Friday Follies...

Another weekend has arrived right on schedule. They seem to come a bit faster these days...not that I'm complaining. Personally, I think every third day should be Friday (but then, even less would get done in places where we need things done). Yeah, it's a trade-off.
It looks like we traded nice for naughty as far as conditions outside go.
Our Hoosierland weather finds us freezing our butts off this morning (wind chill has it feeling like single digits - helluva shift from Monday, isn't it?), but we will have sunny skies with temps getting up to around 33 degrees, and yes, the breezy (20+ MPH) conditions continue (crap).

Now if that isn't a reason to get a hot cup of coffee, tea, or cocoa, I don't know what is, so let's all get something inside us to chase the chill out, as we see what's been going on elsewhere...
*** First out of the ice cube tray is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
DECEMBER 8 -
---It's National Brownie Day

(fresh out of the oven is even better on a day like this)
---It's Pretend to Be a Time-Traveler Day

(who's pretending...I just can't find where I left my TARDIS!)
*** Next, and since we are at week's end, let's see what is "observable" over the following 48 hours...
DECEMBER 9 -
---Saturday is National Pastry Day

(that can be any day at our house - there's always room for pastry)
---It's Weary Willie Day

(yeah, it's a clown thing, and not from City Hall either)
DECEMBER 10 -
---Sunday is Dewey Decimal System Day

(most likely soon to be added to all things obsolete...a shame people have gotten that lazy)
---It's Human Rights Day

(just as long as we're not making ONE class more equal than another, and that we also remember the DIFFERENCE between a RIGHT and a PRIVILEGE.)
---It's Nobel Prize Day

(wonder who gets one this year for doing nothing?)
And there you are then...enough things to keep you busy, should you so choose.
Remember to observe responsibly.
*** Next up, looks like our (long past due to leave office) mayor...I mean "king" Henry wants to play "ball's back in your court" with City Council. Here's the story:
http://www.news-sentinel.com/news/local-news/2017/12/07/fort-wayne-mayor-tom-henry-declines-to-sign-city-councils-campaign-finance-ordinance-citing-legality-concerns-documents/

It's still good to be king...

This "pay to play" ordinance, designed to limit contracts for campaign donors who cough up more than $2000 isn't sitting well with our highness.
He ignored the ordinance (by not signing it for more than 10 days, which means it's an "auto-veto:" and goes back to council for a rework.
Henry believes it violates state and federal law.
Sure, ANYTHING seems to violate something unless a democrat wants to pass it (sometimes without even knowing what's in it)...right?
Included in the story is Henry's letter to council and other pertinent documents, as well as a good (truthful) comment by one John Bloom. You can't fool all the people ALL the time, your majesty.
*** Next, is you enjoyed the nice low cost of downtown meter parking, that's going to change. Here's the story:
http://www.news-sentinel.com/news/local-news/2017/12/08/new-fort-wayne-app-connected-parking-meters-tell-when-drivers-overstay-their-welcome-parking-rates-to-go-up/

Out with the old...

But, never fear...there IS an "app" for that (of sorts).
((City Clerk Lana Keesling discussed the new meters with Fort Wayne Board of Public Safety members Thursday afternoon.
Rusty York {cripes, I thought he went away}, former city public safety director and Fort Wayne Police chief who was part of the group looking at new meters, said, “This takes us from the ’40s up to today’s technology.”))
And this only benefits the CITY, doesn't it? It hurts the taxpayers looking to park.
((City Council must approve the five-year agreement for $799,175, with the ability to renew, for a total of 12 years, for 800 meters, including the poles, housings, installation and one year of free maintenance, Keesling said.))
Okay gang...time to pull out that good old rubber stamp.

In with the "new"?

((The money to pay for the meters would be appropriated from CEDIT funds, but Keesling said her office expects to pay back the cost so it ultimately would not cost taxpayers.))
Well, THAT would be a first...we'll have to wait and see on this one.
((The cost of parking at meters on city streets will go up next year from 50 cents per hour to $1.25, at least for a period of time, Keesling said. Once the city completes a study of parking in downtown pay garages and lots, which typically cost $1 an hour for parking, the cost will likely be adjusted downward, she said.))
I'll believe that (downturn) when I see it. Not before.
*** Next, illegal border crossings are up (again?). Here's the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/us/20171208/after-all-time-low-border-crossings-up

Your new "neighbors? Let's hope not.

