Humpday Happenings...
Middle of the week, people, and as expected, we're in the middle of mayhem.
A few things I want to focus on today, but all meant to enlighten, encourage, and possibly even enthrall.
So, buckle up boys and girls.
It might be summer in the city, and the back of your neck might be dirty and gritty, but we've got the A/C on, and a tank full of time.
*** First up...the renaissance in model-building that I've recently undertaken (just to keep in practice, mind you).
I finished the RAF "Mosquito" night fighter variant, and it doesn't look that bad for never having been a "professional modeler".
The trouble came when I went to place the decals on it...(arggghhh).
There is a cover paper that protects the decals from damage, but for some reason known only to God, the paper bonded itself TO the decals, rendering them pretty much USELESS!
After looking about on eBay for replacements, I finally decided to contact the manufacturer (Airfix - in the UK) to see what can done to secure another sheet of those decals.
Now, in times long past, when a lot more people practiced ETHICAL behavior (Charlie Rangel and Maxine Waters...take note), whenever you encountered a problem with a purchased item, you got in touch (snail mail mostly..and the telephone) with whoever made the item, and after a brief time, they got back to you with a replacement part (sometimes for a nominal fee), or they just GAVE it to you.
It was their way of making good on your misfortune...it was called TRUST.
They stood by their product, whatever the hell it was, and wanted to make sure YOU were a satisfied customer.
Times send to have changed a bit since THEN, don'cha think?
How many times have we tried to get some thing that was NOT our fault rectified, only to be either stone-walled, shuffled from person to person (or recorded menu to recorded menu, eventually ending in a hangup), or worse yet...ignored completely?
It appears that some businesses don't give a rip about YOU (after you bought whatever from them).
The lack of honor among a lot of companies these days is pitiful at best.
No one wants to won up to whatever screw up presents itself.
And YOU, the consumer are left to scratch your head in bewilderment.
You just want what was wrong to become right again...and get on with your life.
If you notice, most ALL electronic devices are offered with an "extended service policy".
Ever wonder WHY???
Mostly, it's because the companies really don't like to FIX things anymore.
Most every time, they will "swap out" the defective item.
Doesn't matter if it's an iPod, a flat-screen TV, or even your car's alternator.
Change it the hell out.
Seems like such an "easy" way to get something done, and maybe not the "best" way (some parts are swapped with "remanufactured" items - others that failed...nice, huh?).
Well, repairs DO take time, and we all know time is a commodity is such short supply these days, even though we still have the exact same number of minutes to every frigging hour, right? Time never changes, except to move FORWARD. And at the same rate...it hasn't sped up (although when you get older, it sure as hell FEELS that way).
Make me wish I bought a DeLorean all those years ago....just in case time needs a "tweak".
I am hopeful that Airfix will make good like they have many years ago. I'd really like to totally complete this model.
As to all the other things that might need a repair of manufacturer's attention...well, we shall see, won't we?
*** Now this story is typical is too many ways...
Here's the link:
http://www.wthr.com/global/story.asp?s=12914386
Be careful if you're thinking of having a birthday BBQ, especially if it extends AFTER midnight (in Indianapolis)...
Doesn't matter if this woman WAS trying to help her neighborhood...these thugs PREY on one another with relative impunity.
And when they can't find their OWN to prey upon...Lord help whoever else they manage to find as the next victim, especially if they're white.
I've always thought that IF we ever had some sort of "race war", it would NOT be whites who "fired the first shot".
And I always pray that I am WRONG as far as ANY type of race war goes.
But leave it to whatever radical element on either side to foster such an agenda.
We ALL have to be on guard.
*** And if you happen to work in Connecticut at a beer distributor, better watch your back.
Here's the story link:
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/70469
Again, we hear RACE being involved, although it's also being denied.
We've grown accustomed to having the race card played, and hearing the word "racist" tossed about like a beach ball. A few commentators on FOX have mentioned (rightly so) that this is like CRYING WOLF. You use this at the drop of a hat, and when people become desensitized to hearing it, when it REALLY comes along, no one's going to be paying any attention to it.
