Monday Musings...

The start to another week is seeing us dealing with early AM rain and thunderstorms (like someone pissed off the Norse god THOR or something...but more about that in a few). First, we've some other things to take care of and get a handle on.
So kick back and take it easy for a spell...we here at "The Fortress" know how to properly treat our "guests"...
*** I suppose I should be calling today's post "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly", because that's pretty much how most of the weekend panned out for me..through no fault of my own, I might add.
My weekend began, as most weekends do, with an upbeat kinda mindset, because if there's ONE thing I have learned when your neighborhood devolves into a ghettohood, and your city (as well as it's sundry departments) is largely responsible for allowing such things to happen, is to make your stand, be as non-compromising as possible, and never allow the "locals" to take that first inch, for if they are allowed to do so, they WILL take much more, and quite often...it's the whole "entitlement mentality".
Shopping was wonderfully uneventful, except I forgot to add a 12 pack of Coca-Cola on the list and Wifey had to go out yesterday and grab one (along with smokes)., but that was the least of the problems.

Saturday was Cinco De Mayo, and although our part of the ghettohiood hasn't completely been turned over from the "Whaddup, dawg?" inhabitants to the "Se habla Espanol?" crowd yet, we are getting there, and rather rapidly to say the least.
And that means that when you see some Hispanics toting in a few 12 packs of their own, and it's NOT soda but beer, there will be "loud" involved somewhere down the pike...and safe to say, I was correct yet again.
The house across the street had seventeen vehicles that came and went until after midnight, and naturally, they ALL had to tie up the street with double-parking. At least we weren't suffering some form of Spanish (c)rap music...

That was left to the Afro-Nauseating among us, who were keeping pace with the Hispanic house with sixteen vehicles...think of it as "dueling assholes". Makes 'ya long for that developmentally-challenged boy sitting on the porch with that banjo from Deliverance...seriously (or that squirrel who also stops by).
After THAT crap was finally over for the night, all "we" had to deal with were the boomcars that ride through this area like it's the new Rudisill or McKinnie Aves...which if pretty much IS these days...too much traffic for so few houses, and that's a disturbing trend.
Wifey and I DID manage to stop by Broadview Nurseries for some garden plants...as we do every Spring.
So Saturday was a mixed bag...some good, some bad.
The "ugly" came yesterday...

It was a very nice Sunday morning...none of the locals were stirring (busy sleeping off their drunks and highs), and I was outside on the patio, breaking off some dead plants (the kind that grow 6 feet tall and look like those cornstalks you see stacked around Fall), when I felt a sharp pain in my left hand.

Looking down, I saw blood literally running down my pinky finger onto the foliage.
SOMEHOW, one of those stalks decided to slice the hell out OF my finger...couldn't have done a better job if I used a knife.

Well, since it was bleeding nicely (and profusely), I figured a minimal flush with water would work, and after running the outside tap to clean it, I held it tightly and went inside to get it patched the hell up.
It took a bit of doing, as I first had to wrap the finger in a paper towel to apply indirect pressure (slows bleeding).
Then, I dressed up two band-aids with triple antibiotic ointment and proceeded to place them TIGHTLY over the wound, and finished it off with a wrap of waterproof adhesive surgical tape...not a bad field dressing, if I do say so myself...lol.
(some things you don't forget)
Then, I had a long, healthy swig of some Hennessy cognac!
That was to sooth the pain AND my pride, mind you.
And I STILL managed to make dinner (homemade baked macaroni and cheese).
We won't get into how I turned the wrong burner on and discolored the burner cover...I was preoccupied with other things like dinner and slicing my fingers...and trying to NOT to mingle the two.
Suffice it to say dinner became the new "high-point" of the weekend for me...LOL.
Damn finger was throbbing like a migraine...in my hand.
Don't think I'm gonna need stitches..just some TLC.

