We're ALMOST There...

...And lots of it, please.

Just one more day until the weekend (two, if you count today and are a bit on the pessimistic side), and we're starting out with a pleasant day.
Our Hoosierland weather has us with a sunrise staring at us, but clouds will also be stopping by.
Temps will top out in hte upper fifties, so I'm sure to see the "satin-shorts brigade" taking to my streets...LOL.
Nothing worse than ill-fitting clothes on a person...by CHOICE.
In the meanwhile, let's get our morning drink poured and within arm's reach as we see what else is going on...
*** First out of the compost heap is the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote::
"All violence consists in some people forcing others, under threat of suffering or death, to do what they do not want to do."

This was attributed to none other than LEO TOLSTOY (9 September 1828 - 20 November 1910), and here is his WIKI:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Tolstoy
He is regarded as one of the greatest novelists in history, and that's saying something.
Best know for WAR AND PEACE (1869) and ANNA KARENINA (1877), his first writings were a trilogy entitled CHILDHOOD, BOYHOOD, and YOUTH (1852 - 1856). He was only in his twenties when this notoriety came from the trilogy.
In later life, Tolstoy went through a "profound moral crisis", as well as, what he regarded, as an equally profound spiritual awakening.
His literal interpretations of the ethical teachings of Jesus, caused him to become a fervent Christian anarchist and pacifist.
His ideas on non-violence were to have a strong impact on such 20th century figures as Mohandad Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr, and James Bevel.

He died at the age of 82 after being found severely ill at Astapova railway station (from pneumonia). He was taken to the station master's house and given injections of morphine and camphor (which probably helped alleviate the pain only).
Police tried to restrict access to his funeral procession, but the streets were lined with peasants, who only knew that "some nobleman had died".
Tolstoy had been married and had 13 children.
And here's an interesting epilogue to the author:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/04/books/04tolstoy.html
Both articles are a good read and shed some light on one of history's most notable writers.
Moving on...
*** It's also time for our "What the hell happens today, bob?" feature:
April 30 -
---Today is HAIRSTYLE APPRECIATION DAY.

Notice that it's the STYLE that's appreciated...NOT the STYLIST.
(that could be important)
---And, it's NATIONAL HONESTY DAY.
(dare we put on that Billy Joel song?)

Now, you just KNOW this day is forgotten in D.C.
In fact, one would be hard-pressed to find acknowledgment of today ANYWHERE in politics at any level.
(yeah, I;m such a cynic...lol)
*** Next up, Baltimore enacts curfew, but arrests still occur.

Here's a link to one of (too) many stories:
http://www.wbaltv.com/news/state-of-emergency-enacted-in-baltimore/32614936
There were also "solidarity protests" in other cities, including The big Apple.
Here's a link for THAT story:
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/04/29/mayor-de-blasio-nyc-protest-baltimore/
Looks like the NYPD (still) doesn't mess around...they arrested over ONE HUNDRED rowdy "protesters".

I was watching some of this taking place around Union Square, and you could tell the people were itching for a confrontation.
Hell, these protesters shut DOWN the Holland Tunnel AS WELL AS the West Side Highway...and I can tell you, THAT is not an easy task to accomplish most any other day.
---You also might want to check out the website of ALLEN WEST for the "back-story" of Freddie Gray that the Lame-stream media won't report (link at left under "the pros")
*** Fort Wayne still has a problem with it's AIR QUALITY (along with quality-of-life in SOME parts of town).
Here's this story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/Air-quality-report-released-6352806

While the city has (slightly) improved, it's nothing to write home about...and why is that?
Well, one MIGHT speak to the fact that none of the vehicles have ANY sort of gauging what comes out of the damn tailpipes, and many have NO mufflers (straight pipes) to speak of.
As the SECOND largest city in the entire state of Indiana, both here and Indy would be better served IF some sort of vehicle inspection were enacted each year when registration renewal rolls around.
This can easily done at ANY service center, which would have to acquire emissions testing gear at their cost, and for a nominal fee ($20 - pass or fail) could set this city on the path to even better air quality.
Vehicle inspections would ALSO alert drivers to such things as bad tires and brake pads, blown out lights, and the like.
It makes vehicles SAFER all around for everyone, and that sounds like a win-win to me.
That's ONE solution.
Another would be to get all those diesel school buses out of here. Better to change over to natural gas or liquid propane.
Sure, THAT will cost, but with the revised transportation budgets and routes for FWCS, it would balance out, and even pay for ITSELF over time.
Citilink could act in a similar manner, considering the size of our city.
We still have high ozone days...I've got no answer for this one...we NEED ozone up HIGH in the atmosphere. That protects the earth (and us) from lots of cosmic "stuff", but down close to the ground, it's not as beneficial. Ozone is produced during lightning storms, so we can;t stop those.
Here's some of the "skinny" behind this:
http://www.epa.gov/groundlevelozone/basic.html
Maybe we can find a way to keep all the livestock from FARTING???
That might work out well, either - they fart METHANE.

OY...ENOUGH with the warming stuff already!

After all, we all know what's causing global warming...it's the smokers, the economy AND the turmoil in the Middle East...HA!
*** Last back to the stables...again we see that in life, "If it's not ONE damn thing...it's ANOTHER".
Used to be all these food items would give us cancer...turns out most of them (and the people pushing that agenda) were WRONG.

And, there is a case to be made for having water that is TOO pure...or air that is TOO clean.
Think on this...what keeps many of us healthy?
Our natural resistance to disease...our own immune systems.
What better way to fight off disease than to be somewhat "exposed" to minuscule amounts OF such bugs.
That's not to say we NEED to expose ourselves to such things...only that nature often does that for us.
We also have vaccinations, which introduce microscopic amounts of disease into us, so our OWN bodies can produce antibodies to fend off all the nasties, right?
We shouldn't be in some sort of nationwide "competition" for the BEST water or air, though...that's nonsense.
And the lack of our own antibodies causes us to be susceptible to diseases that were once thought eradicated, or at least, well under control.
We always look to west nile virus as a "biggie" when warmer weather hits, but I don't see anyone trying to kill off EVERY DAMN MOSQUITO in existence...do you?

And that's because it's impossible to do so.
Personally, I feel the rise in asthma in children is partly (if not totally) due to our lack of the antibodies needed to fight off something like this.
If you have a sterile environment, you cannot be exposed to anything outside of that environment, lest you succumb to whatever is out there.
It just seems like some common sense to me.
As long as my water isn't BROWN or has chunks floating in it, and as long as my air isn't so think I have to cut it with a machete to see down the road, I think we'll be okay...and survive just like we used to do.
And, BTW...steak and eggs IS good for you.

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