Monday Musings...

And, it looks to be a stellar day outside in our part of the Heartland with a somewhat overcast morning to get things going.
We even have a bit of fog (makes seeing any "neighbors" less easy - I like that).
Temps today will reach the upper 70s with mostly sunshine and no precip because we had it all this weekend.
With that said, let's begin another "fun-filled" 120 hours until we reach this Friday...
*** First off, the morning paper...(sighs)...where to begin...
Ever since or one really GOOD carrier left the business a few years back, we've been saddled with a plethora of incompetent ADULTS whose only purpose for having a paper routs is some extra "beer money" (or whatever else), and that speaks to a part of a large problem that bugs this nation - lack of PRIDE in one's work.
Now, granted that delivering papers isn't a fast-track to a publishing career, but if you HAVE something called a WORK ETHIC to begin with, you DO THE BEST you can, no matter the situation, right? It helps to have this in order to KEEP the damn job as well.

Well, this morning, the paper was on the WALKWAY between our steps and NOT on the top step where we requested it should be.
It's a good size top step, easy to hit with a half-decent arm, but tossing from a car idling curbside isn't the BEST way to make it.
So, once again I call in to "suggest" (read complain) about the delivery.
This comes on the hells of receiving TWO SUNDAY papers yesterday. One placed on the top step (huzzah), and another ON THE SIDEWALK...and that one was LAST WEEK'S Sunday paper...complete and bagged. Go frigging figure, people. I have no idea what this carrier is doing, but I guess that's fine...neither do they.
Perhaps the newspaper will let this bird GO, and then we can start all this anew...AGAIN.
Work ethics? WHAT work ethics?
Moving on...
*** Had a problem with our primary toilet on Saturday, and that prompted a quasi-emergency run to Menard's yesterday.

Now, I prefer a toilet that flushes...every time. I don't ask for much from my bathroom mainstays...just that they FUNCTION.
So, Wifey and I drive over to the big-box and get some parts...along with other stuff like more plants (found some really cool ones), a few border edge bricks (for out front), two solar lights shaped like a butterfly and hummingbird (that rotate colors) for cheap, and a few other items...a good haul.
After we got home, away I went into the bathroom and do some "plumbing"...

And I can never work in the bathroom without recalling one of the BEST Three Stooges shorts from 1940 called: "A Plumbing We Will Go"...

It is HILARIOUS beyond belief...STILL!

(thank God for DVDs)

The black actor (Dudley Dickerson 1906 - 1968) that plays the chef in the house is BRILLIANT..."Sorry folks, dinner's postponed on account of rain."

His best line for me in the film was when he notices all the stuff that's happening to the water and electricity and says thimself: "This house sure gone crazy!"

Anyway, I had to shut the water off first to drain the tank, and NO, there is no shut off AT the toilet (where there SHOULD be), and since Curly once noted that "...water always runs downhill", I knew WHERE to go to shut off the water...the BASEMENT.
Well, after that, and about ten non-cussin' minutes later, I turned the water back on, and gave the fix a "test drive"...
Flushed like a damn dream...nice and smooth. I even swapped out the handle assembly.
Mission accomplished...!

Then, I took 2 new hangers we got for the feeders and placed them on the fence. And THAT went well also...(I'm usually not used to this happening - everything SEEMS to turn into a bloody project...lol)

The new hangers allow for BOTH the hanging plants AND hummingbird feeders (sweet), and that frees up the other older hangers for regular bird feeders.

We have some nice additions to the garden...when we (I) get them planted.
And it all worked out quite well, even with us adding a THIRD hummingbird feeder we have near the patio door.
Again...Mission Accomplished.
Two fer two...I'm feeling like a kid again.
I made a spaghetti dinner w/ hot sausage...AND had a beer (Guinness, of course) to chase it down in memory of Dad, and Father's day.
All in all, not a bad time...for a welcome change.
*** That brings me to Father's Day in the ghettohood...(do control your laughter.)

Must be another Father's Day.

Some might say it's the most CONFUSING day of the year for most of the "locals" down here, and I'd have to agree.
Sorry, that's just what I notice...lots of "man-children" with NO responsibility hanging out, doing as little as possible, unless it has to do with crime or drugs.

Ghetto moms - and proud of it.

Mainly, it's the WOMEN who raise whatever kids are born out of wedlock - the males are only around for some "trim" now and then, which often produces MORE kids, even with all the FREE contraceptives available. courtesy of the U.S. TAXPAYERS of this nation!
The males roam from crib to crib in their boomcars, replete with rims, tires and kick-ass stereos, settling in for a spell with one female, then eventually moving on to the next one...and so on.
Think of it as a "Circle of Strife" kinda thing...
"You can't DRIVE a house, BUT you CAN live in a car." would be the response by most all these males.

Sadly, the women also lose the benefit of having a proper father (multi-generational illegitimacy in child-birth and a dependence upon the GOVERNMENT for everything as a result).

Wonder if this applies at LIQUOR stores?

They raise a child without even knowing what a father is SUPPOSED to be to them initially, so there's nothing to "pass along" to THEIR children, good OR bad...a real LOSE-LOSE here.

So, what you have is a bunch of people growing up with NO role models, NO fatherly advice, NO life experiences to pass along...NOTHING.
Everyone's "winging it", making it up as they meander along, and that usually means little good will come of such upbringing.
Welcome to the ghettohood, folks.
*** Lastly today, because I feel like keeping this short and sweet for a Monday, is that SOME sense of family needs to be in every person's life.

Mankind IS a social creature...from earliest accounts, we have seen that man has sought out others of his kind, rather than go it all alone.
In a tribal sense, the reasoning in flawless. When being attacked or trying to survive, there is safety in numbers.
These days, being as "civilized" as we're supposed to be, it's okay to not be AS social as our ancient ancestors. We can still remain in touch with everyone and everything, thanks to inventions and technology.
But every time the pendulum swings ONE way, it invariably HAS to swing back the OTHER way.

We have become TOO comfortable with invention...we have given up the nuances that go along with PERSONAL contact in favor of the faceless and "emotionless" aspects of cold, hard technology.

Our society has allowed men to become less accountable for the children they sire to women, leaving them to fend for themselves, instead of manning up and doing the right thing.

On the other side, many women seek release from abusive relationships where the man is harming the children as well as the woman.

Mankind is STILL flawed in many ways...that's probably never going to change any time soon, but when certain societal parameters are no longer applied or even enforced, but others or by self, the result is pretty much what we see every day.

We ALL have to answer for what we do in life, just as much as for what we DO NOT do, and therein lies the issue.

Many simply do not WANT to do anything.
Life is always more about NEEDS than WANTS, anyway...if you're really living life and not going through the motions of it.
People need to figure out what they NEED to do in life, and that will require some effort.
Some of it will be physical, some mental, and much of it emotional.
But THAT is how we all advance as a species...or at least how we SHOULD.
I believe such things are easily attainable for ANY of us, as long as the desire doesn't wain.
Have yourselves a great week.

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