Tuesday Tidbits...

Our Labor day weekend is thankfully behind us, and it would appear that we're back to having summer heat and humidity. Kinda early for Indian Summer, isn't it?
I trust you all made it through the weekend none the worse for wear.
Now, we get to set our sights on Halloween, because you've already seen the orange and black setups in various grocery stores and pharmacies, right?
Can Christmas be that far away?
Our Hoosierland weather for today is HOT (as in too damn), with temps creeping into the upper 80s (and with the heat index, it'll feel more like the low 90s. Expect mostly sunny skies and if you find a breeze, hang onto it. You'll need it.
So, let us start the day with a refreshing drink as we see what's been going on elsewhere...
*** First out of the cereal bowl is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
SEPTEMBER 6 -
---Today is NATIONAL COFFEE ICE CREAM DAY

(what do you know...I got some in the freezer)
---It's also NATIONAL READ A BOOK DAY

(unless you drive for a living - that would be awkward)
---And, it's NATIONAL ANOTHER LOOK UNLIMITED DAY

(kinda like a spring cleaning thing...in the fall - just what we need, right?)
*** Next up,  it's time to bring you ALL the local police calls that warrant our attention, because the media doesn't think they're all THAT sensational:

SHOTS FIRED ((113)) / ARMED ROBBERY((53)) CALLS - 8/29 - 9/4
((23,113 - vandalism by gunfire))
=======================================
AUG 29 -
16F118670 08/29/2016 03:51am 113 SHOTS FIRED 4300 HOBSON RD & STELLHORN RD
16F119085 08/29/2016 07:56pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 900 FOREST AVE
16F119147 08/29/2016 10:41pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2000 HIDDEN RIVER DR
16F119153 08/29/2016 10:49pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 3200 SMITH ST OXFORD
16F119159 08/29/2016 11:01pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 10400 KENTFIELD PL
16F119173 08/29/2016 11:53pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 3200 BLUEFIELD PL
16F119174 08/29/2016 11:59pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 800 THIRD ST
16F118684 08/29/2016 05:42am 23,113 2500 CARLTON CT W
16F118686 08/29/2016 06:13am 23,113 1400 ARDIS ST
16F118827 08/29/2016 12:15pm 23,113 2400 INDIAN VILLAGE BLVD
16F118832 08/29/2016 12:22pm 23,113 30500 I 69 NB & ILLINOIS RD
16F118891 08/29/2016 02:29pm 23,113 2500 JULIETTE AVE
16F118931 08/29/2016 02:58pm 23,113 4300 KEKIONGA DR
16F119018 08/29/2016 05:48pm 23,113 4000 BUELL DR
16F119107 08/29/2016 09:25pm 23,113 2400 JULIETTE AVE
16F119163 08/29/2016 11:14pm 58 SHOOTING 2900 STARDALE DR
((NO armed robberies))
AUG 30 -
16F119589 08/30/2016 07:53pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2100 PAULINE ST & HALE AVE
16F119276 08/30/2016 08:46am 23,113 3100 WEBSTER ST FAIRFIELD
16F119286 08/30/2016 09:17am 23,113 2700 GILBERT DR BELLE VISTA
16F119573 08/30/2016 07:13pm 23,113 3400 BROOKLYN AVE
16F119683 08/30/2016 11:54pm 53 ARMED ROB 1700 WAYNE ST E
AUG 31 -
16F119746 08/31/2016 05:58am 113 SHOTS FIRED 600 FIFTH ST
16F120183 08/31/2016 09:17pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2100 SMITH ST
16F119998 08/31/2016 03:39pm 23,113 5200 KESWICK LN CREEKWOOD
16F120066 08/31/2016 05:16pm 23,113 6400 ALVAREZ DR BLACKHAWK APTS
16F120146 08/31/2016 08:00pm 23,113 4600 WEISSER PARK AVE
16F119721 08/31/2016 03:04am 53 ARMED ROB 500 WOODLAND AVE E
SEP 1 -
16F120424 09/01/2016 11:58am 113 SHOTS FIRED 300 PAULDING RD W
16F120457 09/01/2016 01:19pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 400 DEWALD ST E LAREZ
16F120677 09/01/2016 08:33pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 1200 MCKEE ST OXFORD
