Weekend Roundup...
Ok, so it's the day affectionately called Hallowe'en, or as I like to refer to it as...
The Great Beg-A-Thon.
And I'm not being curmudgeonly, so hang in there and allow me to elucidate.
It DOES get better, people.
I've snatched a chunk of my post from last year to illustrate.
And I'm sure you will find this helpful, if not downright insightful.

From the Book Of Bob - Chapter 14 -
Holidays...and those that WANT to be.

I've got EIGHT rules when it comes to Trick or Treating (Hallowe'en), and Those of you planning to feed the huddled, costumed masses might take heed when these creatures of tonight come a' callin...
Rule #1: You show up WITHOUT a costume....you have TWO choices:
a) You can just turn around and LEAVE, or (my favorite) ...
b) Show me you're WORTHY of my free candy WITHOUT a costume by jumping through the FLAMING HOOPS I have set up on my lawn, OK? If the folks can't blow TEN bucks to get you SOME kind of costume (and dressing in mom's old clothes could bring up gender confusion issues, even though it's FREE), then just spend TWO bucks for some of your OWN candy (**hint: after the 31st, ALL the HALLOWEEN candy is 50% OFF...check Walgreens and CVS)!
Rule #2: If you're OLDER than say....12 years old, you better either have a DAMN GOOD (original) costume, or you better have the mental state of a 3 year old. Either one will get you treats! Anything else will get you a front door closed in your pre-pubescent face! If you're THAT old...just stop at Lassus Handy-Dandy and grab a bag of M&Ms for yourself, lazy-ass!
Rule #3: Face paint ALONE does NOT a costume make....Even SOLDIERS wear a UNIFORM WITH their face paint, and Indians have horses and head-dresses.....so...NO horse, NO head-dress...NO treats, Kimosabi!
Rule #4: If you are coming to my house on Halloween with a BUNCH of friends...be advised, I WILL be "packing" (to politely dissuade you from a home invasion)!
Rule #5: Don't try taking a "short cut" across MY lawn to cross the street (the wire fencing and punji sticks I have up will do a real number on your legs and feet...trust me)! Better to stay ON the sidewalk that the city provided with your parents' tax dollars!.
Rule #6: DO NOT show up at the house as a ZOMBIE, LIVING-DEAD person, or some sort of analogous entity. If I EVER want to see the living dead (aside from a George Romero flick), all I have to do is watch MOST of the non-working "neighbors on welfare" that have NO future (past the next bottle of malt liquor or blunt) meander through their pitiful lives. Also...NO ELMOS!
Rule #7: When I ask you to take what you want from the huge bowl of candy, that DOES NOT MEAN grab every damn single piece OF candy.....taking EVERYTHING should NEVER be a choice...it means be SELECTIVE and COURTEOUS...others might want to drop on by, 'K?
Rule #8: If you don't like what we GIVE (free) to you, don't even think about retaliatory measures....I've already PLANNED for THAT contingent...(heh, heh, heh)...and you might not like the result (did I mention NO ELMOS?).

Now, with that said, let me provide some "backstory" as to WHY we're not even bothering feeding the kids this year.
Yesterday just after the Missus came home, we had some of the "newbie" kids across the street horsing around, grabbing handfuls of stones and throwing them at one another. Now I'm all for kids having TOYS, as in something MAN-MADE as opposed to what nature provides for recreational time-killing. Sticks, rocks and the like belong to the Cro-magnon era. We've got Playstations, footballs, and tons of other useless crap to occupy these fertile minds and youthful bodies.
Question is: WHY do these kids have no REAL toys to speak of, and didn't anyone tell them that stones can INJURE someone?
(Apparently NOT. )
It was when they decided to migrate onto MY property (where my NO TRESPASS sign resides) and pick up some of the gravel stones from OUR driveway, that I shot out the door like a Patriot Missile with a solid GPS lock.
I yelled to the largest kid of the three (the ONLY way to get a point across): "HEY...GET THE HELL OFF OF THE PROPERTY...YOU DON'T LIVE HERE, AND STOP THROWING ROCKS AT EACH OTHER...SOMEONE'S GONNA GET HURT. WHAT THE HELL'S WRONG WITH YOU? I CATCH YOU HERE AGAIN, I'LL HAVE THE POLICE HERE LIKE THAT" (snapped fingers). Then I looked at the third boy coming back up the street smiling and told him: "AND THAT GOES FOR YOU TOO, SMILEY. YOU NEED TO LEARN SOME RESPECT".
Now I goes to say without question that these "boys" will be out trick or treating tonight, but not at OUR house.
I really want to know where it says that we HAVE to hand out (free) candy that WE paid for, just so some kids, that show absolutely NO respect or regard for us OR our property, can be taught that bad behavior WILL get rewarded.
So you can see I have a reason behind my actions (as always).
That's why THIS year, I've become a bit more "creative" with my stance, using this sign, seen here.

I figure that speaks volumes.

