Friday Follies...
Yeah, we had to give Joe the week off...he's been working too many weeks this year without a break, so we have our "alternate", and you 'll see why I chose HIM is a few.
Today's weather is going to be ANOTHER rerun of yesterday...some sun, some clouds, highs around 80 with appropriate humidity for late Summer, and the chance of rain ay some point...maybe, or maybe not...who knows?
Anyone else's "RUT-DETECTOR" going off as mine has been?
In any event, let's get this week over with and the weekend started with some brio, fair enough?
*** First up, as we're doing ALL this month to prove the nay-sayers wrong when it comes to events of note, I present:
"Bobby G's This Day in August History"
August 9 - 
1843 - The opening of the SISTINE CHAPEL in Rome with the celebration of Mass.
1854 - Henry David Thoreau publishes WALDEN
1936 - Jesse Owens wins his 4th GOLD medal at the Berlin Summer Olympics, becoming the FIRST American to win four medals in one Olympiad, and that really pissed off that little corporal in charge of the 'Reich".
1944 - Smokey the Bear makes his FIRST appearance from the U.S. Forest Service and the Wartime Advertising Council
(quick trivia - who does the voice over for the commercials THESE days?)

That's one BIG plane for it's time!

1945 - Nagasaki is devastated by the dropping of the SECOND atomic bomb, nicknamed "Fat Man" by the American B-29 bomber "Bockscar" (still on display in Dayton, OH). Approximately 39,000 people were killed outright in the blast.
1988 - Wayne Gretsky is traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the L.A. Kings, and Canada has yet to forgive us for that "steal"...!
-- And it's the birthday of the man at the top of today's post - none other than SAM ELLIOT.
(who does the Dodge RAM commercials and YES, he does the "only YOU can prevent wildfires" commercials)
So there you have it...everything you NEED to know about...TODAY.
Moving on...
*** I was HOPING we could make it through the damn week WITHOUT some mook shooting another, but, since this IS Fort Wayne (aka "L'il Detroit", according to my favorite ex-LEO, Momma Fargo...LOL) we got one, and since I can't find ANY link to the story I heard JUST this morning, I'll recap:

-- Police discovered a man who was driven to a local hospital suffering from gunshot wounds. The FWPD are trying to determine the time and location that this shooting occurred, and no other information has been released as of yet, but the man was listed in serious condition.
Jeezus, now we're BURYING the damn stories, so we're all lulled into a false sense of crime going DOWN?
The media should be all over this like white on rice, so as to keep the public INFORMED, and PREPARED for whatever else these thugs have planned for the following day, because you KNOW they're all up to something they shouldn't be...:

-- EDITOR'S NOTE - Spoke too soon again in this city...here's a link to the UPDATE of the story:
http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/news/local/Wanted-Man-Shows-Up-At-ER-With-Gunshot-Wound-218998501.html
Imagine that...the shootee from this last Gunfight at the Eden Green "Corral" is the person that winds up in the E.R. And he's ALREADY wanted in Kosciusko County!
Astounding...talk about F$CKING LUCK!
Well, that's ONE way of capturing a thug...not the BEST way, just A way...LOL.
James Guinn , the latest stupid-ass thug to grace the confines of the Allen County lockup is now wearing his ORANGE jumpsuit and flip flops with a $25K bail, awaiting extradition to Kosciusko.
*** Wifey is prepping to go back to school, and as such, this is the LAST Friday we'll be going to the grocery. We're back to Saturdays starting NEXT week, and that's always nice, because traffic is much lighter and you can actually ENJOY THE RIDE!
(kinda like the way I tell some people to go to hell...LOL)
-- And our female cat is a bit perkier since the beginning of the week - she comes out and walks about even IF it's NOT "din-din" time.

I'm taking a rest between meals.

She's not back 100%, but it's a lot better than this time LAST week, I can tell you.
-- Wifey has also been taking pics with her camera/phone/game platform/mini-computer social networking device.
And I have to say the resolution is pretty damn good...for a PHONE!

What? I ALWAYS wear camos in a war-zone.