16F120716 09/01/2016 09:56pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 10700 ABOITE CENTER
16F120755 09/01/2016 11:42pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2100 BROADWAY & DEWALD ST W
16F120387 09/01/2016 09:51am 23,113 1200 CREIGHTON AVE E
16F120600 09/01/2016 05:49pm 23,113 1900 TILLMAN RD E
((NO armed robberies))
SEP 2 -
16F120765 09/02/2016 12:19am 113 SHOTS FIRED 7300 KERN VALLEY DR
16F121221 09/02/2016 08:48pm 58 SHOOTING 1400 GREENE ST
((NO armed robberies))
SEP 3 -
16F121343 09/03/2016 12:15am 113 SHOTS FIRED 4600 HEATHERWIND D
16F121348 09/03/2016 12:24am 113 SHOTS FIRED 3900 STANTON DR & LAWFORD LN
16F121365 09/03/2016 01:29am 113 SHOTS FIRED 2100 BROADWAY
16F121404 09/03/2016 03:51am 113 SHOTS FIRED 500 CREIGHTON AVE W & FAIRFIELD AV
16F121405 09/03/2016 03:52am 113 SHOTS FIRED 4000 WEISSER PARK A
16F121668 09/03/2016 04:52pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 400 STATE BLVD E
16F121778 09/03/2016 08:38pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 9500 CRESTRIDGE DR
16F121792 09/03/2016 09:01pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2500 northway ave
16F121841 09/03/2016 10:37pm 53 ARMED ROB 1400 ST JOSEPH BLVD
SEP 4 -
16F121913 09/04/2016 01:40am 113 SHOTS FIRED 2600 ANTHONY BLVD S & PONTIAC ST E
16F121926 09/04/2016 02:07am 113 SHOTS FIRED 4200 HOLTON AVE & MCKINNIE AVE
16F121945 09/04/2016 02:44am 113 SHOTS FIRED 9100 ALMOND TREE CT
16F121948 09/04/2016 02:50am 113 SHOTS FIRED 3100 PAULDING RD E & HESSEN CASSEL
16F121947 09/04/2016 02:51am 113 SHOTS FIRED 1000 AUTUMN RIDGE LN 
16F122059 09/04/2016 12:20pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 600 WALLACE ST E & HANNA ST S
16F122266 09/04/2016 08:49pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 6400 BRISTOL RD
16F122268 09/04/2016 08:59pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 5500 WEBSTER ST
16F122276 09/04/2016 09:12pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2100 ARDMORE AVE & TAYLOR ST
16F122283 09/04/2016 09:31pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 5100 LAKE AVE
16F122288 09/04/2016 09:43pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 4300 WHALERS CV NORTH SHORES
16F122350 09/04/2016 11:33pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2900 BEAVER AVE & COTTAGE AVE
16F121971 09/04/2016 05:30am 53 ARMED ROB 100 COUNTRY FOREST  
16F122334 09/04/2016 11:07pm 53 ARMED ROB 4900 LIMA RD
16F121971 09/04/2016 05:30am 53 ARMED ROB 100 COUNTRY FOREST  
16F122334 09/04/2016 11:07pm 53 ARMED ROB 4900 LIMA RD
16F122090 09/04/2016 01:52pm 58 SHOOTING 4700 REED ST
16F122214 09/04/2016 06:37pm 58 SHOOTING 3200 WAYNE TRACE & DREXEL AVE
================================
Also, you knew we couldn't have two weeks in a row WITHOUT fireworks in Fort Wayne, right?
===========================
FIREWORKS CALLS 8/29 - 9/4
============================
SEP 3 - 
16F121794 09/03/2016 09:00pm 44FW 2400 SHERMAN BLVD
16F121795 09/03/2016 09:07pm 44FW 2700 BUTLER RD BASS 
16F121798 09/03/2016 09:10pm 44FW 3200 CEDAR RIDGE RUN
16F121878 09/03/2016 11:57pm 44FW 3400 MAXIM DR N
SEP 4 -
16F122298 09/04/2016 10:04pm 44FW 7200 LAKERIDGE DR & LOWER HUNTINGT
16F122352 09/04/2016 11:34pm 44FW 10400 TRADERS POINTE
===================================
BTW, the FWPD have changed their website, and while it's not as easy to find all these activity reports, they now make it able to get the entire week at one shot, as opposed to day-by-day. Less tedious, but they did change the TIME of a report from military time (24 hr clock) to conventional time (am-pm).
*** Next, we also couldn't end the holiday weekend without one more person getting shot.

