The Merry Month Of May...

Well, we'll just have to wait and SEE how "merry" this month is going to be, won't we?
(so far...so good...LOL)
Yes, today begins a new month, but the Hoosierland weather is getting a bit repetitious.
Again, mostly cloudy skies (some sun around sooner or later, except at 30,000 ft, where it ALWAYS shines) and a chance of showers later in the day. We hardly got anything yesterday, and that's good, because in Pensacola FL, they're getting WAY too much rainfall.
Yep, it can always be worse.
Temps today will reach into only the mid-fifties, with some gusty winds (keep those kites handy).
So, let's pour a nice comforting cup of your favorite morning beverage as we see what ALL has been going on...
*** First out of the tent today is the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:
"There is a culture of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualismhas been a constant thread winding it's way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.' "

This was spoken by someone I actually had the pleasure of meeting a very long time ago (the 70s, in fact), and that was the late Doctor Isaac Asimov (2 Jan 1920 - 6 Apr 1992), who, aside from teaching as a professor at Boston College (biochemistry), was one of the most prolific authors of his time.
And here is his WIKI:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Asimov
Dr. Asimov was one of the few authors that did the convention circuit regularly back in those days, and I had one of his books autographed for me (The Gods Themselves).
What was wonderful about him was his sense of humor, which was represented in a button he wore at that convention  (Nixon is a Klingon Spy), and he was never at a loss to shake your hand, too.

It's interesting to note that his books have been published in 9 out of the 10 major Dewey Decimal Classifications.
(that ain't easy, folks)
His WIKI is rather lengthy, but definitely worth a read. He was a CLAUSTROPHILE, which means he LIKED closed spaces, and he only flew TWICE in his life (had a fear of flying), which explained why he never traveled that far (Manhattan became his permanent home, and the location where I met him at the convention).
He did learn to drive in spite of poor dexterity, and considered Boston traffic "anarchy on wheels".
He should be alive to drive around D.C. these days...!
Asimov suffered a heart attack in 1977, triple bypass surgery in 1983, and eventually passed away in 1992, from "heart and kidney failure"...which was the "official" report..
Ten years AFTER his death, it was disclosed in Janet Asimov's edition of her father's autobiography, he had contracted HIV from a BLOOD TRANSFUSION (as did Tennis great Arthur Ashe). Editors of her book advised against publishing that fact, which she did gold off, until ten years after that, when it was made public.
At the end of the WIKI are his literary works, numerous as they are, but he is perhaps BEST remembered for his THREE LAWS OF ROBOTICS, which set the standard for other authors to follow in their novels, stories and screenplays.

Thankfully, his legacy of science fiction works will live on ages after his passing...
Moving on...
*** The month of MAY has it's OWN series of events and noteworthy items.
-- Today is THE day to get "leid"...in Hawaii, that is. It's LEI DAY!
-- It's MAY DAY in many countries around the world (not to be confused with mayday, mayday!)
-- May 3 - Constitution Day in Japan
-- May 3 - Kentucky Derby (1sr Saturday of the month)
-- May 4 - STAR WARS DAY (the premiere of the movie in 1997 - May the FORCE be woth you...always.
-- May 5 - Cinco De Mayo (what else?)
-- May 10 - Golden Spike Day - First Transcontinental railroad in the USA
-- May 11 - MOTHER'S DAY (buy flowers!)
-- May 12 - International NURSES Day (go hug a cute one)
-- May 15 - The beginning of Tourette's Syndrome Awareness month (blink, cough, sniff, ahem)
-- May 18 - International Day of CAPITALISM (go BUY something - help the economy)
-- May 25 - The Indianapolis 500 (last Sunday in May)
-- May 26 - MEMORIAL DAY (last Monday in May - Be a patriot - fly our flag proudly)

It's also Celiac Awareness Month, Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month, Pet Cancer Month, National Brain Tumor Awareness Month, Systemic Lupus Awareness Month, National Military Appreciation Month, Skin Cancer Awareness Month, Older Americans Month (est. by JFK - 1963...a favorite day of MINE now), National Moving Month (wish some neighbors would...lol), ALS Awareness Month, National Smile Month, National Bike Month, Drinking Water Month, and last but certainly NOT least...(...drum roll please...)...NATIONAL MASTURBATION MONTH (random day chosen for national masturbation DAY)...I kid you not, friends.
And now we know WAY too much, hmm?
*** Okay, I got that replacement camera from the MN pawn shop, and it works PERFECTLY, so we're good to go once again.
And I have a second backup camera arriving this week also. Got both of them for LESS than the price of ONE new camera...
God, I so love a BARGAIN.
So, beware birds, squirrels, rabbits and other assorted wildlife and potted plants...I'm comin' for 'ya!
*** And since I've got a smile on my face, there was another story that made that smile even LARGER.
Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140501/LOCAL03/305019972

One SERIOUS Seizure...AGAIN!

Another BIG POT BUST here in the Summit City...!!!
Another Hispanic busted, one Martin Gonzales-Medina (from Indy we're told), age 50.
Another win for the good guys.
Can't argue with that, can you?

Spec. Agent Jack Riley

The DEA's special agent-in-charge (Chicago Division) of the case (Jack Riley) stated that "This seizure shows that large-scale criminal drug trafficking organizations continue to try to use Fort Wayne both as a local distribution center, and a trans-shipment point for distribution to other states."
Kinda agree with you there...we (Ft. Wayne) are a hub city, and we've got to expect this to happen with increasing regularity.
Apparently, the MJ was arriving to a warehouse along Industrial Rd (up north) in "white goods" like CHEST FREEZERS.
A well-coordinated investigation and take-down of the suspect netted close to a TON of pot...that's almost as much as the McChesney case out in NE Allen County a couple years back.
And this is the MEXICAN POT...from (clap, clap, clap,clap) deep in the heart of TEXAS.
(secure the borders anyone?)
Well, I know of SOME folks in Fort Wayne who are NOT going to be "enjoying" CINCO DE MAYO as much as they thought they were GOING to...ROFLMAO!

Ain't that a shame...

The Feds say this is unrelated to last month's bust of two (other) Hispanics that netted about 582 pounds of the wacky weed from a house in the 8000 block of Auburn Rd.
I DO so love a happy ending, and this one is fantastic.
*** There seems to be a new "fad" around the area...get good and drunk, get behind the wheel of a car, drive like a madperson, and then crash into some house, waking the residents and destroying their humble abode.

Whiskey - Tango - Foxtrot - ???

Here's the story link:
http://wane.com/news/crime/family-abruptly-awakened-after-car-slams-into-house/
At least it seems like a fad...of sorts.
Too many people out to all hours, three sheets to the wind, driving and not knowing they need to stop BEFORE they contact a house.

Swervin' Mervins everywhere?

Well, they ARE probably wearing their SEATBELTS, so no citation THERE, hmm?
Cripes, we could use permanent checkpoints for sobriety, JUST to keep the rest of us RESPONSIBLE and SOBER folks ALIVE.
*** Last back to the hangar today, the 12th HONOR FLIGHT left and returned to Ft. Wayne yesterday, and here's the story link:
http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/news/local/Honor-Flight--257355241.html

What I was noticing was the age of the participants...those from the KOREAN conflict reminded me of those from WW2.
When I was a young'un, our grandfathers were the "vets"...from the "war to end all wars" - WW1, and we recall them as being "older" to begin with. We never knew them when they were young.
Then, our fathers and uncles were the vets from WW2 (the greatest generation) and we aged WITH them. We grew up and they became seniors.