An admiral butterfly (at ease, sailors)

Viceroy and Swallowtail - a "two-fer"

-- So, the lovely Mrs. Bobby G. is heading up to the mall to get her hair cut, and I was thinking of tagging along, so I asked her HOW LONG it would take (real men NEED to know such stuff...it's a boredom thingy), and she says "about two hours", and I told her "Ahh...No thanks"...you don't want ME wandering about up THERE with some "plastic" in my one pocket and the "hip-national bank" in excess of a hundred bucks with all THOSE stores around...like Toys R Us, Gander Mountain, Dicks Sporting Goods, and a couple other  FIREARMS shops...!
Somehow, coming home with a few bags of action figures, comic books, some more ammo and maybe another firearm and a few shooting "ascessories" would NOT be the best choice to start the weekend.
Hey, like Clint Eastwood said in Magnum Force:
"A man's gotta know his limitations."

Plus, I prefer sleeping INSIDE the house, and not in the garage.
My Mom didn't raise no fool.
*** Lastly today, you always hear me rag about how BAD this part of town is, and that's fact, not fiction.
I don't wear blinders, and refuse to allow whatever is passing for the status quo down here to become so commonplace that I become desensitized to the issues, as so many others have already become.
I don't believe in being politically-correct...NOT when truth gets trampled underfoot, ignored or supplanted with some fiction that I'm supposed to BELIEVE is the truth, when I know otherwise.
I DO believe that this part of town has a future...a damn good one, should (read IF) the city make some tough choices, and starts holding everyone accountable to the same standards that normal citizens are held. That shouldn't be asking for the moon here, either.
And, truth be told, I and the Missus have done MORE for this neighborhood than anyone else is aware of...that never gets published or put on the evening news, not that it should, for we're not looking to become famous in any way, shape or form.
WE are the ones that call in suspicious behavior or loud music.
 WE are the ones that call the city when someone short dumps a sofa in some alley, or decides to drop off a big-screen television in another alley.
WE are the ones that call Code Enforcement for weed violations, broken windows, or piles of refuse.
I have to admit that it would be SO damn nice to have a few more people that felt the same way...like an ally that thinks (to use Obummer's hackneyed phrase) "Everyone plays by the SAME RULES".
If it's good for one group of people, there no reason it can;t apply to all the others.
Like I say...not DOUBLE standards...just BETTER standards...for everyone.
And that begins with common sense, and some better CHOICES, doesn't it?

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

On the Horizon...
Well, we're damn near done with the week, and it looked like we didn't get the rain they said we were going to get...at least not around the Ft. Wayne area.
Today's weather will be a close copy to yesterday, again with the threat of possible shower activity...later on.
Highs will reach around the 80 degree mark, and we'll have partly cloudy skies...or partly SUNNY skies, depending on YOUR personal POV.
And that's all she wrote for that one.
Meanwhile, let's see what's been going on...
*** First up, it's time again for:
Bobby G's This Day in August History:
August 8  

- 1974 - Richard Nixon, in a televised address to the nation, announces his resignation as President, effective at noon the next day.
- 2000 - The Confederate submersible, H.L  Hunley is raised after 136 years on the ocean floor (Charleston Bay), funded by novelist Clive Cussler.
*** Next up, the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote...
"The Creator has not given you a longing to do that which you have no ability to do."

This was spoken by one Orison Swett Marden (1850 - 1924), and here is his WIKI:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orison_Swett_Marden
Marden was an American spiritual author in the "New Thought Movement", who also held a degree in medicine.
Having lost both his parents by the age of 7, he became a "hired boy" to earn his keep, and finding a self-help book in an attic from the Scottish author Samuel Smiles, he began a journey to improve his life circumstances as well as himself.
With perseverance, he managed to graduate from Boston Univeristy in 1871, and later graduated from Harvard with an M.D. in medicine (1881) and an LL.B. degree in 1882.
He supported himself during the college years by working in a hotel, afterward becoming owner of several hotels AND a resort.
(wonder why young people today don't emulate THIS?)
Marden also cited Emerson and Oliver Wendell Holmes as influential upon his thinking.
He lost his hotel during the Great Depression of the 1890s, (yep, we had one back THEN, too) and attempted to write a book, to which he destroyed the first manuscript and started over.
After a year and many turn-downs, he managed to get a new manuscript published. entitled PUSHING TO THE FRONT.
This one book became the single-greatest runaway classic in the history of personal development at that time, with people such as J.P. Morgan, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Harvey Firestone citing it as inspirational.
You may recall such terms as "go-at-iveness" and "stick-to-it-iveness". THOSE are direct quotes from Orison Swett Marden.
The New Thought Movement WIKI is here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Thought

