100 years old and still wheezing along

Take that, anti-smoking lobby!

Open Blog - Weekend

Time to relax and recharge. 

"Jump fail"

Actually, that's one hell of a recovery.

Four for Fridays

Hello everyone! Welcome back to Four for Fridays after a week of roller coaster weather. Finally got some rain.... Anyways, some questions for you.

1) Paper or plastic at the supermarket?

2) Are you a spender or a saver?

3) Who is the last person you usually think about before you fall asleep?

4) Do you prefer thunder or lightning?

Enjoy your weekend!

Open Blog - Friday

And a Wacky Weekend.

"BAD TOYS II"

That really appealed to the boy in me. I loved it.

Open Blog - Thursday

Every woman should have one of those.

"View from the ISS at Night"

Better than your average vacation videos.

Wolf Hunt Controversy

Despite criticism from both sides of the debate, the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board recently unanimously approved a gray wolf hunt.

The harvest limit was set at 201 animals, nearly a quarter of the state's population. Hunters and farmers seeking relief from wolf attacks on their livestock argued at the that the number was too low, pointing out the DNR has estimated as many as 880 wolves may roam the state, far exceeding the department's goal of 350.

According to the DNR, there were 162 wolf packs active in Wisconsin in 2010, including 23 in Central Wisconsin and 139 in Northern Wisconsin. A pack consists of at least two adult wolves, and at least 47 of the packs had five or more wolves.

Those are just some of the facts I just read out of the Shawano Leader. Here's what I know already... Wolves are the largest wild member of the canine family. They are highly sociable and live in packs up to six to ten animals, led by a dominating alpha male and female. The dominant pair is a charge of the pack, raising the young, capturing food and maintaining territory.

A wolf pack's territory may cover up 20 to 120 square miles. That is a lot of ground to cover! A fact that does invite conflict with wolves biggest enemy, humans. Remember this, wolves by nature are shy and timid around people and are rarely seen.

A glimpse of Wisconsin's history with wolves may offer insight on the struggles between man and wolf, according to the DNR site... Before Wisconsin was settled in the 1830's, wolves lived throughout the state with a estimated population of 3,000 to 5,000 of these creatures. Explorers, trappers and settlers transformed the native Wisconsin habitat into farmlands, hunted the bison and elk to extirpation, and reduced deer populations. As their prey species dwindled, wolves began to feed on easier to find prey-livestock. This did not go too well with the farmers, whom put pressure the Wisconsin Legislature to put a bounty on the wolves. By 1960, wolves were declared extirpated from the state.

A similar story occurred among the lower 48 states with the exception of Minnesota, which claimed to have 350 to 500 wolves in their state. In 1974, the federal government recognized the dire need of the wolves by placing them under the protection of Endangered Species Act, making it unlawful to kill the wolves. About this time frame, some wolves from Minnesota reentered Wisconsin and established home in the northwest corner.

In 1979, the DNR began an extensive recovery program for the wolves by the intense monitoring of these creatures. Attempts to capture, attach radio collars and radio-track wolf movement throughout the state. Part of recovery program was not only to educate, provide legal and habitat protection and provide compensation for problem wolves, but to set a goal to reach 350 wolves in the state for reclassification to a threatened species. This goal was reached in 2004. As of now, there are about 880 of them.


As their numbers increased, so did the the conflict between man and wolf. In 2012 so far, there has been eight confirmed cases of wolf depredation in the state, six of them to livestock and other two to hound dogs. So far the state has paid out $214,794 this year in compensation for the losses. (Some of them may be fraud). This raises a concern to farmers and dog owners. A concern that may be well valid.

The hunting season will begin Oct. 15. Permit sales will begin Aug. 1, with an application of $10. License fees are $100 for residents, $500 for nonresidents.

This whole thing raises some thoughts out of me. 880 wolves doesn't seem too big of a number to me compared to about 1.16 million deer and about 40,000 bear in Wisconsin. Are the farmers using wolves as scapegoats? True, wolves are carnivorous creatures that have attacked livestock. Yet, the bear population has exploded in the the northern regions of Wisconsin in an alarming rate, creating a nuisance out themselves. And yes, they are being hunted. Are the bear responsible some of the attacks? At an 880 wolf count is a wolf harvest really necessary? I understand the farmers' plight, for they do have a right to their investments. Is $719 for a lost cow or $1500 for a lost hound enough compensation? Would getting rid the wolves solve the problem?

I'm not a NRA lover nor a PETA activist. I draw my line the middle somewhere. I don't hunt, yet my father does and I have no real issues those who do. He has taught me the integrity of a good hunter, that is take what you need and leave alone the rest. However, I do enjoy spending time the in woods taking wildlife pictures. I dream of the day where I can gaze into a wolf's eyes just before I snap a shot, for I have never seen a wolf in the wild (save for a few tracks). Wolves are an integral part of nature's ecological system. They help keep the deer population under control by feeding on the young, old, sick and the weak. It's the way Mother Nature conducts her business....



What do you think about proposed wolf hunt? What are your thoughts?

Baja, Wisconsin

Baja, Wisconsin formerly known as Racine.

As the deserts grow every year so are Baja’s beaches. They use to be a couple hundred yards deep from the lake, now there are areas which almost reach to Douglas Ave.

Looking at City Hall the sand is right up to the building.

