  When it lightnings, I always fear a power failure.  I hate those because you never know how long it'll be until they restore power.  Even I have difficulty predicting when.  So you don't want to open the fridge or the deep freeze for fear of losing "cold."  Yet, I want to know if it's time to start storing my perishables in friends' refrigerators. 

A long time ago, I lived on Main St., just south of downtown and the power went out on our block only.  When I spoke to one of the workmen outdoors, he said a "fuse" blew on College Ave., and that's why we didn't have power.  OK.  That made absolutely no sense to me, but I wasn't going to pursue the matter. I just wanted the power back on.

I was going to spin that off somehow into a "discussion" of the upcoming Presidential election. Ha!  I'm not nuts!  There is no "discussion," only war, total war.  Either you're one of us or you're one of them.  Even I don't know who is who.  Shoot first, ask questions later.  And that's why there will be no discussion of that subject here.  Please keep your politics to yourself.  Either side, either way, it only gets ugly.

How did we get here?  Donald Trump or Hilary Clinton?  Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.  I hear they're hatching a plot to oust Trump at the convention.  Yeah, right.  Sorry for sounding so cynical, but it comes with the times.  People are flat out nasty to strangers.  No one believes in the rule of law anymore, let alone the integrity of elections.  Stick your Golden Rule up your golden asshole.  As Rod Serling used to say on The Twilight Zone, "We are entering a new dimension."  Frankly, it somewhat scares me.  I think more and more decent people will shop online, thus leaving the majority of the jerks on the streets.  I don't want to interact with the jerks, but sometimes I have to.  In my line of work, a personal reading, or other services, may demand that I interact with a jerk.  Hopefully, a rich jerk.  I refuse to discuss politics during my readings or visitations.  It only leads to rancor.

For what it's worth, at this point I endorse neither Donald Trump nor Hilary Clinton.  Again, everything could change in a day.  Oh Lord, I wish there was a viable third party choice.  I wish there was an alternative to the current crop of liars and thieves.  I think Libertarian comes the closest to who I am, but I just hate "throwing away" my vote on someone who has no chance.  We'll see how things develop as the election nears.  I must say that so far, this has been an entertaining, if unnerving, Presidential campaign.

When I astral project, the word on the streets is that Machinery Row is DOA.  Not that it's a failure; many people have made a lot of money off of it.  Just that it's kaput.

Astral projections are tricky and not 100% reliable on information revealed.  It's kind of weird floating up there in like a bubble and traveling to places known or unknown.  One can time travel while astral projecting, but it gets a little tricky.  I prefer to stay on one plane when I astral project.

Well, thank you all for reading my blog today.  It "tickles me pink" to have visitors.  You don't have to turn colors, just read my blogs.  Thank you.  I love you.  You are family to me.

Family problems?  Ask madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com

Enjoy the waning days of June.  Junior already has the house decorated for the 4th of July.  The 4th of July is his favorite holiday because it has both girls and music.  Watch out for rain today and tomorrow.  We're already 4 " below normal for this time of year.  It's more like we need a flood. 

Open Blog - Wednesday


Wassup?

Monday, June 20, 2016

From Google+


It absolutely freaks me out that over a million and a half people have looked at this.  Vote OrbsCorbs, Of Course, for President, my minions, and we'll change the world.

A lightning strike, I assume

Lizardmom, your new pet has arrived.

"1st Strawberry Moon in 70 Years for Summer Solstice"

From Racine County Eye:

 By Heather Asiyanbi in Community · June 20, 2016 · No comments


"Today is the annual summer solstice, and for the first time in 70 years, it will be marked with a Strawberry Moon.

"Named for the height of strawberry picking season, the moon will be full and shaded a dusky red shade.

The summer solstice is the longest day of the year featuring more hours of sunshine than any other day of the year and is also typically the official start of summer. This year is especially noteworthy because of the first Strawberry Moon since 1948.

"A story from FOX 6 Now notes that the moon tonight will be the star of the show in the sky all evening.

"Racine County Eye residents will be able to see the moon directly overhead around 5:34 p.m., the story continues.

"Summer solstice occurs when the sun’s zenith is the furthest away from the equater, and the North Pole tilts toward the sun, according to the timeanddate.com website. In the southern hemisphere, the June solstice is the shortest day of the year.

"In the Antarctic Circle, the June solstice is marked by the complete absence of sunlight, the website continues."

Read more:  http://racinecountyeye.com/1st-strawberry-moon-70-years-summer-solstice/


Happy Summer Solstice!

"Police investigating possible bank robbery"

From The Journal Times.com:

http://journaltimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/police-investigating-possible-bank-robbery/article_1a42d83c-87da-5bf7-806a-2955bdc4d934.html

"Possible bank robbery"

It happened at 4 PM yesterday and The Journal Times still doesn't know?

