Tuesday Tidbits...

It would appear that we, here in the Heartland are going to be "enjoying" (?) another snow event today.
That means road conditions will be nominal at best until the street crews get out and have the main arteries treated to become more amenable to driving. Snow totals will be anywhere from 2-4 inches in and around Ft. Wayne. Areas NW could see up to 6+ inches, while areas south might be looking at 1-2 inches tops.
The rest of our Hoosierland weather brings us mostly cloudy skies (naturally) temps reaching to around 25 degrees (and with the wind chill, we're barely into double digits), and of course, snow showers with windy conditions (at gusts of 35 MPH - beware of blowing snow)..
Do dress appropriately and drive accordingly (that means defensively)...we don't want to have anyone taking sick or "meeting by accident" on the streets.

Now, let's get things going with a nice hot cup of coffee, tea, or cocoa, as we see what else has been going on...
*** First off of the ice pack is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
DECEMBER 12 -
---It's Chanukah  or Hannukah (either way)

(Break out tha menorah an ddreidel at sunset)
---It's Gingerbread House Day

(gonna need more icing insulation on a day like this)
---It's National Ambrosia Day

(my screwup - put the wrong pic in yesterday's post...been fixed))
---It's National Ding-A Ling Day

(well, isn't THAT apropos for my brain-fart...lol)
---It's National Poinsettia Day

(don't let the pets near it)
*** Next, and since it's a Tuesday, let's see about all the shots fired calls (and other assorted FWPD runs) that took place last week that we never knew about, but should be made aware of, because we got us a mess of effed-up people out thre...

SHOTS FIRED ((113)) - ARMED ROBBERY((53)) CALLS - 12/04 - 12/10
((23,113 - vandalism by gunfire))
=======================================
DEC 4 -
17F147324 12/04/2017 03:56pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 3000 FAIRFIELD AVE
17F147496 12/04/2017 11:00pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 1400 GREENE ST
17F147390 12/04/2017 06:03pm 53 ARMED ROB 2600 NORTHGATE BLVD
DEC 5 -
NO shots fired (WOW!)
17F147758 12/05/2017 03:23pm 23,113                  4800 SIMPLICITY CT
17F147767 12/05/2017 03:44pm 23,113                  7500 BEATY AVE
17F147847 12/05/2017 06:43pm 53 ARMED ROB 7600 SOUTHTOWN XING
17F147884 12/05/2017 08:00pm 53 ARMED ROB 2500 MCKINNIE AVE
17F147904 12/05/2017 08:52pm 53 ARMED ROB 9800 LIMA RD
DEC 6 -
17F148045 12/06/2017 10:00am 113 SHOTS FIRED 4700 HOLTON AVE & CAPITOL AVE
17F148262 12/06/2017 06:45pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 1700 MCKINNIE AVE
17F148345 12/06/2017 10:38pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 1300 ECKART ST & ROBINWOOD DR
17F148257 12/06/2017 06:34pm 53 ARMED ROB 1200 GLENWOOD AVE
17F148320 12/06/2017 09:22pm 58 SHOOTING       1900 HILLSIDE AVE
DEC 7 -
17F148395 12/07/2017 05:29am 113 SHOTS FIRED 2000 OTSEGO DR
17F148603 12/07/2017 04:31pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 00 MAIN ST E
17F148735 12/07/2017 10:09pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 3000 REED ST & ECKART ST
17F148757 12/07/2017 11:26pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 900 FOREST AVE
17F148758 12/07/2017 11:30pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 5600 ULLYOT DR
17F148660 12/07/2017 06:49pm 53 ARMED ROB 2900 GOSHEN RD
DEC 8 -
17F148797 12/08/2017 05:27am 113 SHOTS FIRED 1000 COLISEUM BLVD N
17F148843 12/08/2017 09:33am 53 ARMED ROB 1200 STATE BLVD W
17F148934 12/08/2017 02:41pm 53 ARMED ROB    6300 LIMA RD
DEC 9 -
17F149204 12/09/2017 03:31am 113 SHOTS FIRED 800 LAVINA ST
17F149354 12/09/2017 01:25pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2500 TERRACE RD
17F149520 12/09/2017 07:28pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2800 LARWILL CT
17F149543 12/09/2017 09:01pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 1500 CASS ST & FIFTH ST
((NO armed robbewries)
DEC 10 -
17F149851 12/10/2017 05:46pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 1700 REED RD
17F149896 12/10/2017 08:01pm 53 ARMED ROB 3100 PONTIAC ST E & BIRCHWOOD AVE
=========================
Also,  6 child neglect calls, 20+ vehicle vandalisms, 125+ traffic accidents (property and personal injury and including "hit-skips"), 4 DUIs (from over 200+ traffic stops), 40+ traffic hazards, 50+ parking violations, 26 "man down" calls, 120+ domestic calls (including battery and w/ a weapon), loads of robberies, burglaries, and thefts (tis the season?). 5 molesting calls, 2 stabbings, 3 rapes, 1 indecent exposure, 0 pursuits, and 24 narcotics calls.
=========================
FIREWORKS CALLS - DEC 4 - DEC 10
NONE!!!       AMAZING!!
==========================
((sighs)) - Tis the season, right?
*** Next up, we got us another "player" for the downtown redevelopment.

