Welcome to August...
Yes, this is the month where there is absolutely NO celebrated holidays in America.
But both my Father's birthday as well as my own WERE celebrated...so there!
Yet, to prove that there WERE noteworthy events that happened IN the month of August, I'll be featuring an "event-a-day" throughout the month.
And you will find out a TON of stuff in the process.
*  *  *  *  *
So here we go with...
 "Bobby G's This August Day In History!:
-- August 1 - (1884) Slavery is ABOLISHED through the British empire as the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 goes into effect.

What took them SO DAMN LONG beats the hell out of me.
-- And...there are only 145 shopping days until Christmas!
-- PLUS - TODAY marks TWENTY FIVE YEARS of  Rush Limbaugh taking the EIB golden microphone on the airwaves for the first time...

The venerable El Rushbo

Happy Anniversary, Kudos, Congrats and here's to 25 MORE!
-- In the meantime, our Hooiserland weather is not what one could consider "Augusty" in nature.
The temps today will again reach into the upper 70s with partly to mostly cloudy skies. We even had a touch of FOG this morning.
The precipitation is gone for the time being, but a slight chance of a pop-up shower or even a thunderstorm might occur sometime today.
So, with that dispensed with, let us get ourselves busy and see whats been going on...
*** First up today - the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:
"Education would be so much more effective if it's purpose were to ensure that by the time they leave school every boy and girl  should know how much they don't know, and be imbued with a lifelong desire to know it."
This is attributed to Sir William Haley (24 May 1901 - 6 September 1987) was a noted British newspaper editor and broadcasting administrator.
And here is his WIKI:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Haley
Any of you that were familiar with the Encyclopedia Britannica now know that he was editor-in-chief OF that series of tomes from 1967-1969.
We could never afford them, but I often spent time perusing the volumes at the local library branch...it was like a gateway to the world for me.
And it helped to no small degree with reports for various classes.
So, I guess Haley's quote about EDUCATION didn't fall on deaf ears HERE.
Here's the Britannica link to him:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/252356/Sir-William-Haley
Haley's big problem early in his career at a newspaper, was that he was TOO SHY to be a reporter, so he was transferred to the editing department.
In 1943 he joined the BBC, and became general editor from 1944 to 1952, and then left to become editor of THE TIMES, considered to be the most influential position in British journalism.

After becoming editor-in-chief of Britannica, he resigned after a dispute with younger executives who wanted "livelier material" while Haley favored the more traditional approach with an expansion in size.
No mention of him ever being married or having children.
He passed away in a nursing home on the island of Jersey (his birthplace).
Moving on...
*** It seems I can never have a totally upbeat series of posts without some idiot shooting someone, or someone getting shot here in Ft. Wayne.

We can now say we have HOMICIDES NUMBER 27 and 28 as of last night.
Here's the story link:
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/three-critically-hurt-in-shooting
A TRIPLE shooting on the city's....(wasn't the southEAST side for a change)...SOUTHWEST side left two dead and one in hospital at the Millbrook Apartments, located on the 2700 block of Millbrook Drive right off of Covington Rd. around 2013 hrs.

Two men were found on the ground outside of the apartment and a woman was found INSIDE one of the units, suffering from gunshot wounds. All three were transported to hospital and while the two men were DOA, the woman remains in good condition.

No victim names have been released, no motive and no suspects as of yet.
Officer John Chambers stated both men suffered "multiple gunshot wounds", and police were scouring the area for evidence related to the shootings.
One resident said this incident (especially with children around the immediate vicinity) scares the crap out of her.
Welcome to MY world, sister...we deal with the possibility of this happening every...single...day.
At least my predictions about easily reaching THIRTY homicides this year is secure, as is the prediction of even hitting FORTY homicides...
At the current rate, we might see FIFTY.

Yasureyoubetcha!

