Tundra Tuesday...

And it certainly FEELS like it outside this morning. We're hovering around the zero-degree mark and with the wind chill, we're at TEN BELOW.
But, (repeat after me).."it can always be worse".
(thank you, everyone)
Today's Hoosierland weather will be...(ahem)...COLD, as in EFFIN cold.
My Dad noted there are 3 distinct degrees of cold - PLAIN  cold, DAMN cold, and EFFIN cold...
We have reached the upper limits of the low end of the thermometers.
(well, that's reassuring)

"Whooooaaaaaa...."

The Hoosierland high (?) today will reach a "balmy" 20 degrees (and I don't want to see ANYONE out there in "board-shorts"...
I swear I will beat them within an inch of their life.
Too cold out there to be screwing with fashion-sense...dress to KEEP WARM.
We might see a bit of sunshine early on, but that will give way to cloudy skies and perhaps some light snow showers.
So, with that taken care of, join me in a nice HOT cup of coffee (or whatever is your choice) as we take a look at some of the other stuff going on.
*** First out of the ice-house is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
February 17 - 
---Today is RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS DAY.

And THAT"S the truth!

Aside from our "Fortress" and perhaps a few other scattered abodes on the SE side, this day is NEVER celebrated, sad to say.
Any act of kindness on THEIR behalf would be to MOVE AWAY from ME...lol.
In fact, I'm going to perform an act of kindness on myself, and stay INDOORS (unless my squirrel buddies come by), and add some whiskey to that coffee I have poured (purely for "medicinal purposes", mind you) ..to stave off the winter chill.
*** Next up, we have our salute to all the mooks shooting off firearms in the city for the past week.
==================================

SHOTS FIRED (and armed robberies) - 2/10 - 2/15
FEBRUARY 10-
15F016750 00:37:09 113 SHOTS FIRED 600 LEWIS ST E & HANNA ST S
15F016861 10:39:40 113 SHOTS FIRED 3300 GARLAND AVE
15F017155 21:17:03 113 SHOTS FIRED 2000 DREXEL AVE & PLAZA DR
15F016858 10:35:39 53 ARMED ROB 3700 WAYNE TRACE15F017215
FEBRUARY 11- 
15F017215 01:24:11 113 SHOTS FIRED 3600 MCARTHUR DR
15F017216 01:25:24 53 ARMED ROB 600 HIGH ST & BARTHOLD ST
FEBRUARY 12- 
15F017657 06:43:37 53 ARMED ROB 7800 CARNEGIE BLVD
15F017931 19:19:12 58 SHOOTING 11100 PARKVIEW PLAZA DR
FEBRUARY 13-
15F018439 22:05:18 58 SHOOTING 1500 FOURTH ST W
FEBRUARY 14-
15F018585 05:15:03 113 SHOTS FIRED 3600 AVONDALE DR
15F018592 06:58:51 113 SHOTS FIRED 1900 OXFORD ST & CENTRAL DR
15F018546 02:47:59 53 ARMED ROB 900 COLISEUM BLVD E
FEBRUARY 15-
15F019287 19:52:02 113 SHOTS FIRED 400 TABER ST E
=================================
***And speaking of SHOOTINGS, we had another one on the...(all together, gang)...SOUTHEAST SIDE.

Welcome to the ghettohood.

Here's the story link:
http://wane.com/2015/02/16/man-hurt-in-lillie-st-shooting/
This took place last evening around 2200 hrs in the 3100 block of Lillie St (in the ghettohood).
One male (most likely black or Latino) was found by police suffering from several gunshot wounds to the lower torso.
The man was transported to hospital in serious condition.
Police found shell casings at the intersection of Lillie and Eckart Sts.

Okay, who males the coffee and donut run?

They also recovered a cellphone, but have yet to determine if it's connected with the shooting.
NO suspects, no arrests, and no motive has been forthcoming, but the wounded male was speaking to hospital staff and police.
*** And the coroner has officially listed Fort Wayne's SECOND HOMICIDE of the year.
Here's the update to the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/Homicide-ruled-in-death-of-5-year-old-5076261

Five year old Mya Maria White is the victim in what is being described by police as a "negligent discharge" of a firearm.
Who would muck about with a (LOADED firearm around a youngster anyway, besides a dumbass?
Oddly enough, BOTH homicides this year were the result of a "stray" round.
Hope this doesn't become a pattern. I'd much rather see the thugs, punks, and jerks kill ONE ANOTHER.
Moving on...
*** Fort Wayne is making some headlines and arriving at the top of more DUBIOUS lists, according to some recent "Kids Count" studies .

Many of them CAN'T count, though.

Here's the story:
http://wane.com/2015/02/16/report-ind-second-highest-for-teen-suicide-attempts-incarcerated-parents/
Indiana now can claim the SECOND highest rate of teen suicide attempts...AND parents who have been incarcerated.
About 11% of parents have been busted by the po-po in Indiana.
Like I said..."dubious" indeed. I know it opened my eyes when I saw the story.
You figure our state is doing kinda OKAY...and then..."whoomp", you hear the other shoe drop.

Kentucky ranks #1, with Oklahoma, Michigan, and Ohio rounding out the top five states.
Guess the kids need to be STONED more, because the states with legal pot aren't on the radar.
No, that wouldn't be a solution...just another problem.
What I would conclude is that with POOR parenting, kids grow up lacking a LOT of things...like common sense, a person to talk with, someone there to TEACH them right from wrong...well, you get the idea.
Break down the family, and you break down society...it's that simple.
*** Last back to the freezer...society can be complex or it can be less so, depending on how people choose to allow it to progress (or regress in some instances).

Like anything in life, a bit of MODERATION can go a LONG way to further any society, making it thrive in the process, rather than stagnate.
And, yes...there have to be RULES (read LAWS) set down, because there will always be those among us who don't play nice with conventionality and following "guidelines" for living and being a member OF a society.

I keep coming back to times past, because much of what we USED to have worked well enough for most ALL of us, generally-speaking.
I'm not getting into any race-related issues...just SOCIETAL issues; ones that pertain to EVERYONE equally.
In many ways, we have permitted technology to take over (and maintain) much of the "hum-drum" aspects of what WE used to perform in our society.
Sure, there can be a case made for automated workplaces, that disallow injury to employees, or machines that can do more work with less waste.
And at home, we're comfortable with more and more technologies in our lives, whether they control the functions in our homes and vehicles.
That SHOULD be freeing us all up to pursue more NOBLE interests, right?

Be wary of conforming.

Not so much...
We're thinking LESS...working LESS...producing LESS...and even voicing our opinions LESS, except when we're lacking in some technology that frees us from MORE responsibilities. We could well become a society of "puppets", which asks the question:
"Who will be pulling our strings?"
And do we really WANT that?
Well, in some cases, that's already happening.
In too many situations, when you free people FROM responsibility, they becomes...(wait for it)...IRRESPONSIBLE.
Therein lies the crux of the matter.
And much of the dissolution of the traditional family can be traced to it straight away.
With that occurring, it's no surprise we see subsequent generations of children grow up without the proper role models, proper mentoring, proper moral values, proper societal principles, proper respect for authority, proper behaviors...and so on.
It's like generations of adults with no real purpose, being led about by governments and techocracies that have little value for people.
Not a pretty picture, but one we might have to deal with soon enough...if we're not careful.
Something to think about, hmm?

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