Friday Follies...

Looks like our weekend will be off to a "Marvel"-ous start, and I'll explain that particular play on words farther down.
Yes, we had to kick on the furnace last night, and don't you just love the smell that first comes from the air registers? Sure is a portent to autumn.
Our Hoosierland weather will see us with another mostly sunny day, with some passing clouds, substantial breezes, and temps reaching into the upper-60s (Oh, how we'll long for such temps in a couple months...while we're shoveling snow...lol)
So, without any further delay, let's all get our morning drinks poured and greet the day in our best manner...
*** First out of the rabbit hole is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
October 2 -
---Today is NATIONAL CUSTODIAL WORKERS RECOGNITION DAY

(do they call them JANITORS...or "maintenance engineers"?)
---It's also NATIONAL NAME YOUR CAR DAY

(and please, no epithets like "you ^@$&%* piece of sh*t!"...it's SO degrading. Remember, you are what you drive.)
---And, it's NATIONAL FRIED SCALLOPS DAY.

(Bay scallops are good, BUT, those huge SEA scallops are great...and expensive!)
---It's also NATIONAL MANUFACTURING DAY

( Wonder how that works on a "national" level when SO much is made in CHINA?
---And, it's WORLD SMILE DAY

(email some funnies to a friend and pass it along, or just grin and bear it.)
*** Since this is FRIDAY, let's see what trouble we can get into over the weekend...
October 3 -
---Saturday is NATIONAL TECHIES DAY

(and that's all she wrote - go thank a geek)
October 4 -
---Sunday is NATIONAL TACO DAY

(perhaps in MEXICO...this IS after all STILL the USofA, so I'll just "recognize" them)
---It's also NATIONAL GOLF DAY

(or as WE used to call it - "Homo-Hockey" or "Hit it and go git it")
---And, it's NATIONAL VODKA DAY

(that's most ANY day in our area the way the "locals" swill that down, and they never pronounce the "D")
There you go...all the things you need to know.
*** Next up, I know you all heard about the shootings in Oregon at that community college, and while that is a very tragic situation, we just HAD to have our "whiner-in-chief" weigh in and stick HIS two-cents where it did not belong (for the umpteenth time)..

Nice "jazz-hands"

He had to (again) decry the gun violence over this shooting, and use it as another "scare-tactic" to wage another battle for stricter gun control.
Now, as usual, he is wrong on SO many levels (as most socialist leftists tend to be).
Bill O'Reilly had a forensic criminologist (Ron Martinelli, PhD) on his program last night and even HE had to ask "What planet is he (Obummer) living on"?
My guess would be "Assholetopia"?

Never let a crisis go to waste, Mr. president.

The shooter specifically targeted Christians in the school, and looks to be a mixed-race individual. Here's one link to the main story so far:
http://nypost.com/2015/10/01/oregon-gunman-singled-out-christians-during-rampage/
And here's some data on the shooter:
http://heavy.com/news/2015/10/chris-harper-mercer-umpqua-community-college-ucc-roseburg-oregon-shooting-shooter-gunman-dead-eggman-4chan-name-id-identity-photos-twitter-social-media-facebook-youtube/

Pretty weird person, judging by what information was gleaned (imho).
Now, while ANY mass shooting , especially at a place of learning (or anywhere that innocents gather) is deplorable, let's keep all things in context.
The shooter was DISTURBED with his own agenda and manifesto.
The gun was merely a tool used in a heinous manner.
There is an old Persian proverb that goes:
"A thousand throats can be slit in a single night by a running man".
(leave it to those wackos to dream that one up and they don't need a gun)
Still, you get the point.
Whatever it takes to get the job done is the purpose of an attacker.

Another Chicago murder

But where Obummer ALWAYS goes wrong is that he NEVER seems to notice ALL the shooting that go on in his "home state" of Illinois, and from "his" city of CHICAGO.
Last week FIFTY people were shot, and the city leads the nation in homicides (by gun).
It may interest Obummer to come to the realization that Chicago has some of (if not THE) most STRICT GUN LAWS in the whole USA.
And yet, there we are with all the murders, so we can conclude that the LAWS are NOT the problem (and neither are the guns, because many are obtained via black markets, straw-purchases, or outright thefts).
And this occurs in most every major city and it's URBAN areas...why is that?

