Friday Follies...

And here we are again...end of another one of those "action-filled" weeks in Fort Wayne.
I trust none of you are the worse for wear.
We've some interesting things to cover today,which should set a tone as we enter the last week of October.
Our Hoosierland weather will have us starting off with clear skies (the constellation of Orion is up there, right where we left it), but as the day progresses, clouds will be rolling in as tomorrow will bring some showers.
The high today will reach into the mid-60s, with some winds out of the east.
Not a bad way to start the end of the week.
So, let's all get that morning drink of Friday Fortitude poured and parked close-at-hand, as we see what has been going on and what we can expect over the next 72 hours...
*** First out of the gun store is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
October 23 -
---Today is NATIONAL BOSTON CREAM PIE DAY

(one of my personal favorites, and I'm not even from Boston)
---It's also NATIONAL MOLE DAY

Bet'cha thought it had to do with something ELSE, right?

Kinda feelin' left OUT over here.

(but, seriously...we need a day for THAT???)
---It's NATIONAL TV TALK SHOW HOST DAY 

(the late Johnny Carson's b'day)
---And, it's SWALLOWS DEPART SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO DAY

(at least they're not digging drug tunnels)
*** And since it's a FRIDAY, let's take a look at what transpires over the weekend...
October 24 -
---Saturday is NATIONAL FOOD DAY

(that's kinda EVERY day to everyone, isn't it?)
---It's also NATIONAL BOLOGNA DAY

(Wifey is participating today, and if you knew how it's made...well let's just keep eating it anyway)
---It's UNITED NATIONS DAY

ROFL...too late, you made me LAUGH.

(be nice of it was the day they LEFT the USA)
---It's WORLD DEVELOPMENT INFORMATION DAY

(that's what we need...more developed information)
---And, it's NATIONAL MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY

(something I attempt to encourage with every post here)
October 25 -
---Sunday is NATIONAL GREASY FOOD DAY

(depends on HOW greasy...hey, even I have standards there, but I always let BACON slide past...lol)
---It's also NATIONAL MOTHER-IN-LAW DAY

(gonna have to pass on that one)
---It's WORLD PASTA DAY

(spaghetti for everyone)
---And, it's INTERNATIONAL BANDANNA DAY

Gimme dem newports!

(which is every day in Fort Wayne where a robber wears one in a holdup)
---It's INTERNATIONAL ARTIST DAY

(on the heels of National Color Day - how apropos)
---It's also THE SOUREST DAY

(time for some sweetarts...or, a word from "Bill"...)
And, finally, it's CHUCKY, THE NOTORIOUS KILLER DOLL DAY

(Never got into that, or him, or his lousy Nicholson imitation)
Now you can plan your time accordingly, and please observe the posted speed limit signs.
*** Next up, looks like we finally SURPASSED my prediction of twenty-five homicides in our fair city.

I had a sneaking suspicion, since we started having shootings yesterday morning (see yesterday's post).
By MY records, we now stand at TWENTY SIX HOMICIDES (so far), and we've still got plenty of time to reach 30 this year, don't we?
---The first shooting that resulted in a fatality happened late yesterday morning around 1145 hrs in the 5100 block of Plaza Drive.
Here's what's known so far:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/1-dead--1-in-hospital-after-morning-shooting-9491603

There's a nice picture (in the story link) of the FWPD PIO of the day, Mike Joyner, doing what he does best...advise the media of not very much.
Two people were shot at a house located at 5111 Plaza Drive. One managed to run down a block before police found him outside a house in that block. When police went back to 5111, they found another male dead inside.
This makes homicide number TWENTY FOUR for the year.

