Humpday Happenings...

It looks to be another cloudy morning here in our part of the Heartland, and I hear we might be seeing some showers rolling through.
Temps will reach into the upper 70s today, so we're in another one of those warm-up phases.
This trend looks to continue for the next 2-3 days, and we could certainly use the rain.
Now, with that behind us, let's take a look into what's been on my mind (and in the news)...
*** First off the flight line today is our Motto of the Week aka WHO SAID THAT?
"Simple solutions seldom are. It takes a very unusual mind to undertake analysis of the obvious."
So, who said that?
The answer at the top of tomorrow's post.
*** Next off the deck today is a story that's sure to get this blog (needlessly) noticed by at LEAST several federal agencies, simply because of the WORDS I use...it's the bomb threat that managed to evacuate several FWCS high schools yesterday.

Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130918/LOCAL07/309189969/0/FRONTPAGE
A note was found at South Side and that precipitated moving the students to the adjacent football field while police conducted a search of the school.
Wayne, North Side and Northrup high schools were also searched, and, as could be expected, disrupted the school day.
My take on this is that it was a copy-cat from the Bluffton high school note the previous day. TWO GIRLS were behind that note and one faces some nice FELONY charges. The other one is a minor.
Makes me wonder if we won't see another such incident needlessly taking kids out of class.
And I say "needlessly" because we know how the schools will react whenever some dumb-ass kid decides to not want to be in class.
They make it only harder for the REST of the students that actually might want to LEARN something.
One might state that "better to be safe than sorry"...and I would counter with "is it better to be STUPID than educated?"
The chances for such a device in any of our schools is minimal, but I can also understand the need to investigate each incident, however wasteful it might be. Perhaps if we did not allow things on school grounds that could be misinterpreted as something harmful?
I know...no more sharp pencils, no compasses, no rulers...we can blow this all so much out of proportion if we choose to.
If anything, cooler heads must prevail and reason must rule the day.
*** Have you been following the media stories in Fort Wayne, and seeing how much time, effort and money is being dumped into our DOWNTOWN area of late?

Let's fix what doesn't NEED fixing.

It seems to be one damn project after another...more apartments, more "amenities", more signage...what about more JOBS?
We hear about new strip malls up north or out west, and new stores opening everywhere ELSE but.on the...(you guessed it)...SOUTHEAST side.
Now, we all know it's the CRIME down here that is causing businesses to shy away, and also preventing any gentrification of this once nice area, but you have to hand it to our "King" (read mayor Henry) for doing all he can to get everyone's mind off of this area by developing every other part of this city.

And, as I'm fond of saying: You cannot solve a problem by ignoring that problem.
If there's ONE thing that rules the day down here (aside from apathy)...it's IGNORANCE.
*** The cost of healthcare will soon be skyrocketing, thanks to Obummercare...we've known that for quite sometime.
But, when it comes down to what it costs you JUST to go to the E/R, that can also be a bit alarming.

Yes, we got the bill for my "visit" to Parkview Randallia and I will confess that it did cost a lot less than a new roof for the house.
It also cost a lot less than a used Aston-Martin.

My dream car...next life.

It DID cost more than the price of an AR-15...about double it in fact.
Considering the amount of time I spent there (a couple hours), the price was more than what I was expecting.
The bill wasn't itemized either, so there's no breakdown as to how much each individual test or treatment cost (damn shame).

And this also is aside from the specialist I've seen...
I'm sure the bills for the ultrasounds will also be forthcoming.
I told the Lovely Mrs. Bobby G. that if I ever have to go to the hospital...next time, you load me in the car, drive around the block and drop me off BACK HOME... And be sure to wear scrubs, so I think you're a nurse...LOL!
It sure seems a LOT more than when I was a kid and had to get my appendix out. All I can recommend, is that none of us EVER get sick again....AT ALL.
*** Lastly today, they were taking on the Pat Miler show (WOWO) yesterday about how much a gallon of gas cost when people started driving (at the radio station),and the answers made me laugh.
See, when I learned to drive, the price of a gallon of REGULAR cost about $.57...premium cost around $.80, and that's what I usually tanked up with.

My first car looked like this, but w/ a black vinyl top

Hey,. I was working full time, pulling in a whopping $7.75 per hour and had an 8-year old car that was paid for!
(Besides, the car knocked like hell on regular)
When the oil embargo hit, I was driving a car that got so-so mileage, but had a 26.5 gallon tank. Gas had shot up to $1.50 a gallon during that time, and it cost me plenty to fll up, and that's why I NEVER let the gauge drop below HALF.

My 2nd car looked like this, but I had moon hubcaps

Eventually gas prices dropped back down, but not as low as they were...and it's been UPHILL at the pumps ever since.
AAA states that for the FIRST time in automotive history, the price of gas has been OVER THREE BUCKS for 1000 days.
In some areas, it's been past that.
So, whenever people say stop dwelling on the past, I simply can't because times WERE better...by far.
Okay, we didn't have all the electronic crap we HAVE to have today...so what?
We survived, didn't we?
In fact, we did better than survive...we actually THRIVED.
Simpler was better...and yes, even slower was better.

The fact is the world has become a lot more frenetic, and distracting...and annoying.
Somehow, no matter how fast things move, it's still not enough for some.
I'd like to back it all up, take some time so we can all catch our breath, and figure out what we're missing in this hurry-up society, because I feel we're missing a LOT.
And much of what we miss, we can never get back.
Life and time wait for no one.
Slow down, look around you, and enjoy all that you survey.
That is the message for today.

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