Monday Musings...

Welcome to a week that will definitely having you believing that it IS in fact, SUMMER.

The temps today will be in the low NINETIES...and it will carry through most of the week. Lots of sun to heat everything up, and plenty of humidity to make the clothes stick to your bodies.

A chance of a pop-up shower exists, but I'm not making book on that.
And that's why Wifey and I got out early and watered ALL the plants and flowers.
Many of them are coming into their own this time of year, and we don't want them to have to struggle around the garden and house.
with that said, let's get that A/C humming, stay inside if we can, and see what's been going on since last we convened.
*** First up, by now everyone knows that George Zimmerman was found NOT guilty in the shooting of Trayvon Martin.

After all, the prosecution failed to convince the jury of guilt, and all the defense had to do was cause reasonable DOUBT...which they apparently DID.

With that behind us, I would suggest we move ON, but now, some people can't let sleeping dogs alone.
In Oakland (big surprise there) protesters to the verdict trashed a police cruiser and took to the streets.
Let's hope this remains an isolated case, and does not cause anything close to what happened in the wake of the Rodney King situation.
Also, I told Wifey that if Zimmerman WAS found not guilty, the next thing you'd hear would be a CIVIL SUIT, much like what was levied against Simpson after HIS acquittal of 2 counts of murder, and guess what?
That's exactly what's being talked about, even from the DoJ?

Now, it's kinda early in the week, but to ME, this is a "WTF???" moment.
What is the DoJ doing pursuing THIS case, while neglecting a LOT more important things like "Fast and Furious", the IRS scandal, the myriad of shootings that left 6 dead in Chicago, and so on?
Methinks someone wants to "divert our attention" from more pressing issues...AGAIN.
It was bad enough that we had damn near a "kangaroo court" with Zimmerman, a hostile judge, and media hype that convicted the man before ANY of the facts came out. I say...let it go.
It's over. Let's move on.
There's been enough damage to race relations in America since 2008 anyway, right?
Meanwhile, back at the ballot box...
*** This weekend saw more shooting on the...(...all together, gang...)...SOUTHEAST side of Fort Wayne, and this time, it was less than a 1/4 mile from our "Fortress".

This happened Friday night, around 2215 hrs at a house located at 4031 Avondale Drive, near Rudisill and Baxter Sts. Shooter was a BLACK MALE, dressed like damn near all the rest down here.

Here's the links to the story:
http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/news/local/130712-avondale-shooting-215343691.html
And from the J-G:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130713/LOCAL07/307139924/0/SEARCH
Here's a related article from yesterday's edition:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130714/LOCAL/307149940/0/SEARCH
Now, while the last story cites that NONE were killed, there were STILL EIGHT that were shot and injured.
There are those that say: "As long as they shoot EACH OTHER, that leaves fewer of them to shoot the rest of US.", and I happen to be in THAT camp.
Thing is, innocents often get in the way of those stupid-ass BULLETS, and the stupid-ass THUGS that are sending them wherever they point that firearm they have no business holding in the first place.
One woman was shot in her car when pursued by some punks after she IGNORED THEM at a gas station Saturday morning...
SO, trying to REASON with such animals is totally our of the question here, as is "turning the other cheek".
It's fast becoming a "no-win scenario", and like a certain James T. Kirk once said:
"I don't believe in a no-win scenario".
My question at this point is WHERE are the black community leaders? Not hearing anything from them again, are we?
It will take a lot STRONGER measures leveled against these street thugs to get them all the hell out of our lives in this city, make no mistake.
And if using those measures honks off a few folks...tough sh*t.
Either you live in fear, hide your head up your a$$, OR...you do something ABOUT the problem, like getting rid of it, as what should have been done decades ago, before it grew into something that's gonna be a lot harder to get rid of. The small stuff became the BIG stuff.

It's still called the BROKEN WINDOW THEORY...for a reason.
Moving on...
*** If you own a computer with a MICROSOFT operating system (MAC users not apply), and that system happens to be Windows XP (of which 55% of those users STILL run, because it works fine and is user-friendly), you're in for a rude awakening, thanks to Billy Gates and his minions...
As of April 2014, XP will no longer be supported by MS, and that means an "at-risk" system for companies AND for consumers.
Naturally, MS wants you to BUY (or upgrade) to Windows 7...or 8, or whatever piece of crap they're pushing like the street corner drug dealers.
And the bad news is that the NEW versions of windows have about as many bugs as the local BAIT SHOP...but they're working on those.

I've already encountered issues with certain applications and websites,and we're less than a year out from the due date.

If Microsoft were REALLY smart and not looking to just make a fast buck at YOUR expense, they'd pursue making XP the BEST damn O/S in the frigging WORLD...bar none.
Many of the new apps for Win7-8 use TOUCH SCREEN tech, and most all of our CURRENT screens don't have that capability, so we'd be screwed, blued and tattooed in that regard.
Getting us to BUY more stuff.
I mean how many of us have the $$$ to just go out and PURCHASE a completely NEW system with new "bells and whistles" for the sake of it, hmm?
And who has the time to learn a new O/S inside and out so we can exploit and enjoy that crap we really didn't need anyway?

Now I know how Bob feels...

Hell, I still like WINDOWS 98...LOL!!!
Planned obsolescence...costing us MORE every damn year...gotta love that, right?
*** Lastly today, there are more people coming around to wanting this nation to return to her glory, and that means a time when things were a lot less complex, less divisive, less angst-ridden...well, you get the idea.

I want America to be the America I grew up in...less strife all around, and whatever strife WAS encountered, was dealt with a lot better than it is today.
Sure, we didn't have terrorism like we have today, and we have to address that on a daily basis...we just had the threat of wholesale nuclear destruction hanging over our heads like the Sword of Damocles.
Even the ghettos in America of 50-60 years ago had LESS crime, so what's that tell you?
We didn't sue the hell out of everyone for anything that struck our fancy, we allowed words to run off our backs like water off a duck, and we settled a lot more differences with being able to TALK, rather than gun-play, and we had a whole lotta guns back THEN as well.

We were a lot more CIVIL in nature, more polite, and more respectful one to another...and I miss that.
Perhaps we're do for a "booster shot" of such things, because our memory eludes us.
We used to be that way...and we could be like that again...with some effort.
Do have yourselves a good week.
Remember to stay hydrated outside and remain aware of the warning signs of heat exhaustion.

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