I remember you could drive the streets and see beautiful green lawns; now they are brown and full of weeds.

I remember when you could sit on your front porch and not worry about the sand and dirt getting into your favorite beverage.

What do you remember?

How Women Burn Calories in France !

The Promise

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my boys and girls of summer!  How are you?  Up and down, up and down, up and down.  Know what that is?  A rollercoaster?  The stock market?  The bobbing heads of our City Councilmen?  No, it’s our temperatures.  We go from summer to hot summer to blazing hot summer, then down and over and over again.  The rain last week was very welcome, and so is the rain we’ve had recently.  I think Ms. Mina blowing the clouds our way is what did the trick.  Thank you, Ms. Mina, for your help.    

Speaking of tricks, have you heard about the latest scandal from City Hall?  No?  Good, neither have I.  I’m sick and tired of that dirty business.  I am also embarrassed by it.  Let’s stop it completely, please, ladies and gentlemen of the ruling class.  The people of Racine are better people than you and they deserve better than your scams.

I feel compelled to comment on the Colorado movie theater shootings, primarily to convey my deepest sympathies to the victims and their families.  Another horrifying shooting.  I saw the video of the suspect in court with red-orange hair and a dazed look in his eyes.  All I can do is shake my head in wonder.  These shooting rampages are becoming far too frequent.  Certain Madame Zoltar® brand potions can be used to treat these individuals, but we need to reach them before they go off, shooting everyone in sight.  That is where my predictive abilities could come into play if it were not for the skepticism of most law enforcement officials.  Bah.

I’d also like to plug two new (to me) news sources for the Racine area: Caledonia Patch (http://caledonia.patch.com/) and Mount Pleasant - Sturtevant Patch (http://mountpleasant.patch.com/).  Now that you-know-who is charging for access, it’s nice to have some more local news sites available, especially for free.  There’s even an Oak Creek Patch (http://oakcreek.patch.com/).  “Get patched in.” 

Salmon-A-Rama has ended, but the Racine County Fair (www.racinecountyfair.com) continues through this Sunday.  There’s always something to do in Racine in the summer (and I don’t mean drink).  Besides local newspapers and news sites, the Racine Public Library (http://www.racinelib.lib.wi.us/) is a good source of information.  Stop by and check out all the flyers and posters on community events.  You might even borrow a book.

Oh my, I just had a thought about a book.  How about reprinting my blogs and calling them “The Collected Wit and Wisdom of Madame Zoltar.”  Then I’d have to go on a national book promotion tour.  Oh my, oh my, I don’t have the time for that. So much for being a famous writer.

Thank you, one and all, for stopping by my blog today.  Thank you for reading and thank you for commenting.  Our JTI family knows no boundaries. 

Want to contact someone from your past, or your future?  Madame Zoltar knows the way: madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com.

Enjoy summer, my dears.  Have fun, fun, fun.  In six months we’ll be complaining about the cold, maybe.  Do your civic duty by having parties and inviting visitors from out of town.  Make them spend a lot of money here.  A whole, real lot.  I love you all.  Uberous!

Open Blog - Wednesday

Happy Wednesday.

Wisconsin second worst in construction job losses

Wisconsin lost 10,200 construction jobs in the recent 12 months, second only to Alaska in the percentage of job losses in the sector, a new report shows  Source: JSOnline Wisconsin second worst

With all these people out of work, why can't they be hired to finish Douglas Ave and the "Great Mess" downtown in front of City Hall?  You play hell trying to drive around the police station with all the oneway crap going on down there.

Open Blog - Tuesday

Aww, that's so cute. 

Black riders came from the sea

Black riders came from the sea.
There was clang and clang of spear and shield,
And clash and clash of hoof and heel,
Wild shouts and the wave of hair
In the rush upon the wind:
Thus the ride of sin.

--Stephen Crane

"Stephen Crane (November 1, 1871 – June 5, 1900) was an American novelist, short story writer, poet and journalist. Prolific throughout his short life, he wrote notable works in the Realist tradition as well as early examples of American Naturalism and Impressionism. He is recognized by modern critics as one of the most innovative writers of his generation.

"The eighth surviving child of Methodist Protestant parents, Crane began writing at the age of four and had published several articles by the age of 16. Having little interest in university studies, he left school in 1891 and began work as a reporter and writer. Crane's first novel was the 1893 Bowery tale Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, which critics generally consider the first work of American literary Naturalism. He won international acclaim for his 1895 Civil War novel The Red Badge of Courage, which he wrote without any battle experience."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Crane

"Highway Scare Prank on Wife"

And that's the last time anyone has seen or heard from him.

Open Blog - Monday

Such a cute doggy.

Usless Information

Did you know:

Lipton Tea produces 24 million tea bags per day, 7 days a week.

"Iceberg tsunami gone wild!"

"A tourist from Australia came to my uncle and asked if she could get a ride to the glacier just north of Ilulissat, Greenland, so he asked me if I wanted to be his translator. I am from another town where glaciers are fairytales, I was as much of a tourist as the Australian tourist, so I decided to join the crew. 

"The beautiful scenery was amazing, but the nature doesn't care about anyone. That day almost became our last day. 

"Copyrights owned by me, Jens Møller."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HB3K5HY5RnE


Watching that guy get close to dying is as close as I want to get.