Monday Musings...

I was saying to our grocery shopping buddy just last week that "You watch, we'll go from freezing to sweltering in less than a day", and according to predictions, that's pretty much what we're in for, weather-wise.
We knew it had to happen sooner or later. I would have been happy if it were indefinitely postponed...and I have my reasons.
And yes, even though you NEED a heavy jacket early on today, you'll be looking for short sleeves by afternoon.
Welcome to Indiana Weather.
Speaking of which, our Hoosierland forecast for today bring us sunny skies, temps rising to around 72 degrees (it's supposed to be even WARMER tomorrow), and maybe a light breeze.

Finally got Stark to pay.

So perhaps iced tea might work for that morning drink (I'm sticking to my coffee), as we take a look at what's been going on elsewhere, as we finish oiff the month of April...
*** First off of the turntable is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
APRIL 30 -
---It's National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day

(been there , done that...TWICE)
---It's National Bubble Tea Day

(WTH is that stuff and why observe it?)
---It's National Bugs Bunny Day

(what's up, doc?)
---It's National Hairstylist Appreciation Day

(wonder if they mean HARE stylist? LOL.)
---It's National Honesty Day

(got ethics?)
---It's National Military Brats Day

(sure beats the brats found on the SE side of town)
---It's National Oatmeal Cookie Day

(pass that milk)
---It's National PrepareAthon Day

(you can never prepare for EVERY eventuality...remember that)
---It's National Raisin Day

(toss that in with the oatmeal cookies)
---It's National Sarcoidosis Day

((  here you go  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcoidosis  ))
And there we go...the month of April come to an end.
*** Next, some sad news...little Alfie Evans has left this life and entered into his eternal life. Here's the story:

www.foxnews.com/health/2018/04/28/alfie-evans-uk-toddler-at-center-legal-battle-dies.html

Suffice it to say, we're SO far from done with this "ethical" treatment of patients...
*** Next up, from our "NOW they tell us?" Department, there's this:
http://www.wpta21.com/story/38057368/attorney-general-warns-consumers-to-be-wary-when-purchasing-used-cars

If there was ever a reason to practice some "caveat emptor", then this is it.
Always take the time to acquaint yourself with prior recalls, look for damage that's been repaired, look for uneven wear on the tires, and see if there's any telltale signs that the vehicle was in a flood.

That's the easy stuff, but when in doubt, take along a good mechanic to look things over.
Remember, it your second largest purchase (where you live is first).
*** Next, the downtown garage in Ft. Wayne is likely to get TWO additional floors added onto it. Here's the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/20180427/downtown-garage-to-get-2-more-floors

Now, if anything, I hope someone does their homework on this...like has a REAL good engineer check it all out and see if adding those floors is VIABLE, and won;lt cause a collapse of the whole damn thing after it's finished.
I've seen such things happen before, and we sure don;t need a repeat of that occur HERE...do we?
Then again, we'd have enough space if all those I&M employees had their own lot to park on. I read where they take up a majority of spaces (maybe that's why it's tough to find a good spot most any time).
*** Next up, how about we take time to flip the race coin and look at the OTHER wide:
https://www.cnn.com/2016/03/30/us/black-privilege/index.html

Now remember, this IS from CNN, so it's got a liberal slant to it, but if you read between the lines, the gist of what we're not told becomes clear.

A very good question...

There IS a growing level of "black privilege" in this country, and that certainly leaves all the equality in the dust.
If you were wondering about some specifics, we can look to how Finland handled something similar thanks to a good column by Kevin Leininger. Here's the link to that story:
http://www.news-sentinel.com/news/local-news/2018/04/28/kevin-leininger-handing-people-money-for-nothing-isnt-a-good-idea-in-finland-or-fort-wayne/
Yeah, GIVING money to people, isn;t really a good thing. Hell, just look at a lot of those lottery winners...they piss it all away, as did many of those in Finland, which begs the question:
"How would that work in OUR country?"
It would work the exactly same way. We see and read about clear evidence that our welfare system is (and has been) used to promote fraud. That isn't what it was designed for, and yet, people seel their food stamps, abuse the programs intended to HELP people in need, and so on... That's a pretty sad statement about how people "game the system". It doesn't stop with welfare, either.
But that's a lot of posts for some other days, isn't it?
*** Next, I said it was likely to happen...and it HAS.

The new Avengers movie (Infinity War) has TOPPED the box office records, besting Star Wars - The Force Awakens.
Here's the lowdown:
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=4393
Guess I still know a winner when I see one, and I haven't even seen the movie, but I do know my cinema, comic books,  and superheroes well enough to make such a claim in advance.

Excelsior!

Never gets old being right along these lines.
It will be very hard to top THIS flick, but perhaps the last installment of the Star Wars sage could do it...if the second part of Infinity War doesn't top the first part...that's a very distinct possibility.

Congrats to all involved with this movie...you done good...you done REAL good.
*** Next up, time to stop by our "Kitten Corner"...

Lookit the birdies out there.

The kids had a decent weekend...wish I could claim the same.
They were well behaved, didn't get into stuff, and overall, were a calming influence on us (and Lord knows we need that around this part of town)..

Hey, you guys in the castle awake?

Gallifrey was doing his usual "check all the windows" gig (among other things), while Violet spent a lot of time looking cute and playing with various toys. I keep stepping on the toys when she leaves them in the hallways.
It would be a much larger house without these cats, that's for sure.
*** Next, let's check back in with "Midnight and Company"...

Making sure the solar light doesn't move.

Our furry twosome took the time to not wander off too much over the weekend.
Both of them stayed close by, and that makes me feel better, as the springtime idiots are taking to the streets with their loud exhaust systems, loud stereos, and chronic speeding.

You taking another picture of me?

As long as Midnight and Whiskers hang out at OUR place, there's never the chance of anything bad happening to them.
That makes life better (and longer) for them AND definitely better for us.
*** Last back to the cassette deck...there was a time when I used to really like summer, but times change, and so do we, like it or not.

hover-board - normal.

I've actually come to detest summer, because of the "stuff" it brings along...like the aforementioned idiots.

quad-runner - NOT normal.

Whereas the rest of the year has fewer than 10 noisy-ass morons driving about, as soon as it gets warm out, these jerks bloom like weeds on your lawn (which is a good description of them). They never go way, and (like the sand people in Star Wars) "always return and in greater numbers", said Obi-Wan Kenobi.

ANOTHER loudass newbie.

No police patrols in the are ensures that the noise will continue, and no city employees in Code Enforcement or Parking Control  working on the weekend means that "anything goes" when it comes to violations.

Sure, park on the lawn - not YOUR house

These people KNOW when to be more of a nuisance than usual...believe me.
It makes living down here more of a chore than in years (or decades) past, and that's because NOTHING has been done to keep the barbarians from the gate. City Hall certainly doesn't give that much of a damn to actually DO something...anything, to stop the spread of this urban blight.

Must be nice to practice that black privilege, especially down here.

Just pass the damn blunt, dawg!

For a time, things were manageable, but the longer we live here, the worse it seems to get.
Ignorant people are arrogant people.
I know this for fact. I see it evidenced every day in our part of the ghettohood.
Maybe the powers that be should stop perpetuating such behavior, and instead promote  more civility.
Stop rewarding the government-sponsored morons and their ilk, and instead try to make our part of town something that will once again be more contributory to the city's economy, rather than a millstone about it's financial neck.
It's just a thought, but a pretty damn good one, if you ask me.

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

Here's a little (bonus) something I thought was very cool.: