Thoughts For Thursday...

Well, we are getting there...to the weekend that is.
And, so far, it promises to be quite an unseasonable one.
(sure beats shoveling a foot or more of snow)
Yesterday saw a lot of melting, and today promises to be more of the same.
Our Hoosierland weather for today has us with mostly cloudy skies (some sun now and again), light breezes and a high somewhere in the upper 30s.
So, what say we get ourselves a nice warm morning drink poured as we take a look at what's been going on elsewhere, hmm?
*** First out of the family room is the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:
"It is the province of knowledge to speak, and it is the privilege of wisdom to listen."

This was spoken by Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr (Aug 29 1809 - Oct 7 1894). He was an American physician, poet, professor, lecturer, and author.
Here is his WIKI:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Wendell_Holmes,_Sr.
His son is noted for being a U.S. Supreme Court Justice, so don't confuse the two.
And try as I may, I could not find a decent black Supreme Court Justice quote.,..sorry to break the streak for Black History Month.
The WIKI is a lengthy read, but well worth your time.
And, you might want to thank Holmes for the preservation of the 18th century frigate, U.S.S. Constitution (yes, the sailing ship), because it was his 3-stanza prose called "Old Ironsides" that saved the ship from being dismantled back in 1830.
Imagine that. One man's patriotic poem kept this ship from becoming so much scrap lumber and furniture.
Holmes studied medicine, anatomy and surgery, obstetrics, chemistry and materia medica (the therapeutic properties of any substance used as medicine).

Around 1860, Holmes invented the AMERICAN STEREOSCOPE (like a precursor to the VIEW-MASTER). It was a means by which people could entertain themselves by viewing pictures in 3-D.
As I said, this is a good read about someone you could call a "renaissance man" for his era.
*** Next up, it's time for our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
February 18 -
---Today is NATIONAL BATTERY DAY

(and where would any of us be WITHOUT them, right?)
---It's also NATIONAL DRINK WINE DAY

(Isn't EVERY day a good one for this...in moderation?)
---And, it's NATIONAL CRAB-STUFFED FLOUNDER DAY

(sounds tasty enough...and looks it too.  Pass the lemon-butter)
*** Next up, here in Fort Wayne, we're hearing about gas card "skimmers" (devices that can read a credit card - basically another form of identity theft). Here's the story link:
http://www.21alive.com/news/local/Fort-Wayne-Skimming-devices-What-to-look-for-how-to-avoid-being-a-victim-369174761.html
I would have liked it if the police provided some INFORMATION  (for a change) like WHERE the station that the skimmer was found at is located.
What part of the city...mine? Yours?
The only way the skimmer was found was when the pump went down for maintenance.
Again, a lack of information (which should be coming from the FWPD) can, and probably will cost people money, or more. Gee, thanks officer Joyner -  helpful yet pointless (as usual).
Now I can see the other side to this. If the locations were published, then people might shy away from them. Understandable.
Or, if the skimmers locations were known, people might GO to those pumps, as the equipment was FIXED and the devices removed.
Here is a link that tells (and show) you want to look for with most skimmers:
http://www.komando.com/tips/278304/how-to-spot-credit-card-skimmers/all
See, this is the kind of quandary that need not be caused by the denial of information TO THE PUBLIC, who becomes the real victim here.
(God, I sure miss the days of service stations where ATTENDANTS pumped your gas)

NO skimmer here, folks.

So far, we're hearing that this was only at ONE station, but you know criminals. If it works ONCE, it will work again...someplace else.
*** Next, We got us some vandals on the north side of town.
Here's the story link:
http://wane.com/2016/02/17/fwpd-investigating-a-string-of-car-vandalism-in-north-side-neighborhood/

Yeah, seems there are some punks travelling around the Crestwood Colony area, armed with BB or pellet guns, shooting out vehicle glass and tail lights.
The area is up along N. Clinton St (west of St Joe Center Rd) and it looks to be near or along Redbud Drive.
(information the MEDIA won't tell you, but SPOT-CRIME will).

It appears as if the vandalism took place between 2300 hrs Monday and 1100 hrs Tuesday.
A Neighborhood Watch is being proposed for the area.
Might be teens, but I think the perps might be older, and perhaps not white.
I keep saying that crime is spreading, and this is the (usual) way it starts.
Intimidate people by committing property crimes first, to get the residents to contemplate leaving the area (so the crims can move in), and from there, it's all downhill.
Property crimes are easier to pull off, and harder to solve in general.
Just cause people to become fearful, because fear IS a powerful tool.
With some folks, it doesn't take much, either.
You get residents to change the way they live, and you're on the road to changing the face of an entire neighborhood.

Already has happened to our area over the years (as I have said and shown all of you here), so no reason to believe otherwise in other areas around the city, right?
*** Next, Kevin Leininger has a great take on this past Tuesday's city council meeting (regarding the PSD position).

Here's the story link:
http://www.news-sentinel.com/news/local/City-Council-s-safety-director-snafu-was-a-case-of-deja-vu-all-over-again
And since he was in attendance, it seems only fair that he would have a "ringside seat" as it were. It did seem like a bit of a circus at times.
Kevin does not take sides, but instead provides BOTH sides of the argument for AND against the elimination of the position. Tom Didier said it best ("You have to pick your battles").
And while the 2 democrats (and our mayor-king) would deem this a victory, I say let them believe that for the time being.
It's just postponing the inevitable, and there is little victory in that, except for those who will win come the fall.
There is always a time and place for everything...even victory.
*** Last back to the man-cave...today, we've seen evidence of a number of aspects of human behavior.

We've seen the predatory facet of mankind, as well as the trait called chaotic behavior.
We've seen people willing to wait for the right time to do what it right for our city, and others who would just spend our way into debt.
And we've seen people become fearful in their own neighborhood...right alongside those others who feel emboldened to destroy because they can (for the time being).

What I've come to know, is that a large part of the populace (and this is not just in our city or state, but nationally as well as globally) just aren't giving as much of a damn as they should be.
What we permit is what we get (or in some cases deserve) for our apathy.
This goes for crime, politics, the economy...you name it.
One might say we're on the wrong track and our destination probably isn't where we really want to wind up.
We ALL need to start becoming more aware, and being bold enough to speak up whenever or wherever we see injustices being perpetrated.
Courage isn't something you can get from a bottle (although a lot of drunken hotheads would argue otherwise). Every part of our life is not readily handed to us.
The foundation is usually provided (through proper parenting, mentoring, faith in God and so on), but the bricks that make up the rest of the structure called "our life" is something WE must work at (and every day). You either care about what YOU build...or not. It's that simple.
So build the best life you can...it's the only one you'll ever get.

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