Yep, blame those damnable Latin American GANGS
((A survey published this year found that 30 percent of adults had considered migrating in the last year due to the effect of crime in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, which have a total population of about 30 million people. The survey was conducted by the Latin American Public Opinion Project at Vanderbilt University.))
Anyone think a border wall is still not a good idea? Show of hands?
*** Next, dumbocrat senator Al Franken will be ceiling it quits (and about damn time).

Not good enough, not smart enough and dammit, people DON'T like you

Here's the lowdown:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/politics/20171208/defiant-franken-quitting-senate
Even his fellow leftards are tossing him under the bus.
Now, anyone want to get rid of Schumer and Pelosi?
*** Next up, time to leave the crap behind and instead, stop by our "Kitten Corner"...

Another great day to have two young cats in the house. They keep discovering all the toys we have for them, which might save some money come Christmas...lol.
Evenings are spent in the living room with "daddy" while he watches the tv.

Guess bird watching and chasing each other for short period does tend to wear one out.
Works for me.
*** Next, let's check in with "Midnight and Company"...

Our furry twosome spent most all day close by the house, but Whiskers did miss a snack feeding (have no idea where she went), but by dinnertime, she was at the patio door with Midnight (who stayed at his "nest" rather than inside a shelter (and out of the damn wind).

That dusting of snow didn't deter either of them, but it kept me from spending more time with them outside (you get cold fast in that wind).
I wonder how they will handle the impending snowfall tomorrow?

Hopefully, both shelters will be used.
We didn't make them to become garden ornaments.
*** Last back to the space heater...you know, there is this problem with people in power.
And it's been around for a very long time.
The best description is what was said to us by Lord John Dalberg Acton:

Jasmine Guy makes a very good case along these lines, too.

And even Joss Whedon weighs in on the affect of power and control.

This doesn't apply JUST to the realm of politics (and any and all levels), but to any industry, group, organization...you name it.
Thing is, with all this going on, what happens to that thing we call the truth?
Well, it tends to get lost in the shuffle, as most things factual tend to do in thee matters.

And, it's there that we come to the center of this whole shrubbery maze.
Yes, leave it to Doctor Who to provide us with some common sense.
Often times, we discover truth in places of fiction and fantasy, for it's there that people can expound on issues that would draw ire in the real world.
May all of us take time to discover truth every day, for without truth, hope becomes just another four-letter word.
Have yourselves a good weekend.

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

Thoughts For Thursday...

Well, those diminished winds sure didn't seem THAT diminished yesterday, did they?
That's fine...we're supposed to get some SNOW flurries today (and more into the weekend, with possible accumulation). How "wintery" is that, hmm?
Time to find those shovels...just in case.
Our Hoosierland weather for today brings us mostly cloudy skies, temps reaching 28 degrees, and that "chance" of snow flurries. The winds persist, but ONLY around 20-25 MPH (joy).
This should prove interesting along the streets and roads in our area (where people always seem to drive around like it's summer with little regard for ACTUAL conditions).

In the meantime, let's get something hot inside us like a cup of coffee, tea, or cocoa, as we see what else has been going on...
*** First out of the kettle is the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:
"Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world." 
This was spoken by someone we only featured ONCE (but have quoted other times)...John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) who was an English poet, polemicist, man of letters, and civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell.
And here (again) is his WIKI:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Milton
((He wrote at a time of religious flux and political upheaval, and is best known for his epic poem Paradise Lost (1667), written in blank verse.))
It's a rather lengthy read, but it gives you some insight as to his writings as well as a nice little history lesson.

Anyone who has read Paradise Lost will find it interesting. And even if you didn't, it might inspire you to grab a copy and read it anyway. It is a classic.
*** Next up, time for our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
DECEMBER 7 -
---It's Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

(and signaled our entry as a nation into World War 2 - a day of infamy.)
---It's National Cotton Candy Day

(never was a big fan of this - I take my sugar in "bulk"...lol)
---It's National Illinois Day

(a shame they have to include Chicago in there)
*** Next, time to see what the "locals" are up to...
1) An armed carjacking takes place up north.

