In Like A Lion....
Well, that's kinda what it seems like here in the Heartland of America...
March came barreling in with some of those "March Winds" we hear tell about.
(nothing covert about that)
The Southern part of Indiana was hit with some twisters that caused their share of carnage, too (12 listed as dead so far - storm listed as an E-4).
I know these freaking winds play hell with my 48 gallon city-supplied Trashbin. Had to stand the damn thing up TWICE (unless it had some help from a passing "local" - they like to bother regular folks that way)
Got enough trash in there to make it plenty heavy from most winds.
*** Anyway, today's post is packed tighter than one of Lara's Croft's bras, so on to MORE important "stuff", like the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote.
"You cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I will. War is cruelty and you cannot refine it, and those who brought war into our country deserve all the curse and maledictions a people can pour out." was spoken by General of the Army William Tecumseh Sherman, (12 September 1864, letter to James C. Calhoun, mayor of Atlanta ), and congrats to John D. for guessing correctly (Wifey did too), and I know others of you had a hunch.
Meanwhile, back at the barracks...
*** Wow...ANOTHER Walgreens robbery?
Here's the link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120229/LOCAL07/120229408/1043/LOCAL07
Looks like the rash of OPANA robberies is moving out to the west side of town -they already hit all the ones in the ...(...all together, gang...)...SOUTHEAST SIDE of Fort Wayne.
This time, the perp is listed as being HISPANIC...(who knew?)
Why doesn't someone just ARM these pharmacists...give 'em all a damn TAZER for God's sake.
Nothing would put a smile on MY face faster than to see some thug writhing on the floor of Walgreens as he goes and wets himself thanks to 100,000 volts of "whoop-ass".
*** And, a little less closer to home...there's THIS:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120301/LOCAL07/303019912/1043
Seems we have (another) Hispanic who managed to hide HIS drug cache SO damn well, it took authorities TWO DAYS to find it.
In his pickup (in Steuben County) the sheriff's department discovered 2 pounds of HEROIN, and 1 pound of crystal METH.
Initially, Rene Rivera (of rural Hamilton, IN - probably not his REAL home) was pulled over Friday night on I-69 near Pokagon State Park for a traffic violation. A deputy's dog hit on the vehicle, and this raised probable cause for an impound of the vehicle and detainment of Rivera.
When officers failed to find any drugs within 2 hours, Rivera was released (but the truck remained in impound).
Two days later, sheriff's deputies discovered the drugs in the FRONT AXLE of the truck.
(nice job..)
A warrant for Rivera's arrest was issued. He is described as 5'6", 200 lbs, and naturally...Hispanic.
It's interesting to note that while INDIANA ranks THIRD on the list of meth-states, and Allen county is in the top ten for meth LABS (Steuben county ranks low in the actual number of labs), all of this ONLY represents about TEN PERCENT of all the meth in the state, because the other NINETY PERCENT comes from...(you guessed it)...MEXICO.
It also accounts for the HEROIN (black tar, mainly) that usually comes up through the USA from there as well.
We don't have a drug problem though...we have a PEOPLE (with drugs) problem, right?
*** Department of Energy "czar" not concerned?
Stephen Chu, the appointed head of the DoE (from the "anointed one") stated before a Congressional committee that he was NOT concerned with LOWERING FUEL PRICES in America...
(OK, go ahead and say it...)
WTF???
He IS concerned about lowering the CONSUMPTION of fuel.
Here's but one link to this clusterf$ck in the making:
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2012/02/29/chu_we_don_t_want_to_lower_gas_prices
Well, Mr czar, jack UP the prices high enough, and that WILL happen, you jack-OFF.
Gas prices are already up around $3.85 a gallon.
Amazing...back in the year I was born (1952) gas prices were about $0.28 cents a gallon.
And in the year I graduated from high school (1970) gas prices were (ready for this?)...$0.38 cents a gallon.
In EIGHTEEN YEARS, the price ONLY rose a mere TEN FREAKING CENTS...!!!
(feel free to check my stats...plenty of info out there to glean)
When Reagan took office, gas was running around $1.25 a gallon (thanks to the embargo and Carter's policies), but when Reagan LEFT office, gas was down to around $1.08 a gallon, so you CAN lower the price of fuel while in office, Mr. President...if you CARE about "we, the people".
(which is painfully non-evident today)
*** Indiana legislation for fewer specialty plates dies a fast death.
Here's the link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120301/LOCAL/303019914/1002/LOCAL
Good to know that the Support Gay Youth plate will be allowed...I really wanna run right out and get one (he said sarcastically).
Hell, I thought that WILD TURKEY plate meant I liked drinking bourbon...I seriously wanted one of THOSE!
Maybe I should start an HOMAGE TO PONTIAC specialty plate...plenty of those "arrowheads" still on the road, hmm?
*** Lastly, today, unless you've been living under a rock, you know that Monkees lead singer, Davy Jones died yesterday from a heart attack at the age of 66.
I liked that show a lot when it came on NBC...hell, I even built a model of the Monkeemobile (a converted Pontiac GTO).
The music was always good upbeat fare...something that seems to be missing in much of today's music.
And if I know my CWM correctly, HE will have some sort of tribute at HIS blog (Tilting at Windmills).
Here's the WIKI on Davy:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davy_Jones_(musician)
Given the fact that the Monkess was a pure "marketing" idea to counter the Beatles, they proved themselves worthy of praise, likening them to the Marx Brothers when it came to comedic escapades.
I still have three of the original (Colgems) vinyl LPs, and the "Best Of" on cassette. I never get tired of listening to the songs, which were written by such notables as Carole king, Gerry Goffin, Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart, and especially NEIL DIAMOND.
But, I'll leave the music stuff to CWM.



What I will leave you with is a song that (to me) epitomizes much of the innocence, the fun, and the laughter that Davy Jones brought to us with his fellow band members, contrived as they might have been in the beginning, but giving us a melodic legacy that will outlast them (and us) all.
R.I.P., Davy...you might have only been 5'3", but you were a LOT taller to many.
Take some time to play some of their songs this week...rediscover times we once knew as being a lot less "complex" as things are today...and feel free to smile to yourself.
It was a great time indeed.
Be well, make a difference to someone and...
Stay safe out there, America.