WANE had a good story on this and here's that link:
http://wane.com/2015/10/22/shooting-victims-found-block-apart/
One neighbor who lives in that area (Robert Walker) said much the same thing that you hear me gripe, rant, piss and moan about in OUR area.
He said "...it's a good neighborhood, but there have been some undesirables that moved into the area, and they're the ones causing the trouble".
Isn't that the SAME way it happens in MY part of the ghettohood?
Walker also added that "...the police need to have MORE PATROLS".
Gee, what the hell have I been saying (for years)???
Guess you gotta have a first name of ROBERT  to see things down here with any CLARITY...lol.
Seems like Mr. Walker has this gift of speaking the TRUTH, and it would behoove the FWPD to pay the hell attention to what HE has to say (then they can come over here and listen to ME for a couple hours...heh).
What pisses me off about THIS call is that people saw TWO vehicles leave the scene after the shooting...BUT, the FWPD would not release a DESCRIPTION of the damn vehicles. (Still, they "want our help".)
Okay, so how the F*CK can I look for a suspect vehicle when I have NO damn description, you idiots?
Cripes, come on now...help the PEOPLE to help YOU...THAT is community-oriented a lot more than what you're serving up to us these days.
That is SO exasperating! But wait...we're not finished yet, boys and girls...
---The NEXT and latest shooting involved two people found shot to death in a blue SUV along the 900 block of East Wayne St around 0045 hrs this morning when a 911 call went out for a signal 113 (shots fired).
Police responded and found a male and female shot in the SUV.
Police did recover 5 shell casings at the scene which was consistent with the number of shots heard by others in the area.
Naturally, no suspects around, no witnesses, and not much else.
How about a description of the SUV where the D/Bs were found...that might lead people to remember WHO owns it, and then they might know who their friends were or if they pissed anyone off.
Then again, the way this city is shaking these days, this could have been a one-off "crime of opportunity".
We might or might not find out, but that DOES bring us up to TWENTY SIX homicides for the year (so far).
This is really screwing with my dead-pool predictions...might have to "raise my expectations"...
Like I said...reaching 30 should be easy for the mooks down here.
Gotta love the PRO-ACTIVENESS exhibited by the FWPD of late...don'cha?

Yep...more of it is..

It's about as easy to find as an honest democrat in this city.
(or decent shopping on the SOUTH side)
Moving on...
*** Next up, maybe the name Randolph Holder doesn't mean that much to many people, but to about 40,000 people it means a LOT.
Here's the story link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/22/nyregion/new-york-police-officer-randolph-holder-fatally-shot-east-harlem.html?_r=0

R.I.P. Officer Holder

Officer Holder, of the NYPD was shot and killed by a suspect that had been on the lam for a while in East Harlem.
And Holder is the latest in the growing number of LEOs being killed in the line of duty
Holder was the 4th officer of the NYPD killed in the past 10 months.
Damn shame the shooter wasn't killed, even if it would have been small compensation for losing one of New York's Finest.
But, small compensation is better than none, I suppose.
*** Next, another drug tunnel into San Diego is discovered.
Here's the story link:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-34611997

I've lost count of all the tunnels we've found...
This one was more sophisticated - rail lines, ventilation, lighting...everything but a fast food joint along the 80 football field length of the tunnel from Tijuana to San Diego.
Yo quero, Taco Bell?
About TWELVE TONS of MARIJUANA was discovered in a warehouse in San Diego...
Guess a LOT of people won't be getting high THIS weekend...LOL.
That just breaks my heart...
*** Last back to the shooting range...First of all, I'm very glad Chris and Laurie invited us up to "Fortress Martin" LAST weekend, instead of this weekend.

Fortress Martin in all it's splendor.

With the rain expected tomorrow, slogging through the woods isn't really fitting for women-folk.
Doesn't bother me none, but the chances of catching a cold are heightened nonetheless.
Like I stated earlier in the week, good friends beget good times, and if any bad times are encountered, they are lessened with such friends.

Bobby G's Fortress of Reason.

