Humpday Happenings...
Welcome to the middle of our brief week, thanks to the Monday holiday. (and yes, trash pickup is STILL a day later, so that means our "locals" will have their bins out a day early...typical.)
Our Hoosierland weather takes a change for the cooler starting today, whenever the rain that was predicted decides to show up.
No sunrise to see this morning, thanks to the cloud cover, and our high today will be around 78 degrees with some showers and maybe a thundershower. I shouldn't have to water anything today, thanks to Mother Nature. (marvelous woman)
So let's all get our morning beverage of choice and take some time to see what is going on elsewhere...
*** First off of the porch is our WHO SAID THAT? quote of the week:
"Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking."
I think this makes a good case for WHY some people fail - the incorrect manner of thinking weighs them down, and causes them to make bad choices
And if such things are not taught at an early age, it tends to inhibit the ability of children to develop all they could become. So, WHO said that anyway? The answer at the top of tomorrow's post.
Meanwhile, back at the."stoic philosopher" library stacks...
*** Next up, is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
September 9 -
---Today is NATIONAL TEDDY BEAR DAY

(this one is gonna be a winner...I can feel it)
Bet'cha Build-A-Bear at Glenbrook Mall will be jumping.

I wish I had these cute buggers.

And that means we couldn't forget about Earth's Mightiest Bears, either.
---It's also CARE BEARS SHARE YOUR CARE DAY.

Okay, now I'm sensing a "theme" here.
*** Next up, aside from all the police calls regarding shootings and "shots fired", it would seem that there is another "trend" that's disturbing.

That would be STABBINGS, or other types of attacks with a BLADED weapon.
(well, it is quieter than a firearm)
Remember a recent story about a man found stabbed to death in a house at 3400 Hanna St. (white perp, too)?
Earlier this morning there was a customer who apparently attacked two employees outside of Shangri-La West located at 2440 W. Jefferson Blvd around 0100 hrs.
Here's the story:
http://wane.com/2015/09/09/two-hurt-in-stabbing-at-local-adult-nightclub/
Yep, no firearm used here...just a standard MACHETE (seems a lot of folks carry them in their vehicles around here.

 Did not know that's part of your "safety package" in case you break down. I might have to get us a couple for OUR cars. Wonder if a CLAYMORE would fit in the trunk?
As always, this case is "under investigation".
Seems we have more INVESTIGATING going on in this city than we do POLICING...imagine that.
*** Next up, our last good neighbor (who is relocating to the Socialist Republic of Kalifornia...lol) stopped by the back fence to give us some cat food.

Gonna miss little Miss "Puss-Puss"

Seems she had to have the cat she's had for 14 years put down...she could no longer take care of her - she didn't think it wise to take an older cat cross-country.
So no more early morning feedings of her cat for me.
It's kinda sad, but the cat was part feral (our neighbor took it in during the winter and made sure she had her shots and all), and the cat lived longer thanks to our neighbor than if it would were it outside all the time.
While the cat would never let me pet her (she hissed really well), she DID come to expect my morning visits to feed her when our neighbor was up in Canada with her grown children for several weeks each year.
The cat would come out of nowhere and start her little meows and I got her food ready. Then, she'd come onto the deck and wait for me to put her dish down.
Fourteen years is a good run for ANY cat. Our Penelope made it to 17 years.
Must be all the love an owner gives a pet...yeah, that's gotta be it.
*** Next, an adjunct to my "Action Figure Corner" segment...and this concerns Doctor Who.

I just got a 12th Doctor's sonic screwdriver from the UK (new, for a lot less than retail) with free air postage yesterday.
(Chris can relate to this)
I now have replicas from the 10th, 11th and 12th doctors, but I cannot get the 11th doctor's to work as it did when I got it last Christmas.
It won't close and remains in the "open" position...seems some tiny spring came out inside, so I figure that's where the problem lies.
I emailed the manufacturer (Underground Toys) and asked if there was anything I could do to fix the problem.
They contacted me and said if I have a picture of the item, the original packaging and the receipt, they could see about a REPLACEMENT. OOOooooo, that sounds cool.
(okay, so TWO out of THREE ain't bad...as the song goes)
All I know is that Wifey got it at Walgreens (of all places) so I might not have the receipt, but I can take a picture AND I DO have the original packaging.
I wonder if that will be enough?
We'll see when I email them back today. (here's hoping)
Also, and this means nothing to anyone but a "Whovian" (fan)...this particular model has TWO secret sounds.
If you tap the sound button THREE times (fast) you get another sound, and if you tap the button FOUR time (fast) still another. Be sure to hold the button down on the last tap.
(these are sounds from specific episodes, so I hear)
Also, I added a "gadget" at the very bottom of the blog page. Click on the TARDIS for some Doctor Who sounds from the wbesite. There 'ya go...everything the well-dressed Timelord needs to know about something that the rest of you out there most likely have no idea what I'm on about...LOL.
*** Last back to the storm cellar...life is something that can work FOR you, or AGAINST you, depending on the manner in which YOU choose to live it.

Many times, we see the results of someone who has made lousy choices from little on up, and then wonders (along with society) WTH went wrong.
Doesn't take an Einstein to figure that out.

Back when I was a spirited youth, my parents got me interested in something we used to call HOBBIES.
Now a hobby is something you develop an affinity for, and it can range from coins to stamps to music, to books...you name it, and it can fast become a hobby. And the best part about it...YOU OWN IT. Whatever you decide your hobby is...it's YOURS.
It could be modeling (which includes model planes, railroads, cars, etc), or it could be collecting comics (one of my personal favorites in times past), or action figures, stuffed animals (like teddy bears or Hello Kitty), something else pertaining to a specific genre .
Much of our youth today doesn't seem to want to bother with such things, because they have ALL this "social media" crap.

Or SHELVES for all the models...lol.

Hell, with access to more sources for hobbies, via the Internet, one would think the opposite would be true.
I feel that many parents today haven't an idea as to how to get kids involved with hobbies, otherwise we'd see a lot more of them getting into them, rather than roaming about, collecting scars from bullet or stab wounds on our streets.
That is NOT a hobby, BTW...but for many, it IS a part of their life...a sometimes FATAL part.
We always hear that "we need more programs to help the youth of today"...NO, we don't

We have ALL we need to help them right in front of us...they're (still) called HOBBIES.
And the sooner parents (or others) start getting more kids interested in them (once again) the better off they will be, because many hobbies teach valuable lessons about life, and that's something else that seems to be missing for the children these days.
Sounds like a win-win for everyone concerned, right?
It should be.

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