01 January 2016

Friday Follies - New Year's Edition...
Well, we made it to another year, and one in which (for me) is starting out with a "First", if you will.
More about that in a bit, but for now, let's check the forecast for this brand spanking new year.
Our Hooiserland weather will see us with partly cloudy (or sunny) skies with temps creeping into upper 20s
Not much else to say there, is there?
Well, it IS winter, isn't it?
And this IS Indiana, isn't it?
The year changes, but the weather doesn't seem to all that much.
So...let's get that warm cup of Friday Fortitude poured (we might need it) as we see what's shaking for today, shall we?f..
*** Let's kick off this year with our tried and true "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
January 1 -
---Yes, today is NEW YEARS DAY.
(best cure for that hangover is not to have had so much booze last night, right?)
Oh, and make sure you hang up those 2016 calendars you bought, too.
Afraid that's all for today, so let's take a look at the weekend as well as the month.
January 2 -
---Saturday is NATIONAL SCIENCE FICTION DAY
(that can be ANY day for me)
---It's also NATIONAL BUFFET DAY
(we could well qualify  for this one around the "Fortress"...heh)
---It's also NATIONAL CREAM PUFF DAY
(be nice to find some at the grocery)
---And, it's NATIONAL PERSONAL TRAINER AWARENESS DAY
(you are kidding me, right?)
---It's also NATIONAL FRUITCAKE TOSS DAY
(careful, you'll put your eye out there, Ralphie)
January 3 -
---Sunday is NATIONAL CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRY DAY
(a little late isn't it? Perhaps not.)
---It's also NATIONAL DRINKING STRAW DAY
(well, that should suck nicely)
*** Now, for the MONTH, we have the following:
National Blood Donor Month
National Hobby Month
National Braille Literacy Month
National Hot Tea Month
National Oatmeal Month
National Eye Health Care Month
National Soup Month
National Fiber Focus Month
=====================
The weekly events are:
First Week
Diet Resolution Week
Second Week
National Law Enforcement Training Week
School Crossing Guard Week
National Activity Professionals
Third Week
National Book Week
Cuckoo Dancing Week (celebrating the movies of Laurel and Hardy.
National Special Education Week
Fourth Week
National Catholic Schools Week
National Celebrity Read a Book Week
National Glaucoma Awareness Week
National Handwriting Analysis Week
National Health Awareness Week
National Healthy Weight Week
National Junior Achievement Week
International Kiwanis Week (International)
National Meat Week
=============================
And there you have it...all set to go for this month, and for the weekend.
Moving on...
*** Looks like we DID make it to THIRTY HOMICIDES in County Allen after all, thanks to a "last minute" entry.
Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/Death-at-motel-ruled-a-homicide-10708833
Okay, so this savage beast smacks another guy around in a motel room with a frigging MICROWAVE (?) puts the guy in hospital where bleeding on the brain causes death, and ALL the perp is charged with is "aggravated" battery??? NO attempted MURDER charge?
Wow, looks like we're ending last year on a very "WTF???" moment.
Last loser of 2015
Justin Littlejohn, age 28 is the "microwaver" here, and his victim was Randy Lee Dial , age 46
The crime took place this past MONDAY (28 December) and we're JUST NOW hearing about it...thanks FWPD.
Nice to know you're SO forthcoming with information relating to VIOLENT CRIME in this city. Guess we should celebrate the fact that you people didn't wait a MONTH to tell us, hmm?
(some things seem to never change, just like the perps and their penchant for savage behavior)
And nothing about a BAN on those "assault microwaves" yet...wonder why? Where's the libtards on this one?
---My prediction for THIS year...we can hit 30 homicides AGAIN (easily), if not more in Allen County.
Remember, it ONLY took 20 days to get the first homicide LAST year, and the year before, not even a week. Here's the most recent link for some crime stats:
http://www.21alive.com/news/local/Fort-Waynes-2015-homicide-numbers----so-far-363872891.html
Pretty revealing stuff. We could use a NEW police chief, because this one is in over his head.
*** Next up, Wayne Rogers has died (helluva way to start the year) and he was 82.
He died from complications from pneumonia (I know what having THAT is like...not nice at all).
Here's the write-up on him:
http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2016/01/01/wayne-rogers-trapper-john-on-mash-dies-at-82/
Wish I could look that good at 82. Wasn't that long ago I saw him on FBN.
