Humpday Happenings...

Here we are...middle of the week again.
And we seemed to have dodged some crap weather as I look outside this morning. Got a bit of a sunrise, but, nothing's wet...what happened to that rain and hail?
We were told to expect some "severe" weather. Whatever we were meant to get did not materialize. That's good news, right?
Our Hoosierland weather today will see us with windy conditions with gusts as high as 50 MPH (well, it IS March, and will there be tickets for "speeding"?), with temps rising to around 60 degrees going with those partly to mostly cloudy skies..
What say we go get that morning drink poured as we see what's been going on elsewhere...
*** First off of the budding flowerbeds is our WHO SAID THAT? quote of the week:
"The moment you give up your principles, and your values, you are dead, your culture is dead, your civilization is dead. Period."

Interesting to hear someone speaking the truth to much of what ails OUR society these days, isn't it? So...WHO said that?
The answer at the top of tomorrow's post.
Meanwhile, back in Florence, Italy...
*** Next up, we bring you our "What the hell happens TODAY, Bob?" feature:
March 16 -
---Today is NATIONAL ARTICHOKE HEARTS DAY

(I am SO passing on this one. I never eat ANY food with the word 'choke' in it)
---It's also NATIONAL FREEDOM OF INFORMATION DAY

(Beware all those redactions, though)
---And it's NATIONAL EVERYTHING YOU DO IS RIGHT DAY

(that makes sense after yesterday, doesn't it?)
It's also NATIONAL KICK BUTTS DAY

(yeah, they mean ciggies and NOT what you were hoping for...!)
*** Next up, a simple house fire on the city's SE side proves a problem with the people there.
Here's the story link:
http://wane.com/2016/03/16/chaddsford-drive-home-suffers-fire-damage/

This took place at a house located at 6417 Chaddsford Drive (behind the old Geyer School south of Paulding on the east side of Lafayette St).
It was said that this began as a burglary "in progress", but when police arrived they saw smoke coming from a front window.  it turned out to be a house fire and the FWFD were called.. There was a language barrier issue (probably Burmese),
Firefighters had the fire under control  shortly after their arrival on scene.
((From Trulia website: 6417 Chaddsford Dr has 3 beds, 1 bath, and approximately 972 square feet. The property was built in 1960. 6417 Chaddsford Dr is in the Westchester neighborhood in Fort Wayne, IN. The average list price for Westchester is $50,000.))
Wonder if that smoke came from all the INCENSE? The fire could have come from candles.
And no one there speaks good enough ENGLISH? How do you get a (rather nice-looking) house if you CAN'T speak the native language anyway? And how do you assimilate into the community under such conditions? (apparently, you DON'T)
Makes you shake your head, doesn't it?
*** Next , more problems connected to the proposed CITY ANNEXATION.
Here's the story link:
http://wane.com/2016/03/15/nacs-superintendent-we-dont-have-efficiencies-left-to-take/

Yep, Fort Wayne makes out, and several school systems OTHER than FWCS get boned in the process. Gonna lose a LOT of moolah on this possible debacle.
Whatta remarkable way to endear yourself  to neighboring communities.
Naturally, the blame is being placed on the property tax caps (from the state), but I argue that without such tax caps on our properties, you WILL have artificially INFLATED property values thanks to the constant "dipping from that well" that would have been used by local municipalities...that's a given (or it used to be anyway). Surrounding school systems would have to SUSPEND all transportation to their schools if this annex thing shakes out...not good for the kids, is it?
*** Next, I got into one of my "statistical" moods last evening, and decided to look some stuff up pertaining to police activity.

The results are quite revealing (as could be expected).
On 14 March, there were 138 "signal 30s", also known as TRAFFIC STOPS in Fort Wayne.
Think on that number. That's a pretty good total. But the CLOSEST traffic stop to our "Fortress" was in the 3300 block of our street (we're 4800).
Add to that, I counted TEN instances of loud music passing by our house yesterday (loud enough to be heard inside), AND also, witnessed around EIGHT instances of speeding along our streets.

Can't pull over "Mr. Wecanhearyouablockaway", can we?

That's EIGHTEEN CITATIONS that COULD have been issued, were there an FWPD officer even NEAR our place.
To me, that says that our area wasn't even patrolled. I don't see ANY cruisers prowling our area with any sort of regularity, so what the f$ck is the story here? We're so damn "crime-free"  all of a sudden, that we don't need a patrol? Bullshit on that.

They DO show up after something happens, though.

Please, don't insult my intelligence.
If the FWPD would do what's expected, they would indeed start ticketing all the loud-ass morons, pull people over for speeding or with improper vehicular lighting.
They do it in OTHER areas in the city, so what makes us so damn immune to such tactics that would provide everyone down here with a better sense of security and safety?
Well, that's one question we may never get the answer to, right?
*** Last back to the bird feeder...ignorance is a very peculiar animal.
Just don't try and ask those who ARE ignorant for answers, because you won't get any.

Ignorance is something that has pervaded our society for quite some time, and has been gaining more traction over the last decade or so. Wasn't always THAT bad.
People of late have had their attention "diverted" for whatever reason and with whatever faddish device that comes along to make their lives EASIER (notice I did not say better).

And diversion is a damn good way to trod the path of ignorance.
When it comes to our OWN culture, the word ignorant doesn't readily come to mind.
(at least it didn't USED to be that way)
America was never the land of the ignorant, nor should it ever become that.
And yet, we see evidence of this growing pattern within our society and yes...our culture.

The entire entitlement mentality is all but BASED on ignorance.
It's "hurray for me, gimme stuff...and the hell with the rest of you". Not a great way for any society to progress, is it?
When people do more good, ignorance no longer dominates the scene, whatever it might be.
When people ARE more good, ignorance has no say in any matter. It's that simple.

Now, we can keep on the path we're traveling, and lose who we are and should be AS citizens of OUR nation, OR, we can take steps to ensure that ignorance doesn't become anything more than a memory...a footnote in life, rather than a lifestyle "choice".
The time is ripe for positive change, and it can be achieved, if we are wiling to work towards that end. Sounds like a plan, hmm?

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