Friday Follies...

And, it looks like we have a fantastic start to the weekend with a nice sunrise, comfortable temps, and the birds are about the only sounds out there right now.
Doesn't even seem like the screwed up mess we call planet earth right now, but I'm sure that will change soon enough.
Our Hoosierland weather has us again enjoying a moderate summer day, with our high reaching around the 80 degree mark, a few clouds in the skies, slight breezes, and that's about it.
Yep, not bad at all (until someone comes along and f$cks it all up).
So, let's all get our cup or glass of Friday Fortitude poured and parked nearby, as we see what is going on in some other places.
*** First out of the bird feeder is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
August 7 -
---Today is NATIONAL LIGHT HOUSE DAY

(not known to be a "biggie" in OUR state...OR Kansas)
---It's also PURPLE HEART DAY

And, if you want the backstory to the military award, here's the WIKI:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_Heart
Also, the "official" website:
http://www.purpleheart.org/
Lots of information to take in, and it's worth your time to do so.
*** Since it's the weekend, let's see what happens over the NEXT two days:
August 8 -
---Saturday is NATIONAL DOLLAR DAY

(that does NOT mean go ROB a dollar store in Fort Wayne)
---It's also NATIONAL FROZEN CUSTARD DAY

(that should be an easy one for all of you)
---And, it's NATIONAL BOWLING DAY

(I miss the days when you didn't HAVE to be in a damn league to get some lane-time!)
---It's NATIONAL GARAGE SALE DAY

(funny, I have YET to see ANYONE actually SELLING their garage)
---And, it's NATIONAL HAPPINESS HAPPENS DAY

(we shall see on this one)
August 9 -
---Sunday is NATIONAL RICE PUDDING DAY.

(when done right...it is heaven)
---It's also NATIONAL VEEP DAY
(gonna take a major PASS on this one...so pass the rice pudding)
---And, it's NATIONAL BOOK LOVER'S DAY

(anyone who doesn't love books just HAS to be an illiterate...or an utter moron)
And there you have it...plenty of things to get involved with...enjoy.
Moving on...
*** Next up, the FWPD hands out some suspensions (and Chief Garry gets a few bucks in his wallet because of it)
Here's the lowdown from the J-G:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/FWPD-suspends-2-for-duty-violations-8115970

Now, if the name of (officer) Diane Rogers sounds "familiar", it should.
Look up my archive posts from 2 Oct 2012, as well as 21 Dec 2010.
Getting suspensions is nothing new to her.
The sad part is that links on my archive posts are not longer available from the J=G (they must purge their files to protect the guilty), but I related the stories well enough
In 26 years she's gotten 20 reprimands, many of them dealing with "lapses in alertness" (drunkenness, perhaps?).
But, she's STILL on the force (as a functional illiterate, too), and other officers have (in the past) filled out reports FOR HER.
Guess we have to embrace our "diversity"?
Nice to see some things never chance, hmm?
*** Next, Wifey starts back to school (work) today for two days of "in service" admin BS.

The official day to start is next Tuesday, and wouldn't you KNOW it...her car was making a weird noise this morning.
I had a hunch about the sound, so I told her to turn off the A/C and the noise went away...so at least we know WHAT is causing it, I think.
As to WHY...that's a issue best left to the mechanics whenever we can get the car in.
Other than that, things seem normal, but it's something that NEEDS looking into, and Murphy (with his law) seems to be on our crap again.
This can never happen when we have THE TIME to do it...can it?
*** Next, I did watch BOTH of the Republican candidate debates yesterday, and I was impressed with some of the speakers.I didn't see either as a "win-lose" venue, unlike the lame-streamers.

I think of it more as a "meet and greet"...or a Q and A)
MY favorites are really not that important, but I will say that everyone brought SOMETHING to the table.
If one were to be able to create an AMALGAM of all the candidates into ONE, that would be too good to be true.
Some have experience, some are good with their ideas on economics, others with domestic police, others with foreign policy.

