Humpday Happenings - Post Christmas Edition...

Well, friends, the presents have been opened, the leftovers are stored in the fridge, the after-Christmas sales are in full vigor, and here in the Heartland, we're staring at our first "significant" winter storm warning.
The forecast is for between 2-4 inches in OUR area, with less snow to the north and west, and MORE snow to the south of us.
Wifey is predicting 3 inches...that was what she told me yesterday.
The cynic in me tends to gravitate towards the extremes...either we get a dusting, OR we get hammered with MORE than was originally said.
When it comes to snowfall amounts, everyone's guess is as good as any other.
*** It's time for our last military quote of 2012...aka WHO SAID THAT?
"The noble and courageous man is known by his patience in adversity."
(and I personally learned a LOT from this wuote the past weekend...lol)
So, who said that anyway?
The answer at the top of tomorrow's post.
Meanwhile, back by the fireplace...
*** We lost two very good actors over the holiday.

Jack Klugman and Charles Durning both passed away on the 24th, and they both enjoyed long careers.
Here's the the WIKI for Jack Klugman:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Klugman

And here's the WIKI for Charles Durning.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Durning
Cripes, I remember Klugman starring in a couple Twilight Zone stories, one in particular was his playing a man who wanted to be the "best" at something...such as playing pool. And he gets his heart's desire...for a price in the game of his life (and soul) with a former champion.
Then, there was TV's The Odd Couple, where he played Oscar to Tony Randall's Felix...later on, he would become the predecessor to ALL the CSI shows when he starred as Quincy, M.E.
Durning never had many starring roles...but he didn't have to.
All his characters were notable, such as Spermwhale Whalen in the movie The Choirboys, or the corrupt politician in O Brother, Where Art Thou.
Gonna be kinda weird not seeing either of them in anything any longer, especially Klugman, since HE was (also) born in Philly.
*** Another house fire (read arson?) in Ft. Wayne...again, at an empty (or vacant) dwelling.

This happened yesterday at 829 Wilt St.
Here's the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20121226/LOCAL07/312269974/1002/LOCAL
The fire was contained in the bathroom and dining room and was extinguished in 18 minutes.
And NONE of our smoke-eaters were shot at, which brings me to this incredibly tragic story that happened in upstate NY.
*** A lone gunman sniped firefighters responding to a deliberately set blaze in a neighborhood out in suburban Rochester, NY, killing two and two others seriously wounded.
Here's the "4-1-1":
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/12/26/fire-trap-gunman-dead-after-killing-2-firefighters-at-scene-western-ny-blaze/

William Spengler, 62 , set his house and car on fire and then waited for the first responders to show up.
He had a Bushmaster AR15, a shotgun and a revolver, and took his own life as well.
He also left a note stating his intent to commit harm, and a body found in the remains of his house were ID'ed as his sister's.
Seven houses in the neighborhood caught fire as a result of the initial arson.

And you just KNOW that the anti-gun folks are touting THIS action as "one more reason" to outlaw such rifles as the Bushmaster (along with all other AR-style semi-automatic rifles)...but mark my words, if they DO somehow manage that feat (hopefully, not likely), it will ONLY be the beginning...they won't know WHERE to stop.
Right on the heels of the Newtown shooting...with the same style rifle...how "convenient", hmm?
I'd like to toss out a postulation regarding this.

Now, suppose...just for the hell of it...that we play out a fictional scenario...perhaps one even worthy of a Rod Serling script...
-- Let's say some government agency (aside from our military), and completely disavowed from our "regular" government wanted to push some sort of "agenda".
So, they get together with some OTHER agency deep down in the Defense Department and also with the CDC, both working on biological weaponization.

