Friday Follies...

Where's the chocolates?

Welcome to the end of another week, and a full moon tonight...AND Valentine's Day.
The Hoosierland weather today is a bit on the surprising side...temps are ALREADY into the low 20s with a high today in the UPPER 20s.
Next week, it'll be in the UPPER FORTIES...(holy crap!)
Yeah, THAT oughta make the roads rather interesting. As if they haven't been for the last two weeks, right?
It's also a bit breezy out there, so blowing snow might be a problem.
Expect mostly clouds today, as we may have a little snow shower here and there, but with NO accumulation.
Now, let's top off that comfortingly warm morning beverage of choice, and get ourselves busy with what else is going on...
*** First out of the slalom gate today is yes...ANOTHER shooting on the city's ghettoesque...(...all together kids...)...SOUTHEAST SIDE.

Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140214/LOCAL07/302149965
I chose THIS version of the story from media sources, because it clearly demonstrates how little some people down here respect police and the job they are trying to do.
The shooting took place yesterday around 1550 hrs in the 7900 block of Serenity Drive (Cripes, THAT place again?) in the government-sponsored housing complex known as Centennial Townhomes.
When police first arrived, they had difficulty locating witnesses or a victim.
One male was found by police suffering from a gunshot wound and was initially listed in serious condition, but upgraded to  good condition after being transported to hospital. (wonder how many taxpayers it takes to PAY for all these hospital costs and TRAA runs?)

Weren't we just here an HOUR ago, Sarge?

FWPD spokesman, Officer John Chambers stated it was unclear whether the victim was shot in a vehicle or outside near an apartment. (thought they were townhomes?) The name of the vic is being withheld pending notification of the family.
And it has not been determined if THIS shooting is related to the double shooting along Decatur Rd two days ago (less than a mile from Serenity Drive).
But, it's this one baby-mama that was milling about the crime scene that is a big part of stories like these.
She had an infant on her hip, wrapped in a blanket, and tried (unsuccessfully) to breach the perimeter established by the yellow crime-scene tape.

This is there...FOR A REASON!

One officer told her "I'm not going to tell you again".
She said "Are you serious? It's mah son".
When this woman saw a news crew, she mouthed off "Donchew puh me on de nooz...Ah don wan mah bidnez on de teevee" (yes, that's as close as you're going to get with the inflections and enunciation with low-information people).
At least she wasn't speaking in Ebonics.
No witnesses but someone who is RIGHT there, in the faces of the po-po, who are trying their damnedest to find out the FACTS of what went down...and she thinks she's "entitled" to wander wherever the hell she pleases?
I don't think so.
THIS is indicative of the "disconnect" such people have with law-enfiorcement. It's all some kind of show to them...UNTIL it hits close to home (wherever it happens to be this month) and then they want the police to solve whatever crime in UNDER AN HOUR...just like "on the TV"...
Sorry, doesn't work that way, Moutheisha. STFU...and leave the police to their job-at-hand.
Moving on...
*** When is a pastor NOT a pastor? When he's a convicted CHILD MOLESTER.
Here's the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140214/LOCAL03/302149972
Pastor James Burton was convicted of two out of four child molestation counts and will be sentenced to between 20-50 years...talk about penitence.
Now, I can expect things like this, however horrible to happen with "ordinary" people, but when it concerns a "member of the cloth", it should be especially disturbing. We've heard the tales of priests over the decades, and similar stories about preachers pursuing their own lusts rather than staying the course with practicing what GOD wants from them.
Funny, rarely hear about a RABBI doing this kind of thing...and we won't even get into the atrocities committed against women and children from radical Islamists. Maybe it's just me, but RELIGION used to mean something as I was growing up, and nowhere did it even mention molesting children.
In fact, the Bible teaches just the OPPOSITE (except in the Old Testament, where you CAN stone your kids for not following God's LAW...but since we're no longer under THAT dispensation, the point IS a moot one).
Nowadays, kids get "stoned" in other ways...
But the punishment fits the crime with THIS pastor...as well it should.
And to molest a FOSTER child, thinking it's okay because "she's not blood" is a very poor excuse for such a crime.
Be interesting how he decides to resolve this with his creator.
***  Next up...yes, today is Valentine's Day, and to put this in it's proper perspective and context, here's the  WIKI on it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine's_Day

Not the "cupid" you were expecting?

Now, TECHNICALLY, this IS a "religious" observance day. It's NOT a federal, state or local "holiday", so no one gets off of work.
And, since the basis for this observance IS religious in nature, I better not see ANY atheists sending valentines or buying chocolates for loved ones...LOL.
Betcha they never even thought of that...did they?
It's like the IN GOD WE TRUST on ALL our money.
How do atheists resolve THAT issue? (well, you could deny them the money in their own best interest)

What? I just FED you.

I'm not really speaking to ALL atheists,however...just the few radical looney-toon ones that feel the need to bust on CHRISTIANS for their beliefs and never have an argument worthy of debate to counter a discussion about God.
I don't really get into it anymore...then again, I'm not young, dumb and in "love" several times a week with the little girl in 5th grade with pig-tails, or the young lady who was on the cheerleader squad who I had as good a chance of dating her as I would with opening a SNO-CONE stand in Hades.
I'm with the "love should be some sort of daily thing" crowd, and that doesn't include hugging trees.
When I see something Wifey might like...I just get it...don't need a special day for it.
Think of it as a Valentine that keeps on giving long after one day.
*** Lastly today, we talk about love on this day, and rightly so.
It's a pretty popular day for SALES of certain items like flowers (roses primarily), chocolates, jewelry, and even for the filthy rich...cars houses and well, you get the idea there.

Who ate all the ones that said "sexy"?

But since there are a myriad of TYPES (and depths) of love, from the Godly to the human; the profound as well as the profane, the love of self which can enable one to better love others...with all this (and more), shouldn't there be a similar amount of ways to express and celebrate THOSE?

I mean a love a good movie or book...no holiday for those.
I love our cats (well singular these days) and aside from his birthday, there's not much else.
I love shooting, but there is no REAL "sales event" to celebrate that (ammo prices are still high).
I love a good bottle of scotch or bourbon, but there isn't a sale on either - I checked. (and no day to celebrate...not that I really NEED one...lol).
I love watching birds, and although there MUST be a "bird-watching day" someplace, not one sale to be found on seed.
I love a lot of music, but no sales on CDs (unless it's all love songs) and nobody observing the group Boston, or Led Zep, or even Ted Nugent.
I love this city (still love Philly more, though), but when I see all the crap the city (and it's leaders) allows to take root and fester like some disease destined to become gangrenous and eventually needing to be amputated, I can't feel the love THERE.
I love this house, in spite of the money it costs to maintain, but it's hard to not become depressed with deteriorating conditions around us.
So you can see, there is a love for most anything or anyone, and I suppose that in order to have such a love, one must possess a certain degree of passion, in order to allow that love to grow, and to make that love worthwhile to all involved (even if it's just yourself).
Perhaps if people devoted themselves more to ALL the aspects of what is considered true and honest love, we'd be a lot better off.
Enjoy the day. DO have yourselves a good weekend.

Be well, make a difference to someone today, and as always...
Stay SAFE out there, America.