Chip Cartoon

This cartoon appeared in the NY Post. Many people are outraged thinking that this is a racist comment toward President Obama. What do you think? Is it racist or is the cartoonist just trying to make a point about the stimulus package?


Here is the whole story:
The New York Post is standing behind a cartoon that some have interpreted as comparing President Barack Obama to a violent chimpanzee gunned down by police. The cartoon in Wednesday's Post by Sean Delonas shows two police officers standing over the body of a bullet-riddled chimp. One of the officers says the other, "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill." Civil rights activist Al Sharpton called the cartoon "troubling at best given the historic racist attacks of African-Americans as being synonymous with monkeys."
But Sharpton said the Post should clarify the point it was trying to make with the cartoon, which was playing off Monday's rampage by a pet chimpanzee in Stamford, Conn., that left a woman severely mauled. Police ended up killing the chimp. In a statement, Post Editor-in-Chief Col Allan said: "The cartoon is a clear parody of a current news event, to wit the shooting of a violent chimpanzee in Connecticut. It broadly mocks Washington's efforts to revive the economy. Again, Al Sharpton reveals himself as nothing more than a publicity opportunist."

Only 10 said no

Here is a story from last weeks Wisconsin State Journal. Of all the State Legislators in state government only 10 said no to a pay raise for the new year. During this time of a tight economy, a recession and major bailouts do you think this sends the wrong message? I would really like to hear your comments.