Those people have this "item" that can cause the creation of what we call a Manchurian Candidate - someone who can be programmed into performing things they would not do otherwise, such as shoot up a school...or mall...or movie theater
The subjects "selected" for such an event would be those with mental and/or emotional issues that would make them more "pliable" to whatever substance was being pumped into their veins, rendering them susceptible to "suggestion".
Then, at a prescribed date and time, the government agency turns these people "on", or rather loose to commit whatever mayhem has been placed into the minds of these hapless souls.
The resulting FEAR alone from the heinous actions of such individuals would render much of the population compliant to do whatever it would take to not allow this to happen again, such as gun-control (for starters)...
And then, we all live happily ever after with NO cause for alarm...the end...yeah, right.
It sure would make an interesting movie or novel...would it not?
And who's to say it isn't ACTUALLY taking place as we speak?
This is a situation where it IS just as easy to do it, as it might be to say or think it...

Granted, that the subjects involved in the recent shootings HAD mental instability issues, and Spengler was previously convicted for a bludgeoning death (by hammer) of his Grandmother back in 1980, serving 17 years for that crime.
NO mention of ANY ban on HAMMERS, though...was there?
But HOW does a convicted killer obtain a Bushmaster, anyway, and where does one get close to a GRAND (or more, because they're not cheap) to purchase one?
It really makes you wonder HOW such things can occur...
One would think the LAWS we already have would address such inconsistencies...
Close THOSE loopholes and address mental health problems properly, and a lot of these types of killings WILL just go away...simple as that.
Now, onto more seasonal things...
*** The lovely Mrs. Bobby G. and I enjoyed a very nice Christmas (after all the angst was dissipated).

I made a roast turkey (again with the leftovers, Bob?) and we had home-baked gingerbread and chocolate chip cookies for dessert, as well as pumpkin pie.
Even our cats joined in, as they will be helping me with all the leftover turkey...LOL.
The locals were actually sedate for a change (guess they all got WEED in their stockings), so that was a plus.
Got me a few books for Christmas (one is a Jimmy Stewart book when he was a bomber pilot), and I got a DVD of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
Wifey got me a set of THERMALS, so as to the cold...
BRING IT ON!
She also got me a cool Iron Man figure...that WALKS (but not too well on carpets).

Yeah, the kid in me showed up yesterday, too.
Wifey and I got "his and hers" matching Walther PPK CO2 BB pistols, so how, we can have some "competitive shooting matches" in the basement.
They look pretty damn real, too (bwahahahaha).
Wifey got some cologne, and a week's worth of "cozy socks"...the ones that are thicker than most and very colorfully-striped.
And of course, there was boxes of CHOCOLATES!
(you think ANY husband would forget THOSE?)
I also blew some scratch at the liquor strore...purely for "medicinal and celebratory purposes", mind you.
She also got a book titled "Waiting for Superman" - about how we can improve the school systems in America.
(we can start with the PARENTS...or what passes for them these days)
Oh, I'm sorry...did I say that OUT LOUD?

The cats got some catnip mice to bat about, which will no doubt wind up UNDER some piece of furniture in no time at all, along with some POUNCE treats.
They also got some turkey from our dinner...yeah, spoiled rotten they are.

It's not quite like Christmases of (my) youth, but it IS SINCERE, and whatever you lack in QUANTITY is ALWAYS made up in QUALITY.

So, all things being said, it was a GOOD time, especially being able to watch some of the Christmas fare on the TV ...or DVD as we also did.
(BTW, the movie: Captain America - The First Avenger is REALLY good)
*** Lastly today, the Garfield Christmas Special (which they no longer air on TV - thank you DVD player) always seems to sum the holidays up best (for me).

It's a half hour story of going back to what you remember as being Christmas, and how GOOD MEMORIES can often carry you through, even after time moves inevitably forward.
And that's what I like to take away from the holidays...good memories, both of times long past as well as recent times.
I'd also like to believe that during all those past years, that the learning process for me never ended.
We remember things because of their importance, but it's more than that.
We tend to remember things because of WHAT WE WERE TAUGHT...or what we LEARNED from those times.
Our parents instill in us the notion that we are LOVED...and the gifts are merely symbolic OF that love, and never take the place of that love.

We're not "bought off" as children, and we remember that into adulthood, or at least we should.

It's exactly like the story from antiquity about the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus.

It's not just the GIFT we're made aware of, but the REASON behind WHY the gift was given in the first place.
And in cases such as these, REASON should always win out...don'cha think?

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