Friday Follies...

And the weekend is here at last, bringing more seasonal weather along for the ride.
This cold weather will be sticking around for a few days, so best get used to it (again).
Bet you thought you could pack away those winter coats, huh?
Our Hoosierland weather for today brings us mostly sunny skies, and gusty winds (not to worry - nothing close to the other day), with a high of around 33 degrees.
With the winds, it will "feel" more like the teens out there, however. Dress accordingly.
Now, let's all get ourselves some of that "Friday Fortitude" poured and parked nearby, as we see what has been going on elsewhere...
*** First out of the china cabinet is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
MARCH 10 -
---It's National Blueberry Popover Day

(what is the difference between a TURNover and a POPover?)
---it's National Mario Day

(Had a feeling it wasn't Andretti)
---It's National Pack Your Lunch Day

(what about the FREE lunches??? STFU and STFD)
---It's National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

(we're always aware of things that could otherwise BE CONTROLLED with self-restraint)
---Oh, and in case you forgot...TODAY is the birthday of CHUCK NORRIS. He's 77.

Looks pretty good, I have to admit.

(and I still wouldn't want to screw with him on his worst day).
*** Next, and since it IS the weekend, let's see how best to observe the following 48 hours:
MARCH 11 -
---Saturday is National Johnny Appleseed Day

(and when EXACTLY do "we" celebrate this in Fort Wayne? Not this day)
---It's National Oatmeal Nut Waffles Day

(I like all three of these, just maybe not TOGETHER)
---It's National Promposal Day

(another one of the "contrived" observances)
---It's National Worship of Tools Day

(no longer JUST a "man thing")
MARCH 12 -
---Sunday is National Girl Scout Day

(wonder if the leftards "transgendered" the hell out of THIS organization yet?)
---It's National Plant a Flower Day

(time to make a list of what to tackle in the garden soon enough)
---It's Daylight Saving Time – Second Sunday in March

(Big...Fat...Hairy...Deal. Nobody saves anything, got it?)
*** Next up, Have you heard the latest propaganda from the Ministers of Obfuscation?

Well, take a look at THIS:
http://www.businessinsider.com/americans-drink-more-bottled-water-than-soda-2017-3

Americans drank MORE bottled water than soda (last year) according to research and consulting firm Beverage Marketing Corporation. (Did they watch them?)
Now, the difference is negligible - 39 gallons of BOTTLED water per year compared to 38.5 gallons of soda.
This HAS to be based of SALES, right? So, to me, that ONLY means that more bottled water was SOLD...doesn't mean people DRANK every drop of it. Some use it for cooking, washing hair, brushing teeth, and so on...
But none of that is ever mentioned in the article.
(yes, the truth can be found, if you're willing to search for it)

Oh, and add to that the unfair SODA TAX that was levied by leftist mayors of certain cities.
Plus, all those individual PLASTIC BOTTLES of WATER (when empty) aren't all that good for our ENVIRONMENT are they, you tree-hugging cupcakes? How many of THOSE do you see every day along streets , hmm?
(correct answer: a LOT more than you should)
Granted, I've had my share of Perrier in days past (and in GLASS bottles which I disposed of PROPERLY). It was a diversion for me, nothing more.
Then, there's THIS tidbit:
https://www.banthebottle.net/articles/drinking-bottled-water-can-lead-to-possible-magnesium-deficiency/
In case you're not aware "IF" you might have a magnesium deficiency, here's the lowdown:
http://www.ancient-minerals.com/magnesium-deficiency/symptoms-signs/
How's THAT for making you feel all "warm and fuzzy", hmm?
Now, the biggest monkey-wrench in the machine here is that bottled water was created more as a "marketing gimmick".
((Companies selling bottled water, he argues, have managed to convince people that buying water is a healthier choice than sugary soda.
But the truth is, the comparison is a case of false equivalence. 