Rick


A Wisconsin State Journal editorialFebruary 7, 2009

In your face, Wisconsin.Nine out of 10 state lawmakers took a 5.3 percent pay hike last week.They're taking the extra cash just as the rest of state government braces for service and job cuts to fix a record $5.7 billion budget deficit.Thousands of state workers face possible layoffs. Tens of thousands of state employees will be lucky to receive any pay raise at all this year. But not Wisconsin lawmakers. Our fearless leaders -- fearless, apparently, of public outrage at their arrogance -- are mostly accepting higher full-time pay for what most of them acknowledge is a part-time job.According to the chief clerks of the Senate and Assembly, 122 of the state's 132 lawmakers started receiving a $2,530 annual raise in their monthly paychecks from taxpayers last week. That boosts each member's annual pay to $49,943. On top of that, each lawmaker receives an average of $11,500 in daily allowances for expenses each year. They also are reimbursed for mileage to and from the Capitol if they live outside Dane County.Even before the raise, Wisconsin was among the 10 states with the highest legislative pay.But our complaint is not with how much lawmakers are paid. It's with their lack of leadership during tough financial times.Let's give credit to the 10 lawmakers who showed leadership by returning their pay raise:
Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills
Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Waunakee
Sen. Ted Kanavas, R-Brookfield
Sen. Dan Kapanke, R-La Crosse
Sen. Joe Leibham, R-Sheboygan
Sen. Dale Schultz, R-Richland Center
Rep. Steve Hilgenberg, D-Dodgeville
Rep. Dan Knodl, R-Germantown
Rep. Margaret Krusick, D-Milwaukee
Rep. Keith Ripp, R-Lodi
The self-sacrifice of these 10 public servants will save the state money and, more significantly, reassure the public that we're all in this together. Well, all of us except for the 122 lawmakers who took the extra money. All of those lawmakers are listed below.Senate Majority Leader Russ Decker of Weston set the wrong tone early on by declaring he planned to take his raise. Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan of Janesville eventually took his pay raise, too. The State Journal first called on the Legislature in September to return its pay raise scheduled to start last week.The 5.3 percent raise is for two years. So lawmakers can't get another hike until at least 2011.Yet even on an annual basis the raise is higher than what most people in Wisconsin are likely to receive this year -- assuming they keep their jobs.Some lawmakers say they'll give their pay raise to charity. But that won't help the state budget shortfall or offset any of the state's pending service cuts. If state leaders couldn't be persuaded to return their pay by now, it's unlikely they'll change their minds. But we'll be sure to remind readers of their decision when they ask others to sacrifice in the coming weeks and months. Voters also should remember who took the money on Election Day next year.
Those who took the money:
Sens. Timothy Carpenter, D-Milwaukee; Spencer Coggs, D-Milwaukee; Rob Cowles, R-Green Bay; Russ Decker, D-Weston; Michael Ellis, R-Neenah; Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau; Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend; Dave Hansen, D-Green Bay; Sheila Harsdorf, R-River Falls; Jim Holperin, D-Conover; Randy Hopper, R-Fond du Lac; Robert Jauch, D-Poplar; Neal Kedzie, R-Elkhorn; Pat Kreitlow, D-Chippewa Falls; Alan Lasee, R-De Pere; Julie Lassa, D-Stevens Point; Mary Lazich, R-New Berlin; John Lehman, D-Racine; Mark Miller, D-Monona; Luther Olsen, R-Ripon; Jeffrey Plale, D-South Milwaukee; Fred Risser, D-Madison; Judy Robson, D-Beloit; Jim Sullivan, D-Wauwatosa; Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee; Kathleen Vinehout, D-Alma; Robert Wirch, D-Pleasant Prairie.
Reps. Joan Ballweg, R-Markesan; Peter Barca, D-Kenosha; Chuck Benedict, D-Beloit; Terese Berceau, D-Madison; Penny Bernard Schaber, D-Appleton; Garey Bies, R, Sister Bay; Spencer Black, D-Madison; Ed Brooks, R-Reedsburg; Fred Clark, D-Baraboo; Pedro Colon, D-Milwaukee; David Cullen, D-Milwaukee; Chris Danou, D-Trempeleau; Brett Davis, R-Oregon; Kristen Dexter, D-Eau Claire; Jason Fields, D-Milwaukee; Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Horicon; Donald Friske, R-Merrill; Phil Garthwaite, D-Dickeyville; Mark Gottlieb, R-Port Washington; Tamara Grigsby, D-Milwaukee; Scott Gunderson, R-Waterford; Mark Gundrum, R-New Berlin; Gary Hebl, D-Sun Prairie; Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh; Kim Hixson, D-Whitewater; Mark Honadel, R-South Milwaukee; Ann Hraychuck, D-Balsam Lake; Mary Hubler, D-Rice Lake; Michael Huebsch, R-West Salem; Andy Jorgensen, D-Fort Atkinson; Dean Kaufert, R-Neenah; Samantha Kerkman, R-Genoa City; Fred Kessler, D-Milwaukee; Steven Kestell, R-Elkhart Lake; Joel Kleefisch, R-Oconomowoc; Bill Kramer, R-Waukesha; Daniel LeMahieu, R-Cascade; Thomas Lothian, R-Williams Bay; Cory Mason, D-Racine; Dan Meyer, R-Eagle River; Nick Milroy, D-Superior; Louis Molepske Jr., D-Stevens Point; Phil Montgomery, R-Green Bay; Jeffrey Mursau, R-Crivitz; John Murtha, R-Baldwin; Stephen Nass, R-Whitewater; Tom Nelson, D-Kaukauna; Lee Nerison, R-Westby; Scott Newcomer, R-Hartland; John Nygren, R-Marinette; Alvin Ott, R-Forest Junction; Jim Ott, R-Mequon; Joe Parisi, D-Madison; Sandy Pasch, D-Whitefish Bay; Kevin Petersen, R-Waupaca; Jerry Petrowski, R-Marathon; Mark Pocan, D-Madison; Sondy Pope-Roberts, D-Middleton; Don Pridemore, R-Hartford; Mark Radcliffe, D-Black River Falls; Kitty Rhoades, R-Hudson; Jon Richards, D-Milwaukee; Roger Roth, R-Appleton; Kelda Roys, D-Madison; Marlin Schneider, D-Wisconsin Rapids; Donna Seidel, D-Wausau; Mike Sheridan, D-Janesville; Gary Sherman, D-Port Wing; Jennifer Shilling, D-La Crosse; Christine Sinicki, D-Milwaukee; Jeff Smith, D-Eau Claire; James Soletski, D-Green Bay; Richard Spanbauer, R-Oshkosh; Tony Staskunas, D-West Allis; John Steinbrink, D-Pleasant Prairie; Jeffrey Stone, R-Greendale; Pat Strachota, R-West Bend; Scott Suder, R-Abbotsford; Gary Tauchen, R-Bonduel; Barbara Toles, D-Milwaukee; John Townsend, R-Fond du Lac; Robert Turner, D-Racine; Terry Van Akkeren, D-Sheboygan; Karl Van Roy, R-Green Bay; Robin Vos, R-Racine; Amy Vruwink, D-Milladore; Leah Vukmir, R-Wauwatosa; Annette Williams, D-Milwaukee; Mary Williams, R-Medford; Jeffrey Wood, I-Chetek; Leon Young, D-Milwaukee; Josh Zepnick, D-Milwaukee; Ted Zigmunt, D-Francis Creek; Bob Ziegelbauer, D-Manitowoc; Rich Zipperer, R-Pewaukee.

A little extra cash on the side

Did you hear about the fourth grade teacher in Ohio that was arrested for her side job as a prostitute? I read the story and then had to find her picture. So here is the story and here is Amber Carter's picture. So tell me guys how many of you are lining up?

Authorities say an Ohio fourth-grade teacher had a side job as a prostitute, and even skipped class after using a school computer to arrange an afternoon tryst at a motel. Logan County sheriff's officials say 35-year-old Amber Carter was arrested at a motel parking lot in Bellefontaine in central Ohio. She's charged with misdemeanor prostitution and a felony, unauthorized use of property, regarding the computer. Bellefontaine City Schools Superintendent Larry Anderson says officials are shocked. He says Carter never received a reprimand in 13 years at the district.

Six words that make your resume' stink!

I read this today and thought it would be something good to post. So if you are sending out resume's, here are some words to avoid......

If your resume is littered with buzz words and meaningless phrases, rest assured that hiring managers WILL find them. So, to help make sure you don't look like another average Joe, here are six common words and phrases that make most resumes suck . . .