"Curt Johnson lawsuit dismissed — suit claimed molestation, sought monetary damages"

From The Journal Times.com:

CARA SPOTO cara.spoto@journaltimes.com

"RACINE — A lawsuit filed against Curt Johnson two years ago by a former Racine County teen — and then-friend of the family — alleging he molested her has apparently been dismissed following a settlement.

"According to a document obtained by The Journal Times last week, the lawsuit was dismissed on March 16 before going to trial.

"Online court records describe the action as 'settlement/stipulation to dismiss — before trial.'

"The Journal Times was unable to get comments about the dismissal from attorneys for the plaintiff or defendant Curt Johnson, and court records did not indicate what the settlement was or if any money was involved. 

"Johnson, 61, is the former chairman of Diversey Inc. and a son of the late SC Johnson chairman Sam 
 Johnson. When the lawsuit was filed it stated Johnson lived in Wind Point. Online court records for a joint divorce petition filed in April indicate that Johnson, an heir to the Johnson family household products fortune, now lives in Caledonia.

The lawsuit

 

"Filed on July 15, 2014, the lawsuit accused Johnson of molesting the plaintiff — his stepdaughter’s childhood friend — on multiple occasions between March 2007 and July 2009.

"The incidents allegedly occurred while the plaintiff — then about 12 to 13 years old — was on vacation with the Johnson family in Mexico and in the Bahamas, as well as in Johnson’s Wind Point home.

"The lawsuit alleged the teen had suffered severe psychological and emotional distress as a result of the abuse, and sought an unspecified amount in monetary damages.

"'(Johnson) would come in and fondle them while they were sleeping. Her and (Johnson’s stepdaughter),' according to a comment the plaintiff’s attorney, Stephen Estey of the San Diego-based Estey & Bomberger, made to The Journal Times in September 2014. 

"Estey said the then-teen — who would be about 20 or 21 years old now — was 'very close' friends with Johnson’s stepdaughter, whom the billionaire was convicted of molesting on June 6, 2014, following a plea agreement. 

Reaction


"Speaking to The Journal Times for the same September 2014 story, Johnson’s criminal defense attorney, Mark Richards, denied the accusations, noting that such types of 'spurious allegations' were 'not uncommon in cases involving high-net-worth individuals.'

"'(The teen) is a troubled person with an admitted history of stealing from Mr. Johnson and his family,' he claimed of the stepdaughter's friend. 'We have been aware of (the girl’s) claims since March 2011 when they were made, reviewed by the Racine County District Attorney’s Office and rejected,' Richards said. 'These claims are unequivocally and demonstratively false. We intend to vigorously defend him.'

"Racine County prosecutors charged Johnson in March 2011 with repeated sexual assault of a child — a felony punishable by up to 40 years in prison — after allegations surfaced that Johnson molested his stepdaughter.

"The case experienced a number of delays as it was appealed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Johnson eventually pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges — fourth-degree sexual assault of a child and disorderly conduct — in connection with the case. He was sentenced to four months in jail and was also ordered to pay a $6,000 fine."

Reas more: http://journaltimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/curt-johnson-lawsuit-dismissed-suit-claimed-molestation-sought-monetary-damages/article_1cae7c4e-061b-5861-9c32-d6b789b6e6b2.html

"The long arm of the blog vs. the long arm of the law"

From Racine County Corruption:


Can the power of a single blog 300 miles away sway a general election?
We think so!
Consider this, we have been blogging about the corrupt Michael Nieskes for almost five years and he has yet to challenge our writings.
We subpoenaed him into court numerous times to impeach his testimony, only to have this coward never utter a word in court about his abuse of power or discuss the filing of his false affidavit into court records. 

So why do we write about Nieskes again?

It has been brought to the attention of RCC by fine people in St. Croix County that the infamous former Racine County District Attorney Michael Nieskes is again running for public office, but this time 300 hundred miles away in you guessed it, St. Croix County.
Yes, this is the same Michael Nieskes that was run out of town by the voters of Racine County for his errors, acts, omissions, abuse of power and the filing of a false affidavit into court records.

Yes this is the same corrupt Michael Nieskes that under the watchful eye of Judge Ptacek committed many of his offenses and then BEAT IT to Hudson Wi.

You may read more about Michael Nieskes BEATING IT here:

So acting out of the graces of Pro bono politico and Pro bono publico spirit, we will enlighten the St. Croix residents of the past award bestowed upon Michael Nieskes.

