Monday Musings...

"...ouch..."

Welcome to the first FULL week of the brand new year.
I trust all went well with you and that you weathered the celebration with as little angst as possible.
Our Hoosierland weather will have us with mostly cloudy skies and the chance of some snow flurries.
The high won't even get above freezing, topping out into only the upper 20s.
Gonna get NICE and cold tonight (into the teens).
And don't worry about making any resolutions...most people tend to break them by month's end.
That's why I never bother. Resolutions shouldn't be a "one-off", but a daily affair.
Now, let's get a nice hot cup of whatever is your pleasure, as we see what has been going on elsewhere.
*** First off the new calendar page is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
January 4 -
---Today is NATIONAL SPAGHETTI DAY

(You'd think they could have tossed in a meatball or sausage day as well?)
---And, it's NATIONAL TRIVIA DAY

(an ode to those with all that wonderful non-critical information locked up between their ears, and who you hate to play Trivial Pursuit with, but should try out for JEOPARDY! Yo, you talkin' to ME???)
*** Next up,  Our Socialist-in-Chief is back behind the wheel of his personal clown car aka his "fiat" and getting ready to pen another chapter of the "Captain E-O" tome he's been writing since 2008. This time he's trying to go for MORE gun control (by going around Congress for the UMPTEENTH time, if you're keeping count)).

It's more about CONTROL than guns.

This is ON TOP of prior executive orders. (check my post from 17 January 2013). And the NUMBER of EOs this week is THE SAME number as those from 3 years ago...coincidence?
Here's the latest:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/01/03/christie-bush-take-aim-at-obamas-plan-to-use-executive-powers-to-tighten-gun-control-laws.html
Funny thing...it's NOT only the GOP who's against this.
There ARE some DEMS that are opposed, but apparently the rule of law makes no never-mind to THIS poser-president man-child who should just take his ball and go the hell home where he belongs.

In case you're interested, here are the 23 executive orders on "gun-safety" signed by Obummer:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/2013/01/16/here-are-the-23-executive-orders-on-gun-safety-signed-today-by-the-president/
(wonder HOW many of these we ALREADY have in place, but are not enforced in the manner they were designed?) And what about double-standards from the feds?

I'll take one of each, please.

There STILL remains "our" main weapon in the arsenal of freedom - HOPE.
And here's some proof:
http://news.yahoo.com/obamas-gun-control-options-legal-pitfalls-010037248.html
Moving on...
*** While we're touching on this whole PRIVACY issue (read freedoms), let's get up close and personal with HOW we're losing it in more ways than we thought.

NO guarantees

Here's a story link that paints a scary picture:
http://www.journalgazette.net/business/How-smart-is-too-smart-for-our-gadgets--10706424
Now, when I talk about technology and how I don't like or embace ALL of it, THIS would be one of the main reasons.
When we can create technologies and then not be able to keep up with the proper use and understanding OF those technologies, they might well wind up running our lives.
At the least, they will find out more about us than we know ourselves.

Wow, that's a LOT of stuff goin' on.

Is THAT what we want? Is THAT what we need?
Technology keeps getting SMARTER, and we are not able to stay in pace as it leaves us behind...it does create an interesting futurescape, right?
That's why I tend to prefer "dumb" devices. I like phones used AS phones, TVs that aren't "listening" all the time until I utter a word to activate or deactivate them. Same for computers. I don't care how FAST they get, I like to be in control over them, than the other way around.

And I like my vehicles dumber than the people holding the wheels.
 This "self-drive" crap only leads to MORE inattentiveness by the "operator", if you can call a driver that by then. They'll just be a glorified passenger sitting where the driver used to sit, right?
Not a road I think we should go down...not until WE get (and remain) smarter than the devices we create.
*** Next up, we just HAD to start the new year with a story about FWPD chief Garry Hamilton, and (unfortunately), it's pretty rote with some obfuscation tossed in for good measure. Here's the link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/Chief-works-to-build-trust-in-city-s-police-10681215

The part that gets me is the following:
(Openness is what Hamilton said he’s striven for since Ferguson. He’s been quick to release information – as much as he can, he says – after incidents involving officers, including officer-related shootings.
“You don’t wait for things to happen to react,” he said. )
Yeah, when it comes to officers being investigated, he RELEASES THAT INFORMATION QUICKLY.
How about in cases like THIS:
http://wane.com/2016/01/03/police-investigate-gas-station-robbery/
This ROBBERY took place around 1745 hrs last evening at the Lassus station up on 5545 Stellhorn Rd.

