Tuesday Tidbits...

Gonna seem a lot more like JULY than May today.
Didn't appreciate yesterday all that much and for more reasons than JUST the weather (you'll find out all about that further along). These seem to be times that truly try people's souls.
Our Hoosierland weather for today brings us mostly sunny skies (was cloudy earlier), with a high someplace in the mid-80s!
Yes, that IS hot.
Now, let's get that refreshing morning drink to wet our whistle, as we take a look at what's going on elsewhere...
*** First off of the suntan lotion shelves is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
MAY 16 -
---It's Honor Our LBGT Elders Day

(oh, THOSE elders you honor?)
---It's National Sea Monkey Day

(funny, I see LOTS of 'em and JUST in my part of the ghettohood...heh)
---It's National Biographer's Day

(believe it or not, we are ALL our own biographer in some way)
---It's National Coquilles-Saint Jacques Day

(okay, so who threw up on the plate?)
---It's National Love A Tree Day

(I simply cannot sigh loud enough over this one)
---It's National Piercing Day

(another waste of a good 24 hour period)
*** Next, time to take a long look at ALL the police calls that the media did';t bother to tell us about, because such crime is not AS important as sports and it's OWN related idiocy...

SHOTS FIRED ((113)) / ARMED ROBBERY ((53)) CALLS - 05/08 - 05/14
((23,113 - vandalism by gunfire))
=======================================
MAY 08 - 
17F054845 05/08/2017 12:04am 113 SHOTS FIRED 1200 ELMWOOD AVE
17F054853 05/08/2017 12:54am 113 SHOTS FIRED 300 KILLEA ST
17F055076 05/08/2017 04:32pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2700 NORTHGATE BLVD
17F054860 05/08/2017 01:40am 23,113 7900 DECATUR RD
((NO armed robberies))
MAY 09 -
17F055579 05/09/2017 10:08pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 6700 ANTHONY BLVD S & SOUTHDALE AV
17F055585 05/09/2017 10:12pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 6700 JOHN ST
17F055615 05/09/2017 11:43pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2000 MAIN ST W & LEESBURG RD
17F055551 05/09/2017 08:48pm 53 ARMED ROB 3200 STATE BLVD E
MAY 10 -
17F055991 05/10/2017 10:03pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 1800 BROADWAY & STOPHLET ST
17F056008 05/10/2017 10:52pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2800 ABBOTT ST GREATER
((NO armed robberies))
MAY 11 -
17F056029 05/11/2017 12:19am 113 SHOTS FIRED 1400 HIGH ST & OSAGE ST
17F056223 05/11/2017 02:45pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2100 MERIDIAN ST
17F056457 05/12/2017 12:15am 113 SHOTS FIRED 5400 WEBSTER ST
17F056440 05/11/2017 11:12pm 58 SHOOTING 700 BROADWAY
((NO armed robberies))
MAY 12 -
17F056509 05/12/2017 05:05am 113 SHOTS FIRED 6600 SALGE DR
17F056861 05/12/2017 10:38pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 1300 HURON ST
17F056868 05/12/2017 11:01pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 3400 HANNA ST S & OXFORD ST
17F056870 05/12/2017 11:07pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 3600 WINTER ST
17F056770 05/12/2017 06:26pm 58 SHOOTING 2200 RANDALLIA DR
((NO armed robberies))
MAY 13 -
17F056965 05/13/2017 03:43am 113 SHOTS FIRED 5200 DIAL DR
17F057346 05/13/2017 09:29pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 200 CREIGHTON AVE W & WEBSTER ST
17F057287 05/13/2017 07:20pm 53 ARMED ROB 7300 STATE BLVD E
17F057404 05/13/2017 11:23pm 53 ARMED ROB 800 RIDGEWOOD DR
MAY 14 -
17F057451 05/14/2017 12:57am 113 SHOTS FIRED 2900 PLAZA DR
17F057493 05/14/2017 03:19am 113 SHOTS FIRED 4300 MAPLECREST RD & STELLHORN RD
17F057495 05/14/2017 03:33am 113 SHOTS FIRED 100 CREIGHTON AVE W & HARRISON ST
17F057785 05/14/2017 09:36pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2300 BIRCHWOOD AVE & HARVESTER AVE
((NO armed robberies))
===========================
LOTS of disturbances and a crapload of 44LM and LP (loud music and party),
and 22 narcotics calls.
==========================
FIREWORKS CALLS 05/08 - 05/14
17F055954 05/10/2017 08:40pm 44FW 100 COUNTRY FOREST DR
17F056889 05/12/2017 11:36pm 44FW 1000 FRANKLIN AVE & BURGESS ST
===========================
*** Next up, more stupid from the people who made our part of town a damn slum in more ways that I can shake a stick at.