And yes, the real fun comes when you have to change the dressing...without "reopening old wounds" (as poets and people tend to say regarding love affairs). How poignant is that? How IRONIC is that?
Oh, this was one helluva love affair alright.
Even our friendly, neighborhood "Mr. Bunny" was tuckered out from all the angst I had going on yesterday.
I know I had had plenty of fun for the weekend, too.
Lesson to be learned here?
Never, EVER underestimate the power of a "dead" plant...i.e. WEAR GLOVES...ALWAYS.
(duly noted)
*** Meanwhile, back at the Bobby G. "emergency ward"...
This story caught my eye today...and for the obvious reasons:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120507/LOCAL07/305079947

The Indiana SWAT officers Assoc. held their 3rd annual "junkyard shootout" at the ACSD range on Paulding near Adams Ctr. Rds.
And Sunday was only the first day of the get-together.
The conference ends tomorrow and is hosted by the Sheriff's Department and the PSA (Public Safety Academy) of N.E. Indiana, located at 7602 Patriot Crossing...the one shining light on the city's...(...all together, gang...)...SOUTHEAST SIDE ...aside from our "Fortress"...LOL.
The junkyard shootout is comprised of three stations utilizing three weapons: The AR-15 (M-4 carbine, 5.56mm), the 12 gauge shotgun (pump), and the 9mm service auto. We also used to call it the "3 gun shootout", and many times, competitions for civilians involve classic 19th century firearms such as the Colt Peacemaker single-action, Winchester lever-action rifle, and a double-barreled shotgun aka a "coach gun".
I really wish they'd open things like this up to the public, providing those attending are responsible gun owners or otherwise do NOT have a rap sheet, unlike the recently-deceased Brandon V. Pearson, who was mentioned in Friday's "comments" section of the post (and a hearty "thanks" to my buddy "D" for the heads-up).
*** Here's Pearson's rap sheet AND address list (see the patterns there?), in case you were wondering just how MUCH of a "good person" he USED to be:
**********Gonna take a while***********

02D04-9410-CM-007254 Pearson, Brandon V 10/17/1994
Allen Superior Court 6 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided NEVER RECEIVE LICENSE
02D04-9510-IF-016683 Pearson, Brandon V 10/23/1995
Allen Superior Court 4 IF - Infraction
Decided OPERATE WHILE SUSP (INFR)
IMPROPER HEADLIGHT
02D04-9608-CM-006988 Pearson, Brandon V 08/22/1996
Allen Superior Court 6 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA
02D04-9609-CM-007369 Pearson, Brandon V 09/04/1996
Allen Superior Court 4 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA
02D04-9609-CM-007739 Pearson, Brandon V 09/17/1996
Allen Superior Court 5 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided BATTERY (A)
02D04-9705-CM-003477 Pearson, Brandon V 05/20/1997
Allen Superior Court 4 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided OPERATE WHILE SUSP (MISD)
02D04-9801-CM-000159 Pearson, Brandon V 01/07/1998
Allen Superior Court 6 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided OPERATE WHILE SUSP (MISD)
INADEQUATE MUFFLER
02D04-9807-CM-005531 Pearson, Brandon V 07/29/1998
Allen Superior Court 4 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT
02D04-9809-CM-007009 Pearson, Brandon V 09/18/1998
Allen Superior Court 6 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided MINOR ENTERING TAVERN
02D04-9810-CM-007628 Pearson, Brandon V 10/12/1998
Allen Superior Court 5 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT
NO OPR'S LIC. WHEN REQ'D
02D04-9810-IF-020097 Pearson, Brandon V 10/28/1998
Allen Superior Court 4 IF - Infraction
Decided NO OPR'S LIC. WHEN REQ'D
DISREG STOP OR YIELD SIGN
02D04-9905-OE-000374 Pearson, Brandon V 05/11/1999
Allen Superior Court 6 OE - Exempted Ordinance Violation
Decided HARBOR CAT/DOG W/O PERMIT
VIOL CITY ORD. (FT WAYNE)
02D04-9907-OE-000550 Pearson, Brandon V 07/08/1999
Allen Superior Court 5 OE - Exempted Ordinance Violation
Decided IMPROPER ANIMAL COLLAR
FAILURE TO SHELTER ANIMAL
FAILURE TO SHELTER ANIMAL
NO KENNEL/CATTERY PERMIT
02D04-9907-OE-000582 Pearson, Brandon V 07/23/1999
Allen Superior Court 4 OE - Exempted Ordinance Violation
Decided IMPROPER ANIMAL COLLAR
FAILURE TO SHELTER ANIMAL
FAILURE TO SHELTER ANIMAL
NOISY DOG

