Tuesday Tidbits...

The good news is, it ain't Monday.
The bad news is, it ain't Friday...lol.
In today's world with ALL the daily strife, you just gotta begin the day with a smile, no matter how small it might be.
Besides, if you're smiling, it always makes strangers wonder WTH is so funny.
Our Hoosierland weather today brings us increased cloudiness through the day (I suppose that means we will see the sun for a bit), with temps reaching into the mid-70s.

Oh, and there is a slight possibility of some rain stopping by later on, but I heard it will be mostly south of the city (we might see some down here...you never know).

So, why not take this time to grab a nice cup of coffee, tea, or even cocoa, as we see what else has been going on.
*** First off of the mantle is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
SEPTEMBER 12 -
---It's National Ants On A Log Day

(nope sorry, never liked this crap at all Celery and PB? That's not right)
---It's National Chocolate Milkshake Day

(okay, now that's more like it)
---It's National Day of Encouragement

(We need a day for something we should be doing for oursevles and others ALL year?)
---It's National Report Medicare Fraud Day

(report it? I don't even plan to use it...much)
---It's National Video Games Day

(been so long for me, I got dust on the old Playstation Mk 1)
*** Next up...it's Tuesday, and that means more fun with all the (important) police calls that we never heard a peep about, because the media was too busy covering football events...

SHOTS FIRED ((113)) / ARMED ROBBERY((53)) CALLS - 09/04 - 09/10
((23,113 - vandalism by gunfire))
=======================================
SEP 4 -
17F109966 09/04/2017 09:26pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2800 REED ST
17F109767 09/04/2017 11:39am 23,113         300 BERRY ST W
17F109825 09/04/2017 02:31pm 23,113         8100 GREENWICH CT
17F109904 09/04/2017 05:45pm 23,113         7500 BLUFFTON RD
SEP 5 -
17F110027 09/05/2017 02:26am 113 SHOTS FIRED 2300 WASHINGTON CTR RD W
(All the mooks take another day off?)
SEP 6 -
17F110433 09/06/2017 12:35am 113 SHOTS FIRED 7900 SERENITY DR
17F110471 09/06/2017 04:51am 113 SHOTS FIRED 4700 BOWSER AVE
17F110477 09/06/2017 06:02am 113 SHOTS FIRED 5600 TRISHLYN CV
17F110801 09/06/2017 10:42pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2900 BOWSER AVE
17F110802 09/06/2017 10:52pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2600 SMITH ST & PONTIAC ST E
17F110808 09/06/2017 11:22pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 4400 TRIERWOOD PARK DR
SEP 7 -
17F111148 09/07/2017 08:35pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 3500 HOLTON AVE
17F111198 09/07/2017 11:21pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 3400 CEDAR CREST CIR S
17F110816 09/07/2017 12:11am 58 SHOOTING         3000 OLIVER ST
SEP 8 -
17F111244 09/08/2017 04:07am 113 SHOTS FIRED 1300 HOME AVE
17F111554 09/08/2017 09:31pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 1100 LEWIS ST E
17F111565 09/08/2017 10:05pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 3200 ANTHONY BLVD S & DREXEL AVE
17F111583 09/08/2017 11:01pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 1800 DREXEL AVE
17F111254 09/08/2017 05:50am 53 ARMED ROB 2500 CALHOUN ST S
SEP 9 -
17F111645 09/09/2017 01:39am 113 SHOTS FIRED 3700 TRACE WAY
17F111649 09/09/2017 01:53am 113 SHOTS FIRED 2000 CARTERTON DR & GUILD DR
17F111807 09/09/2017 01:09pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 6500 LAMPWICK LN  
17F111953 09/09/2017 08:27pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 4800 CALHOUN ST S & PETTIT AVE E
17F111995 09/09/2017 10:20pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 3200 PORTAGE BLVD
17F112003 09/09/2017 10:42pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 7000 JOHN ST
17F111633 09/09/2017 12:40am 23,113         1200 ST MARYS AVE
17F111926 09/09/2017 07:25pm 53 ARMED ROB 1900 FOX POINT TRL
SEP 10 -
17F112098 09/10/2017 03:27am 113 SHOTS FIRED 400 MECHANIC ST
17F112101 09/10/2017 03:37am 113 SHOTS FIRED 3900 OLD MILL RD
17F112110 09/10/2017 04:19am 113 SHOTS FIRED 2800 ADAMS ST
17F112380 09/10/2017 10:33pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 3100 PAULDING RD E & HESSEN CASSEL
17F112254 09/10/2017 03:27pm 23,113         3900 SENATE AVE  
17F112335 09/10/2017 07:49pm 23,113         3200 WINTER ST
=========================
More than 40+ vehicle vandalism calls, 175+ traffic accidents and reckless driving calls - lot of hit/skips, 90+disturbance calls, approx 200 domestic calls (60+ w/battery), 45+ mentally ill calls, 50+ burglaries, and 19 narcotics runs.
==========================
FIREWORKS CALLS - SEP 4 -SEP 10:
NONE??? Be still my beating heart!!!
*** Next up, our "king" (Henry the last...we hope) is going down to Indy to talk on a panel about (if it's not guns, then what?) climate change.