Now this philosophy promotes the idea that "infinite intelligence" or GOD is EVERYWHERE, spirit is the totality of real things, true human self-hood is divine, divine thought is a force for good, sickness originates in the mind, and "right thinking" has a healing effect.
That's a LOT to wrap your brain around, but even today, we see evidence of much of this in people with severe illnesses.
In some ways, it's a curious melding of religion AND philosophy...two things that are rarely combined even today.
Based on what I have read, I suppose that Scientology "might" be an offshoot of this way of thinking, although I can find no DIRECT correlation.
One group within the New Thought Movement are those connected with the Centers for Spiritual Living, and I have to admit that some of THOSE beliefs are a bit our-of-step of the Good Book, if you take the Word of God LITERALLY.

This isn't to say that The New Thought Movement is a sham or dog and pony show.
I just think it's interesting to to investigate all sides to every issue, and this one has it's share of intrigue, and it IS based in GOD...
Besides, I don't know of ANY "New Thoughters" who are planning ANY form of JIHAD in the foreseeable future, so there must be something good to that.
Anything that promotes self-help and tosses in a healthy dose of GOD has my vote...can't do any harm.
They DO have to work on the logo...looks a bit too "familiar"...could be by design, or accidental on someone's part.
When I saw it, I was like...WHOA!
((...record-scratch...))

That's kinda creeps ME out, but perhaps the author of one particular graphic novel PURPOSELY made the logo in the book (and subsequent movie) eerily similar...for a reason, whatever that could be, even they do represent polar opposites from a religious standpoint, and philosophical opposites from a political standpoint.
But I will say that anyone or anything that either ADDS to or DETRACTS from the word of God is asking for a world of hurt (spiritually-speaking).
Moving on...
*** A suspicious car fire prompts investigation...
Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130808/LOCAL07/308089955/1002/LOCAL

Yeah, if something appears THIS suspicious, it probably IS a lot MORE suspicious that you first thought.
A parked car along a stretch of road, about 30 feet OFF the road engulfed in flames with a D/B aboard...doesn't seem like something "typical", does it?
The coroner will be releasing the C.O.D. perhaps today (don;t be surprised if the victim was shot or otherwise killed BEFORE the fire was started).
*** FWPD are looking for someone...aren't they always?
(they ain't looking for me, at least they shouldn't be...in a criminal sense anyway)
Here's the link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130808/LOCAL07/308089923/1002/LOCAL

Police are seeking to find this person in connection with an "undisclosed" incident that happened at the time of his arrival at the gas station located at Broadway and Grace Sts. There is currently NO warrant issued for the man, and information about the specific incident was not available.
*** Lastly today, every one of us has our methods of coping with life...some much better than others.
Many of us seek out a higher authority to aid us in our daily walk while others plunge into a bottle of booze, or plunge a hypodermic into some part of their anatomy. One method has a much better outcome than the other, obviously.
Still, one has to wonder WHY some people chase after "false gods" in the hope of making their life better, when all they do is make their current situation worse with every day.
And then there are those that can't cope at all with life, and decide to lie on some railroad tracks to end it all (tragic), or give their firearm a blowjob (messy), or pursue a course of substance abuse that inevitably ends in their demise, if help is not forthcoming (slow and painful).

