13 December 2011

Tuesday Tidbits...
You know, there are times when no matter HOW "seasoned" you become in life, something will come along, take you totally by surprise, and wind up teaching you a valuable lesson (or three).
What I find amazing, is that after ALL these years, you're never to old to learn something...or be taught something.
There's value in such things (trust me).
*** Case in point, those (now) notorious garments we like to call....SWEATPANTS.
Now, there are some folks that feel this is the UOD (uniform of the day) every day, whether they are out shopping, at school, or out in the general public.
What bothers me, is that we were always told (usually by GYM teachers) that sweatpants were for gym class (mostly in the winter, when we would do long-distance running). And of course, we could always wear them AROUND THE HOUSE (except when company comes to call).
I'm from the latter of those feelings...I ONLY wear them around the house. I will NEVER been seen in public wearing anything but PROPER attire, and that means, shirt, pants (with something relatively UNKNOWN down here in the ghettohood used to hold them up where they belong, called a BELT), and shoes. (no flip-flops or "slides", and no garish-colored and striped "athletic shoes")
I prefer for other people to see me as a HUMAN BEING, and not some refugee from Barnum & Bailey or a homeless person who's several fries short of that Happy-Meal and a tad lacking in fashion-sense. So, the sweatpants stay INDOORS (as do our cats).
And changing from such informal clothing to correct outdoor clothing SHOULD be a no-brainer...no complication, no hassles, and no "accidents", right?
Well, imagine my astonishment when yesterday, when changing off those sweatpants, my foot got caught in the ankle elastic, sending me into a bit of a tumble onto the damn floor.
That's the FIRST TIME in my life THAT has EVER happened (luckily the carpet was there to break the fall).
Fortunately, on the "way down", the old training kicked in (and I still thank my martial arts instructor for that), and I managed to somewhat brace myself for the "landing".
I studied Wing Chun for a couple years back in the early 80s, and the FIRST thing you're taught is HOW TO FALL...PROPERLY.
What they fail to mention is how this can be accomplished when your extremities are occupied elsewhere (like in the waistband or ankle elastic).
But, you do what you've been taught to do, namely "adapt" to the situation, and brace for the inevitable the best you can.
I wound up on the floor, with a sore wrist (not even sprained), a brush burn on the one knee (unavoidable), and a few other slight assorted aches and pains. The good news is all THOSE hurts kept me from feeling the arthritis...talk about a shallow victory.
So, the lesson to be learned here, is that you should NEVER underestimate the power of sweatpants...
They are biding their time...waiting...
And when you least expect it, they WILL attack.
Remember an ounce of prevention IS worth a pound of cure (and helps ward off those annoying bumps and bruises).
Meanwhile, back at the Chinese laundry...
*** More on the triple shooting on Lima Rd.
Here's the link to the followup story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20111213/LOCAL07/312139966
Now, I have to give credit to Mrs. Bobby G for her feminine intuition here...she said that it was likely that the slayings were romantically-related.
And the story alludes to that.
Another thing puzzling is WHY the FWPD (and the coroner) have NOT released the name of the shooter, although ALL things seem to point to Bart Heller. Even his brother was on the news last evening expressing his thoughts on this.
Here's the link to a related story:
http://www.wwmt.com/news/indiana-1399381-wayne-west.html
AWB's blog had a good post yesterday about this, and it seems the house was purchased this past March from a Steven Bolin of Ft. Wayne.
The two homicide victims obits were in today's paper, and they are both mentioned as being good kids...and you know, THIS TIME, I BELIEVE IT.
I honestly feel these two WERE good people, and they had their lives cut short needlessly.
Neither had any court records, unlike all the mooks down here with rap sheets longer than most children's Christmas lists.
THOSE people are not of the "good" persuasion, but since many down here operate on a very different societal level of devolution, stemming from Darwin-in-reverse, it's little wonder that situations like the TRIPLE SHOOTING at Mookie's (a few weeks back) are still unresolved as to WHO the shooter was (with over a HUNDRED people witnessing the event - who apparently SAW NOTHING).
It pains me to see such a divide between people who have the same opportunities in life.
Some are gunned down in a pointless act of desperation by an individual, while others are gunned down because they hang with the wrong crowd, and reap the whirlwind of collateral damage.
This also proves that many times, people will be able to secure a firearm (legally) without anyone being the wiser when it comes to mental state.
Then again, we are ALL privy to such behavior...every single one of us.
We ALL have that "dark side" within us, and luckily, most all of us have managed to keep that beast well in check.
Given the correct provocation and the right circumstances, you CAN turn a pacifistic and well-intentioned person into a homicidal maniac.
And when that genie is released from the bottle, who can say where (and how) it may end?
We've often heard of that "temporary insanity" argument in many courtrooms, and I've come to know that THIS IS FACT.
Certain responses in people (biochemical in nature) will produce specific and enhanced attributes, namely the fight-or-flight response.
What do you think causes a normal person to be able to LIFT a vehicle off of another person in a dire situation?
What causes a seemingly regular guy to suddenly commit murder?
What forces a typical homeowner to shoot and kill several intruders to his/her house?
We ALL have it within us to do what we abhor...WHEN we need to do it.
And that need is predicated upon the situation, and more importantly, HOW we interpret it.
*** Lastly today, AMC is running White Christmas for 3 days in a row in the evenings, so last night, I decided to watch, and it proved a downfall of sorts for me. Over on TCM, they played Scrooge (Alistair Sim) at the SAME TIME...(damn)!
Suffice it to say, I missed that commercial-free showing...but not to fear, I still have my DVD of that movie (and with a color version).
So, I passed up a movie about REDEMPTION for a movie about BEING CHARITABLE to one's fellow man.
I guess at this time of year, we might take note of the underlying themes of the movies/specials we're watching...find out what that particular show is saying to each one of US.
I know, I can watch SCROOGE time and time again, and come away with something I might not have noticed before, or had forgotten...same can be said with WHITE CHRISTMAS, or IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.
Many things in our lives are truly TIMELESS...they have been around before we were born, and will last long after we've departed.
And I believe that while we're HERE...NOW, it's best for us to remember such things, and perhaps even to pass them along in some manner...or at least to practice them in good faith, letting others know that we can live (and thereby teach) by example.
That's something we can do not ONLY at Christmastime, but ALL year long.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.