Yesterday, I noticed a significant INCREASE in the amount of traffic over our side street (E. Maple Grove), and I had thought it could have been due to an accident...nah, couldn't have been that.

Got us a damn CONGA-LINE goin' on.

The increase was mostly all day-long, and got REALLY bad around rush-hour.
In fact, that street was backed up like a cheap toilet. It was actually worse than when the city did that sewer work down on Pettit a couple years ago...when they re-routed the CITILINK buses over this street.
Now, forgive me for being from the east coast here, but back there we KNOW the difference between the levels of traffic a street can handle. Maple Grove was NEVER really designed to accommodate TWO-WAY traffic...it's just barely wide enough without anyone parking along the stretch of it.
Yet, that doesn't phase those who run the dog-and-pony show downtown from forcing all these vehicles onto a street with NO sidewalks or curbs. I mean it's hard for Wifey to get in or out of OUR OWN DAMN DRIVEWAY.

A blast from the past...

This street is NOT Rudisill, or Lafayette, or Clinton, or even Calhoun...it's NOT a "main thoroughfare"...it's a RESIDENTIAL street (well as close to one as you can get in a ghetto, anyway).

Some people forget...but I do not.

One reason it can't be a MAIN street, is that it always gets plowed LAST whenever it snows...LOL.
Main streets and even secondary streets get a higher priority.
But, there's apparently no other street that suits the amount of traffic we had yesterday (and however much longer this clusterfuck will last).
I'll tell 'ya...if the city WANTS to chase away decent people...this IS a pretty good way to do it. Frustrate the hell outta NORMAL people...get them to move.
Lord knows they've done their "best" (so far) over two decades.
But I will fight back any way I can.
*** Next, I watched the first episode of a new show on Nat-Geo last night...called Year Million.
Hosted by Laurence Fishburne, it spoke to the advancement in A.I. (how "Matrix-ish") and what it may mean to us in generations to come.

While I wanted to see some light at the end of a tunnel, all I came away with is a keener sense of dread for what such a thing will most likely mean to those who follow in our stead.

Oh no...she ISN'T real...(yet).

A scary premise where we create an intelligence that (far) surpasses our own, which could take a look at humanity (with all it's shortcomings) and decides WE are obsolete...the stuff of science fiction...perhaps not any longer.

The fabric-cutter is my low IQ cousin, BTW.

Funny thing...such intelligence could well be correct on it's assessment of the human race.
The next episode deals with life extension and possible immortality. Well-produced show, even if it scares the bejeezus outta those of us who take time to think..
*** Next up, have any of you others who use "blogspot" noticed the sudden increase in page views from...RUSSIA?

Da, I am watching American blogs very closely.

Seems those wacky russkies are at it again...finding out more about our country by watching our blogs.
I noticed this several days ago, and it actually surpassed the USA page views...curious stuff, hmm?
*** Next, and while we're speaking about television (and media)...my "must-watch" quotient for CW's Supergirl took a serious nosedive last evening.

It's not HER fault, really.