Always hate to see a good conservative pass away.
(when I have a long list of liberals would SHOULD)
*** Next up, and as can be expected, the morons were out shooting off guns at midnight (some before that) and it kept up until AFTER 0100 hrs.
Some idiots NEVER learn, do they?
Never saw any FWPD cars rolling through (as usual), but the GOOD news is that most all the gunfire was more "distant" for a change.
We DID have fireworks, mostly of the M-80 class...no aerials or mortars.
So, it didn't sound like a full-tilt Ramadi firefight...just a small skirmish in Mosul.
Thank God for small miracles, hmm?
*** Last back to the garage...I mentioned at the top that THIS year was beginning with a personal "first"...((ahem)).
NOT the kinda first I was hoping to begin a new year with, however.
And, certainly not anything close to Ecclesiastes 8:6-7 anyway...
It's verse 7 that NAILS it for me.
I was checking my wallet for my driver's license, and came across ONLY my old one (that expired back in 2012 when I renewed online), and got that new one with the rather "pink" stripe across the top. Even mentioned that HERE.
Not my "official" (and M.I.A.) license.
Well, I cannot FIND my new(er) license anywhere. I have no idea how LONG I've been driving without it, either.
This whole "show your ID" thing is fine, as long as I can show it and retain possession of it at the same time, like flashing a shield to someone.
It's this new "have to make a copy of your driver's license" gig that may be the culprit here.
I don't remove my license for anyone (except law-enforcement). I SHOW it to those when I purchase liquor or beer, and that's about it.
The ONLY other reason would be at a hospital (got it back, too), or at a pharmacy when picking up a prescription (think I got it back when I got Wifey's stuff back in November)
Now, it "might" still be at the Walgreens at Southgate Plaza or not...not sure, but gonna check it out. No one notified me that it was "found", so it's still in the wind.
I carry a TRI-FOLD wallet (Velcro closure to boot), which makes it damn near impossible for the license to "fall" out. Hell, it even takes me some time to GET IT OUT, so, unless it JUMPED OUT on it's OWN, it's simply not leaving the wallet OR my back pocket any time soon.
This whole clusterf$ck means that I cannot (and WILL not) DRIVE the cars, until a replacement is secured.
I went online to the Indiana BMV, requested a replacement and paid the $6.73 for the license.
Now, all I have to do is play the waiting game until it gets here.
BTW, my license doesn't expire until 2018 (two years longer than I thought). I was sure it was going to expire THIS year. No matter...what's done is done, and if I FIND the damn thing, I'll have TWO (because things have a way of showing up AFTER you've gotten a replacement for them).
Murphy STILL practices law, so I hear...LOL.
And he was an OPTIMIST.
It's just damn frustrating when you HAVE to hand personal things over to others that may not return them to you, and your focus is diverted away momentarily, so you forget to double-check to see IF it was returned.
This is the FIRST TIME this has ever happened to me, and I've been driving since 1977.
To everything there IS a season, though, and in retrospect, I suppose things can always be worse.
Hey, maybe I'm starting to listen to my own words for a change...how novel!
Only took me all these years, too...LMAO!
Any of you chaps seen Bobby G's license?
You have to have a light heart about it, in spite of being PO'ed out the wazoo.
That's the rough part of this.
You hate to "lose" anything, whether it's YOUR fault, or the fault of others.
Still, there is little in life that is totally insurmountable...I just detest being "only a passenger" for a spell, no matter how brief a time that is.
I enjoy driving here in Indiana, as it beats the hell outta Philly traffic ANY day, even with the infrequent assholes I encounter on the roads here (they musta followed me from PA...heh).
Yes, the "Batmobile" stays parked for a bit.
So, in the best spirit of a bad situation, I will say that it's better that I caught this problem WHEN I did, instead of being notified by a LEO that might pull me over (like that tends to happen to me every OTHER decade or so).
And, I guess I will take this as a sign to become even MORE vigilant in my own life, and to be aware of situations that present a possible issue in the FUTURE, because, as Charles Kettering said "I'm going to be spending a LOT of time there". Let that be said for all of us, right?
Have yourselves a great weekend.
Be well, make a difference to someone today, and as aalways...
Stay SAFE out there, America.