It's another multi-use venue (apartments, shopping, parking, etc).
Looks nice and ugly, too. Here's the story link:
http://wane.com/2017/12/11/50-million-housing-retail-project-announced-for-fort-waynes-downtown-riverfront/

Now, will someone PUH-LEASE smack King Henry in the back of his head, because he once AGAIN used the damn hackneyed phrase - POINT-OF-DESTINATION.

I am getting SO damn sick and tired of hearing the SAME words (broken record syndrome) coming out of his piehole. No matter how many times you say it, it's STILL a falsehood, your highness.
Thank goodness there was one voice of reason on this. Here's that link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/20171212/private-riverfront-project-okd

City Councilman Jason Arp, R-4th, who also sits on the Redevelopment Commission, was the sole vote against the development agreement Monday. “The site will not generate any tax revenue, so basically more or less we're building the parking garage for the site", said Arp.
*** Next, two get busted for a pot-grow gig in their HOUSE. Here's the story:
http://wane.com/2017/12/11/police-marijuana-grow-found-at-home-of-public-employees/

They ain't blue spruce Christmas trees.

And you know what the worst part of this is?
These two...(wait for it)... WORKED FOR THE CITY...!!!
(they both have since been let go)

Michelle Graft                   Todd Graft

Todd A. Graft was an employee for the Allen County highway department
Michelle Graft worked as a dispatcher at the Fort Wayne-Allen County 911 dispatch center.
I do find their last name VERY ironic.
And here we thought the city paid well...perhaps (even) well enough to open up a grow operation inside a house (and all that gear don't come cheap).
*** Next up, residents speak out against the huge NIPSCO increase. Here's that story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/20171212/residents-speak-out-on-nipsco-hike-request
The folks were quite vocal in their opposition of the 20+% rate hike, and with good reason.

People on low or fixed incomes are being held hostage by another utility company who can only see dollar signs.
This is ONE camel whose nose should never be allowed into the tent, and you all know why.
*** Next, seems the French want to relocate our climate "scientists". Here's the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/world/20171212/french-contest-attracts-us-climate-scientists

I say good...keep 'em....every last one of them.
(and btw, the polar bear population is on the RISE, so they're not drowning because ice is melting)
*** Next up, time to visit our "Kitten Corner"...

We iz behaving ourselves real well.

The children did nicely yesterday with Wifey away. They both slept with me, in fact.
And behavior-wise...excellent. They played about, napped, and spent most of the day staying out of trouble.
Would we be so fortunate to have the HUMANS around this part of town follow suit.
*** Next, let's check in with "Midnight and Company"...

Our furry twosome didn't miss a step with the snow we got...they made every meal, and never seemed to stray far from our property, which is a welcome relief.
I did have some time with them on the patio, and we all enjoyed what brief bouts of sunlight provided before it clouded back up again.

I noticed that BOTH of them had the smell of ALFALFA on their fur, which tells me they have to be using the shelters (with the hay I had placed inside them).
Every day I see them at the patio door for eats, I can't help but feel appreciated for the food, water and shelter we provide for these cute furballs.
*** Last back to the glacier...weather like this used to bring out a lot of good in people.

There would be times when perfect strangers would push a stuck vehicle clear of snow, or neighbors would band together to clear a common driveway or parking spaces for one another.
And, in years past, such things similarly occurred here on our street.
Can't say that today, and that's a sad commentary of humanity.

I'm sure in areas where more neighborly people reside, they still help one another.
But around here, people don't even bother to clear a damn sidewalk, and prefer to stroll in the middle of the street, which just so happens to be where all the cars drive up and down, sometimes at speeds in excess of safety limits.
All these government-sponsored lazy-asses just hang around, maybe drive to get some fast food, (or street pharms), and then return back to their crib, often parking so askew along the streets that if a plow had to come down, it would be a sincere challenge.
Thing is, like that meme said yesterday, the greatness of humanity is in being HUMANE.
That is a lot of what's lacking today, and yes, you can toss in civility and morality into that mix.
We can afford to lose a lot of stuff in life, but when we lose our values, we lose a helluva LOT.
Things can always be replaced, but the aspects of the human condition, once lost, can take a lifetime to get back.
Therein lies the lesson for today.

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