So, IS Fort Wayne a dangerous place, as WANE reported?
I might climb out on a limb here and say INCREASINGLY SO...
It might interest you to know that THIS complex is under the control of HUD (FWHA - big surprise THERE, hmm?) and here's the website link to prove it:

Yes, HUD was here...and still IS.

        http://www.fwha.org/communities/12-communities-article/14-brookmill-courts
You NEVER know when an event like THIS will happen...the predictability of such things is tenuous at best, because the people doing the shooting are capable of going postal at the drop of a hat, rather than pursue a course of reason and dialogue. Hell, they can't even SPELL those words.
And that brings me to this next story I saw on O'Reilly last night...
*** Here's a marvelous example of a "race-huckster" at work.
An Illinois state representative went on a Detroit radio show back on 16 July and said that "maybe the police are killing some of these kids".
And yes, she's BLACK. Her name is Monique Davis.

Here's a link to the story:
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/07/19/Ill-State-Rep-Davis-Maybe-The-Police-Are-Killing-Some-Of-These-Kids
Can you imagine such idiocy...and that people actually elected this person?
Talk about your LOW-information voters!
Can't get ANY lower than this.
She wasn't making a CLAIM...just an aspersion...well, that's bad enough when you make such an asinine statement.
Bet she'd change her tune is SHE was the one on the receiving end of a beat-down by some young black thugs and the police didn't get to her SOON ENOUGH, because the black-on-black crime rate IS higher than black-on-white crime.
Tell you one thing...IF the police were killing the thugs out there, crime would be going down a HELLUVA lot faster...that's a damn fact.
Besides, the PAPERWORK involved with shootings of that nature STILL creates reams of hassles.
There is simply NO basis for such a ridiculous claim...unless it's to further DIVIDE people, rather than unify them, especially in URBAN areas.
Guess that root cause of problems in the black community (disintegration of the black family) gets ignored once again with THIS woman.
Wonder how MUCH those blinders of hers cost (the taxpayers), anyway?
It's downright scary the way some people think these days...
Now, FINALLY, for something a bit on the lighter side...
*** We got the Wifeymobile back from the shop - only cost us $80...not bad.
They couldn't track the leak, but added a dye into the oil, so I can se it on the garage floor.
The car didn't need an alignment job OR a tune up...good to know.

Today, Wifey plans to take a few boxes of old books up to Hyde Bros...she says she rather sell them than see them wind up in some landfill, and I have to agree with her. Books are still relevant today, because if your electronic gizmo goes on the fritz, and you can't read anything on THAT, that venerable BOOK is still on the shelf..waiting. She probably won't get much for the books, but that's not important. It's not about money.
It's about preserving a tradition.
The ability to read a book is a vital part of our lives, and should remain such.
*** Lastly today, some city trucks came into the next alley up and apparently took some foliage away...a lot of foliage, and yet, although the alley DOES look more accessible, it's nowhere close to being good ENOUGH.

Foliage R Us

The sofa's STILL there.

Not when I can still see overgrown foliage in yards, tires tossed to the side, and an overall apathetic demeanor when it comes to pride in one's property, owned OR rented.

Field of "dreams"?

Tires have been there for months!

Many people today WANT damn near everything.
And they have come to EXPECT most of it.
We can thank our government-sponsorships and entitlements.
Trouble is, they're not WILLING to do anything PRODUCTIVE  to GET what they want.
They obviously have their needs met, but that never seems to be ENOUGH, does it?
And such people will always want to take that easy way out to get what they want, whether it's through fraud, theft, robbery...whatever.

We've grown a generation or two with just such a mindset, and it's getting hard to turn that around with every subsequent generation.
THAT is what causes cities to fail (like Detroit), and that is what promotes the disintegration of what used to be a traditional family unit.
You simply cannot GIVE away the damn farm, an still expect to reap the benefits as the "owner". It's another way of the whole "having cake and eating it, too" thing...doesn't work...never will.
We ALL have vested interests in our cities, our families, and our properties. Hell, most all of us busted our asses to GET them, so why not KEEP them and take care OF them?
Perhaps if more people just got off their duffs and educated themselves a bit more, as Sir William Haley noted, they'd find that the pursuit of greater knowledge is JUST as challenging and rewarding as being educated in the first place.
Therein lies the lesson for today, my friends.

