Tuesday Tidbits...

Bit of a damp greeting to the day (more like a thunder-laden deluge, really), and some patchy fog out there this morning. Despite a flash flood warning for our county, it's supposed to pass by late morning.
Somehow, it just doesn't seem like the tail-end of August outside. If the calendar didn't tell me otherwise, I'd think it seemed more like spring than late summer.
But, I know we'll make due.

Our Hoosierland weather finds us with wet conditions thanks to some light showers (haven't seen anything but clouds going on outside), temps reaching to around the mid-70s and clearing conditions later on.
Take the umbrella and adjust your driving habits accordingly.
Safety for yourself (on the roads) should be JOB-ONE this morning.
What say we meet the day head-on with a nice cup of tea or coffee (or whatver suits the mood), as we see what's been going on in other places, shall we?
*** First out of the toy box is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
AUGUST 29 -
---It's National Chop Suey Day

(I prefer Lo Mein, but whatever floats your egg roll, I suppose)
*** Next up, and since it IS a Tuesday, let's take a look at all the important FWPD calls that no one bothered to tell US about, because the media sources were too busy trying to keep our president from doing his job...

SHOTS FIRED ((113)) / ARMED ROBBERY((53)) CALLS - 08/21 - 08/27
((23,113 - vandalism by gunfire))
=======================================
AUG 21 -
17F103840 08/21/2017 07:38pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2400 COLISEUM BLVD N
17F103611 08/21/2017 10:16am 53 ARMED ROB 700 COLISEUM BLVD E
AUG 22 -
17F103947 08/22/2017 01:27am 113 SHOTS FIRED 600 LOCUST ST
17F103961 08/22/2017 03:22am 113 SHOTS FIRED 900 OSAGE ST & BURGESS ST
17F104299 08/22/2017 08:00pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 1400 OXFORD ST & REED ST
17F103967 08/22/2017 04:19am 53 ARMED ROB 4900 BLUFFTON RD
AUG 23 -
17F104620 08/23/2017 04:01pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 300 PAULDING RD E
17F104621 08/23/2017 04:01pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 6200 CHADDSFORD DR
17F104791 08/23/2017 11:16pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 4800 ANTHONY BLVD S
17F104626 08/23/2017 04:14pm 53 ARMED ROB 3100 COLISEUM BLVD E & HOBSON RD
17F104789 08/23/2017 11:11pm 53 ARMED ROB 400 MADISON ST
AUG 24 -
17F105113 08/24/2017 06:07pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 7300 MAPLECREST RD & ROTHMAN RD
17F104860 08/24/2017 05:14am 53 ARMED ROB 600 HAWTHORNE ST 
((NO armed robberies))
AUG 25 -
17F105411 08/25/2017 12:46pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 7900 SERENITY DR
((NO armed robberies))
AUG 26 -
17F105717 08/26/2017 12:04am 113 SHOTS FIRED 5200 DEFOREST AVE & WILLOW OAKS DR
17F105740 08/26/2017 01:32am 113 SHOTS FIRED 5400 MCCLELLAN ST
17F105751 08/26/2017 01:58am 113 SHOTS FIRED 300 MAIN ST E & LAFAYETTE ST S
17F105796 08/26/2017 05:23am 113 SHOTS FIRED 3000 REED ST
17F106048 08/26/2017 08:25pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 100 PURSLEY DR & CALHOUN ST S
17F106053 08/26/2017 08:46pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 5700 LOIS LN
17F106052 08/26/2017 08:48pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 4700 REED RD
17F106118 08/26/2017 11:51pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 1900 ST JOSEPH BLV
17F105837 08/26/2017 09:25am 23,113 900 OXFORD ST
17F105967 08/26/2017 04:15pm 23,113 11000 ACTON CT
((NO armed robberies))
17F106058 08/26/2017 08:56pm 58 SHOOTING 1200 HURON ST & CENTER ST
AUG 27 -
17F106161 08/27/2017 01:30am 113 SHOTS FIRED 900 EDGEWATER AVE & DEARBORN ST
17F106184 08/27/2017 02:24am 113 SHOTS FIRED 5200 NORTHCREST DR
17F106187 08/27/2017 02:36am 113 SHOTS FIRED 700 PELHAM DR
17F106191 08/27/2017 02:39am 113 SHOTS FIRED 600 FIFTH ST
17F106197 08/27/2017 02:53am 113 SHOTS FIRED 1700 ROMANE DR
((NO armed robberies))
17F106190 08/27/2017 02:42am 58 SHOOTING 3000 STINSON DR
17F106240 08/27/2017 08:21am 58 SHOOTING 700 BROADWAY
=========================
More than 40+ vehicle vandalism calls, 160+ traffic accidents and reckless driving calls, 90+ disturbance calls, 200+ domestic calls (70 w/battery), 27 burglaries, and 22 narcotics runs.
==========================
FIREWORKS CALLS - AUG 21 - AUG 27
17F105685 08/25/2017 10:59pm 44FW 4700 MANISTEE DR**
17F105691 08/25/2017 11:16pm 44FW 4700 MANISTEE DR**
17F105742 08/26/2017 01:24am 44FW 4100 WEBSTER ST
17F106043 08/26/2017 08:11pm 44FW 5900 CALHOUN ST S
17F106071 08/26/2017 09:40pm 44FW 4700 MANISTEE DR**
17F106074 08/26/2017 09:46pm 44FW 4900 REED RD
17F106085 08/26/2017 10:36pm 44FW 4700 MANISTEE DR**
** WHY the hell hasn't THIS moron been arrested YET???
================================
*** Next up, the devastation from hurricane Harvey has been  all the news of late, and deservedly so. And by the looks of things, it's not over yet.