02D04-0001-OE-000080 Pearson, Brandon V 01/27/2000
Allen Superior Court 4 OE - Exempted Ordinance Violation
Decided HARBOR CAT/DOG W/O PERMIT
35D01-0002-CM-00157 Pearson, Brandon V 02/17/2000
Huntington Superior Court CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided DRIVING WHILE SUSPENDED
SPEED (1-15), (16-25), (26+)
02D04-0003-CM-002434 Pearson, Brandon V 03/27/2000
Allen Superior Court 4 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT
02D04-0005-CM-003750 Pearson, Brandon V 05/08/2000
Allen Superior Court 4 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided OPERATE WHILE SUSP (MISD)
EXCEED POSTED SPEED LIMIT
02D04-0009-CM-007311 Pearson, Brandon 09/13/2000
Allen Superior Court 4 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT
02D04-0010-CM-007901 Pearson, Brandon V 10/13/2000
Allen Superior Court 5 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided DOMESTIC BATTERY
RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT
FALSE INFORMING (B)
02D04-0010-CM-007988 Pearson, Brandon 10/17/2000
Allen Superior Court 5 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided DOMESTIC BATTERY
RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT
FALSE INFORMING (B)
02D04-0011-CM-008886 Pearson, Brandon 11/29/2000
Allen Superior Court 6 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT
02D04-0101-CM-000665 Pearson, Brandon V 01/26/2001
Allen Superior Court 5 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided OPERATE WHILE SUSP (MISD)
FAIL STOP AT THRU-HIGHWAY
02D04-0103-CM-002299 Pearson, Brandon V 03/26/2001
Allen Superior Court 5 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided OPERATE WHILE SUSP (MISD)
VIOL FT WAYNE SPEED ORD
02D04-0108-OE-001086 Pearson, Brandon 08/07/2001
Allen Superior Court 6 OE - Exempted Ordinance Violation
Decided DOG/CAT RUN AT LARGE(FW)
02D04-0110-OE-001279 Pearson, Brandon 10/13/2001
Allen Superior Court 6 OE - Exempted Ordinance Violation
Decided HARBOR CAT/DOG W/O PERMIT
FAILURE TO APPEAR VIOL
02D04-0203-CM-002280 Pearson, Brandon V 03/27/2002
Allen Superior Court 6 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided OPERATE WHILE SUSP (MISD)
NO FIN RESPONSIBILITY(INF)
FAIL STOP AT THRU-HIGHWAY
FAILURE WEAR SAFETY BELT
02D04-0205-CM-004043 Pearson, Brandon 05/30/2002
Allen Superior Court 4 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT
02D04-0209-MC-001584 Pearson, Brandon V 09/12/2002
Allen Superior Court 4 MC - Miscellaneous Criminal
Decided P.C. HABITUAL TRAFF. OFF.
02C01-0209-FD-000605 Pearson, Brandon 09/17/2002
Allen Circuit Court FD - Class D Felony
Decided HABITUAL TRAFFIC VIOLATOR
02D04-0209-OE-000698 Pearson, Brandon V 09/23/2002
Allen Superior Court 4 OE - Exempted Ordinance Violation
Decided FAILURE DISPLAY PET PERMT
02D04-0211-CM-008755 Pearson, Brandon V 11/12/2002
Allen Superior Court 4 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided FALSE INFORMING (B)
02D04-0301-MC-000154 Pearson, Brandon V 01/28/2003
Allen Superior Court 4 MC - Miscellaneous Criminal
Decided P.C. DEALING IN COCAINE/METH
P.C. HABITUAL TRAFF. OFF.
02D04-0305-MC-000750 Pearson, Brandon V 05/08/2003
Allen Superior Court 4 MC - Miscellaneous Criminal
Decided P.C. RESISTING LAW ENFORC
02D04-0305-FD-000279 Pearson, Brandon V 05/13/2003
Allen Superior Court 4 FD - Class D Felony
Decided RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT
02D04-0309-CM-007394 Pearson, Brandon V 09/08/2003
Allen Superior Court 5 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided BATTERY (A)
DISORDERLY CONDUCT
02D04-0906-MC-001255 Pearson, Brandon V 06/22/2009
Allen Superior Court 4 MC - Miscellaneous Criminal
Decided P.C. DOMESTIC BATTERY
P.C. DOMESTIC BATTERY
P.C. STRANGULATION
02D04-0910-CM-006081 131503
131503 Pearson, Brandon V 10/05/2009
Allen Superior Court 6 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided OPERATE WHILE SUSP (MISD)
UNSAFE MOVE LANE TO LANE
02D04-0911-FD-001055 Pearson, Brandon 11/10/2009
Allen Superior Court 6 FD - Class D Felony
Decided *OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE
02D04-1003-IF-002563 571552 Pearson, Brandon V 03/18/2010
Allen Superior Court 5 IF - Infraction
Decided NO OPR'S LIC. WHEN REQ'D
02D04-1003-CM-001676 Pearson, Brandon V 03/22/2010
Allen Superior Court 4 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT
02D06-1108-OV-001100 633551 PEARSON, BRANDON V 08/02/2011
Allen Superior Court 6 OV - Local Ordinance Violation
Decided 91.107: Harbor Animal/Mand. Neuter/FWA
02D04-1110-IF-016316 665222 PEARSON, BRANDON V 10/12/2011
Allen Superior Court 4 IF - Infraction
Decided 9-19-10-2/IFD: Failure of Occupant to Use Safety Belt
02D04-1111-MC-002876 657617
657617 PEARSON, BRANDON V 11/08/2011
Allen Superior Court 4 MC - Miscellaneous Criminal (Citation)
Decided 35-48-4-6(a)/FD: Poss Cocaine/Methamphetamine Or Sched I or II Narcotic Drug
35-48-4-11/MA: Possession Marijuana/Hash Oil/Hashish/Salvia/Synthetic Cannabinoid
9-24-18-1/MC: Knowingly or Intentionally Operating Motor Vehicle w/o Ever Receiving a License
9-21-8-25/IFC: Failure to Signal for Turn or Lane Change
02D04-1111-FD-001538 PEARSON, BRANDON V 11/14/2011
Allen Superior Court 4 FD - Class D Felony
Pending 35-48-4-6(a)/FD: Poss Cocaine/Methamphetamine Or Sched I or II Narcotic Drug
35-48-4-11/MA: Possession Marijuana/Hash Oil/Hashish/Salvia/Synthetic Cannabinoid
9-24-18-1/MC: Knowingly or Intentionally Operating Motor Vehicle w/o Ever Receiving a License
02D05-1204-IF-004423 671343 PEARSON, BRANDON V 04/19/2012
Allen Superior Court 5 IF - Infraction Pending
***********************************8 