In the Korean conflict era, we see those that we USED to see as children...now grandparents (again) and reminding us of our own grandparents.
In the 'Nam era, we had co-workers and other contemporaries in THAT conflict, and we aged together, reaching retirement age (for those who came back from SE Asia, that is)
It's like that "circle of life" thing...and we're active participants...ALL of us.
We look to the seniors, not as WW1 vets (they have ALL passed on) not as the dwindling numbers of WW2 vets, but now from those from wars and conflicts WE remember not just from history books, but from having lived THROUGH those times.
And this is a good month to keep that in mind, and not just for one day this month or this year.
Some gave all and all gave some...so that everyone (else) could have the freedoms and liberties enjoyed in this nation.
Therein lies the lesson for THIS month.

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

Humpday Happenings...

It's the middle of the week, and the end of the month of April, but NOT the end of the showers that we're supposed to get here in the Midwest.
We STARTED the day off with some sunshine, but someone down here in the ghettoland must have come and stolen it.
(wouldn't surprise me one bit)
Our Hoosierland weather will continue with party to mostly cloudy skies, some showers slated for later this afternoon into early evening, with temps topping out a bit cooler than yesterday to around the low 60s. All in all, not that bad.
So, let's see what we have going on as we top off that morning cup of whatever you're having, and set about this last day of April.
*** First off of the floor today is our WHO SAID THAT? quote of the week:
"There is a culture of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding it's way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.' "
Well, now we know the liberal agenda with THAT quote, hmm?
So, who said that anyway? The answer at the top of tomorrow's post.
Meanwhile, back at the Evitsble Conflict...
*** Wifey came home from work (school) yesterday and managed to surprise me (not an easy feat these days) with several bags of flowers she bought at the K-Mart along E. Coliseum (now that we can no longer go to the Anthony Blvd one since it closed early this year).

VERY nice posies...

These are the flowers we reserve for planting in various pots and containers both out front of the "Fortress", and on the patio.
They're mostly petunias, but we've got some salvia and alyssum as well.
Nice to see some color after that long white winter.
*** Next up, I was trying to avoid the whole Clippers/Sterling flap, because I (personally) think and believe this is being blown SO far out of proportion, and is setting a dangerous precedent, not just in the arena of sports, but also, knowing the way things occur these days, into our personal lives.

Very rich...and very dumb.

Let me start by saying that I believe Sterling was "set up" by his MISTRESS, which, at 80+ years old, he should maybe look for a full-time nurse/companion, rather than someone with whom he can carry on a tryst. Is Sterling married, is he a widower? None of that being mentioned.
We're not hearing anything about THAT, because these (imho) trumped up "racial" remarks are taking center stage.

And in THIS case, DAMN smart!

I always say we have to be CAREFUL when it comes to any technology we have available to us, because it WILL be misused and abused, as was the case with Sterling and his "girlfriend", who doesn't do much for me one bit (the word GOLD-DIGGER comes to mind).
But let's look deeper into that media "bread and circuses" further...
IS what Sterling said a "racist" comment?
Depends on a few things, not the least of which is (as liberals will run from)...CONTEXT.
He spoke the statement in private, rather than at some event where he was giving some speech, so in THAT aspect he DOES have a right to say what he wants and feels okay with that (as in safe and secure in his own home) as it were.
That's why we don't yell "FIRE!" in a theater.
To record what he said to use against him later is the product of technology abuse.
There is more to the whole "race" issue, as in if he was SO "racist" then WHY didn't he have an ALL WHITE TEAM?
And through all of this media frenzy over these "racist" (and I use that word loosely) statements, NOWHERE was any epithets mentioned, even in passing.

Smoke 'em if 'ya got 'em!

Never heard one reference to the euphemistic phrase "the n-word"...
But, one can recall another team OWNER that used it on more than one instance.
Anyone remember the name MARGE SCHOTT?
(Cincinnati Reds)
No one (except me) has even mentioned her, or likened this situation to what SHE said in the past (and she was white, too)
She was heard saying it a couple times, and she was cut in the mold of Sterling, but there was nowhere near the amount of media attention devoted to Schott as there is being leveled at Sterling.
Am I defending Sterling?
Not really...he SHOULD know better than to say something that "could" be used against him by some trollop, but he does have 1st Amendment rights, JUST as much as those who rail against Christianity (and prayer), conservatism, :"white pribilege", our President and this administration (as I love to do), political corruption, climate change, the economy, health care, and sundry other issues we have before us these days.

