Friday Follies...

And, it's a LOVELY Fall day outside in the Hoosierland...
((...record-scratch...))
Whoa...wait, isn't it SPRING?
The temps would have you believe otherwise...they're in the low 30s right now.
And that sun we might have seen earlier will becoming more scarce as the day progresses, because we have some RAIN coming through later.
Welcome to Indiana, where the weather is the best crap-shoot in town, and where it's also the end of the week.
The high today will reach into the mid fifties with a chance of FROST overnight.
(glad I took the plants we got last week back INSIDE the garage...for the time being)
I think the ones already potted might do alright...here's hoping anyway.
Meanwhile, go grab another cup of your favorite morning beverage of choice and well get busy with what's been going on, fair enough?
*** First out of the cooler today is this little gem which goes to show the down side of human nature.

Choose your piece and roll the dice.

Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140516/LOCAL07/305169915/1002/LOCAL
Here we have a SE side "couple" (of ghetto-fleas) who had nothing better to do when an officer responded to a call on their block to check on a code 55 (fight), than to attack the LADY LEO for placing a child who would not stop cursing at the officer into custody.
This happened this past Saturday (10 May) around 2249 Hrs in the 3600 block of Bowser Ave.
(deep in the heart of Ghettoland)

Your TAX DOLLARS at work (because they aren't)

Fanesha R. Turner,  33, and Courtney C. Turner, 28 , were both arrested on FELONY charges of battery and a charge of resisting.
What surprises me is the SAME LAST NAME...like they're actually MARRIED??? That's different down here.
There was mention of a "block party" going on (according to a story on WISE), but no other media source mentions this.

This would ALSO not surprise me, as the other week, WE had 17 vehicles at ONE  nearby house, and loud-asses talking outside until after 2AM (and after me calling the FWPD twice on them).
These "pop-up" parties are the type of thing that should be discouraged, and it's not because I'm some old fogey who hates people having fun.
(I'm not...and I don't)
Whenever you have people with no inkling what their limitations or boundaries are, there WILL be cause for some bad sh*t to go down, and sometimes, it can become fatal, as it has in the past at other "party houses" in the SE side.
I mentioned them in a post over the last couple weeks, and this is only the start of "the season" for these morons.
To have a "formal block party", one has to get a PERMIT from the city, and then they can even block off a street to hold the event. We had our share in Philly, and we NEVER had police come to break any of them the hell up...because we KNEW how to act whenever we held them, AND we got permits to do so.
These impromptu situations can occur ANY day of the week, and not just on weekends...this one should have been predictable, IF the FWPD had more patrols to notice certain habits and activities in areas such as this.

A "reality" show that NEVER ends and NO winners.

Fortunately, the officer wasn't banged up too bad, and she did get backup there ASAP to assist, but you have to remember that "people" such as these have NO regard of law-enforcement AT ALL...they all but breed it into every generation from little on up - the po-po is a BAD PERSON (to them).
But this could have gone another way, and it would not be pretty.
The state of Virginia is trying to pass some law that would LIMIT the number of people at houses, and I think it's hot some teeth to it.
It would seem that we NEED something similar in THIS city...before things get too far out of hand.

Once again, we see this occur.

You simply cannot have a small dwelling with SO damn many vehicles surrounding it that traffic becomes a nightmare and a hazard in a residential area, and that also applies to the people that frequent such "parties"...there are rules for occupancy in businesses (like restaurants) for a REASON, and there are similar rules for residential dwellings...also there for a reason, and that being a SAFETY ISSUE.
All it takes is ONE asshole to cause a major problem at ANY of these houses.
And that's one asshole TOO many, if you ask me.
Moving on...
*** We haven't seen the grosbeaks for about a week, and Wifey and I have a hunch they were only "passing through"...that's a damn shame as it was nice to see more variety at the feeders.

Gone, but not forgotten...for now anyway.

"Wrinkles" the squirrel looks to be growing back his fur, so I might have to change his nickname again.
It's cute to go to your front door, and see him "standing" there, looking up at you, like some door-to-door salesman...LOL.

Got lots of "peach fuzz" now.