What we ALL need to realize is that there is ALWAYS hope, and ALWAYS help...you just have to look for it, and that involves something we call WORK.
It take a determined EFFORT to crawl back to your feet when life knocks you down, but like that poem says "rest if you must, but never quit".
Some days, the effort seems insurmountable, and THAT is when we have to do OUR best when it comes to NOT quitting.
Like I say, every day is a challenge, the next issue to tackle might be just over the next horizon, and how we meet it and move forward beyond it makes all the difference, not only to ourselves, but every other soul we encounter.

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

Humpday Happenings...

To quote that wonderful Geico commercial...
"Guess what day it is? Guess...what...day IT...IS?"
Initially, I thought the commercial lame ('cause the 2 guys at the end REALLY aren't playing the guitar and mandolin), but that camel and CGI mouth movements with the voice...are PRICELESS!

Yes, it's..."Hump-DAYYYYYYYY....YEAH!"
Today's Hoosierland weather is a bit on the "close" side today, which means that old humidity is back (already got our A/C on), and temps will top out in the lower 80s. There is a chance of some showers and some of them could be severe in nature (aren't that ALL "in nature"?)
I've never found any thunderstorms OUTSIDE of nature, and NO, fartin' in the shower doesn't count!
With THAT having been said, let's see what on the agenda today, shall we?
*** First up, the Motto of the Week, aka WHO SAID THAT?
"The Creator has not given you a longing to do that which you have no ability to do."
This might prove rather elusive a person to name, as he is rarely mentioned, if ever.
But I think you might find it a challenge to guess, if you know where to find a clue.
The answer at the top of tomorrow's post.
Meanwhile, back at the sweat-shop...
*** As is promised by yours truly, it's time once again for:
Bobby G's This Day in August History!
August 7 - 1794 - President Washington invokes the Militia Act of 1792 to suopress the Whiskey Rebellion in Western PA.
 - 1927 - The Peace Bridge opens between Buffalo, NY and Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada
 - 1942 - The Battle of Guadalcanal begins.

 - 1947 - Thor Heyerdahl's balsa wood raft, KON-TIKI smashes into the reefs at Raroia in the Tuamotu Islands, after a 101-day journey covering 4,300 miles, proving that pre-historic people could have traveled from South America.
 - 1957 - The Lincoln Memorial replaces the "wheat" on the back of the U.S. penny
 - 1964 - The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution is passed, upping America's "ante" and military footprint in the war in Vietnam.
 - 1966 - The race riots occur in Lansing, MI.
And those are just a few of the high points...so Who says nothing happens in AUGUST, hmm?
Moving on...
*** I was watching that video of that beat-down of a WHITE teen by THREE BLACK TEENS on a school bus and wondering WHERE is these so-called "racial leaders" NOW?
Here's a link to the story with video (warning, it IS graphic):
http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/school-bus-brawl-caught-tape-driver-not-charged/nZDy5/

Personally, I find it appalling that a boy would be attacked so viciously by some thugs just BECAUSE he DID NOT want to buy and POT from the three blacks, and also reported them to school authorities the day prior. The victim was 13 years old, whole the thugs were 15 years old...and obviously had difficulty finding a belt to hold their damn saggy pants the hell up.

The faces of  Government Sponsorship

Maybe if these three had real FATHERS around, they could use that belt on their asses to whip some sense into them, so they wouldn't behave in such a reprehensible manner, and then give the belts to the teens to hold the pants up...as clothiers had designed.
This whole "anything goes" crap is despicable, and it's almost always perpetrated by blacks, first on other blacks, and then, when they can;t find any of those around, turn to whites or other raced people to promote the violence.
That's NOT how you build BETTER RACE RELATIONS, people!

And NO interest "charges"!