Right now, there is too much to disseminate (for me) to make a clear choice, and time will be the tlling factor.
Let's just say that neither Bush nor Trump rang the bells for me.
*** Last back to the bird bath...I would really love to see a return to old-fashioned values.
There, I said it...sue me.

When we were young, our parents were there to do what was needed for our family to get by, and some times, we got by better than others.
That's just the way life can be...good time or bad times, you manage to work through it.
Granted that good times are a lot EASIER to deal with, but the bad times build something called CHARACTER.

We LEARN to handle the downsides to life, and often through trial and error, but without such a learning experience, we can never hope to achieve a better sense of self, or (more importantly) of others.
All of us have a vested interest in this nation...and to see what some people can do to it, should make all of us run a gamut of emotions from sadness to anger.
Those who came before us set the stage for the subsequent generations, of which we are all a part of, and that should mean something.
We owe it to THEM to carry the banner of the values and principles they created and nurtured for us, and, we also owe it to ourselves, so that we can continue the journey.
But most of all, we owe it to those whose time has yet to come...we need to secure a future where people can enjoy the freedoms and liberties, unshackled by government overreach and outside influences against this country.
Sounds like a tall order, but it's not anything that our parents (and their parents) were not willing to do.
Therein lies the lesson for the week.
Have yourselves a good weekend.

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

Thoughts on "Thorsday"...

Alright, so we're closing in on another weekend at breakneck pace.
And soon, it won't be long before the kids go back to school (which is making parents giddy as hell).
It also looks like the forecast will be providing us with another nice day here in the Summit City.
Maybe not AS nice as yesterday, but we'll take what Mother Nature doles out, right?
Our Hoosierland weather will have us with partly to mostly cloudy skies and the chance of rain showers later on (mostly to the south of us here).
Temps will reach again into the upper 70s, and humidity in fair areas will remain lower and comfortable.
With that over, let's all grab our cups or glasses, fill them with our favorite morning beverage, and take a stroll into the void to see what's been going on elsewhere...
*** First off of the griddle is the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:
"Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain't goin' away."
Wifey nailed this one, and I hope you did too.
This is attributed to none other than..."THE KING" himself (and no, NOT our Fort Wayne mayor...the OTHER and much better king).

ELVIS AARON PRESLEY...!!!
(cue the C.C. Rider music intro)
And here is his WIKI:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Presley
Think of this as a CLIFF'S NOTES version of his biography, and you know it's worth the read.

There's not to say about Elvis that hasn't already been said, so let's just remember him as one of the best recording artists in our lifetimes, and as someone who changed the face of American culture.
I know my mom loved him and his music, and perhaps his legacy is what we will recall...and hopefully, with much fondness.

Moving on...

*** It's now time for our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
August 6 -
---Today is NATIONAL ROOT BEER FLOAT DAY

(got ahead of myself and celebrated it 10 days ago...)
I'm currently operating in a "root beer deficit"...kinda like our nation's BUDGET.
---And, it's NATIONAL FRESH BREATH DAY

(Damn, so no garlic on my Pizza, or onions with my cheesesteak?)
---It's also WIGGLE YOUR TOES DAY

(which will serve to show you that your spinal cord is still intact)
---Oh, and today marks the 70th anniversary of our dropping the FIRST ATOMIC BOMB in 1945 on Hiroshima, Japan.

(and some call us terrorists for doing so...everyone's a damn critic without the brains they were born with - just get over it...we WON the damn war, didn't we?)
*** Next up, I finally got some tomatoes off of the plants we stuck in the garden a couple months back. Been a while coming.
They're cherry tomatoes, so none of those huge buggers...better for salads.

"Well, they don't LOOK alien, but..."

