New Feature!

Don't miss my Walmart shopper of the day located on the right hand side of my blog. There will be some real fitness fanatics featured here. Real hotties!

I think he should go with the mask.

A municipal judge Thursday found a La Crosse man guilty of disorderly conduct for wearing a fully hooded black sweatshirt into a downtown credit union and later screaming at police.

"I can tell in your mind you're thinking you didn't do anything wrong. You did," La Crosse Municipal Judge Dennis Marcou told Eric Harding. "You don't walk into certain places with your face covered."

Marcou's lecture book-ended an hourlong trial in which Harding, 32, tried to plead his case without an attorney, understanding of the law or preparation.

Governmental Employees Credit Union customer Tom Rose testified he was in the drive-up terminals about 10:30 a.m. July 1 when he saw Harding, dressed in a sweatshirt with printed skeletal bones, speed up on a bike and enter the building with the hood covering his face.

"I didn't know if it was a robbery or not," Rose said. "I've never seen anyone run into bank with a mask on before."

Rose called 911 to report a possible heist.

"You made a snap decision based on what I looked like?" Harding asked on cross-examination. "You think it's illegal to look different?"

Marcou sustained Municipal Prosecutor Pete Kisken's objection.

"I don't know what sustained means," Harding replied.

Harding unzipped the hood inside the bank - "I didn't want to scare anybody," he testified - and withdrew $600 for rent before riding off on Second Street. Minutes later, he said, he was "almost hit by a police car" at Second and State streets.

Harding testified police told him to "sit down, shut up and don't worry about it" as he was handcuffed and detained. He eventually was released when the confusion cleared.

Harding later stormed into the La Crosse police station and demanded to speak with a lieutenant. Lt. Ray Serres described Harding as agitated, loud and argumentative, at one point pounding on a table in an interview room.

"He was describing how his rights were violated," Serres said.

"Yes, I was loud with him," Harding testified. "I was shaking, I was so mad."

He also returned to the credit union, where he grew irate with President Sue Prinsen, she testified. Harding objected when she said he was "talking loudly."

"There's no objection in the law that I'm aware of where you can object if the witness says something you don't like," Marcou replied.

Harding told the judge he'd never had a problem with the sweatshirt in the past.

"Why did you wear it into a bank?" Marcou asked.

"It's what I was wearing that morning. It's like, why do you wear pants?" he said. "It's not illegal to walk into bank with a mask on."

Harding's behavior justified the $101 disorderly conduct citation, Marcou said, adding, "You're inviting more trouble if you continue to wear that mask."

Harding, of 509 S. Fifth Ave., said he plans to appeal.

Are Ya Ready For Some?

Bowling! Can you believe it's bowling time? Where did summer go? Pictured to the left is my hero. Big Earn! Big Earn the bowling god. I wish I new where he get's his hair done.

On the workout front the Queen and I did a bike ride last night. We rode 26 miles on the bike trail. All was well until 5 to go and then the Queen got stung by a bee! Right in the tum tum. Two weeks ago I was stung in the hand disc golfing. The Queen is allergic to the pesky little buggers so it was off to the clinic. She thought they would give her a shot but they sent her home with some steroids and for me to keep an eye on her. She is sore today but doing okay.

4 the homeless.

My daughter has a Favre for President shirt. She thought she was so cool when she bought it. Haha I'm not a homeless person in Wisconsin would wear it now.

Two talk show hosts at WTDY in Madison are collecting old Favre sportswear and donating it to the homeless.

Dan Deibert and Kurt Baron call themselves the Wisconsin Guys. They're collecting Favre jerseys, hats and sweat shirts as part of a ``4 The Poor Jersey Drive.''

They say burning, shredding and running over Favre gear are all ``pretty good ideas.'' But they say a better idea is donating the ``useless'' clothes to a Twin Cities homeless shelter so they don't go to waste.

Donors will be entered into a drawing for tickets to the Packers-Vikings game in Green Bay on Nov. 1.

The station will deliver the gear before the Oct. 5 matchup in Minnesota.

Something Special (near Wisconsin)

WINONA, Minn. - A week after Brett Favre the quarterback found a new home in Minnesota, Wisconsin found its replacement: Brett the Goat.

