Monday Musings...

Welcome to the "merry" month of MAY.
(and all that comes along with it)
You may notice that I've given "the Doctor" some time off, and that's because I'm doing a run-up to the latest movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: CAPTAIN AMERICA - CIVIL WAR, which opens in the USA this Friday.
More about that in a bit, because we've other things to take care of in the meantime.
Our Hooiserland weather for today sees a let up in all the rain we had (maybe a lingering shower or two) with a high around 58 degrees, and light winds to go along with all the clouds we'll be seeing. Sorry...no sunrise, kids.
Now, let's all get ourselves a nice soothing drink to get us rolling, as we see what's been going on elsewhere...
*** First up is our "salute" to May and all the things happening this month, such as:
All Month Long -
World Stroke Month
Date Your Mate Month
Foster Care Month
Older Americans Month

Where's MY cape?

National Barbecue Month
National Bike Month
National Blood Pressure Month

Ignorance leads to LOTS of problems

National Chocolate Custard Month
National Chamber Music Month
National Egg Month

Get "crackin"

National Get Caught Reading Month
National Hamburger Month

National Lyme Disease Awareness Month
National Mediterranean Diet Month – link
National Photograph Month

National Recommitment Month
National Salad Month
National Salsa Month
National Strawberry Month

I see shortcake in the future

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
National Water Safety Month
==============================
Special weekly celebrations -
Nurse's Week - first week of month
Wildflower Week - week two

National Bike Week - third week
National Police Week - third week of month

Emergency Medical Services Week - fourth week of month
*** And since we tackled the FIRST of May in Friday's blog (shame on you if you missed that), we'll move along to our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
May 2 -
---Today is NATIONAL LIFE INSURANCE DAY

(All that for a nice casket, right?)
---It's also NATIONAL TRUFFLE DAY

(they don't HAVE to be square)
---And, it's NATIONAL MELANOMA MONDAY

(never hurts to get checked, just in case)
*** Next up, we have (what else)...another shooting on the SE side of Ft. Wayne:

Here's the story and details (few as they are):
http://wane.com/2016/05/01/man-seriously-injured-in-shooting/
This took place around 0030 hrs Sunday morning in the 3300 block of Diplomat Drive (near the post office and McMillen Park).

Hey, I didn't take the picture.

Police responded to a call about "shots fired" and when they arrived on scene found a male in the parking lot of the apartments suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to hospital in serious condition.
NO information regarding suspects, vehicles...the usual.
*** And later on Sunday, around 1700 hrs, THIS story came to light:
http://wane.com/2016/05/01/police-respond-to-shooting-one-person-injued/

This shooting took place in an alley near the intersection of McKee St. and Weisser Park Ave.

Police responded and found one man in serious condition, who was taken to hospital and downgraded to critical.
Animal Care and Control was also dispatched, but it's unclear as to why.
*** And another woman was found dead in her apartment yesterday. Here's the story link:
http://wane.com/2016/05/01/fwpd-woman-found-dead-inside-apartment/

This took place at the Southbridge Apartments (behind the Public Safety Academy and the old Southtown Mall location) around 1957 hrs.
It's not said HOW police and paramedics were called to the location, and the death remains suspicious. Hardly any details (as usual) have come forth yet.

Could be hitting double digits in the homicide deadpool count with number #10.
Not even a SUNDAY can calm the savages in OUR part of the city, can it, mister mayor?
Good thing FWPD has Chief Hamilton on the job (yeah, right).
Whatta city..and whatta bunch of mooks.
*** Next up, some feel good stuff (for a bloody change).
Wifey and I went grocery shopping Saturday, and it wasn't long inside the store when I saw something I have not seen in DECADES...
TASTYKAKES!!!

Where it all began and continues.

This might not mean a lot to most of you Hoosiers, but THESE were a STAPLE back in Philly (and much of the eastern seaboard). They actually had them as far west as Columbis, Ohio, but that was back in the late 90s.

So, we stocked up on Kandykakes (peanut butter), mini donuts, and something (new) called Bells.

I do hope this is a continuing thing with Kroger, as I like these better than Hostess (the creme filling is less "gritty" for one thing). Now, all this part of Indiana needs is a decent HOAGIE joint (like the Blimpies they USED to have in several locations)...LOL.
After shopping (and tanking up the Wifeymobile) we stopped at Broadview Nursery (along Winchester Rd, and stocked up with flowering plants.

We came away with close to $50 worth...and yes, that's a lot.
Sunday, we took to planting some of them...still have lots to get in the ground, but I think any frost-alerts might be over with for the season.
Here's hoping anyway.

The patio is once again coming alive with color.

Oh, and if you're wondering what those white "marbles" are in the pots, they're MOTH BALLS - do a good job of keeping critters from DIGGING the crap out of the plants and killing them off. Old trick and they don't like the smell.

"I really LIKE what you've done to this eatery"

And, naturally, Patches stopped by to take in the ever-changing dining "arrangements".
Sunday, I even got to feed him some bread "up close and personal".

