Thoughts For Thursday...

Welcome to the last month of 2016 - December.
Twenty-four shopping days until Christmas...WHERE the hell did the last year go, anyway?
(hope you all changed your calendars, as well as bought new ones for next year.)
Our Hoosierland weather will have us enjoying (?) cooler temps, cloudy skies and the possibility of some rain north of the city. Helluva way to start the month. Today's high will be around 42 degrees (definitely jacket weather).
So, what say we inch our way into this final 31-day soire` by getting ourselves a nice hot cup of coffee, tea, or cocoa, as we see what else has been going one, hmm?
*** First off of the counter top is the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:
"To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society". 

This was spoken by our 26th president, Teddy Roosevelt (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919)  who, beside being our leader for almost two terms (successor to McKinley after his assassination), was also a statesman, author, explorer, soldier, naturalist, and reformer.
Here is his WIKI:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt

As a leader of the Republican Party during this time, he became a driving force for the Progressive Era in the United States in the early 20th century. Well, nobody's perfect.
And, not bad for someone who was home-schooled.
Now, you can say what you want about the whole "progreessive" thing, but you have to admit he did more GOOD for America than harm. Can't say the same for say...Woodrow Wilson, right?
We owe our National Park system to Teddy...that's a fact.
He was also the first president to issue over 1000 executive orders.
Let's just say his second term helped split the republican party, as Roosevelt moved left of center.
Combine that with the southern democrats taking back Congress, and it's not hard to figure out the 2nd term would not good for Teddy.

The WIKI is long, but it's a very intriguing read and shows that  corruption in government can be dealt with, and that "trust-busting" can help the economy.
I mean, you don't get your face on Mount Rushmore without doing SOMETHING right.
*** Next up, time for our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
Tis the month of DECEMBER, so let's see what's in store:
AIDS Awareness Month
Awareness Month of Awareness Months Month (WTF???)
Bingo’s Birthday Month
National Drunk & Drugged Driving (3D) Prevention Month
National Human Rights Month

National Tie Month
National Write A Business Plan Month
Operation Santa Paws (1-24)
Quince and Watermelon Month
Root Vegetables and Exotic Fruits Month

Safe Toys and Gifts Month
Spiritual Literacy Month
Take a New Year’s Resolution to Stop Smoking (TANYRSS) (12/17 – 2/5)
Tomato and Winter Squash Month
Universal Human Rights Month
Worldwide Food Service Safety Month
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Weekly Observances:
Clerc-Gallaudet Week: 1-7 (First Week)

Cookie Cutter Week: 1-7
Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Week: 1-7
National Hand Washing Awareness Week: 1-7  (First Week)
Recipe Greetings For The Holidays Week: 7-13 (First Full Week)
Tolerance Week: 1-7
Human Rights Week: 10-17
Halcyon Days: 14-28 (Always 7 days before and 7 days after the Winter Solstice)
Christmas Bird Count Week: 14-1/5
Gluten-free Baking Week: 14-20 (Week Before Christmas)
Posadas: 16-24
Saturnalia: 17-23
It’s About Time Week: 25-31
Kwanzaa: 26-1/1
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And now, today:
December 1 -
---Today is National Pie Day

(it IS a wonderful day for pie)
---It's National Eat a Red Apple Day

(gimme the juice instead)
---It's Bifocals At the Monitor Liberation Day

(how's about a larger type font?)
---It's a Day Without Art Day

(WTF is this crap?)
---And, it's Rosa Parks Day

(go sit on her seat)
*** Next up, time to get the daily STUPID out of the way.

Here's a story about a home invasion on (where the hell else?) the city's SE side:
http://wane.com/2016/12/01/fwpd-man-shot-during-home-invasion-in-good-condition/

This took place around 2350 hrs last night at a house located at 2408 Gay Street.