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

Humpday Happenings...
It's the middle of the week and the end of the month.
We continue the milder weather today, albeit with some shower activity throughout the day...temps will wind up in the upper 70s, and the humidity will be a might higher than it has been the last few days.
All in all, still not a bad way to bid farewell to July.
So, without any further ado, let's get this show started, hmm?
*** First out of the chute today is our Motto of the Week aka WHO SAID THAT?
"Education would be so much more effective if it's purpose were to ensure that by the time they leave school every boy and girl  should know how much they don't know, and be imbued with a lifelong desire to know it."
So, who said that? The answer at the top of tomorrow's post.
Meanwhile, back in the lunchroom...
*** We're taking the Wifeymobile into the shop today  for the pre-school checkup and to take a look at a leak I noticed on the garage floor.

It doesn't appear to be antifreeze or motor oil, so that leaves power steering fluid, transmission fluid or brake fluid...pretty easy to figure out.
Hopefully, that won't entail too much time, parts or money to fix.
And getting this done NOW will save hassle later on, because we'll have time to run it about AFTER we get it back from the shop later on today.
*** An update to the PNC bank that was robbed back in May in Ossian, IN.

Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130731/LOCAL03/307319937/1002/LOCAL
This perp, one Dontae Travier (must be FRENCH...lol) who was one of THREE armed robbers that hit that bank was captured up around Kalamazoo, Michigan yesterday.
His other aliases were Dontae Deshawn Williams-Travier, "Touchey", "Touchey-G", "Kid", and "Tay".
He can now add "Busta-P" to that list...as in busted perp...LOL.
This thug was known to record and perform in...(wait for it)...RAP music videos.
Boy, is HE gonna get some "material" for the NEXT production...(droppin' dat soap in de showa...YO!)
He deserves whatever he gets...ten times over.
Moving on...
*** I was watching On the Record w/ Greta Van Susteren last evening, and she had Rush Limbaugh on for the whole hour...a one-on-one interview, and I have to say that I haven't heard so much TRUTH being spoken in 60 minutes for quite some time.
You simply cannot fault the man's logic and perception when it comes to the liberal agenda and how much it has failed this nation and her people..
Limbaugh has done HIS homework in this regard, and if you've ever read his first two books (The Way Things Ought To Be and See, I Told You So), what was written back in the early 1990s is JUST as relevant TODAY...only the names have been changed to protect the guilty.
In many ways, liberals ARE quite predictable.
That's to say that whatever pie they put their fingers in, you can rest assured that the pie will be rendered inedible.
And we see the same thing today...no matter what "problem" they choose to tackle, it's never a REAL or lasting fix...and it ALWAYS costs more than anticipated, wastes resources, fleeces democrat pockets, hurts the working class and gives stuff to the lazy class...all for the purpose of securing a voter base of the low-information people.
This isn't to say that the recent crop of republicans fare so much better...they have become compliant to the dems and their failed policies, as if to say: "let's allow them to put their polices into action, so the people can SEE how bad it is."
That's like having a mechanic give you back the keys to your car, knowing that the transmission will fall out 30 miles down some lonely road to SHOW YOU that it was destined to fail...sorry, that doesn't work for me.
You FIX the problem before it fails, and then stand BY that repair and make good if you get it wrong.
For we all know that very few if any problems have a tendency to correct themselves BY themselves.
Yeah, that was ONE HOUR of my life that I enjoyed last evening...
*** Lastly today, we have seen and heard the rhetoric so many times...the government tells us what we "need", when it's not even something we WANT.
Time and time again, Big Brother fosters this sense of "caring"...like they really ARE concerned about our welfare. Real Americans know otherwise.
If anyone has a vested interest in our OWN welfare, it should first of all be... it's OURSELVES.
The government doesn't live our lives...WE do, and since WE spend the MOST of the time time there, I would prefer that WE are the ones best suited to know what it is that we both WANT...and NEED.
The whole "cradle-to-grave" nanny-state BS they throw at us is meant for only ONE thing...CONTROL.
They want us to "owe" them to some degree, or they just want us fat, drunk and stupid enough, so that they can dictate to us all that they feel we both need and want...not a good way to go through life...for anyone.
If a government is allowed to grow so big, so as to be able to run damn near every aspect in our lives (and that's a helluva lotta people these days), there is no longer a democratic republic...
We cannot permit our children to be dumbed down further...education must not entail having our kids indoctrinated, rather than educated.
We should not allow generational dependency upon our government to the point that some folks are made MORE equal than others.
We must not take for granted all the liberties and freedoms we enjoy, or we shall surely lose them one by one.
This nation deserves better...from both it's politicians and it's own people.
Each of us has the responsibility to make our lives better...and not worse. The government is taking care of THAT well enough as it is!
We should be challenging ourselves daily in whatever facet of our lives that needs challenging.
And such things should become a lot more commonplace, rather than the exception.

