Friday Follies...

It's the end to another week here in the Heartland of America.
And we're never at a loss for something to discuss, at least as long as the wrong people are running this country and ruining our lives, right?
The Hoosierland weather today is supposed to have some rain attached to it...the rain we didn't seem to get last night. It will be mostly cloudy today with a high around 70..a far cry from yesterday's (record) high of 89, beating the old high one degree lower, and that smacks back to 1979 (must have had some climate change going on THEN too).
So, go get that morning beverage of choice filled back up, as I promise to take things a bit on the "lighter" side...after we dispense with some of the bullsh*t that never seems to stop flowing...
*** First out of the hog wallow today is something that even Stevie Wonder could have seen coming.

Yes, the stupidity NEVER seems to end.

And here's the story link (w/video) to PROVE it:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140509/LOCAL/305099975

That's OUR money!

Yep, EXACTLY like it's predecessor, COSTAPLENTY SQUARE ONE (aka Parkview Field and The Harrison), this new Ash Brokerage deal, which I have referred to as COSTAPLENTY SQUARE TWO...is gonna cost MORE than originally stated.
(anyone seeing a recurring PATTERN with the city leadership?)
It seems this project (determined to make the DOWNTOWN area SO much better (while other areas like the SE side continue to devolve) and fundamentally "change" the skyline of our city will cost ANOTHER $20 MILLION of CITY funding.
It comes down to the PARKING AREA (that's the city-funded part) and will yield 450 more parking spots. That basically boils down to about $444.84 PER SPOT...kinda "pricey", don'cha think?
And then there is talk of the "basement" TO the garage...for those additional 450 parking spots.
MY garage doesn't have a basement...just a LOFT.
So, if we chose NOT to add the basement, we COULD save that money?
Naturally, our City Council WILL "rubber stamp" this baby...as they always do when in LOCKSTEP-MODE.

Don't they ALWAYS when it comes to "DOWNTOWN"?

Doesn't matter HOW NICE the DOWNTOWN area becomes (and at what cost), this city will ONLY be AS good as it's WORST area, and we ALL know where THAT (still ignored) place is...don't we?
Moving on...
*** WPTA had a pretty good story last evening about the crackdown by this "new" gang unit in Fort Wayne.
Here's the story link (w/ video):
http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/news/local/Criminal-Crackdown-An-Inside-Look-At-The-New-Gang-Unit-VIDEO-258544861.html

Yeah...you been BUSTED, dawg!

The story states that the crims are laying low...('ya think?) and that many times, when someone IS pulled over for a traffic violation, the unit finds illegal drugs and/or illegal guns in the vehicle.
One aspect to the story that I thought was WOEFULLY missing was any mention of anything by either FWPD chief Hamilton OR Dir.of Public Safety, Rusty York...it's like neither of them exists (and that COULD be construed as a good thing in many ways...LOL)
*** Next up and definitely on the LIGHTER side of things, we've had PLENTY of activity at our feeder...makes me wonder what would happen if we had about THREE more.
And the water dish is getting a workout to boot...

That's NOT a bathtub, guys!

We finally got to see some of the FEMALE of the species (rose-breasted grosbeak), and I have to say that they LOVE the feeder as much as the males.

Who's watching WHO now?

Do I watch YOU eat, Bob?

Hey...you lookin' at MY girlfriend, pal?

And my one squirrel buddy seems to have lost his fur (?), so I call him "Wrinkles" now...he looks like a hairless dog, but he still has a fairly bushy tail.

Wrinkles the Squirrel - in all his hairlessness.

I did some checking on his condition, and I read that it's not THAT uncommon to see, as a fungus can often be the cause of hair loss, and is not fatal.
Well, he does still takes peanuts out of my hand, so that's good to know (and yes, I do wash my hands afterwards...don't want to lose any MORE of MY hair...LOL)
I still have to get some more plants in the ground...like my tomatoes and cayenne...perhaps this weekend, after we get whatever rain is predicted.

Broadview Nursery on Winchester Rd.