Allow me to explain...
There was a scene when the president (Lynda Carter...yes, THAT one) turns out to be a shape-shifting (peaceful) alien and Calista Flockhart's character says: "I hope you're STILL a democrat!". That wasn't the kicker for me, though.
Later, Kat (Flockhart) is talking to someone on her cellphone, who asked if she survived the (other) alien attack on the city and she replies: "If I can survive that lech O'Reilly, I can survive anything."
((...record-scratch...))
Whoa...stop the presses here. Yes, I heard that correctly, and personally, I think it's in very poor taste to foster an allegation. Besides, this is a sci-fi FANTASY series, and since when did THEY all of a sudden embrace REALITY here?

I'm not the only one who caught this curveball, either:
http://www.usmessageboard.com/threads/left-wing-never-stops-uses-supergirl-t-v-show-to-attack-fox-cable-news.419200/
The writers should be called out on this, and if it were not for the star of the show (Melissa Benoist), and the black English actor who plays the Martian Manhunter - David Harewood, who also appeared in Doctor Who in the episode The End of Time)  I'd stop watching altogether!
Love to see some backlash against the writers for this, but we know better, right?

The left NEVER stops with it's incessant whining and snarking, does it?
*** Next up, let's see what's going on at "Kitten Corner"...

"I'm not snobbish - it's BRIGHT outside".

Well, the kids are good "bug-finders"...Gallifrey found one of those large black ants on our blue carpet in the living room. Got that little shit squished and disposed of soon enough. But he kept hanging by the front door, so I squirted bug killer BETWEEN the doors, and then air freshener inside the house to mask the smell of the bug juice. Had to use the squirt bottle on both of them to stop the manic behavior, too.

"How 'bout that...it IS really bright outside."

But later in the day, all was well once again. When the nine-o-clock crazies DON'T happen around nine, it become more the chore to handle the rowdiness...lol.
*** Next up, time to leaf through our "Tales of Midnight"...

"That's why I prefer the shade."

Our furry buddy was around MOST all the day. He took off around dusk, and with ALL that damnable traffic we had over the side street, I got worried he might not make it across and back, if that's where he went.
Luckily, this morning, he was right back on the patio, waiting for food, and no sign of injury.
Let's hope he takes to staying close by, rather than play dodge-ball with vehicles.
(I think any construction gear might help along those lines)
*** Last back to the beachwear aisle...I don't think I'm ready for the amount of progress being shoved down our throats.

No one said it could be a journey through HELL...

Every time something "new and innovative" comes along, there's always something else that come along soon after, riding it's ass, screwing those things the hell up. The Internet is a perfect example.
Plus, with planned obsolescence, much of this becomes a moot point.

And here's another example of "progress" you might enjoy. Recently, Allen County law-enforcement is doing their (annual) "click it or ticket" gig...the SEAT BELT crap. Now, given the way vehicles are TODAY, you can't even DRIVE a car without the seat belt system engaged, right? You can start it, but can't drive it unless the belt is buckled..

By their OWN admission, law-enforcement claims they're "only" going after the FOUR PERCENT of drivers who are NOT buckled the hell up...that's a horrendous waste of resources (imho).
Instead, turn those same resources back to making streets more QUIET...target the OVER SIXTY PERCENT who blast their damn car stereos (our part of town raises that percentage to around EIGHTY...no lie here)...seems a much better "return" for such an investment, yes? THAT is called progress, and I CAN work with that.
Yet a lot of our progress is meant to "free us up" ...from WHAT exactly? Work? Without work, we are also without WAGES, ergo ways to pay the damn bills. That's NOT progress.
When we have machine that think for US, we think less...a logical "progression", right?
Then what? The machines run us...or "rule" us?

Do we even want machines making algorithms that could well create laws and legislation for US to live by? (shades of Winter Soldier there).
Most all progress is meant to be incremental in nature...giving us time to adapt and to properly acquire the knowledge to utilize it to it's full potential...kinda like the way WE, as humans used to be.
I want to believe we can, as humankind, do better than what we're settling for, yet I do have my doubts.
Perhaps time will be the best method to sort things out...it usually is, isn't it?

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