Humpday Happenings - Arctic Edition...

So, how are you liking the frigid weather, hmm?
All this global warming getting to you yet?
(I got a knee and a few fingers that already are hating it.)
Yeah, anyone buying into that has been totally BSed.
Our Hoosierland weather is the stuff of Earnest Shackleton stories today with partly cloudy skies (my God, the sun's out - what did we do wrong?), and temps only getting up to 17 degrees. Tonight and tomorrow will be COLDER still...gonna drop into the MINUS range (with the wind chill this morning, it's already -1 degree! Dress accordingly - frostbit can occur in less than 15 minutes in this weather.
(Welcome to Antarctica, all you Roald Amundsen fans.)

Yeah, explore the tundra...we'll have a ball...right.

Now, what say we brace ourselves to this freezing cold with a big cup of hot coffee, tea, or cocoa as we try and make some sense of what is going on elsewhere, hmm?
*** First off of the ice pack is our WHO SAID THAT? quote of the week:

"Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings." 
Would we all be so fortunate to find the truth is this quote.
So, who said that? The answer at the top of tomorrow's post.
Meanwhile, back in the Who's Who in American Education...
*** Next, it's time for our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
DECEMBER 14 -
---Today is National Bouillabaisse Day

(French fish soup with fennel and saffron)
And that's all we got, kids...
*** Next up, since it's past 0700 hrs, and I'm STILL waiting for the morning paper, we gotta do this the hard way, so bear with me. Let's see what we have online...
---It comes as no surprise to me that city council pulled out their rubber stamp and APPROVED $10 MIL in legacy funds for the riverfront project.

Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/Legacy-funds-for-project-approved-16823376

Yeah, keep on practicing that special kind of stupid, people...while entire quadrants of the city slip a little lower into that 10th layer of Hades.
And by all means, use eminent domain to grab up some more land wherever you want it.
Well, there were TWO councilmen who opposed it, and good for them.
Wonder what the next pie-in-the-sky pipe-dream they'll pull out of their asses to fund will be?

Welcome to our downtown-riverfront.

This has all the makings of an Acme dynamite kit...and city hall is the coyote.
---This story is disturbing for several reasons, but the fact that it took THIS long is perhaps the most troubling. Here's the link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/Suspect-sought-in-murder-attempt-16822226
The shooting took place back on 18 SEPTEMBER, and you're issuing an arrest warrant NOW???
WTF took so damn long?
This piece of shit OBVIOUSLY was up to no damn good ...punching his girlfriend, and THEN shooting her FOUR times. He should have been caught and booked LONG before this. Someone downtown drop the damn ball AGAIN?
---Now this story has a happy ending...a SEVEN-YEAR LONG ending at that. Here's the link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/Convicted-felon-gets-7-years-for-possessing-guns-16819777

Yeah, a felon getting guns...now who the hell could have not seen this one coming?
Add to that some straw-purchases, and BINGO...we have a winner, kids!
This guy got some nice firepower...damn shame because of his past, he won't get to play with them.
Hope they arrested the person doing those straw purchases, too.
*** Next up, Question: What do you get when such things as critical thinking is not taught in schools?
Answer: Stories like THIS one:
http://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/columns/BURSTING-the-BUBBLE-16753993

It's easy to see that it's not the fault of the educators on this...they teach what they're TOLD to teach, and critical thinking isn't in the mix like it was when I was in school.
And maybe that's why we have at least 1-2 generations of kids growing into adulthood without the ability to properly DEBATE, converse, or even look at another person's POV. This is a generality and is not representative of ALL children growing up in America (thank God).
But you know the people I mean...you've come across them, probably on social media (which I try to actively avoid, save for this humble blog). Fellow blogger and friend, Chris Martin had a good post yesterday about such people, and he's 100% correct in his call. Refusal to critically think is to invite ignorance.
It's kinda hard to teach kids such notions as critical thinking when educators are tasked (by governmental mandate) to "teach to the test"...all this damn standardized testing, which is ment to only secure funding for school systems...let's be honest about it.
In many ways, we're not allowing the kids to learn to their TRUE potential here, and denying educators the ability to teach to THEIRS.
This is a pretty good read, and touts a discussion that is LONG past due.
*** Next up, let's shift gears and take a visit to "Kitten Corner"...

Playtime for the kids.

Violet and Gallifrey are doing fine, and are up to their usual antics, which happens about twice a day. The first bout is early after they eat (and they both let you KNOW it's time for grub, too). Gotta watch you don't step on either one as they are all around your feet as you try and get your coffee...lol The other major bout happens close to bedtime (for me).
There is another small one midday, again near another feeding time.
Other than that, they snooze, bird-watch, or take time to come out and sit in your lap.
Man, that's a life to be envied...at any age.
*** Last back to the broken water main (you didn't hear about that near State and Crescent this morning?)...winter time and the cold weather that accompanies it always brings it's own uniqueness in the way WE, as people handle it.

At least, it USED to.
We went to school (mostly walked early on) in ANY type of weather. Sometimes, we sat with our coats on, while the boiler in the school's basement "got up to speed" and warmed the radiators in the classrooms.

But, we got by and kept on learning.
We hoofed to neighborhood grocery stores for necessities several times a week. The milkmen never missed a beat, and we had to get the milk inside as soon as possible when it was delivered, lest it freeze out in the rack on the railing.
We took buses that had lousy heating in them (doors open at every stop) to get where we HAD to go, rather than where we "wanted" to go. Driving wasn't on the table, as Dad couldn't afford a car until I was in 6th grade...that's just the way things were, but we never went without what we NEEDED to survive.
Mom always had food on the table, the rent was always paid, and the water and electricity were kept running.

And having electricity made watching our ONE television set a family affair.
Somehow, back then, we got by just as well with a helluva lot LESS than people have today. Funny thing is, the people today HAVE much more than we did, and yet, are STILL not satisfied...they want MORE.

This is the season of giving, and perhaps instead of waiting to GET something, we need to be mindful to give THANKS for what we already have, rather than all but demand that which we think we deserve.
Gratitude, appreciation, thanksgiving...this is the stuff that MAKES the holiday season.
Add to that faith, hope and charity, and you will soon learn that you have a LOT more than you realize, and that's something worth sharing.
Surely a timeless lesson for us all.

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