But you won;t hear one damn word from the Revs Sharpton or Jackson...or even Tavis Smiley or Professor Eric Dyson...no, sir.
They probably view THIS attack as a form of perverse "retribution:" for the Trayvon Martin verdict.
Cripes, the victim should be getting a damn MEDAL and SCHOLARSHIP for having the courage to report drug activity at his school, and not be on the receiving end of a broken arm and numerous bruises.
At least this link provides some closure with battery and robbery charges:
http://www.examiner.com/article/school-bus-fight-three-15-year-old-boys-face-battery-charges-for-broken-arm
Doesn't seem like all the programs that have been in place to HELP young black "youts" is working all that well for some...wonder WHY that is?
Be interesting to see what these thugs have for a "home-life"...bet it's a house with a "baby'mama" and a "boyfriend of the week", complete with loud music thumping as often as possible, and most likely drug or alcohol abuse.
*** And that brings me to another point...

You ALL know how much I find rap or hip-hop "music" appalling, right?
Well, I have good reason, and I want you all to think on this...
YOU CAN'T WHISTLE ANY OF IT...period!
When was the last time YOU heard anyone whistling any rap song, hmm?
ANY other genre of music CAN be whistled..from country, to rock, to oldies, to jazz, and even classical (I like Beethoven's 5th symphony myself...LOL), but most all of today's urban pop music cannot be whistled along with in ANY human form.
Go ahead...try it...I dare 'ya.
Kinda HARD to whistle a damn thumping 4-4 drum beat, isn't it?
And even IF you can find a bar of two that has for real musical NOTES attached to it, it's all repetitive anyway, so you're bored after 10 seconds of it.
Anyone walking around whistling Nelly?

Whisle to THIS?

Or Fifty Cent?
Or even L'il Wayne?
Hell no...because you simply CAN'T.
Now, to ME...whistling falls into TWO categories:
1) Real music
2) Bird calls
If you can't whistle something that falls into either one, it's NOT nusic, and it is probably NOT a bird call. (unlike a cat-call or a wolf-call)
I rest my case...LOL.

And I'm NOT just wetting my whistle, blowing the whistle, whistling in the dark, whistling up a wind, or whistling Dixie (although that's a nice ditty)...!
*** Lastly today, isn't life complex ENOUGH without all the garbage that we're forced to endure?
I'd have to say YES!
I've said before that we're like Stretch Armstrong - being pulled in every direction...and for what purpose?

It's to DISTRACT us...keep our "eyes off the prize", as it were.
If we're busy looking someplace else, it's easy for the wrong folks to pull something over on us, isn't it?
What we need to do is concentrate in what is important to each of us, and focus on that.
And with so many different people with different minds, we should be able to cover damn near everything, because we can't ALL be focused on the exact same thing...that is where diversity really makes up for it's shortcomings.
I feel we can prevail in any situation we encounter, and not because of who or what we are, but for who and what we can BECOME.
Every day is another opportunity...take advantage of it.

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

Tuesday Tidbits...
Good morning and welcome to my humble slice of the blogosphere. If you like your Tuesdays a bit on the damp side, you might prefer today, as the Hoosierland will see spotty showers part of the day and sunny the rest of the time.
High temps will remain around the upper 70s again, before we warm up into the 80s tomorrow.
With that said, let's take a stroll into this day and see what awaits...
First up, it's time for:
Bobby G's This Day in August History!
August 6 - 1945 - The first atomic bomb, nicknamed "Little Boy" was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan by the American B-29 bomber Enola Gay. Seventy thousand people were killed immediately, with tens of thousands dying in the years following from burns and radiation poisoning.
Meanwhile, back at Los Alamos...
*** Okay, so yesterday we left a few things rather unresolved, regarding our female cat Penelope, and my "Batmobile".
-- First, I am relieved to say that our cat's blood work came back, and according to the doc, she's got a LOT of positive returns for her age. No trace of feline leukemia, or hyperthyroidism, or diabetes (whew).
Glad to hear that.
She did show anemia and a high white cell count, attributable to the infection she's had.

I'm feeling better - Thank you everyone!

Yesterday, she was actually making the rounds about the house, coming out to eat and get some milk. She even came in when I was brushing some tangled hair off of the male cat to get "her" brushing...and that's a very good sign.
She still has a swollen lymph node, but otherwise seems to be doing better.

Is Penelope back watching me AGAIN?