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

((See 'ya next month!))

Tuesday Tidbits...
If you like "Summer reruns", then TODAY will be something to look forward to, as far as our Hoosierland weather goes.
The temps will reach into the upper 70s today, and with mostly sunny skies, and perhaps a light breeze now and then.
Good gardening weather!
Tell you one thing...it's sure good sleeping weather (as well as one can sleep in the ghettohood).
Be a real nice day...until someone comes along and louses it the hell up...LOL.
Now, having dispensed with THAT, let's get the rest of the day sorted out by seeing what's been going on.
*** First up, and update to the Belvedere Lounge shooting (early Sunday AM) that left one woman in serious condition.
Here's the story link:
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/former-fort-wayne-allen-county-naacp-presidents-daughter-was-shot-at-night-club?ref=scroller&categoryId=20000&status=true
Seems that the person shot was the daughter of the former head of the Allen County - Fort Wayne "NAALCP".
( for explanation of THAT particular acronym see THIS link:
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2010/07/26/the_naalcp_explained
The video in the WANE story states that Paulette Nellems was told (by people) that it was the FWPD that shot her daughter (accidently while trying to disperse the crowd outside). As can be expected, the FWPD is denying THAT ever happened.
Nellems believes that police weren't trying to shoot anyone, but instead used a gun to scare the large crowd in the parking lot into leaving.
-- Naturally, such "tactics" are never employed and with good reasons - the most OBVIOUS ones stated below..
1) Using a firearm to "scare" people can often have unintended consequences...whatever goes UP comes DOWN, right? The Hollywood version of shooting into the air never seems to take that into account.
2) If ANY ordnance is expended for any reason by a LEO, you unleash the "dogs", in this case Internal Affairs (aka the "headhunters") who meticulously investigate the officer's actions and are tasked with finding some fault somewhere.
All rounds have to be accounted for.
3) For crowd dispersal, a "less-than-lethal" approach is always warranted...FIRST, and that can include batons, tasers, tear gas, and so on.
Many times, whooping the siren and using the PA speaker is sufficient to move people along.
For once I agree w/ Chief York and his take on the situation as reported.
He states that whenever there would be a police-action-shooting, a host of personnel would be called to the scene, such as the aforementioned IA, duty chiefs (shift supers), homicide on-call units, and prosecutor's office...to name a few.
And he's right.
Here we have a case of someone in the minority community "jumping the gun" (no pun intended) and (however indirectly) BLAMING the police, when there is NO evidence to support such an allegation.
Around many cities in America, we have this similar "black and blue" issue, and in a minute number of instances, the police might be in the wrong, but in the overwhelming majority of cases, the police act in a proper manner, following the protocols laid out.
Regular folks don't understand that, and some don't WANT to understand that.
Then again, when certain double-standards are already in place for minorities, and the police cannot effectively address the issues of CRIME without fear of hearing the word "profiling" at the drop of every baseball cap in the ghettohood, it's little wonder that advantages might be taken by that community and see a wrong where none is indicated. It's just the victicratic mentality at work here.
The police are NOT the "enemy".
Your own community IS...period.
Moving on...
*** When you think MEDIOCRITY, what comes to mind?
Yeah, I know...POLITICIANS...LOL.
What else?
Educational standards is perhaps on the list...or the way people "settle" for one thing when they can have, do, or become BETTER...is another.
Ever think about our MILITARY being mediocre?
How about the U.S. MARINES?
Ever spot a leatherneck in a bar  and walk up to him (or her) and say how damn MEDIOCRE they and the Corp are?
(not if you want to see your next birthday, you don't)
So, imagine my surprise when I come across this commentary BY an anonymous marine in the OP-ED section of the paper.
Here's the link to the editorial:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130730/EDIT05/307309991/1021/EDIT
I would never expect the marines to settle for anything less than the best, considering they are not a SPEC OP unit like the SEALS, RANGERS or AFSOC. They have always pursued and expected nothing short of the best from their recruits, officers and top brass.
Guess things have changed a bit over the last decade or two.
There is an old believe that if you can somehow compromise a nation's military, you have dealt it a severe blow.
And there are ways to do this, rather than by attrition on a battlefield.
We've seen it in the 'Nam...it was the politicians that called the shots, and snatched a truce from the jaws of victory over there.
That's ONE way to do it...let's the "suits" run a conflict.
Another way is to "dumb down" the standards and requirements that held that military in such high esteem.
Kinda sounds like our educational system, doesn't it?
How about the fact that slightly more than 1% of ALL our military is comprised of KNOWN gang members?
Those things are enough to shake any military organization the hell up.
Add a bunch of "empty uniforms" at the higher and mid-level command hierarchy, and it's little wonder the grunts are wondering...
"Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot???"
The commentary is a solid read, and points out the flaws that have crept into one facet of our military.
This marine sees things a lot like I do...we CAN do better, and as he states: "The nation NEEDS us to do better."
'Nuff said there.
*** Lastly today, we see that societal decline affects many things, and certainly VERY many people.
When you "stack the deck" in order to falsely promote a sense of "equality" of OUTCOME, rather than embrace the equality of OPPORTUNITY, you not only hurt those directly affected by such judgments, but you hurt this nation as a WHOLE...you subvert the human "infrastructure" of a country that has demonstrated time and again, the ability to rise above damn near any and all problems facing it.
A nation, or state, or city survives, and thrives based on it's PEOPLE. They are the ones working their tails off, implementing new ideas, and keeping the industries and businesses humming along.
But when you start GIVING money and "things" to people not WILLING to pull their OWN weight, and thereby adding to everyone else's weight in the process, you create an underclass of people with too much time to kill, and too concern for how they go about it.
Take civility and morality out of the picture as well, and you accelerate the process of decline.
Make life cheap, and somewhat "disposable", and a portion of the population will lap it up like spilled milk in front of a cat.
We need to stop this decline, reverse it, and get this nation off it's ass and back on it's feet...where it belongs.
Education...PROPER education in these matters will take time, but will also provide honest rewards to all people, once they realize that the gravy-train no longer stops at their front door once a month.
We ALL have similar opportunities in life, and we should never be granted the same outcome because we think it's our God-given right...that's folly.
Those who seize the opportunity can and will succeed, and we have to instill that in those that do nothing contributory to our country
We CAN do it...we have to for future's sake.