Haven't got that MANY yet, but the top growth is looking good with plenty of yellow flowers (and that means more fruit).
And, those little chili peppers have turned RED, and that means we will let the "hotness commence".
*** Next, the paper carrier FINALLY managed to get the paper on the TOP step..only took FOUR days to get him to figure this shit out...amazing.

One day in a ROW...!

Guess he CAN be taught (or threatened with a job loss) - either way works for us.
*** Next, we lost one of our twin baby LEMURS at the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo...
Zeus passed earlier this week but his 7-week old twin brother, Apollo, is doing well.

That's sad to hear, because the lemurs are one of MY favorite critters to visit (along with the big cats, sea lions and yes, THE OTTERS!
I just think they have the best "personalities", and I'm an "observer" anyway, so it's a good fit.
*** And speaking of critters, last night around 2300 hrs, I heard a noise outside, and I had a sneaking suspicion as to WHAT it was.
I was right again...a small RACCOON was alone on our relatively new roof.
How the hell he got UP there is a mystery, as the branches from any nearby trees had been trimmed back away from the house.

You got UP there, you can damn sure get the hell DOWN, Bub!

Anyway, the hose didn't work, and when I capped him in the ass with my BB pistol, that just made him hunker down next to one of the dormers on the front side of the house.

On our roof - NOT cute.

I didn't see him anywhere on the roof this morning, so I can only surmise that somehow, he found his way DOWN...and both Wifey and I trust that he will not be coming back soon.
(unless he LIKES copper BBs and angry homeowners.
The new shingles are the type that doesn't encourage gnawing anyway, but better safe than sorry.
If I see or hear him again, we're calling the pest guy we had last time that trapped one, and see if we can "repeat the process".
We live in a dam,n CITY for God's sake...not "The Wild Kingdom"...
Well, that does excludesall the wild-ass two-footed locals in our area...LOL
*** Oh, and since we're talking about the "locals", we had another shooting...imagine that.

It was NOT on the SE side, but it WAS on the SW side (where crime has been spreading).
This took place around 2230 hrs last night in the 300 block of W. Branning Ave
(and NOT the 3300 block as WANE described)
The FWPD found a man in the middle of the street and he was taken to hospital in serious condition with multiple gunshot wounds.

And that's about it in the information department.
From the aerial view, this looks to be in the area of Harrison St not that far away from Lafayette Esplanade.
*** That Sports and Spirits Bar that had ALL those police calls looks to be closing.
Here's the story link:
http://wane.com/2015/08/05/neighbors-relieved-after-bar-loses-liquor-license/

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

I really LIKED this story, not because of the bar closing, but that neighbor who was interviewed - reminded me a LOT of myself and what we have to put up with in OUR part of the ghettohood.
Arthur Stewart and I have to be from the same generation...his mindset of observing the place in the dark from his living room is JUST what I have to do from time to time, and if I had a camera that could take night vision photos, I could show you some really weird shit going on.
(the type of things the POLICE never get to see...or remove from our area)
Never had a puddle of blood in our driveway, though, as Arthur did...that would creep a lot of folks out.
Would not surprise me if Mr. Stewart has a weapon or two...for personal protection in that nice house of his.
*** Last back to the fire-pit...where we live hasn't ALWAYS been a centerpiece of criminal activity in Fort Wayne.

Thanks for SO much...

It took years of dedication to achieve such a dubious distinction, and one which is deserved whener you ehar about the CRIME in our area.
There are just SO many to "thank": for this, not the least of which if the last several mayors of this city, who chose to IGNORE a growing problem, until it was all but too late TO change any of it.
And we have to thank HUD for moving in, and turning SO many (once) nice houses into rental properties, and then finding some of the worst dregs of ethnic society to stick in the soon-to-be hovels.

Be nice to get SOME of this back once again, too.

Wish a had a dime for EVERY renter's agreement violation down here...I could buy a damn island along the St. Lawrence River (the thousand island area up north). Yes, it's THAT bad.
Then, we have those who "think" they're making the properties nicer, when in fact, they make it even MORE ghetto.

