Monday Musings...

Welcome back my friends, to the show that never ends.
And, it sure seems like thsi rainy weather never ends either. Someone swap January for April somewhere?
Wasn't all bad, though. We DID see the sun a few times over the weekend, so all is not lost.
Our Hoosierland weather for today can be placed in the "broken record" category - cloudy skies, scattered rain showers and some fog (mostly north). Temps will wind up a bit cooler with a high in the mid-40s.
I could have just lifted this from last week's forecasts.
Anyway, let's all take a deep breath, and get ourselves a nice hot cup of our favorite morning drink  as we see what's ben going on elsewhere...
*** First out of the dampness is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
JANUARY 23 -
---Today is National Handwriting Day

(fast becoming a lost art)
---And, it's National Pie Day

(any pie goes, because it is a wonderful day for pie)
*** Next up, there is a new "phrase" going around lately, and you need to add this to your "wussification of America" toolbox.

It's called "toxic masculinity". There goes all those testosterone-booster sales and stocks.
FOX columnist Todd Starnes has a nice take on this here:
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/01/17/toxic-masculinity-dude-now-americas-universities-are-turning-men-into-women.html

We've all heard about this over the tenure of the Obummer administration, and it seemed to have culminated in this weekend's Women's March on D.C. (as well as hundred of other cities) The claim was that this had to do with women's "rights", but naturally, with any left-leaning venue, there is always a hidden agenda. This time, it's toxic masculinity and the tearing down of the patriarchy in this country.
Here's another story from Forbes:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/frankminiter/2017/01/18/the-hard-adrenaline-soaked-truth-about-toxic-masculinity/#314327bd7506
Now, you have to forgive me, because I'm one of those "LITERAL" kinda men, so when I hear or read something, I seek to PROPERLY define it

Let's look inside.

TOXIC - adj.
1:  containing or being poisonous material especially when capable of causing death or serious debilitation
2:  exhibiting symptoms of infection or toxicosis
3:  extremely harsh, malicious, or harmful
4:  relating to or being an asset that has lost so much value that it cannot be sold on the market
MASCULINITY - n.
The set of qualities considered appropriate for or characteristic of men
Synonyms: machismo, macho, manhood, manliness, virility
Related Words: maleness; boyishness, mannishness, tomboyishness
Near Antonyms: girlishness; femaleness; girlhood, maidenhood; effeminacy, effeteness; emasculation
Antonyms: femininity, muliebrity, womanhood, womanliness

Thanks to Merriam-Webster, we now have a more proper idea of what is being said here.
Ergo, toxic masculinity would denote a poisonous "type" of maleness, correct?
Well, we can see evidence of such behaviors with street gang members, criminals, abusers of women, and the like.
I hardly think that ALL men need to addressed with having some form of "TM", although there are those that want it that way, and are taking steps to emasculate males in this country.

Gotta problem with my manliness, Bub?

I wouldn't try it withTed Nugent or Chuck Norris and definitely not with Wolverine.
I will say that's it's okay for men to cry, to feel, and basically emote along the spectrum, when the conditions warrant it.

THEY said it...not me.

But, we're all not "pajama boys", nor are we willing to knuckle under to this latest assault on mankind. The pendulum always swings too far the other way.
Besides, isn't dismantling the patriarchy in America (especially in the inner cities) the major CAUSE of rising crime in ethic areas? So, who's feeding the cattle on this one?
In too many cases in these neighborhoods, it's the black male who chooses to not shoulder responsibility when a child comes along (highest among all races), furthering a matriarchal leadership role in what has become the new "family". Shirking responsibility is in fact, fueling the fire for those looking to eliminate the toxic masculinity that rises in these males who seek to prove their masculinity with gunplay, crime, and yes, even loud music (remember, the bigger the car stereo and speakers, the smaller the penis...lol). It's a compensation thing.

To me, this is just another way for the left to TRY and deal with the whole "God, guns and Bible" gig.
But, with all the sheeple we have these days, willing to follow without batting an eye, it's gonna be damn hard to straighten this impending clusterf*ck out.
*** Next up, some tech stuff.
Here's one story about driverless cars that brings up a very interesting aspect to the entire debate:
http://www.journalgazette.net/business/Can-driverless-cars-handle-ethical-fixes--17331830

Ethical issues...now there's something none of these techies stopped to figure out.
No A.I. created can take this into account when specific situations arise on the road.
And would whatever "decision" the computer makes in such a scenario be the RIGHT one, from both and ethical and moral standpoint? That's some pretty deep shit to ponder, yet, it's something many of us could do easily, based on our own ethics and morality. Do we want a computer to start making that decision for us? And, would that absolve US of any moral or ethical issues in say, a courtroom? Lots to think about on this one.
---Another story just got me laughing and here's the link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/business/Automated-retail-stores-17335685

No, I just wanna know where the damn RESTROOM is...

Automated retail stores...I though that was he INTERNET was...LOL!
Nah, better to have robots walking the aisles of the "brick and mortars", and how exactly si that going to protect jobs for PEOPLE anyway? In many instances, isn;t it better to SPEAK to someONE who has knowledge of the product you are looking for?
Granted, it keeps the hovering salespeople at bay, but it's far from a better option (imho).

"You have been spotted as a shoplifter. You have 5 seconds to surrender."

Wonder how a robot would handle a Black Friday STAMPEDE?
I think I have a good idea.
*** Next, time to check out our "Kitten Corner"...

"(Yawn) - What's with this bell on the neck thing?"

We got to "bell the cats" this weekend, and that meant collars for Violet and Gallifrey.
Yes, they each have a color-matched bell for the collars, too (rose for her, and sapphire for him).

"Nice collars, cats. I don't use them myself."

They even got to show them off to the one squirrel (Tweak) that stopped by for Squirrel-Appreciation Day on Saturday.

"I'm not hiding in shame - I'm just napping."

Initially, they were bothered with it, and although putting them on the cats was easy enough (safety fasteners), both of them KNOW they're wearing one. Makes it easier to hear them when they're near your feet, and help to keep us from stepping on them when they slide up close to you.
We're hoping they adapt to them, as they had neck bands before we adopted them at the ACSPCA, but if not, it wasn't any appreciable outlay of money to get them.

:"Calm...it's nice once in a while."

Other than that, all was relatively calm, except for those energy bursts that sent them dashing through the house in between meals and naps. Add to that plenty of rubbing and purring.
*** Last back to the rain-soaked lawn...why is our attention always being diverted?

If it's not some tech-laden gimmick coming our way,  it's some form of sensational news or another form of social engineering taking our "eyes off the prize". I doubt if that many even know what that prize is these days?
It's small wonder that attention spans have hit record lows, and it certainly starts eraly enough in life.
Social media has not helped in any way, except to accelerate the shortening of our span.
People go from one fake news story to the next, rarely taking time to learn the truth, and we all see the result of such haste.
People take whatever comes long as "gospel", and can't be bothered finding out the real FACTS.
People latch on to whatever societal "fad" comes along, as if to wonder how we existed this long without it.

This could be a real money-maker...lol.

There needs to come a time (soon) when we all just take a step back slow the hell down, and catch our breath.
Personally, I've always believed that "slow and steady wins the race", and you can blame the story of The Tortoise and the Hare for that...

But, it makes more sense than what people are settling for today.
Haste does make waste, and when people try to get through life faster than they should, there will be a price to pay for such insistence upon speed. They're not going to miss anything, unless they choose to not pay the hell attention, which many times, causes it's own issues with humanity.
Just take your time...learn from the process, and carry that knowledge from one day into the next.
Life will unfold in it's OWN time...never yours.

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