The story says:"investigators HAVEN'T SAID if the suspect got away with anything OR if the person was even armed. A traffic stop was made on a vehicle near the station, but police HAVE NOT SAID if this was the suspect. NO OTHER INFORMATION was immediately available Sunday."
What about THIS chief?
Where's the damn information on THIS?
Or, are we ONLY concerned with how the public views police officers in specific cases?
Apparently, information is "RELATIVE" isn't it, and that an INFORMED PUBLIC is not what YOU desire, is it?
You have the department ALWAYS asking citizens for help in solving cases by "providing information"...BUT, you never seem to divulge ANY information TO the public for them to act upon, and thereby assist the police. You don't even like to mention the RACE of the damn perps, who you KNOW to be predominantly black...why is that?
You scared of the people who (seem to) run parts of this city?
It would appear that the less you speak...the more you say, chief.
*** How about we look back at ALL the homicides that took place in 2015 (30 - a marked RISE from the previous year), as could be expected.

Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/Homicides-down--not-pain-10695696
First of all, don't let the headline MISLEAD you. When the reporter states: "Homicides Down, but pain not", he's mostly referring to 2014 and the drop AFTER our RECORD year of homicides (2013 - 45 total),  and NOT about last year (as he should have reported).
Again, we see the LACK of journalistic FACT and instead going "for the sensational" with the headline. Here are the THIRTY victims and (some) pictures from LAST year:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/2015-homicide-victims-10698881

Where are the pictures of ALL the victims? Don't they count? Have they no faces we should remember?
Naturally, Chief Hamilton "believes" (can't prove?) the spike from 2014 MIGHT be drug-related. (Whatta brain)
What you NEED to take from these three stories is that of those THIRTY homicides we had last year, TWENTY-TWO remain UNSOLVED. That's a BIGGIE, and tells the tale about relationships of citizens to law-enforcement, intimidation, protection of the perps, and an ever-growing problem of gangs, drugs and ILLEGAL guns in this city, and especially on the SOUTH side, where such things have been allowed to thrive FOR YEARS.
Don't think this is going away any time soon, sad to say.
Oh, and, the bane IS spreading.
*** Next, as most of you know by now, we lost Harlem Globetrotters star Meadoiwlark Lemon.

I grew up watching him on TV, and he was one person who managed to bring together ALL people in the day by his on-court antics. Here is his WIKI:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meadowlark_Lemon
Truly a legend in sports and in comedy, with the rare ability to merge the two flawlessly.
*** We also lost Natalie Cole, another person who not only had a terrific singing voice (as did her late father), but galvanized people together, rather than force them apart.

Here is her WIKI:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalie_Cole
These are people who lived through the turbulent times in America regarding civil rights...and succeeded not because they relied on government to run their lives, but made it ON THEIR OWN.
Would we be fortunate enough to have MORE people (of all races) following THAT path, instead of allowing others to control their lives.
*** Last back to the yearly planner...we start a NEW year, but we're saddled with too many of the same OLD problems.

Frustrated cat is still frustrated.

Hasn't this been a disturbing trend lately?
Where is this evolutionary process taking place, because I'm not seeing much evidence of it's existence.
We've allowed government intervention into our lives...and it's been a major fail.
We've permitted a few to dictate to the masses HOW to live, WHAT to say, and WHY it's supposed to matter.
We've handed over parental responsibilities to strangers, broken up traditional families and instilled more secular values into society than continue on with the ethical and moral ones.
How's all that been working out for everyone, hmm?
Not all that well, right?
Why not make THIS year the one where we reclaim the VALUES and PRINCIPLES that made this country great?
It's not that hard to do, but it does take a DESIRE to do so.
May this nation find it's way back to THAT type of desire..and forego the motivations of passion we'e been pursuing for way too long, because that's not working for us. Never did and never will.

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