***And in other news...
Seems that (on the S/E side) Bowser Street IS becoming a GSZ (Gangland Shootout Zone). Between the 4700 and 5200 blocks we had three houses and three cars hit by gunfire Tuesday night.
Police were called to 5202 Bowser around 1900 hours for a report of a signal 113 (shots fired). The house had bullet holes in the siding. A blue or black Chevy passenger car was seen leaving the area (good description - fits about several THOUSAND vehicles in the area - including my wife's). While officers responded to THAT call, a car struck a tree in the 4700 block of Bowser. Someone in that car told officers the MOB Life Gang shot at the car.
Police believe an assault type weapon was used because the rounds had gone THROUGH the tire rim. Police also recovered several 9 mm casings in the street, Two other cars were hit, and a house in the 4900 block of Bowser was also hit.
Just before midnight, police were called to another *113* - this time at a house at 1010 Milton St. Police reported that the man living at THAT house is a known member of the D Boys, another local gang. The man told police he isn't involved with the gang any longer (lol, yeah right), and didn't know who would shoot at the house.
No one was injured in any of the shootings.
And there is a *new* sex offender in the 4600 block of Monroe St. (S/E side, where else?)
Montray D. Green, 31, was charged Wednesday with FAILURE TO REGISTER as a sex offender. He is a guest of the Allen County Jail and bail is $10,000. So that makes at least FIVE in my immediate area (with about FIFTY within a mile radius).
Gee, I'm SO damn glad we've been told (would that be snookered into believing?) that crime has been going DOWN over the past few years, otherwise, I might develop a "complex" over all this.
Now, where is that Dick's Sporting Goods flyer that had those sales on AMMO?
So there you are...truth, justice, and the American way..all rolled up into one little-known blog posting.
Don't spend it all in ONE place, kapeesh?
Have fun at the Beg-A-Thon.
As for me?
I'll be watching Garfield's Hallowe'en DVD...
(to use the words of Maxwell Smart)
...and LOVING IT.
DO have a SAFE weekend.

(Monday) - Is the "fix" really IN for Tuesday?

Believe It...Or Else!
Ok, so I know I'm not the ONLY one that is in utter disbelief over the Philadelphia Phillies winning the World Series. There is at least ONE other person in Wilmington Delaware still shaking his head (right, Mark?).
Seems a bit shallow though, after the win back in 1980 with Tug McGraw.
Doesn't pack the same "punch" it used to.
Of course the fans got uber-rowdy after the rain-delayed game, almost flipping a news van...whatever happened to just all going to a bar with your buddies, getting falling down drunk and singing some songs as you staggered the hell home,attempting to hold one another the hell up, hmm?
However, a win like this is STILL a win.
And being from Philly, I'll take ANY win any way it occurs.
Not bad for the "LOSINGIST" TEAM in professional sports, right?
And speaking of LOSERS...
**While serving an arrest warrant Tuesday, Allen County sheriff’s officers found cocaine, marijuana and three children living in poor conditions.
Police went to 1226 Oakland St. to arrest Melissa A. Ley, 28, on a felony theft charge from LaGrange County.
In the basement, officers found scales, a pipe, a burned spoon, bags of marijuana, garbage and musty laundry, a sheriff’s report said.In total, officers confiscated 5 grams of cocaine and 20 grams of marijuana.
Three children were also in the home.
Their beds had no sheets and few covers, and the kids had little clothing. Officers found no food in the home and asked for Child Protective Services to investigate, the report said.Ley was arrested on initial charges of reckless possession of paraphernalia, dealing cocaine and dealing marijuana. Police also arrested Erick L. Cocks, 38, (no wisecracks, people) who lives at the home, on initial charges of reckless possession of paraphernalia, dealing marijuana and dealing cocaine.
**Man questioned after grandson shot
A Fort Wayne man was questioned by police and then released after he shot his 20-year-old grandson in the knee Tuesday, a report said.
Fort Wayne police were called to 3618 Warsaw St. about 1:30 p.m. Officers found the victim in the living room bleeding from a leg. He told police his grandfather accidentally shot him.
Officers found the 71-year-old man in the basement still holding the loaded gun.
The man told police he was "tired" of his grandson (probably dealing drugs, knowing that neighborhood) and that it was "self-defense," reports said. Detectives briefly questioned the man at police headquarters but later released him (hope he got his gun back...he'll need it in that area of town).
Police spokesman Mike Joyner said no charges are expected. The bullet went through the victim’s leg near the knee (like Denny Crane "calling his shot", hmm?). He was taken to a hospital in fair condition, police said.
WTG, Gramps!!
And on the political front...
**I'm SO sorry I didn't watch the half-hour O'Bama Show last night...had too many other cable RERUNS to view. I know it was more of the same BS...how "his" master plan (somehow Germany in the 1930s comes to mind...wonder why that is?) will make America great once again. Seems I recall him saying in one speech that "AMERICA is the greatest country in the world...help me CHANGE IT". Why would I want ANYONE to change what is apparently SO damn great in the first place?
My take is that if something's broke, you fix it.
So let's fix what's "broke" in America, and what ISN'T broke...leave the hell ALONE, fair enough?
Sorry B.O., your rhetoric isn't in my plan for doing AWAY with socialism in the near future.
**In the ever-growing quest for knowledge comes a neat story about the constant "redefinition" of our LEXICON.
Now, I'll be the first one to tell you that being hitched to an ENGLISH TEACHER will get me shot in the foot all too often with any and all grammatical / etymological gaffs that might issue from my piehole.
That's why I created BOB'S LEXICON...think sort of like Norm Crosby (who is still alive, God bless him) - the comedian best known for his use of malapropisms - aka butchering the English language in a marvelously side-splitting manner (Stephen Colbert does a similar gig on his show)...and you will see me refer to it whenever I place a word here that appears to most people dubious in nature, or spelling, or context. That way, I can avoid argumentative situations with the missus (always a good deal).
With that said, let's take a look at the recent additions to the (normal) English lexicon:
(From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling: n. 1. cause of the 18 million headaches disappointed Sen. Hillary Clinton supporters suffered. 2. cold comfort.
• Bitter, small-town Pennsylvanians: n. 1. Those who, per Sen. Barack Obama, "cling to guns or religion ... as a way to explain their frustrations." 2. Those who won't be voting for Mr. Obama. See Real America entry.
• Caribou Barbie: n. 1. nickname for the huntress, Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential candidate. 2. Alaskan cousin to Malibu Barbie and Skipper. Rifle sold separately.
• Change We Need: 1. current Obama campaign motto. 2. signs posted at parking garage pay booths and take-out pizza joints.
• Country First: 1. current John McCain campaign motto. 2. the United States of America First. 3. Real America First.
• Drill, Baby, Drill: 1. McCain-Palin campaign rally chant promoting offshore oil drilling. 2. a sweet nothing whispered on a cold, Alaskan night.
• First Dude: n. 1. Mrs. Palin's husband, Todd Palin.
• Hockey Mom: n. 1. Mrs. Palin. 2. the mother of a child who plays hockey. See Real America.
• Hottest governor from the coldest state: euphemism for Mrs. Palin.
• I can see Russia from my house!: a Tina Fey "SNL" Palinism referencing Mrs. Palin's foreign-affairs experience.
• Joe Six-Pack: n. 1. a regular working Everyman who drinks beer.
• Joe the Plumber: n. 1. a regular working Everyman who lays pipe, fixes sinks, tubs and toilets and owes back taxes. See related Phil the Bricklayer, Rose the Teacher, Jamarcus the Drug Dealer, Tom the Carpenter, Tito the Builder, Rocco the Enforcer, Steely the Mascot, and Sherry the Panhandler.
• Lipstick: n. 1. the difference between a Hockey Mom and a pit bull.
• Lipstick on a pig: an old euphemism for trying to dress up something bad or negative to make it seem good or positive. Also see sow's ear-silk purse entry.
• Maverick: n. 1. one who takes an independent stand and how Mrs. Palin describes herself and her running mate, John McCain. 2. unbranded, like the cattle owned by the real Maverick family of Texas.
• Mavericky: adj. 1. another Tina Fey Palinism meaning in the manner of a maverick or maverick-like.
• McPain: n. 1. an anti-McCain moniker.
• My Friends: 1. Mr. McCain's version of "My Fellow Americans." 2. Mr. McCain's shorthand for "You people who should be voting for me."
• NObama: n. 1. an anti-Obama moniker. 2. variable pronunciation an anti-Crimson Tide moniker.
• Not Black Enough: adj. Sen. Barack Obama. Also see, Too Black entry.
• PUMA: n. 1.- acronym for Party Unity My Ass. 2.- synonym for Clintonites who were slow or unwilling to jump on the Obama bandwagon.
• Racists: n. 1. Rep. John Murtha's Western Pennsylvanians. See rednecks.
• Real America: n. 1. non-urban, small-town and rural America.
• Robocalls: n. 1. recorded messages from one campaign attacking the opponent. 2. the political telemarketing equivalent of playing the dozens.
• SNOBama: n. 1. anti-Obama nickname for the elitist, arugula-eating Democratic presidential nominee.
• Spread the wealth around: 1. those who make more pay more; those who make less pay less. 2. to pull a Robin Hood, rob from the rich and give to the poor.
• Straight-talk Express: n. 1. Mr. McCain's campaign bus to somewhere, which Mr. Obama says has lost a wheel or two.
• That One: n. 1. Mr. McCain's pet name for Mr. Obama.
• The economy's fundamentals are sound: 1. a McCain "senior moment."
• The One: n. 1. What Oprah has anointed the junior senator from Illinois.
• Too Black: adj. 1. Mr. Obama. See Not Black Enough entry.
• Unrepentant terrorist: n. 1. former Weather Underground bomber and educator William Ayers. 2. Mr. Obama's BFF. 3. An acquaintance of Mr. Obama's in Chicago education circles. See Washed-up terrorist.
• Yes We Can: adv. 1. Obama campaign slogan. 2. answer to the question: Can the United States, a nation that espouses liberty and justice for all, survive the reality of an African-American president?
• You Betcha: adv. 1. Palinism for yes, indeed. 2. answer to the question: Can someone plucked from relative obscurity with more charisma than her running mate end up a heartbeat away from the presidency?
Now...if THAT'S not enough to make you go"WTF?"...well, maybe you best check that pulse of yours.
In the meantime, I've got some more "truthiness" to work on...!