Guess this doesn't apply to private sports teams?

And while some can become hot topic issues, people have the right to speak out, and if someone wants to comment on BLACKS in private, what's the problem?
I'm sure there are a LOT of blacks (mostly libtard leftists) who speak against WHITES all the damn time, both in PRIVATE as well as in PUBLIC (Louis Farrakhan comes to mind).

Surely, an "OOPS" moment here.

And there are also race BAITERS like Jackson and Sharpton who keep racism in everyone's face because it's PROFITABLE (to them).
It sure makes you wonder if the races were REVERSED...how much the same WOULD this be treated.
I would wager it would have blown over after a couple days with none of the bans and restrictions levied against a black owner of a ball club.
I just think we're on a very tenuous path with this situation.

And keep your BLINDERS ON, citizen!

We're already banning words, so the next step is banning speech (being done at various colleges already) and then thought.
Hell, might as well burn the damn books, too...just so we can repeat history (and we all know how well that experiment in 1930s Germany panned out, right?)
Nuff said there...
*** Adam Widener aired the first part of a very good investigative story regarding police officers and the age at which they SHOULD be retiring (but are not).

Here's the story link at WANE for the first installment:
http://wane.com/news/investigative/15-finds-out-too-old-to-patrol/
I simply cannot imagine having a "set" retirement age...and then ignoring it (but, according to today's quote, we do have this CULTURE OF IGNORANCE, right?). An EIGHTY-YEAR OLD OFFICER that Rusty York says can perform the job?
That's a bit of a stretch for even ME to believe, because the streets are a damn sight ROUGHER than in decades past, and if there's a need to have some :"youngbloods" in uniform, rather than aged officers, it's right now.
But, if this octogenarian officer is driving a DESK, then I suppose he can perform his job, but there is still yearly (or bi-yearly) qualifications he must go through to remain ON the force...that's a given. And sooner or later, you know when your body is telling you that you're not a "spring chicken" any longer.

I gotta do HOW many more???

Joints ache, reaction time is slowed, concentration can become labored, and ALL of these issues can (and will) adversely affect the manner that any LEO can perform his/her job.
The STATE has a mandatory retirement at 70 while the CITY has a mandatory retirement at 60, but neither is being enforced.
Seems we have a continuing problem with ENFORCEMENT in this city when it comes to the FWPD.
The top brass doesn't enforce the retirement age...they don't really enforce the noise ordinance (or it would be a lot QUIETER around certain parts of the city), nor is window tint addressed...or walking in the street, or having an inoperable license plate bulb.
Sure, there may the occasional stop FOR those things, but it's usually COMPLAINT-DRIVEN, instead of doing patrols that nip this crap in the bud.
Again, we've more broken windows to deal with.
And, in a few cases, it's the CITY that is holding a handful of rocks...
*** Last back to the garage today, there are many wars going on , and not just elsewhere in the world, but RIGHT HERE, on our own HOME TURF.
We have the war on Christmas every year, and the war on CHRISTIANITY (which occurs the other 364 days), the war on WOMEN, the war on POVERTY (and we "fixed" that by giving free stuff out like there was no tomorrow), the war on EDUCATION (we dumbed down the subject matter and students, so that EVERYONE wins), the war on DRUGS (South America loves us), and now, we see a war on WORDS (as if we need the thought police - shades of Minority Report).