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

Monday Musings...
Weather-wise, you could not ask for a better start to our week here in the Heartland.
Temps are starting out in the lower 50s, with an expected high today in the mid-70s.
Feels more like early AUTUMN than Summer, doesn't it?
But don't get TOO comfortable, for we've some things happening over the weekend that proves that Fort Wayne might not be AS safe as many people would have you believe.
So strap yourselves in tight, it's not going to be the smoothest of rides today, but I promise we'll make it through okay.
*** First up, a shooting that left one woman in serious condition.
This happened around 0300 hrs Sunday morning in the parking lot of the Belvedere Lounge, located at 6179 W. Jefferson Blvd.

People were leaving the bar after it closed and an off-duty police officer working at the bar heard gunshots in the parking lot.
And that's about ALL anyone seems to know at this point.
Here's the story link with pretty much the same information:
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/crime/police-respond-to-shooting-on-w-jefferson-blvd
It would appear that no one has been arrested, no suspects to question, obviously a lack of witnesses who saw anything, and no apparent motive.
But, I'm sure the police will want OUR help.
Perhaps the BEST help would be to CLOSE these places a bit sooner,. or maybe not have them open into SUNDAY at all?
God, I miss those wonderful BLUE LAWS...!
Moving on...
*** Of course we couldn't have one shooting without ANOTHER, hmm?
It just wouldn't be Detro...I mean Chica...I mean FORT WAYNE, right?
The...(...altogether, gang...)...SOUTHEAST side is not to be outdone here, because OUR morons are the best in town.
I know, because I see and hear them every...single...day.