We are very hopeful.
-- Next, after taking the car into the shop, I am pleased to say that it's only a battery that needs replacing, and I had it swapped out this morning.

Thirty years old..and still looks good!

Yeoman's diagnosed the charging system, and found the "parasitic draw" to be ONLY 10 Milliamps, well within specs.
This is the electrical consumption in every car (since the mid 70s) that drives such items as the radio presets, onboard computer and so on. Today's cars most likely draw more due to ALL the gizmos that are sitting there, waiting for the turn of the key, or the push of a button, like the "entertainment system", the GPS, and so on.
So, that was two problems that were addressed in a manner that didn't suffer our lives too badly.
But, is that the end of the tale?
...Not on your life.
-- Last evening, after 7PM, our toilet was making a "moaning" noise, and I could hear it from the living room, so I went in to see what the problem was. This has happened before, but only sporadically, and such things as opening the bathroom door was enough to stop that noise...weird, huh?
Anyway, I take the top of the tank off...nothing. I then see the water feed line below the tank and I grasp that. Amazingly, the noise damn near goes away, so I figure THIS must be the culprit (somehow). I flick the pipe with mu finger a few times, and tap it with the palm of my hand...

Don't let THIS happen to YOU!

(bad move)
The pipe cracked and about 50 PSI of water shot out at me!
(impromptu shower-time)
I dashed downstairs (didn't know I could STILL move THAT fast) and cut the water MAIN off, which left only a 1/4 inch of water on the bathroom floor. Yeah, it comes out THAT fast.
Wifey called Korte for an emergency repair, and within 90 minutes, all was fixed.

Now THIS is more like it.

Apparently, that water feed line was ready to rupture (like an old appendix), and all it took was for me to tap it.
While this was a costly mess (after hours emergencies ALWAYS cost more), it's a lot better than having that pipe crack when we're NOT HOME.
That's all we need is to find a nicely saturated first floor raining into our basement...not to mention the following month;'s WATER BILL!
The really GOOD news here is that the replacement pipe is rated at TWICE the pressure the old pipe was (100 PSI), is made of a poly-compound with pressure fittings (no brazing required) AND we NOW have a SHUT-OFF valve on that line, where before, we had none.
Now, any future fixes at the toilet can be handled without running up and down stairs...I like that.
Yep, these post-war houses CAN have their issues from time to time. You just have to be ready for them.

My "hero".

The lovely Mrs Bobby G. encouraged me after the repairman left to "not touch anything else tonight"...LOL.
I had to second that, saying to her that if she heard any noise coming from within the house, to not bother me, and if something else broke, I didn't want to know about it.
Anything else is still fair game.
Oh, the joys of being a homeowner...!
I will say one thing...it does provide a very comprehensive education regarding such things as carpentry, plumbing, appliance repair, pruning, lawn care, landscaping, gutter-cleaning, window-cleaning, painting, caulking, insulating, carpet-cleaning, electrical repair, and other assorted things that might arise.
Tends to keep one "engaged" both physically, and...more often than not, financially.
Got it's own "job-security" built right into it. You just have to love it.
*** Next up, I 'm not going to mention anything about the 3 kids that hopped a train from Ft. Wayne to Findlay Ohio, and having one fall asleep ON the damn tracks and die...that's pointless to argue the level of stupidity there.

-- Nor, will I talk about the Ft. Hood trial set to begin today, when the shooter, one Army Major Hasan SHOULD have been taken the hell out when we had the damn chance. Would have saved a LOT of money there.
-- I won't belabor the point that while this nation's economy is TENUOUS at best, both Congress AND the Prez decide to go "on vacation", while they ALL should be trying to find a REAL solution to this country's financial woes (and it's not to create more dumbass stimulus crap).
That's not worth my time.
Shame on THEM ALL!
-- I won't talk about Al-Queda being decimated and on the run, when in fact, they are ramping UP their activities, and as Greg Gutfeld mentioned yesterday, DECIMATE means to kill every TENTH soldier (from Roman antiquity) so that means that NINETY PERCENT of Al-Queda is STILL intact...
-- And I can't be bothered with knowing that the University of Iowa is this nations BEST "party college".