Also, as in any war, there are casualties.
A Greek from antiquity, by the name of Aeschylus (525 B.C. - 456 B.C.) once noted that "In war, truth is the first casualty".
We know this to be all too TRUE (sort of an ironic way of putting it).
We also know that sometimes, we cannot choose the battles in which we will fight, but we must fight on.
This nation is at a crossroads, and all you have to do is read the paper, turn on the news, or just look around you to know that.
The direction we take for our future WILL be an important one, and it WILL test the efficacy of our founding documents, as well as our willingness to embrace all that they stand for.
We need to stand firm upon those documents and the values and principles contained within them.
And I think that's as good start as any around these days.

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

Tuesday Tidbits...

It would appear as if the sun is TRYING to break through the overcast this morning, but we've got some early fog to deal with as well. With the rising temps, it's natural to see this...used to have it all the time in South Jersey during Spring.
And speaking of those temps...looks like we're going to break into the 70 degree range, although we we'll have the constant threat of showers all day.
(pssst...get used to the rain...gonna be around most all week and into the weekend)
Now, having dispensed with those preliminaries, let's pour ourselves a nice warm cup of that morning beverage as we get buyt seeing what the hell has been going on since we went to bed last night...
*** First off the burn pile is one of those "special ind of stupid" stories that makes you wonder WHERE has our society gone wrong, and why do we keep allowing it.
Here's the story link:
http://wane.com/news/crime/police-man-steals-700-worth-of-alcohol/

Whatta DUMBASS!

Willey (aka Wiley) Lymon, Jr, 54,  of 3317 Cedar Ridge Run, Fort Wayne 46806 (no surprise - it's OUR zipcode, too) is obviously NO stranger to the Allen County penal system.
He's had multiple traffic violations (like driving while suspended), multiple public intox, multiple resisting, theft (2009), criminal conversion, possession of cocaine (2002), dealing in cocaine/meth (2001), check deception (1990), and a housing code violation, so you can see he's a career crim that only wants to satisfy his OWN needs and wants...but I'm sure he's "such a good man, great father",...bullshit!
Having been BANNED from ALL Kroger stores for theft back in 2011 didn't seem to faze him, however when last week, he decided he needed some "liquor" to quench his thirst.
So he loads up a cart and walked out the door WITHOUT PAYING (typical), where an Allen County Sheriff's Department uniformed officer (working at Kroger) spotted Lyman and yelled at him to halt.

Sure as hell LOOKED that way.

If you recall, it was just last month (archive post - 20 March) when a trio of similarly-raced perps pulled off some booze heists at other Krogers, totalling over $4 GRAND. Those three are facing R.I.C.O. charges for their "participation" and bad judgment.
Anyway, back to the other theft...
Lymon took off, but was taken down in the store's parking lot.
Lymon told the officer he couldn't breathe, so the officer brought him to his feet, and that's when Lymon began resisting, allegedly striking the officer in the crotch and ripping off the radio.
Two witnesses were able to assist the officer in getting Lymon in handcuffs (so you KNOW this didn't take place on the SE side...lol)

BUSTED!!! (for the 27th time)

And, to add some icing on THIS "cake", Lyman already had an outstanding warrant for a probation violation (outstanding...and no surprise there, either)
Lymon faces a class D felony theft, class D felony resisting, class A misdemeanor resisting, and a class D criminal trespass.
Nice job by that officer and those witnesses. I LOVE happy endings!
Moving on...
*** Indiana's ISTEP+ test gets the boot...well, the ONLINE version has.
Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140429/LOCAL04/304299979

Funny, I don't recall state testing back in the Mesozoic era (when I attended school), but I'm sure SOMEONE was keeping track of who was doing what, and how WELL it was being done.
Nowadays, we have this "state" testing, and while that seem okay, why in God's name do we even need it?
Can we not set standards that are fairly universal in nature without all the fol-de-rol that comes with teaching to the tests?
Back in my elementary school days, we had THREE grades for each half of the school year.
--One was for the SUBJECT MATTER (that kinda sells itself, doesn't it?)
--Two was for WORK HABITS (that was like preparedness - were you ready for schoolwork. Pencils, anyone?)
--Three was for CIVICS (how well you interacted with the other students and teachers)
Today, it must be about a lot less than those, because the education system is more worried about how the SCHOOL PERFORMS, rather than the students within it's walls.
Has to do with ALL the free gov't money coming in, doesn't it?
Granted that students make the SCHOOL and teachers look good, and the schools bend over backwards to make the kids look good, tossing money around like they plucked it off a tree out back.