A man was shot at Lafayette St. near McKinnie around 0015 hrs this morning.
Didn't Eric Clapton once sing "After Midnight, they're gonna let it all hang out"?
Sure seems that way.
Here's the story link:
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/crime/man-in-critical-condition-after-shooting
Fortunately, am FWPD cruiser was nearby when the shooting occurred and immediately responded.
(that never stops these thugs from offing people, though - no respect for authority)
The intersection is the site of a gas station that was built there only a few years ago (that we didn't need).
The officer didn't say HOW many shots he heard.
The vic was taken to hospital in serious, but later downgraded to critical condition.
People in the area of the shooting directed police eastbound of the crime scene in search of possible suspects.
The officer found no one connected with the shooting, but a responding K-9 unit located a gun and hat along McKinnie Ave.
Police are not saying if that gun or hat is connected with this shooting.
Investigators have not released the victim's name and are trying to determine the line-of-travel of the victim, who was found about 50 yards from a nearby bar (which is directly across from the gas station on the NE corner of McKinnie).
((Editor's Update - 1130 hrs. - WOWO reports that the male victim has been ID'ed as 50 yr. old Micheal Beasley.))
No suspects, no arrests, no motives, no hits, runs or errors on this one so far.
And of course, police would like OUR help.
*** Next up...let's talk for a minute as to WHY things like this happen, and with such apparent frequency.

There are SO many people out there who readily point to POVERTY as the driving issue, as if being POOR makes people want to go out and shoot other people. First of all, if you're THAT "poor", you sure as hall can't afford to get a gun, let alone the ammo to feed it, and whenever I go into a gun store, I'm just not seeing scores of poor folk lining up to purchase firearms and such.
There are too many programs a person can avail themselves of to keep from becoming THAT poor, so the gun issue under THESE conditions is totally non sequitor. It makes as much sense as screen doors on a submarine, so the poverty issue is DOA.
Next, if it's NOT a poverty issue, could it be a CULTURAL issue?
Yes, I do believe it IS...and HAS been for far too long.
And it's spreading from the black community into the Hispanic community and now the white community.
How else can you account for the gross imbalance of black crime against other races?
Granted the largest number of crime is black-on-black, but the fact that as a white person, you run a 45% chance of being the victim of a BLACK person, as opposed to only a 3% chance of being a black victim of white crime.
Here's a link to some stats (and these are from 2005 - it's increased since then):
http://www.colorofcrime.com/colorofcrime2005.html
Even though blacks comprise about 30% of the population in America, a portion of them commit 85% of the crime, based on per capita (100,000) statistics.
Naturally, this makes it damn difficult for DECENT black folks to avoid this crime, as THEY are targeted slightly less than whites (43% of victims of black crime are black).
Is there some genetic aspect that causes such crime rates?
I would tend to say no, otherwise ALL blacks would be violent criminals, and we KNOW that is NOT the case...not when it's 25% of the black population causing 85% of the crimes.
So, it HAS to be a CULTURAL "thang"...no other explanation.
We can also rule out the lack of job opportunities...many of these minorities simply DO NOT WANT TO WORK...at a real job, that is.
And we all know that you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink, right?
When you don't want to work, AND you still want all the "nice stuff" that life can provide WHEN you work, the only alternative to make that happen...is...(you guessed it)...CRIME.
Take the nice stuff from OTHER PEOPLE, and if they don't GIVE it to you...take their LIFE.
So, it's little wonder that we see incarceration rates at near SEVEN TIMES HIGHER for blacks than whites. Hispanics are only THREE times higher, but they have the most members of GANGS in America (19 times more likely than whites, while blacks are only 15 times more likely with Asians 9 times more likely).
The GANG mentality - the new "culture" of family in America is definitely part of the problem.
Gangs offer that sense of belonging...until the chips are down, then these punks find out how "tight" the family really is (when they leave someone to bleed out on some filthy street after a brawl)
America used to be more deeply rooted in FAMILY...that was a greatest part of our "culture", and sadly, it's not the prominent aspect to our lives as it once was.
Black families that are more traditional in nature do NOT have the same rates of crime, incarceration, illegitimacy, and poverty that the lower end of the societal ladder seem to follow.

