Tales From The SOUTH Side...

I am SO glad I'm not still living back in Philly, considering the weather conditions back there.
Many have said it "may" surpass the blizzard of '78, and they might not be that far off.
I hear they're getting around TWO INCHES PER HOUR of snowfall, and that means a LOT of shoveling, as well as power lines coming down, schools being closed, and the only traffic to be found being that of a PRIORITY status (emergency vehicles).
Hell, I saw NYC buses with CHAINS on the tires...only used to see those on fire engines and police cars.
(I still have my chains in the garage).
Also heard that the ENTIRE NYC SUBWAY system was shut down around 2300 hrs last night...never heard of that before, either. Kinda weird to hear that.
They did drop the travel ban in NJ, and parts of NY.

"Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow..."

So, I suppose we can deal with a couple inches HERE in the Heartland, right?
Our Hoosierland weather today will have us with a high around 24 degrees, and partly cloudy skies and slight winds. Tonight's low...a frigid TEN degrees.

NYC - closed early due to weather?

Back east, over 6800 flights were cancelled and over 1900 delayed.
All in all, not bad here, considering how others are fairing this morning.
Still wish our streets were clearer, though.
So, let's give some thanks to "not AS bad" weather and grab our morning cup of coffee, tea, or cocoa, and see what else has been going on...
*** First out of the corral today is our "What the hell happens today, Bob? feature:
January 27 -
---Today, we only have ONE item, and it's a good one. It's NATIONAL CHOCOLATE CAKE DAY.

Now for me, ANY day is a good day for cake, and EVERY day is a good day for CHOCOLATE cake...lol.
*** Next up is our salute to all the morons out there who have nothing better to do than shoot off a firearm for no damn reason.

SHOTS FIRED (and armed robberies) - 01/18- 12/26
JANUARY 18 - 
15F006993 02:43:43 113 SHOTS FIRED 4400 CHAMPLAIN DR
15F007001 03:20:16 113 SHOTS FIRED 1500 PRODUCTION RD
(1 armed robbery)
JANUARY 19 - 
15F007302 03:06:44 113 SHOTS FIRED 3500 TIMBERHILL DR
15F007515 18:19:23 58 SHOOTING 1200 BETHANY LN
JANUARY 20 -
15F007949 19:49:15 113 SHOTS FIRED 3000 BARR ST S
(1 armed robbery)
JANUARY 21 -
15F008223 14:36:37 113 SHOTS FIRED 4600 PLAZA DR
15F008430 22:14:12 113 SHOTS FIRED 2900 WEISSER PARK AVE
JANUARY 22 -
0 calls - wow frigging amazing!
(1 armed robbery)
JANUARY 23 -
0 calls - WTH is up with this?
JANUARY 24 - 
15F009375 01:16:18 113 SHOTS FIRED 3400 AMULET DR
15F009413 02:58:11 113 SHOTS FIRED 700 KENWOOD AVE & PARNELL AVE
15F009420 03:02:57 113 SHOTS FIRED 3600 CHEVIOT DR
15F009673 17:29:59 113 SHOTS FIRED 4600 CALHOUN ST S
15F009694 18:34:47 113 SHOTS FIRED 3000 BARR ST S
15F009718 19:43:16 113 SHOTS FIRED 2100 WELLS ST
15F009755 21:38:33 113 SHOTS FIRED 200 CROWN LN E
15F009792 23:14:28 113 SHOTS FIRED 4400 GAYWOOD DR
15F009424 03:19:50 58 SHOOTING 1500 WELLS ST
(1 armed robbery)
JANUARY 25 - 
15F009898 03:33:03 113 SHOTS FIRED 1800 HANNA ST S & MASTERSON AVE E
15F009907 04:08:34 113 SHOTS FIRED 6000 CHADDSFORD DR & DOWNINGTOWN DR
Wow, hardly any calls during the start of last week...guess that EBT money is running out.
But, the idiots made up for it by the end of the week, as they always seem to do.
*** And speaking of shooting, there was that one call this past Saturday up on Wells St that the media seemed to "miss" for some odd reason.

Here's the link to the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/Taverntiff-getsheated-2-shot-4694510
Once again, the shooting takes place over a WOMAN...and the shooter was a BLACK male.
And yes, he's at-large (as usual).

Only photo I could find.