Addresses:
1994
1210 Oak St
Fort Wayne, IN 46803
1996
1419 W Wildwood
Fort Wayne, IN 46802
119 W Leith
Ft Wayne IN
1210 Oak St
Ft Wayne IN
1419 W Wildwood/1210 Oak St
Ft Wayne IN
1997
1210 Oak St
Fort Wayne, IN 46803
1998
2327 S Harrison St
Fort Wayne, IN 46803
3809 Barr
Ft Wayne IN
1210 Oak
Ft Wayne IN
2301 Florida Dr
Fort Wayne, IN 46804
1999
3500 Warsaw 9B
Fort Wayne, IN 46806
4915 Gaywood
Fort Wayne, IN 46806
2000
4915 Gaywood
Fort Wayne, IN 46806
1210 Oak Street
Fort Wayne, IN 46803
4915 Gaywood Dr
Ft Wayne IN 46806
2001
4915 Gaywood Dr
Fort Wayne, IN 46803(?)
1210 Oak St
Fort Wayne, IN 46803
1239 Vance
Fort Wayne, IN 46805
2002
1210 Oak St
Fort Wayne, IN 46803
5844 Turtle Creek
Apartment 4
Fort Wayne, IN 46816
1207 Roosevelt
Fort Wayne, IN 46806
2003
1210 Oak Street
Fort Wayne IN 46803
5844 Turtle Creek Apt 4
Fort Wayne, IN 46816
4818 S Hanna St
Fort Wayne, IN 46806
2009
720 Wilt St
Fort Wayne, IN 46806
1225 Fairfield Ave Apt 4
Fort Wayne, IN 46802
2010
1225 Fairfield #2
Fort Wayne, IN 46802
1326 W WILDWOOD
Fort Wayne, IN 46806
1326 W WILDWOOD AVE
FORT WAYNE, IN 46807


*****************WHEW!!!****************
Moving on to better things...
*** Being the comic geek that I am and have been over time (and loving the superhero genre in general since my youth), I predicted this would happen...and THAT never gets old! (unlike ME...lol)

The (Joss Whedon directed) movie AVENGERS has seen the BIGGEST domestic grossing movie weekend...EVER!
It handily beat out the last of the Harry Potter flicks from last year.
Do NOT be surprised if this becomes one of the ALL-TIME largest box office attractions in recent history.
(Love to see it become the ALL-TIME highest in history!)
With domestic receipts ALREADY above the $200 MILLION mark, it's on track to surpass any previous film to date.
Hell, this takes me back to the days when ONE movie would run at theaters for MONTHS (and in some cases, over a YEAR...like Funny Girl did in the late 1960s back in Philly).
Of course, that was also a time when movie-going was a lot bigger (and definitely CHEAPER) deal than it is today.