Good Lord, does this guy EVER stop with the PCBS cavalcade?)
Here's the brief verbatim from the J-G:
(( Henry featured on climate panel
Mayor Tom Henry will be a featured panelist at the Climate Leadership Summit on Wednesday in Indianapolis.The summit is designed to create climate-resilient communities in Indiana. Discussion topics will include green jobs, public health and youth engagement. The event is led by Earth Charter Indiana, McKinney Family Foundation and the city of Indianapolis.
“Climate change greatly impacts our quality of life and economic well-being. 

It's important for government leaders and stakeholders to collaborate to move our respective communities in the right direction,” Henry said. “I'm looking forward to sharing best practices from Fort Wayne and learning about other efforts to improve our environment.”))
I swear (because I know all the words) that if I hear that "quality-of-life" bullshit ONE...MORE...TIME...I will take a trip to city hall and smack the living crap out of him. It's really getting OLD, and carries NO weight on the SE side, because his kind have ignored it for decades.

Don't hear a thing about the SOUTH side being a "point of destination" from our mayor do you?
That's due to all the crime (and those committing it), and if you follow THAT trail, your point of destination will either be a welfare crib, an after hours party house, a drug dealer, or the nearest funeral parlor...simple as that, isn't it, "your highness"?
*** Next, and since I did mention guns (above), this story caught my attention. Here's the link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/indiana/20170912/gun-permits-help-police-panel-is-told

Okay, so police like people to have permits. Still doesn't stop an officer from going all "Rambo" on people carrying them once in a while, does it? There's plenty of accounts of law-abiding people (carrying) being treated like criminals and having their firearms confiscated...with no good reason. Depending on the officer, you COULD even get shot.
(and these people had permits, licenses. whatever was needed to carry a pistol LEGALLY)

Excuse me for being as tad obtuse here, but when was the last time a criminal had a gun permit (or was allowed to get one)?
((An Indiana State Police fiscal impact statement shows the department anticipates losing $5.2 million next year and $5.3 million in 2019 if the bill passes.
A four-year license is $40 in state and local fees, and a lifetime license is $125 in fees. The funds are used to pay for firearms training and supplies, such as ammunition.
“Without that funding, the cost for those items would shift back onto the taxpayers,” Vigo County Sheriff Greg Ewing said.))
Yeah, well did you also mention that law-enforcement (departments) gets a break on the PRICE of ammo (they don't pay what an average citizen pays), and as far as training goes, what about doing it OFF THE CLOCK?
Every citizen who CAN purchase a firearm ALREADY goes through a background check AND gets their fingerprints taken and placed on record.

What the hell MORE do you want? Private sales would be the only exception and that loophole can be easily plugged by making the exchange (with background check and fingerprinting) at a firearms dealer (small fee)...problem solved, right?
*** Next, and speaking about quality-of-life...you already know about the sex offender that lives next to us.

So how about the black male across our side street who had a probation officer stop by yesterday? House arrest maybe?
Wonder what HE did?
Yeah, we're so ripe with felonious ethnics around here, aren't we?
They don't get past me, though (for long).
I'd bet damn near every other (government-sponsored) house around here has someone who is familiar with the penal system in the city, or has yet to be caught by the local constabulary.
Talk about your points of destination...right?
*** Next up, let's stop on by "Kitten Corner"...

The kids were in fine form yesterday...not too much craziness and lots of affection to go around.
Nothing like that nice balance between nuts and normal, hmm?

Wish people could get with that program, as we'd have a lot less strife all over.
*** Next up, time to go visit with "Midnight and Company"...

Please keep the food and love coming.

Our feline twosome were also doing well. Midnight only has 8 doses of antibiotics to go before he's done, and the wet food I put the medication is doesn't seem to bother his appetite one bit.

My OTHER "gardening supervisor".

Whiskers is just happy to get fed, but she likes to "thank you" by rubbing your legs before she finishes her food, and that means Midnight gets a "bonus" meal (little piglet).
They both stuck around until after dark last night, and with this cooler weather, that makes me feel more at ease.
*** Last back to the fireplace...I came across a story that appeared to tell two stories about the recent hurricanes that hit the U.S.

There seemed to be a paradox when it came to reporting the devastation.
Factually, many news sources were good with their coverage, but I had to wonder if there was a rating "coup" for some networks/stations?
Do we in America tune in just for some "excitement" in the wake of disaster?
In some cases, I'd have to answer "yes", but I'm not among those who pursue that course (and neither are any of you)..

I can get the gist of the situation without hours and hours of minute-by-minute coverage.
When the WTC was hit back in '01, I was halfway through mowing the lawn, and nothing I could do would change the outcome of that day, so I finished the lawn work, and THEN sat down to take it all into it's proper perspective. Here's what I'm driving at:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/tv-correspondents-face-danger-avoid-article-1.3486092?utm_content=buffer852c7&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Reporters in danger in areas they tell people to avoid...a curious paradox.
Very little surprises me at my age and in this day and time. That's not to say I'm neutral about my feelings, it's just that any emotion I choose to share doesn't affect the outcome of that many things.
Plus, I don't "rubber-neck" at any traffic accidents, either.
You resign yourself to the fact that stuff WILL happen (hopefully not to you or yours), but you take it all in stride, and you do whatever you can to assist, even if it's some prayers to those who are suffering.
Every little bit helps, and I believe that.

We all can't react in the same way, and I think that's by design.
We can all do something, and that is the determining factor to anything in our lives, or the lives of others.
Never sell yourself short in that regard...you can always do something.

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