They Said What??

I'm reading the paper this evening and come across an article about the Bhopal, India gas disaster in 1984. It took the Indian court system 26 years to convict seven senior employees of Union Carbide.

I tried to find the quote by the Law Minister online with no luck.

Law Minister Veerappa Moily said that after the ruling: "It is most unfortunate that it has taken this amount of time to give the verdict. We need to address that"

You think?? 26 years is quite a long time. One of the defendants has died during that time and many are in their late 70's.

In the end they got two years in prison and have to pay fines of $2175. A small price to pay for a disaster that killed over 15,000 people and left a generation battling birth defects.

Things I Don't Get

Dear bank who held my truck loan:

I paid the loan off in March. It took you until June to send the title release because you didn't know where to mail it to. You never had a problem mailing me a bill each month.

Why did it take a phone call to "remind" you of my address? Also thanks for sending me a check for $0.17 because I overpaid. If you could have sent me an accurate statement I would have not overpaid you.

Sincerely,
HeyJo

Easy As Pie

I found a new recipe that is both tasty and easy to make. No way I can mess this one up. Even better it is low in calories. The whole pie, yes the whole thing, is only 9.5 points (if you are a weight watchers person you know what I'm talking about). How can you go wrong with that??

Crust-less Strawberry Pie

4 cups sliced strawberries
1 small box or fat free, sugar free vanilla Jell-o cook and serve pudding - not instant
1 small box of sugar free strawberry Jell-o

Spray 8" pie pan with Pam
Slice strawberries into an 8" pie pan
Cook pudding using 2 cups water instead of milk following directions on box
Add box of Jell-o to the pudding. Mix well.
Pour over strawberries.

Chill for 4 hours

Top with 2 cups of fat free Cool Whip.

Insure This

Beginning tomorrow, June 1st, the state of Wisconsin will require that you have liability insurance on your autos.

I think it is about time that Wisconsin got with the program. Others think that it is wrong that the state mandate you have insurance.

Technically, the state doesn't require insurance but they do require that you show fiscal responsibility. In order to comply with Wisconsin financial responsibility laws, all drivers must show that they have the ability to pay for damages if he or she is found to be at fault in an accident. In lieu of insurance, driver’s can place a cash deposit of $60,000 with the Wisconsin DOT.

I know a person who I will call Z. Z thinks that it is wrong to have the state require that they carry auto insurance. Z says that they can't afford the monthly premiums. So if Z gets into a minor fender bender withe me, Z won't fix their car because it is a piece of shit and what is another dent or two. I, on the other hand, will call my insurance agent, file a claim and get my car fixed. My insurance will go after Z to recoup their loses but because Z has no money, it won't go very far. Maybe a judgment will be filed. But getting the money back is almost a lost cause. Now when my premium comes due the following year, I will see an increase in my rates to cover the losses it incurred in my fender bender with Z.

Scenario 2 is that Z gets into a major accident where both Z and I have serious medical issues. Once again, since Z has no insurance, either auto or medical, my insurance will pay for my auto and medical bills. Once again, my premiums will go up as a result. Z, since they have no insurance, will get public aid insurance (I forget what it is called) any left over money that needs to be paid will be ignored.

One good thing with this law is that if you purchase insurance and let it lapse, the insurance company will notify the state. You will have a certain amount of time to provide proof of insurance. If you don't the state will revoke or suspend your license or registration.

I hope that the insurance laws work as intended. Only time will tell.

Dear Men

Now that the weather is turning warmer here is a helpful fashion tip for all men.  Young and old.

Do not, I repeat,  do not under any circumstance wear a short sleeved white dress shirt without an under garment of some sort.

I have seen two men in the office today who have on shirts that were so thin you could see nipple AND chest hair thru them.

Spend a few bucks and buy a t shirt to wear or better yet buy some new shirts that haven't been washed a million times and are paper thin.

Smile. You're On Candid Camera.

I went to the dentist yesterday. My insurance covers to visits a year and I take advantage of that.  

I really like my dentist and my hygienist.  Hubby used to coach football with dentist so he is more like a friend.  When my dad was first diagnosed with cancer and needed to have some dental work done he went to my dentist.

So, at this latest trip I knew I needed to have a set of xrays taken.  My hygienist told me that they no longer do the ones where they stick the little pieces of film in your mouth.  What??  What do they do then?  She said they now do it all at once.