Duane and Carlene Schultz of Eleva, Wis., adopted the goat, which was seized by Winona animal control Friday after it was found in the trunk of a car, painted Minnesota Vikings purple and gold with the No. 4 shaved into its side. The two people who had the goat may be charged criminally. Winona prosecutors are considering charges.

"It may seem like a humorous incident, but it's being taken seriously," Assistant City Attorney Brian Glodosky said. "It is sad someone would treat an animal this way."

Auto repairman James Prusci called animal control after a woman came into Tires Plus to replace a belt and told him there was a goat in the trunk. The woman - who said she planned to butcher the animal later - had tied it by its feet.

Animal control and police responded, and the goat's owners relinquished the animal to Winona's animal control, officer Wendy Peterson said. Police referred the matter to the city attorney's office to review for possible charges, Deputy Police Chief Tom Williams said.

Janelle Riopel, 21, of St. Paul and Sonny Yang, 24, of La Crosse could be cited for mistreatment of animals, Glodosky said.

A message left for Riopel was not returned Monday. Attempts to reach Yang were unsuccessful.

Brett the Goat is healthy and mostly cleaned off, Carlene Schultz said. The No. 4 is still shaved into his side and he has a purple tint when in the sun, she said. The Schultzes are keeping Brett at their farm, where they have goats, llamas, chickens and a donkey. They were recommended by respected local goat owners, Peterson said.

"He is wonderful," Carlene Schultz said.

The Schultzes plan to still call the goat "Brett," she said.

This isn't their first farm related homage to the former Packer. They modeled a corn maze in 2008 after Favre.

A spokesman for the Minnesota Vikings did not return a request for comment Monday afternoon.

Work! It can be fun!

As some of you know I am part owner of company that makes decals and labels. One of my great customers is Zipp. Today I received an order to make the Race Day decals for Michellie Jones. Now how cool is that!

Wow! Didn't see that one coming!

Nauvoo Temple

This is a picture of the Temple in Nauvoo, Illinois. We were able to visit Nauvoo this week and had a great time. It is a very special place and I love to visit there. I just purchased a membership from Picnik.com. Picnik is a photo editing website. A lot of it is free but the premium features are awesome. A year membership is only $25! Check it out.

Wisconsin: The Dairy State

A long-simmering feud between a 13-year-old girl and her step-grandfather erupted after the man allegedly poured her milk down the drain, prompting the girl to fatally stab him in the neck, court documents said.

Labrina T. Brown, who allegedly threatened Robert A. Moon with knives before, told an officer who responded, “I killed him,” and said to a neighbor, “I’m not afraid to go to jail for this,” according to the criminal complaint against her.
The Milwaukee girl is charged as an adult with first-degree reckless homicide, which carries a maximum penalty of 60 years in prison. At an initial appearance Tuesday in Milwaukee County Children’s Court, she was ordered held on $150,000 cash bond.

Someone else with my luck.

Last year on August 11th I hit a deer at 40mph on a downhill with my bike. As a result of my injuries I had to withdraw from Ironman Wisconsin. I know I was lucky to walk away from my crash with just a broken bike and a lot less skin but at the same time it was just my luck. Well, today I read the story below and yes she's lucky to be alive, but at the same time. Wow, how unlucky.

So what do you do after you are struck by lightening while training for an Ironman triathlon.

If you are 44-year-old Terri Menghini you go out and buy a Powerball ticket.

"I was just lucky. So I'm going to go buy a Powerball ticket now," Menghini said

The mother of 5 was riding mile 78 of her 100-mile bike ride on North Foothills Highway just ourside of Boulder, Colorado near Longhorn Road, when the sky turns dark and she saw lightening in the distance.

"I thought, 'I'm two miles from my car. That's about five minutes. I'm going to go for it,'" Menghini said.

But luck was not on her side.

"There was one lightning bolt and within a minute, the second one got me," she added.

Menghini passed out and when she woke up she could not move her arms and there were people standing over her holding umbrellas.

She was taken to Boulder Community Hospital were she was treated for her injuries, which included a temporary loss of eye sight, fortunately she was mostly uninjured and she was eventually released.