The ONLY game to "play" in OUR part of town.

And when you have bad PEOPLE in an area, you have all the other fun stuff...bad behavior, disregard for laws, code violations, drug dealing and abuse, alcohol abuse, rape, robberies, burglaries...you name it...we got it, and in abundance.
Can't say the same thing about ANY other part of town...can we?

If you ever want to see what ignorance on behalf of city leaders looks like, just drive through most ANY part of teh Southeast side of Fort Wayne, and see where your tax money goes, along with how little it affects a change for the better
The GOOD part of a city will pretty much take care of itself, revenue-wise. Businesses thrive, people flock to live, work, and shop there, and private sector growth is excellent.

My God...we've discovered WOODHENGE...!!!

The BAD part of a city is blighted...and remains that way, no matter HOW MUCH money is tossed at it, and it's NOT because of folks like Wifey and myself...we're the "anomalies" down here.

We still give a damn.
We're the "undesirables", because we want a part of what we USED to have (and what everyone elsewhere HAS had).
Shouldn't be that hard a problem to solve, but with more government comes more bullshit, and therefore LESS action to better things.
But when people in power never take the time or effort to DEFINE the problem properly, whatever is done is never the solution...it just prolongs the problem.
Helluva way to operate, and certainly VERY unproductive for all but a few who do make out on this. And they know who they are.
Might have to put on that Elvis version of PROMISED LAND...just to feel better.

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

Humpday Happenings...

But I'm NOT giving up the coffee.

Another nice day for our midweek crisis we call Wednesday, here in the Heartland...
I prefer to take my crises as they come, which can be numerous some days.
More about that in a minute.
Our Hoosierland weather will again see us with mostly SUNNY skies, and temps reaching to around the 80-degree mark.
So, there's not much to say about that, is there?
I'm sure today will be better than yesterday...and you'll find out why soon enough.
Alright then, let's get our morning beverages poured as I guide you on another journey down the rabbit hole.
And this won't be just another trip to Wonderland. I promise that much.
*** First out of the teacup is our WHO SAID THAT? quote of the week:
"Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain't goin' away."
Now, with these debates coming up as well as in our everyday lives, this seems like it should hit close to home.
So, WHO said that anyway? The answer at the top of tomorrow's post.
Meanwhile, back in Memphis, Tennessee...
*** Next, is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
August 5 -
---Today is WORK LIKE A DOG DAY

"...and I just get byyy...."

Wow, now THERE'S a blast from the past - "working class dog".
Hell, doesn't anyone working who's worth their weight in paychecks do that?
Yeah, well some do, and some don't (the paper guy).
---It's also NATIONAL UNDERWEAR DAY

(so much for going "Commando", hmm?)
---And, it's NATIONAL OYSTER DAY.

(never on the half shell - gimme oyster STEW)
Just SHUCK IT.
I'm going to take the day off from all the crime and other crap that's going on, and with that, we return you to the in-flight movie "Bobby G's Not-So-Excellent Adventure".
*** Okay, so Tuesday started off innocently enough...but the paper was on our walkway and NOT on the top step (where it is supposed to be). And TODAY, the carrier is 0-3...and his car stereo was booming (before 0600 hrs) - so much for signing THIS shit-for-brains up to a ball club), so I called a complaint in AGAIN. Freaking loser. But I digress...
Back to yesterday -  after feeding the neighbor's cat, I decided on making some BLUEBERRY PANCAKES (had some fresh blueberries waiting for the opportunity to tickle my taste-buds).

THIS was the "plan"...soon to go awry.

This began well enough...EXCEPT that the damn griddle I was using decided to adhere itself TO the pancake...on a semi-permanent basis.
That makes it kinda hard to turn OVER, and this pissed me right the hell off.
I broke one spatula in HALF when I smacked it on the pan in disgust (and had to toss TWO pancake attempts the hell out.
This has NEVER happened before...did the laws of PHYSICS change when I was asleep?
I already KNOW I'm living on BIZARRO WORLD.