#1.) RESPONSIBLE FOR. Of course you were responsible for SOMETHING at your last job. But employers want facts, not extra words. Use numbers, percentages and dollar amounts to explain your accomplishments . . . and don't waste the hiring manager's time.

--For example . . . Instead of saying you were responsible for production costs . . . say you reduced production costs by 15 percent.

#2.) EXPERIENCED. Saying you're experienced at something . . . and listing facts about what that experience IS . . . are two very different things. Employers want to know WHAT experience and qualifications you have. They won't just take your word for it.

--So, instead of saying you have experience working with children . . . say that you headed up an advanced reading program for 7 to 10 year olds over the course of six months.

#3.) EXCELLENT WRITTEN COMMUNICATION SKILLS. This is on WAY too many resumes, which is reason enough to keep it off of yours. Did you write email campaigns? Marketing materials? Legal contracts? Whatever it is, be specific.

--For example . . . Instead of saying you have excellent written communication skills . . . say that you wrote easy-to-read online help documentation, and reduced customer support calls by 50 percent.

#4.) TEAM PLAYER. You're not playing baseball, so unless you want to be benched alongside all the other unemployed "TEAM PLAYERS," get some hard facts behind your job pitch.

--Instead of saying you're a team player who works well in groups . . . say you worked with clients, software developers, and technical writers to deliver financial reporting software three months before your deadline.

#5.) DETAIL ORIENTED. Putting this on your resume is a good way to show someone you're NOT detail oriented. So make sure you list some actual details instead. Use facts, numbers and dollar figures to SHOW them that you pay attention to details.

--For example . . . instead of saying you're a detail-oriented public relations professional . . . say you wrote custom press releases targeting 25 news agencies in western Europe.

#6.) SUCCESSFULLY. Employers know you're not listing failures on your resume, so there's no need to tell them you did anything SUCCESSFULLY. Instead, give concrete examples, and let your skills, qualifications and achievements speak for themselves.

--Instead of saying you successfully exceeded your sales quota . . . be specific, and tell them you increased sales of organic chocolate by 32 percent. In the end, the details you provide are the reason you'll get an interview.

(SquawkFox.com)

When is enough.....enough!

This woman from Texas who has had eight breast enlargement surgeries, decided she needed one more. Her name is Sheyla Hershey of Houston, Texas, and she used to have the largest breasts in the world at 34FFF. That just wasn't quite big enough because now Sheyla is the proud owner of 38KKK's! Here are some of her pictures. She has other pictures but they were a little too revealing!

By the way, in case your wondering, each one of those bad boys contains a gallon of silicone! I bet that is great on the back and wonderful to lug around!

Cruise Highlights

My wife and I just got back from our Caribbean Cruise and had a great time with 57 other guests from this area. Our cruise started out with an overnight stay on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Wow!!! What a party! It was pretty wild and crazy but we somehow survived. We then boarded the NCL Spirit for a 7 day cruise with 4 stops.

Our first stop was Costa Maya, Mexico where I grabbed and little R & R in a beach hammock. Later that night we had a fantastic meal in Le Bistro on board the ship. The dessert that night was Crepe' Suzette which was made right in the open for everyone to see. It's always nice when the chef starts a huge fire right in the dining room!

Our next stop was Guatemala and it was full of surprises. First off it's a beautiful country with beautiful people. This picture is right from the back of the ship.

This is a picture of the harbor in Livingston, Guatemala. One thing that they do that is kinda gross is after they catch fish they fillet them and lay them on the pier, salt them and let them dry out for 3 days. The Mayan people in the high lands buy the fish for protein



In Guatemala we took a tour with a business that we read about on the Internet called Go with Gus. Gus took us a long way up the river into Central Guatemala to a one room school house where kids 1st-6th grade attend school.


The kids lined up outside of the school waiting for school supplies. Gus makes over 700 trips a year delivering school supplies to these kids and many other schools throughout the country.




These kids were very excited to get their new supplies, although some are too young to even know what to do with them!
Gus also brings cough medicine and other medical supplies and passes them out to the parents. He then explained to them how to properly use them. Gus does a great service to his country and is a very smart guy. He lives in Guatemala November-April. His real job is April-November back in New York City where he and his wife work for the state of New York helping to make sure that people don 't get ripped off from shotty contractors and helping to put slumlords out of business! A real class act! If you would like to find out more about Gus's work and how you can help here is his e-mail address: gustavo@turcios.com or check out his website:http://gowithgustours.com/


One of the highlights for us was when we got to meet the ship's Captain at a cocktail party. He spent over a half hour with us telling us stories and making us laugh. A real cool down to earth guy. Here we are with our friends Joe and Mary and Captain Halstrom from Sweden. I asked, but he said I couldn't drive the ship!

Always a highlight of an NCL cruise the Chocoholic Buffet!





We were glad that when we got to Cozumel that Jimmy Buffet opened one of his famed Margarittaville Restaurants. The four of us wore our balloon hats with pride!


One of the many great sunrises at sea! Keep listening to WXRO for updates on where we are going next year and the year after!