Wifey wants to stop at Broadview Nursery for MORE plants this weekend, and I want to stop by the local Do-It-Best for more bird seed, and Family Dollar for another bird feeder (if they have the same type). Hey, we grab our fun where (and when) we can around this part of the ghettohood.
*** Next,  I have been slowly "getting the band back together" when it comes to action figures...more specifically THE AVENGERS figures.

Avengers Assemble - no "assembly " required.

Got my share of IRON MAN figures (from all the movies and TWO from the comics), and I got my THOR figure, and TWO different CAPTAIN AMERICA figures (one each from both movies), so it was only fitting that I find me a HULK figure.
Lo and behold, eBay to the rescue again...managed to snag me a loose Hulk figure with (get this) "fist-smashing action".

Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!

This means when you press the legs together, his arms come down as if he's doing one of those "HULK SMASH" gigs, and the best part, not only is he proportionally the right size to go with the smaller figures (twice the size, as he SHOULD be)...his jaw drops to make it appear as if he's REALLY PO'ed (like a loud growl)...that's pretty damn cool!

"HULK SMASH"!!!

(move over G.I. Joe and your "kung-fu grip").
The hard part is finding a HAWKEYE  and BLACK WIDOW figure. Hell, even the NICK FURY figures are tough to find for cheap.
Naturally, the figures I have are in a "place of honor", and that means right out front on the entertainment center...(with a NYPD police car behind them...JUST to make it seem "proper").
Now, I'm certainly NOT in the running for the "He who has the most toys when he dies...wins" category, but what the hell...it's an indulgence...a guilty pleasure as it were, and it costs a LOT less than collecting expensive cars like Jay Leno (not to mention, our garage can only fit TWO).
And, seeing these figures brings me back to better days...nothing wrong with that, hmm?
*** Lastly today...many of you out there feel much the same as I do when it comes to times past...
In many aspects, they WERE better times, in spite of the social issues we faced, and the threat of nuclear annihilation.

Kids being...KIDS, the way it USED to be.

We were allowed to be children...it was encouraged a LOT more in fact, and it's not that our parents tossed us out the door to play and then forgot about us...hell no.
We were given "rules" to follow...which we did, or we suffered the consequences.
We played with all sorts of toy GUNS, and never got our mitts on a real one to wreak havoc anywhere.

I still have mine...

We rode bikes WITHOUT helmets, and never seemed to suffer head injuries when we fell off...we got back on and rode some more.

We fell down, skinned our knees and elbows, and never ONCE sued the playground or the city because of OUR shortcomings.
We played with METAL (tin) toys, which, if mishandled COULD hurt us, so we learned HOW to not get hurt.
We played catch with REAL baseballs, and we learned not to use our face to stop the ball, and never sued the makers of the balls or gloves.
We did ALL of this, and so much more...like READING comic books.
So, it says a lot to how WE grew up, and speaks volumes as to how kids are "growing up" these days.
We didn't need smartphones to talk to our friends...we had SMART FEET to took us to THEIR HOUSES.
We didn't need iPods to listen to music all the time...we were too busy playing to be bothered with that.
We didn't have computers...we had BOOKS, that WE had to learn to READ to get information.
And again, through all of this...and much more, we managed to SURVIVE without the "help" of the over-reaching, all-powerful, all knowing, all seeing government intruding into OUR lives and turning our youth into pre-pubescent mediocrity.
We had PARENTS for THAT job (and not for any mediocrity)...parents who gave a damn about HOW we grew up, how we respected others (especially those older than us)...parents putting us back on those bicycles, encouraging us to do better in school, because THEY KNEW we COULD do better, even if we didn't.
Now you tell me...with ALL these contrivances that can (if used properly) AID us through life, rather than run our lives for us, we WERE better off back then when we did more for ourselves, and measured success or failure by what WE did or didn't do, instead of merely sticking out our hands to get something we never earned in the first place, right?
THAT...is something worth pondering.
Do have yourselves a great weekend.

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