Thoughts On Thursday...

Alright, so where's the sunrise?
I know...it's coming...(so is Christmas)
Yes, we did have overnight showers, but seeing the sun come up WOULD go a long way to getting this day off to a better start, right?
Our Hooiserland weather will have us enjoying a close repeat to what yesterday was.
Temps are slated to rise to around the mid 60s and I''m told the sun will make an appearance sooner or later.
The rain seems to be gone for the time being, but we might get some over the Memorial Day weekend (I hear it will come late on Sunday).
So, as we count down to the extended holiday weekend, let's all get our favorite morning drink poured and parked nearby, as we see what this old world has been up to, hmm?
*** First out of the gun case is the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:
"Our country is now taking so steady a course as to show by what road it will pass to destruction, to wit: by consolidation of power first, and then corruption, its necessary consequence."

If you followed the obvious clue, you will already know this was spoken by that founding father of ours, Thomas Jefferson (13 April 1743 - 4 July 17 1826) and here, if you missed it before, is his WIKI:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson
It's still a good read, and worth a rerun now and then, just to remind us about where this nation's real roots lie.
*** Next up, is our :"What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
May 21 -
---Today is NATIONAL MEMO DAY.

Bet'cha the 3M POST-IT stocks will soar...(note to self- make a memo on that, and make sure I get ALL my memos)
---And, it's also NATIONAL WAITERS AND WAITRESSES DAY.

I worked with some great waitresses early on, and while still in high school (part-time, mind you), and they were fantastic people, so I always made it a point to go out of my way to make sure they were taken care of whenever I would go out to eat.
Remember, the pay they get sucks, so they subsist mainly on the TIPS...plan accordingly, and do the right thing.
Moving on...
*** Kevin Leininger has another column that points to another chapter in a tome this city has been writing for way too long - that of what I see as this cavalier "gambling" nature.

Here's the story link:
http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20150521/NEWS/150529965/1041/LEININGER
The latest proposed addition to the downtown cityscape is this "arena", which would fit between such established venues as the memorial Coliseum and the Embassy Theater.
I use the term GAMBLING with reason...everything the city does to "revitalize" the DOWNTOWN area is done through what Kevin calls "rosy-colored glasses", and he's correct. All this pie-in-the-sky "dreamery" doesn't come cheap.
This last "study"(if you're trying to keep count) cost around $40K...and netted a 200 page report. Nice price if you're doing a PER PAGE assessment.
Now, you have to remember if you either lived here long enough, or studied the history of the downtown area, that this city USED to have a very nicely THRIVING downtown, complete with retail, eateries, and workplaces that many residents use to travel to daily.
So, what happened to THAT?
Well, the city expanded, mostly northward, with a little westward growth initially. Strip malls were created, Glenbrook was built, and housing went bat-shit crazy...that all leads to this flight from the city proper to the "burbs"...which eventually became PART of the city.
Meanwhile, the southern part of Fort Wayne was ignored...for decades, and with anything that is left alone and unkempt, begins to deteriorate.
That is an inevitability.

The city then seeks to reclaim the downtown by ALL these projects, which would never really be needed had the city foreseen and planned for the outward growth of the city itself.
While the new Parkview Field has been a relative success, the people didn't want it in the beginning. We already had a ball-field that was a mere 13 years old, and that drew enough crowds to pay for itself. But, this city seems to want to keep up with all other cities, sacrificing it's own unique "quaintness" along the way.
Maybe that's why there's little push-back on these grandiose plans - people don't want to be bothered, because they know the city will do what it wants anyway.

Klaatu barada arena

And although there's nothing wrong with keeping up with technological advances and amenities, to just keep pushing this downtown "agenda" to the exclusion of and entire half of the city speaks volumes.
Now, the city (read mayor) wants to "revisit" the SE "ten year strategy"...in YEAR EIGHT...a little "after the fact", don'cha think?
Has to be an ELECTION year...(and it is).
Too many politicians worry over THEIR legacy, when they SHOULD be a lot more concerned about the legacy of the CITY they were elected to run.
When that is secure, their own legacy will take care of itself just fine.
*** Next up, time for a couple "briefs" (no boxers)

---A teen gets shot in Weisser Park. Here's the link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/Teen-shot-in-Weisser-Park-6749286
Guess the old days of just taking a walk on the SE side are long gone...
---Letterman has his final show.
Here's this link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/entertainment/tv/Letterman-says-his-final-goodbye-6761353
Sorry, didn't watch it.

Then, he got really "PC"

Letterman isn't as funny as he USED to be years ago. Plus, he's a flaming LIBERAL, and we know what that means.
There had to be something that came along in his life and changed him over time.
Like I said, he used to be GOOD...and honestly FUNNY, but the magic seemed to be missing since the early-90s.
*** Next, up a nice "feel-good" story, and for the right reason.

Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/focus/Penguin-Point-like-2nd-home-5910116

Wifey and I know this woman (Sue Tracy) from going there for their really good food - seen her there every time.
It's like it wouldn't be Penguin Point without her, in fact.
For Sue, it's like a 2nd home, so the story says, and I have no doubt this is true.
Tracy says the winning formula for the (Warsaw-based chain) restaurant is simple:
 "Mostly, it's staying the same".
See, I'm not the only one that knows this is true.
It's a great story that tells several other stories, and while other eateries around them have closed, they remain.
Nice to know some people will do what it takes to stay on the SOUTH side of town.
*** Last back to the shooting range...did you know that we have a valid "reason" for the turmoil in the Middle East?
Yes, it's true. Our Whiner-in-Chief has proclaimed (at a Coast Guard graduation ceremony, of all places) that all the trouble in the Middle East is because of...GLOBAL WARMING!

Cripes, heeerrrre we go AGAIN...OY!!!

That's right.. people are being beheaded, women raped and slaughtered, towns sacked and ancient artifacts destroyed ALL because of climate change.
Now, who the f$ck woulda thought THAT, hmm?

In fact, our "president" goes so far as to say that climate change is MORE of a NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT (than say...ISIS...or BOKO HARAM.)...or all those illegals coming across our border.

Your tax dollars at work.

Global warming...worse than those 19 terrorists that flew planes into the WTC, the Pentagon and in Pennsy...that's what he thinks.
Where does he come off saying such ridiculous bullshit, anyway?
Who the hell is dosing his food and water?
Here's a link for some of this BS-fest:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/20/obama-to-warn-coast-guard-cadets-global-warming-national-security-threat/
You just cannot make this tripe the hell up.
And here's Mark Levin 's (correct) take on it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UusJTj1kN7s
Guess this prez goes to the Bill Nye school of error-prone non-science?

We're all saying "screw you" under our breath...

Damn shame those Coast Guard cadets couldn't just get up and frigging LEAVE the commencement.
It would be worth catching a reprimand from a superior officer to walk the hell out on this buffoon.
Somewhere, someplace and at some time, common sense just HAS to return to us and hold court.
Continuing in the manner this president (poser) is taking this nation is beyond reprehensible, and I don't give a damn who knows it, or thinks otherwise.
I honestly cannot take hearing his voice anymore, but I have to listen to find out what pile of BS will be issuing from his mouth this time.
I cannot recall a worse era for this nation, and that includes the cold-war.
At least we KNEW what we could expect there, but this Cloward-Piven loving, fundamentally-transforming, pot-stirring, race-baiting, divisive  socialist has worn out his welcome (imho).

We need a return to what the nation SHOULD stand for, and not the mockery it is fast becoming at the hands of these treasonous bums in suits.
Sorry, that's just how I feel based on what I know, what I am seeing and what I am hearing.
We CAN do better...BE better, but not with such people running the show.

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