Friday Follies...

Ah, THERE'S the rain we were waiting on, but it won't be lasting that far into the weekend.
Better to get the crap weather OUT of the way so as not to muck up the REST of the time we so cherish, hmm?
partly cloudy and very breezy conditions that will give way to clearing skies by afternoon and temps that will be dropping more into the seasonal realms as we reach a high today of around 53 degrees. Actually our high was the overnight temperature of around 64..
I do prefer light jacket and/or sweater weather...not too hot, not too cold...just right - "Goldilocks" weather, one might say. More raking is in my future...
So, what say we get our cup or glass of Friday fortitude poured and parked nearby as we see what is and what shall be over the next 72 hours...
*** First out of the root-cellar is our "What the hell happens today, Bob? feature:
November 6 -
---Today is NATIONAL NACHO DAY

(maybe they should celebrate this in MEXICO instead...it's NOT  traditional American food, is it?)
---And, it's NATIONAL SAXOPHONE DAY

(play it if 'ya got it, folks)
*** And since it s a Friday, let's see what the weekend has in store for us all:
November 7 -
---Saturday is NATIONAL BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE WITH ALMONDS DAY

(oh yeah, the almonds make ALL the difference)
---And it's NATIONAL CANINE LYMPHOMA AWARENESS DAY

(hey, bad things happen to good pets, too)
November 8 -
---Sunday is NATIONAL CAPPUCCINO DAY

(Isn't that a city in Italy? Or a monkey?)
---It's also NATIONAL HARVEY WALLBANGER DAY

( I can count all of these I've had on ONE hand...they're okay if made right)
---It's NATIONAL PARENTS AS TEACHERS DAY

(ah, if ONLY we had a lot more that were...educators would have a better crop of students)
---And, it's NATIONAL STEM/STEAM DAY

(google it up, it looks to be a kids science thing)
---And on Sunday, for all you fellow WHOVIANS, the BBC America channel will have a marathon of Doctor Who episodes that feature our favorite nemesis - THE DALEKS.

Day Of The Daleks is what it's all about (which trumps any day of the dead) and is airing a Tom Baker episode ( Genesis of the Daleks)

And they are "eco-friendly"...LOL.

Be there or be lost in the vortex.
There you go then...all sorts of things to keep you OUT of trouble.
Moving on...
*** Next, if you grew up in the 60's and watched ANY TV, you probably saw some of the work of George Barris, a noted car customizer.

He passed away yesterday at the age of 89, but left us some great cars and memories.
Here''s his WIKI:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Barris_(auto_customizer)

Still a cool ride.

Wonderfully bizarre...and cool.

Just plain bad-ass!

Yes indeed, the BATMOBILE was one of these customized cars, as was the MUNSTER COACH and the BLACK BEAUTY from the original Green Hornet series (starring Van Williams and Bruce Lee).

Not bad for a GTO

He also created the Beverly Hillbillies "truck", the fictional 1928 "Porter" for the short-lived series My Mother The Car, as well as the Monkeemobile and the updated versions of  K.I.T.T. for the Knight Rider series...just to name a few.

What my car wants to be some day.

He was also a car customizer to the stars and the WIKI mentions those he built vehicles for, as well as novelty golf carts.
Kinda hard to see anyone of his talent coming around again any time soon...
*** Next up, The TOY HALL OF FAME (located in Rochester, NY) makes it's decision for the 2015 inductees...

Here's the story link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/06/nyregion/at-the-toy-hall-of-fame-new-inductees-join-the-ball-the-box-and-the-barbie-doll.html
Looks to be TWISTER, the SUPER SOAKER and THE PUPPET (any of them)
It did take these people until TEN years ago to induct the CARDBOARD BOX...
(better late than never, hmm?)

2015 inductees

And they did induct the BALL back in 2009, which was only ONE year after THE STICK was inducted (the toy of choice in our part of the ghettohood...lol)
Toys of the "imagination" don't tend to get as much traction as the obvious ones, I suppose.
*** Next, and speaking about kids who wind up with scarred youth and adolescence, we have this gem:
http://wane.com/2015/11/05/former-wayne-special-ed-staffer-admits-to-sex-with-student/

Yep, another sexual predator in another school...and in special ed at that.
He sure must have placed the "special" in that education...pervert.
They need to start tossing some LARGE books at these creeps...and a lot more OFTEN.
How they get under the wire and onto the schools is beyond me.
Maybe the vetting process needs to be changed a bit.
Kids have enough problems in this screwed-up world as it is, without some person that can't keep things in his pants and preys on developing minds.
Such perversions are done only to supply the perpetrator with some level of power and pleasure.
And what about the young lives that are compromised in their wake?
Sure makes growing up "normal" a lot more difficult, doesn't it?
*** Next, Our reigning monarch, "King" Henry sits down and holds an audience with WANE reporter Brett Thomas.

