Monday Musings...

And, we're off an running (well, I'm not) with another week of who knows what coming straight at us. I think we should take it things a bit slower, considering we "lost an hour" with the nonsensical change to Daylight Saving Time this weekend.
What I want to know is WHERE will this saved time be stored? And will we be able ti use it at a later date?
Our Hooiserland weather for today brings us partly cloudy skies, possible rain or snow showers later one, temps reaching to around 41 degrees, and windy conditions. Sounds accommodating enough, right?

Now, let's get that cup of coffee, tea, or cocoa made to soften the blow of Monday, as we see what's been going on...
*** First off of the computer desk is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
MARCH 12 -
---It's National Girl Scout Day

(go buy some cookies from 'em)
---It's National Napping Day

(hell, any day is good for that)
---It's National Plant a Flower Day

(not really feeling like it...maybe in another week)
*** Next up, an ominous portent looms on the horizon, but we kinda saw this coming. Here's the story:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/toys-apos-r-apos-us-104530952.html

Yeah, Toys R Us may be looking at closing all it's stores...so where EXACTLY will we shop for toys (no, Walmart doesn't count in my book)? Will we have to get our stuff online? Not a huge fan of that, considering the prices one encounters at places like Amazon. It's nice to have a store that pertains to TOYS, like we had in times past.
Sadly, other places have eroded the market incrementally over the decades, and now it just might be TRU's turn. Say it ain't so.
*** Next, a story of how opioid abusers have been doing their OWN shopping, but not for toys. Here's the link:
http://wane.com/2018/03/09/bill-to-stop-doctor-shopping-may-be-signed-by-governor-next-week/

Yep, the druggies are shopping for doctors, like the ones who are all too ready to prescribe such medication (I hate to call it that when it's being abused) to the all-too-willing and wanting.
There are pharmaceutical companies working for alternatives to such addictive substances, but you know what they say: As long as there's a market for it, someone will produce it...all for the almighty dollar.
*** Next, and speaking of drugs (of the illegal variety), we had ANOTHER raid. And it was (you guessed it) on the SE side of our fair city (yes, the ghettohood, folks).

Here's the story:
http://wane.com/2018/03/09/police-find-cocaine-heroin-other-drugs-2-arrested/

This took place around 0900 hrs at a house located at 4407 Plaza Drive (yep, that';s the ghettohood, alright)
((Inside the home, police found 85 grams of cocaine, 22 grams of methamphetamine, 71 grams of Heroin, and more than 14 grams of marijuana.))
Arrested were Jimmy Hines, 29, and Ellihue Pegues, 64. Children were place in the custody of CPS and the house was boarded up by NCE.
There were more raids as well, and here they are:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/20180310/citywide-drug-raids-over-2-days-net-arrests
Around 0430 hrs Thursday morning, police raided a house at 808 Oaklawn Court.
((The renter, Justice Kyara Harvey, 23, acknowledged that someone named Curtis had lived there since September or October and had dealt fentanyl from there at least three times, court documents said.))
And to top things off (on the north side of town), thee was this raid.

((At 8:15 p.m. Thursday, police arrived at 6718 Goldenrod Place on the north side of Fort Wayne and raided the house on a search warrant. Police arrested Radiance M. Upshaw, 29, after finding marijuana, empty plastic bags used for dealing drugs, paraphernalia used to weigh and package the drug, as well as marijuana cigarettes in the house and in Upshaw's white Chevy Malibu.))
Judging by the NAMES of the "ladies" at those other houses, they sure sound black to me.
*** Next up, a really good "21 Country" (Eric Olson - WPTA) segment about building near the intersection of Rudisill and Calhoun  Here's the story:
http://www.wpta21.com/story/37680614/goodbye-history

Those are nice buildings, and it's a damn shame to lose them to the wrecking ball (which seems to happen with great frequency down here).

But when the lack of desire by businesses takes place (thanks to rising crime), what else can you expect? I remember when the corner building had a Baskin-Robbins ice cream store.

So, once again, our part of town takes another hit, and we lose the potential to preserve the buildings (one of which had water damage back in January). And we call this progress...yeah, right.
*** Next, a sad story that happens to have a happy ending for one feline. Here's the story:
www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2018/03/reward_offered_for_id_of_anima.html

This takes place in Westland, Michigan.
(("The cat had a large portion of its ears removed along with a piece of its tail and also sustained bruising on its body," the Michigan Humane Society said in a statement issued Friday. "He had been found with duct tape wrapped around his legs as well.
"The cat, who has been named Stanley, is receiving expert medical care at the hands of our shelter medicine team."))
There is a $2500 reward for information that lead to the arrest of those responsible.
*** Next up, and not needing any reward, let's stop by "Kitten Corner"...

The kids were not bad at all...until last evening, when Gallifrey was flying through the house (chased by Violet). He jumped onto the sofa in the family room, then onto me, scaring the crap outta me in the process, nailed me with a claw (I love bleeding after the sun goes down), to which I shouted very loudly, and he took off upstairs and stayed there for a couple hours.

Violet, soon after that, curled up with me on the sofa, and I eventually got Gallifrey to come back down, where both of them were as good as gold until Wifey got home.

Other than that the weekend was a real keeper, but they both have to learn NOT to run rampant like wildcats.
They have it real good here (and could live to be damn near 20 years old), and they should come to accept and appreciate that.
*** Next, and being quite appreciative, let's check in with "Midnight and Company"...

Our furry twosome were nowhere near as crazy as our indoor cats were. In fact, they were the epitome of calm, considering they're outside all the time, and have to deal with the neighborhood more than we have to.

Midnight and Whiskers loved that wet food they got yesterday, and there were plenty of leg rubs (for us) to show their enjoyment of the care we provide, along with the love.
It's always a joy to have them around, and I'd never thought I'd be party to such feline activity.
*** Last back to the mouse pad...it says a lot about society when the friendliest creatures in your neighborhood happen to be two stray community cats.

And this observation comes from someone who lived on city blocks filled with row homes, where (like "Cheers") everybody knows your name.
Your family pet (and those of the neighbors) were the only "critters" in the area.
But, that was a kinder time for all concerned.
These days, in areas like ours, it's typical to be ignored by those who move nearby, and in many cases, that's fine by me.
I don't want any part of people who demonstrate themselves to be a nuisance to our neighborhood by their behavior.

If anything, such people deserve prayer, and we'll leave it at that.
Yet, we really do need to get back to how we used to behave, one to another.
There's nothing wrong with being friendly, or sociable, but it does require people to put themselves aside and look to others - something in very short supply around our part of the city.
Maybe things will change, if not out of a sense of what's right, perhaps out of necessity.
Time will tell...as it always does.

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