You stand in front of this machine that reminds me of when you get your eyes tested.  You rest your chin on this thing and there is a piece that you bite down on.   There is another piece that then rotates around your head. It gets a picture of the entire bottom half of your skull. They can see your jaw and up into your sinus cavity.  Dentist said that this allows them to potentially see things that may be going on. He said that if my dad had been going to a dentist regularly they may have caught his cancer in the very early stages.  They can also see if there are issues with your sinuses.  

Years ago, I had read an article that said your dentist and eye doctor can tell more about your general overall health than your GP can. The eyes and mouth/gums can be the first places that health issue an show themselves.  

Geography Lesson - Part 2

I scored 90%. I missed two locations.

I missed 15 - Times Square (I said Sears Tower)

and 16 - Wrigley Field (I Said Fenway Park)

Foot Fetish

First, let's see what kind of crazy people will find this based on the title. I love going to the Google stats. 

OK.  Another pet peeve about women and warm weather.

Ladies, please go get pedicures if you are going to wear open toe shoes.

I do not want to see your Frito toes with the nasty yellow toe nails.  I do not want to see your heels that look like they could be used to sand wood.

Now you don't have to go to a nail salon every couple of weeks but you can go to Walgreens (hell, I'm sure the dollar store may sell it) and get a bottle of polish an a Ped-Egg for less than 10 bucks.  A bottle of lotion wouldn't hurt either. 

Guys, a little attention to your feet would be appreciated as well. Nails trimmed nicely and a bit of lotion on the heels goes a long way.

Check out "xkcd" strip - Daily Strip Android App

http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/incision.png

Why, Oh, Why...

...Do women insist on wearing white or other light colored pants that are a bit too tight and then wear dark colored underwear?  No one wants to see your flowered granny panties. 

This is why they make white underwear.

Geography Lesson

These pics were taken from an airplane and you have to guess where the location is.

Click here to go to the quiz

There are 16 photos and you probably won't get a perfect score and will also miss at least one you'll say you should have gotten.

Can you guess which one(s) I missed? Or did I get them all correct?

I will post my score in a few days.

Intelligence Test

I think this is funny.... and true...

The Front Fell Off??

On August 19th 2007, an oil tanker off the coast of Australia split in two, dumping 20,000 tons of crude oil.

Senator Collins, a member of the Australian Parliament, appeared on a TV news program to reassure the Australian public.

This actual interview is so funny, you'd swear it was a Saturday Night Live or Monty Python skit. If you are a fan on Monty Python then this will be HILARIOUS and if not, it is still pretty funny.

The New Health Care

Thought this was funny... Let's see how true this ends up being.

The phone rings and the lady of the house answers.

"Hello?"

"Mrs. Sanders, please."

"Speaking."

"Mrs. Sanders, this is Dr. Jones at St. Vincent Laboratory. When your husband's doctor sent his biopsy to the lab last week, a biopsy from another Mr. Sanders arrived as well. We are now uncertain which one belongs to your husband. Frankly, either way the results are not too good."

"What do you mean?" Mrs.. Sanders asks nervously.

"Well, one of the specimens tested positive for Alzheimer's and the other one tested positive for HIV. We can't tell which is which."

"That's dreadful! Can you do the test again?" questioned Mrs. Sanders.

"Normally we can, but the new health care system will only pay for these expensive tests just one time."

'Well, what am I supposed to do now? "

"The folks at Obama health care recommend that you drop your husband off somewhere in the middle of town. If he finds his way home, don't sleep with him..."

The Boys of Summer

Welcome home, boys. We missed you.

Baseball is back!

It means that warm weather and fun summer times are right around the corner. 

I think baseball may be my favorite sport. (Shhh, don't tell Randy) .  As a kid, I played little league.  I was one of two girls.  Michele Pollack was the other.  As is normal at that age, you play various positions. I played outfielder, short stop and for a brief time, pitcher.

I remember having to sell candy bars as a fund raiser to go to the Brewers game. I sold enough for me and my dad to go. I don't remember much other than it being really hot on the school bus.

When Randy and I first were together, we would go to many an afternoon game. It was nice when you could decide to go at 11am, drive to the stadium an get a really good seat. Now you have to still contend with 30,000 other people.  Randy taught me how to mark score. I still will do that sometimes

Going on PJ's group outings were always interesting.  I remember one when Randy was a bit tipsy and wanted to leave.  I wasn't ready to go, so he left.  Took the city bus back to his parents. 