None of this small screen multiplexed-out-the-ass tiny theaters, or a movie house with seats that put you in the nosebleed section (when you didn't even go to the BALCONY area). And none of this ultra-techy sound crap (that can go wrong)...we had plain old STEREO...the type that DIDN'T make your fillings rattle in your head, and give you a headache like when you attended that Van Halen concert without earplugs (to lessen the din of 2+ hours of hard-rock).
Popcorn DID come in a real SMALL size for way under a buck, and Twizzlers were TWENTY-FIVE CENTS for a WHOLE bag (and usually fed you AND your buddies).
People in general were a lot better behaved...never had an INFANT crying either (who the hell in their right mind takes a infant to a movie that has EXPLOSIONS at 120 decibels, and expects them to SLEEP through it, anyway?)
Yes, folks...it IS still all about...CIVILITY towards your fellow man.
*** Lastly today, social experiences USED to be fun...as a rule.
They were something we LOOKED FORWARD to participating in either individually, with friends, or even with family.
These days, we're loosing touch with that, except in certain special venues.
Family gatherings should be a celebration of life and of people we love, and not some loud-ass party to see who can consume the most alcohol and still be able to stagger to the car and drive the hell home (as they often do in our ghettohood, and which goes unnoticed by the FWPD, except by sheer luck).
We need to stop trying to "keep up" with whoever we might feel compelled to compete with.
The only REAL competitor we need to look for is OURSELVES, and that can be the worst person to go toe-to-toe with.

We can be our own best friend...OR our worst enemy.

We need to learn (or re-learn) the distinction between the two, if we are to become able to understand ourselves.

And that is something to think about.

Have yourselves a great week,
Be well, make a difference to someone and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.

Friday Follies...

Another kinda cloudy day with a "chance" of showers at some point...maybe tonight...maybe tomorrow...the weatherman's not showing ALL his cards this morning. Temperatures will not be as HIGH as yesterday (but the locals WILL be - early in the month means street pharms galore to buy...LOL)...should top out at around 80 degrees later in the afternoon.

While I tried MY best to make this a light-hearted post today, wouldn't you just KNOW that the city of Fort Wayne and it's "Raccoon City rejects" that live here (you Sci-Fi fans will know THAT reference) decided to muck it up a bit.

Never fear, for, as soon as I take care of the "criminal" business, we'll get right back to the MAIN reason that TODAY is one of those "special" days for most all of us geeks (past, present and future)...
So sit back, pour yourself a calming and refreshing beverage and let us see what transpires, shall we?
*** Another shooting in Fort Wayne leaves one man DOA.

Here's the story link:
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/crime/one-person-dead-in-wildwood-avenue-shooting?ref=scroller&categoryId=20000&status=true
The shooting took place on Wildwood Ave. near Thompson and Broadway (more "red-necky" area) just after 2300 hrs.

That makes homicide number NINE (for those of you keeping a "dead pool" at work or at home), and that puts us RIGHT on track for that magic number of TWENTY-FIVE for the year (if not MORE...I like to think positive)...anyone seeing a disturbing "trend" developing in the Summit City?
The police did not know WHERE the man was shot (I'd guess in the street?), have no suspects, no motives, no known number of people involved, BUT, witnesses DID manage to (sorta) ID two vehicles fleeing the scene. Whether those were involved remains to be seen.
One vehicle was a blue Impala with tinted windows (no year, so that doen't narrow the field down much), and a grey-colored extended cab pickup.
Gee, we have such vehicles over HERE on the...(...all together, gang...)...SOUTHEAST SIDE.
This could be a retaliatory shooting for the shooting death of Dave Baller at Foster's Bar the other night...
-Or, it could be a random act of violence...
-Or, it could be a gone-bad drug deal...
-Or, it could be some sort of "justice for Trayvon" gig (crime of opportunity), as has been happening across the country (and papers are burying these stories faster than the families are burying their recently-deceased).
Hard to say, as this is an area societally "in flux" as it were..changing over from nice to nasty, albeit a tad SLOWER than we suffered around "The Forttress".
(( See comments for additional info reported HERE first ))
Moving on...
*** Remember that custom Casket store ("Til We Meet Again") I told you was coming to Glenbrook Mall?