STILL good to be king.

Here's the video (all 18 minutes of it that didn't air on TV):
http://wane.com/2015/11/05/interview-with-tom-henry/
Now, you have to see the whole video to hear such things like:
"I brought Rusty on board as Public Safety Director because of a one-week spike in criminal activity and needed someone who could spend more time than I could with the operational part of the police department."

Still two empty suits (imho)

So THAT means that FWPD chief Garry Hamilton IS NOT THAT QUALIFIED to hold that job, right? What did I (and others) say all this time?
Henry goes on to say that more officers are not NEEDED on our streets...
((...AHEM..))  Really? REALLY???
Coulda fooled me, bub.
Sure looks like we NEED them, considering response time, lack of active patrols, and monitoring the "hot spots" in the SE primarily, as well as expanding this to the north and west.
I think the ratio of officers per capita has been proven to be effective, so let me pose a question to any and all LEOs who read this blog:
"Would any of you rather have to police 500 people, both good and bad...or 1000 of the same types of people at any given time?"
The interview is perhaps more revealing than one might let on...you watch and you decide.
*** Next up,  a 9-year old boy is basically assassinated by gang members in (where else?)...Chicago.
Here's the story link:
http://abc7chicago.com/news/$20k-reward-offered-to-find-9-year-old-boys-killer/1065731/

Baby-daddy is a known gang member, so it's no surprise that HE pissed off the wrong people.
THIS is what an entitlement society looks like.
And where the hell is the BLACK LIVES MATTER movement?

And it SMELLS like it, too.

Not hearing one damn word from THEM about this killing, are we?
Guess only CERTAIN black lives matter...like those who disobey authority and get shot for pulling guns on or assaulting police, right?
*** Next, LAZER-X is no more.

On Fernhill St behind Glenbrook

The building burned down yesterday morning...damn shame.
Never got to go there. Here's the story link:
http://www.21alive.com/news/local/Flames-engulf--340808012.html

I'd like to see the place rebuilt, if for no other reason than to allow those who ALREADY had reserved parties and such there to enjoy it. I know they will be refunded thier money (if any).
*** Next (to last)...the new JAMES BOND film, SPECTRE opens today, and the trailers look pretty damn good.

Screw what any critic might say...this is 007, for God's sake.
Then again, Daniel Craig has confirmed (for me) his place in the mythology from Fleming. I liked him from the start...very well portrayed character...and near as good as Connery.
A new set of wheels is standard equipment, too.
*** Last back to the kitchen...it's perfectly fine to take an active part in all the things life has to offer each of us.

It's easier when we're younger, have more energy, and the spirit to do the right thing, and to help others whenever and wherever we can.

But, it's also fine to be an "observer" of the human condition, and that's not to say we never get involved - it means we learn how to choose our "battles" in life, rather than have those battles come to our front door.
Taking time to watch people...hear people. and learn about and from their idiosyncrasies goes far to teach us how we need to act or react to ourselves as well as others.
In today's world, everyone's got their faces stuck into some smartphone, so the face-to-face interaction between us is diminished.
That presents it's own unique problems, and we see evidence of that every damn day.
Also, while it's fine to watch and listen, that can also help us learn when we need to intervene on behalf of someone who might need some sort of help. It also teaches us who is HONEST with such a need, as opposed to those who feign such behavior.
It's never all about jumping into the fray without regard to wit or wisdom.
A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, we used to call that being a cum laude graduate of the "Han Solo School of Action Before Thought"...LOL.
Life is short enough to NOT take in all we can, and that doesn't mean we have to participate in everything. It does men we need to take the time to pay attention to all the little things, because, when we're older we will discover that those little things were indeed the big things.
Therein lies the lesson for the week.
Do have yourselves a great weekend.

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