Now it is a fun time to head to the bar on a Friday night to watch the game with friends.  Even more fun when they are playing well and the game is exciting. 

Nothing tops going to Miller Park for a game. Sitting with friends or family,  drinking an ice cold beer, the warm sunshine.  Tailgating.  Hanging out with the Partridge Family bus in the parking lot. 'Borrowing' their beer.

Here's to a fun filled summer with the Brew Crew.

Drive Me Crazy

Lately,  it seems like people have forgotten how to drive.

Not so much the big things but the little things that make a world of difference. 

1.  TURN SIGNAL - Using a turn signal to let others know your intentions. I don't care so much in a parking lot but I do care when I'm doing 65 on the left lane and you, doing 50, decide you need to move over because your exit is coming up in 3 miles. 

2.  STAY IN YOUR LANE - Simple enough to understand.  I drive in my lane, you drive in yours. No, you can't drive down the middle of both. Maybe if you got off your phone and paid attention to the road this wouldn't be an issue.

3.  SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT - This should be fairly obvious.  The DOT is nice enough to post signs telling you this.  Kinda goes back to #2.   Get off the phone and pay attention to your driving. 

4.  CLEAR YOUR WINDOWS - Now that winter is over (hopefully) this isn't such a big deal. If you are waiting for the wind to blow the snow off your windows or the defroster to melt it, get off your lazy butt and buy a scraper/brush. Clearing your headlights, brake lights and turn signals is also nice.  I'm not a mind reader and can't tell when you want to turn or stop. 

5. SPEED CONTROL - I have saved my biggest pet peeve for last. Maintain a consistent speed. Don't go from 70 to 48 in the course of a 1/4 mile. Obviously, keep up with the flow of traffic.  But if there is a pile of cars behind you either speed up or move the fuck over. Once again the biggest offenders are talking on their phones. 

I guess the theme of this is to pay attention and shut up and drive. 

... and miles to go....

In trying to be more accountable to my fitness (or lack of) goals, I signed up for dailymile.com. It is a nice place to track your work outs.

It helps me see what I have done in the past and set new goals as I attain previously set ones.

I am tracking my elliptical use, walking and cycling. As far as I can tell, you can't track multiple activities in one post. I have not really had the time to spend digging into the site and find out all the little nuances.

I would like to get a treadmill. I'm on the fence on it. Part of me says I should get my butt outside and walk/run. The other part of me doesn't want anyone to see my fat butt running until it is not so fat. sigh....

At this point, any motivation that I can get helps. I, like many others, start the day with the best intentions but find that some days, I just don't feel like doing anything after I get home from work but walking the dogs, making dinner and vegging out for a few hours before bed.

Stella Awards

It's time again for the annual 'Stella Awards'! For those unfamiliar with these awards, they are named after 81-year-old Stella Liebeck who spilled hot coffee on herself and successfully sued the McDonald's in New Mexico , where she purchased coffee. You remember, she took the lid off the coffee and put it between her knees while she was driving. Who would ever think one could get burned doing that, right? That' s right; these are awards for the most outlandish lawsuits and verdicts in the U.S. You know, the kinds of cases that make you scratch your head. So keep your head scratcher handy. Here are the Stellas for the past year:

- SEVENTH PLACE

Kathleen Robertson of Austin, Texas was awarded $80,000 by a jury of her peers after breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who was running inside a furniture store. The store owners were understandably surprised by the verdict, considering the running toddler was her own son.

- SIXTH PLACE

Carl Truman, 19, of Los Angeles , California won $74,000 plus medical expenses when his neighbor ran over his hand with a Honda Accord. Truman apparently didn't notice there was someone at the wheel of the car when he was trying to steal his neighbor's hubcaps.

FIFTH PLACE *

Terrence Dickson, of Bristol , Pennsylvania , who was leaving a house he had just burglarized by way of the garage. Unfortunately for Dickson, the automatic garage door opener malfunctioned and he could not get the garage door to open. Worse, he couldn't re-enter the house because the door connecting the garage to the house locked when Dickson pulled it shut. Forced to sit for eight, count 'em, EIGHT days and survive on a case of Pepsi and a large bag of dry dog food, he sued the homeowner's insurance company claiming undue mental Anguish. Amazingly, the jury said the insurance company must pay Dickson $500,000 for his anguish. We should all have this kind of anguish.

