Tuesday Tidbits...

We certainly didn't get anywhere close to 6 inches of snow (more like a bit over 1 inch, actually), but it was enough to clear and salt the steps here at the "Fortress". Further north got more snow than we did, and the east coast is getting more than that. Lucky them, hmm?
Our Hoosierland weather for today brings us partly sunny skies, cold temps and maybe a couple snow showers later on. Our high today will reach only 28 degrees.
Now, if that isn't reason to get ourselves a nice hot cup of coffee, tea, or cocoa, I don't know what is, so let's get that going, as we see what else has been going on elsewhere...
*** First out of the ice cube tray is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
MARCH 14 -
---It's National Children's Craft Day

(something all the children in our area know NOTHING about)
---It's National Learn About Butterflies Day

(get thee to a library, I suppose)
---It's National Pi Day

(no real way to observe this...sorry)
---It's National Potato Chip Day

(got this one covered, and with green onion dip, too)
*** Next up, since it's a Tuesday, let's take a look at all the police calls that we should have read or heard about, but the media was too busy reporting about trivial nonsense regarding our current president...

SHOTS FIRED ((113)) / ARMED ROBBERY((53)) CALLS - 03/06 - 03/12
((23,113 - vandalism by gunfire))
=======================================
MAR 6 - 
17F027329 03/06/2017 10:52pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 300 BERRY ST W
17F026889 03/06/2017 06:18am 23,113 1900 POINSETTE DR
17F027278 03/06/2017 07:36pm 23,113 2000 POINSETTE DR
((NO armed robberies))
MAR 7 -
((NO shots fired))
17F027374 03/07/2017 02:37am 53 ARMED ROB 1600 THIRD ST & RUMSEY AVE
MAR 8 -
17F027786 03/08/2017 12:34am 113 SHOTS FIRED 2800 ABBOTT ST
17F028290 03/08/2017 09:24pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2800 TRENTMAN AVE
17F028295 03/08/2017 10:05pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 3800 ABBOTT ST & RUDISILL BLVD E
17F028309 03/08/2017 10:55pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2700 WARSAW ST & LEITH ST E
17F028312 03/08/2017 11:01pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 3900 SOUTHPARK DR
((NO armed robberies))
MAR 9 -
17F028679 03/09/2017 09:31pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 1800 COLLEGE ST
17F028689 03/09/2017 09:58pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2700 SCHAPER DR
17F028726 03/09/2017 11:18pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 1600 ST JOSEPH BLVD
((NO armed robberies))
MAR 30 -
17F028755 03/10/2017 01:35am 113 SHOTS FIRED 2500 DREXEL AVE  
17F029196 03/10/2017 10:00pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2700 PLAZA DR
17F029208 03/10/2017 10:39pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2400 HAZELWOOD AVE
((NO armed robberies))
MAR 11 -
17F029528 03/11/2017 07:46pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2100 BROADWAY
17F029547 03/11/2017 08:51pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 400 BURNS BLVD
17F029558 03/11/2017 09:11pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 5600 INDIANA AVE
17F029421 03/11/2017 01:51pm 23,113 2500 FLORIDA DR
17F029337 03/11/2017 08:53am 53 ARMED ROB 3300 COLISEUM BLVD
MAR 12 -
17F029648 03/12/2017 01:47am 113 SHOTS FIRED 4500 WEISSER PARK AVE & SHERWOOD T
17F029679 03/12/2017 05:27am 113 SHOTS FIRED 4600 HANNA ST S
17F029958 03/12/2017 10:11pm 53 ARMED ROB 5300 STONEHEDGE BL
===========================
FIREWORKS CALLS 03/06 - 03/12 - 
NONE (can you freaking believe that?
===========================
*** Next up, it wouldn't be a day in Fort Wayne without some STUPID going on, would it?

So, let's see what took place last night. Here's the story:
http://wane.com/2017/03/13/two-hurt-in-southeast-side-shooting/

Yep, two people shot in the area of the 2500 block of Lafayette (near Suttenfield St. and Reservoir Park) last night around 2140 hrs.

The scene of the crime

Police were initially called to ONE person shot, but found that a 2nd person was also shot nearby and taken to hospital in a personal car. The first victim was located in an alley between Barr St., S. Lafayette St., E. Suttenfield St., E. Woodland Ave. He was listed in critical condition. The 2nd victim was also listed in critical condition.
((UPDATE: The victims have been ID'ed as 23-year-old Keytron Liston and 25-year-old Larry Briggs - both black males and no strangers to Allen County courts.))
Police were working to find out if the victims shot each other.
*** Next up, and unless you've been in a cave watching shadows on the back walls, you probably have noticed this increasing number of companies filing bankruptcies, and how it will impact Fort Wayne.

