Humpday Happenings...

Nothing like waking up to arctic conditions to put a "spring" in one's step...is there?
And it IS a cold one this morning, but we're due for a bit of a warm-up tomorrow, so hang tough.
Our Hoosierland weather will see us with sunny skies to begin with, and then increasingly cloudy skies, with temps reaching to about 20 degrees, oh, and light snow coming in this afternoon, with another inch or so of accumulation.

At least OUR sidewalk is clear (as usual).

Not much to cheer about, I know.
So, let's get as nice hot cup of coffee, tea, or cocoa to warm ourselves up, as we see what's been going on elsewhere...
*** First out of Shackelton's expedition is our WHO SAID THAT? quote of the week:
"The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them."
Kinda sounds like someone has been following around some of those in our nation's capital of late, does it not?
So, WHO said that?
The answer at the top of tomorrow's post.
Meanwhile, back at the House of Burgessess...
*** Next up is our "What the hell happens today, bob?" feature:
January 13 -
---Today is NATIONAL RUBBER DUCKY DAY

(and even HE must be frozen)
---It's also NATIONAL PEACH MELBA TOAST

(never to be confused with Melba Moore, who is a peach)
---And, it's STEPHEN FOSTER MEMORIAL DAY

(anyone for a chorus of Camp-town Races?)
*** Next, it would appear that the Kroger purse-snatchers have been apprehended.
Here's the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/Kroger-employees-thwart-purse-theft-10906981

This "less-than-dynamic" duo were noticed by EMPLOYEES at the Bluffton Rd Kroger (where we shop), and helped police nab them, after another purse-snatch happened there this past Monday.
One employee noticed the green station wagon in the aprking lot, and another employee followed the car and gave police a direction of travel and tag number to the FWPD (she was on her phone).

Yes...LOSERS come in ALL "flavors", folks!

Nori Ellen Shepherd, 31, and Anika Nicole Johnson, 39, were the two charged by police.
Two others were in the car - a male, who was driving the car (and was not charged, but should have been an accessory_ and a child, who eas turned over to relatives (and should have been in school?).
Shepherd has a criminal history including drugs, theft, and forgery. Johnson has no priors in Allen County, except for traffic violations (well, she sure does now).
GREAT work by Kroger employees...glad THEY could help the police.
*** Next up, FWPD Hamilton has been spotted behind his desk (rather than under it) and was on TV yesterday.
Here's  the latest of what he has to say:
http://wane.com/2016/01/12/police-chief-discusses-2016-plans/

Smilin' Garry doing what he does best.

So, the FWPD "capo" has a PLAN...does she?
(about damn time)
As could be expected, there are high expectations when it comes to the CITIZENS aiding the police to keep crime under some sort of control...not really gonna happen in SOME parts of the city, is it?
Hamilton wants to provise TASERS to all officers (which don't work a damn when a perp has multiple LAYERS of clothing on), as well as body cams for 100 officers.
He also wants to "saturate" more areas to target armed robberies and commit to cimmunity outreach programs like "coffee with a cop".
I still maintain that one GOOD way to keep crime at bay is with two-man PATROLS...in areas KNOWN to be ripe with crime (like most all the SE side, and now the SW and east side. Also, let's not forget about the north-central area, which is seeing a rise in criminal activity.
The gang task-force DID get 84 handguns off the streets (how many long guns?) and how many firearms had been LEGALLY PURCHASED?), and made 478 arrests with 755 charges filed.
And HOW many of those arrested are BACK ON OUR STREETS, doing what they love to do once again?
THAT is what should be asked of the chief, because it would tell a much more grim picture, right?
*** Next, what the hell is up with people driving INTO houses around here?

Well, that's ONE way to ADD a garage, Bill.

It's winter, and COLD outside, so why ventilate perfectly good houses with automobiles?
Here's the latest fiasco:
http://wane.com/2016/01/12/car-crashes-into-home-leaves-gaping-hole/

Will someone SHUT that damn window!!!

Funny thing, NO explanation is given as to WHY this car drove into the house.
Nothing mentioned about a medical condition, ora "mechanical" issue, and it sure didn't look like anyone behind the wheel was NOT attempting to park.
Four people were at the house at the time. None were injured (and none were going to work, either, like the 2 younger women and one boyfriend).
The house was condemned and will probably be bought up by some Latino ethnic for renovation to seel or rent some OTHER non-English-speaking S/A nationals.
That seems to be the "trend" these days on the south side. And, it's a very disturbing one at that.
*** Next up, I purposely did NOT watch the FINAL SOTU message from our Socialist-in-Chief last night.Watching paint dry would have been preferred in our house.

"I'm glad you let me lie to you for all these years.
And you suckers ate it up."

As Rush Limbaugh noted earlier in the day, it WAS full of untruths, false beliefs, misdirection, perceptions based on skewed logic and leftist ideologies.
And, if you wanted to play a drinking game (with real booze) where you took a swig whenever a CERTAIN WORD was uttered, you should NOT have chosen the words "ME" and "I", or you might well wake up in an ICU suffering from ALCOHOL POISONING...(within the first 15 minutes)...lol.

Nobody wins at this game...ever.

Let's say the recap of the "speech" (read his personal legacy bullshit) was painful, enough to endure.
The review on Fox was a lot more insightful, enlightening and contained a lot more TRUTH than the actual speech.
I do love the word "final" when referring to this SOTU...has a wonderfully hopeful ring to it.
Here's the Cliffs Notes version:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/01/13/obama-downplays-isis-threat-defends-economic-record-in-state-union.html

A staple since 2008.

Now, in all fairness, we should go easy on this outgoing president.
After all, it's the FIRST JOB he's ever really had, right?
(( LMAO! ))
This poser-in-chief definitely lives in an "alternate reality", which is far removed from the REST of us and OUR reality. Those $5K suits he wears (that we paid for) oughta be a clue there.
What he "champions" versus what is clear and imminent (regarding dangers to our nation), is something he is totally out of touch with, and has been more divisive than unifying, tossed race relations back a hundred years, doesn't think ISIS is that big a threat, as compared to global warming and firearms, forced "his" form of healthcare on us, done "end-arounds" past Congress at every turn, and wants "his" agenda to rule the day...if he had his heart's desire.
Sorry bub...not gonna happen on YOUR watch (thank God for that).
*** Last back to McMurdo AFB...how is it that too many folks have taken to blindly listening and following people based on popularity, rather than ethics and character?

Just take a quick survey...you see it damn near everywhere.
And people never flinch in their "devotion" to whatever crap is blowing their way, instead of taking a few moments to scratch the surface, find some truth and hang the hell onto THAT.
We have indeed bred into our society a faction of morons, and it's totally by design, because these people were promised the moon (screw the costs to everyone else) and then fell for whatever lie came along...hook, line, and sinker.
There used to be a time when we didn't HAVE to question every single thing or person, for we had built up a level of trust, with history being our guide.
Yet, after all the years of MISTRUST leveled at us, we started to wonder what's going on and why are things getting worse instead of better.

Now, in order to be AS informed as our parents once were, we HAVE to question, learn, and become skilled in the art of subterfuge, for it has become an art. And we know who the guilty parties are who practice it, right?
If we think for one minute that all in this country is "hunky-dory", than we are deluding OURSELVES.
And don't you think that ONE delusional person running this nation (for the past 8 years) has been enough?
Our country won't become as great as it was with such people in ANY position of power.
These last eight years should be witness enough to make such a claim, hmm?

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