8 comments:

ms nk rey said...

Your fall made me stop and think about why people laugh when some one falls. I'm inclined to think it is a maturity thing. When I was young I would laugh, but not now. Younger people just tend to find things like this to be humorous. It would be a rainy day in hell to find someone in their 70s laughing at someone falling. That being said glad you weren't badly hurt. Such a shame about the 2 young people, who were murdered. And sadly today 2 more young people lost in a tragic fire.

CWMartin said...

What goes up...


BTW, did ya find out who Bromstad is? (snicker snicker)

Bob G. said...

MSN:
I was brought up to NEVER make fun at someone else's mishap (like a fall), so I never did.
However, with THAT said, whenever *I* do it, I have to laugh...I mean, it's like MY LUCK to have that happen...LOL.

And always keep an eye on those nasty, sneaky SWEATPANTS!!!
(they are out to take over the world...I swear it)

It was a shame to see those two killed in that house fire this morning.
But again. we have a generation of people with NONE of the "common sense" we had all but DRUMMED into out skulls when we were growing up.

They say the Christmas tree caught fire.
Now, IF the tree was THAT dry, it was a lack of responsibility to keep the dish FILLED at the base.

MY father ALWAYS made sure that tree was NOT drying out...AND that our dog didn't DRINK from that dish...LOL!
If it was an electrical issue, THAT should be checked out BEFORE the lights and other things GO ON the tree.
(and now you know why I drive the missus crazy checking such things)...I'd hate to be homeless during the holidays, especially when it CAN be prevented.

We've got people around here that do all the wrong stuff when it comes to HOT things...like FIRE.

And somehow, some people think that STILL makes them qualified to live in a HOUSE...amazing.

I fear we'll see a few more fires before winter ends...always works out that way.