Michael Nieskes was the first recipient of “Today’s D.A.”
 “Dirty Rat Award”   You may read about it here: http://nationaldistrictattorneywallofshame.blogspot.com/


Despite the filing of a 100 plus page criminal complaint to the Wis. Attorney General’s office, Nieskes was named Judge in 2011 by Governor Scott Walker.  The voting public kicked him out of office 4 months later in the general elections.  Over 1,700 plus Republicans agreed to remove Nieskes and voted to remove the corrupt ass out of office.

In the matters of his record in office in Racine County, the abuses of power, court records tampering, court date tampering and the filing of a false affidavit into court records, that is all part of Racine County Circuit Court records.

In court testimony, Mike Nieskes's ADA acknowledged the tampering of court records, but did not provide the identity of the government perpetrator of the crimes. You can guess who it was!

It is all a matter of court record, you may review the online court record here:

As you read the online entries, you will notice the case was dismissed with prejudice, as the succeeding District Attorney requested the court to do so.

YOU READ IT RIGHT, THE SUCCEEDING D.A. REQUESTED THE COURT TO DISMISS THE CASE WITH PREJUDICE !

Nieskes is such a low life and was so obsessed by this case, he put at risk the law license of one of his subordinate ADA’s.

The above case illuminated Michael Nieskes as a corrupt, dirty, manipulative prosecutor who abused his power.

St. Croix residents, hear what your friends are telling you from 300 miles away, tell Michael Nieskes to:
BEAT IT

Contact me at racinecountycorruption@gmail.com

Read more: http://racinecountycorruption.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-long-armof-blog-vs.html

Open Blog - Monday


Yup, it's Monday, all day.

Sunday, June 19, 2016

I went to the auto parts store...

Earlier this evening, I checked the oil on my truck and it was low.  I drove to the nearby auto parts store.  When I got there, I pulled to open the door, but it was locked.  I checked their operating hours and they close at 6 PM on Sunday.  It was about 6:05.  As I did this, another car pulled up.  I said to the guy, "They're closed."  He said, "I can see that, asshole," and he drove off.

Right away I thought, "Who told him?  Word must be getting around."  I went to a gas-station-minute-mart and got my oil there.  The clerk there thanked me for my purchase and didn't call me an asshole.  She just hasn't caught on yet.

Charlie's New Clubhouse


The flap on right is for entry/exit.  This is the box Chalie's 7 ft. cat tree came in.  It's 24" x 28", and 15" tall.  And, no, the vacuum cleaner hasn't made it this far yet.  I swear the carpet is 1/2 cat hair.

"Charter says changes coming for Time Warner Cable customers"

From JSOnline:

Workers respond to customer calls at the Time Warner Cable call center in Milwaukee. Charter Communications, which bought Time Warner, now has about 90% of the traditional cable business in the state. Credit: Sam Caravana

By Rick Barrett of the Journal Sentinel

"Now that it dominates Wisconsin's cable television market, Charter Communications faces its next challenge: winning customer satisfaction where, often, it's been lacking.

"Charter, with the recent acquisition of Time Warner Cable, now has about 90% of the traditional cable business in Wisconsin — a figure that's disturbing to consumer advocates who say the lack of competition in the cable industry fuels poor customer service and high rates.

"'People are kind of stuck with what they have, and I mean really stuck,' said Linda Sherry, director of national priorities at Consumer Action, a San Francisco-based advocacy group.

"Stamford, Conn.-based Charter, now that it owns Time Warner Cable, is moving into Milwaukee and other markets under the brand name Spectrum.

"The changes aren't noticeable yet, but they're starting this year and will take place over the next 18 months.

"'In the coming months, you will hear more from us as it relates to network, product and service improvements,' Charter CEO Tom Rutledge said in a recent letter to Time Warner Cable customers.

"The changes will include an all-digital network with faster internet speeds, no modem lease fee and a plethora of television channels under various bundle plans, according to Charter.

"Yet critics of the Time Warner Cable acquisition say consumers will likely remain skeptical as they've never seen much competition in the paid television marketplace, and this won't help on that front.

"'We are not big on mergers, and we especially think that mergers in the cable industry can be a real problem for consumers because it just shrinks the available vendors down to usually one in an area,' Sherry said.

"In the 2015 American Customer Satisfaction Index, Charter and Time Warner Cable had comparable scores — of 57 and 58, respectively — of a possible 100 points for internet service. Charter scored 63 for subscription television, while Time Warner Cable's score was 51.

"Charter says it's attracting more customers and keeping customers longer, yet it acknowledges the industry's critics.

"'Cable companies talk about improving service a lot because there's a lot of improving to do,' said Charter spokesman Justin Venech.

"The company says it's bringing more than 10,000 outsourced customer service jobs back to the United States.

