And Winter Won't Leave Us Alone...
I'm sure you also feel the same way about the past few months, but never fear...soon enough we'll ALL be griping about the heat (because you know that'll be coming too).
Today's Hoosierland weather will see us with mostly clear skies with a high of around 23 degrees.
Tomorrow, we begin another roller-coaster "warm-up"...until Monday when it gets cold AGAIN.
Of course this happens AFTER we get rid of the nasty-ass, sub-zero, wind-chilled temps outside this morning...including a travel advisory.
Bet the schoolkids are loving this, as are the parents.

In the meantime, let's all keep that hot morning beverage close by, as I rummage about and "declassify" some of those dusty departmental files I've been storing in those mayonnaise jars and coffee cans in the basement.
And remember...knowledge is STILL power, and with that, let us begin...
*** But first out of the pack ice, as is tradition, is the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:
"Either you run the day, or the day runs you."
This was spoken by Emanual James "Jim" Rohn (17 Sep 1930 - 8 Dec 2009), an American entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker.
And here is his WIKI:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Rohn

Sounds like a life-plan to ME.

Rising from a stock clerk at Sears (I know what that's like...lol) to a distributorship of AbundaVita and later Nutri-Bio, but when Nutri-Bio went out of business in the 1960s, a friend asked him to speak about his story to a rotary club.
It was there Rohn found his calling.
He soon began conducting seminars, and in the 1970s was giving seminars for (then) Standard Oil.
Rohn went on to mentor Mark R. Hughes (founder of Herbalife International) and Tony Robbins and several others of note.
Rohn also went on to publish 17 different written, audio and video media, and became the 1985 recipient of the CPAE (National Speakers Association) award for excellence in speaking.
He died from pulmonary fibrosis and is buried at Forest lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles.
Not a bad rags to riches story.
Moving on...
*** From the "Department of Just HOW Stupid Can People Get?", an "adventure in pictures"...we have this asshole who's been chronically parking in front of OUR house, when he cribs down the middle of the block.

And the shithead got plowed in AGAIN.

He's the ONLY person around here that does this...

So, he digs himself OUT.

(because he can, like so many others of his kind)

Then, lazy-ass goes and parks too close to an intersection !!!

SO, I call police when he's causing a traffic hazard to the intersection.

Okay, AH move de car officer,...yessuh...sho nuf

The police come, talk to him, and then this idiot moves the car...a mere TEN f$cking feet (lazy has a new meaning)...not down where HE lives and cribs...oh, HELL no.
THAT would make too much damn sense.

Ah move de car where I want to - f$ck da man !

But, he can shovel out the woman at the house,...just not a space for his OWN car (which was plowed in by the city when HE didn't get up until the afternoon to move it, so his house would as clear as MINE...dipshit!
His car is always HALFWAY into the street (the plows couldn't get close enough to the curbs again with his car parked in front of a VACANT house.

THIS is how he usually parks...NOT acceptable!!!

I don't know what this guy's story is, but we're headed for a confrontation...one that HE won't find all that appealing.
Shovel YOUR house clear enough to park YOUR car at...and not park at MY house, and we'll get along fine.
I mean who the hell parks half a damn block AWAY from the house you're living or visiting, when there's ABUNDANT parking AT that house (a driveway 5 car lengths long)...and in BAD weather???
This guy is hinky as all get out, that's for sure.. let's see if calling PARKING CONTROL gets him towed away...bwahahaha.
(yeah, I want to be a real sum' bitch to this jerkwad)
*** Next, from the "Department of What Is REALLY Going On", we have this article from Kevin Leininger about some "missing" money.

Here's the link:
http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140311/NEWS/140319965/1041/LEININGER
Bob Morris (R), our state representative, is looking into local government (Ft. Wayne) as to why and how funding is being played about like some street corner "3-card monty".
You recall the FWFD "miscalculating" about $400K in their budget, right?
Well, so do others...and they're not letting it go away quietly.
It also extends into the FWPD, where the PBA president mentions some budgetary "switcheroo" (as Kevin put it).
The PBA (Police Benevolent Association) president states that "the city took money out of the police budget when they added the Local Option Income Tax (LOIT)."
The police was reduced by $3.47 MIL this year and replaced with the LOIT.
The PBA president adds :"This begs the question if this fund was really necessary in light of no real additional staffing costs to the city, the mayor's staff stated that the funding was due to budgetary SHORTFALLS due to DECREASED PROPERTY VALUES."
(nice revelation...)
No one is suggesting that this sleight-of-hand is ILLEGAL...just that it makes a damn nice "loophole"...(that you can drive a SEMI through on any given day).