Hell, I went to college (at night no less) to LEARN (even if it was only for one year)...not f$ck around...that's for the weekends, right?
-- It's even beneath me to pontificate about how Ft. Wayne is ONLY the 232nd best city out of 433 surveyed (with Camden NJ being number 433, and Detroit right behind that), even IF Fisher's Indiana is rated number ONE.
Nah...I have bigger fish to fry, just on my own mundane life.
Not to mention, I'm probably not finished finding things to break accidentally...LOL
Let's hope I can get a handle on that last thing.
*** Lastly today, life is all about choices...and opportunities...and very often, something called fate.
We make good choices, and we can pretty much predict the outcome. We seize an opportunity and we can be somewhat assured of the result, but fate tends to be the hairball in the mix.
FATE is the thing that tosses something at us from far left field...no predictability about it at all.
When certain things, be they tangible or intangible converge to a singular point in one's life, THAT become fate.
And fate can be affected by our choices and the opportunities that present themselves.
It can be good OR bad, depending on the particular parameters by which an event is set up.
It can be the World Trade Center on 9/11 or it can be a simplistic break in a bathroom pipe.
Thing is, fate is something that is always in flux...it can be changed by what we do...or do not do, as well as the way we choose to handle it.
This all sounds mystical or philosophical in nature, but time and again, we find the cause and effect of such things in life something that was bound to happen, given the circumstances leading up to the event.

If anything, we should learn from it, make sure what WE do has purpose, and that as many choices as we make each day have their basis in reason.
That way, fate can work with us, rather than against us.
Therein lies the lesson for today.

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

Monday Musings...

Welcome to the first REAL week of August, and it's starting off nicely, weather-wise.
Temps will reach into the upper 70s (again) with a mostly sunny sky and no chance of rain(today, that is).
So, sit back and take it easy for a spell, because today's post is packed tighter than Imelda Marcos' shoe closet (1220 pairs for you trivia buffs).
*** First off the line today is:
Bobby G's This Day in August History!
And since we've the weekend to include, it's gonna be a "three-fer".
August 3 - 1946 - Santa Claus Land, the world's FIRST themed amusement park open in SANTA CLAUS, INDIANA (where else?)
August 4 - 1987 - The FCC rescinds the Fairness Doctrine which had required radio and TV stations to present controversial issues "fairly".
August 5 - 1957 - American Bandstand, a show dedicated to the teenage "baby-boomers" by playing the songs and showing popular dances of the time, debuts (in Philadelphia) on the ABC television network
And now YOU know...some history.
Moving on...
*** I don't usually watch 60 Minutes on the "eyeball network", because I prefer MY news to be less BIASED, but last night they had a great segment (Leslie Stahl) about the Massachusetts State Police and how THEY have come up with a new tactic to take on crime and the thugs that perpetrate it.

Here's the link with video:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-57582605/counterinsurgency-methods-used-to-fight-gang-crime/
Imagine that...using the "Stateys" to help take on GANGS and the violence they bring with them...
Just like counterinsurgency tactics used by OUR forces in the Middle East.

Wonder WHY Fort Wayne doesn't apply a similar take on the violent crime we "enjoy" on the SE side (which IS spreading westward and northward, as I've said for some time)...?
Then again, we have plenty of numbnuts on the highways making trouble for motorists to keep the ISP busy for damn near ever.
Still, perhaps a "strong hand" IS needed to help this tide of violent crime recede...'ya think?
And since we're on the topic of violent crime...
*** A shooting at the Eden Green Apartments late Friday left one man in serious condition.
Here's the story link:
http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/news/local/Shooting-At-Eden-Green-Apartments-218123281.html

Cripes that place looks more like the FWPD parking lot than a HUD-sponsored housing project for the chronically lazy.
Guess not having all the police down the street at the old Creighton Ave HQ is showing it's worth, hmm?
But that's not all, folks...a bit closer to our "Fortress", there's THIS:
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/crime/police-respond-to-shooting-on-citys-south-side
Another double shooting happened along Decatur Rd at Lafayette St early Sunday morning around 0409 hrs.