"Combined, Charter and Time Warner Cable have about 90,000 employees nationwide and 3,900 in Wisconsin, including customer service centers and offices in Milwaukee, Appleton and Fond du Lac.

"Charter says it plans to add about 20,000 jobs nationally as it expands into new markets and adds subscribers.

"'I don't know how many of those would be in Milwaukee, but I can tell you that we are looking at adding jobs across the company,' Venech said.

"Over time, the Time Warner Cable name will be replaced by Spectrum.

"Some industry experts say the Time Warner and Charter duo won't need as many employees as the separate companies had in areas such as customer service, billing and marketing.

"Watch for what happens to the customer service centers in Wisconsin a year from now, said Barry Orton, a recently retired telecommunications professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison.

"It's unlikely that Charter will keep all of those jobs, Orton said.

"Charter says it will use fewer outside contractors for home service calls. It says customer bills will be easier to decipher, and there will be fewer fees.

"For now, Time Warner Cable customers can keep their television and internet services and pricing.

"'If a customer likes what they are receiving today, and how they are receiving it, we aren't going to force them into a new package,' Venech said.

"Charter television customers will still be required to lease the "set-top" box from the company.

"Consumer advocates say the lease fees amount to a huge profit center for cable companies, at the expense of customers who have no choice in the matter.

"'You will be renting that same old box for years. I remember once, when I moved to Washington, D.C., I was given a box that had cockroaches in it,' Sherry said.

"Time Warner Cable customers could get better television reception and more channels under the Charter digital network that's coming their way.

The company's reputation in Wisconsin isn't terrible compared with some other cable providers over the years, according to Orton.

"'Charter has been reasonably good in Madison in the last year or two. There have been very few outages, and the company has been reasonably responsive to them,' he said.

"As it settles into Milwaukee and other new markets, Charter says it will launch community service initiatives such as a program that helps people with home repairs, weather stripping and smoke detectors.

"The company has pledged to improve 25,000 homes nationwide by 2020.

"Charter says it will offer a $14.99-per-month internet plan for low-income families and seniors who receive Supplemental Security Income.

"Also, the company says it will extend broadband service to some areas that currently are not served or have slower broadband speeds.

"Skeptics say there's not much recourse for consumers or regulators if Charter doesn't fulfill its obligations under the Time Warner Cable acquisition.

"'If you are counting on the FCC and the federal government, I wish you a lot of luck,' Orton said.

"AT&T's U-verse television service is an alternative to cable in Milwaukee and other cities, but not in every neighborhood. Increasingly, AT&T is placing more emphasis on its DirecTV satellite service.

"'We are leading our video marketing approach with DirecTV,' said AT&T spokeswoman Samara Sodos.

"One competitive threat to cable providers is the trend of 'cord cutting,' where customers drops their cable subscription in favor of video streaming services such as Netflix or Hulu.

"That's the new normal for adults ages 18 to 34, according to a report from Horowitz Research. Millennials spend 54% of their TV viewing time streaming programs over the internet, according to Horowitz.

"The trend is 'absolutely growing and growing,' Sherry said, partly from more on-demand video that is tailored to individual interests and schedules.

"She added, 'We have all joked about the 300 channels on cable, and you only watch five. I think most people could find video streaming choices that give them what they want to watch.'"

Read more:  http://www.jsonline.com/business/charter-says-changes-coming-for-time-warner-cable-customers-b99746159z1-383533321.html


We'll see, we'll see...

"Police: Man Used Stick to Hit Child Because Their Shoes Came Untied"

From Racine County Eye:

By Heather Asiyanbi in Police and fire · June 17, 2016 · No comments 

"Racine police say a 31-year-old man is facing a felony child abuse charge because he beat a 5-year-old child with a stick when the child’s shoes kept coming untied.

"Kevin Mayfield, of Racine, was charged Thursday in Racine County Circuit Court with one felony count of physical abuse of a child. If convicted, he faces up to 40 years in prison and/or up to $100,000 in fines.

"According the criminal complaint, officers were called Wednesday to a local child care center for a report of possible child abuse. When police arrived, they spoke to a 5-year-old child who said Mayfield 'whooped' them with a stick because their shoes kept coming untied.

"Officers say the child had visible welts measuring up to 5-inches long and some as an inch wide on their hands, arms, back, and buttocks. The abuse is suspected to have occurred on or about June 14 at the child’s home.

"Mayfield remains in the Racine County Jail on a $2,000 cash bond as well as a $3,000 signature bond and is ordered to not have any contact with the child or with any minor children. He was also ordered to surrender a sample of his DNA. Mayfield will next be in court June 23 for his preliminary hearing."


What a tough guy.

Happy Father's Day