The one that will provide your recently departed with a '49 Mercury coffin in candy-apple red?
Ain't gonna happen...
The mall has decided to NOT permit the store to open.
Here's the story:
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/deal-between-glenbrook-square-mall-and-casket-store-goes-under
Now, while I (personally) thought it was in slightly bad taste to open such a store in a MALL (where kids can ask their parents "what's that Mommy?", or.."Ooh, I want one of THOSE, Daddy.",) there are locations in the mall that get little traffic, and might accommodate such a business.
But the mall is refusing to give a REASON (or even an excuse) for the change of mind.
Public opinion was favorable about the store opening (people were DYING to go there...you may now GROAN...lol)
What the business SHOULD do is open the damn store down here on the...(...all together gang...shout it out...)...SOUTHEAST SIDE!
Put it up in the vacant area alongside the K-Mart...plenty of room...AND plenty of shootings (and even death) to make it rather a lucrative prospect.
(I know...problem solved...thank you, thank you...it's what I do)
Now, onto the GOOD stuff...
*** More congrats are in order for the Ft. Wayne Komets as they are getting ONE game closer to winning the semi-finals and snagging another Turner Cup.
*** Lastly, TODAY is the REAL start of the "summer blockbuster" movie season (fellow blogger CWM will LIKE this part...I can FEEL it...lol), and what BETTER way to kick it off, but with probably THE movie to see...(again and again)...

ALL you comic book "heroes and heroines" out there know EXACTLY "who" I'm talking about, and it's not John Steed and Emma Peel.
(I have GOT to to SO storm the toy store...LOL!!!)
The Marvel universe comes to life in ALL it's glory with a cavalcade of superheroes such as Nick Fury, The Hulk, Captain America, Hawkeye, Iron Man, Black Widow and Thor, the god of thunder!

How flipping COOL is THAT?
Now, some of you might be thinking it's gonna be ALL action...not so.
It's about the PEOPLE (okay...and some really great action sequences)...or more correctly the "super" people with everyday issues...such as being able to GET ALONG and "play nice" TOGETHER.

Here you have all these folks with really cool powers, and yet, they have some DEEP personal issues (like turning big, green and raging when you get pissed off) and have trouble working as a TEAM (a god working with "mortals"?).

THAT is the crux of the movie...being able to "ASSEMBLE"...to unite for a common cause...and to emerge victorious.

And I think there might be a lesson to learn in there for EVERY one of us...if we pay attention.

To quote Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr) from the movie:

"If we can't protect the earth...you can be damned sure we'll AVENGE it."

--Kicking-bad guy ass just got a WHOLE lot cooler.

I've collected comics for a long time...since the 1960s, and I have a few people to thank for that.

One of them has sadly passed on, and that makes this movie premiere for me bittersweet.

My dear buddy, Hank (I knew him longer than my father), who we all used to call THE HULK (because his overall size MATTERED...lol) was someone I met in high school (think "my bodyguard" kinda guy), and we used to hit the drugstore (for comic books) several times a week on the way home.

Hell, on our old street hockey team, he had a day-glow GREEN goalie mask and on his jersey was the word HULK...lol.

And he always used to call me "Spidey" because I used to be a helluva lot more limber and quick than I am forty years hence (and standing together, we were proportionally sized correctly in height and girth).

And through the years until his untimely death (complications from diabetes), we ALWAYS kept in touch, and ALWAYS with comic book references.

Yet, when I see those superheroes we used to only be able to read about in some comic we bought monthly (and often had to wait several weeks for the conclusions to the stories...talk about cliff-hangers) come "alive" on the BIG screen, and in such a wonderful expression of the genre, it does kinda put a lump in my throat...because he would have LOVED to see this.

Yet...somewhere, deep down inside, I'd like to think he DID have a hand in all of this (somehow)...it would be JUST like him to pull something like this the hell off.

So, with both a childlike exuberance and a slightly heavy heart, I welcome this movie into "the fold", and trust that the kid in you will take the time to not only enjoy what I believe to be a very good flick, but to attend to the messages that we all can learn along the way.

Life and it's meanings can be like that...overt at some times, covert in others.

All WE have to do along the way is be mindful and watchful of such things, so as not to deny ourselves of ALL that life can have to offer.

Do have yourselves a fantastic weekend.