"My training, I'm still going to do it," she said. "I've been an athlete my whole life, and I'm not going to stop that."

Now this is depressing!

http://www.usdebtclock.org/

If your having a really good day and don't want to screw it up do not click the link!

Wisconsin Girls: Don't mess with them!

WAUSAU, Wis. — A married eastern Wisconsin man thought he was going to a motel for a little romance with one of his handful of lovers. She allegedly played along and suggested he be tied up and blindfolded for a massage, according to court documents.

But four women eventually showed up to humiliate the man, who ended up with his penis glued to his stomach in a bizarre plot to punish him for a lover’s quadrangle gone bad, according to the documents filed in Calumet County.
Now it’s the women, including the man’s wife, who face punishment — perhaps six years in prison — and at least one said Monday the story has gotten twisted and she’s embarrassed.

“I am disturbed. I am upset. I am having a hard time handling life; an emotional wreck,” Wendy Sewell, 43, of Kaukauna, said Monday in a telephone interview from her home. “I am ashamed.”

Sewell, Therese Ziemann, 48, of Menasha, Michelle Belliveau, 43, of Neenah, and the man’s wife are charged with being party to false imprisonment, a felony. Ziemann also is charged with fourth-degree sexual assault.

The women are free on $200 cash bails. Investigators say all the women but Belliveau were romantically involved with the man. Online court records didn’t list defense attorneys for any of the women Monday.

The Associated Press is not naming the man’s wife to protect his identity as an alleged victim of sexual assault.

The women’s plot for revenge unfolded last Thursday at the Lakeview Motel about 30 miles southwest of Green Bay in the tiny village of Stockbridge near the scenic shores of Lake Winnebago.

Criminal complaints filed Friday allege the man agreed to be bound with “sheer sheets” and blindfolded with a pillowcase for a “rub down” by Ziemann. She instead cut off his underwear with a scissors and summoned the others to the room with a text message.

Ziemann struck the man in the face, and used Krazy Glue to attach his penis to his stomach when the other women arrived, according to the complaints. The man told investigators he also was threatened with a gun. Ziemann told investigators she didn’t have a gun but may have told the victim, “Do you know how much I want to shoot you?”

He started screaming and the women rushed off fearful that he could get loose and hurt them but allegedly took his wallet, vehicle and cell phone.

Ziemann told investigators she met the man online through Craigslist, fell in love and paid for his use of a room at the motel for the past two months. She said she gave him about $3,000. Then last Wednesday, she learned from the man’s wife that he was married and had other girlfriends “using them for money.” She expected the money to be repaid, according to the documents.

During Thursday’s confrontation with the man, Ziemann told investigators Sewell asked him, “Which one do you love more?” and the man’s wife made a derisive remark about him being scared.

The man got free from the bed by chewing through one of his bindings, went outside and borrowed a telephone from the motel owner to call police.

Ziemann and Belliveau are sisters and Belliveau didn’t do anything wrong, Sewell said Monday. “She was just there for moral support. She wasn’t even dating the guy. She stood at the door the whole time and didn’t participate or nothing.”

Ziemann’s husband answered the telephone at their home and declined comment. There was no telephone listing for Belliveau.

The man had no telephone listing in Fond du Lac.

Now ya see it! Now ya don't!

President Barack Obama outlined his health care program during the campaign; no single-payer government sponsored plan, no new taxes to pay for it, you can keep your current plan with no changes, and if you are not covered by a plan, you will be covered under one like he has. All these are worthy provisions that resonate with the American people. We need to find strategies to reduce cost and cover more people, but the current draft throws the “baby out with the bath water” and is inconsistent with promises made during the campaign. Sure looks like a bait and switch to me.

So how’s that hope and change working for ya?

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Time to get Fat! (er)

After a near year layoff from the bike it's time to get back. Everyone thinks that I have been freaked out to ride after my bike/deer crash last August. Truth is, I haven't been freaked out at all. I just didn't feel motivated. But the Fat Tire race is fast approaching and it's time to get busy. My right foot has been kind of messed up and it's probably a good time to take a break from the running. So, it's time to get fat. As in Fat Tire!