Thoughts For Thursday...

Make mine hazelnut...double-sweet..

Here we are, knocking on the door to the weekend.
Sure is comfortable to have summer lows in the 50s...gives things time to cool down from whatever heat comes along after the sun beats down upon us..
And yes, it looks to be another very nice day here in the Heartland of America.
(at least where we are)
Our Hoosierland weather for today will see us with mostly sunny skies, low humidity, and temps breaking back into those lower 80s.
No rain to speak of (that might come tomorrow), and some nice breezes top off the day.
So, you go get that morning drink of yours, and we'll take a peek at what's been coming around and going around...
*** First out of the birdbath is the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:

"The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them."
This is attributed to that founding father of ours, Patrick Henry
(NEVER to be confused with Ft. Wayne mayor Tom Henry).
And because you NEED to know, here is his WIKI:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Henry
Patrick Henry (29 March 1736 - 6 June 1799) was an AMERICAN attorney, planter, and politician who became known as an orator during the movement for independence in Virginia back in the 1770s.
It was he who led the opposition to the Stamp Act (imposed by England), and is considered one of the most influential champions of REPUBLICANISM, as well as invested promoter of the American Revolution and our fight for independence.
(not bad for someone born to Scottish immigrants)
Having checked my archives, I can find no evidence of ever having a quote of the week of his ever before. I may have used a quote in passing, but this is a first for good old Patrick.
Now, the WIKI is kinda long (as you could expect), so I'll leave it up to all of you to bone up on
Henry is best known for the speech he gave in the House of Burgesses on 23 March 1775 (...give me liberty, or give me death...)
While an ardent supporter of STATES rights, he was a critic of the Constitution, citing that the office of the presidency could devolve into a monarchy.
It's a decent read and worth your while.
Moving on...
*** It's now time for our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
August 13 -
---Today is LEFT-HANDERS DAY

Least he doesn't have a PEN..or a PHONE.

(cripes, another day for Obummer to sign something ELSE we're all gonna regret)
---And, it's NATIONAL FILET MIGNON DAY

Medium well, please

(if you can find a good one...and then can afford it...lol)
I confess that this is something I've NEVER made "at home"..
*** Next up, there are no major crimes going on in Fort Wayne (other than having a democrat for mayor...heh), so there's not that much to tell.

More than you're told..

What I will say is that although certain crimes seem to be on the decline, others have risen markedly.
And these are rarely covered by the news, because they tend to NOT be "as sensational" as say a homicide.
Personal assaults occur EVERY day in Fort Wayne, and with a remarkable regularity.
Rapes are also on the rise with several per week here (that you never hear about).
But the real jump is in vehicle break-ins...especially in the sectors where shopping's big, like the Glenbrook Mall area. Usually see such a spike around the holidays.
It only becomes "news" when a residential area is targeted, and usually a more affluent one...like any other area isn't worth the print.

Do the math - it all adds up.

Seeing more stabbings, too. Well, that IS cheaper and quieter than a shooting, isn't it?
Guess we're not AS safe a city as we're being led to believe...
*** Next, it does appear as if the FWCS bus route will NOT be anywhere close to our "Fortress" this season...YAY!!!
I have not seen ONE bus coming through the area, much to my relief.

Gone, but not forgotten.

I got REAL tired of having no-account "parents" parking along and on properties where they DON'T live.
And this also eliminates ANY congestion along the streets here (where people tend to drive like maniacs, because they can get away with it).
Also, since I mentioned here MANY times that the streets themselves are a bit NARROW to properly accommodate the bus traffic, this is a godsend.

And NONE of this crap anymore.

Another problem solved (because too many around here couldn't park to save their ass).
I should  commend the FWCS for their foresight...but why bother to reinforce what I considered to be SO obvious in the first place?
*** Next up, a letter to the J-G editor that really hits "home" for me.

Here's the letter verbatim:
(( Should all offensive things be banned? It’s a long list
In the controversy surrounding the North Side Redskins, I find myself questioning the supposed justification for the proposed name change. 
If the fact that some people are offended by something is to be used as the sole reasoning for banning something, then I think there are unlimited things that could be justifiably changed, outlawed or banned.
Seeing cigarette butts seemingly everywhere discarded by inconsiderate smokers offends some people. Should smoking be banned? 
Hearing the “N” word being blasted out of someone’s car stereo ought to really offend some people, but based on my experience, I guess both the offensive word and the loud woofers and tweeters are here with us to stay.
One could say, “Don’t listen or look at things that offend.” Unfortunately, many of those things in life are in our face and are difficult to ignore. 

After the North Side issue is resolved, why not address some human behaviors that offend lots of people, not just some people.
--ANTHONY GENSIC ))
Yeah...Tony knows...as should a lot of others who apparently don't have such thin skin, so as to be offended at everything by everyone for no reason.
Hell, LOTS of things offend me (not the least of which are most of the "locals" and the manner in which they inflict their lifestyle, if you can even call it that, upon everyone else, because they CAN get away with it).
If you think about it, there are PLENTY of offensive things in today's world...just like we had when I was a child...some things never change.
That's the way life works.
*** Last back to the wigwam...when (exactly) did we become a people more concerned with trivialities than with actual offensive things?

And they should be.

Look around today, and damn near EVERYTHING offends somebody at some point.
Never used to be like that.
Most all of what is "considered" to be offensive these days is the kind of stuff that we didn't give a second look at in times past, because it really was NOT worth the time or effort to do so. Not any longer.
There are people out there who LIVE solely to post an offensive moniker on damn near everything and everyone, and most every time, the "reasons" given are contrived at best.
We used to be a nation with a thicker skin, and I miss that.
We USED to think that big things like FASCISM and COMMUNISM were the REAL offensive animals in the barn.
THOSE we worried about.
We never had to deal with things such as displaying our flag, a prayer at school, a dumb-ass TV show, or saving some weird-ass form of amphibian, we didn't give those the time of day, for we concerned ourselves with IMPORTANT things that MATTERED.
Don't like it?
Walk the hell away from it...change the damn channel, and get on with your life.
Can't seem to do that today...we're assaulted on every front with "something" that bothers someone, and as the knee-jerk society we have devolved into, the people react...or rather a very small part of the people react.
And it's these very few in number who seem to dictate policy in America...where majority used to rule.
I wonder how successful our fight for independence would have come off if ONLY a FEW people actually wanted it, instead of the greater numbers of us? What if a handful of townsfolk were to dictate a continuation of the subservience to England...and got it?
I have a feeling our FLAG would look a LOT differently.
It was the majority of the people who knew that tyranny was not the way to go HERE, and did what was required to make sure that liberty and freedom became the hallmark for our fledgling nation, and not allow a few loons to rule the roost.
It's called HISTORY, and we're all better off for learning FROM it, instead of trying to change it, right?

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