Humpday Happenings...

Welcome to the mid-week crisis known as WEDNESDAY...it's all downhill from here (or uphill, if the glass is half empty).

We've another day without rain in the Heartland, two refineries in the Great Lakes section of America undergoing maintenance work, sending local gas prices up...AGAIN (while the price of oil drops), and assorted other items we might want to keep an eye on as we venture forth today.

But before we get started, it's time for the military quote of the week, also known among those of us stationed at AREA 52 aka the Bobby G. "Fortress of Reason" as:

"WHO SAID THAT?"

So, let's see what the old tome has in store for us.

"Let us therefore animate and encourage each other, and show the whole world that a FREE MAN contending for liberty on his own ground is superior to any slavish mercenary on earth."

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

Meanwhile, back at the mess hall...

*** Those of you who stop by regularly to read my ramblings know that I'm not too keen when it comes to unwarranted NOISE.

And, over time, we have become a pretty noisy society...guess we can blame PROGRESS for all that, right?

I've always believed that with progress, comes concessions, and some of that being a higher level of noise in general.

Construction, traffic and the like are just part of WHO WE ARE, and extols the necessities to move FORWARD as a society.

It's when noise becomes personally INVASIVE that it takes on another hue; that being one of utter disdain.
Now, you would think that there still ARE certain venues where noise is at a minimum...such as a HOSPITAL, right?

Not so fast...
A recent study has determined that hospitals are much NOISIER than we are led to believe.
And here's the story link to prove it:
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/06/12/typical-hospital-noises-may-disrupt-sleep/
Wow...couldn't see that one coming...seriously.
As a child, I pretty much had a semi-permanent bed in the children's wards at both St. Christopher's and Northeastern hospitals back in Philly (at least it sure seemed that way). I was born in Frankford hospital.
Yet, I never recall hospitals being overly noisy (unless someone tossed open a window and let the noise INSIDE.
And, upon growing up and visiting parents, relatives and friends in hospital, there was still an air of quiet around the floors.
Times appear to have changed, though.
I know there are those obnoxious patients that just HAVE to have a party in the damn room with AS MANY relatives and friends as they can cram the hell in...how ghetto. Yeah, that much is true, in spite of limiting visitors.

All the new tech has the beeps, boops, alarms, chimes, and sundry other attributes meant to warn staff of problems with a patient...or just to monitor them. And THAT makes sense, although there has been technology to "silently" warn the nurses' station of impending issues, especially in the ICUs.
ALL of these things are contributing to some form of sleep disruption, and medical personnel are concerned that this inhibits the patient's ability to heal FASTER...again, that sounds like some common sense at work here.

So, IF noise that is considered disruptive to the sick, infirm and elderly in hospitals across this nation, how much MORE disruptive is all the loud music coming from BOOMCARS to everyone around them, especially the DRIVERS?
I've stated here so many times, that the LEVEL and CONSTANCY of such cacophony in our neighborhoods is a huge contributing factor to rises in violence, aberrant behaviors, and the perpetration of various crimes.
And that is aside from the obvious disruption of our sleep patterns...I can speak from "experience" there.
Soldiers in theater can suffer from a form of PTSD when exposed to such noise for prolonged periods of time, and many suffer physical symptoms such as hearing loss, migraines, elevated blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, panic attacks and the like.

Then there is the biochemical changes, which are numerous, and have gone relatively unnoticed until lately.
We are creatures comprised mostly of FLUIDS...and as such, are prone to a reactiveness whenever noise is concerned.
The least we can so, as a society, is to take measures to produce as little noise as possible, and to begin enforcing local ordinances that pertain to such noise...with as much intensity as we enforce ordinances for far worse things.
Lessen the cause and you lessen the adverse results...it's that simple, people.
Moving on...
*** Here's proof that social Darwinism is in full swing, and Thomas Malthus might have been on to something.
You might want to take a read on this story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120613/LOCAL07/306139976
This is what can happen when a "contracted instructor" comes into the public school system.

