Tuesday Tidbits...

Welcome to another somewhat quasi-fair day here in the "Summit City".
(if you like the color gray)
Although I've heard there's some fog out there, I'm sure it's only in the outlying and rural parts of the area.
But I will confess that downtown at City Hall, they appear to operate in a FOG most of the time.
Our Hooiserland weather today will find us with mostly cloudy skies with temps reaching back into the FORTIES.
Might have a chance of light showers in the afternoon, too.
Looks to be we've chased winter away for about seven months.
So, got get yourself a nice hot cup of whatever you want to chase the morning chill away and we'll take a look at what else has been rattling around in my mind...and elsewhere.
*** First out of the starting gate is our "What the hell happens today, Bob? feature:
March 10 - 
---Today is MIDDLE NAME PRIDE DAY...((ahem))

Uh oh...we're in deep doo-doo now.

Okay, then. What about those who have TWO middle names (I know many Catholics that have that)?
Do they take pride in BOTH?
Or the FIRST of the two?

Inquiring minds want to know.
---It's also the INTERNATIONAL DAY OF AWESOMENESS.
And, as the saying goes: "Nobody's perfect, but everyone can be awesome"

Happy 75th Birthday, BTW.

Take time to notice YOUR own personal awesomeness...you might like it.
*** Next up, we bring you the infamous SHOTS FIRED (and armed robbery) calls in Fort Wayne that NO ONE takes notice of (except yours truly):

SHOTS FIRED (and armed robberies) - 3/03/08
===========================================
MARCH 1-
NO armed robberies
MARCH 2-
NO shots fired
1 armed robberies
MARCH 3-
15F025625 04:01:59 113 SHOTS FIRED 1600 REED RD
15F025626 04:30:14 113 SHOTS FIRED 1600 REED RD
NO armed robberies
MARCH 4-
15F026047 04:55:48 113 SHOTS FIRED 1400 HIGH ST
15F026292 16:33:45 113 SHOTS FIRED 1900 GREENTREE CT
MARCH 5-
15F026520 10:37:49 113 SHOTS FIRED 4300 SMITH ST
15F026805 22:20:36 113 SHOTS FIRED 3400 CHEVIOT DR
1 armed robbery
MARCH 6-
NO shots fired
2 armed robberies
MARCH 7-
15F027346 03:37:57 113 SHOTS FIRED 3300 CONGRESS AVE
15F027351 03:53:56 113 SHOTS FIRED 2800 EUCLID AVE
15F027592 19:04:47 113 SHOTS FIRED 3200 WINTER ST
15F027596 19:17:44 113 SHOTS FIRED 4400 GAYWOOD DR
15F027598 19:18:28 113 SHOTS FIRED 400 WIEBKE ST & WARSAW ST
15F027617 20:13:47 113 SHOTS FIRED 300 FLEMING AVE W
15F027643 21:44:53 113 SHOTS FIRED 3200 WINTER ST
15F027697 23:41:53 113 SHOTS FIRED 4300 ANTHONY WAYNE DR SW
15F027705 23:44:17 113 SHOTS FIRED 4600 BOWSER AVE
((that's more like it)
1 armed robbery
MARCH 8-
15F027712 00:16:04 113 SHOTS FIRED 2100 MCKINNIE AVE & PLAZA DR
15F027713 00:17:23 113 SHOTS FIRED 4000 ARLINGTON AVE
15F027718 00:26:06 113 SHOTS FIRED 2200 MCKINNIE AVE & ABBOTT ST
15F027743 01:31:27 113 SHOTS FIRED 4600 HOLTON AVE
15F027801 05:26:55 113 SHOTS FIRED 4100 BUELL DR
15F028027 21:59:11 113 SHOTS FIRED 800 COTTAGE AVE
NO armed robberies
==========================================
Naturally, the MAJORITY of calls occur on the good old, ghetto-loving SOUTHEAST SIDE.
Sure makes me wonder why the FWPD isn't getting a handle on this? Any ideas, there, chief "Garry"???
(didn''t think so - you were too busy walking in the Selma commemoration here)
Moving on...
*** This goes to show that you can't seem to come home from CHURCH without some asshole pulling a potentially dangerous "prank".
Here's the WANE story link out of Greenwood, Indiana:
http://wane.com/2015/03/09/greenwood-family-returns-from-church-to-find-works-bomb/

Serious things that go "BOOM"!