It's NOT because of poverty. Of that you can be certain, but it does have to do with a portion of the ethnic communities IN those cities.
That's something ELSE that our "fearless leader" cannot come to terms over, and that's sad.
What the criminologist stated was that the ENFORCEMENT of the laws we already HAVE on the books is to blame.
THAT is where municipalities fall short.
We don't need stricter gun laws, we need stricter enforcement and harsher SENTENCING for those committing crimes WITH guns...simple as that.
But, it's not we've been over this so many times before...and STILL, our president can't figure it the hell out.
*** Next up,  Mayoral candidate Mitch Harper fires a decent salvo at the current "regime": in Fort Wayne. Here's that story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/Harper-rips-city-s-habits-on-taxing--spending-9122516

So, while Mayor (read King) Henry states the city budget is "static", in reality, it's far from that.
But, if you do the DEMOCRAT-MATH, static means a SEVEN MILLION DOLLAR INCREASE.
Heaven help us if they ever RAISE that "static" budget...lol.
Harper explains the property tax increase as well, and WHO it hits the hardest.
(that's the one good thing about having the city allow OUR part of town to become a ghetto - property values TANK, and with it, property TAXES, although the DOWN side is not providing revenue the city USED to get because of HIGHER property values. (Sorry about that, chief)
It's a good read, and makes complete sense (something City Hall needs a healthy dose of these days).
*** Next up, Did you know that DRUG-impaired driving is RISING...and to levels closing in on the old, tried and true DRUNK DRIVING?

Yep, sure as hell is, and here's the proof:
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/transportation/2015/09/30/Report-raises-concerns-about-driving-while-drugged/stories/201509300054
So, this new report raises a bunch of questions from how responsible people will become, how law-enforcement handles this from a procedural standpoint, and where will society draw the line to such behavior.

While the use of pot has increased to about half the states, the actual crashes resulting from such drug use are part of the data still being accumulated. But thanks to laboratory testing of the substance IN marijuana (THC) researchers are unanimous that it DOES have an impact of the many facets related to driving...now who'da thunk THAT?
---In a somewhat related story, it's now ILLEGAL to smoke with children in your car...that's right, you heard correct. Here's the link:
http://qz.com/514950/another-country-has-banned-adults-from-smoking-in-cars-with-children/
Well, it's illegal in the UK..for now, and rolling down those windows ain't gonna cut it, either.
People (there) face a FIFTY POUND FINE if caught (about $100 USD).
Wonder when that shit hits the USA fan?
So far, this is a state-by-state process, and Florida seems to be leading the way here.
Cripes, when I was in HIGH SCHOOL, we had a "designated" smoking area just off of the lunch room...how times have changed.
*** Last back to the tea party...I said today was a MARVELous day, and I meant it.
This has to do with the "Marvel Cinematic Universe" to be precise.

Today is the first day release of the DVD movie THE AVENGERS - THE AGE OF ULTRON...this year's FIRST blockbuster than came close to rivaling it's predecessor.
I fully expect to get me a copy at Walmart before Monday...bet on that.
Nothing like a good superhero movie to take away the old society-blues for a couple hours.

I mean the problems that people like The Avengers face make OUR problems pale by comparison, right?
Walmart has the DVD for UNDER $15 bucks...not a bad haul.
And don't we NEED a release from the everyday stress...once in a while?
Trouble comes when we seek to REPLACE our life with something else...and, as a result, miss so much that comes our way.
Still, two hours is plenty of time for some escapism, as long as we keep such things in their proper perspective.
Same goes for social media...sometimes, we need to turn it all off for a spell, and just enjoy life itself.
After all, life is the most wonderful journey we have available to us...it's up to us to make the best of it, right?
Do have yourselves a great weekend.

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