Be well, make a difference to someone today, and as always...

Stay SAFE out there, America.

Believe It...Or Else...

Welcome to our first Thursday edition of the strange, unusual, and the bizarre.
And today's forecast is gonna make you think we're into JULY rather than May. Temperatures expected in the mid to upper EIGHTIES.
Break out those shorts, show us your skinny legs and bony knees, and keep that suntan oil (that smells of coconuts) nearby.
*** And we'll have a take on THAT in a bit, but first....the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? military quote:

"Men with a sharpness of mind are to be found only among those with a penchant for thought."
This was spoken by Shiba Yoshimasa, The Chikubaso, 1380 (Ideals of the Samurai, tr. William Wilson, 1982)
Here's the WIKI on Shiba and his writings:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushid%C5%8D_literature#The_Chikubasho
Now, I've read much on the code of Bushido, but even I did not hear of this man until recently.
But it makes sense that SOMEONE would come along and get all the "good stuff" down on rice paper.
Sadly, there are no paintings, etchings, carvings or ANY real picture OF Yoshimasa (and Polaroids were still several HUNDRED years off), so one can only surmise that he appeared much like some feudal lord in an Akira Kurosawa epic movie from the 1950s (think Throne of Blood or Seven Samurai).
Moving on...
*** Has everyone seen this mom with the TANNING ADDICTION?

Here's the story of this "other-hued" (person from the New Jersey dot com site:
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/05/nj_tanning_mom_i_love_to_tan_b.html
Now, a nice, HEALTHY looking tan is to be admired in many circles...BUT...one can always carry a good thing TOO FAR (and most times, ONLY in New Jersey...lol).
Shades of the book BLACK LIKE ME (a good read, BTW)
James Whitmore played the lead character in the 1964 movie.
We've all spent hours in the sun, (so don't deny it) working on "that look"...and no "farmer's tan" (unless you were a farmer...or a truck driver) and definitely (for the ladies) NO "bikini lines", right?
Hell, I got toasted in Daytona Beach ages ago...couldn't wear shoes or socks for like THREE days - talk about a buzz-kill holiday, but that's what happens when you nod out in such a beautiful venue.
But, nabbing a tan down in ARUBA is a much nicer experience than that...well, it used to be back in the late '70s before Dutch murderers kidnapped young girls.

Yet, in THIS case from "Joisey", we have a woman fixated on making herself look like Al Jolson's illegitimate sister.
Cripes, she's got George Hamilton beat by a DOZEN shades.
What it up with THAT?
I'm sorry, but I think THIS is a case for Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson...((ROFL!))
Isn't there some kinda LAW (or ban) against "black face" these days?
I mean, this sure isn't the era of Archie Bunker showing up in black-face at the hospital to see his grandson born after leaving his lodge's MINSTREL SHOW. Are not the uber-sensitive race-baiters out there foaming at the mouth on this, crying some sort of race-hatred?

And if not...WHY not (probably too busy committing assaults on other-raced folks)?
And her child is in the mix, too, although "mom" has stated she did NOT place her daughter in a tanning bed.
Then explain WHY she was SO sunburn, and WHY protection wasn't used to keep her from becoming a "crispy critter" when outdoors?
Cripes, even Snooki calls the tanning mom "crazy"...so what does THAT tell you, hmm???
Jersey IS...as Jersey DOES...that much is certain.
(and WEIRD is a way of life there)
*** An update to the shooting at Foster's Sports Bar along Clinton St (at the McKinnie "5 points"):
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/crime/one-person-in-serious-condition-after-shooting-at-fosters-sports-pub-parking-lot
*** And STILL nothing further on that Winter St. shooting that sent one to hospital back on 17 April...curiouser and curiouser.
Someone doesn't want anyone to know WHAT went down, and if it required a person to be transported to a medical facility, it MUST have been a bigger deal than we're being led to believe. The media buried this story faster then people drop bad habits.
*** Yet out in Warsaw, Indiana, they ARE making drug busts...like THIS one:
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/crime/cocaine-bust-nabs-illegal-alien

Imagine THAT...and ILLEGAL ALIEN...here in INDIANA...dealing COCAINE (of all things)...!
(who knew?)
SOMEONE knew, and took his sorry ass the hell DOWN.
Police there received a tip that Ernesto was selling ILLEGAL drugs (as opposed to selling those LEGAL drugs...like Metamucil and Pepto Bismol?)
Gee, this guy reminds me of the one living across the street from us, next block up...the Hispanic working at the Tin Caps concessions with all those body tatts...(gee did I say that? I was just thinking out loud). Nah, we probably don't have ANY illegals here in Ft. Wayne...right?
(...and I'm slated to become the next President instead of Romney...LMAO!)
The FWPD better start keeping closer tabs on those who "could" be illegals, because the area down here is becoming more "se habla Espanol", and less "whuddup, dawg?"
*** And now for something "different"...
I really LIKE the AMISH...I admire their devotion, their ethics, even if the men are a tad overbearing when it comes to how they treat their women-folk, and the clothes are a bit "dated".