A "works bomb" is what they're calling it.
We used to call them bottle bombs - homemade devices which are chemical in nature and can produce hydrochloric acid that can burn skin, eyes...you get the idea.
Easy enough to make with household products, but nasty to find on the lawn.
I found one on OUR lawn over ten years ago (the day after what we heard to be an explosion outside).
When I found the 2 liter bottle and some residue inside it, I put on some rubber gloves and bagged the device up.
I then asked if the FWPD would be interested in taking the remains to analyze...never got an answer back.
Guess such things aren't THAT important in Ft. Wayne as they are in Greenwood, hmm?
At least the Johnson County Sheriff thinks it's a big deal...good for him.
*** Next up, Parkview Hospital has been doing well of late and here's the proof:
http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20150310/NEWS/150309673/1012/LOCAL
This is a really good article (by Kevin Leininger) and has a video included.

I can speak from "experience" with my visits there, brief as they were.
A very well-orchestrated facility with marvelous staffing.
*** Next, I'm a little late to the party here (blame it on the daylight saving time crap), but this story about Curt Schilling (formerly of the Phillies and Red Sox) and his daughter and social media was too good to pass up.

Back in the day...great times in Philly.

Here's the link from Grantland.com:
http://grantland.com/the-triangle/oldish-dog-newest-tricks-lessons-from-curt-schillings-satisfying-internet-victory/
THIS is why I don't do all the social media garbage...

It's not that I can't see another viewpoint and hold honest debate on a given topic, or even take constructive criticism (however infrequent that occurs...lol), it's just I can't stand the idiots who mouth (read type) off JUST to demonstrate their lack of knowledge and utter stupidity with their rants over something they have no interest in, save for fostering their own unique brand of OPPOSITIONAL DEFIANCE DISORDER.
And I'm glad to see Schilling strike back at the morons out there in the manner he did.
Nice to see Curt still be able to pull a SHUTOUT from his glove.
*** Last back to the garage...I'm all for freedom of speech.

Our FIRST AMENDMENT tells us as much:
((Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.))
Kinda sums it all up, doesn't it?
And quite comprehensively to boot.
Personally, I think there is no reason to BAN words or yes, even speech.

"Mmmphhh"

Everyone has the right to their own opinion, and as we ALL know opinions are like assholes - everyone HAS one, right?
Thing is, and here's where it get's "tricky'"..it's not the WORDS doing the damage as much as the PEOPLE who express their thoughts, opinions, expressions, outrage, whatever.
(like blaming the gun for the murder of someone by another)
When people cannot practice a modicum of SELF-RESTRAINT, that is when we have trouble.
You don't HAVE to say everything that's on your mind all the time...to every soul on the planet...for no good reason.
But people DO...and with a much more cavalier attitude than has been expressed in the past.
Another thing that goes hand-in-glove with this is the MANNER the people express themselves, from a more clinical and educational standpoint.
Rarely do you have someone telling off another person (probably online) with the quality of speech that would make William F. Buckley envious.
It's all gutter-based vitriol, with as many monosyllabic references as possible.
So, in our "rush" to alleviate such social patterns, we start banning WORDS.

Seems a good way to proceed.

And yet, is it more about the CONTENT of a word than the CONTEXT of it that has become the bane of our speech these days?
How often do we hear people go off on some tangent, excoriating others when the CONTEXT of what was originally said gets tossed out with the baby and the bath water?

Yep, that's it.

Some people focus ONLY on the CONTENT, rather than the CONTEXT, or they bend the context to FIT the content.
MLK said that we should judge people on the CONTENT of their character...all well and good.
But when it comes to the WORDS that people speak, it gets complicated, because if we take JUST the content without knowing (or caring about) the context of what's being said, it becomes a real problem.
I used to remember Rush Limbaugh a long time ago saying "Words mean something", and I took that to heart.
The Bible speaks to that just as well in many instances.
And in today's world, we've got more words than ever, and yes, they DO mean something, but HOW they are (mis)interpreted by others is fast becoming the "go-to" medium for our social networking.
I say speak your mind when required, and choose your words well. Others will attempt to twist and turn what you might say against you and your beliefs, but hold fast to what you KNOW to be true...and right.
It's fine to attack the message (if you are knowledgeable about WHAT is being said), but leave attacking the messenger to the idiots who don't have an inkling as to what THEY are talking about. They will get theirs (eventually), for what foes around comes around.
Therein lies the lesson for today.

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