Tuesday Tidbits...

Like the snow? Well, it's not going away that soon.
It will be sticking around for a few days, bringing along with it colder conditions.
Sounds like a Tuesday to me.
The good news is that the accumulation of snow will not be that much .
They're still talking about 3-4 inches, BUT that's over the next several days.
Our Hoosierland weather will see us with a high today of around 30 degrees.
And you will be hard-pressed to see any sun, unless there's a break in the overcast. Expect breezy conditions with snow showers continuing throughout the day.
Now, let's go get that warm morning drink poured as we see what is taking place around us...
*** First off of the breakfast table is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
February 9 -
---Today is NATIONAL PIZZA DAY

(Hell, EVERY day can be that for me...and wasn't this day usually on the 12th? Who moved it?)
---It's also NATIONAL BAGEL DAY

(guess they lost the lox? That's okay, I like butter and jelly anyway)
---And, it's NATIONAL TOOTHACHE DAY

(well, ain't that a pain in the a... FACE?)
*** Next up, it's time to bring you ALL the police calls regarding shots fired and armed robberies that took place in our city last week...because the media won't.

SHOTS FIRED / ARMED ROBBERY CALLS - 2/1- 2/7
===============================
FEB 1-
16F013882 23:04:06 113 SHOTS FIRED 5100 ANTHONY BLVD S & FAIRFAX AVE
16F013847 20:43:10 53 ARMED ROB 1100 GOSHEN AVE
16F013883 23:05:07 58 SHOOTING 4500 WERLING DR
FEB 2 -
16F013924 02:55:18 113 SHOTS FIRED 1000 RIVERMET AVE
16F013925 02:55:20 113 SHOTS FIRED 1400 SPY RUN AVE & PROSPECT AVE
16F013977 08:56:41 113 SHOTS FIRED 7700 BRECKENWOOD DR
16F014247 21:36:16 113 SHOTS FIRED 1400 GREENE ST
16F014224 19:59:26 58 SHOOTING 600 LEWIS ST E & HANNA ST S
FEB 3 - 
((NO shots fired))
16F014467 13:45:04 53 ARMED ROB 600 LEWIS ST E
FEB 4 -
16F015018 20:43:32 113 SHOTS FIRED 1800 LUTHER ST & FLETCHER AVE
16F015019 20:44:05 113 SHOTS FIRED 7300 LIMA RD & COOK RD W
16F015062 23:31:47 58 SHOOTING 7900 JEFFERSON BLVD W
FEB 5-
16F015403 18:42:55 113 SHOTS FIRED 3500 WARSAW ST & HAMILTON AVE
16F015449 20:09:40 113 SHOTS FIRED 100 MECHANIC ST
16F015108 06:45:32 53 ARMED ROB 900 COLISEUM BLVD W
16F015378 17:41:35 53 ARMED ROB 1800 WASHINGTON CENTER RD W
FEB 6 -
16F015579 01:54:53 113 SHOTS FIRED 800 BUCHANAN ST
16F015584 01:59:28 113 SHOTS FIRED 2100 EDEN ST
16F015599 02:41:21 113 SHOTS FIRED 1400 GREENE ST
16F015624 04:28:04 113 SHOTS FIRED 1900 FALCON HILL PL
16F015642 05:49:25 113 SHOTS FIRED 3200 SANDPOINT RD
16F015645 06:03:05 113 SHOTS FIRED 3500 HESSEN CASSEL RD & WAYNE TRAC
16F015916 18:54:32 113 SHOTS FIRED 600 JEFFERSON BLVD E
16F015964 20:33:16 113 SHOTS FIRED 7400 COLD SPRINGS BLVD
16F016014 22:22:44 113 SHOTS FIRED 100 COUNTRY FOREST DR
16F015577 01:50:13 53 ARMED ROB 4100 HESSEN CASSEL RD
FEB 7 -
16F016067 00:43:30 113 SHOTS FIRED 1200 FAYETTE DR
16F016130 04:29:08 113 SHOTS FIRED 3900 BOWSER AVE
16F016427 22:09:43 113 SHOTS FIRED 3000 REED ST
16F016438 22:35:00 113 SHOTS FIRED 9000 HICKORY GLEN TRL
16F016439 22:35:05 113 SHOTS FIRED 1400 CYPRESS LN
((NO armed robberies))
============================
And we can't leave out the morons who can't figure out how to read a damn calendar.
FIREWORKS CALLS - 2/1 - 2/7
============================
FEB 5 -
16F015477 21:29:25 44FW 700 WASHINGTON BLVD W & VAN BUREN
(There always seems to be ONE asshole...it's FEBRUARY, you dipshit!)
---And, have you noticed that the FWPD has STILL NOT "fixed" the DISCUSSION FORUM...just a-f$cking-mazing!
The screen still says "under maintenance"...for the better part of the past EIGHT MONTHS and counting?
Someone doesn't want people ASKING QUESTIONS of the department, no doubt.
OR...someone doesn't want to be bothered ANSWERING questions.
Either way, that's NOT good "customer service", is it Garry?
*** Next up, while looking up something else, I came across this story from back in 2012, and I think you might find it enlightening. Here's the link:
http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/turn-out-the-lights-the-largest-u-s-cities-are-becoming-cesspools-of-filth-decay-and-wretchedness
Gee, if we were to invoke a Star Wars reference, that sounds an awful lot like MOS EISLEY SPACEPORT!