Humpday Happenings...
With "The Great Beg-A-Thon", Charlie Brown (aka Hallowe'en) a mere TWO days away, I'd thought I would bring some of "those" stories...yeah, the ones that truly make one sit up and pose the frequently asked query: "When the hell did I wake up on BIZARRO WORLD?"
Item - The rubber ain't meetin' the road these days...at least not at one Allen County (Indiana) B.F. Goodrich plant.
It appears as though close to FOUR HUNDRED employees might get laid off, thanks to production cuts of up to 40%.
Now with the holidays looming ever closer, what BETTER way to say "thanks for a job well done" than to lay folks off, hmm?
The plant is looking at the senior staff to "voluntarily" take a lay off of about 8 weeks, so that's not too hard a pill to swallow. Of course, the newbies will be forced out (as is SOP with most ANY company these days).
And here I thought people NEEDED tires, even with the high prices we had "enjoyed" at the pumps in the past few months. Guess not.
Other cuts will be felt in the Tuscaloosa and Poelika (Ala) plants as well. Merry Christmas early?
Item - Uzi recoil kills 8 year old at gun fair.
In Westfield Connecticut, the last thing one would expect would be for a boy to die from a self-inflicted 9MM round to his head while shooting at a pumpkin, but that's exactly what happened. At a gun fair held there this past weekend, the supervised boy lost control of the weapon, and the muzzle jumped up, with the resulting wound to the head.
Now, why am I appalled at this? In spite of having instructors and trainers on sight, this tragedy took place.
The Uzi is inherently hinky when it comes to muzzle rise, as is the Galil and the AK47. And damn near anything with a short barrel can get you kissing the sky real fast, unless the barrel is ported in some manner.
But when you slap it into full-auto, you BETTER have a damn good stance and grip ON that piece or you'll be goose hunting instead of sending ordinance DOWN range (where the targets can be found). Apparently, the boy wasn't aware or was not told about the severity of the muzzle jump, and at 8 years old, I personally do not feel any boy should go full-auto, until he has already mastered the quirks of the firearm he is shooting on semi-auto.
But I'm an old fogey in that regard.
Better to ERR on the side of SAFETY.
That applies to EVERY weapon...ALL the time. 'Nuff said.
Item - A Fort Wayne man is facing charges of impersonating a public servant, after he pretended to be a police officer.
Sounds like a slam dunk, right? Not so fast.
Marcus Benjamin, 23, of the 4300 block of Hanna Street was being held at the Allen County lockup. Police were called to his home last week, where he was pretending to be a police officer, according to witnesses. Benjamin was holding a shotgun when police pulled up, and had just "called for backup" for a dispute among some children, reports state.
FWPD found NO law enforcement ID on Benjamin.
Now, let's dissect this, shall we?
First off, Marcus made a bad call when he dialed up dispatch asking for "backup". That is a no-brainer.
You can use the signal jargon, but if asked by dispatch IF you are a police officer, you simply state "no", and be done with it.
As to "witnesses"...I can say one thing about this area (where I happen to live near)...people will lie like a rug when it comes being ANY type of witness. They will say they saw nothing when, in fact, they DID...they will say YOU had a gun when all you did have was your hand in your back pocket...they will see guns when none are present, and will deny seeing a gun when spent cases are in the damn street. That's just the "cultural norm" around here. That's also why the FWPD has such a hard time cracking cases....the lack of credibility with the type of people they encounter. So much for "Community-Oriented" policing.
Did Marcus impersonate a LEO? Well, if the FWPD wants to believe a group of liars, I guess he did. If Marcus DID identify himself AS a LEO...that's a whole other ballgame. Since he's not old enough to be a retired officer, that takes that out of the equation.
I will say this...some the people around here know NO other means of "motivation" than having a weapon drawn on them...they have THAT MUCH CONTEMPT for others. I see it every day.
Lastly, let's end this on an "up" note...with plenty of "Awwww" factor, 'K?
Item - Sometimes FATE steps in.
Take the case of four, healthy, weeks-old kittens that were placed in a garbage bag with a knot tied at the top, and tossed into a trash bin behind a Hardee's restaurant and left to suffocate or be crushed when the trash men came to empty the dumpster.
Sorry...Didn't get a chance to happen.
Thanks to Serv-All running late (I'll not gripe about it), the kittens' loud mewing, and some concerned employees at the Hardee's at Maplecrest & East State St, this catastrophe was avoided.
The store manager, Shawna Gehrig, was told by another employee that they heard cats in the trash bin out back. Shawna had confirmed the noise, and had someone do a dumpster dive to rescue the kittens. The manager took them to her house in Craigsville, where her son fed them. It wasn't long before the shy cats had the run of her home. The same day the kittens were recovered, the manager told another patron, Emilie Beard, 73 about her discovery, knowing that the woman was a volunteer at Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control and a founding member of H.O.P.E. for animals.
Tuesday, after two weeks of having the kittens in her house, Shawna took them to the Hardee's, and handed them over to Emilie, who will care for the kittens until they can be adopted.
Just a few feet away from the dumpster where they were supposed to meet an untimely demise, the cluster of blue-eyed kittens peered through the door of an animal carrier as they were placed in Beard's car.
In many cases, the type of abuse fostered against these kittens IS a criminal act, involving law-enforcement and animal cruelty agency officials.
Not THIS day.
The perp that did this just didn't give a damn.
And the kittens got a reprieve, as well as a fresh start on a better life, because someone DID give a damn.
It all came down to ONE person...that DID make a difference.

Scenes From The Cabbage Patch...
Just when you thought things could not possibly become ANY more bizarre, along comes something that really throws you off the turnip truck.
Take this snippet from the news:
(From the AP)
If you're a frequent visitor (read shopper) on eBay, you might want to check out the latest in political niche gifts like the 2008 Presidential and Vice Presidential Cabbage Patch Dolls.
This glee some foursome, which I might add are ONE-OF-A-KIND Cabbage Patch Kids dolls have been crafted in the likenesses of McCain, Obama, Biden and Palin.
Said a spokesperson for Jakks Pacific, Inc (obviously based on the LEFT coast): "We've had a great history with making celebrity lookalikes with these kids. We've done everyone from ELVIS to Donald Trump to Ellen Degeneres and Oprah Winfrey".
Now I don't know about YOU, but I never really liked these bits of fluff and stuff to begin with. I liken them to some quasi-demonic inhabitant of the 5th layer of Hades that would suck the breath out of a child's mouth while they slept. And the mere THOUGHT of having one look like Donald Trump (bad comb-over and all) sitting in ANY child's room at night gives ME the heebie-jeebies!
All the proceeds from the auction, which begins Thursday and ends November 4th, will benefit the USMC's Toys For Tots Foundation, so at least it's not going to be a waste in THAT fashion. Those Devil Dogs do damn good work (don't they always?) with that foundation. I know...I've given more than a few times over the years.
But something does bother me about making likenesses of candidates for political office. I mean it's not like someone went out and made a GEORGE WASHINGTON or ABE LINCOLN 12 inch "action figure"...oh wait, they already did, but that was LONG after they took the big "dirt nap".
I can see Hasbro licking their chops over this:
The Sarah Palin action figure, complete with articulated moose, hunting rifle, and skinning knife. Actually, that would be a keeper for me (VBEG). Or what about the Joe Biden action figure that comes with over 400 "nonsense-laden quips" that he says after you "push his button" (and there is no OFF switch to shut him the hell up), hmm?
The John McCain action figure would have limited mobility for the arms (for the obvious reasons) while the Barack Obama figure would bend in more positions than a pretzel factory could dream up...AND would be just as soft (on crime that is)...heh, heh, heh.
But why stop at the NATIONAL LEVEL?
We could bring it on down to the LOCAL level too.
You could have the Congressional Mark Souder figure that doesn't know WHICH WAY it wants to walk. Or the opposition's Mike Montagano figure that has more teeth than the ADA and loves carrots (h/t to "Dan" for that idea).
Any other local bloggers reading can feel free to add to the list...we just might be ONTO something here.
Maybe we might get rich quick in the process.
And to think I've ALWAYS wanted to have my VERY OWN action figure.
Perhaps....something noble...something mysterious...something cool...
...like a JEDI MASTER!
(sighs)...yeah...I know...next life, eh?
Well at least I'm the right AGE to be one these days...!
AND I already have a lightsaber (with electronic sounds).
*~* Lastly, I was the recipient of some recent kudos by another blogger (Sgt. Murphy, USMC - Semper Fi) who recently added THIS blog to his list of "suspects" (as I like to refer to my linked blogs).
I have to say that over the last two years, I've made some great contacts, met some dynamite people, and have gotten to see not only those that share my POV, but have actually enlightened me to their OWN (and that ain't easy to do to this old Summa Cum Laude grad from the College of Hard Knocks). I've learned a lot, and whenever you talk about LIFE in general, LEARNING should be close to the top of your "short list". I've always felt that the day we STOP learning is the day we stop living, as in pushing up the old daisies.
With that said, I can now bring you the "rules" for the"
"Superior Scribbler Award":
~Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass The Award on to 5 most-deserving Bloggy Friends.
~Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author & the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award.
~Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog, and link to This Post, which explains The Award.
~Each Blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit this post and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List. That way, we'll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives This Prestigious Honor!
~Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.
Now how the hell can I figure out HOW to be FAIR when I SEND the AWARD along?
(HELLLP!)
How's about this...I'll list the 5 I think are deserving of the award, and this in NO way reflects on those I omit. I only have FIVE choices for God's sake...I'd put damn near ALL of you in there, if the laws of physics changed today, but I can't cram 10 pounds of ANYTHING into a 5 pound sack now, can I?.
Here goes:
1) MYHUDHOUSE (Phil Marx - foxhole buddy in 'da hood)
2) FortWayneNews (AWB's gig- funny, irreverent, AND truthful)
3) Everett White (Phoetry -great pictures)
4) Child Of The Fort (Nostalgia R Us, and I love it)
5) Just4the Record (Andy & Tim are the reason THIS blog exists, believe it...or not)
And here is the link BACK to the (almost) original post:
http://murphywasagrunt.blogspot.com/2008/10/muahahahah.html