Here's the story link:
http://wane.com/2017/12/06/surveillance-photos-of-carjacking-suspect-released/
This took place Monday around 1830 hrs at the Canterbury Green Apartments complex in the 2600 block of Northgate Boulevard parking area.

((A man wearing a black hooded sweatshirt approached the victim with a gun and pulled him from the car. The gunman took the victim's keys, phone and wallet and told him to walk away, police said.))
The gunman then drove off in the victim's car, police said. Clearly not a happy holiday season for the unfortunate victim.The gunman was described as 5 foot 11 to 6 feet with a thin build and no facial hair, black and 20 to 24 years old.

((Shortly after the robbery, the victim's phone was sold at a grocery store eco-ATM kiosk, police said. Detectives were able to recover the cellphone and while doing so obtained video footage from the grocery store of two men.)) I tried to clean up the photos as best as I could.
2) Alyssa Ivanson had a very good spot regarding unsolved homicides in Fort Wayne.

Here's the story:
http://wane.com/2017/12/06/balloon-launch-remembers-homicide-victim-on-the-year-anniversary/

The statistics don't lie when it comes to how MANY murders have been solved...and that number is excessively LOW by any standards. The clearance rates for homicides state the obvious - It was 36 percent in 2015, 44 percent in 2016 and 21 percent so far this year. Those aren't very good stats, but then again, the lack of witness involvement says a lot.
Evidence is one thing, but with no one to hang this stuff on, it's hard to arrest and prosecute, even if you KNOW who did it. Citizens have to speak the hell up...simple as that.
*** Next, some people keep wanting to redefine what it means to graduate (high school, that is).

Here's the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/indiana/20171207/diplomas-soon-wont-be-enough
This is another case of something being shoved down the throats of taxpayers wuthout figuring out the minutiae, and we all know how "well" that works, don't we?
Diplomas just won't be enough, these folks tell us.

Not so fast, boys and girls...

((The State Board of Education voted 7-4 Wednesday to institute additional graduation requirements – despite hours of testimony against the plan.))
Rubber stamp...anyone?
((“A high school diploma is no longer the finish line,” said Alicia Kielmovitch, a state board staff member.))

Really? It's the finish line as far as PRIMARY EDUCATION is concerned.
Back in my day, school was there to provide the BASICS in multiple disciplines.
They taught such anachronisms as what a BANK ACCOUNT was, how to balance a checkbook, what a MORTGAGE was, how to get credit and loans, and that was in our math classes. We also had tech courses like wood, metal and auto shops. We had drafting classes, cooking classes and the like. This was in addition to learning American and world history which included politics and civics. We also learned basic science and English (as a first and only language). We had electives (including foreign languages) which supplemented the basic core courses. It didn't get any easier than that.

And, we had a college prep curriculum (for the overly-scholared among us).
Is that too much for schools (today) to be permitted to teach? It would seem so.
That means another reinvention of the damn wheel, kids.
*** Next up, let's calm down and take time to drop in on our "Kitten Corner"
Another well-behaved day for the kids...they must know that Santa is on his way.

That's fine. Whatever gets the job done.
Last evening they both were napping on the living room sofa...almost spooning with one another. That was damn cute (and wonderfully quiet).
They always seem to wind up in the same room I happen to sit. Maybe they enjoy the same shows I watch the television? I doubt that. I think they don't want to have the person feeding them to get out of sight...lol.
*** Next, time to check in with "Midnight and Company"...
The furry twosome were making due with the windy conditions, staying close by the house.

He was next to the garage in his "nest" at ground level, and I told him he needs to use the shelter we made. She often comes out of a shelter, so we know one of them is getting used.
You figure you have a good day when their two faces are at the patio door when you pull the drapes back...waiting for something to eat.
We brought their plates in, warmed them up and gave them both wet food (room temp)...a "hot" meal, as it were. Next best thing to eating indoors.
We even got enough of a break in the feline action to have birds come by. Had a bunch of them ON the patio yesterday (the cats were hunkering down away from the wind and our avian friends).
*** Last back to the countertop...education IS a lifelong experience. Anyone who says otherwise hasn't learned much.