They DO make nice furniture and houses...and barns, lots of barns. Good SOLID constructs.
They also make some good FOOD, too (scrapple being among them...don't ask...you don't wanna know what it contains...it just TASTES good, trust me.)
And I think those buggies they drive around are fine with me on the roads.
Apparently, some others don't think as "highly"...
WANE TV had a multi-part story about the buggies and the "hazard" they might cause along the roads of Indiana...
It was a decent story, and the reporter did well by it, but I think some people are trying to make mountains out of mole hills here.

The story came right on the heels of a fatal crash between a van and a buggy, which left THREE of the children in the buggy DEAD...the horse injured (later put down), and the van driver who had ADMITTED to TEXTING just before the accident unharmed.
Here's the initial story:
http://www.wane.com/dpp/traffic/incidents/crash-kills-one-sends-five-to-hospital
And here is a followup with the third victim dying:
http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/news/local/Van-Rear-Ends-Buggy-1-Dead-3-Injured--147800045.html
And the multi-part story from WANE:
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/15-finds-out--whos-holding-the-reins
Okay, so we have YOUNG people driving the buggies around the counties...what's the problem there?
Aren't these "kids" TAUGHT a lot more responsibility at a YOUNGER age than "our" kids?
And what exactly IS the TOP SPEED of a buggy? About FIFTEEN MILES PER HOUR?
I don't see the hazard they are supposed to be causing, as long as the REST OF US are PAYING THE HELL ATTENTION behind OUR wheels as we drive around. Sure, we might be stuck BEHIND one and get bent out of shape because they're slowing US down, but still...what's the big deal? We can almost ALWAYS go AROUND them (when traffic allows), right?

I ask you...WHO presents more of a hazard on our roads...the Amish buggy driver doing 10-15 MPH along the RIGHT SIDE of a road, or some driver with more attitude than brains behind the wheel of some 3000+ lb chunk of steel, rubber and plastic, motoring along over the legal speed limit (and texting or doing something that diverts their attention FROM the road ahead)?
Now, if the bishops of the Amish churches wish to impose an AGE restriction as to WHO can drive a buggy, that's on THEM and them alone...it's not for US to decide how THEY are to live THEIR lives. We don't need to intrude in THEIR culture anymore than they on us (not that they ever would WANT to).
We are the real hazards on the roads today...period.
And there are a myriad of reasons WHY we're not "on our game" while driving, that are too numerous to mention here.
If we're not IMPAIRED in some fashion, we're busy with something ELSE and not devoting our full sensory involvement with driving our vehicle.
I say let the Amish be...THEY'RE not running buggies headlong into convenience stores, and NOT causing 6-buggy pileups on the Interstate, and definitely NOT creating havoc while running from police in some high-speed pursuit through several counties.
*** Lastly today...we need to tend to our OWN problems, and not necessarily every issue regarding others.

And we need to tend to such things FIRST, if we're ever to become able to even advise others on THEIR problems.
We need to step back a bit, and not be in some all-mighty hurry ALL the damn time, because time will move at the same pace, regardless at whatever speed WE feel compelled to travel at...and our destination will usually ALWAYS be there when we arrive.

Whether it's an Amish buggy, a motorcyclist, bicyclist, or even a pedestrian, we ALL need to give THEM the break they deserve in the hierarchy of travel, because if you're in a car, truck, van, or SUV, you're pretty much at the "top of the food chain", and everyone else below you has "the right-of-way" over YOU, due to the fact that YOU are supposed to control your vehicle BETTER than they can control theirs (or themselves)...

That's just the way it's supposed to work.

And when it works in such a manner, we ALL win, and that means that we ALL get back home intact...the manner in which God intended.

I like when that happens.

And so should we all.

Be well, make a difference to someone, and...

Stay SAFE out there, America.