Gotta love military jargon...HA!

I got another pan and tried a THIRD time, and luckily (for the pan as well as other breakables around the kitchen) THIS one WORKED.
I got to have ONE pancake from the batter I made - actually it was more like what my Father would call a COLLISION MAT - what the navy uses to plug a small hole in a ship's hull...LOL.
Yeah, it was over 6 inches in diameter, and tasted good enough, but I had this feeling it was going to be one of THOSE days.
Didn't have to wait long for the "fun" to continue...
Wifey left to take care of her classroom at school, so I went out to the garage to get a picture of my car.

I need SEVERAL of THESE...

I just wiped it down with a new shammy Wifey got me for Christmas, and figured it looks good, so "what the hell".
Now, to get the whole car in the picture, I had to lower the loft ladder down, climb up and take a "panorama" shot (2 pics).
Halfway up the ladder, the unthinkable happened - the STEP all my weight was on BROKE OUT FROM UNDER ME!!!.

The scene of the crime - now fixed

A LOT can happen in mere seconds, and I was fortunate that my head didn't swing back down and strike the concrete floor.
I'd hate to have to repair broken concrete....
My BDU pants were torn to hell (they took the brunt of the damage), my right knee got a decent gash (not deep enough to require stitches, and my ankle got a severe brush burn from my socks.
Also got some bumps and bruises to the lower back, elbow, other knee and thigh, but all in all...a survivable experience.
I mean I HAVE already fallen through a ceiling (a couple lifetimes ago)...
THIS was "child's play"...LOL.
Anyway, I DID get the picture...AND fixed the offensive step on said ladder, using some long SCREWS instead of the damn NAILS that were in there before.
Screws are better hardened and will not "bend" and come out as easily.
I also used some wood GLUE to hold things together.
All in all, a good fix for the time being.
Tested it and no problems.

The picture turned out well. Not bad for a spliced photo

After that, I went in, cleaned up the wounds, dressed them and called it...A DAY...!
Wifey was a bit upset when she got home and showed her the "results" of my labors.
I told her I had NO way of knowing that step would fail as abruptly as it did...no warning whatsoever.
Sometimes, things happen that way...no way to avoid them.
You just have to rely on training, prior events, and a chronic penchant for survival.
One of the FIRST things we learned in marital arts classes was HOW TO FALL.
Sure, it's easy enough to learn how to cripple people, break bones, and the like, but if YOU don't know how to humbled FIRST by picking your ass up off of a mat, then you're already at a disadvantage.
And YES, there is a PROPER way to fall...a method by which you redirect the force across your body to minimize damage to any ONE part.
It works...every time...even when a ladder step breaks under your feet.
Still have my "spider-reflexes"...now, if ONLY I could get back my spider-SENSES...heh.
*** Last back to the house of cards...every day presents challenges that come right up and smack us all in the puss.

That should be GOSPEL!

That's what life is all about.
And sometimes, you cannot plan ahead for them, as they they occur with such speed, taking us by surprise.
The key is to always prepare for "something"...the whole being AWARE of a given situation.
Now, this doesn't mean lying awake at night cogitating every single possibility to every single situation in life...that's pointless.
What we all need to do is become focused enough at whatever task we have at-hand, and realize that this guy MURPHY has this set of "laws" that he loves to toss at us whenever he has the chance.
Does what happened to me yesterday constitute a learning experience?
Yasureyoubetcha!
I've learned to be more wary of inspecting things that might require inspection, and the make sure they are safe to use.
When complacency overrides safety, shit WILL happen, make no mistake.
A focused approach to anything in life is always the best way to proceed.
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure", was the old expression, and it can be anything from a stupid ladder step to the future of our country.
It's all interrelated in some way, shape or form.
And it's the best way to get through any day.

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