Kinda like "Downtown Tatooine", right?

(or the southeast side of Fort Wayne).
Guess that's why our "King" (mayor Henry) wants to get out AHEAD of such things by "blowing a wad" (or several) on the downtown-riverfront-arena deals?
Having a nice downtown is all well and good...Detroit USED to have a thriving downtown...as did Philly. Wonder WTH went so wrong...

Oh, that's a NICE center-city area.

In fact, many downtown areas of a lot of cities USED to have damn near everything people wanted. So why are so many of these downtown areas in our major cities going down the crapper?
Liberal agendas for one thing.
Some cities have tried to remove blighted areas by "removing" the people IN those areas.
And they do that by "turning out the lights" - (street lights that is) to such blighted areas in order to force the people there to move elsewhere. I kid you not.
Where we live, the city does NOT regularly check our streetlights.
You have to CALL IT IN in order to get one fixed.
The light pole in the next block up has been working improperly for months (comes on and then goes back out), and I was waiting to see if ANYONE noticed and called it in...nothing so far.
No one seems to give a shit.
They don't care if the intersection is poorly lit at all.
Guess I'll have to call it in...again...as usual...eventually.
The story makes a good case for the LACK of concern by cities in some areas, most noticeably their downtowns
Well, when the cities permitted the blight, that's exactly what they got...no one else to blame but themselves.
*** Next up, this is a story that begs the question "What more can be done?".
Here's the link:
http://wane.com/2016/02/08/neighbors-concerned-about-accidents-on-s-clinton/

I've driven this stretch of 3200-3300 S. Clinton St. MANY times, and I never had an issue with it. It's well marked, posted speed limit signs, large arrows telling you a curve is coming up.
Yet, it's still a point of concern...why?
Well, it's not the signage...it's the responsibility of those DRIVING that area...or the LACK of it.
INDOT seems to agree, but that doesn't make the neighbors feel any safer.
Sure, there are a lot of accidents along that chunk of street, but how many involved SPEEDING...or DUIs?

The only REAL traffic was the POLICE.

Not the best place for a drag race in the city.
I know, because we had places where people illegally raced in Philly FAR from heavy traffic where the "racers" did their thing...and got arrested for unlawful racing.
It was down by the old Spectrum near Pattison Avenue along the Delaware river.
It was a nice LONG, STRAIGHT, (and damn near empty) stretch of road (after dark)...great for drag races.
And the PPD knew it, busting lots of people there. Didn't totally stop them, but at least it wasn't along a BUSY street in the city.
I honestly don't know WHAT can be done along S. Clinton, other than to have those living closest to the traffic up and move, but that's not fair. No, but it would be SAFER for those concerned.
*** Next, and speaking of DRIVING, there is another story about having "too much tech" in our vehicles, and a serious problem it can cause.
Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/business/Shifters-causing-confusion-11383875

Yep, it has to do with that lowly piece of gear INSIDE the cabin...the SHIFTER.
People are finding the technology CONFUSING, and some are leaving their SUVs running...IN GEAR.
(not the best way to temporarily "park")
Investigators from the NHTSA state that the CONSOLE shifter "is not intuitive and provides poor tactile and visual feedback to the driver".
You're shittin' me, right?
Funny, the move has been FROM column shifters to CONSOLE shifters for YEARS. Damn near EVERY vehicle has them these days...just like bucket seats...and that annoying and costly FWD. They're not issuing any recall yet...
A RECALL? Seriously? For driver stupidity? Gimme a damn break here.

I remember when I changed from a column shift (1975 Torino) to the console shift (1983 Firebird).

Took a while to acclimate myself, as I kept reaching for the column lever...lol.
But I can easily go from column (The Wifeymobile) to my car with no problem.
We call that "muscle-memory", after a fashion...and I'm all of about 64 years old.

Looks "cool", but it's causing confusion.

Hey, if I can do it w/o getting into an accident, anyone can...and should.
This type of tech isn't that hard to figure out, unless you're too damn lazy.
One tester from Consumer Reports thinks the manufacturers need to be much more responsible as they try these new technologies, and I agree.
If they (car makers) can't figure shit out, how the hell is everyone else who's buying these rolling computers supposed to, hmm?
After all, the shifter is pretty basic stuff.
That "P" stands for PARK (and not "perfect"),
The "D" stands for DRIVE (and not "Dat other gear").
And the "R" stands for REVERSE (and not for "race")...got it?
There WILL be a test later...lol.
*** Last back to the kitchen sink...it's not hard to see what happens when people allow other people or other things to take control of the parts of our lives that WE used to be in sole control of, is it?

Technology has it's place, but under specific conditions.
It has to be tested enough to make it fool-proof, and WE have to not provide the "fool" for the proofing.
It has to be a partnership between US and the tech (as well as those creating it), and after all is said and done,
We have to still maintain control...of both the tech AND (more importantly)...ourselves.
Sad to say, much of that has slipped through the fingers of society.
But, we can still get it back.
It only takes the desire and the effort to get things back to something a lot closer to normal.
Oh, and it will certainly take a lot more of those GOOD CHOICES by us (doesn't it always?). right?

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