Damion L. Jackson, of the 500 block of Glenfield Ave (Ft. Wayne) has been formerly charged with NINE (count 'em...9) felonies that allege he HAD SEX with two female STUDENTS and inappropriately touched a third.
All three students were between the ages of 16 and 17.
I'm sure with Father's Day coming, all you DADS out there would find this pretty damn APPALLING if it happened to your daughters.
But at least Jackson DID get a hotel room, and ply the girls with COGNAC (Courvoisier, Hennesey, or Martell?) and WINE.

(sure had money paid to him indirectly by FWCS for THAT, didn't he?)
Jackson was an instructor for WorkOne Northeast that provided a class called Jobs for America's Graduates Program at North Side High School.

He was NOT a licensed educator.
The program was designed to assist struggling students to graduate, help them work toward attending college, or equips them with skills needed to get a job right out of high school.
(noble concepts all, BUT...)
Gee, didn't we used to have in-house GUIDANCE COUNSELORS for that job?
When did all this change?

He taught 3 classes (and now he has NO CLASS), and the program was run by (and you who live in Fort Wayne are going to LOVE this)...6th District Councilman GLYNN HINES!
(imagine that)

Yes, this could be considered one of those "WTF???' moments.
I knew there was a reason I did not take to Hines from the jump...and now we have evidence.
(Which he will obviously deny ALL knowledge of, because they never know any of this...and never bother to properly VET the people they bother to employ)
Hines played a recording from Jackson to the FWPD asking to cover his classes and stating he (Jackson) "Messed up BIG TIME"...wow, 'ya THINK???
Hines declined to comment on the matter (naturally).
Jackson's WIFE is an ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL at a Ft. Wayne MIDDLE SCHOOL.
Jackson has been arrested and remains a "guest" of the Allen County lockup with a $31,500 bond.
Hope you enjoy your stay...you EARNED it!
*** Here is (yet) another instance where trying to talk or walk away from a situation is simply NOT in the cards with some of these violently-behaved "citizens" of our fair city:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120613/LOCAL03/306139977

A man paralyzed, because he did NOT want a confrontation, and an accused felon with more attitude than brains, on trial for an ongoing "problem" that began in 2002 and culminated in a shooting in 2011.
Carmell Nelson apparently has a MAJOR issue with his memory...short-term or otherwise.
He had already GONE to prison for putting a gun to the head of then 18-year old Rovon Wilson.
Now, after serving time, and being paroled out in 2006, Wilson MUST have forgotten what exactly sent his felonious ass to the hoosegow in the FIRST place. Must be brain-damaged, as many of them seem to be these days.
The trial for Wilson continues today.
No one is absolutely innocent here...too much blame to go around for my liking.
*** Lastly today...society is supposed to be ADVANCING through the ages...through time, and hopefully, we're PROGRESSING as we go, rather than REGRESSING.

And yet, on city streets every day, we see evidence to the contrary.
While national crime stats dip slightly, local crimes are actually increasing in many areas.
You can't ignore the fact that SOMETHING must be to blame for the behaviors.
Personally, I believe that we've got a sh*tload of "somethings" that are the cause of this.
Entitlements for some HAVE to be near the top of this list.
The LACK of empowerment for people, supplanted by "free sh*t" from traditional tax-paying citizens does nothing to better ANY man, woman, or child...at all. It DOES reinforce the need for MORE "stuff", like any addict would tell you.

When people are denied the ability to improve themselves, they will turn to other "devices", thinking that by doing so, they ARE improving.
Not so.
Such people have trouble actualizing themselves, let alone embracing ANY form of self-improvement.
And that is why they PREY on others...to take those trying to better themselves and knock them down a few pegs...mostly through intimidation...or fear...or worse.
To cure this "disease", it should come down to a simple question or two.
1) Do we treat the SYMPTOMS?
2) Do we treat the DISEASE?
One will make you feel less "pain" (as the disease remains), while the other will actually eradicate the disease and make you WELL again.

I think we ALL can take something away from that, and see more of the truth in such matters.

Be well, make a difference to someone, and...

Stay SAFE out there, America.