Is It WARM In Here...?

Welcome friends to the "almost Friday" edition of our journey through life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Today promises to bring a mini heatwave to the upper Midwest with temps topping out in the low 90s.

Ditto for tomorrow, and then we cool down a bit and get wet...

So keep that ON button of the A/C well within sight, okay?

*** First up, the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote...

"The proper response to difficulty is not to retreat. It is to prevail."

This was spoken by none other than (former) President George W. Bush in his 21 September 2004 address to the United Nations.

Seems this current President might want to think on THOSE words, because up to now...he has not.

And while Barry might not have actively retreated, HIS "solutions" were not intended to allow America to PREVAIL in any good manner...were they?

Meanwhile, back at the Caucus...

*** The investigation into that Credit Union robbery continues with NO suspects, NO arrests, no hits, no runs and no errors...

-- The investigation into the shooting along the 4000 block of S. Clinton continues, and you can read the above line for THAT update...lol.

But, at least there IS a new tool to use when fighting crime (not really new, just new to THIS police department), and here's the skinny:

http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/crime/fwpd-implements-automated-finger-printing-identification-system
That's officer John Chambers demonstrating the electronic AFIS device.
He's a good officer - knows his job well - met him a few times.
Funny, but I've seen this device in use for YEARS in other cities...wonder why it took SO long, and I also wonder if this will inhibit the prosecutor's office from plea-dealing down damn near every case...after all, can't argue with FACTS (they just ignore them apparently)..
*** And, if paying obscene prices for gas wasn't enough, there's THIS:

http://www.fox59.com/news/wxin-more-than-50-indiana-stations-affected-by-tainted-bp-gas-20120829,0,5533347.column

Seems we have some "tainted" fuel (NOT to be confused with tainted water...or TAINTED LOVE) sloshing about in some areas of Indiana. Allen County seems spared at this time.

This "tainting" results in higher than normal levels of "polymeric residue"....whatever the hell THAT sh*t is...!

The ONLY polymer I'm EVER interested in is that which goes into the frame of my Taurus PT-145 pistol!
The residue can cause hard starting, rough idling, stalling, and other driving problems.
Gee, NOT tuning your car UP regularly does the EXACT same thing, too...imagine THAT, folks!

How's about we LOSE that polymer crap in our fuel...and that ethanol BS that eats away the rubber in fuel lines (among other things)???

I can't see WHY we NEED all these special "blends", either...(depending on where you live and the time of year...go figure).

That's just plain nonsense and adds to the COST of the fuel to no small end.

TWO brands...REGULAR and PREMIUM...period.

That's all we really need, and it's all we EVER needed...and things used to work out a helluva lot BETTER when things were this way.

(and cheaper, too)

*** Ft. Wayne councilman Mitch Harper looks to become our next mayor...(and about damn time...lol)

 Here's the lowdown:

http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120830/LOCAL08/308309983/1002/LOCAL

I think this is one of the better moves (politically) in this city for quite some time.

I also think this city needs to go in another direction...a BETTER direction than we've suffered under the previous few "regimes".

(and maybe we can get a better FWPD chief out of the deal as well...that'd be a welcome relief, especially for the morale of the rank an file officers.)

And if Mitch needs another yard for one of HIS signs (when the time comes)...not a problem!

MY yard is YOUR yard.

*** I watched (intently) the GOP RNC last evening, because I knew that candidate Paul Ryan (VP) would take to the podium with his acceptance speech.

I was NOT disappointed one damn bit.

This kid has spunk, and unlike Lou Grant...I ADMIRE spunk!

The one word that came to mind while listening to him was...GALVANIZING.

He spoke with passion...with determination...and with conviction.

To me, those are some pretty important aspects of ANY leader.

Not to mention, he called out the current regime marvelously on every point where it has failed gloriously.

The heat was on for sure.

One line that Ryan said stuck in my mind...

"His time is past...like a ship trying to sail on yesterday's wind"...BRILLIANT!

(a reference to the Obama administration - and that's what Barry's been trying to do...for the last few years)

It's rare when you see me watch ANYTHING political, and rarer still when I smile as I'm watching, and find myself nodding in agreement.

My tendency is to not trust either side of the aisle these days...both parties have contributed to our current state of affairs (but the Dems have led the way by a country mile)..but last night, I heard hopeful messages...and a level of sincerity I haven't heard from either party in a very long time.

I fully intend to watch TONIGHT when Mitt Romney takes the stage (as well as whoever this "special" speaker is supposed to be).

*** Lastly today, we are who we are because of two simple aspects of humanity - NATURE and NURTURE.

And friends, it doesn't get ANY simpler than that..

We are the product, the end result of genetic combinations (Thanks, Mom and Dad) as well as the sum of our experiences.

And every single one of those experiences adds another "brick to the manor", as it were.

All the people you have met, and come to know, be it intimately, or as friend, and relative, or even those you hold the door open for have some impact upon our lives...and they on ours.

Every word you have read, every subject studied, every sentence you have uttered or have heard has contributed to make you WHO you are.

All that you see and hear and taste and feel go into your being in some manner.

The successes you have made, the failures you have suffered...ALL of that and more determines the real YOU.

Now, that seems a bit on the overwhelming side, when you stop and think about it.

Thing is, who we become both to ourselves and to others is something we need to understand.

With the world as complex as it has become, nothing can compare to the complexity of the individual.

If we stop and assess ALL we have taken in over the years, AND what we plan to do with all that stuff, we get a pretty good idea of who we actually are, and where we might be headed.

I say that NATURE and NURTURE walk hand-in-hand, for to appreciate all of nature, you have to be nurtured properly, and when your nurturing teaches you to try and become a better person each day, you arrive at a better understanding of human nature.

And that is some decent company to be in...isn't it?

Be well, make a difference to someone, and...

Stay SAFE out there, America.