Monday Musings...

Welcome to the start of another week, and one which looks to have some SNOW tossed into it.
Get yourselves prepared now for when it starts, because the storm front looks rather large and imposing.
I've already brought a shovel BACK into the house, in anticipation for clearing the sidewalk and steps to the garage.
The REST of our Hoosierland weather will include (you guessed it) snow showers beginning early today (off and on) and then becoming steady for the remainder of the day into tonight. Expect cloudy skies, too. Temps will only creep up to 32 degrees, so you know whatever snow we DO get will stick around.
Be mindful of any salt and plow trucks out there, too. Keep well behind them, and practice CAUTION on the roads during rush hour later on this afternoon. Take your time - your destination isn't going anywhere, kapeesh?

Now, let's brace ourselves for the weather with a nice hot cup of coffee, tea or cocoa, as we see what has been going on lately...
*** First off of the driveway is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
MARCH 13 -
---It's National Coconut Torte Day

(It's a keeper for me - I like coconut)
---It's National Earmuff Day

(gonna need 'em today)
---It's National Good Samaritan Day
(EVERY day if you truly are)

this should be
---It's National Jewel Day

(nothing wrong with being a "diamond in the rough")
---It's National K-9 Veteran's Day

(saluting our 4-footed members of military and law-enforcement)
---It's National Open An Umbrella Indoors Day

(rumored to be bad luck...)
---it's National Napping Day

(don't do this behind the wheel of your car...please!)
*** Next up, looks like we survived another DST "shift". Still a waste of TIME for me.

All it does is make morning DARK again and drags out daylight another hour (and it doesn't really affect outdoor lighting usage until summer, when the days are actually longer.

It's nothing MAN has done (by changing clocks)...it's a cosmology thing (earth revolving around our sun).
More GOD than man involved here, that's for sure.
*** Next, there was a dead body found in a house over the weekend. here's the story link:
http://wane.com/2017/03/11/police-investigate-suspicious-death-at-south-side-home/

This took place in the 400 block of Wiebke St. around 0920 hrs Saturday.
(ugly little house, too...near Oxford)
Police are treating this as a suspicious death ('ya think?), and were going door-to-door asking neighbors if they might have any information related to the death.
*** Next, there was a really GOOD "op-ed" in Sunday's paper about schools and vouchers.

Here's the link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/sunday-centerpiece/AN-EDUCATED-MESS-18123920

The title is quite appropriate as well.
Now, I'm not going to go into a rant over this (done that), so let's make this YOUR assignment. Take the time to read up on this and then feel free to comment your hearts out, okay?
*** Next up, and in a related story, there's this:
http://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/sunday-centerpiece/Public-school-parsimony-not-seen-across-budget-18176755

This short piece deals with public school budgets. What's odd is that some say there is a shorfall, while others maintain there is a surplus. Who you you trust? Uncover the facts for yourself and then you'll know which side is lying.
*** Next, U.S. Attorney for Northern Indiana, David Capp has resigned. Here's the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/indiana/Northern-Indiana-prosecutor-steps-down-18231132

Now, it's not totally what you think. Capp was planning to RETIRE later this year anyway.
It kind of sucks to see someone who made some POSITIVE arrests (gang-related) around our area over the past few years.
Hate to see someone of that caliber leave.
Hope his replacement is AS effective.
Lord knows OUR area need such an individual busting the bad guys.
*** Next, the local hellions took to another property they doin't belong, and were playing football on it.

When they came over to our property (as I knew they would), I went out and told them off, to which all I got were blank stares, the word "huh?" and "we're not doing nuffin". I said "you kids are always where you're NOT supposed to be"...simple as that.
Thought the street was good enough for them (at least there, they stood a chance of getting hit by some of the speeders we have that the police never bother to catch).
There's the McMillen Rec Center (close enough) that has plenty of room, and there's the Renaissance Pointe YMCA that has activities, even in the evenings, like in THIS story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/Program-provides--somewhere-to-go--18065673

This initiative, run by Iric Headley, doesn't JUST cater to men, but YOUTH as well, and would provide these latchkey kids with SOMETHING other than the ability to trespass at will in our neighborhood.
All it would take is for baby-mama to drop them off and pick them up...or, I'm sure someone at the center could do that much for the kids if they want to become involved with giving these kids some positive influences.
(sure beats making noise by tossing rocks into empty trash-bins, because the boys have nothing else to do (except piss me the hell off when they encroach on our property).
*** Next, let's leave the mayhem and stupidity behind, as we stop on by "Kitten Corner"...

Playing with "Mommy"

Our furry twosome had a very good weekend. Hardly any of that dashing about the house, but there were some "rassling" times which didn't last for long.

Two-tiered smack-downs.

I'm getting used to being awakened by Gallifrey walking over me, while Violet just waits patiently near the kitchen.
And, of course, there is always napping time (good day for that today - see above).

Loves that shag-a-delic rug (baby).

There is not an evening that passes where both Wifey and myself have one or both of them with us for a spell. It's like they take turns "sharing us". That is kinda cool.

The 2nd bird to use the feeder (so far).

The cats always have a show to watch outside - a house finch stopped by (and at our new bird feeder), along with our new squirrel, "Mangy", who wants to raid the feeder, forcing me to toss peanuts on the patio for him.

That's Mangy on our fence.

I guess "Patches" has gone the say of "Mr Wrinkles"...haven't seen him for a couple weeks now. Junior and Tweak come by, but not every day. Maybe when the weather breaks...
*** Last back to the garage...Life is all about what you LEARN.

It would seem that our educational system is in disarray (at best) these days, and that will not bode well when the students we currently have IN our schools graduate, and start making REAL-WORLD decisions.

As it stands now, society isn't providing the means to tackle the real world (for them) to any degree that would properly prepare them for what will lie ahead. Instead, they are pushing such things as "everyone's a winner" and all this "self-esteem" PCBS.
(refer to Chris Martin's Sunday Message post yesterday...very good)
Let me tell you this (from experience) - you are the sum of what choices you've made, your parents' influences, those who taught you in school (when the system was nowhere near as broken as it is today), as well as what you learned in CHURCH, and what you came to know what was right and what was wrong.

THERE always was (and is) your self-esteem (but never touted as it is today)...the product of those years and how they impacted upon you, and how you reacted to them. It's no magic bullet, and no "sure-cure", but it WORKS, and a helluva lot better than any program that can be dreamed up.
Better to have children learn early-on about success and failure, for they will encounter both in abundance.

Better to TEACH them to pull THEMSELVES UP by their own boot straps, rather than force this sense of entitlement at so early an age upon them.
Such proven methods wil produce BETTER people in the long run.

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