Thoughts For Thursday...

Winding down the week and closing in on a "Christmasey" weekend.
Haven't had one of those in a while, have we?
Got a bit of a warm-up over the next several days to boot. Sure is a huge change from those sub-zero temps and windchills, and a welcome relief for a few of my joints and healing feet (right one still hurts)
Our Hoosierland weather will have us with partly to mostly cloudy skies, temps climbing once again above freezing to around 36 degrees, and no precipitation coming our way.

Aren't you forgetting the bloody CUP?

Now, let's all get ourselves a nice hot cup of our favorite morning drink to kick-start the day as we see what else has been going on...
*** First off of the slushy street is the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:

"What will you and I give for Christmas this year? Let us in our lives give to our Lord and Savior the gift of gratitude by living His teachings and following in His footsteps."
This is attributed to Thomas S. Monson (born August 21, 1927) is an American religious leader, author, and the sixteenth and current President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
(see Chris, you weren't too far off)
And here is his WIKI:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_S._Monson

It's a decent read, and even if you're not a Mormon (like me, a "shouting" Methodist), you can appreciate a man's journey through life and being a Godly man during it all. Monson became a bishop in the LDS church at age 22, and by the time he was 31, he was president of the Canadian mission.
To say he was busy in his later life in the Mormon church would be an understatement.
Give it a look anyway. You'll get an insight into the hierarchy of the LDS church.
*** Next up, time for the "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
DECEMBER 22 -
---Today is National Date nut Bread Day

(haven't had that in a while..got a hankering for it now)
---It's Anne and Samantha Day

(Anne Frank and Samantha Smith - Google them both and learn some history)
---It's Forefathers' Day

(Think Pilgrims - our founding fathers' forefathers)
---And, it's National Re-Gifting Day

(This has to do with employee/company Christmas parties. They still have those, right?)
*** Next up, we've got some really GOOD STUPID going on out there, so let's have at it.
---The first story is another DRUG RAID in Ft. Wayne. Here's the story link:
http://wane.com/2016/12/21/exclusive-fwpd-busts-unusual-drug-house/

This kinda great police work ALWAYS makes me smile.
The raid took place at a house located at 741 W. Dewald St (SW, where I said crime was blossoming) around 1445 hrs yesterday afternoon.
Inside the place, officers found several handguns, cocaine, marijuana and heroin/fentynel. Welcome to "Costco".
((Police said this was a relatively unusual operation because the alleged dealers didn’t live in the house.

They treated the house like a storefront.
At the end of the day they would lock the doors and go home. Inside the place, the drugs and guns were separated into their own areas and rooms. Almost resembling an illegal drug department store.))
It's like I said...some houses are BUY houses, others are STASH houses, and still others are where the dealers LIVE, which are often the MONEY houses.
Nice level of "organization", isn't it?

Terrell Smith - LOSER!

Police charged 19 year old Jermichael James and 19 year old Terrell Smith both with 2 counts of dealing and one count of maintaining a common nuisance.
You may recall Smith as being one of the FIVE (black) counterfeiters busted back in the spring (see my post from 5 April 2016).
Here's the link to THAT story from WANE to refresh your memory:
http://wane.com/2016/04/04/teens-arrested-for-counterfeiting/
And he's back out on the streets ALREADY?
Well, back in JAIL again, too. That's A-F*cking-Mazing!
Darrius Fultz, 20 was charged with visiting a common nuisance and possession of marijuana.
Fultz is also obviously NO stranger to the penal system.

Darrius Fultz - LOSER!

And the icing on this cake - the BATFE and U.S. Marshals were involved...
---The next story shows that stupid can even come to us from China (who knew?)
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/us/Synthetic-opioids-overwhelm-16945400

Okay, so "organic" opioids are being supplanted by SYNTHETIC opioids...whatta surprise.
((The proliferation of rapidly evolving synthetic opioids has become so fierce that the DEA says they now constitute an entire new class of drugs, which are fueling the deadliest addiction crisis the United States has ever seen.))