I know I've seen my share of "race-baiting" by playing THE CARD (some never leave home without it).
This is a ploy utilized by those with a victicratic mentality.
Think of the entitlement gravy-train. Well, this "race card" is nothing short of the engineer ON that train.
Perhaps it's time we thought about changing out the railroad "personnel"?
*** Now this story speaks volumes...if you read carefully.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-08-03-louisiana-teens-drown_N.htm
This is about six teens that were drown in the Red River.
While this IS very sad, one has to think about the story BEHIND the story.
NONE of the teens knew HOW TO SWIM.
And we have a case of more UNSUPERVISED activity.
For God's sake, if you KNOW your kid can't swim, why the hell let him (or her) go near an area that they can't get out of, should they encounter trouble?
And why the hell did your child NEVER LEARN to swim in the first place?
I mean, the "Y" has courses (as does the Red Cross)and I'm sure the welfare brigade has some FREE thing around somewhere at some public pool.
Perhaps if the PARENTS (or parent, as is often the case) knew how to swim, THEY could teach the kids...that's what GOOD PARENTING is all about anyway, right? Such is never the case in areas where people are so entitled.
Be nice to see some of that "gub'ment" money got for swimming lessons for the young....just a thought.
Because this sort of thing happens whenever you live anywhere near areas of that clear liquid stuff we like to call WA-TER...kapeesh?
I admit to not knowing how to swim all that well on the surface (gimme a mask and fins, and I'm pretty decent UNDERwater), so I rarely venture into ANY scenario that might place me "at risk".
I almost drown once...NOT a good experience, believe me.
If I'm on a lake or river, I wear floatation vest. And I have no desire to sail "the ocean blue", so that's a non sequitor.
All it takes to figure this whole thing out is...(all together gang)...COMMON SENSE!
Be nice if more people dabbled in that.
*** Lastly today, I mentioned the NATIONAL NIGHT OUT AGAINST CRIME (to which I had my VERY blue bulb outside...doesn't light much up, but did make the front of the house eerily inviting...lol), and the SOLIDARITY that communities need to have WITH law-enforcement.
Let's take a look at the flip side, though.
In neighborhoods we used to call "The badlands" (yeah, like my neighborhood...and Phil Marx's..and North Philly...those marvelous places), there is little REAL sense of "community" as many come to know it.
What you basically have are small pockets or cadres of random individuals. Many might be related somewhere, even from another city.
And they tend to practice their OWN unique form of what it means (to them) to be something like a community.
They have their OWN value system, their OWN sense of justice, their OWN sense of possession (what's yours is mine, and what's mine is my own), their OWN way of bringing up kids (have a few grandmas to shove the kids at...like some ad hoc "daycare"). If none are available, then just let the kids run wild...either some neighbor (like me) will chase them back home, or the police will round them up when they find them wandering the damn street, half-naked and crying.
All the while, the police are viewed as "the man"...the bad guy...the one who "puts them down".
From little on up, the children are taught that the police are not to be trusted. The "community" has it's OWN set of rules, anyway.
Police are only to be called in when they can't handle a situation THEMSELVES...or there is another race involved.
They basically USE law-enforcement...like some toy they play with for awhile, and then discard.
You watch ANY police reality show, and see HOW the police are spoken to, and how little respect they receive from such people, when they were caught RED-HANDED in whatever act they were doing when the officers rolled up.
Too many times these days, I see MOBS of such people doing whatever they want, and the police take the hits, and look to be outnumbered.
Fortunately for everyone concerned, the police prevail.
But what would happen IF our police were not as fortunate?
How would cities across America cope with such an out-of-control portion of the general populace?
If could occur...and in a few cases has come close to happening...scary-close!
Think about the ramifications of such a scenario..think about it the NEXT TIME you hear about some police department in America laying off officers, or (as in San Carlos, CA) disbanding the ENTIRE DEPARTMENT.
Let us pray we never even come close to anything like that where we live.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.