31 December 2015

End Of Another Year, Or More Of The Same?
Welcome to New Year's Eve...such as it may be.
If I seem in a bit of a "terse" mood today, we've been WITHOUT Cable TV since last night around 2305 hrs (for some strange reason).
I guess we should thank Frontier that Internet and phones are still working.
Our Hoosierland weather will be another gray day, with temps barely climbing above freezing...nice way to say "bye" to 2015...if you ask me.
Seems to fit MY particular mood.
So, go grab a cup of your favorite drink and let's see what else is in store for us while the year runs itself out...
*** First off of the cheese tray is the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:
Charles F. Kettering (1876 - 1958)
"Every time you tear a leaf off a calendar, you present a new place for new ideas and progress."
This was spoken by Mr. Charles Kettering (yep, he's the Kettering of the SLOAN-KETTERING stuff).
Here's is his WIKI:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_F._Kettering
Now you know where I get this from.
If you're still wondering who he was, let's just say that when you turn the key to your vehicle, it was HIS invention that starts it.
He is responsible for the electric self-starting motor (Cadillac - 1912, I believe)
In fact, if you trace back the history of a company called DELCO, it used to be HIS company before he sold it.
He held 186 patents and was also head of research at General Motors (when it meant something).
It's a good read and tells a nice story about someone not that many people know about in detail.
Moving on...
*** It's time for the last "What the hell happens today, Bob" feature of 2015:
December 31 -
---Today is MAKE UP YOUR MIND DAY
(why bother - something will come along and UNMAKE it)
---It's NEW YEAR'S EVE
(can't wait for the shooting to commence around 11PM)
-- It's also NATIONAL CHAMPAGNE DAY
(gonna need something STRONGER to see this year out with NO TV)
--And it's NO INTERRUPTIONS DAY
(Sorry, Frontier Cable took care of that one)
---It's Also some kinda world peace day and hour of peace...
(whatever bullshit the tree-huggers are touting. Don't have time for that crap)
Get me OUTTA THIS YEAR...!
*** So, I got this gift card for Applebees for Christmas from Wifey's relatives, and didn't know what to do with it.
I suggested  that she take a friend of her mom out to lunch, which she did.
Better to give than receive, right? They both had a good time there.
Wifey also stopped by a place called Wild Birds Unlimited, and came back with some cool earrings, as well as various half-price seed "critters" for our OTHER critters.
Wifey's purchases.
Food for the birds
I also got an Amazon gift card, which I spent online to get a couple things I couldn't seem to find OFF-line, including a Garfield 2016 wall calendar (haven't missed a year since Wifey and I were hitched, as well as some (what else?) Doctor Who books.
The BAD side to this is that Amazon charges all that shipping - usually $3.99 PER ITEM (apparently, they DON'T combine shipping), so even if you get stuff at 50% OFF, you lose most of that savings through their shipping costs.
Helluva way to make money.
*** Speaking of money being made, this Frontier "outage" really pissed me the hell off.
We're forking over $150+ PER MONTH for their service and we get THIS kinda stuff?
At least the service IS better than Comcast, which has become a far cry from it's humble beginnings back in Philly, when it as a GOOD and RELIABLE source of cable TV.
But, what if I lose Internet connectivity?
I suppose we're ALL destined to get our TV service from the INTERNET with streaming channels.
Yeah, that'll work...UNTIL the Internet service craps out, then you got NOTHING, right?
THIS was at least RELIABLE!
I keep saying that monopolies are "bad for your health", and ever since the FREE airwaves went the way of the DODO, and we were FORCED to pay for TV now, we've few choices. It's either some cable outfit, some satellite outfit or Internet streaming.
Each has it's OWN issues, unlike the days when TV problems could be remedied by turning those rabbit ears for better reception.
I SO MISS those days.
If nothing changes from last night, we'll be contacting Frontier and getting credit for all this "dead air" time, that's for sure.
Nothing like NOT being able to see the BALL DROP in Times Square, hmm?
Missing this would be a FIRST for me...and not the kind of "first" that makes me smile.
(there goes watching that Who-Years-Eve marathon on BBC America)
*** Last back to asti-spumante bottle...we're probably going to have to suffer all the gunshots tonight...AGAIN, thanks to the local "natives", that are never at a loss to show us the dregs of human behavior.
