We're Nearly There...

To the weekend that is...one more day to go (if we can stand the strain).
The Hoosierland weather will be tossing us a curve-ball today...starting out cool, but warming up to near EIGHTY degrees...BUT (uh-oh) there will be a chance of rain showers this afternoon or evening (probably some overnight...maybe, perhaps). You know how the weather (and those forecasting it) works...right 50% of the time and get paid anyway...love that job.
Now, let's grab a nice comforting cup of our favorite morning beverage as we see what has been going on elsewhere...
*** First out of the stack today is the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:
"Autumn wins you best by this it's mute appeal to sympathy of it's decay."
This is attributed to none other than that poet of yore...Robert Browning (7 May 1812 - 12 December `1889) and here's the WIKI:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Browning

He was an English poet and playwright, and is considered one of the most notable Victorian poets for his mastery of dramatic verse and especially dramatic dialogues...(not bad for a lad from the south of London)
By 12, he had already written a book pf poetry, but destroyed it when no publisher could be found (damn shame).
In later years, Browning believed that spiritualism was the result of fraud...even attended a seance with his wife, and disproved the mystic
His most famous works are a collection of poems titled MEN AND WOMEN (1855) which was a two-volume set, and when published, received little fanfare at all. He later wrote The Ring And The Book (1868), which contained blank verse.
This was considered his greatest work and arguable his most ambitious.
It is said that other notable people such as Rudyard Kipling, Ezra Pound, and T.S. Eliot learned much from Browning's works and style.
The WIKI is a good read, and if you were asleep in LIT class, this could refresh your memory a bit.
Moving on...
*** Now,you're probably wondering  what makes today so special...well, wonder no longer as we look at our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature.
October 2 - 
Today is National Custodial Worker Day...time to recognize those who keep everything clean and spotless...(when they're not molesting kids, assaulting women, or being stoned or drunk on the job).

I curse you, dirty floor!

I also guess that having the janitor come out of the broom closet takes on a whole NEW meaning?
I'm sure the LGBT crowd would love to think so.
-- And, it's also Name Your Car Day...

Better than naming body parts, I guess.

I have to say over the years, I've called many vehicles MANY names...most of them unable to be repeated here, but I will say I have officially "named" my first car , a two-door champagne beige 1968 Buick Special Deluxe ("Cindy")...just seemed right.
Never did name my dark green two-door 1975 Torino, though. Never had a need to.

For the last 31 year, however, the Firebird has had a couple names, most notably, "The Batmobile", and I've called it "Buddy" on a lot of occasions, but I draw the line with any physical involvement...we're purely on a MONETARY basis...I put money INTO it's upkeep...and it keeps running...a "marriage" of convenience as it were.
*** So the downtown of Fort Wayne might need (or is that want) ANOTHER "arena"?

Sure sounds like a "WTF???" moment to me...how about you?
But, it's true.
The city is blowing a cool $40K for a STUDY (what? Another freaking one?) to see the "feasibility" of such a venue.
Haven't we destroyed the quaintness of Fort Wayne ENOUGH?
Do we have to become another cookie-cutter city like so many others that build up THEIR downtown to the point of over-saturation...only to have them devolve a lot faster because people tire easily of all the "shiny keys" dangled in front of them?
I've seen Philly try such crap...they stuck to keeping ALL their sporting stadiums and arenas SOUTH of center city (not that they had room there to begin with...it just was the PRACTICAL thing to do.

I can hear the flushing.

Naturally (here), Tom Smith (1st district councilguy) wants to see this happen and is all over it like white on rice.
But, here's Kevin Leininger's column on this...see what you think:
http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20141001/NEWS/141009998/1005/FOOD
I am in the group that thinks such another such arena would take AWAY from existing facilities.
Besides, imagine what that same $40K could do for the SE side of town...the part that NEEDS some sort of frigging revitalization.
Don't see many (if any) studies being conducted down here, do we? Wonder why?
Better to "write off" an entire quadrant of a city than DO something about the tax money that you also have to write off...whatta laugh.
*** Next up...washing bedclothes should be pretty easy, right?
Well, for the most part, it IS...until you get to the bane of laundry...the FITTED SHEET.

Now, don't get me wrong...I LOVE fitted sheets...easy to slip on to the mattress, perfect fit and a nice smooth layer to place all the other stuff onto.
BUT...how in God's name can you ever find a way to FOLD the sum'bitch?
The ladies know what I'm talking about, but guys, if you EVER want a REAL challenge in life...find a way to fold a damn fitted sheet.
Now THIS smacks of "rocket science"...you MUST need a damn degree in ENGINEERING to figure it out.
Plain sheets are simple, even if you didn't get good grades in GEOMETRY...it's a rectangle, and it's got nice, squared off corners...a cinch to fold them nivcely enough to put in the linen drawers or closet...not so with a fitted sheet.
It's the damn ELASTIC around the corners...no straight edges or squared of corners, and THAT plays hell with logic.

Okay EINSTEIN..figure this one out!

Hell, I'd even take being able to refold it so I could get it back in the cute container it came in...must drive whoever (in whatever foreign country makes these) is packaging them crazy...production line longevity must be 3 days (or less)...LOL.

There 'ya go then...all folded!

Suffice it to say I "reverted" to my "dark"-side, and tried my best to fold it (failing miserably), but the train-wreck of a ball of linen it now resembles fits well enough in the drawer...so much for doing something right. That's okay, the creases will come out next time it goes on the mattress, hmm?
*** Next up, homeless Hoosier vets get some money for housing.
Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20141002/LOCAL06/141009923/1002/LOCAL
Now that $605K sounds like a lot (at first), and if it were used the CORRECT WAY...it WOULD be a lot, and go very far.

But, the Indiana public housing agencies get the money to "dole out" to the vets...(after they take their "cut"...bet on that).
What these agencies need to di is butt the f$ck out...period and give the money directly TO the vets (for housing).
And we're only talking about helping 127 vets with that $605K...that's IT???

Cripes, if you brought $605K down to OUR part of town, you by up a CRAPLOAD of these hovels, refurbish them and move a lot more than a mere 127 vets into them...talk about a missed opportunity.
And the face of the ghettohood could be changed BACK into what we USED to call a damn NEIGHBORHOOD again...again, a "win-win" for everyone, especially the city, as they see businesses able to return, because much of the criminal element would be sent scurrying elsewhere.
I said the city should do that for the vets for YEARS...not a peep from anyone...because no one downtown wants give a rat's ass, except when it comes to making the actual downtown better (for the elitists in town).
But, it's what we have come to expect.
*** Last back to the hangar today...funny how the more things seem to change, the more they stay the same, and that's not to say tht things are as they USED to be...hardly that.

We could but WISH things were that way, but when a city seems to get into a "groove" of keeping up with the Joneses (similar cities) or caters to specific groups and people time after time, well,we can see the "real" progress being made, can't we?
Out one side of the politician's mouth we're told this is better, when in fact the other side is saying "it's for the all-mighty dollar".
(which is usually is)
Someone's pocket becomes fleece-lined, while much of the rest of the citizenry GETS fleeced...it's that simple.
Helluva way for civil SERVANTS to act, isn't it?
It's like having the hired help RUN (and thereby own) the damn estate.
Add in all the other government intervention and intrusion and this nation is fast becoming a shadow of it's former self (and glory).
That should never be allowed to happen...not if we're to remain any sort of "beacon on the hill" for others to emulate.
But hey, that's just my opinion...
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there,America.