With the disintegration of a 2-parent structure, the challenges for child-rearing become that much more difficult, yet that's not to say that every single parent household will produce the next group of thugs or criminals. It just means that circumstances are more favorable to have that happen, thanks to cultural changes in this country from music to video games, to the lure of "quick money" from dubious sources.
Government control of our lives is NOT the answer, although the premise looks enticing on the surface.
The government is not (nor should ever be) in the business of running ANYONE'S life. It SHOULD be busy running the COUNTRY, protecting it's PEOPLE from foreign OR domestic tyranny and injustice.
Restoring the value system that makes regular folks better HAS to be the way to go.
Learning, or rather RElearning the basics like morality, civility...instilling a sense of ETHICS and integrity to everyone results in MUCH better outcomes for all individuals. We should never have to settle for anything less in ourselves or others.
People have to stop embracing the type of culture that has been so damn destructive to themselves and to everyone else, and learn what it means to be an American once again, and it doesn't mean being a common street thug, or a nuisance to society in general.
It means wanting to learn...to achieve...to become better so that such things can be passed along to others.
It's being a good example, and that, even if you do screw up (as we all will do from time to time), you come away from that a more learned person, wanting to do better in the future, rather than wallowing in self-pity or resulting to crime to make yourself "a bigger person".
People are measured by what they DO in life...good or bad.
People are also measured by what they DO NOT DO in life.
Better to attempt something, than do nothing and/or just give up and take whatever "easy" way out you can find.
Change the CULTURE, and you change the people...it's that simple.
And the way you change it is one person...at a time.
Have yourselves a good week.

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

Friday Follies...

Another nice day walks us into the weekend this morning. And the rest of the weekend weather is NOT looking all that bad, either.
Temps today again into the upper 70s, and we might tickle 80 degrees. The low dewpoint is making the air a lot LESS humid, too.
Increasing clouds later today and showers into tomorrow with a low around 60.
Saturday will be a bit on the RAINY side, but hey, it makes things grow and cools things down, right?
Anyhow, let's get on the stick and see what's going on...
*** First up, a robbery on the (where else, kids?) SOUTH SIDE of town.
Here's the link:

http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/crime/Police-searching-for-Mon-Asian-Grocery-armed-robbery-suspect

This time, it was the Mon Asian Grocery that was held up AT GUNPOINT, and the link has a video of the thug "at work".

The store is located at 3028 S. Calhoun St and the robbery happened this past Wednesday around 1625 hrs.

The perp is described as a BLACK MALE (big surprise there), with a shortly-trimmed beard, slender build, wearing a ball cap and a light-colored shirt.
In the video, this scumbag is holding the pistol SIDEWAYS (that's why the sights are on TOP), and the manner he waves it, just seem a bit "off-base" to me. I wouldn't doubt it if the gun he brandished was a "look-alike"...perhaps a pellet of airsoft pistol.
Police ARE looking for OUR help, though, so that's always a good thing.

Sure, I can help...if I see this creep, I'll just shoot his ass dead, that way he won't be able to "excape" until YOU (the po-po) arrive...how's THAT sound?
Perhaps if MORE store owners were ARMED and not afraid to cap these punks, they might get the hint that robbery with a gun might not lead to longevity in THEIR lives...'ya think?
Robbery steals from EVERYONE...period, and the sooner more people figure THAT the hell out, the better off we'll ALL be.
Meanwhile, back at the pistol range...
*** A "suspicious" fire on Swinney Ave?
Here's the link:
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/crime/fd-swinney-ave-house-fire-suspicious