You buy our drug, we make you hooked.

Yeah, I'll bet they're busy as hell.
((The fentanyl-like drugs are pouring in primarily from China, U.S. officials say – an assertion that Beijing maintains has not been substantiated. Laws cannot keep pace with the speed of scientific innovation.
As soon as one substance is banned, chemists synthesize slightly different, and technically legal, molecules and sell that substance online, delivery to U.S. doorstops guaranteed.))
Drop-shipped to your door...at least they're not suing DRONES...yet.
---You may need a tissue for this next story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/business/Obama-s-economic-plans-unappreciated-16942435

With a "CAPITOL" D.

Can you IMAGINE that? Obummer's economic plans were UNappreciated.
The subtitle is "Things got better, but voters didn't see it".
Hell, the voters didn't HAVE to see it...they FELT IT...like in their BANK ACCOUNTS and WALLETS, you asshole.
He bailed out damn near every Tom, Dick, and Harry, jerked around with raising the national debt to around $20 TRILLION (with a "T") bucks, and all but stalled our GDP.
And we're supposed to appreciate THAT kinda clusterf*ck???
Gimme a damn break.
His is that SPECIAL kind of stupid, if you ask me. Shame he's the only one that can't see it, or admit to it. His brand of narcissism simply won't allow it.
Boo-Effin-Hoo, Barry.
---This story goes to show that people can be coerced into doing something they shouldn't have to.
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/indiana/6-4-million-enroll-in-Obamacare-16943410

Worst mandate ever.

Yep, 6.4 million MORE people signed up (under penalty of stiff fines) for the "Affordable" Care Act.
I still maintain that our federal government was NEVER in, and should NEVER be in the business of DICTATING what kind of health coverage we "need". That's where the free market comes in and COMPETES for our hard-earned wages and such.
This entire deal was UNCONSTITUTIONAL from the jump, but since the "Supremes" thought of it as a levy-tax, it was given a liberal free-pass. Sure, bypass the LAW with BS and call it done.
I'll be so glad when this is overturned and relegated to the scrap heap of useless leftist agendae.
(that pile gets larger each day)
*** Next, and getting far away from the madding crowds, let's see what's been going on at "Kitten Corner"...

Violet is a "Terminator" kitty?

The kids were fairly good yesterday, although the tree continues to be a focal point of curiosity.

Gallifrey "at attention", and awaiting orders.

Still, there are diversions, either by nature (the "pay-per-mew" bird show outside), or the contrived (my trusty laser pointer). That helps dissuade them from assorted mischief.
Today Wifey and I plan to stick some ornaments on the tree, in the hope that they don't cause further curiousness from Violet and Gallifrey. Lord knows the rest of the time, they're so effin cute, and I fall for that every damn time.
Naturally, feeding time creates it's own unique expression of appreciation. They're both still finding their "voice", as it were...lol. No loud meows, just subtle and barely audible mews.
It's gonna be a work in progress...for ALL of us.
*** Last back to the salt-covered roads...Christmastime is a study in contrasts.

While many of us enjoy this time of year, and try our best to take in ALL the holiday season means, others are busy doing what they do the OTHER 364 days of the rolling year, namely causing mayhem.
Many people are shopping, and some are breaking into houses and vehicles to avail themselves of someone else's gifts to loved ones and friends.
Like I'm fond of saying: Some people are GIVERS, while others are TAKERS.

And while this time should be one of festive appreciation and embracing the joy of the gift that God bestowed upon us all, it's often a season of angst and depression for many.
I've been down both streets in years past, and gratitude avenue is more preferred than desolation boulevard.

A shame those who need to see this cannot, or will not.
But there is always hope, right?
We also have faith that things will change for the better.
And we can practice charity not just for the holidays, but all year long.
That is something we need to remember.

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