Thursday Thoughts...

And there is a LOT to be thinking about today, not the least of which is the weather.
Granted, this ISN'T Alaska...or Wyoming...or even the Dakotas, but ladies and gentlemen, it IS COLD out there.
Good news - bad news time. The BAD news is that it IS winter, and this isn't going away that soon.
The GOOD news is that this same time LAST year...it was COLDER.
Believe it...or else.
Our Hoosierland weather for today will see us with a high (if you can call it that) of around TEN DEGREES, and that's all she wrote.
A partly sunny, yet breezy day will ensure apropos wind-chills with some light snow later on, and blowing about.

Now THAT'S cold...

So, plan accordingly, stay INSIDE whenever possible, and LIMIT your exposure time outside.
Popsicles come in various flavors, but we DON'T want to add "People" to that list, right?
Meanwhile, let's all have ourselves a nice got cup of our favorite morning beverage and we look at what's been going on...
*** First out of the land of the Frost Giants is the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:
"Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it."
Now, if you guess Mark Twain, you were not that far off.
This was actually spoken by a good friend of his, one Charles Dudley Warner (12 Sep 1829 - 20 Oct 1900).
He was an essayist (we don't seem to have many of them anymore, do we?), and novelist.
Here is his WIKI:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Dudley_Warner
He is most noted for co-authoring (with Twain) THE GILDED AGE - A TALE OF TODAY, published in 1873.
The WIKI isn't that long, so give it a read. Remember, knowledge IS power.
Moving on...
*** Next is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
January 8 - 
---Today is NATIONAL ARGYLE DAY, so dig those socks and sweaters out.

You're probably gonna NEED an extra pair to wear over the first pair.
---And it's NATIONAL BUBBLE BATH DAY...(seriously?)

And NO, it's not THOSE bubbles in the bath...it's the RELAXING type...lol.
Better make the water VERY HOT in that case, and keep the wine close by.
---It's also NATIONAL ENGLISH TOFFEE DAY

(shouldn't that be in ENGLAND?) Pass me a HEATH bar.
---And, it's NATIONAL JOYGERM DAY...(huh, wha???)

Maybe this will shed some light on it:
http://whattheheckholidays.wikifoundry.com/page/National+JoyGerm+Day
--Okay, so you could wear that argyle sweater and socks while eating some English toffee in a hot bubble bath as you spread cheer...it COULD work, even on a cold day like this.
*** Next up...most schools in and around Fort Wayne have closed due to the cold weather, so that means the Lovely Mrs. Bobby G. gets to spend some time at home...and only has to deal with ONE "disruptive influence"...instead of THIRTY...LOL!
(yeah, it takes THAT many more JUST to take my place)

I must say, I can't recall this many weather-related days off from school) as I've seen in the past few years.
Must be that dreaded global warming we always hear about from the libtard, tree-hugging environmental-nazis.
-- Getting vehicles started can always be a challenge on days like this, especially if it's been outside, exposed to the elements.
But, it is better with fuel injection than with a carburetor.
An EFI engine will always crank over and fire up (unless other issues prevent that), while the older carburated vehicles need to have the gas pedal "pumped" (primed) before turning the key.
The fuel pump on such vehicles MECHANICAL, so the engine has to crank to get fuel to the carb and then to the firing chambers. The EFI has an ELECTRIC fuel pump, so, unless the line is iced up, fuel will flow freely to the combustion chambers, therefore allowing an easier startup.
And another thing car makers have never gotten right (yet) is the HEATER.

THIS guy's heater is NOT working that well...

All too often, the heat coming in the vehicle is predicated upon when the radiator warms up. THAT is your source of heating, circulation of radiator fluid through the heater core.
See, and you thought only PEOPLE had it rough in cold weather...
*** Next, Kevin Leininger had a very good column that addressed  the issue of support FOR THE POLICE here in the Summit City.
Here's the link to the story:
http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20150108/NEWS/150109775/1041/LEININGER
Council president John Crawford submitted an editorial to both papers and of the SEVEN councilmen we have, SIX of them signed it.
So, there is a division among politicians in our city, too.
Now who'da thunk THAT?
The only minority member of council, Glynn  ( I'm all for MY people only because we're entitled) Hines, (who, unfortunately is OUR councilhack) has publicly expressed concerns about the FWPD's treatment of minorities.
Interestingly enough, our reigning monarch, (mayor) "King" Tom Henry chose to NOT sign Crawford's editorial. Birds of a feather time, hmm?

Rise, my minions...

City officials point to the drastic DECLINE in homicides and seem to attribute the ENTIRE result as that solely of the FWPD (and Rusty York, no doubt). It was a COMBINED EFFORT with STATE and FEDERAL agencies, who stepped in to HELP with the growing problem (because the local police may be in over their heads?).
I've seen this all play out before...in Philly, and you can bet good money that when these street thugs reorganize and establish new "leadership" the homicide rate will rise once again.

Gkynn Hines - Entitlements R Us

And to have the local police (as I stated here frequently) "walking on eggshells", so as not to disturb the minority community, which has been causing the MAJORITY of crimes here for years, is nonsense.

Broken Window Theory time

I get so damn sick and tired of hearing how the black community (or even the Latino) community is "targeted" by police. Cripes almighty!
POLICE...TARGET...CRIMINALS...!!!
If those certain people (in those communities) weren't committing all these damn CRIMES, then maybe the police wouldn't be on their asses (as they SHOULD be whenever crime presents itself).
And since such people apparently cannot POLICE THEMSELVES, you're left few options, other than to have the POLICE do their job in these communities. Or have some anarchy.
It's that damn simple.
*** Last back to the Zamboni machine...it's rare that any society has problems come it's way without the intervention of PEOPLE.

Where can I get SEEDS for THIS bugger?

Such things never simply fall from the skies...just like hundred dollar bills never rain down upon us (oh, to be caught in THAT storm), or shoot out of our butts (although the government thinks they do) and that tells us that WE (as that society) are usually the ones to blame for whatever ails us.
We are the root of any problem that we create.

And that should make the job of finding a solution THAT much easier, right?
Not always.
Many times, other people will seek to over-think, overreact, and overstate that which is too obvious.

The WRONG way

Lemmings off a cliff time for them.
It's like not being able to see the forest for the tress gig.
When people seek to change something...anything, without FIRST becoming learned in that which they DO wish to change, no one comes out unscathed. Many of these protests against police clearly exemplify that.
If people took some time, and some effort to THINK before they act, and LEARN the REASON behind the way things operate, rather than dredge up any EXCUSE to cause chaos, we ALL make out better in both the short and long term.
But this reactionary rhetoric, without reasoning, is becoming the "refuge of choice" when it comes to anything in our society that means anything.
Again, this is not what made this nation. Any issue that led us to a revolutionary reaction in this nation's early history was VERY WELL THOUGHT OUT.
It HAD to be - people's LIVES were at stake.
Brave men (and women) took great pains to look at every angle, determine the consequences, seek out knowledge and wisdom, and yes, even look to a "higher power" to guide their path of destiny.
None of that being seen today.

Perhaps if these protesters had their noses in some history books, instead of shoved into the 24/7 media circus, they might LEARN something, and understand the folly in what they're doing. There is a proper way to voice your opinion, and what they're currently engaged in is not the best manner for a civilized society to act.
Sure would love to see that all change...and for the better...for everyone.

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