Scores of famous people have mirrored these sentiments in their quotes.
My late Dad used to say that: "The day you stop learning is the day you stop breathing".
And, so far, he's been right on that, too.
What people don't seem to realize today, is that not everyone is cut out for "higher" education (aka college).
You can easily take a class of 30 students and break them down into 3 groups:
---Ten will excel and do very well in secondary educational venues
---Ten will do okay in college and yet perform just as well going into the workplace, but will have to apply themselves to excel.
---Ten will not be cut out for college in any way, and will have a rough time in the workplace (unless they work hard at applying themselves). We call such people slackers.

But the pundits today want ALL 30 of these kids to attend college (screw the cost, the debt, and the burden on taxpayers). That's not going to materialize.
You always hear me talk about "getting back to basics"...and I firmly believe that IS the (best) way to go.
Granted, we have all this technology that opens pathways to many jobs, and that's where a technical training system should be in place, perhaps starting in the primary educational system (just like our old wood shop classes).
Post high school technical "colleges" are a good followup after graduation.
But there has to be a system that addresses things kids need to know in today's world, like how to MANAGE your life, especially in the realm of finances.

This new "pathway" idea should remain that - an IDEA until a more comprehensive curriculum can be instituted at the primary level to acquaint kids with things they should know by the time they graduate and find themselves in "the real world".
It can be done, and it has been done in the past.
So, instead of reinventing education (again), we need to dust off the type of courses schools used to have, and adapt them to the world today. It's just the better way to go ...for everyone.

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

Humpday Happenings...

I trust all of you have acclimated yourselves to the "seasonal" weather outside.
(rediscovering layered clothing perhaps?)
Yes, it IS cold outside, but that's what winter tends to be all abour, right?
Our Hoosierland weather for today brings us mostly skies, temps only reaching to around 39 degrees, and a lessening of the windy conditions (to around 30 MPH tops). With that wind chill, it feels more like it's in the teens.

So, what better way to start the day than with a hot cup of coffee, tea, or cocoa to warm our innards, as we see what's been going on elsewhere, hmm?
*** First off the frosty windshield is our WHO SAID THAT? quote for the week:

"Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world." 

 I think this covers a lot of what people are missing in their hurry-up world. And, it speaks to everyone in any situation. 

 So, who said that? The answer at the top of tomorrow's post. 

 Meanwhile, back at Christ's College, Cambridge *** Next up, we bring your the "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
DECEMBER 6 -
---It's National Gazpacho Day

(never had any, but it sounds and looks good)
---It's National Microwave Oven Day

(thanks to the invention of radar, that's every day at our house)
---It's National Miners Day

(no, it's got nothing to do with children...it's the OTHER spelling)
---It's National Pawnbroker's Day

(more legit than in times past)
---It's St. Nicholas Day

(hard to be a saint THESE days)
*** Next up  let's see what the Wonderful World of Crime has brought us in Fort Wayne.

Now, I have to preface this with an observation of mine - the first several minutes of watching the news had me thinking I was in somewhere akin to Detroit...all the lead stories were crime-related and had to deal with blacks in some manner, and one woman who was interviewed said that "you're not safe anywhere, but you have to live your life".
Have to admit she's right...on both counts.
--- An armed robbery took place on the (where else?) SE side.

Here's the link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/20171206/2-armed-robbers-strike-one-main-financial

This took place around 1840 hrs at the OneMain Financial lending business located at Southtown Crossing (that's near the Public Service Academy where cops can usually be found).
((The two men, one 5-foot-10 and the other about 5-foot-11, were black, wearing black hooded sweatshirts and concealing their faces with black bandannas.))
How about THAT? They're both BLACK (and armed)...now who would have known that?
(where's the black community leaders when you need 'em?)
--- An update on that double stabbing. Here's the link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/20171206/2-charged-in-aftermath-of-stabbing-victim-upgraded

Oh look, THEY'RE both BLACK, too!
One victim was ID'ed as Trayvon Diquan Rogan, 22 (sounds black to me as well). He was taken to Parkview Randalia by David Masterson, 23, of the 4300 block of Tacoma Avenue (in the ghettoosled of choice - a Buick Lesabre).