- FOURTH PLACE

Jerry Williams, of Little Rock, Arkansas, garnered 4th Place in the Stella's when he was awarded $14,500 plus medical expenses after being bitten on the butt by his next door neighbor's beagle - even though the beagle was on a chain in its owner's fenced yard. Williams did not get as much as he asked for because the jury believed the beagle might have been provoked at the time of the butt bite because Williams had climbed over the fence into the yard and repeatedly shot the dog with a pellet gun.

- THIRD PLACE

Amber Carson of Lancaster, Pennsylvania because a jury ordered a Philadelphia restaurant to pay her $113,500 after she slipped on a spilled soft drink and broke her tailbone. The reason the soft drink was on the floor: Ms. Carson had thrown it at her boyfriend 30 seconds earlier during an argument.

- SECOND PLACE

Kara Walton, of Claymont , Delaware sued the owner of a night club in a nearby city because she fell from the bathroom window to the floor, knocking out her two front teeth. Even though Ms. Walton was trying to sneak through the ladies room window to avoid paying the $3.50 cover charge, the jury said the night club had to pay her $12,000.....oh, yeah, plus dental expenses.

- FIRST PLACE

This year's runaway First Place Stella Award winner was: Mrs... Merv Grazinski, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, who purchased new 32-foot Winnebago motor home. On her first trip home, from an OU football game, having driven on to the freeway, she set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the driver's seat to go to the back of the Winnebago to make herself a sandwich. Not surprisingly, the motor home left the freeway, crashed and overturned. Also not surprisingly, Mrs. Grazinski sued Winnebago for not putting in the owner's manual that she couldn't actually leave the driver's seat while the cruise control was set. The Oklahoma jury awarded her, are you sitting down?

$1,750,000 PLUS a new motor home. Winnebago actually changed their manuals as a result of this suit, just in case Mrs. Grazinski has any relatives who might also buy a motor home.

Are we, as a society, getting more stupid....

or are more members of Congress serving on juries these days?

Winter Morning Fog

This is from Saturday morning.  I thought it was pretty.

Givin' the Dog a Bone

I like dogs. I have three of them. For the most part, they are pretty good dogs. Boomer has his issues but when we are home alone, he is a sweet, snuggly pup. He just doesn't like other people or dogs very much.

I know what Boomer is like and I try to avoid putting him in situations that stress him out. I don't let kids pet him. I keep him away from other dogs in the park. I try to be a responsible dog mom.

What I don't like it people who don't show that same responsiblity.

I try to walk them at least once a day. Weather depending, we go to the park or around the block.

Last week, I walk the dog like normal. It is cold out so we walk to one end of the block and back to the other and then home. It's not far but that's about all little toes can take.

We are heading back home when the people across the street let their dog out. Dog's name is Holly. I know this cuz I hear them yell it ALOT!!!!! Well, these people just open the door and let the dog out. No one comes out to watch it or even pay attention to it. Holly sees us and starts barking. Next thing I know she is running across the street towards us. Barking the whole time. I tell her to go home. She doesn't listen and keeps coming towards us. One thing I always carry in my pocket when dog walking is pepper spray. You never know when you may need it. She is now two feet from us. Boomer and Riley are barking up a storm. I'm yelling at the dog to go home. So I pull out the spray and use it. I only gave her a little squirt near her mouth. She did kinda yelp a bit but it was enough to make her retreat and head home.

I went back in the house. I should have gone over there but the dog is still outside barking... and barking. That dog had to have been barking for at least 15 minutes. I'm not sure why no one bothered to check on the dog.

If there is one thing I hate is barking dogs. They can bark when happy or excited but I try to quiet them down quickly. Especially if I'm outside.

On Saturday the dog did the same thing. I didn't spray but I gave her a good kick.

The dog is outside at 5:05 am almost every morning. I know this because she is barking. Yes, I can hear it from inside the house. Why bother with an alarm clock when I have a neighbors dog?

I know I should go over there and tell them that if they are just going to let the dog outside without supervision, they may want to expect a visit from MADACC or the police. I have no issue taking this to the authorities.

Am I wrong to expect people to be responsible pet owners??

~Peace out~