Welcome to the Southeast side of Ft. Wayne.
And I would be amazed if the FWPD patrol down here...I never see them around for SOME reason.
In some ways, I can't WAIT to see this craptastic year LEAVE.
The bad part is that a lot OF that "baggage" will follow us all into NEXT YEAR, right?
You just cannot get rid of some of this stuff,
It was akin to a combination of a left hook to the jaw as well as a thousand gnats buzzing around...both ways, it was annoying as hell.
But, we TRY to have some hope amidst all this tumult though, don't we?.
I will not make a resolution for the year, EXCEPT to resolve to NOT make a resolution.
I'm somewhere "in-between"...
I trust all of YOU will have a good New Year (WITH television) and that we can all PRAY for each other, and this nation, because it sorely NEEDS prayer.
Words to LIVE by.
May the new year find us in good health and spirits, courageous, faithful, and hopeful for all the things this past year seemed to lack.
And may we be mindful that whatever befell us, there were others that had it much worse.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.
Have yourselves a very HAPPY NEW YEAR, in keeping with the situation. (as the 1812 Overture plays behind me)
Catch you all NEXT YEAR.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
((Editor's UPDATE - 0700 hrs - It would appear that the cable has come BACK ONLINE...so forget all that crap I was ranting about and cross your fingers it STAYS up...LOL))

30 December 2015

Humpday Happenings...
Tis the last humpday of the old year, and the new year is coming like a proverbial "jail-on-wheels".
So I guess I best make it a good one, hmm?
Nice to see that rain subside as well as that nasty wind. Seems like we're living on the plains, rather than the upper Midwest, doesn't it?
Our Hoosierland weather for today will see us with more chilly conditions, with an expected high of around 35 degrees, very light winds, and mostly cloudy skies with the possibility of a few SNOW flurries.
(where were you guys on Christmas Eve?)
Anyway, let's secure ourselves a nice WARM drink to chase that morning chill away, 'cause we've more LINKS today than a pack of Jimmy Dean sausage, as we get this show "on the road" and see what has been going on elsewhere...
*** First off of the coffee table is our final WHO SAID THAT? quote of this year:
"Every time you tear a leaf off a calendar, you present a new place for new ideas and progress."
As this year becomes history, I feel we should take this to heart and embrace the opportunity for all things new.
So, who said that?
The answer at the top of tomorrow's post.
Meanwhile, back at Ridgeleigh Terrace...
*** Next up, is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
Decmeber 30 -
---Today is NATIONAL BICARBOINATE OF SODA DAY
(shouldn't this be reserved for AFTER New Years???)
---And, it's  FALLING NEEDLES FAMILY FEST DAY
In case you're wondering, here's the link:
http://www.wellcat.com/december/falling_needles_family_fest.htm
---It's also BACON DAY
(woo-hoo)
That could be every day for me.
Now, if you're wondering why I haven't included Kwanzaa (which began this past Saturday)...
Perhaps this will help (from 2012):
http://dailycaller.com/2012/12/30/kwanzaa-is-a-ridiculous-racist-holiday/
Moving on...
*** Next up, I was greeted with SEVERAL media sources all talking about the SAME thing...imagine that.
And NO, it wasn't anything to do with "King" Henry's THIRD term dreams for downtown and riverfront...or even the "to do list" that includes the SE side (retail growth)...he'll get around to that eventually, right?
This had to do with something I've been crowing about for YEARS (down here) and FINALLY,  it seems to be getting some traction (took longer than the Avengers to get that kind of traction).
We're talking CELEBRATORY GUNFIRE...aka When assholes play with guns on New Year's Eve.
Here's the Frank Gray article and it's a good one:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/Ring-in-new-year-without-gunfire-10677775
Frank is not saying anything I haven't said for a LONG time, and we all know WHERE most of this problem is "aimed at" (no pun intended).
It HAS to be the SE side of town, because every damn year (and since most all the whites have left the area) it has gotten WORSE with gunfire on New Year's Eve.
I even have old letters to the editor of the J-G (going back a decade) that make the comparison to civil war re-enactments and downtown Baghdad with all the shooting going on.
And Adam Widener (formerly of WANE) came by and talked about this with me back in 2013.
Last year, WANE did a spot on it, using an AIRSOFT PISTOL.
Cripes, I WISH people used THOSE instead of the ordnance they currently employ.