Hey, I know I'm FAR from being one of the most popular, most read, and most commented blogs in the whole damn blogosphere...but then again, being so far down the list is really kinda nice...
I don't have to worry about someone knocking me off the mountain top, do I?
Then again, you don't have to BE on the mountain top to bring the TRUTH to the people, nor affect a change for the better, do you?
Carry on, People.

Monday Musings...
I have to admit that having not one, not two, but THREE functioning computers (including the netbook)...no, FOUR, make that FOUR computers (Gawd, sounds like a Monty Python sketch) about the house a bit easier to conduct "business"...that means shopping, the infrequent online game, and information gathering (intel) for ME, and chat room and frequent gaming, along with schoolwork for the MISSUS.
Now we did go from one 10 year old PC clone with dialup @26K (you're kidding, right?) to FiOS broadband high-speed internet, and that is about as different an experience as shooting a pellet pistol and THEN shooting a .44 magnum (just nowhere near as LOUD).
And I still recall days when the computers I worked on took up a damn room, and had about as much memory and processing ability as my frigging cordless phone does these days. Yes indeed, we've got a really OK setup now...nothing to rival Deep Blue, or the Pentagon, but it does what it is SUPPOSED to do...namely work in the presence of BOB...LOL!

Still, it IS a work in progress, and so far, we have come farther than I could have expected. We even have "networking" now, and as soon as I figure it all out, I'm sure I'll like that too.
Does that mean I've become a "technocrat"?
Not on your life.
I liken all this tech to just something to UTILIZE...to operate, and NOT something that will wind up OPERATING ME. There is the difference.
It's like any gear you sling onto your belt or back. It's there for a purpose, and usually for ONE purpose only. Can you live without it? Well, in many cases, yes. Could I do without a computer these days?
That depends on a lot of things.
I always like to be INFORMED (and reading this blog will tell you as much, as well as aid YOU on your quest).
I cannot rely on "just" the media these days, as too much is slanted one way or the other. And anyone that has held any job involving going into harms way, from a firefighter or LEO up to a commanding officer in ANY armed service, will tell you that you can NEVER have too much information (unless it's BS, and then you make a "plan B" anyway for such a scenario).
Information is KNOWLEDGE...and, as we all know: SCIENTIA EST POTENTIA! (For those that never took Latin, that means: Knowledge is Power)
Now that's all well and good, until you have to decide WHAT TO DO with that "power" (knowledge).
Then we get to a little something that most young'uns have a bit of trouble with...
I like to call it WISDOM.
Knowledge without any way to properly apply it, based on experiences, will get someone hurt, either physically, or emotionally, trust me on this one. It doesn't take a person with a Doctorate from MIT to figure that one out.

Now when it comes to wisdom, one word comes to my mind while at the computer...shopping.