Same goes for Phil's visit to OUR "Fortress" a couple days ago.
Now, maybe we're all the WEIRDOS here, because we espouse the things in life that are BETTER for us than say...crime, but I would take a nice visit to see a friend (or from a friend), or even plain old sheer boredom to criminal activity (in my life) ANY damn day.
The main reason for that is that such visits or that solitary boredom rarely causes the types of consequences that pursuing crime does.
Banality just exists...it never escalates into the serious crimes from the smaller crimes that are passed over which we are privy to daily.
And at the bottom of any of this...we have PEOPLE.
People, who will either put the spring in life's steps, or the people who make crap-sandwich choices in life, are ALL destined for the results of their actions (good or bad)...it's that simple.
When you've managed to exchange bad behavior for good, or rearrange your priorities in life, THOSE results have a better outcome. And others will pick up on this.
That produces integrity in yourself and respect from others.
What is troubling in times such as these, is that people in general never look at ANY long-term aspects of anything they do.
Everything affects something, if not NOW...then definitely later on.
The only time you look for any short-term solution is as an interim action while you are actively looking FOR that long-term solution to a given problem.
You splint a broken leg until you can get to someone who can properly reset it and immobilize it in a correct manner, but you NEVER stick some band-aids on it and call it done.

Sadly, we see too much of the latter going on...and it shows.
We should strive to become better "personal physicians" in our lives, and friends are there to keep us mindful of such things whenever we forget.
They show us more about life...and tend to keep us looking down the road (where trouble can be lurking), rather that at our feet, admiring our footwear.
And I'm thankful for such insight.
Do have yourselves a great weekend.

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

Thoughts On Thursday...

Well, we're almost at the end of another week in the Heartland (and pretty much everywhere else).
Today will be a close copy to yesterday when we topped out the temps around 76 degrees. Sure doesn't seem like the latter half of October to me, but I like it anyway, even with a bit of drizzle outside this morning,
Our Hooiserland weather has us with temps making it to around the 70-degree mark.
Partly to mostly cloudy skies will follow us around as well. And it smells good out there (for a change)...love that.
So go get that morning drink, I'll get mine and together, we'll see what's been going on...
*** First out of the DeLorean is the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:
"Your future is whatever you make it, so make it a good one."
As most of you probably guessed, this was spoken by Emmett "Doc" Brown (Christopher Lloyd) in the Back To The Future trilogy of films.

And because all of you are such good people, we're going to toss you a "two-fer" today.
Here is the WIKI for Doc Brown:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmett_Brown
Here is the WIKI for actor Christopher Lloyd:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Lloyd
And if you want to talk COINCIDENCE, TODAY just happens to be Christopher's BIRTHDAY.

Happy 77th birthday!
Lloyd was born in 1938 in Stanford CT, and raised in New Canaan, CT.

He got his start in neighborhood theater at the age of 19.

His first movie role was as a mental patient (Max Taber) in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1977).

His most notable TV role was that of "reverend" Jim Ignatowski, (Taxi) for which he won an Emmy for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy role.
As could be expected, his filmography is lengthy, and for someone who can play everyone from Commander Kruge (ST III - The Search For Spock) to Doc Brown  to Willie Loman, he's done okay for himself.
Nice job, "Doc".
*** Next up is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
October 22 -
---Today is NATIONAL NUT DAY

(That should keep the squirrels busy)
---It's also NATIONAL COLOR DAY

(that should keep the artists busy)
*** Next up, I hear that we're back to bringing  shooting victims into hospital in transport OTHER than ambulances.
Here's what's known so far:
http://wane.com/2015/10/22/man-shot-in-neck-dropped-off-at-hospital/

This took place at Parkview Randalia around 0445 hrs this morning.
The shooting victim was listed in critical condition with a wound to his neck.
The person who dropped off the victim left shortly after police tried to speak with them.
So, this is what you do when you don't want police to know WHERE a shooting has taken place.
Keeps them from the crime scene...nice.
*** Next up, what happens when good grant money goes "missing"?