Two men kicked in the back door of the house and began shooting.
One man inside was hit in the arm. Police say the victim also had a gun but did not appear to return fire (damn shame).
--BTW, the home is located inside the Renaissance Pointe neighborhood (new housing for low-income government-sponsorship)
Other people in the house, including children, were in the front and not harmed.
The victim was taken to hospital in good condition. The shooters remain at-large.
And THAT is why I am never more than an arm-length away from a loaded weapon at the "Fortress".
You bust in here, expect to be CARRIED OUT (in a black bag). Simple as that.
*** Next up, finally, the "Era of York" is over, and maybe we can get back to some good old policing of the citizens in Fort Wayne.

Here's the story link:
http://wane.com/2016/11/30/public-safety-director-rusty-york-has-retired/

Maybe he was a really good cop...ONCE, but the last dozen or so years were not the best, especially for the SE side of town. York was reprimanding officers for trivial things, and would get a kickback for every time he did it.
Morale in the department was low, and officers were taken off patrols to chase radio calls.
He also took away the citizens ability to hear the police radio. Hey, I like to KNOW what's going on or down in MY area. He cited criminals listening in. Well, there's no more police radio broadcasts available to the general public, and crime's been going UP. Explain that one, Rusty.
He should have stayed retired back in 1997.
*** Next, yes, we have indeed set a NEW RECORD...for homicides, that is.

Here's the J-G take on this from today's edition:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/2-deaths-set-homicide-mark-16598022

This includes the latest killing at the Marathon located at the five-points.

The victim there was Sha Rif, 22, (Burmese, of course) who was found about 2 a.m. Wednesday at the entrance of the Marathon gas station, a prominently located station that shares its axis with McKinnie Street.
Allen County (including Ft. Wayne) now stands at 46 homicides (I make that to be 47, but we shall see).
At the start of THIS year, I said we'd EASILY make 30. Might have to up those numbers for next year, but it might follow the trend we had in 1998, and 2014, with less than HALF the number of the prior year.
Can we make the FIFTY mark by year's end? With all these mooks about, it's not beyond the realm of possibility.
(and that's not a good thing)
*** Next, I'd really hate to the be the owner of that Marathon station at Crescent and E. State.
And here's the reason why:
http://wane.com/2016/11/30/police-again-respond-to-armed-robbery-at-e-state-gas-station/

Cripes, this place just got robbed this past Sunday...WTH is going on here?
Wonder if it's the same perp? Be nice to have some video footage from the place, so the PUBLIC CAN HELP.
((We now return you to your regularly-scheduled NORMALCY))
*** Next up, it's time for "More Fun With Kittens"

It looks like my chair in the living room is (once again) no longer mine.
And, the other chair seems to be occupied as well.

Our cats have taken to following me into whatever room I happen to go.
Guess they don't want the person feeding them to be out of sight for long...lol.
Still, it's nice to see such things again, even if I have to sit on the couch or floor.
Kinda reminds me of those "good old days" when Rassie and Penny did a similar thing.

Like DEJA VU...all over again.

Maybe it's the spirit of those two cats nurturing our "newbies" here and helping them along.
Stranger things have happened.
*** Last back to the kitchen sink...life is full of "stuff".

(how philosophical of you, Bob to say it in that manner)

Well, it's true. Some of it's good and a lot of it's bad.
You just have to learn how to enjoy the GOOD while taking care to avoid the BAD, right?
Obviously, there are those out there who revel in as much bad as they can create, and they don't give a rat's ass as to who they hurt along the way.
THOSE people you want to actively avoid, trust me.
But, while we're busy trying to stay away from all the crap, we have to take time to find some good out there and embrace that. Not an easy task in today's world. Our attention seems to keep getting diverted to much more mundane things. We all need to stay focused, and that can be a chore at times.
And, as we always see, it will come down to CHOICES.
Perhaps if our choices were narrowed, making good ones would be easier and more beneficial to everyone.
In that, there can always be hope.

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