Humpday Happenings...

Welcome to a rather cloudy beginning to the mid-week crisis we call Wednesday.
Looks like the forecasters are wrong, because I'm seeing a sunrise trying to break through whatever overcast we have out there.
The rest of our Hoosierland weather will have us with temps reaching near the 50-degree mark , and we've a chance of a rain shower...maybe.
Now, with that completed, let's get ourselves that morning drink parked nearby as we see what else is going on elsewhere, okay?
*** First out of the medicine cabinet is our WHO SAID THAT? quote of the week:
"If you haven't got any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble."
I think this quote does manage to capture the essence of this time of year, don't you?
So, WHO said it? The answer at the top of tomorrow's post.
Meanwhile, back at the USO...
*** Next up, is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
December 9 -
---Today is NATIONAL PASTRY DAY

(well, that's sure to keep a lot of bakeries busy.)
---And, it's WEARY WILLIE DAY

Check out THIS link for the lowdown on who Weary Willie was:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmett_Kelly
Yes, it has to do with the late, great Emmett Kelly.

(one clown that didn't try to kill you and scare the bejesus out of little kids)
---It's also INTERNATIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION DAY

(American politicians at EVERY level - take note!)
Oh, and in case yoiu were wondering, today IS the birthday of actor KIRK DOUGLAS who celebrates 99 years. He is Spartacus.
And he also made a damn good Vincent Van Gogh in the movie "Lust For Life".(1956).

(his son should be so lucky...and as successful)
Happy birthday Mr Douglas.
*** Next, I think we've found a winner in our DUMBASS OF THE WEEK AWARD.

Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/Car-trouble-ends-in-drug-counts-10361872

A DECENT set of wheels, for example.

First of all, if you plan to be part and parcel to ANY commission of ANY crime, have a DECENT SET OF WHEELS under your criminal ass.

NOT a decent set of wheels

Parking along the Interstate, and have a patrolling "Statey" roll up and offer help, ONLY to find your car smells more like REEFER than anything else is NOT a good thing , so the officer conducts a search of the vehicle and finds NOT ONLY 4 grams of pot, but 5 grams of HEROIN,  130 grams of synth-pot, 15 Adderall pills, and $700 bucks.
Also, as a "bonus" both people were wanted on active warrants elsewhere.

Jackson                                      Dutt

The driver, Dillon Jay Jackson, 19, and the female passenger, Jessica Marie Dutt, 25, both of Ossian, were the winners of our award. Jackson was wanted for probation violation, and Dutt was wanted for possession of paraphernalia.
Both will be spending the Christmas season as guests of the Allen County jail (although both DeKalb and Wells counties have dibs). Happy Holidays...MORONS.
Some officers strike gold when they're not even looking for it. For that LEO, Christmas came EARLY...LOL.
*** Next up,  Our "king" (Henry) has a plan to revamp the SOUTH side of Fort Wayne...and it ONLY took his highness SEVEN long years (on top of the decades from the previous administrations) to make that happen. here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/Area-near-Quimby-Village-targeted-10357139

Yep, the city is turning the area around Quimby Village into a T.I.F. district.
(T.I.F. stands for TAX INCREMENT FINANCING)
And since we're never at a loss when it comes to providing YOU, the reader, the information you NEED to know and the truth behind it, here is a link to the WIKI that "splains" this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_increment_financing

Great "theory".on paper.

It's really a re-branding of the old term "urban renewal". Sounds fancy, yes?
Much of this is based on THEORY, and that means a lot of people downtown cross their fingers.
I tend to shy away from this because it seems like city leaders just toss a coat of paint on   building with all those broken windows...WITHOUT fixing ANY of those windows in the HOPE that someone else comes along later, buys that building and has money to fix the windows themselves.
Cities LOVE to revamp an area without regard to the ROOT cause of the problems that brought down that part of a city in the first place...or the sheer ignorance they display as they tout THEIR "solution" when they never even get close to addressing the real problem.
Sometimes, in order to change the blighted parts of a city, you HAVE to change the faces (and the hearts) of those inhabiting it.

Hope we don't hear a FLUSH.

I would prefer gentrification over this TIF stuff, but then again, I SEE what the problems are, and certainly don't live in some ivory tower with a nice set of blinders on.
Cripes, at this rate, the ENTIRE south side will be a bloody TIF district...!
*** Next up, got most all the bric-a-brac up around the "Fortress", and it does look a lot more festive for the holidays.

Every Christmas beanie you can imagine.

The hard part is removing all the books and other items, boxing them away to make room for the Christmas decorations.

Wifey's Santa Collection

And a plastic bin FULL of hardback books is HEAVY ...don't doubt me.
I don't carry those down the basement stairs...I drag it down slowly.

Christmas Angels (and NONE of them weeping)

Only thing left is the tree itself...shouldn't be that hard to manage by the end of the week.
Then maybe I can kick back and take it slow for a bit...
*** I was thinking that with ALL the Christmas movies on ALL those channels, this must really be pissing off the heathen among us...GOOD, they deserve it.
I mean, you can practically go non-stop and surf from movie to movie for the month leading up to Christmas.
Now, I'm only interested in a few movies (and shows)...and I like it that way.

Gotta have Danny and Bing.

I got my SCROOGE movie (1951) from the UK, WHITE CHRISTMAS (of course), IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (already had it on once so far), and probably one of the most forgotten movies that takes place over a Christmas holiday - DIE HARD!

You tell 'em. 

I mean what IS Christmas without officer John McClain taking on the bad guys against lousy odds...and WINNING the day? Gotta kinda poetry to it, doesn't it?

And we have to watch GARFIELD'S CHRISTMAS (never shown on TV in INDIANA - the state where creator Jim Davis lives and works).
It's on DVD for us.

Also, there is PREP AND LANDING - BOTH episodes (Naughty vs Nice). That's become my new holiday favorite show.

I also watch THE POLAR EXPRESS...great message and fantastic animation.
Then finally, there are the DOCTOR WHO Christmas specials..something that was started with the series one "reboot" of the franchise around 2005. Nice touch, too.

Last Christmas special.

The ONLY science fiction show to do this on a regular basis.
There are a few more movies I may watch if time allows, but the ones mentioned are THE ones for me to view every single Christmas season.
*** Last back to the toothbrush holder...as the holidays grow closer, it's important to remember WHY we celebrate in the manner we do.

It isn't just some "shop-fest" designed to help merchants big or small to get "into the black".
To me, Christmas has always served as a reminder of how to practice a personal renewal....a new beginning as it were.
And considering that the NEW YEAR was right around the corner from Christmas, it seemed only fitting to look at it that way.
Whatever the previous year had to offer and whatever problems beset us, we could start over in some manner, strive to become better people, be more productive individuals, and grow in God's grace.
Certainly we often fall short of such lofty expectation, but that should NEVER deter us from the ATTEMPT to do that which I have just mentioned.

Sure, it's nice to get "stuff", but it's JUST as fulfilling to be able to GIVE...to be charitable in whatever way shape or form we can, and not to seek a specific monetary level, but at any level that we can.
God does not judge us on HOW much we can give, but rather by the HEART in which we give it. And I think that's as good a way to proceed as any, hmm?

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