Bottled water isn’t simply an alternative to soda — it’s an alternative to tap water, which is free and much more eco-friendly. By buying bottled water, consumers aim to establish themselves as savvy and health-conscious, even though they could simply drink a glass of tap water that is 2,000 times less expensive. 
While bottled water is often marketed as the better, safer option, companies do not have to share the same basic information that all tapped water suppliers do. In a 2008 study, the Environmental Working Group found 38 pollutants in 10 brands of bottled water. Two of the 10 brands tested were chemically indistinguishable from local tap water.))

Here's the source article that spells out the marketing trick of the century quite well from way back in 2014:
http://theweek.com/articles/447517/bottled-water-marketing-trick-century
OOPS!
Looks like you CAN fool most of the people MOST of the time, Mr. Lincoln.

"Now how about THAT?"

Those who simply HAVE to carry a bottle of water around make me laugh my ass off.
They're searching for that cliff to jump from when they follow the rest of the lemmings...heh.
Now, pass me another Dr. Pepper, please.
*** Next up, looks like our own Glenbrook Square Mall is losing an ANCHOR STORE.
Here's the story:
http://wane.com/2017/02/24/j-c-penney-to-shut-130-plus-stores/

Yep, the J.C. Penney store will be shutting down later this year.
All it takes is ONE person to muck things up, like a catastrophic reinvention plan under a former CEO that sent sales and profits free falling starting in 2012. That'll do it every time, and yet, that ex-retail-capo must be still counting their personal profits.
The latest round of store closures is due to "changing shoppers' patterns".
Sounds like K-Mart all over again, but we already lost that here, as well as the Penneys that USED to be at the old Southtown Mall in Fort Wayne. Now, we soon won't have ANY Penneys either.
Geez, at this rate, can Macy's and Sears be that far behind? Hope to hell NOT!
*** Next up, let's stop on by "Kitten Corner"...

Always a nice day when cats frolic about the house.
And, it's even better when they take a nap (or several) in between their feline activities.
I mean, bird-watching IS hard work...ask any cat.
Every day they're here, I count myself blessed, even if they get into stuff they're not supposed to.
It's just a learning curve for them...and in some ways, for me, too.
As long as no permanent damage is done, no problem, right?
And so far...so good in that respect.

Violet and Gallifrey are children enough for me in many ways...don't have to worry about them doing drugs (catnip doesn't count), dating issues, STDs and such, going out to parties, being bullied at school, learning to drive, paying for college...the usual stuff.
In essence, one can save a couple hundred THOUSAND bucks this way...lol.
*** Last back to the junk drawer...it's sad to see stores close...ANY stores.

I can speak from experience in just the 20 years we've lived here.
We have lost SO many stores down here, it's not funny at all. And many of them were stores that were here in this city LONG before I got my Philly-born ass to the confines of Fort Wayne, Indiana.

We not only lost stores...we lost an entire bloody MALL, in fact. We also lost a lot of family-owned (and run) stores.
I lost count after we got well over a hundred, but I can assure you we don't have many LEFT. THAT is fact.
Some stores we never even had down here. Never saw a hobby shop.
We lost book stores, department stores, clothing stores, music stores (had one in Southtown), gardening stores, sit-down restaurants (the kind with real cloth napkins and menus handed to you by wait-staff).

And, at the root of all this NON-development were the people who moved into the area. The ones with absolutely NO vested interest in maintaining a viable retail footprint on the south side. The "government-sponsored" riff-raff, along with their gang affiliations, drug trade, and assorted other personal and business crimes ALL helped in no small part to devolve our part of town into a veritable wasteland of retail and service businesses.
Sure, shopping habits HAVE changed, thanks to the Internet, and that will cause those not keeping pace to fall behind, having to make tough decisions, or take risks to buoy up their share of the marketplace.
Some will succeed...some will fail.
That's what the free market's all about anyway.

And, maybe part of this ongoing problem has to do with having too MANY choices, also called "Analysis Paralysis"...LOL.
It's good to be able to choose, as life compels us to do, but when you spend more time choosing than doing, things will happen, and perhaps not always for the best result of those involved.
Remember, all of us can do better...and we should.
Have yourselves a good weekend.

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