(If he tries handing out a copy of THE WATCHTOWER...I might start to get a bit worried)
Anyway, it's nice to see the critters come by daily, and that reminds me...what's cuter than seeing a bunny on your patio?
What about a BABY bunny out on the lawn?
Yes, we appear to have a young'un around the yard, but he's hard to spot (Wifey and I saw him once) and he moves like The Flash!

Mr. Bunny guards the "dig" site well.

Wonder how that's going to work when the guys tear up the yard for the sewer line cleanout?
Hope they don't stay away long after the guys finish.
That's one of the (very) few positive aspects of living here...the REAL wildlife (and not the two-footed variety).
*** GM is recalling still MORE vehicles, and according to this story, are on track to break a record:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140516/BIZ/305169980/1031/BIZ
So far this year, that makes around ELEVEN MILLION vehicles, which is VERY close to it's all time recall record of 11.8 MILLION vehicles set back in 2004.
Oh, how the mighty have fallen, hmm?

This was not as "unsafe" as we were led to believe.

Like I said on the WANE comment site - sure makes that Chevrolet CORVAIR problem from the 60s,  look kinda small and insignificant.

GOOD mileage and price - one BAD design flaw.

And then there was the the Ford PINTO debacle of the 70s, and THAT looks PALE in comparison, because many of these (current) recalls have to deal with SOFTWARE issues that affect critical systems...like the BRAKES.
How about we GO BACK to making the operational systems of these vehicles MECHANICAL in nature - less chance of problems - and leave all the "software" BS to onboard amenities like the "entertainment center" GPS, ipod docks, and so on...the damn vehicles might actually RUN better (and definitely MUCH safer). Leave the "fly-by-wire" crap to the zoomies in the military.
That would probably also LOWER vehicle prices...(heaven forbid)...the UAW would have a coronary over that...LOL.
*** Next up, this weekend, Fort Wayne is hosting a comic convention down at the Grand Wayne Center
Here's the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140516/ENT/305169992/1011/FEAT
Admission is $10 and runs both Saturday and Sunday.
I am supposing there will be a "dealers room" to buy all that useless stuff that guys like myself drool over, and they are supposed to have discussion panels with authors and artists.

I remember him when we BOTH had DARK hair.

The story says that JIM STERANKO will be there, and that's a cool thing, as I remember his work with Marvel comics from the late 60s into the early 70s.
His Captain America stint alone (issues 110-113 - 1969) has some of the BEST artwork that was out there at the time, even (dare I say it?) rivaling Neal Adams (Batman-DC)
Fortunately, I have ALL those C/A issues in storage...

One of THE best covers EVER. (imho)

He also did a lot of work on the Nick Fury Agent, of SHIELD series, X-Men, Hulk, Fantastic Four, Doctor Strange and many independents.
That was a time, back in the Silver Age aka the late 60s, when you could stop by a drugstore, spot the revolving rack or the shelves where such comics could be found, and purchase really great works of comic art for a little more than one...thin...dime!
An amazing time to grow up.
*** Last back to the barn today...you have to wonder why, when we were the age of the youngster that swore at the FWPD officer, we didn't act the same way?
And the answers are as numerous as comic book titles.

We had REAL parents that taught us in no certain terms HOW to behave, WHO to respect (which was damn near everyone), and WHY we had to.
We had HOBBIES like collecting and reading comics, and we could READ them because we paid attention in something called SCHOOL.
We didn't avoid school (as some kids do today), but went and not because we were expected to (we WERE), but we wanted to, we HAD to, fs we were going to be able to read or draw or get a real job after we graduated.
Kids today in general are not concerned about such "things", and will willingly go from fad to fad to fad in search of what, exactly?
They can't even tell you for they don't have any idea...talk about a lost generation (or three)
I suppose it comes down to being too permissive as a society in general, all in the name and sake of diversity or self-esteem or "fairness"...whatever the hell the idiots wish to call it.
And they're all WRONG.
Screw that...I don't need anyone ELSE telling me about MY self esteem...I make that happen MYSELF.
We call it doing well, setting standards for oneself, and making good choices.
And I know life isn't supposed to be FAIR, unless you're willing to WORK for whatever fairness YOU can find. It all comes down to self-reliance and self-sufficiency.
Perhaps it is high time we go back to such "primitive" (read cherished) aspects of human nature...in order to progress as a society.
We won't know if we never try, right?

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