Here's the latest "victim":
http://wane.com/2017/03/13/department-store-chain-gordmans-files-for-bankruptcy/

QUITE unexpected, yes?

Yes, we can now add Gordmans to the list, which recently included H.H. Gregg, and yes, even Gander Mountain.

We can expect the companies to go through a restructuring (as they always do), and that means, unfortunately store closings. Add this to the J.C. Penney closing at Glenbrook Square Mall.

I'll bet you will...

Granted some companies prefer to avoid bankruptcy by closing stores first (like K-Mart and Sears have done in the past), but it makes you wonder WHERE will this all end?
*** Next up, I want to take some time to talk about how POOR people are in America.

One article I came across in my digging around told the tale about how we have the RICHEST poor people on the entire planet. Here's the link:
http://godfatherpolitics.com/america-the-richest-poor-country-in-the-world/
Allow me to enlighten you all with some FACTS:
---80 percent of poor households have air conditioning. In 1970, only 36 percent of the entire U.S. population enjoyed air conditioning.
---92 percent of poor households have a microwave.
---Nearly three-fourths have a car or truck, and 31 percent have two or more cars or trucks.
---Nearly two-thirds have cable or satellite TV.
---Two-thirds have at least one DVD player, and 70 percent have a VCR.
---Half have a personal computer, and one in seven have two or more computers.
---More than half of poor families with children have a video game system, such as an Xbox or PlayStation.
---43 percent have Internet access.
---One-third have a wide-screen plasma or LCD TV.
---One-fourth have a digital video recorder system, such as a TiVo.
And, if you think people (here) are going HUNGRY...think again:
---96 percent of poor parents stated that their children were never hungry at any time during the year because they could not afford food.
---83 percent of poor families reported having enough food to eat.
---82 percent of poor adults reported never being hungry at any time in the prior year due to lack of money for food.
And if that isn't enough, there this article in Forbes:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2013/06/01/astonishing-numbers-americas-poor-still-live-better-than-most-of-the-rest-of-humanity/#aba7fe854ef0

Surely, some very sobering statistical data (much of it comes from the census).
So, we can conclude that politics has NOTHING to do with HELPING the poor; it's about KEEPING people poor in order to make them dependent upon "the state". So much for all those programs that are doing nothing to change the statistical facts and lower the numbers we're always being told about, right? And LBJ was the one who kicked this snowball down the proverbial mountain, with his "Great Society" line of bullshit.
*** Next up, and changing gears, let's visit "Kitten Corner"...

"Snow, huh? Big fat hairy deal."

The cats seems to not mind the snowfall, but when critters come around, then they take notice.
They view the weather much differently than we do (they never have to shovel anything...lol).
Violet and Gallifrey never miss the chance to nap, no matter what the weather (well, except for loud thunderstorms - had a couple since we brought them home, and they don't like that noise all that much).

Never snows in HERE.

Thankfully, there are Wifey and myself to divert their attention back to more important things...like chasing laser beams or knocking about a jungle-ball. Ahh, what a life, hmm?
*** Last back to the glacier...you've seen me post here more than a few times about poverty, both real and feigned.

And, as the years pass, I can see that what we used to define AS poverty has changed significantly.
Yes, even in America, we suffer from "class envy", as it were.
We have gone so far as to add more people to the poverty role, than are actually poor, and this nation's lawgivers have patted themselves on their increasingly wealthy backs for their ingenuity in that redefinition.
I see first-hand what passes for poor folks down where we live, and yes, it is one of the largest lies perpetrated against the rest of this country's people.

There is ALWAYS a case where someone will not be AS RICH as another...been that way since mankind came to be.
When we designate THINGS as the determining factor to riches, we become poor in many other ways, not the least of which is "spirit".
When we see others making out better, we whine about it, until some politician creates a program to bring that richer person down by giving (more) to the poor person.

That is not creating equality...rather dependency along with polarization, forcing one class to dislike another.
And that, is a real "money-maker" for those in power, make no mistake.
That is why people have become "wards of the state" in so many ways, and why we have so much "government-sponsorship" of those who simply do not wish to become productive by normal means or opportunities.

NOT the American way.

Like communism so often demonstrates: "Sooner or later you run out of OTHER peoples' money", right?
When people cease to CHOOSE to become self-reliant, they all but forfeit their humanity (including freedom and liberty) for the sake of control by a government.
Always take time to remember that parable - GIVE a man a fish, and you feed him for a DAY - TEACH a man to fish, and you feed him for LIFE.
There is SO much truth in that.
We need less giving and a lot more teaching, don'cha think?

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