That would be a god-send!
Now, HERE is THIS year's entry for the "public-service" arena (from WANE):
http://wane.com/2015/12/29/fwpd-warns-of-dangers-legality-of-celebratory-gunfire/
And HERE is LAST year's link to a similar story:
http://wane.com/2014/12/30/police-issue-new-years-eve-gunfire-warning/
Is it me, or does "SOME of these things seem like the other"?
Now, if you think there's nothing to this, check THIS story out:
http://www.news-sentinel.com/news/local/crime/Woman-reports-bullet-coming-through-ceiling
Wow, a bullet coming through a CEILING...wonder HOW the hell THAT happened?
Granted, it WAS an interior shot from a neighbor upstairs, although NO gun was found, a spent shell casing WAS. (it's called "police your brass", you dumbass!)
And firing rounds OTHER than straight up can happen as well, like in THIS story:
http://www.news-sentinel.com/news/local/crime/Gunshots-at-Speedway-gas-station-leaves-no-one-injured
The "natives" NEVER listen.
Guess no decent people are supposed to be out late at night in the Summit City?
(no Bob, ONLY on the southeast side)
Nice to hear the media step up, though...even IF the shit-for-brains idiots down here don't pay a damn bit if attention and will shoot off guns anyway.
Thing is (and this is important), the POLICE have to see the shooting going on to ARREST someone, and we know that ain't gonna happen, unless someone wearing a shield gets VERY lucky.
*** Next up, yes, our "king", Mayor Henry IS talking about revitalizing the SE side...not much on addressing the PUBLIC SAFETY issue, however.
http://wane.com/2015/12/29/mayor-henry-reflects-on-15-looks-ahead-to-16/
A king SHOULD have a legacy.
The videos and the story are telling (and in some cases, damning) as to what the REAL priorities of this reigning mayor and his regime have in store.
While all but glossing OVER the SE side situation (and problems), he does speak a smattering of truth - "The FWPD is doing THE BEST IT CAN". That (to me) speaks VOLUMES.
The main thrust of the interview is about this mayor's LEGACY (as it usually is with ALL democrats).
Better to tout ad nauseum a few (quasi-major) AMENITIES, than speak to rising (and more violent crime),  or the foundering retail business and dilapidated housing down here.
It's not holding part of the population accountable, and ignoring the quality-of-life we ALL should be getting in equal measure, regardless of WHERE we live in this city.
He says "bullets don't have eyes"...SERIOUSLY?
Like I say, if you LISTEN to our mayor, you will hear a lot more than you're supposed to - kinda like being able to "read between the lines".
*** Last back to the bookshelves...it would be SO refreshing if we could STOP being lied to by these politicians.
Yeah, I know that's damn near asking for the moon here, but it rings true, nonetheless.
It's like Chris Martin said in his (very good) post yesterday - 29 December)...the election campaigns are becoming a CLOWN SHOW.
All that's missing is a Fiat 500, done up like a Peter Max painting, and stuffed with twenty of the grease-paint-faced buffoons, designed to make us laugh our asses off and thereby divert our attention.
OMG...it REALLY exists!
Chris has invoked DeTocqueville as well as Joseph DeMaistre when he said: "A nation gets the government it DESERVES. If you want something BETTER...DESERVE IT."
Can't get any more plain and simple that that, can we?
And I get tired of those in "power" knowing what's BEST for me (when they don't know their ass from a hole in the ground), telling me HOW to live MY life (when they're in their ivory towers), demanding that "I" do more (when they do nothing), and calling me every name in the book because I don't follow in lockstep with THEIR agenda (which is as opposite from American normality as east is from west).
I have spent MORE time with me than ANYONE else on this planet, and I think I've got a pretty GOOD idea of how I should live my life, so as not to be a boil on society's ass, or commit any crime for any reason.
If I follow the GOLDEN RULE, there SHOULD be no problems, right?
Like to hope so, anyway/
If there's anything to look forward to NEXT year, it's that we have HOPE.
And not that "other" PC-BS-laced hope that changed the face of this nation, but REAL TRUE HONEST-TO-GOD HOPE.
I think it's high time we sought that out and took it to heart, as well as faith AND courage, rather than be pulled in too many directions for the delight of others. We won't know until we earnestly TRY, right?
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.