People are hurting down there in Texas, and yet are seen helping one another. Stories abound concerning the resilient spirit folks have demonstrated, and yet, there are those out there who only see this catastrophe as a chance to take to social media and spam hash-tag sites, insult people commenting, and use it as a bully pulpit to decry our president.

Chris Martin (fellow blogger and good friend) mentions some of the goings-on in a post over at his blog, so go read it and see for yourself what takes place behind the scenes.
I've refrained from posting about this, because I'm coming to know (too well) the nature of some people these days, and our nation is not headed in a good direction along this path.
Let's just say that every dog has it's day, and leave it at that for now.
*** Next, a Fort Wayne teen old goes missing on the SE side (where else?). Here's the story:
http://wane.com/2017/08/29/police-looking-for-endangered-teen/

Okay, so what exactly is a 13 year old doing OUT at near 1 A.M. anyway (on a school night)? And wearing flip-flops to boot.
I would think the rampant crime we have down here would suffice in keeping children INSIDE after the sun sets.And, we have plenty of sex offenders down here as well.
I know in my day, I was in bed by 11 P.M., as were any other kids who were 13, but that was a time when parents gave a damn and made SURE they knew where their children were.
I know the house across our side street has several school-age kids who are ALONE at home all evening (after school) and those kids are roaming about the neighborhood.
Maybe it's different these days for black children and their baby-mamas? Suppose it's a "cultural thang"?
*** Next, more cell phone store robberies in Fort Wayne. Here's the story link:
http://wane.com/2017/08/29/police-investigate-string-of-cell-phone-store-burglaries/

Oh, look...the perps are black guys!
Big surprise there, huh? Just like previous thefts at similar stores recently.

Good screen capture quality.

Now why do you suppose these jerks would steal phones they can't possibly use?
What could they know that other people do not?
Sure makes you wonder WTH is going on with this.
*** Next up, time to leave the mayhem and stop by "Kitten Corner"...
Our kids are going through those "terrible twos"...lol.

Mainly, it's Gallifrey that jets through the house from window to window (early on), but Violet does chase him around more than usual. It's like the neighborhood kids - not knowing what to get into next.
Then, I have to pull an "intervention", and settle them down, sometimes with the squirt bottle.

After that, they become wonderfully calm pets again for most of the day.
Once in a while, it makes me miss having older cats.
*** Next, let's see what's going on with "Midnight and Company"...

Even yesterday's light rain didn't stop these two from coming by for food. We just had to "modify" the dining and seating arrangements...lol. Didn't slow Whiskers down a bit.

And I heard that Midnight was lounging on the patio deck of a neighbor who has been back at her house (next street over) for a couple weeks. Nice to know he has another (safe) place to spend part of the day.
Both of them know they have it good here, and that's fine with me.
*** Last back to the book shelf...mankind's inhumanity towards itself is our worst problem today.

Granted, we can't cure every ill every place all the damn time, but we CAN do a better job than we have been doing.
When looters pose as first-responders to evacuate people in the Houston area, ONLY to go right back and help themselves to whatever they can find, that speaks volumes as to the state of societal affairs just in THIS country.

The Bible teaches us (all) to help one another...but NOT to their stuff and certainly not during any event that can be called  a natural disaster. In cases like this, some "righteous indignation" might be in order for those who seek to prey on the helpless.
All the victims in the world sure didn't ask to be in their particular situation, and are relying both on themselves as well as those whose job it is to assist in instances like these.
As we see the aftermath of this hurricane play out, let's take a minute or two to realize how thankful we SHOULD be, whatever our situation is at the moment.

Roles can easily be reversed in today's world, and we should expect no less from others as they expect from us, when we can render assistance in any form.
Better to be a person who PRAYS rather than a person who PREYS, right?
And maybe, with a heart, mind and spirit so attuned, we can get our nation and her people back on track.

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