DRESS CODES make you look good.

But, as I said yesterday, it's all ABOUT looking good.
Wouldn't it be more advantageous if we concerned ourselves with DOING GOOD (or even better)?
The only conclusion I can find is if schools tend to "teach to the test", then we SHOULD, by all intents and purposes be creating GREAT TEST-TAKERS...and there doesn't seem to be much market for THAT "job-description".
It's little wonder that many educators become disenchanted with teaching and seek other careers.
Used to be that every teacher I knew RETIRED from that teaching job grudgingly, because they LOVED the job so damn much.

And...no online test-taking. Learn to use a damn pencil and fill in the little circles...got it?
*** Next up, seems we had a mini-arsonist around town...who got caught.
Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140429/LOCAL07/304299939/1002/LOCAL
At 1015 hrs, one would "think" that juvenile would be in...oh say..SCHOOL???

Where are the PARENTS and WHY was this punk-ass kid torching a garage at 2902 Barr St?
Lots of questions needing answers here.
-- And speaking of weird sh*t at houses, how's about THIS story:
http://wane.com/news/crime/car-slams-into-house-two-escape-safely/

THAT'S gonna leave a mark!

Yep, you can sure tell it's Springtime on the SE side of Ft. Wayne.
All the bad drivers (that should not BE driving) are busy ramming into houses around 0400 hrs.
This happened at the aforementioned time this morning at a house located at 617 E. Creighton Ave.
Fortunately, no one inside the house was injured (just shaken up, as anyone would be).

New signage for the SE side?

The driver, a woman bailed and ran off (and is now a pedestrian for the time being)
A bottle of booze was found in the car. (BIG surprise)
Police, responding to a call for injuries, found a woman near Lafayette and Creighton and brought her back to the scene to be attended by medics.
No word if she was arrested (but she sure would be a good suspect)
The car had rammed THROUGH the living room of the house, coming to rest in the kitchen but not before removing a FIRE HYDRANT along it's path and bringing it INTO the house, leaving it near the refrigerator.
(moving at a good clip, I'd wager)
The mother and daughter had lived in that house for 15 years and never saw anything like this...(that I would bank on, but times have changed significantly down here in those 15 years...believe you me.)
*** Last back to the barn, today, more evidence of a failing CULTURE in America in general, and Fort Wayne in particular.
Pretty sad commentary...but we DO have a great DOWNTOWN, don't we?
We could have the nation's BEST downtown, but that does not (nor ever will) make the problems encountered in OTHER parts of this city go way any time soon.

Welcome to City Hall - Fort Wayne style.

It's ignorance on the part of City hall to think otherwise, and that's a dangerous path to walk upon.
Whether it's wholesale shoplifting, or being so out-of-control that you crash a vehicle into a house, affecting the lives on those within, it's more proof that the system is flawed to the point of being broken...VERY broken.
We didn't have such things happening decades ago, and perhaps it had to do with a lack of an entitlement mentality.
You wanted something...you worked, saved and then BOUGHT it...whatever "it" was.
And if you couldn't afford it, maybe you weren't meant to have it, or perhaps your resources were better utilized elsewhere.
People these days act upon desires and instincts, rather than thought, reason, or (God-forbid) logic.
It's become one hedonistic Gordian Knot...one which we need to figure out HOW to unravel it, so we can get this nation back on firmer ground, rooted in better values and principles.

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

Monday Musings...