Well, here;s one story that sheds some light on some possibilities, when it comes to funds given to charter schools in Indiana
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/indiana/Study--Charter-funds-wasted-9469006

Now, this is one of those "OOPS" moments.
Where's the money?
Why have these schools failed?
Do we even NEED these schools?
Where's the oversight for the disposition OF the grant monies?
Yep, the questions keep on coming, don't they?
These schools seem primarily in the INDY area, but it makes you want to check out LOCAL charter schools to see if similar issues exist.
Unlike PUBLIC schools which seem to have some level of accountability, CHARTER schools spending is "...largely a black hole".
Well, that sounds like SO many (other) gov't programs that are supposed to bring people out of poverty, but have done little to nothing in over 50 years, doesn't it? Perhaps it's time the public were provided information to alleviate such "problems" in the future?
*** Next up, I've been going over in my mind the stuff that happens in the western region of the USA. They suffer record DROUGHTS, and then whenever it DOES rain, they get FLOODED THE HELL OUT.

Here's a possible solution - build some UNDERGROUND aquifers or reservoirs to CATCH all that flood water (whatta concept).
It's kinda like the movie DUNE, where the Fremen had all these caches of underground water for their use in the wasteland.

And so can the WATER...

Hey, you never know until you TRY something, right?
Not to mention, it would create some very nice JOBS in the process...REAL jobs, and not the imagined ones the DEMS keep tossing at us.
Don't thank me now...you can thank me later, AFTER you've reclaimed our deserts and made them verdant once again.
*** Next, I had a visit yesterday from a fellow blogger and Fort Wayne resident, Phil Marx (the gentleman whose house was fire-bombed back in 2006 by street thug drug-dealers).

He's recently been into gardening (more like small-scale FARMING), and he brought us some of his "bounty"

Cripes, I never expected that much...LOL.
But, it IS well-appreciated.
We sat and chatted for damn near three hours (which always passes too quickly).
I offered him some scrap wood I had in the garage so he can build some above ground planters, to which HE was appreciative.
And he promised some seeds for us in the future...who knows what we'll get, and that's kinda fun.
Hopefully, it won't be a couple years between visits when next he stops by.
Our "drawbridge" is ALWAYS open to those in the realm who have befriended us and they are welcome at our 'Fortress".
*** Next, it's time for "What's Bob been getting online lately?"

I'm glad you asked...
As Chris Martin knows, I like my sonic screwdrivers (as would any self-respecting "Renegade Time Lord"), so imagine my surprise when I managed to snag a Tom Baker era FOURTH DOCTOR'S SONIC SCREWDRIVER, and for a little over $11...!
(thanks, eBay)
That's considerably LESS than you can find anywhere online...I know. I checked.
So, we're up to FOUR sonics now...never hurts to have a SPARE...or several.
Gotta love hobbies...especially when they're more "interactive" than say stamps and coin collecting...heh.
*** Last back to the garage...good people always seem to beget a good attitude (for me, anyway).
And, although my time in Fort Wayne has barely scratched the 20-year mark, I consider myself fortunate when it comes to those few who I call FRIENDS.

I don't have that many, but the ones I do are GOOD friends, and I kinda prefer it that way.
Now, I don't profess to be any sort of expert at finding friends, but I do know what works in my life.
Friends cannot be had like items purchased in a store...not TRUE friends, anyway.
I suppose friendship is much like gardening...they GROW in nature.
And, it's the diligence of the gardener that makes a plant grow and thrive...or wither and die.
Sounds a lot like cultivating friends to me.
I think the parable of the seeds that fall upon various soils is a good example.of not only what our walk with God is like, but also it carries over in how we pursue most anything or anyone in our lives.
Amazing how many things come back to religion, isn't it?

More amazing still, is how we manage to meet the souls we do throughout life. It's all about opportunities, isn't it?
In that, there is again that total equality, just like we hear when we talk about SOCIETY.
Our society is based on EQUAL OPPORTUNITY for all, but NEVER does it speak to EQUAL RESULTS.
That's where a lot of people get tripped up - they think equality means just that...the same results for everyone.

Sorry, doesn't work that way, because EACH of us is different to begin with.
Now, think on this...in ALL the world, throughout ALL time, one person befriends another, and mostly through chance encounters.
What are the frigging odds of such things happening? (pretty astronomical)
There just HAS to be more than mere "chance" involved...perhaps a higher authority?
Friends are one of those blessings we get in life. Our job is not to squander such things.
Here's hoping we're always up to that task, right?

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