The FWFD was dispatched to a house in the 1300 block of Swinney Ave near Thompson St around 0200 hrs this morning.
The house was vacant, and fire investigators are listing this as suspicious in nature.
Police said witnesses saw someone toss a bag onto the porch of the house shortly before the fire started.
Witnesses also said that a vehicle turned down an alley off of Nelson St shortly after the fire began.
Arson investigators did not find anyone inside after the fire was extinguished.
It remains under investigation by the FWFD.
*** So, you've left Michigan (and who isn't these days?) and looking for a place to crib for a while...
Why not stop down in Howe, Indiana, set up in a vacant house, where local police there FOUND three people, squatting in a place they did not own (or rent, obviously).
Here's the story link:
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/crime/three-arrested-for-squatting-in-howe
White trash never looked so good, right?

The house, located at 1130 west 700 north in Howe, was occupied by this gaggle o goofballs for almost 1 1/2 months, using the utilities they were not authorized to use. Two minors were also found at the house, which was in foreclosure.
Police found items associated with the consumption of meth of marijuana
They found smoking devices, scales, syringes, tooters, packaging and other items of drug paraphernalia.
BUSTED...!!!
Must really suck to be THEM today...ROFLMAO!
*** You're in the market for e new car, and you've been wondering WHAT the hell to buy, right?
I mean, it IS the 2nd largest "investment" of your life, aside from the house you purchase.
(children are a whole other matter...for another day)
So what car DO you buy?

Well, according to Consumer Reports, the BEST car for 2014 (which won't be here until the end of December 2013) is...the Chevrolet IMPALA...
((...record-scratch...))
HUH???
Really?
Here's the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130726/BIZ/307269926/1031/BIZ
With prices STARTING at $27K, I'd like to see something worth driving to me...
I'm sure it's a decent car, but "the best"?
Better than the Audi A6 or Lexus LS460?
Better than the Toyota Avalon or Chrysler 300?
In THIS case, I'm from MISSOURI...you'll have to SHOW ME.
Personally, I'm not keen on ANY FWD "full-size" anything. Gimme RWD any day!
Front-Wheel Drive just has too much that can (and does) go wrong, and it ain't cheap to fix.
Plus, you have a SIDEWAYS mounted engine...that's just NOT natural.
You wouldn't mount an AIRCRAFT engine sideways.
And you have a trans-AXLE instead of a proper transmission...more to go wrong.
FWD is fine on some teeny pregnant rollerskates like those Fiat 500s.

Still, it makes me think that since Detroit is in the crapper, GM was bailed out and WE, the people are paying for THAT too...(see yesterday's post)...that the "fix was put in" for GM to have the "best" car this year...for NEXT year.
I got an idea - since WE are paying for the GM bailout...how's about every working stiff that IS paying taxes gets a nice HUGE 50% OFF the STICKER PRICE of those Impalas? If we ONLY pay close to HALF the selling price, THAT would be fair to me (and a much better bargain).
It DOES have the novelty of never having been tried yet...LOL.
*** Lastly today, no matter what happens in life THESE days...we are paying for it.
And it's not just whatever it is that "we" do...oh, no.
If the government spends money, it's OUR money.
If they WASTE money, it's also OUR money.
Any bailout, stimulus, cash for clunker deal, healthcare, or whatever other piece of crap they toss at us...it's coming out of OUR wallets.
Now, you would THINK we should have some say as to HOW BEST our money SHOULD be spent, right?
Nope, sorry...
Yet in ALL our households, WE determine how best to spend THAT money, for groceries, our health, laundry, gas, car or house repair, and the like.
And by and large, most of us do pretty damn well at it...we even manage to SAVE some moolah once in a while. Imagine that.
Can't say as much for the governments, can we?
And what do we "get back" for OUR money that is tossed at the government?
Usually not enough, and never soon enough for long enough.
Maybe, just maybe the governments of this nation, and that means federal, state AND local, should take a cue from OUR individual households, if not THEIR OWN.
Learn to live within one's means, and not blow the wad for frivolous crap that has a shorter lifespan than most sub-atomic particles.
They will never know until THEY try...just like US.

Be well, do have yourselves a great weekend, make a difference to someone today, and as always...
Stay SAFE out there, America.