Humpday Happenings...

Middle of the week ALREADY?
Wow, this week is sure flying by.(seems like it anyway)
I will say yesterday's weather appeared to run the gamut.
Our Hoosierland weather today will be a "bit" tamer.
Gonna be cold early on, with the sun popping out (gonna help clear the roads).
We're looking at some more snow this evening (1-3 inches north and 3-4 inches south)
Temps are expected to top out today just above freezing, so the roads won't be that bad...until later on. Just take care outside this morning.
We still have some slickness under whatever has hit the ground since yesterday.
All schools except FWCS are on some sort of delay (typical).
And make sure that if you park outside, to LIFT the wiper blades up from the windshield, and get any ice off the glass and the wipers (unless you prefer getting new blades real soon).
Now, with that done, lets get a nice hot cup of our favorite morning beverage poured, as we see what's been going on elsewhere.
*** First off of the driveway is our WHO SAID THAT? quote of the week:
"Being a woman is a terribly difficult task, since it consists principally in dealing with men." 

Since this is Women's History Month, I thought this was a good way to start it all off.
And don't think that this quote HAS to come from a woman...
*** Next up is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
March 2 -
---Today is NATIONAL OLD STUFF DAY

(when it comes to me, that's pretty much anything and everything...lol)
---it's also NATIONAL BANANA CREAM PIE DAY

(that one's a real KEEPER)
---And, it's NATIONAL READ ACROSS AMERICA DAY

(also known as DR. SEUSS DAY. If you're not reading - you're not learning!)
*** Next up, I saw where the triple homicide on Lewis St has garnered national and global "attention".

Here's one story about the fallout:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/Families-of-slain-pleased-with-police-work-11789106

Now, I've seen (and read) several accounts from family members over these killings, and I keep hearing what "good boys" they all were.
Even saw a story from another woman who knew the boys, saying how good they were.
I can understand how grief can "taint" one's perspective, because you're running on emotion...and rightly so.
But let's face it, GOOD boys don't frequent party houses, especially ones located in the ghettohood of southeast Fort Wayne, right?
And don't give me any of the "wrong place, wrong time" stuff (as Hamilton said)
Unless someone kidnapped them and drove them to that house, this was a VOLUNTARY deal.
Those boys WANTED (or chose) to be there (they chose unwisely)...plain and simple.

ANY of these party houses are the WRONG place for good people to be...period.
*** Next up, another SE side apartment complex gets a rubber-stamped green light from city council.
Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/Apartments-bond-issue-advances-11783843

The Diplomat Apartments, located at 3323 Diplomat Drive (and since RENAMED the Lillie Gardens) will received about $6 MIL to remodel 140 units. It will be marketed to YOUNGER residents (aren't hey the ones that cause all the trouble AT those apartments in the past?).
Guess the price of patching bullet holes in drywall got costlier.
What we're seeing is a lot of areas on the south side that are in dire need of basic repairs...like parking lots for a lot of apartment complexes and shopping areas (what too FEW we have left), and council can't take on all of these (because the mayor wants a new downtown, new riverfront, and a new sports area, (also downtown).
We call them PRIORITIES for a reason, don't we?
*** Next up, had a double-shot yesterday, with both "Bashful" and "Patches" stopping by for some food. And they both came while we had some weather moving through.

Bashful in the snow/rain mix

Bashful is coming closer.

Patches getting snowed on.

Patches lovin' those sunflower seeds

And it was there in abundance for them both.
*** Last back to the garage... there is this curious blurring of the lines between what is a need, a desire, a want, and the priorities that can often tie them all together.

I've mentioned here several times the difference between them, and many of you have no problem whatsoever with the delineation of any of them.

It's those in authority or power (read government) that always DO seem to have difficulty distinguishing the difference between such things. Take our mayor (please).
HIS concentration is the "revitalization" of the entire downtown area. He wants to MIMIC other cities, rather than try to retain ANY distinctness that is (or was) Fort Wayne.

The people of Flint, Michigan were at the mercy of their city leaders, who, having decided to save money and get their water from another source, opened Pandora's Box, and THAT mess will cost more than if they had stayed with their original water source for that city.
I guess the thing that REALLY bothers me, is all this "re-branding", or "reinventing",  or whatever else they want to call such nonsense. What the hell was wrong with the original brand?
WHY do we have to be like other cities? Isn't such "homogenization" of society leading to many of the hassles we've been stuck with for decades?
EACH of us are UNIQUE, but yet we're all told to be like others.
Every city is unique as well, and yet, the leaders of those cities constantly strive to be like other cities.
Hell, America broke that mold when it was founded.
We were "The Great Experiment"...a new form of governance (if we could keep it, as Franklin noted)
And we're beset with all this "embracing" this or that, or some other thing.
It's time to embrace AMERICA...what this country stood for, and screw all this conventionality that other peoples and nations would want us to emulate.
We're better than that...and them.
They would be wise to imitate US instead, than have us lock-step to the beat of THEIR drums.
I believe it's high time we citizens of this country stopped hitting that damn snooze button and wake the hell up, before it becomes too late to do anything..
Time waits for no one...or any country, right?

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