If your favorite color is GRAY (or even GREY), then you will most certainly find TODAY to your liking.
It's doubtful if we'll see the sun around here with rain rolling through the area, but it could be worse, like those poor folks in Arkansas had to deal with this weekend with tornado activity killing at least 17 people. You really hate the start the week on a downer, but life can, at times, be cruel that way.
Our Hoosierland weather will find us mostly wet (it IS still April, until Friday that is), and that will be having us chase around getting the lawnmowers ready to roll once again.
Temps will top out in the low 60s, and tomorrow promises to be warmer still, before it cools back down for the rest of the week.
So, feel free to cozy up to that morning cup of your favorite beverage as we take a look at what's been going on and what I've been pondering.
*** You know that I love to take photographs (almost as much as CWM does...lol)...been doing so fo a LONG time...when we used to rely solely on something called FILM.
(and drugstores to develop them)
It's been one of those "back-burner" hobbies of mine since I was in high school, when I managed to grow out of the Kodak "Brownie"and "Instamatic" (flash-cube) camera age.
Spent a lot of time along the East coast rails getting pictures of various trains on the mainlines back there (among other places), and taking many rolls of pictures and a LOT of slides of all kinds of stuff.

From "Mother Russia" comes a FULLY MANUAL camera

I miss using a single lens reflex camera, like my never-fail (made in the USSR - don't ask or I have to make you "go away") Zenit-E, or even my very handy and just as reliable Canon Sureshot.

A really good, solid auto camera in it's day.

And I like taking pics of the my "woodland friends" as well as the garden.
So, it's one of those things that I not only take a good bit of pride in, but enjoy a lot (photos of the ghettohood excluded - keeping track of the locals...well, that's more like a "job"...)
Anyway, the other day I want to get some patio "wildlife" pics, and when I fire up that Aiptek camera...I promptly got NOTHING.

Posing for pictures is THIRSTY work.

Zip...Zero...Zilch...Nada...
Got a blank screen and none of the buttons work to get the menus up.
Swapped the batteries out, STILL nothing. Even lightly smacked the camera, figuring it was some electronic glitch...nope, will not function. All of a sudden, it goes bye-bye...gotta love that.
Good thing it wasn't needed for something REAL IMPORTANT (like a basement flood for example).
Luckily we have TWO backup cameras of the same type (more or less), but that means I've got no "knock-around" camera to tote with me 24/7..
What to do? Well, it's eBay to the rescue (as usual).
Found a pawn shop (of all places) in Minnesota that had a similar camera (used of course) but promising to look and work great.
(that's good to know - working great is WAY better than NOT working AT ALL, hmm?).
I snagged that bugger for UNDER $20! You get lucky sometimes. Here's hoping.

A good basic camera for digital pics.

Still, I would "like" to get a more professional camera with a better zoom than a paltry 4x, but I don't want one that has a battery "pack", because they can only be charged SO many times before they give up the ghost and then you gotta pay out the wazoo for another PACK. Give me the old AA battery-powered ones any day. I can always find those batteries anywhere, and for cheap.
I DO like the fact that digital photos cost SO much less than film and you get them immediately.
Now THAT'S a  REAL bargain - No getting around THAT.
Moving on...
*** I hear that our national Public Schools have hit a millstone...I mean MILEstone.
((rolls eyes))
They've reached an (...drum roll, please...) 80% graduation rate!?!

Maybe, it's due to...MAGIC???

(Any pigeons being loosed? No trumpets sounding?)
Here's the story link from Newsday:
http://www.newsday.com/news/nation/high-school-graduation-rate-hits-80-percent-in-u-s-report-says-1.7843507
Now, I take this several ways, coming from a public educational system that, for all intents and purposes, graduated AS MANY if not MORE students in my day.
It makes me wonder what happened to lower that rate since I was in school?

It is so bright we gotta wear SHADES?

Also, when I hear about "new calculation" methods, the hairs on the back of my neck start to stand up, for I fear some statistical manipulation might be in the offing.

