Humpday Happenings...

Welcome to the middle of the week, replete with Mardi Gras celebrations in NOLA, Valentine's Day (when more money is spent on this "holiday" than any other day), and the start of Lent (of which I annually give up Lent FOR Lent).
And, to top it all off, we're in for a bit of a warmup...can we stand the strain?
Our Hoosierland weather sees us with increasingly cloudy skies, temps rising to around 46 (you read right) degrees, and the chance for some drizzle and maybe some fog this afternoon. Crazy stuff, huh?

So, let's get that morning cup of bliss poured and parked nearby, as we see what else has been going on...
*** First out of the Cracker Jack box is out "WHO SAID THAT?" quote for the week:

"Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds."
We covered this person a  few years back (once), so I thought it time we brought another quote to the forefront.
And this so applies to today's problems as much as it did when it was first spoken.
So, who said that?
The answer at the top of tomorrow's post.
Meanwhile, back at the New Thought Movement...
*** Next, time for the "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
FEBRUARY 14 -
---It's Ash Wednesday

"...Groovy..."

Um...no, the OTHER one.

There 'ya go now.

(time to get me some serious seafood bargains)
---It's National Cream-filled Chocolates Day

(for breakfast? Sure, why not?)
---it's National Ferris Wheel Day

(not in Indiana, at least not until summer)
---It's National Organ Donor Day

(sorry, gave my heart away a couple times already in past lives)
---It's Valentine's Day

(for the whole backstory, try this WIKI link)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine%27s_Day
*** Next up, another police raid, another drug bust. Here's the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/20180214/2-arrested-in-raid-that-yields-guns-drugs-cash

This took place on the NE side around 1545 hrs Monday at a house locate 2111 Crescent Av.
The Fort Wayne Police Gang and Violent Crimes Unit executed a “no knock” search warrant, according to court docs.
((Investigators found more than six pounds of marijuana and some prepackaged marijuana along with about 9 ounces of marijuana edibles and more than $14,000 in cash.
Several guns were also found, including a Stag Arms Stag 15 assault rifle, two Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9 mm handguns, an American Tactical Thunderbolt .45 caliber and a Kimbro Micro9 9 mm handgun.))
That's some serious hardware

Lloyd                                Turnwald

((Tyler Turnwald, 22, whose home is listed at 2111 Crescent Ave. in court documents, and Caleb Marshall Lloyd, 23, of Van Wert, Ohio, were arrested and charged with maintaining a common nuisance. Turnwald was given an additional misdemeanor charge for possession of marijuana.
Both were released on their own recognizance, according to an Allen County Jail spokesman.))
RELEASED??? Are you shitting me? You always jail the black perps. What's the difference here?
What the hell happened to EQUAL TREATMENT under the law? let's be FAIR here.
You BETTER have confiscated those guns! Where's the justice these days?
*** Next,  could it be ANOTHER slap on a few wrists? Here's the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/20180214/police-look-into-snapchat-threats

This has to do with those threats a few Bishop Luers baseball students made against teachers and the bishop himself.
Now, call me silly, but isn;t mentioning shooting up a school and killing teachers considered LESS THAN NORMAL BEHAVIOR? WTF is up with the whole "boys being boys" BS anyway?

((Police called the school principal to tell him about the threats and that officers would arrive to show the Snapchat comments to the school's administration, the report said.
The principal assured police that action would be taken, the report said.))
Well, that should make everything just FINE then, right?
There has to be some sort of limit on what constitutes "free" speech, because even the Founders took that into account. But they were also men of higher morality, were they not?
*** Next up, our "king" will deliver his state of the city address at noon (get out the barf bags, people).
http://wane.com/2018/02/13/mayor-to-discuss-fort-waynes-rise-in-state-of-the-city-address/

I know I will be listening in...on a relatively empty stomach...just in case.
I can tell you all now, it's going to be all about more feathers in his highness's hat (make that more jewels in HIS crown).
*** Next, this story is sure to piss a lot of people off, and for the right reason. Here's the link:
https://www.theblaze.com/news/2018/02/13/trump-proposes-to-replace-portion-of-food-stamps-with-food-boxes

Wow...replace FOOD STAMPS (and the failed programs that promote it) with FOOD BOXES.
These "harvest boxes" would be 100% American grown NUTRITIONAL foods for needy families.
What a NOVEL idea (and one which would not be subverted with tons of fraud).
Naturally the leftists are having ALL sorts of fits over this.
Funny thing, wasn't it Michelle Obama who pushed all this nutritional food crap when hubby was in the WH?
And the left was fine and dandy with THAT, right?
Maybe, if this new plan is implemented, those liquor stores might see less purchases on those "welfare" cards (for smokes, booze, and lottery tickets)?

Sure, people will be able to EAT better, but that was never the REAL purpose of the failed food stamp program, was it?

Personally, I think a return to something akin to the old government surplus food giveaway is a great idea (which worked very well when it was in place).

There's no shame in getting (free) food when you're suffering hard times, but it IS a crime when you get such things under false pretenses (like being too damn lazy to even look for work).
*** Next, time to stop on by our "Kitten Corner"...

The little ones were behaving themselves rather well once again.
I want to believe they're getting into a pattern where they try not to be a handful, as in getting into stuff they're not supposed to (which works for Wifey and myself).

Granted they can't be angels EVERY hour of EVERY day, but they do manage to make things a lot more hassle-free.
And that's what we're aiming for around here.
*** Next up, time to check in with "Midnight and Company"...

The furry twosome were in attendance for all three meals yesterday, and with the sun shining, we had most of the patio cleared of snow and ice.

Whiskers prefers to stay on and near the patio (she obviously likes her shelter - I wish he would like one of them).
Midnight did do his patrols, and when I go to the front door, he spots me and come trotting up our steps. That deserves a few treats (for diligence).

And there were no other cats to chase away, so that's good. Just a few birds to watch, and plenty of taking-it-easy-time.
*** Last back to the kitchen table...there are times when difficult choices have to be made.

And, I cite this proposal to get rid of the food stamp program as a prime example.
Let's face it, the whole LBJ "Great Society" program was a dismal failure, and yet, the feds have continued to dump hundreds of BILLIONS of dollars into it.
Was the hope that it would "fix itself"? That was never gonna happen.
Did it make anyone more self-reliant? Perhaps a very few over the decades, but in general...no, it did not.
When something doesn't work you find a way to correct that. The feds (to date) have not, so now it's time for NEW thinking.
And, if correcting the problem causes people to do more for themselves, instead of taking from others, well, that would appear to be a much better way for everyone to proceed.
Sometimes, taking  the path less traveled is the best way to get to where we need to go.

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