(and you though that was a "girl's" thing...pshaw!)
I admit to really liking the ability to "shop from home", and you probably know why that is.
It reminds me of requisitioning...something...anything. You get on the horn, fill out a 1/2 ton of paperwork, and then you get back a form to ALSO fill out that will get you the person you need to jaw with so THEY can hand you more forms to fill out and maybe, within a month, you have what you needed 2 months ago...maybe.
Oh wait...that's the way the GOVERNMENT does it...
Maybe the armed services should get with eBay so's we can get the troops stuff they need...and at a better price?
It does have the novelty of never having been tried to date.
But yeah, I do like the "shopping at the speed of thought" (or as fast as these arthritic hands can tap the keys) thing, and it sure as hell beats the PARKING LOTS at shopping centers and malls. Not to mention, I ALWAYS know where I parked my car...!
One thing I find contagious is "the thrill of the hunt"...that odd item you found that you need to fix the couch (didn't know they still made springs for that), or some weird computer cord (wow, they DO have a 5 meter long ethernet cable with RJ-45 connectors at both ends...cool) and how cheap can you get it. OK, so you don't have it "in hand" the same day...big frigging deal. I'm providing "job security" for a ton o' people here, gang.
The credit card folks are loving this (no, we're not in hock one damn bit either - it's just more convenient), the USPS, FED EX, and UPS are loving this (and I make new "friends" in the process...they call me by my FIRST name when they deliver $hit...lol), so don't try and tell me I'm NOT helping our economy.

I am, and I'm damned proud to do so.
So, we've got no parking hassles, the stuff comes to ME (and I don't have to hunt for it at every store in the tri-state area), and I don't have to rely on "fast food" at some greasy-spooned Scarf 'N barf for lunch. I make my OWN. And I even have time to fit this in during regular hours. I can take a break from laundry detail or gardening, or even gutter debris removal...try doing THAT while you're out at the mall, hmm?

I would have to grudgingly admit that I'm convinced that we sort of need computers, no matter HOW much trouble they give us.

I mean, we need our CHILDREN too, and look at HOW MUCH TROUBLE they can get into...but we still love 'em.
We just DON'T need computers to tell us what to do...that's what parents, educators, priests, rabbis, and ministers are for (along with the other relatives). We even have friends that will "advise" us kinda like the devil and angel on our shoulders.
We don't have to become servile to the almighty microchip in order to become better people.
All we REALLY have to do is work WITH one another. All we have to do is watch, listen, and learn.
Pretty simple stuff, when you think about it, right?

Friday Follies...
Been just a wee bit busy this AM, as we finally got back our OTHER computer, after Missus Bobby G took the new computer (not the new one I'm using now, but the new one we thought we were going to keep, until we found that VISTA didn't like ANY of our old software, and we didn't feel like buying all NEW software, so we got a new WIN XP system instead for a lot less with a new monitor..yeah, THAT system) back to Best Buy, and after paying a restock fee, we got most all the money back for that to pay for THIS system...got that?
(WTF did he just say????)
Yes, there WILL be a quiz later.
Now, I'm hip-deep in all sorts of wires, cable, cords, peripheral items, and CPUs, trying like hell to sort it all out. But since I used to do such things (in another life) with great and reckless abandon, it's still easy (well, sort of).
I will say this much, after getting all these THREE systems online (we're at two currently...and holding as per NASA's request...LOL), I will be able to have TWO of the XPs on the FiOS gig. All I need is either a wireless "air card" (I think that's the term...I'm still groping about with the jargon), or (better yet)...a nice LONG LAN cable (preferably in yellow to match the one I have already), and we're G-T-G with both systems running simultaneously via the router.
Damn room is looking like a friggin' geek's paradise.
All I need is some tape across the bridge of my glasses!
But I will say it's been a week I'd like to get a DO-OVER on.
**In other news...
--Sarah Palin's coming to town (wow, it fits in the song too...everybody sing along) Listen, I don't care who you are, but when it comes to any normal, red-blooded American male, you have to admit that she IS cute. And Todd is ONE "luckysumbitch" (and I mean that in the best possible way).
--Last evening, I watched another one of my "personal" favorite new shows...called ELEVENTH HOUR.
A damn fine show. Kind of like the X-Files/FBI meets the CDC, DNR and the FDA all at once. Last night there was a problem with a genetically altered pesticide..it was paralyzing people, and there was a cover up, even though the pesticide was "all natural" (made from scorpion venom, which for all intents and purposes IS natural), and that brings to light ALL the foods we consume and think are "all natural" (as the adverts claim). Can there be some biological interaction that BY NATURE is harmless, BUT when ingested by humans after being mixed with other chemicals can cause harm or fatality? Something to ponder
Interesting premise.
I'll stick to my "artificial" crap...at least I know what's not in there to know about, that I should know about, but don't care about.
(WTF did he say???)
Yeah, I won't try to THAT one out either.
It's also raining today...great.
Right after the recent frost advisories all but snuffed the life out of most of my plants (and kicked the tomatoes in the cajones real well), we get a moderate day with RAIN. Well, that will certainly make the garden grow (so it can CROAK all over again when the NEXT frost hits). 'Ya know...Mother Nature is not without a perverted sense of humor.
Maybe SHE could run for PRESIDENT?
Now tomorrow, I "plan" to get the leaf blower back out and get all the crap to the curb (for the pickup whenever it decides to occur in the next 2 weeks) with Missus Bobby G riding shotgun on the rake. Well, that's the PLAN, but I do have a PLAN B (as should we all).


If the weather is inclement (again), I'll probably just kick back, go downstairs and off some little green army men at my "shooting gallery" (Don't worry, it's only 6mm airsoft, 3mm copper BBs and .43 cal. paintballs). Off-duty police are invited to come "test their skills" on 54MM plastic soldiers, pop-up bullseyes of varying sizes, and last years Fort Wayne telephone directory with air pistol targets tacked on them (you have to be there to understand). There is a small fee to cover ammo costs, refreshments and snacks, but BYOS would work too (Bring Your Own Shi...I mean STUFF)
But after I get all this multicomputer C-N-C clusterf$cked and butchwaxed hookup done, I still have to make up a shopping (resupply) list for tomorrow, which means checking the pantry and the fridge for "items of interest" that will need replenishing.
So forget about a nap today...got it!
Ain't gonna happen, Bub!
Yeah, although it's a nonstop ride around here MOST days, what happens INSIDE these walls is well worth it...EVERY damn day.
It's what OUTSIDE (the perimeter) that's bothersome...ALL the time.
Isn't it always?
In the meantime, DO have yourselves a Safe weekend.
And we'll catch you on the flip side.

