Thoughts For Thursday...

That mild weather yesterday was nice while it lasted.
Now, we're back to the more "seasonal" conditions outside this morning.
Got us some patchy freezing drizzle outside of town, as we're below freezing.
Not much in the way of sunshine, either, at last not to start off with.
Perhaps later today, if we're fortunate.
Temps will try to get up to around the 32-degree mark, and that's about it.
So, let's get something nice and warm to drink as we see what's going on elsewhere...
*** First off of the bird feeder is the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:
"Presumption should never make us neglect that which appears easy to us, nor despair make us lose courage at the sight of difficulties."

This is attributed to one Benjamin Banneker (November 9,1731 - October 6, 1806), and he was a free black American almanac author, surveyor, naturalist, and farmer.
Here is his WIKI:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Banneker
He was largely self-taught and had little formal education.

What makes him unique is that he was part of a group, led by Major Andrew Ellicott that surveyed the borders of the original DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, the federal capital district of the United States.
His knowledge of astronomy helped him author a commercially successful series of almanacs.
Since his death, a "mythology" persisted, exaggerating his accomplishments.
Due to the fact that on  the day of his funeral, there was a fire (in his log cabin) which destroyed most of his belongings and papers,  some conjecture was created.
Banneker also corresponded with Thomas Jefferson (as the WIKI explains).
If you wish to read up on the "legends" attached to Banneker, here's this WIKI:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mythology_and_legacy_of_Benjamin_Banneker
It's a longer read than the piece on Banneker himself, but I look at this objectively, because as times changed, so did opinions of people, both black and white. Included are all the places named after him.
Timelines can be corroborated, but other aspects could be looked at as a denouncement of Banneker and his accomplishments. You read up on it and you make the call.
*** Next up is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
February 4 -
---Today is NATIONAL CREATE A VACUUM DAY

(Don't even have to TRY in Washington D.C.)
---It's also NATIONAL THANK A MAILMAN DAY

(That's a bit sexist...we have plenty of FEMALE carriers, too)
*** Next up, here we go again...ANOTHER grandiose "plan" to make Fort Wayne's downtown more attractive (specifically to "millennials").

Here we go...AGAIN.

I guess that excludes the rest of us? Here's the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/New-life-for-The-Landing-11297019
Yeah, we got us another DEVELOPER (this time from Cincy) to redevelop the historic ONE-BLOCK area of Columbia St in the downtown area.

Listen to the flush.

Anyone else get the distinct impressions that we're still lop-sided when it comes to "development" or rather RE-development in this city?
Several groups bid for the opportunity to do downtown, but, it's like bribing anyone to re-develop the SOUTHEAST side of the same city. What the hell is wrong with that picture?
The Landing is only ONE---STINKING---BLOCK, and the SE side is LOTS more...and with LOTS LESS these days, thanks to a lack of involvement by the city to revitalize anything down here.
The mayor can't even GIVE away land for developing (near Southtown), and yet we're supposed to "believe" that redevelopment is on it's way...without even addressing the crime in the area.
Now, I'm all for "acts of faith", but this goes way beyond the realm of believability.
All the Apostles combined could not dredge up THAT much faith (in this city's leaders).

Any landing you can walk away from is a good one.

But, Fort Wayne DOES have to keep up with OTHER cities it's size...and push toward that ONE MILLION mark for the region...all the while allowing an entire quadrant of the city to remain in urban blight.
ALL this redevelopment around center city, and nobody really knows WHO is footing ALL these damn bills...
A-f$cking-mazing!
`*** Next up, and closer to "home"...we finally got our SHELL gas cards and used it last week to fill up the Wifeymobile.

Worked like a charm, and was more than a few cents cheaper per gallon.
Nice to have TWO different cards (B.P. and Shell) JUST in case something goes awry.

And the Krogers (formerly Scotts) in Waynedale DID have PAPER BAGS last week.
The week prior, they did NOT.
Yeah, that was a "WTF???" moment.
When does a damn grocery store NOT have paper bags? Who screwed that up and why?
This is not the FIRST time it's happened, either.
The young fellow that bags told us that people were angry with THEM (like it's the bagger's fault) over this.
I told him "Hey, it's not your fault one damn bit. Whoever orders such things screwed the hell up."
He thanked me for understanding...imagine that.
Nothing to understand, really...someone a bit higher up the "food-chain" caused the clusterf$ck (as is usually the case, having dealt with such people in several positions over the years)
Sadly, the "clientele" for the store has changed since the Decatur Rd. store closed (and apartment complexes in Waynedale have also "changed"...obviously not for the better.
Like I've said before, the blight IS spreading (now) into the SOUTHWEST part of the city.
(and much of it has two legs)
*** Next, the city AGAIN took it upon itself to block off part of E. Pettit Ave, without any notification through media sources (as usual), and traffic flowed through OUR streets.

People can't even cross the damn street, either.

We had some congestion (as could be expected with any RESIDENTIAL area) with traffic clogging the intersection, and buses driving over streets not designed for such vehicles and certainly not for a constant flow of two-way traffic.
Naturally, NO traffic-control could be found (like a police officer), and I keep finding out that there are a LOT of people who DO NOT know he difference between a "through-street" and a YIELD sign.
In other words...EVERYONE comes to a COMPLETE STOP...and WAITS...!
Well, at least they weren't FLYING through the area as they usually do.
(No, the FWPD doesn't think that SPEEDING through residential areas HERE warrants a cruiser patrolling to pull such people over down here. Thanks, Garry).

Look more like potholes than ruts to me.

And, then there are those that toss out mattresses near the alley in the "hope" that trash picks them up. Just drop it there - don't stand it alongside the trash bin or place it near the bin...nah, that requires work. (something they're not acquainted with, no doubt).
I suppose it's better than dumping big-screen TVs there...but not by much.
A regular patrol of the ALLEYS around here could solve that (along with some citations to the offending parties).
Not to mention, the RUTS in our alley that are caused by all the "cut-through" traffic that doesn't need to come up or down the alley makes navigating them a "challenge".
You get tired shaking your head in disgust over the ignorance of the city with such things.
*** Last back to the suet cake holder...it would seem that ANY government is only as good as it's worst area of "expertise", as it were.

On the FEDERAL level, that's inclusive of a LOT of departments.
You don;t even have to look that hard to find waste, or corruption, or indifference.

Same can be said for the state level, and especially the LOCAL level.
While there are a very few departments in Fort Wayne that EXCEL in what they do (like ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL, SOLID WASTE and yes, even NEIGHBORHOOD CODE AND ENFORCEMENT), there are too many more that simply drop the damn ball. TRAFFIC CONTROL is one. They could make a mint citing the daily violators down here. They seem to only canvass the downtown area (can't have bad stuff THERE).
Ditto for the FWPD. Lots of money to be made by people shirking the laws and ordinances down here.

You want to have a level of respect for every agency in the city, but, by their own actions (or the lack thereof) you simply cannot...and that's both sad and scary.
I recall a time when citizens didn't have to worry about such things, because the city knew it's job (to serve the public, and not on a platter with an apple in it's mouth), and performed whatever was expected of any given department, so as to not cause concern with the populace.
How times seem to change.
The best we can hope for at this point is to give praise to any department where it's warranted, and also to call out those who have fallen down on whatever job they're supposed to be performing.
Many times, that can make you feel like that sole voice in a vast wilderness.
But if one person hears you...and acts in the appropriate manner, things can (and will) get done.
Sometimes, not  the best way to proceed...just the only one for the time being.

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