Monday Musings...

Anyone as bored with all this ":wet" outside as much as I am? While not a really saturating event, it's been constant enough to otherwise mar what could have been a nice fall weekend, and it brought down more leaves to rake (when they're wet, they're heavy)
Welcome to another fun-filled (?) week, folks...with Lord knows what will be coming down the pike at us.
Our Hoosierland weather will bring us mostly cloudy skies (big surprise there), temps reaching up to around 44 degrees (getting better), and a cessation to the rain (good - the only thing worse than being soaked is being COLD and soaked).

Let's all get that nice hot morning drink to warm us up, as we see what's been going on elsewhere...
*** First off of the umbrella stand is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
NOVEMBER 13 -
---It's National Indian Pudding Day

(dunno what it is, but it sure LOOKS tasty)
---It's World Kindness Day

(what about the OTHER 364 days? Guess they don't count?)
*** Next, although this story broke on Friday, I just have to weigh in on this, because it affects my particular part of the Summit City. Here's the link:
http://wane.com/2017/11/10/fwpd-deputy-chief-involved-in-fight-with-minor-case-under-review/

This FWPD deputy Chief, Derrick Westfield,  is the SE capo, and has been so since Gary Hamilton (who replaced Captain Nancy Chamberlin) left the post to replace Rusty York as chief, only to be replaced himself in THAT position after a couple years (of doing nothing) by Steve Reed. I know, it's hard to follow all the players without a damn scorecard these days.
Anyway, Westfield has a history that goes back to 2005, when a case was brought against him by the state of Indiana for invasion of privacy (I read he ignored an RO against him)

Just ANOTHER broken window

The story includes Westfield's history with the FWPD, and I will say that since the SE quadrant has had a black commander (after Chamberlin), crime HAS gone UP (and become more violent), rather than down, so what's that tell you about the effectiveness of such a quadrant captain?
I believe that when Westfiled stopped to confront the teen, he SHOULD have identified himself as an FWPD officer AS SOON AS his feet hit the ground after exiting his personal SUV (he was off-duty at the time). That alone could have saved a lot of hassle...if he were that concerned about "righting a perceived wrong".
But, the conflicting sides of the story make even armchair quarterbacking difficult. Plus, I wonder how Westfield would have acted were the other party had been the same race as himself?
Hey, here's a  novel idea...since FWCS fired Bob Rinearson (a crime in it's own right), send Westfield over the FWCS as it's new "disciplinarian"...he seems to have the predisposition FOR the position...right?
(maybe we might get a GOOD quadrant commander in the deal...it can't be much worse)
*** Next, The News-Sentinel has a good column by Kerry Hubartt, and here's the link:
http://www.news-sentinel.com/opinion/commentary/2017/11/11/kerry-hubartt-we-should-control-our-tongue-and-thumbs-when-debating/

Social media...that wonderful double-edged sword of society is both good and bad for most anyone who chooses to become involved with it.
There are very cogent points made, and aside from the one dumbass comment from  an (obviously) "hard-hearted" individual, it's a good read.
*** Next up, Wifey and I got all the supplies we needed to make that second community cat shelter (Mark II), and I set to work getting it done. It turned out quite well, and, as you will read below, quickly became a place of refuge.
*** Next, time to stop on by "Kitten Corner"...
We're less than ONE week away from celebrating one year since our "kids" came to live with us.

I think we may have cake (for us), and maybe something special for the cats...haven't decided what that might be, but it should turn out to be a nice time around the "Fortress"...
Sure, they get into stuff,. and can (at times) test one's patience, but the only way to learn is to make mistakes once in a while, It seems to work for most of us (who are willing to learn, that is).

Other than that, it was a good weekend, with plenty of those 3 big ticket events in daily feline life -  playtime, naptime, and mealtime.
And that works for ME, as well...lol.
*** Next up, time to do our check in with "Midnight and Company"...

"Hmm...this look promising..."

We now have TWO shelters - one for each cat - and as I related before, the first shelter had Whiskers avoiding the nasty weather (of which we've had too much, imho).
When I placed the second shelter next to the first, I managed to get Midnight to go inside by himself (well, that laser pointer helped). He was inside for almost a minute (no doubt checking out the digs), and came back outside.

"And it's a good fit, too. Nice and comfy."

Prior to yesterday, Midnight would wander off and sometimes miss a feeding. Hopefully, we will have a lot fewer of those with this shelter.

"I haz a shelter, but I hear therez a bigger one."

I made this next shelter larger (bigger bins) to accommodate him (he is larger than the female), but later yesterday afternoon, when I went to feed them under the patio table (yes, it WAS raining), the cats came out from each other's shelter - he from the smaller one, and she from the larger one (isn't that just like a woman? LMAO!) Maybe Midnight was just being a "gentleman".

I like Midnight's place. I might move in there.

Had my hands full with the food, so no pictures of that, but it was funny as hell to see.
Still, I think both of them get the idea...those shelters are there for THEM, and they can stay as long as they want to (and get fed and cared for).
Sounds like a good deal all around, doesn't it?
*** Last back to the hat rack...isn't all the Christmas stuff coming a bit too early these days?

I mean out at Jefferson Pointe, they ALREADY lit their Christmas tree!!!
And just before Halloween, we started to see Christmas decorations and items popping up.
I was talking with Wifey about this, and said that when a holiday is shoved in our faces long before it arrives, that sense of anticipation tends to drop off in direct proportion to the amount of advance "warning" we get.

Time was, you didn't officially start the Christmas season until AFTER "the big guy" (no, not the Hulk...the OTHER big guy...lol)  He would show up at the downtown department store, climbing a fire ladder into his holiday "realm", as it were. This took place usually on Thanksgiving Day (at the END of the parade)...then, and only then did things kick off in earnest.
Now, we're back to before Halloween.
Don't get me wrong...I really do LIKE Christmas. Maybe not for the same reason millions of others do, but I have my reasons, and I stick by them. I just don't NEED to have it stuck in my face THAT early.
We go and make SUCH a big deal out of "the birthday of Christ" (which, historically was more likely in April, but that's a whole other post for another day), and yet, God help those who DO mention Christ during this time of year (thanks to the numbnuts wanting to spoil everything for everyone).

We should just tone things down a bit, and not be chasing after the sensationalism people erroneously inject into the holiday season (way too early). Everything has it;s OWN time and place. let's stick to that, hmm?

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