Police received a call of *shots fired* (signal 113) and when they responded  were STILL hearing gunshots. At the scene they found one man suffering gunshot wounds. During the investigation, police were told a second man was privately transported to hospital also suffering from gunshot wounds.
The man the offiers found remains in critical condition after being taken to hospital.
No weapon was found on scene, and according to police NO suspects are in custody and NO arrests have been made.

Police are unsure whether gang activity is involved.
I dunno...WHO (exactly) is out ON the STREETS down here at FOUR-f$cking-AM anyway?
I wonder if the ISP could make a few arrests, as an assist to the FWPD with a counterinsurgency strategy?
See, when you don't WORK for a living, and don't wake up until damn near NOON, and then remain awake until close to sun up the next morning , THIS kinda sh*t DOES happens.
These indigent thugs tend to hit the sac and sleep off their drunk/high until around 0400 until around 1100 when they get up and start their crap ALL over again...every...single...day.
TYPICAL behavior for such people.
This part of town definitely needs...an enema!
(or a DOZEN...!)
And now, for something completely different...
*** We have a NEW DOCTOR...no, he's not THAT kind of doctor.

I'm talking about DOCTOR WHO, of which I've been a huge fan since the early 1970s, when the show came across the pond and graced our PBS station back in Philly.
Yes, I am a Whovian!
My, how time flies.
The 12th incarnation of "The Doctor" is veteran Scottish actor Peter Capaldi, and he follows in the footsteps of some great actors who have preceded him.
Doctor Who is either a show you like...or hate. It's not for everyone, and that's fine, but considering it IS the longest running sci-fi show in television history, well...that''s got to account for something, right?
Odd thing is, time lords only get TWELVE regenerations, so I wonder WTH is going to happen when this doctor bows out, as they all inevitably do?
Should be interesting...
*** Damn, almost forgot...had a charging problem w/ the "Batmobile" (probably needs a new battery again - a VAT 40 test should tell), so I managed to get her fired up, after I told Wifey "Listen to what a car that won't start sounds like.".
And it promptly made a liar outta me...LOL!

Wifey called the sop, I ex-filled the "Fortress", and took my "thirty-year old" 1983 Pontiac (R.I.P. Arrowhead division of GM - when it still meant something) Firebird to the shop to see what's what.
Should have it back either later today or early tomorrow.
Weird to see a whole lotta "nothing" where the car's supposed to be...(!?!)
*** Lastly today, you know we have two cats, male and female litter mates, and we've had them for about 17 years (damn near an eternity), which makes them eligible for the big dirt nap more sooner than later (kinda like me...lol).

Is that a piece of string I need to chase?

Anyway, our female cat Penelope has been losing weight, and is lethargic and doesn't eat all that much, as she used to.
I detest losing a pet, especially one that has become a family member, so off to the vet we went on Saturday to get her checked out.
The blood work comes back today, so we might get a clue as to what's ailing her.
With cats of her age, there's a number of things that go wrong, such as diabetes, hyperthyroidism, cancer, feline leukemia, and those are the biggies.
Then there's liver problems, and parasites...a lot farther down the list.
It's just heart-wrenching to not see her near as frisky as she's always been, and I'm sure any of you that have had pets know exactly what I mean.
Wifey and I will do all we can to keep her with us, and keep her as healthy as she can be at this point in her aging life.
But, like all of us, no matter how many feet we have, the inevitability of the end of life looms closer.
Will it be easy to see her go when the time comes? Hell, no!
When my father passed on 1978. our two dogs (shepherd and golden retriever) died within the first year after that, and that was a very difficult situation.

Yep, I'm sleeping RIGHT...HERE...!

So, here's hoping we can have more time with her.
She's always been a good cat, even if she did beg constantly at the dinner table when guests came for the holidays...LOL
We'll think good thoughts and say a pray or two for her.
In that there is a life lesson not only to be learned, but to be embraced.
Have yourselves a great week.

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