On top of that, can we truthfully say that the graduates of TODAY know MORE (overall) than their counterparts from say 45-50 years ago?
We have been busy dumbing DOWN the kids for decades, purely for the sake of diversity and "fairness", and perhaps these new calculation methods have managed to level whatever playing field we (as a society) have created in that time, but are the kids really SMARTER?
Sure, the smart kids will always be just that, but what about all the Johnny and Jane "Averages" out there.
Are THEY doing better, or have we made it appear as if they are by lowering the STANDARDS?

Spending MORE - getting LESS?

Considering (as I have mentioned here a few times) we spend MORE per student than ANY other developed nation, and YET...according to 2012 stats, there are TWENTY-NINE other nations and jurisdictions that outperformed OUR kids in MATH, while TWENTY-TWO educational systems outperformed our kids in SCIENCE, and in reading there were NINETEEN other nations besting our kids.
Here's the story that backs THIS claim up:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/12/03/248329823/u-s-high-school-students-slide-in-math-reading-science
But, we ARE graduating "more", right?
I'm just feeling like I've taken another go-round in the hall of MIRRORS...lots of images, but all false ones. Toss in some SMOKE to make it better.
Somehow, we're not being told ALL the truth, just that much of it that makes certain aspects of the educational system "look good", and that seems to be what it's ALL about these day...looking good.
With fewer jobs available (manufacturing and assorted grunt work ain't what it used to be, people), the need for more specified people to fill those more specified jobs is rising damn near exponentially, and one has to wonder IF we're producing the best people FOR such positions?
And you can't even get into that secondary education, because too many colleges have developed a left-leaning political agenda, but you get what you pay out-the-nose for in that regard
I suppose time will tell where this is all headed (as it always does).
*** We heard about how Georgia has revamped their gun laws IN FAVOR of the law-abiding gun owner with new CCP laws...now Ohio seems to be following suit to some degree.

Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140428/LOCAL09/140429380/1002/LOCAL

Must be something to our fearless leader in D.C. becoming the nations #1 gun salesperson!
(6 years running, too).
Funny how he NEVER touts THAT distinction?
The main contention for the anti gun lobbyists in Ohio is the whole "gun-free zone" issue.
Advocates say that business owners have the right to limit (or deny) firearms on their business properties, and that's fine. There is no law that says you HAVE to have a gun anyplace...it's the business owner's discretion.
But, let's not forget that criminals have NO problem with toting a gun ANYPLACE at ANY TIME, w/o a CCP.
And usually THEIR motive is not to uphold any law, but rather BREAK a few.

Maybe we mean it...maybe we DON'T.

Criminals will target gun-free zones, because they know they can operate with impunity.
I say put a gun-free zone SIGN in the window (as a ploy), and when the perps come in to rob the place, it becomes like a "roach-motel" - criminals walk in, but they don't walk out...(they get carried out).
Now THAT sounds like a plan to me.
*** Last back to the garage today, we talked about some of the "cultures" this nations has, and none of them are purely representative of what could be called the AMERICAN culture.Our GUN culture comes about as close as one can get, but we have so many others posing as cultures, when in fact, they are adjuncts to a larger part of what passes for culture in this nation these days.

We have become a culture that is comfortable with drug use (legalizing marijuana, while new studies tout adverse effects on the brain), and we've taken perverse music and media as "mainstream", having the audacity to call it "art".
We have subjected our children to predators on our streets,rising violent behavior, broken families, and a secular humanist manner of conducting one's life, relying more on self (or preferably, the government) than a higher authority.
We have become too reliant upon whatever technology we can dream up and market, rather than remaining self-reliant as generations before us managed to do (and quite well).
We (as a society) spend so much more and get so much less (for everything from groceries to gas to education), and pat ourselves on the back when we see nominal advancement and proclaim it's worthiness, instead of it's worthlessness.
What is needed is a serious look at what WORKS, and what does not, and we all have to begin to never settle for less when we can achieve more (as we USED to do).
THAT is what makes a nation great...and keeps it there

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