And this is why state Rep. Bob Morris is trying to clear this up once and for all.
Morris states that the use of LOIT funds in such a manner "is like being double-taxed, a maneuver AROUND the law."
Interesting that the TEN WORST cities in America are DEMOCRATIC-RUN...and Ft. Wayne is ALSO run by democrats. That explains the the SPENDING where it's not needed, and ignorance where it IS.
The story is a good read and shines a light on City Hall very well...so well, you can see the political cockroaches scattering under the furniture...LOL.
*** From the "Department of Who's Shooting Who Now?" comes this story:
http://wane.com/news/crime/shooting-victim-drives-himself-to-hospital/

Seems we had another SHOOTING on the (where the hell else?) SOUTHEAST SIDE early Wednesday morning.
And if you blinked, you missed the story.
A man was waiting in his car for a friend around 0200 hrs (when everyone seems to do that sort of thing down here), when an unknown man opened the car door and began firing.
This took place near the Southgate Plaza area at Calhoun (didn't know KFC was open THAT late...lol)
The driver took off and drove himself to hospital where he was listed in stable condition with two shots to the left leg, one to the right, and a shot to the left arm. Police have no motive, no suspects and no description of the shooter.
(yeah, Garry and Rusty...I'm feeling SO damn much safer NOW....NOT!)
*** From the "Department of Flashbangs R Us" comes this story about an early morning standoff on the (three guesses, and the first TWO don't count)...SOUTHEAST SIDE of the city that netted one arrest...and where crimes fester like the disease they are...

Here's the latest from WANE:
http://wane.com/news/crime/police-standoff-on-esmond-street/
This began around 0130 hrs this morning as a potential hostage situation on the 100 block of Esmond St (near Pontiac).
A 911 call stated that an unauthorized individual was in the house and would not leave.
The woman had a protection order against the man, ID'ed as 27-year old Elgin Davis.
By 0230 hrs, FWPD called in the crisis response team, and by 0330 hrs, the woman managed to leave the house.
The only threats made by Davis were to POLICE on scene.
(not the brightest crayon in THAT box, hmm?)
Wonder if he's the SAME Elgin Davis mentioned in this fatal hit and run from 2010?
http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/news/local/19384909.html
The woman told police that Davis was not armed, but upon further investigation, Davis told police he DID have a gun, but "never intended to use it (rrrrrriiiiight), and even after several canisters of tear gas were deployed, Davis would not come out.
The police robot ("BOB" - no relation) made initial entry
Not surprisingly, Davis has outstanding warrants related to a probation violation and domestic battery.
(people like him have NO regard for law-enforcement...fairly typical)
This case remains under investigation with the likely addition of MORE charges against Davis.
(anyone for tossing the damn key AWAY?)
*** Last back to the barn today...I've been thinking about a lot of the WHYS in our society today, and with SIX decades of experience to draw upon, I think I've got some ideas, opinions, conclusions, and definitely a lot of observations.

I believe there are very tangible reasons as to the direction America has taken in recent history.
And, I can't really say that all of it is political.
There are numerous contributing factors that can easily explain the path this nation is on...and how we got here.
Not to mention, I've heard more than a few commentators on-air speak to this, so I know I;m not the only one that is noticing this.
So, I will be visiting some of the logical, philosophical, and sociological REASON as to why we are at this place in time with (seemingly) our collective britches down about our ankles, wondering what's going on.
Hopefully, it will shed some light under a lot of shrubbery, and from a Biblical POV, we know what that can accomplish, right?
So, hang in there as we take this trip together.I may not have all the answers, but I think we cna ALL find ways to reason such things out and come to some common sense conclusions.

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