Goodbye chat and webcam

The temperature today is supposed to go above freezing for the first time in several weeks. Here is a nice picture of my backyard before the snow starts to melt. I might add this picture to the Poetlady web site, because I had to remove the webcam this week after sub-zero temps put frost on the windows and the camera couldn't get a good picture of the backyard. The frost is gone now, but there really wasn't that much to see out there anyway.

I also had to remove the chat application from poetlady.com because of a security issue. It seems like every time I add something interactive to a website people try to abuse it. I have two computers that I am rebuilding this weekend and taxes to do, so I have to keep it short. The Packer football game last weekend was a disappointment, but the Giants played better and deserved to go on to the Superbowl. Now I'm looking forward to Nascar season!

Frozen Packer fans

Every week I try to write about a technology news story or financial tidbit that impacts our daily routine. This week in Wisconsin the upcoming Packer / Giant playoff game is all anyone around here seems to be thinking about. I have to admit that that these days, I rarely have time to sit through a full game of football. But when the Packers are on the doorstep of the Superbowl, I think even I can find the time to open a cold beer and watch this one. It takes a special kind of fan to sit outside and watch a game at Lambeau field in January. It's supposed to be minus ten on Sunday, so we should see a lot of frozen fans. Go Pack!

This week President Bush announced that he is working on a plan to stimulate the economy. Part of this plan is to give each taxpayer a check for $800 dollars. I don't think anyone will turn down the money, but I have to wonder where the cash is coming from. It seems like every ten years there is some kind of financial crisis that nobody anticipated. The economy can't grow forever. I just hope the whole darn thing doesn't decide to melt down around us some day.

Quitting Walmart

This week, Walmart finally drove my girlfriend to quit her job, after having worked there for over three years. She was well liked and has always received good reviews on her job performance. But a new assistant manager apparently felt that she hadn't put up enough stock one night during her shift.

Personally, I think that management was just looking for a reason to get rid of her. She had filed a workman's comp claim about two years ago for a back injury and she had been taking a lot of time off for health reasons. Without an organization to represent employee rights, there is little anyone can do to challenge the way Walmart treats employees. The lesson is; don't feel bad about quitting Walmart, they are a source of entry-level jobs, where any worker can be replaced with heartless efficiency.

Wisconsin Casino Review

Last weekend we traveled to northeastern Wisconsin and visited two Indian casinos on the way. It had been a while since I had been in the Mole Lake Casino. They are located deep in the north woods and are a bit out of the way for most people. The new 75 room hotel, which is attached to the casino, will make it easier for people who want to visit this remote location. Most of their slot machines are the older reel type, but they do have some new video progressives installed.

We also stopped at the Menominee Casino, which is located six miles north of Shawno, WI. I had never been to this casino and was impressed with the number of new slot machines they have installed. There are 850 slots to choose from and most of them have the ticket in/ticket out feature that prints out a slip of paper when you cash out. They have arranged the slot machines on two levels and the lights from the newer machines make it an exciting place to visit, not to mention that the payouts seemed to be more generous than most Indian casinos, at least during the short time that we were there. I will have to add this one to my list of casinos in Wisconsin.