Thoughts For Thursday...

Hope you all made it through the rain without incident.
I hear the rain is supposed to stop by this afternoon (when precisely is anyone's guess).
Take the umbrella anyway and be aware of road conditions...you'll be glad you did.
Our Hoosierland weather for today brings us rain in the morning, partly cloudy skies this afternoon and temps only getting into the 70 degree range (but we still have a load of humidity).
Not exactly a "throw-away" day,. but damn close.

Now, let's get a comforting drink to begin the day, as we see what else has been going on...
*** First off of the comic page   is the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:
"An imagination is a powerful tool. It can tint memories of the past, shade perceptions of the present, or paint a future so vivid that it can entice... or terrify, all depending upon how we conduct ourselves today."

This was spoken by Jim Davis, the creator of Garfield the Cat.
Yes, that was a bit of a "gotcha", but I thought it appropriate.
And here (again) is his WIKI:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Davis_%28cartoonist%29
Also, just for the fun of it, here's the "bio" from the official Garfield website:
https://garfield.com/jim-davis
*** Next, time for our 'What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
JUNE 20 -
National Kouign Amann Day

(kinda like a croissant from Brittany)
National American Eagle Day

(no "illegals" here...heh)
National Hike with a Geek Day

Did my share of hiking)
National Vanilla Milkshake Day

(love these)
National Ice Cream Soda Day

(ditto)
*** Next up, there's nothing like a LEO with a GOOD eye. Here's the story:
https://www.wane.com/news/crime/juvenile-in-custody-after-officer-reportedly-spots-him-with-a-gun/

A juvey with a gun...in a shopping center parking lot.  A female was also taken int custody by a county officer. Nice job.
*** Next, and speaking of PUBLIC SAFETY, there's this gem:
https://www.news-sentinel.com/opinion/2019/06/20/news-sentinel-editorial-incidents-underscore-need-for-public-safety-debate/

Yes,  it is VERY hard to sell the idea that FTW is SAFER. I totally agree with the author. And this year's mayoral election is the perfect venue to hash out what REALLY needs to be done to actually make this city safer for everyone.
*** Next up, let's stop by "Kitten Corner"...

"Stretch" Gallifrey at the back door.

The kids were pretty good yesterday, considering the rain was making the view outside less than desirable.
It wasn't long before they took to (what else?) napping a good part of the day away. I joined in briefly in the late morning.

Violet is curled up to nap.

I neglected to have an ice cream bar last night, so I hope they're not put out because of that.
I think giving them some treats helped along those lines.                                         *** Next up, time to check in with "Midnight and Whiskers"..

"I'd rather get wet food than dry food that gets wet."

Our furry twosome had to dodge the rain for a good part of the day. Midnight again missed lunch, but was back on the patio chair waiting for dinner.
Whiskers was under the table also waiting.

"The weather's crappy, but the food isn't."

Since it was "Wet Food Wednesday", I knew they'd like that, so it chased some of the blahs away from the rain we had. And, they both managed to stay dry.
Back step treats was cancelled (due to weather), but they each got a handful in their bowls.
*** Last back to the editorial page...public safety should be a pretty big deal in ANY city, town, or borough.

Some live better than most, Mr. mayor.

The reason is simple: People WANT to feel safe. I know, because I'm one of them.
The fallout from the lack of safety for citizens has far-reaching effects. We're no longer living in the age when people could go to bed and not have to bolt their doors and lock their windows.

That is the last bastion of safety - YOUR HOME.
And people are not feeling as safe THERE as they used to be, otherwise the security camera system business would not be booming as it has been.
We can blame "societal evolution" for this fiasco.
People also want to feel safe in PUBLIC areas like music and sporting events, shopping, dining, and such.
Take those amenities away from people, and they might well refrain from attending them, hence the increase of online shopping and food delivery services.

What sets me off about ALL of this, is that we're willing to point fingers at those IN public safety, while we really need to point fingers at the communities that are the cause of the LACK of said safety. Sure, we can hold events, stage walks, marches and prayer vigils until the cows come home, but there has to be an active WANT to rid our cities of these domestic terrorists, no matter who they are.

Too many broken windows.

I would to think we don't all have to become a community of vigilantes, but there needs to be some definitive work done to rid us of the criminal element, or at least diminish it to where we can all feel safer again.
Until that happens, we all need to be on guard for our OWN safety, simply because we are our own BEST (and first) defense.

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