Thoughts For Thursday...

We are fast closing in on the end of this week...AND, the end of this month.
Been a rather "busy" news day as well, with plenty of things to pick and choose from.
It's also nicely seasonal outside this morning, and will remain so for a couple days.
Our Hoosierland weather brings us mostly sunny skies, temps reaching to around 69 degrees, and no rain (until tomorrow, I heard).

Let's get ourselves a nice refreshing beverage to jump-start or brains and bodies, as we see what's been going on elsewhere...
*** First out of the movie theater is the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:
"Respect your efforts, respect yourself. Self-respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that's real power."
This was spoken by none other than that icon of films, Clint Eastwood (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor, filmmaker, musician, and political figure.

As Walt Kowalski from Gran Torino

And here is his rather lengthy WIKI:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clint_Eastwood
Suffice it to say that his list of credits on both the small screen and big screen are many.

Just another lab assistant

Perhaps you remember his very small role in the movie Revenge of the Creature (1955), or maybe you first saw him as Rowdy Yates in the TV series Rawhide.

Maybe you were  a fan of the Sergio Leone westerns and noticed Eastwood as "the man with no name".

From those movies on, Eastwood would become part of Americana; a cultural icon of the first order.
From Dirty Harry on, it's been a wonderful experience whether Eastwood was in front of the camera, or behind it.

Go ahead...make his day.

And, we all know that he's a strict conservative, as well as a gun rights advocate.
Your assignment is to read up and Clint and fin out the type of American he really is (13th generation of William Bradford - look it up).
*** Next, time for our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
SEPTEMBER 28 -
---It's National Drink Beer Day

(just not while driving, kapeesh?)
---It's National Good Neighbor Day

(amazing the things you MISS when they're not around)
---It's National North Carolina Day

(I'm STILL waiting for an Indiana day)
---It's National Strawberry Cream Pie Day

(only thing better than cake is pie)
*** Next up, another cultural icon has passed. Here's the story:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/27/obituaries/hugh-hefner-dead.html?mcubz=1

Playboy founder Hugh Hefner has gone to the great bunny hutch in the sky at the age of 91.
Here is his WIKI:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Hefner

Geez, I remember as a teen watching his show "Playboy After Dark"...(just for the bunnies, mind you).
The empire he created is the stuff that made America, which wasn;t that bad for a kid from Chicago whoi managed to get college degree (in psychology of all things).
The WIKI tells much of his early life and how he was fired from Esquire magazine for asking for a $5 raise...man, those were the days, hmm?
Again, take the time to read up on "Hef" and his rise to prominence in American culture.
*** Next, the Ken Burns series The Vietnam War is winding down, with the final installment tonight.

Wednesday's episode featured the continued escalation of America into the war, the White House saying goodbye to LBJ, and hello to Richard M. Nixon (who brought his OWN "baggage" in tow), and ended with the Kent State shootings of four students by the national guard during demonstrations.

It also told of Nixon's de-escalation of our involvement over there.

Last night's episode featured the aftermath of Kent State, increasing disillusionment with our involvement in the war (both stateside as well as with our own troops in country), and ended with the arrest of the Watergate burglars, and the return of our POWs.

I have to say I found little to no "slant" (politically) in the series, and it brings to light much of what the American people were not told about the war. If anything, it proves that our military personnel were not fighting for the Vietnamese, or even for America...they were fighting FOR EACH OTHER.
*** Next up, as could be expected...since the city budget was tossed at city council, it's NIPSCO'S turn to pout their hand out for (you guessed it)...a rate increase. Here's the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/indiana/20170928/nipsco-seeking-to-raise-natural-gas-rates

Yeah, this is that TWENTY PERCENT (that's 20%) INCREASE, which would jack up a typical bill of $50 per month by another $10! (I mentioned that here back on 2 March 2017)
For WHAT, exactly? I can't wait to read about the public hearing on this .
((The request comes as consumers await a decision on Indiana Michigan Power's proposal for a nearly 20 percent rate hike on electric bills to begin July 2018.
NIPSCO points to increased costs to comply with state and federal safety standards and additional investments in its aging gas system as reasons for the increase.))

Yeah, right...lemme get back to you on that one.
Over-regulation leading to higher bills...sounds so "governmental", doesn't it?
*** Next, time to calm things down a bit with a visit to "Kitten Corner"...

Our indoor "children" pretty much behaved themselves. Violet still does not use the litter pan. She prefers to pee on the paper in front of the pan, and while I do have plastic sheeting UNDER the paper, sometimes, her aim is not as on target as I would prefer and the wood floor gets soaked. That becomes a problem.

Gallifrey does use the pan...VERY well, too. And I keep the pan clear of obstacles and add litter as needed. I guess being so cute has it's own unique "perks" (like incurring my total wrath)...LOL.
*** Next up, let's check in with "Midnight and Company"...
Yesterday had a "first": our homeless kids took turns disappearing. First, it was Midnight (on patrol), and then Whiskers went MIA.

"They shall not pass"

Midnight spent some time guarding our back gate, and later took to laying down in our damn ALLEY, too.

Will you please get out of the alley!

It was all we could do to get him back into our yard (for a little while).
When it came time for "last call", Midnight was nowhere to be found.

"Where's the other cats?"

That was kinda strange, but I'm hopeful he comes back today (he has)..
Oh, the worries you encounter when you're an animal lover.
*** Last back to the slide show...American culture is highly at risk these days.

You don't have to look far to see the evidence, either.
The anarchy that seemed to grip this nation back during the whole "counter-culture": revolution and the Vietnam war appears to be happening one again, only THIS time, the level of violence has ramped up considerably.
As I mentioned earlier this week, the lack of respect figures prominently into this growing clusterf*ck.
Add in a lack of morality, a lack of boundaries, increasing ignorance and misplaced priorities, and we;'ve got ourselves a growing storm of social chaos.
We were indeed a different society back in the late 60s and early 70s, and what we allowed ourselves to become sine then (generally-speaking) is "coming home to roost" today.

There comes a time when freedom of speech, action, and assembly HAS to be tempered with a personal responsibility. Every person is accountable for what THEY do...it's that simple.
Unless and until we can practice a better level of SELF-control, there are few alternatives allowed us, as a nation.
It's like Clint said...self-DISCIPLINE comes from SELF-respect, and I can see no greater need than that in our country today.

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