Thoughts For Thursday

Welcome to February - shortest month of the year.
And you already know that Valentine's Day has been hyped for the past couple weeks
I always hold out for the day AFTER...best chocolate bargains.
Our Hoosierland weather for the 1st day of this new month brings us partly to mostly cloudy skies, temps dropping throughout the day from a morning high in the mid-30s to the lower 20s by late afternoon. We might even see a couple scattered snow showers tossed in for good measure.

So, let's all get ourselves that warming cup of coffee, tea, or cocoa made as we sit back and see what's been going on elsewhere...
*** First out of the recycle bin is the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:

"Growing old is like being increasingly penalized for a crime you haven't committed." 
This was spoken by another "newbie", one Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1 May 1881 – 10 April 1955) who was a French idealist philosopher and Jesuit priest who trained as a paleontologist and geologist and took part in the discovery of Peking Man.
(talk about a wide ranging vocation)
And here is his WIKI:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Teilhard_de_Chardin
Never heard of this person until a few days ago, and I consider him an interesting find.

((Teilhard argued in Darwinian terms with respect to biology, and supported the synthetic model of evolution, but argued in Lamarckian terms for the development of culture, primarily through the vehicle of education.))
You might want to watch "Shoes fo the Fisherman" starring Oskar Werner...a related story about the life of this man.
And if you ever heard the phrase "Omega Point", reading about Fr. Pierre will flesh things out much better.
It's a good read wnd worth your time.
*** Next up is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature.
FEBRUARY is:
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National Menudo Month
Free and Open Source Software Month
American Heart Month

An Affair to Remember Month
Black History Month

National Canned Food Month

Creative Romance Month
Great American Pie Month
National Bake for Family Fun Month
National Bird Feeding Month
(Got this one SO covered)

National Cherry Month

National Children’s Dental Health Month
National Grapefruit Month
National Heart Month
National Hot Breakfast Month
National Library Lover’s Month

(just stay out of the shadows...heh)
National Macadamia Nut Month
National North American Inclusion Month
National Snack Food Month
National Weddings Month
National Embroidery Month
Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month
==============================
FEBRUARY 1 -
---It's National Baked Alaska Day

(looks good, right?)
---It's National Freedom Day

(let it ring, people)
---It's National Get Up Day

(much easier to face any day by doing THIS)
---It's National Serpent Day

(oh, the Biblical references to be found there)
*** Next, Kevin Leininger has a good column in today's N-S. Here's the link:
http://www.news-sentinel.com/news/local-news/2018/02/01/kevin-leininger-indiana-was-right-not-to-jump-off-the-divisive-hate-crimes-cliff/
I agree with the WHY this failed...good reasoning.
Just the mention of the phrase "protected classes" tends to bug the hell out of me.
According to our founding documents, we are ALL "protected", with special favor given to none.
We are already ALL equal, even if it takes the lawmakers a bit longer to get with that program.
My take on this whole deal is WHERE do you draw the line when it comes to what one would call a hate crime?
There are the obvious forms, and there are those the media loves to foster. "hate" aspect, when in reality, we have as many black-on-anyone) crimes. So, would they be considered "hate" crimes?

Such crimes would have everyone (falsely)  believe that it's most white-on-black crimes that comprise the
Motivation has to be the driving factors here. A Bback guy robs a liquor store (the clerk is white), CAN that be considered a hate crime? Depends on the perspective of those involved, as well as how the media source treat the story.
You can really create a huge Gordian knot with this...better to let sleeping dogs lie for now, and just work with the laws we already have in place to deal with crime itself. Let any "hate" in such crime expose ITSELF.
*** Next up, John Rosemond has a very good column in the N-S. Here's that link:
http://www.news-sentinel.com/living/2018/02/01/john-rosemond-more-proof-that-gun-laws-are-not-the-problem/
America was founded upon a gun-culture...even the Pilgrims had to hunt for food.
Maybe that's why that 2nd Amendment was included in our Constitution.
The early Americans knew the value of having firearms, and also knew HOW to conduct oneself as owners of such devices. Rosemond brings home an important point: ((I am a member of the last generation of American children whose parents disciplined not only our behavior, but also insisted that we exercise emotional self-control.))
Have to agree with that, because it's true. And, it makes perfect sense.

He continues: ((I am also a member of the first generation of American parents who fell for progressive psychological propaganda to the effect that insisting upon emotional self-control was repressively authoritarian and would prime our kids for future serious mental health problems.)) Sure sounds right to me as well.
This change in behavior can be tracked back to the early 1970s and thrived in the 80s.
This is a case where whatever psychology was being applied to "understand" children only served tyo permit them to act out, rather than look inward, where they used to be told to look when self-control was required.
*** Next up, from the Reinventing the Wheel Again Department, we have THIS:
http://www.news-sentinel.com/news/indiana-state-news/2018/02/01/indiana-jail-offers-manufacturing-program-to-inmates/

Why such programs were ever halted in the penal system eludes me, but if it worked before (which it did), then why not dig it up and revisit it?

NO "failure to communicate" here.

Next step...chain-gang ROAD crews?
That would fix Indiana highways for cheap, right?
*** Next, The Indiana alcohol sale business just got some "guidelines". Here's the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/indiana/20180201/house-billsets-rulesfor-retailbooze-sales

Just like this?

Nothing wrong with this - raise tha ge one can work at a liquor store to 21 would be in order and yes, provide service-oriented training.
Also, in 2019, drug stores and grocery stores will HAVE to display ALL alcohol in a designated area, rather than be scattered about the store (good idea). The old Scotts along Decatur Rd had a special "room" where alcohol was sold. Had it's OWN register, and roll up gate, too. Don't recall any thefts from THAT location, but other Krogers in the area see thefts a lot more frequently.
*** Next up, let's take some time to stop by our "Kitten Corner'

The "children" did okay yesterday...not too much running about, and certainly nothing broken or damaged. I think they're getting used to Wifey's new schedules, so they don't act up AS much.

They do still need some run-time, but with a laser pointer (or several), it makes it lots easier.
That way, they get tuckered out sooner, and get back to napping...lol.
*** Next, let's check back in with "Midnight and Company"...

He was here a minute ago...

Our furry twosome have been doing well with all the stuff this winter has tossed at them.
And, since yesterday was "wet-food-Wednesday" you KNOW they were there for the grub.
It was Midnight's turn to be MIA at midday, so Whiskers got more, but he showed up about 30 minutes later and got his share.

I was on "patrol"...get over it.

Last call - NOBODY misses, especially when they get the hand-held treats fed to them.
Nothing better than satisfied consumers, I always say.
*** Last back to the trash truck...today's columnists seem to agree that people are a problem.

And this especially applies when they attempt to change things, thinking it will become better, when in fact, it becomes less than that. I prefer to say people are THE problem.
The harder people try to create some sort of "Utopian" society, the worse they fail, and with good reason; it's an authoritarian society. Look it up. That's pretty far from perfect, isn't it?
We all need to practice more self-control, and from little on up.

That's why we had parents...and pastors, and teachers, and such.
They were there to "remind" us about how we need to conduct ourselves, and what the consequences would be should we forget and fail to follow their sage advice.
Their help in our lives provided the eventual self-help we would come to rely upon as we grew up.
Be nice if that was still practiced as much and by a lot more people, wouldn't it?

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