Friday Follies...

It's the end of the week at last, the first FULL day of Spring, and it's SNOWING outside this morning...huh, wha???
Didn't we just leave this party?
This isn't supposed to last according to the reports (thank God for that).
Today, when all this crap decides to halt, we will see a high of around 57 degrees (sure to bring the ghetto-sleds out with their annoying stereos), with mostly sunny skies and with some windy conditions, gusting to 25 mph.
Got some rain moving in later this evening with a low around 34, so enjoy it if you can.
In the meantime, feel free to refill that warm and soothing morning beverage as we take a gander at what's been happening...
*** First off the stove today, one very important reason why you won't catch me building models in the basement over the winter

My P-40 Tomahawk

When I do build a model, I like to paint it properly, and usually that entails applying some SPRAY paint from a can (model paints only, mind you).
But, during winter months, the furnace has this nasty habit of coming ON to heat the house, and that means the pilot light fires up the burner assembly and the combustion tube that makes all that very warm air the goes into the house...
Suffice it to say that atomized petro-chemical fumes and open flames don't exactly play WELL together.
And I don't want to wind up OUTside the house while the INSIDE burns down.
There is one person that didn't quite figure all that out, however, like in THIS story:
http://wane.com/news/local/fwfd-spray-paint-ignited-house-fire/

Only one word...OOPS!

He found out the HARD way...damn shame. It's a pretty nice house...well, parts of it aren't now.
In HIS case, the fumes were ignited by JUST the water heater (another source of an open pilot flame).
And THAT is why whenever I DO use model spray paints in our basement, I have a FAN to ventilate the fumes away from ANY ignition sources.
Word to the wise, hmm?
*** Next up, City Council proves that they're not worth much of the space they take the hell up.
And here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140321/LOCAL/303219971/1002/LOCAL
LOVE the headline - City snow committee gets no traction...LMAO!
That about sums it up for ME.

It's on the books - ENFORCE it.

It seems that several members of council (tasked with working on this issue) can't figure out WHO would enforce snow removal from sidewalks (says Smiling Tom Smith - 1st district)
How about Code Enforcement? The Police?
I mean if the WEEDS are cause enough to have removed, even at a person's expense when the city does it, then what's the big deal with snow removal?
Someone MUST have thought such an ordinance needed writing, otherwise whoever wrote it would NOT have, right?
This is a public SAFETY issue, especially near schools and along roads and streets with heavier traffic.
To me, this should be a no-brainer.
Council's task force is considering writing a new law.
Even Russ Jehl seems to be backing off of this when it comes to the ENTIRE city - he'd rather work within the immediate areas of schools, and while that's fine, there are many OTHER places that LEAD to those schools that require action against scofflaws who do NOT clear their sidewalks.

If the city won't enforce it, WHY shovel?

But, at this point in time, it's all academic, in that the chance of another snow event severe enough to warrant shoveling will most likely not occur until winter comes back later this year...nice job dropping the ball, people.
No one is interested in enforcing this law, and Jehl says "You are truly talking about people who have no regard for the community, who are able-bodied, but just don't care"...there 'ya go, Jeff...that's EXACTLY who we're talking about.
Hit them a few times in the WALLET, and they'll shape the hell up, if someone can "grow a pair" to make the call.
Jehl also suggested working with the Downtown Improvement District in it's efforts to keep DOWNTOWN sidewalks clear...(oh, hell yes...everything for downtown, screw everyone else).
((shakes head))...so typical.
*** Here is our "WTF???" story of the day...because you KNOW we have one.

C'mon now,.you KNEW it was coming.

The thug-ass perp that was originally DENIED bail by a judge had that ruling overturned.
Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140321/LOCAL03/303219975
Guess we can start calling Judge John Surbeck the NEW "turn 'em loose" guy.

The story states that bail for Trameil Jackson (and not part of the Jackson 5) has now been set at a much higher $250K .
(even though the initial bail of $50K was denied and was warranted from the prosecutor's office by his being "a threat to public safety" BY this punk).
The first judge said that was fine - no bail.
The second judge said nope - bail set.
Another PUBLIC SAFETY issue is ignored...where is our DIRECTOR of such things?
That means "gangsta-boy" here only needs 10% of the bail ($25K) to get his sorry ass back on the street, if I remember my bail/bond amounts correctly.
Who knows, we might get lucky and if he does get out, someone ELSE will cap his ass, and we can save the judicial system a lot of moolah.
(that's called a HAPPY ending, BTW)
*** And just in case you thought we DIDN'T have a freak-show in this city, comes this story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140321/LOCAL07/303219927/1002/LOCAL

There's a space on my NOSE for rent!

Michael C. Back, also posing as Ray Bradbury's Illustrated Man, or the local tattoo addict, has been arrested on charges of reckless driving, carrying a handgun w/o a license, after firing a dozen rounds into the sky (while driving) a week ago.
They should have tossed in reckless endangerment, (possible) vandalism, discharging a firearm inside city limits, and being terminally STUPID.
You take one look at this jerkwad and you can IMMEDIATELY tell that his life isn't going ANYWHERE anytime soon.
(and he's married...cripes, what woman would want to wake up next to THAT?)
He is one FUGLY-ass dude!
What's next...the dog-faced boy or the lizard-woman?
I used to like the guys that ate broken glass...lol.
We need to find the rock this creature crawled out from under...and put him the hell BACK (hah..last name's Back...love that)
*** Lastly today, you certainly do NOT have to go very far to find examples of what passes for our CULTURE these days.

And sadly, that's NOT what this nation should represent to itself...or the world.
American has always been called a "melting pot", and that means from many (nations) - one (nation), and we added UNDER GOD...and added INDIVISIBLE, as in unable to become divided.
We've tended to "stray" a bit from those tenets, haven't we?
The worst part to this, is that we've allowed it to happen to ourselves. We've allowed that which used to be not permitted, and where has a lot of that gotten us? Sure, we have made tremendous social strides in such areas as womens' rights and civil rights (or even gay rights), but we're not talking about that which we should have had from our nation's inception.
What about all the nonsensical things we've permitted  JUST for the sake of permitting them?
It's the whole "change for change sake" ploy once again...and nearly every day.
We've created double-standards out the ass, taken "free" speech to mean hate speech (when it's convenient, like in certain forms of modern music or what some would call "art").
And whenever someone comes along to make the case against such harmful things to our society, they become branded a pariah.
These days we worry way too much about the trivial, and all but ignore the important, as we (as a society) has reclassified the trivial AS the important.
(it's like reclassifying crimes to other less important crimes to make crime seem like it's going DOWN, when it's actually on the RISE).
What has our nation's culture become, and do we really even still HAVE a culture here any longer, and if not, why not?
If you've ever asked these questions, then you're not alone, and perhaps in the coming weeks we'll be visiting the issue and seek the answers we need.
In the meantime...

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