Some Views From the Edge...
**First off, I have to commend the AUBURN POLICE for their recent Meth busts up there. The department has managed to corral about TWENTY THREE people in connection with purchases of ephedrine or pseudoephedrine (one of the key ingredients to cooking meth). People can buy up to 3 grams of this drug a week (in case you get a bit of a sniffle), but if you buy more, they will know about it, and violators can be charged with a misdemeanor.
The chief of police (there) stated that Meth is outpacing marijuana as the "drug of choice", and although most of the men and women arrested DID have Auburn addresses, there is an ongoing investigation as to those that live "outside" the immediate area.
Auburn police conducted the roundup with assistance from NINE other police agencies, with this particular 3 month investigation ending in the filing of FIFTY-SIX arrest warrants.
Now I'd have to say that's some damn FINE police work there.

And we all know that nothing succeeds like success.
**And speaking of "big busts"...
FWPD arrested FIFTY people on misdemeanor charges of minor consumption at a college "party" early Sunday when they were called out on a 44LP (loud party). The house, located at 1114 Monroe St had a large group of people running into it when police came on scene. When officers knocked on the FRONT door, people began streaming out the BACK door and windows. (anyone ever hear about something called SECURING THE PERIMETER?)
Police found students there from IUPU (Ft. Wayne) and appeared to be UNDER 21 (uh, oh). The homeowner told officers that everyone in the home (all fifty?) were of legal age to consume alcohol. Indiana Excise Police responded, and "Mr. Know-It-All Homeowner" was cited for "inducing minors to possess or consume alcohol". Fifty people were arrested on charges of minor consumption and one was arrested on an unrelated warrant. (amazing how those warrants follow you around, ain't it?)
**Second, as to the whole Matt Kelty thing...let's just say that I'm a bit "bothered" by this whole COMMUNITY SERVICE gig he has to undergo. And I don't mean to say that he doesn't DESERVE it.

He's paying whatever price the court has appointed to him, but coaching little league football and serving on community boards is NOT what I envision when I think "community service".
I tend to think of such things like:
GRAFFITI REMOVAL
TRASH PICKUP (along highways)
ANYTHING involving SOME SORT of manual labor.
I mean it's punishment for God's sake. It's not meant to be all that tolerable nor inviting.

How's about painting some elderly lady's home?

Or what about slinging some soup at a local shelter?

THESE are things I equate with serving the community.
Then again, if Matt hadn't had Mr. Bob ("I lost the court records as prosecutor, so we have to DISMISS all those cases and turn these offenders back onto the streets") Gevers as his defense attorney, perhaps this could have all been dealt with in a much better way. Not to mention that the BEST person to get someone off the hook as a defense lawyer would be a former prosecutor that was a bit of a flop in THAT job. He does know all the ways to slip out of the noose, does he not?
**Next, as to our computer woes, they seem all but eradicated (hopefully with fingers crossed). We have a nice fully-functioning WinXP "E Machine" with a cool 17" LCD monitor and lots of really good antiviral software and firewall greeblies running "point" and "covering my six" as I run recon over the Internet.

Mrs. Bobby G is taking that Gateway (Vista) back to Best Buys today (getting that charge back in the process), and picking up the Stone system from (who else?) Stone, where it will become our primary fallback unit in our "C-N-C", fast becoming known as the "Repo Depot"...LOL!
The netbook will be used w/ the wireless router from FiOS so we can both log on simultaneously (safety in numbers?), and will also serve (proudly) as our second fallback unit, should the first two succumb to "incoming fire".
**Also,Today is our trash pickup day, and for the LAST TWO weeks, Serv-All (our service) has come down our alley and emptied every single trash bin...BUT OURS. Funny thing, the bin has been placed where it's SUPPOSED to be since we got the damn thing, and I even stenciled our ADDRESS on the lid in bright BLUE letters (it's a military thing...labelling or painting anything and everything that DOES NOT move within 30 seconds...lol), for the SOLE purpose of making the trash men's job that much easier.
And you'd THINK it would...make the job easier, but I suppose not. Maybe someone's got a "thing" with OUR house. Maybe we're making it TOO EASY for them, and they're POed?

Who the hell knows?

All I DO know is that I'm following protocol and doing what the hell I'm supposed to do as was stated in the guidelines that came with the damn trash bin. Now if Serv-All can't get it together, it's not MY fault, kapeesh?
**Lastly, I'm usually not one for conspiracy theories, especially when there is no cause to believe one exists, but there HAVE been times when you have to admit that "something smells rotten in Denmark", and that the prevailing winds have told you as much.
Yet, I don't think Oswald acted alone, and I think Area 51 (both the Nevada site, as well as the *new* one in Utah) might have alien technologies, but when the aliens come back looking or their shit, they WON'T be looking for me, and that makes that a moot point.
But when I say that someone, or a combination of "someones" want us OUT of this house on this street, I do have enough facts to back me the hell up. Since the neighborhood started it's slide downhill over a decade ago, I've been reporting to city agencies what has been going on...it's what I do.

Blame that on former training.

Good intel means good solutions.

It's that simple.

And since nothing has gotten done to reverse the problems facing those of us left here to "live" our lives, I can only conclude that the concern I demonstrate to the city is not reflected in their actions.
But I've got a few "tricks" up MY sleeve, too. Like THESE:

Not too shabby, huh?

Make no mistake about it. We're serious, no kidding!
Now, if the city wants to buy us out (at the ASSESSED value), I'd gladly move out of town, but until that happens, I will continue my fight to get this area turned the hell back around so that things are once again livable for everyone. Oh, and I won't be holding my breath during ANY of that time waiting on the city, just in case they were hoping I would turn blue and croak in the process.
Never gonna happen, people.
It's axe-grinding time (well, that and leaf-blowing time too).

