Thoughts For Thursday...

It's another nice day staring us in the face out here in the Midwest.
Still on the cold side, but after a few days of it, you start to get "used" to it, and it doesn't feel AS bad  as it should. It does seem a bit easier to keep warm than stay cool though, right?
Our Hooiserland weather will have us with some clouds moving in later on, so not as much sun as yesterday, and temperatures will top out around 40 degrees. A little milder than usual.
I can deal with that.
So, let's get that morning drink poured and sitting at-the-ready, as we see what else has been going on...
*** First off of the tabletop is the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:
"Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, 'It will be happier.' "

This was spoken by that literary great, ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON (6 Aug 1809 - 6 Oct 1892), and he was poet laureate of Great Britain and Ireland during most of Queen Victoria's reign.
And here is his WIKI:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred,_Lord_Tennyson
Now, if you're familiar with Charge of the Light Brigade, Idylls of the King, or the "other" Ulysses, you've heard of Tennyson.
He is the 9th MOST quoted writer in Oxford's Dictionary of Quotations.

He was born to a middle-class family, but with a royal ancestry. He started writing poetry in his teens along with two of his elder brothers.
He attended Trinity College, Cambridge, but left short of a degree when his father passed away.
In 1829, he was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal for one of his first pieces entitled "Timbuktu".
In 1830, Tennyson published his first collection of poems (Poems Chiefly Lyrical), and in 1833 published his second book which included his well-known poem "The Lady of Shalott".
He published two more volumes of poetry in 1842, with poems such as "Locksley Hall", and "Ulysses" having enduring fame.
During the peak of his fame, he was appointed poet laureate (1850) after WIlliam Wordsworth's death.
In 1855, he penned "Charge of the Light Brigade", one his his best-known works, a tribute to British cavalrymen during the Crimean War.
It's a good read and allows you insight to this marvelous poet (and person).
*** Next up, is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
January 7 -
--- Today is NATIONAL BOBBLEHEAD DAY

(Naturally, they have a MUSEUM for that now.)
---And, it's NATIONAL TEMPURA DAY

(Shrimp tempura - a personal favorite of mine)
*** Next up, We have an ID to the FIRST homicide victim of 2016.
Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/Victim-in-city-s-1st--homicide-is-ID-d-10800379
Now, if you want more back-story, check my archive posts from 12 February and 13 February 2014, and you find out where this all began (along Decatur Rd near Tamara Gardens).

He be dead.

Our first inductee into the 2016 DEADPOOL is Deandrew Jamarcus Moore, who survived that Decatur Rd shooting two years ago.
This time someone got "up close and personal", and took him out...permanently.

February 2014 - Decatur Rd.

February 2014 - Nice park job

As could be expected, Moore had a lengthy rap sheet (that I included back in my 13 Feb 2014 post).

He be jailed.

Now, the shooter in the 2014 incident, one Trameil Jackson (ID'ed as a local gang member) was arrested and is serving a nice LONG sentence.
Jackson was the brother of that ambulance shooter (also back in 2014).
See...it's not that hard to put the pieces of this puzzle together, is it?
And HOW did Chief Hamilton's (new) "Gang Unit" NOT keep Moore on their radar?
This perp was a career criminal, for God's sake.
Slipped through the old fingers, Chief?
Moving on...
*** It's nice to make the RIGHT call on certain crimes, like when I said back on 1 January that the man who was initially charged with aggravated assault in the beating death of another man (with a microwave) in a motel SHOULD be charged with MURDER.

He be charged wif murder

Well, he HAS been charged with murder, and here's the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/Charge-of-murder-for-slaying-at-local-motel-10800336
It's not that hard to "get it right" when dealing with THESE types of perps. What IS hard is waiting for those who SHOULD be getting it right from the jump to make the same call YOU did days before.
*** Next up, I have a new "hero" in local politics, and he can be found at the Indiana Statehouse.
Here's the story that gives you the reason WHY I feel this way:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/indiana/Bill-would-abandon-gun-licenses-10782504

State representative Jim Lucas has introduced legislation  (House Bill 1056) to ELIMINATE THE LICENSE TO CARRY A FIREARM AS REQUIRED BY LAW.
Lucas said seven states have abandoned licensing, noting that: "laws don't affect criminals, who, by nature, break laws." 
Now that kinda sums it all up nicely, right?
So, why not "reward" the LAW-ABIDING...
I can get on board with that.
“Instead of infringing on the rights of the innocent people, I have House Bill 1056, which basically removes the requirement to prove your innocence,” Lucas said.
“We should not make it mandatory that innocent people have to go out and jump through hoops.”

Well, this nation IS predicated upon the whole "INNOCENT until proven Guilty" deal is it not?
Makes damn good sense to me. I say bring it on!
*** Next, how "smart" is your TV?
Apparently, it's NOT smart enough...yet.
Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/business/Smart-TVs-swimming-upstream-10797816

Kinda "busy", don'cha think?

Yeah, those so-called "smart sets" are pretty DUMB, so goes this article.

HOW will this be "better"?

Samsung is leading this charge this time in creating an SUHD television, which will allow MORE access to streaming sites on the (where else?) INTERNET.
What have I said for so long about this?
This is what they want you to do...get corralled into Internet TV viewing.
It's creating a very competitive market between the streaming box makers and direct access streaming services.
Now, this is all well and good IF you want your TV to set the mood lighting in your house, or check security cameras in a connected house.
And that's another thing...this whole push to have every house "connected" (to what and to whom?) should be a bit disturbing to most of you out there.

Typical smart-house

Do we NEED to be able to "answer the doorbell" while at work (using a smart phone)?
I've been through a model home that had a computer-controlled center which activated drapes, music, thermostats, etc. And this was back in the 1980s!!!
Only thing "different" about THAT gig...it was a SELF-CONTAINED system, and NOT connected to any outside server, or any form of the Internet.
Now THAT was cool.
Being constantly connected to "big brother" (in one form or another) is not.
I'll keep by "dumb" devices, thank you and leave the potential snooping from outside sources to those who wish to be monitored 24/7/365.
*** Last back to the outhouse...during the Industrial Revolution, we were beset with ALL types of contrivances which made a lot of things better AND easier for mankind in general.

And yes, that was long before the "digital age" was even a gleam in some inventor's eye.
Today, we have even MORE technologies at our disposal (and much if it should be disposed of), but before when humans could keep up with technology, these days we're seeing the technologies FAR outpace our ability to keep up.
And that could be a major problem in the near future.
As we fall behind in understanding the complexities OF these technologies, we will most likely wind up creating MORE technologies to master the former technologies, and that will become one very VICIOUS CYCLE that will be difficult to break, should we even desire to do so (which we probably won't).
Then, the machines will be running US, won't they?
(shades of too many Dystopian films from years past)
We have to not be in such a rush to grab all this new-fangled stuff JUST for that reason, and people have to start asking the right questions of those creating this possible digital nightmare, as to whether all of this is indeed in our best interest.
To be enlightened or even entertained is one thing...to be all but ruled is quite the other, is it not?

man versus machine

We might well find ourselves going down a road from which we may never be permitted to exit at all.
I much prefer those times when we were the masters of all the "things' we created in the world, rather than have US at THEIR beckon call, as things seem to be headed.
When we can understand and properly apply ALL that we have created to the betterment of mankind, the farther we can go as a species, but not before.
Just something to think long and hard about...that's all it is.

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