The Pantry Bar, located at 1501 N. Wells St was the scene of the double shooting.
An argument over a woman (at the bar) precipitated the bartender to kick the antagonist out, and that's when the male pulled a gun and shot two people.
A man and a woman were both struck in their thighs.
The shooter had told witnesses earlier that he was from CHICAGO (hood reason to NOT have high-speed rail here), and that he had crack and other drugs on him.
Police were advised that security cameras were inside the bar, so we can hope that some video of the perp is forthcoming.
*** Next, FWCS passes changes to school bus routes and schedules.
Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/schools/FWCS-votes-to-trim-bus-service-4691721

Park 'em if 'ya got 'em!

See, this is what happens when you get comfortable with all that tax revenue rolling in, and you "think" you have the keys to the candy store.
It's like grant money...never come to DEPEND on it, because it's an infinite source of revenue.
Lesson learned by FWCS, we hope.
But trimming DOWN bus routes is something that SHOULD have happened AGES ago, but has not, and the CITY is to partially blame, for they never installed sidewalks where they have been  needed.
Sure, NOW the city says they're spending $20MIL per year for such things, but that's kinda after the fact, isn't it?

As aerodynamic as a shoebox.

Not to mention the wear and tear on school buses and the need to replace them when required. That figures prominently into the transportation budget.
Perhaps a different STYLE of bus is needed in the future - one that is not one huge "rolling brick" of a vehicle, that looks like it might roll over on a tight turn? And diesel might not be the best way to go with fueling them, because the prices for that fuel have not dropped as markedly as gasoline.
Diesel buses tend to have the fuel "gel" when the weather gets TOO cold, and need pre-heaters to keep the diesel fuel flowing freely. Don't have that problem with conventional fuel.
Here's an idea...try LNG (liquid natural gas) or propane-powered hybrids...oh, wait, that costs even more money...not for the FUEL, but for the buses themselves. Seems like trying to choose the lesser of several evils, right?

A tight fit for a small street..on a GOOD day

And since FWCS is staggering the start times, perhaps using the SAME BUS STOPS for ALL students would be a much more efficient way to manage the routing...like get rid of the bus stop at OUR corner and move it down to PETTIT, where traffic is a lot more predictable and manageable.
We can hope that clearer heads prevail and reason wins out (but don't uncross your fingers).
*** Next, what you do when you move into a section 8 rental and forget your government-sponsored "crib" keys?
Well, you do what ANY ethnic would do...(and it's NOT to call the landlord or locksmith)...you find ANOTHER WAY INSIDE.

Well, dat winna won open...

Which is exactly what these "girlrillas" did yesterday down the block.
After trying the first two windows, one of them got in through the window to the right of the front door...I was laughing too hard to get a picture of that, sorry.

Dis one won open eitha

The sheer idiocy obviously knows NO bounds down here when it comes to the "locals"...lol.
It would have been hilarious to see a FWPD cruiser roll up as she was "breaking in"...I'd pay to see that - that's of course IF we had ANY patrols down here...which we do not.
*** Last back to the holding pen...I was watching O'Reilly last night, and in the WATTERS' WORLD segment, I found what is bothering our country these days.

Factor producer - Jesse Watters

Jesse went to Aspen (the X games) to ask young people basic questions like who our FIRST president was, who bombed Pearl Harbor. (easy stuff)..and the LACK of correct answers was astounding.

SHE was the smarter one interviewed, but not by much.

I cannot fathom how people can be SO dumb ...and ENJOY it, or worse yet, be totally OBLIVIOUS to it.
It amazes me that not even the most simple of questions, that we, and all other elementary school kids (of our era)  knew by heart, are not forthcoming from people THREE times the age of a 3rd grader...!

People simply aren't born this dumb...they have to (like damn near everything else in life) ACQUIRE it...work at it...and yes, perhaps crave it.
The fact that more people are so MUCH more concerned over this stupid-ass football "deflate-gate" BS instead of valid Islamic terrorist threats to our nation (with a rather porous border along the south) bears this much out.

Our society's PRIORITIES are grossly misplaced these days...
We should concern ourselves with issues that have a greater impact on each of us and our families, rather than ginned-up tripe, be it in the world of show business, music, or sports.
We're too "entertainment-driven", and sooner or later (probably sooner) we'll wind up getting caught with our societal pants down around our ankles.
It's called complacency for a reason, and we all need to focus on things that REALLY matter.
It's worked well enough since 1776...no reason to doubt it's efficacy today, right?

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