He preferred the "terrace view".
All in all, a decent weekend, except for all the loudass boomcars that HAVE to pass our humble abode.
Nice to know the FWPD is hard at work trying to shut them up.
(anywhere but HERE, where it's needed the MOST with the noise, parking violations and such).
*** Next up, I said at the top that I was doing a run-up to the new MCU film this Friday, and so we'll have some memes that yours truly has provided as a precursor to get you all into that superhero mood.

The FX channel will also be doing likewise this week, with a flick fest Saturday.
(Wifey likes that - keep me from bugging HER while she has her brain turned to mush watching BRAVO...LOL)
In so many ways, I miss the way this part of town USED to be, just 15 short years ago. We still HAD a movie house (Southtown Cinema - 2 screens, and rather LARGE ones at that). Hell, everything was better around here. It's not that we didn't have crime. We did, just a helluva lot LESS, and that was because we had a helluva lot FEWER of the WRONG people around here to commit the crime. Sorry if that appears bigoted to the libtards, but it IS what has occurred down here, and I predicted it would be getting worse (which it has over those same 15 years).
Sometimes, you really hate being RIGHT.
*** Regarding this latest Marvel superhero movie, I think I have a reason as to WHY we see Iron Man and Cap go "at it".

All you fellow nerdists, hang in there with me now...

If you recall, back in Iron Man 2, Stark goes before a senate sub-committee and "explains" his use of the Iron Man suit (the feds call it a "weapons system"). Stark even says to Pepper that "I'm tired of the LIBERAL AGENDA" (as he hangs a painting of Iron Man in his workshop). That clearly tells us that Tony doesn't want to play WITH the government.
So, what makes him SIDE with those same feds when the CIVIL WAR movie takes place?

Easy enough...in Avengers 2 - The Age of Ultron, Stark creates a "sentient" machine that seeks to eliminate humankind, and as a result, a LOT of collateral damage takes place, with more than a few deaths happening.
This would weigh heavily on ANYONE, but because it's Stark, there is this sense of GUILT, and therefore thinking the government might be "right" all along would be the proper way to go, from a psychological standpoint.
Captain America (Steve Rogers) on the other hand has come to distrust the same government that created him (as was evidenced in The Winter Soldier).

Civil War is the sequel to THAT movie, and if you remember WAY back to The First Avenger, Dr. Erskine told Rogers (prior to his rebirth) "Don't be a perfect  soldier...be...a GOOD MAN."
Steve has always embraced that aspect of humanity and fought FOR the side of what is good, and right, and just.
That alone creates the impetus for the conflict between Rogers and Stark.

And, it's Rogers that rebels against the movie's Superhero Registration Act, while Stark believes it to be a necessary "evil".
There you go then...my "take" on WHY this happens, without any spoilers.
(not that I don't already know the ending, which deviates from the comics nicely...heh)
It doesn't ruin anything for me.
*** Last back to the "Fortress"...what the hell ever happened to those Sundays we USED to have?

Those "drives to nowhere", or the fact that people used to not be scurrying everywhere because shopping (on Sunday) was practically non-existent in those days. People stayed home a lot more and spent time with FAMILY.
We didn't NEED every store open (we stocked up DURING the week) and certainly didn't need to buy booze (that was also done the OTHER 6 days of the week...lol)
Of course, that WAS a time when we actually HAD families, and not what seems to pass for one when it comes to the unwashed masses.
What we appear to have today is more tribal than familial in nature, especially down where we live.

And nothing seems to be getting done to change that aspect. Sure, the older folks still adhere a lot more to what was once a traditional family, but they are not going to be around forever, and the young ones look at marriage less as a sacred bond between two people, and more like something they don't have to do, even if they already have several children (tax emptions).
Hate to break it to people, but when a child used to be born "out of wedlock", they were called BASTARDS.
Sorry if that bothers some, but those were the facts.
I would say today that we do, in fact have a LOT more bastards around than in days past, and I had nothing to do with that state of affairs, and neither did you.
But, that's another post for another day, and I digress...

We all used to hold SUNDAY in much higher esteem when I was young. Dinner was a big deal, and my parents would have friends over now and then to join us. It was a time to be TOGETHER, and not roam around and shoot one another. Most EVERYONE went to church, too.
To say that our morality has suffered over the decades, as has our civility, and ethical behavior, would be an undertstatement.
Why people chose to change in that regard eludes me, but a deviation from such normal behaviors has definitely caused a lack of respect, as well as a lack of intelligence among some.
We may call it Sunday, but to many, it's "just another day", and that's pretty sad.
Then again, we USED to be a much better people, and for some odd reason, decided that becoming worse was "a good idea". Maybe for the few indolent morons...it is.
For everyone else, it's the wrong way to go, and the sooner a lot more folks wise up to that, the sooner this nation can back out of the cesspool of chaos and work together and move forward.
Right now, we're barely marking time (and that time waits for no one).

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