Masterson                           Britt

Joseph Britt, 19, of the 700 block of Taylor Street, was sitting in the back seat.
There was a brief vehicular standoff, but officers ordered Masterson out of the car and he eventually complied.
((Both Masterson and Britt gave the officers false names, court records said. Fort Wayne police said Masterson and Rogan were both stabbed. Masterson was treated and released. Rogan's condition was initially listed as critical Monday night but upgraded to serious, city police said.))
--- Here's a case of that SPECIAL kind of stupid:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/20171206/guns-pot-found-at-crash-site

Yep, when driving drunk (and getting into a crash), always make sure to have your illegal handguns, pot stash and other related items SOMEPLACE ELSE.

((When police arrived at a crash in the 2700 block of  Sandpoint Road about 7 p.m. Saturday, they found Wade Stolte, 20, standing outside his car, smelling like alcohol. Stolte, a convicted felon, had a .38-caliber semi-automatic handgun in his right front pocket that was reported stolen, records said, and there was another gun in the car, a .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun, tucked in the front passenger door. Stolte told police he didn't have a gun license.))
A passenger in Stolte's car, Tyler Mentzer, was later found to have a severed spinal column, court records said.
Well, THAT'S one helluva way to enter the holiday season. Not very "festive" is it?
*** Next,let's change gears and move onto less nasty stuff.

Wifey took her car into the shop for some winterizing, and it cost about 8 Franklins (and change), but these are things you don't perform on vehicles every year...like a new set of tires (the ones that came with the car had seen their share of mileage), and a transmission flush and fluid change (every 50K miles, and we were 3K past that mark).
So, that is money well spent in preventive measures.

We also got a new addition to the "Fortress"...(for the holidays, mind you) - the 2017 K Mart plush bear.
Wifey chose the pink one with earmuffs (cutest of the three available).
And, we saved $8 in the process, thanks to cyber coupon codes.
Considering the NEAREST K Mart is all the way out in bloody WARSAW (Indiana, not Poland, thank God), it's better to let it come to US, rather than drive 100 miles (round trip).
A penny saved...right?
*** Next up, let's take a minute to stop by our "Kitten  Corner"...

He loves to watch the inside of his eyelids

The kids had an acute case of CALM yesterday, which is always received well.
I had thought someone swapped our cats out, but they were just being extremely nice...and cute...and adorable.
(makes me wonder what they're planning.)

She loves to sit there and watch me.

While I watched TV, they were both in the living room. He was asleep on the one chair, and she was curled up asleep on my jacket (on the floor). And they stayed there utiel it was time for we humans to hit the sack.
*** Next, let's check in with "Midnight and Company"...

...And my plate is empty.

We had another case of "the missing cat" yesterday. Whiskers stayed around while Midnight went on his little patrol. I know neither of them liked all that wind, but she stayed in a shelter.
He was in his "nest" for a time, which provided some break from the winds.

You bet I'm not missing a meal.

As usual, they didn't really miss the main meals for the day.
*** Last back to the bird feeder...it's a welcome pleasure to have our critters around.
While I miss feeding the squirrels, we have the two cats and assorted birds to pick up the slack.

Times change, and we all should adapt to them in some fashion.
Where once we had Mr Wrinkles and Patches come around daily, we now have Midnight and Whiskers.
I wish other aspects of our neighborhood that type of change, instead of the chronic deterioration we've "enjoyed" over the last 2 decades.

To me, change is only good when it results in something POSITIVE, and that goes for most anything.
Technology is fine if it truly benefits us, rather than divide us or sets us at each other's throats.
Society is good when it evolves instead of devolves.
It would seem that what society lacks these days far surpasses that of times past.
You can make your own lists to figure that out, and it's quite easy.
Let's just say we, as a people, we should pay more attention to the current problems and work to solve them with honest solutions. And let's begin with the small things that are rapidly adding up to become big things.
Time won't wait for us to stop and think about changing ourselves for the better.
It has to start today, because we've allowed too many yesterdays to pass without a thought about our future.

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