Here's the link:
http://www.21alive.com/news/local/Man-shot-on-Labor-Day-392381761.html

There HAS to be a typo there, too. They mention TUESDAY as to when this happened...TODAY is Tuesday.
This took place around 1930 hrs on 5 Sep. Police got a call for a man on the ground at the Speedway station located at Creighton and Fairfield, and when they arrived, one man was found with a gunshot wound. It's not believed to be life-threatening.
Two men were spotted running from the scene.
One with a red shirt and the other with no shirt.
And that's all that's known at this time.
*** Next up, well, we thought we were going to have a nice day, and for the most part...it WAS.
Until the local "microbike" and "quadrunners" decided to use the alley for a "trail".

One little idiot also thought our driveway would make a good palce to turn around (sorry about the glare).

I did call police on them for operating such vehicles within city limits (they're really NOT allowed to do so, as they're so low to the ground that most driver couldn't see them if they pulled alongside.
We call those SAFETY ISSUES.
Well, there was a police car in the area, but I later saw the microbikes back out. They seem to come from a house in the next block up and one street over (maybe they should confine themselves to that block).
We've more traffic along Maple Grove than I've ever seen, and having them zip from alley to alley...someone's gonna get tagged and possibly killed. Not soon enough for me...sorry, just thinking out loud.
--And speaking of trash, Wifey and I found a discarded (damaged) mountain bike at the corner of our property yesterday morning.

I picked it up and tossed it onto a vacant property behind us. It was gone by the afternoon. You never know what you'll find on your property around her, that's for sure.
*** Next, another chapter in "The Hobo Chronicles"...
Wasn't that bad a day yesterday...except for the chicken leg I found in our yard that had to have been brought here from next door by "you-know-who".

"What? That was a gift for you."

Well, that went back OVER our fence to it's rightful owner. Those people need to pick up ALL their damn trash.
Anyway, I had to go into the garage, and our furry friend ran past me (for once).

"Nice ride - feels good underfoot."

He then had to check our vehicles to make sure they were okay.

"If I just act cute for awhile..."

The heat usually causes him to curl up in the garden (early on) or next to the house behind the tall grass or gladiolas (that never bloomed this year).
At least he's not back on any roof.
*** Next, we lost one of the people I grew up with (watching on TV) - Hugh O'Brian.

(The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp - highly fictionalized and much different from Kostner and Russell's portrayals)
Here's his WIKI:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_O%27Brian
And here is his filmography:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_O%27Brian_filmography

Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership

He was 91 years of age.

"I do NOT believe we are all born equal. Created equal in the eyes of God, yes, but physical and emotional differences, parental guidelines, varying environments, being in the right place at the right time, all play a role in enhancing or limiting an individual's development. But I DO believe every man and woman, if given the opportunity and encouragement to recognize their potential, regardless of background, has the freedom to choose in our world. Will an individual be a taker or a giver in life? Will that person be satisfied merely to exist or seek a meaningful purpose? Will he or she dare to dream the impossible dream? I believe every person is created as the steward of his or her own destiny with great power for a specific purpose, to share with others, through service, a reverence for life in a spirit of love".

— Hugh O'Brian, The Freedom to Choose

(from an essay on a message to young people)

*** Last back to the toaster...America has always been a strong nation.
IWar of 1812). We survived a civil war (most counties never fully recover from such things), we worked through the Great Depression, two world wars, Korea, Nam, and sundry other military actions, as well as a war in the Middle East that's been ongoing for 15 years. Our country made it through "9-11" as well.
t took strength to wrest ourselves from the tyrannical rule of the British Empire, and to stave off a second attempt tp take our country away from us (
And we're still here, aren't we? But are we the nation we USED to be?
In very many ways...we're not, and there lies the real crime.

We claim to be better than generations past, and that is simply a fallacy.
Our country has been allowed to wallow in the cesspool of globalization, which has brought other nations down a few pegs, and elevated few if any. We have become obsessed with lawsuit mentalities, entitlements, and various technologies meant to take from us, rather than build us up as a society.
We have permitted the wrong people to thrive, and the good and just people to suffer.
This needs to change, and very soon.
It should be required that all real Americans start to adhere to the values and principles that made this nation, and kept it great for so many decades, but I'm just not seeing it.
Where those good people used to be the majority, they are now in the minority.
We shouldn't need some national tragic event to galvanize us into action and unity.
You see, if we can change for the worse, we damn sure can change (back) for the better.
We just need to remain there, that's all.

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