Thanks so much for stopping on by today and commenting.

Stay safe (warm & fire-proof) down there.

Bob G. said...

CWM:
Oh, yeah, I found out who BROMSTAD is, and I want to know WHY he has MY upper body (and why he won't give it back...LOL)

Seriously, I didn't know about EITHER of these guys...
If it's not about Tools, trades, or gardens (and some auto mechanics) I'm simply out of it.

Henry Harrison...(Help Around the House) now THAT was the BEST damn show they ever cancelled...the fools!

I learned SO much by watching him (and wondered why HE didn't live across the street instead of all these gov't-sponsored mooks...lol)

Those shows I like DO include ALL things firearms-related, mind you.
It's purely a "personal" choice (for southside survival).

Hey, thanks a lot for taking time to bop on by and comment today.

Stay safe (and designer inspired) up there.

Anonymous said...

This post has been up about 24 hours, so I'm figuring you've been contacted by, what, about a half dozen law firms? All looking to help you sue that evil sweatpants manufacturer. Take my advice, hold out for the firm of Dewey, Screwem, and Howe. They're the best; they won't even hire an associate attorney unless he can beat an ambulance in a quarter-mile drag race (on foot, of course). :)

BTW, I only saw IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE for the first time last year. Can you believe that? Definitely some holes in my pop-cultural upbringing.

Bob G. said...

John D.:
I gotta say the law firms haven't been bustin' my door down, but I DID get a few emails from pissed-off MALAYSIAN and HONDURAN garment factories...LOL!

LOL...love that law firm YOU recommended.
(must be the SONS of the former Dewey, Cheatum, and Howe firm)

Ambulance-chaser extraordinaire...BRILLIANT!
(my kinda guy)


Betcha you really LIKED It's A WOnderful Life, too.

Don't ever think of them as "holes" in your pop-culture...just "vacancies" that you'll be filling soon enough.

Thanks a lot for taking time to stop on over here and comment today.

Roll safe out there.

Gina said...

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog. You're extremely intellectual, respectable, intelligent, and have character. That's extremely rare and difficult to find now-a-days.

Your story on Bart Heller caught my eye. I knew Bart Heller personally. Bart while, for the most part was a nice guy, was a disturbed individual who never should've had access to a firearm, and the fact that he was dating a young lady younger than his daughter proves it. Bart has hurt a lot of people, including me, by his selfish behavior. I described it to my significant other like this: "It's like dipping your finger into a still pool of water. You'll see the ripple effect for a very long time." It is also very unfortunate that FWPD went by "protocol" on this, even though Bart literally spelled out on his Facebook profile what he had done. They had all the evidence they needed. There was no need to drag this out and make the families any more miserable than they already are. By the way, they finally released Bart's name Friday. God be with all of the families in this very difficult time. A candlelight vigil will be held at Northrop high school for Ryann Tipton and Erin Jehl at 7:00 pm on Saturday, December 17, 2011.

Bob G. said...

Gina:
Thank you very much for your kind words.
My late parents would be proud knowing that they did their job well bringing me up.

I'm just a person who attempts in some small way to demonstrate the truth to others, and that it should not be shyed away from, but rather taken to heart, whether it's painful, unpleasant or even enlightening.

They should have released Heller's name a lot sooner...there a NO need to wait a week...it was SO obvious from the story (and the Facebook post) that what he wanted to do, he (unfortunately) succeeded in doing, taking two livea in the process.

I agree with you on the "ripple effect"...so very true.

Dating a person from "another generation" is not for everyone...maybe in Hollywood.
My wife is 19 years my junior, but it all comes down to the maturity on the part of BOTH people.
Maybe the two of us are just lucky.

To quote the late JFK:
I don't just see things as they are and ask "WHY?"...I see things as they COULD be and ask "WHY NOT?".

I think in times such as these, we all should be bold enough to do likewise.

Thank you very much to taking the time to stop by here and comemnt.
It's greatly appreciated.

Come by again anytime.
(we don't always cover the bad side of life...we have fun, too)
Every day can be a new journey.

Have yourself a good weekend and do stay safe out there.