Humpday Happenings...
In my day-to-day occurrences in this part of our fair city, you tend to notice things.
And it's not because you're being a nosey busy-body.
Hell, no.
Most times it's out of a sense of protective self-preservation. You know that there will come a time when the BEST person able to watch "your six" will be none other than YOURSELF! And you accomplish that by PAYING THE HELL ATTENTION.
And you do THAT for no other reason, than the fact that seemingly everyone else around you...ISN'T!
So you tend to have a heightened sense of the "situational awareness" pervading your domain, which WILL include your neighborhood.
Now for all you fortunate souls out there, this can be as easy as watching your children while they're playing, or looking both ways while backing out of your driveway. You might notice your neighbor's tree has great fall colors, or that they keep their property spic and span. And that gives you reason to take pride in YOUR place. It's a mutual thing. It benefits everyone in that neighborhood, while making that neighborhood a place to enjoy life.
In our area, it's a whole other animal.
You begin to notice cars that you've NEVER seen in the area, and you take down the plate numbers and vehicle descriptions. And with only TEN houses on my block, you get to know who BELONGS...and who DOESN'T real fast. You find out who CARES...and who DOES NOT.
Then you assess the "newbies" that move onto the street, sizing them up based JUST on their behavioral patterns. Now in neighborhoods where most EVERYONE does something called WORKING FOR A LIVING, that's not usually any cause for concern. Again, in OUR neighborhoods, hardly ANYONE works, and not because the economy is sucking.
It's by "design".
Why work when you can fleece those who DO work by feigning some lame-ass excuse to be a productive member of the community and society, hmm? And with ALL the entitlement programs available, it's actually a lot more lucrative to be on the dole. Of course when you were never brought up to understand the concept of conscience, ethics, pride, and even morality, that makes it a LOT easier pill to swallow.
And since I've always been one of those people that detested being in the unemployment line for even a month, that gives me an interesting perspective as to why others do what they do. I've been on "both sides of the fence", as it were. I succeed or fail based on what I do,or do not do. And I think that my dad's reasoning when he told me that a LONG time ago echoes truthfully today. I cannot expect to succeed when I choose to NOT participate in this "great adventure" we call life. You get up, get out, and get moving, setting priorities along the way with both short and long term goals that you wish to achieve.
Many around here simply have chosen wrongly by not choosing at all.
But that's a philosophical issue for another day.
So, after checking out the newbies, and the strangers, hopefully you can kick back and get on with living.
Well, that's the PLAN, anyway.
And it's then that you should have learned what PLAN B is for, because the "original plan" (getting on with life) will most always down the crapper. In Bob's Latin Lexicon, we call it "vita interpellare" (life interrupted).
It's then, you begin to notice that the newbies have suddenly multiplied over the last month from TWO people to about SIX...and for no good reason, other than some lazy-ass needs a "temp-crib" to crash at (until the police stop looking for him).
Another case might be when a formerly empty house becomes occupied with people that must have a "checkered" background (that wasn't checked by the landlord). More and more people begin to show up at the house at ALL hours. You just can't help but notice all the traffic in what used to be a relatively traffic-free area. And you notice the double-parking, the street blocking, the horn honking, and you say to yourself WHY?
Why do people do this instead of doing what all other normal people do, namely get out and KNOCK on a damn door?
It's ALSO at this point that you become acquainted (or reacquainted for the military people out there) with something called SLEEP DEPRIVATION. Unless you want medicate yourself so far out that you'd sleep through a artillery barrage (thereby allowing thieves to come in the house unheard to rob you blind), you nod where you can, when you can, for AS LONG as you can. You won't need an alarm clock...not with all the people that have NO functioning mufflers on their vehicles.
Speaking of vehicles, down here, we have so many streets that were never designed for parking cars (or SUVs) on BOTH sides, as many people had garages for "off-street" parking, plus since this IS an older section of the city, streets were designed back in the day, when not everyone HAD a car (or several). Driving a south side street with parked cars on both sides is a good way to get you used to driving on LOMBARD ST. in Frisco..LOL!
Many of our streets have no sidewalks (even after 50 years), but EVERY intersection DOES have the wheelchair ramps...go figure. And I can count the number of wheelchair riders I've seen over the past ten years on ONE FINGER (as they never used the sidewalks anyway)!
You tend to notice such things...
When it comes to the various architectural structures we like to call houses (yet refer to them quaintly as hovels), there is way too much to notice, that people in good neighborhoods would basically shake their heads in utter disbelief. You'd have to show them a VIDEO...they just wouldn't believe what you TELL them.
For example, I notice that the bedsheets covering the windows in the house across the street are the same ones hanging since the people moved the hell in. And that boarded up garage on the next block over is STILL boarded up, even AFTER 8 years. Wonder why?
I notice that the people behind us have had their garage door kicked several times in the past year, and they never even park any vehicle in that damn driveway (except when they have a week-long funeral party at the house with 30 cars parking anywhere and everywhere).
You notice that the ALLEY is getting more traffic than the street out front, and that this traffic ALWAYS seems to s top at a house at the other end of the block (especially at night). Wonder why THAT is, hmm?
You notice when people allow their dogs to crap on your lawn, and never clean up after the animal.
Same goes for the kids (except they don't crap on the lawn...at least I haven't CAUGHT any yet).
It's things like this (and so much more) that our media is constantly failing to report.
And you sure as hell can't help but NOTICE THAT.
Like I've said time and again...there are those that think the south side of this city gets a bum rap.
Oh,no my friends, this part of Fort Wayne EARNED it; it worked damn hard to achieve this status, and apparently doesn't wish to give up that claim any time soon.
But it's not like you wouldn't NOTICE it, if you ever drove down here...right?
((BTW - you've got about 63 shopping days until Christmas...wha'cha waitin' for?))