Thursday Thoughts...

Another weekend is looming, and it promises to be a rather nice one.
Today, we'll be seeing more fall weather, with temps reaching into the low 70s with plenty of sunshine.
Nope, not going to see any rain either.
So, enjoy your daily gift of life today...it's more precious than you think.
In the meantime, let's see what's been on my middle-aged mind...
*** First out of the door this morning is the answer to yesterday's Motto of the Week aka WHO SAID THAT?
"The honest work of yesterday has lost it's social status; it's social esteem."

This was spoken by Peter F. Drucker, (19 Nov 1909 - 11 Nov 2005) an Austrian-born American management consultant, educator and author.
And here is his WIKI:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Drucker
His writings helped contribute to the practical and philosophical foundations of the modern business corporation.
He was one of the best known thinkers and writers on the subject of management theory and practice.
Drucker grew up in a home where intellectuals gathered to discuss new ideas.
In 1933, he left Germany for England and became a nationalized citizen of the USA in 1943.
It was then he had a distinguished career as a teacher, first as Professor of Philosophy and Politics at Bennington College (1942-1949), and then for more than 20 years at NYU (1950-1971)  as Professor of Management.
Drucker went to CA in 1971 and developed one of the first MBA programs for working professionals at Claremont Graduate University.
The management school there was renamed in his honor in 1987.
Drucker taught his last class in 2002, but continued to be a consultant to businesses and non-profit organizations into his 90s.

The WIKI goes into his work and philosophy, and that ALONE is worth a read when it discusses his "key ideas" for business.
Actually, much of that can be taken over to our individual lives.
And he was a rather prolific author.
He's a pretty interesting guy, and reminds me much of the late Dr. W. Edwards Demming (he's worth a google, too)
Demming was another pioneer when it came to business management and what it takes to become successful. Japan all but adopted Demming, and THEY made out well in the post-WW2 era.
Would it be that we have such people available to all of us TODAY, hmm?
Moving on...
*** Kevin Leininger had a great article in the News Sentinel about the D.C. shenanigans.
And here's the story link:
http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20131010/NEWS/131009598/1041/LEININGER
I'm SO glad that Kevin uses the analogy of the debacle in our nation's capital to BIZARRO WORLD of the Superman comics.
(and it's something I've maintained for some time...we seem to be living in or on  Bizarro World)
Bloomberg Business and Financial News is correct in saying this mess in D.C. is "the stuff of absurdist theater".
(that sounds familiar, too)
It makes you wonder when one national park ranger in Washington confessed that he was "...to make life as difficult as possible of people as we can...it's disgusting."

It also makes you wonder when (as Kevin relates) that the Federal Disability Insurance Program has skyrocketed to a cost of $135 BILLION (with a "B") over just the last six years - a program created in the 1950s to ONLY help those with an illness or injury that PREVENTED a person from performing work...
That's a 20% jump in those last six years...

I mean "WTF?" 
Did ALL these people suddenly become "disabled"?
There is plenty of skepticism to go around, and not just regarding THIS program...but what's being done to slow or halt these juggernauts anyway?
(have to say not that damn much)
And with Obummer's latest appointment (to the Fed Res Bank), we can expect this woman to be of the "cash-happy, let's just print some more money...we're not in debt that much" mindset...and that could well lead to another recession, if not hyper-inflation...or both.
Kevin's article is a really GOOD read, and gets to the heart of the matter.
*** Next up is a brief concerning an FWPD officer serving a warrant, a perp, and getting more than what was bargained for...plus a happy ending.

Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20131010/LOCAL07/310109946/1002/LOCAL
So, you're serving a warrant on the (...all together, gang...) SOUTH SIDE of town, and although the person for whom the warrant was issued was NOT at the residence...you find ANOTHER male who DOES (also) have an outstanding warrant...talk about hitting pay-dirt, right?
Well, you take THIS guy on the porch and proceed to talk with him, and then he hauls off and kicks you in the going not once...but TWICE.

Nathaniel Lamb, 53, of the 200 block of E. Williams St, started to make a run for it, but the officer deployed his TASER to subdue Mr. Lamb (and probably watch Lamb piss his pants in the process - that happens, you know...lol).
Lamb is now charged with felony attempted escape, battery and resisting law enforcement...and that's ON TOP of the previous unrelated probation violation.
He is being held WITHOUT bail at the local hoosegow...like I said, a HAPPY ending.
*** Lastly today, we've been saying how the world is not as "user-friendly" as it used to be, and some might bitch at me for always seeming to talk about those good old days.
But the facts remain clear...
Those WERE better days...think about it.

Not perfect...just better.
We didn't have all the myriad electronic crap wasting our time...we had much better interpersonal skills, we were more polite, we didn't mind waiting, we knew how to write in cursive, we had hobbies to counter any boredom, we were less violent, less prone to heinous crimes of a random nature, we spent more time in church, we knew that family mattered, we respected parents, law-enforcement, educators, and damn near anyone else older than ourselves, no matter what age WE were.
We appreciated more, did more (usually with less), and produced more as a nation.
And we had a lot LESS government intrusion into ALL our lives...and through all this and more)...somehow, through the grace of the Almighty (I suppose), and through our OWN determination...we SURVIVED.
Many times, we did lots more than that.

I believe we do need to back up a few steps, look back at what we USED to have...what we USED to be, and what we USED to eschew as a society, and perhaps take a page or two from THAT playbook, in order to straighten out the bad road of today's problems.
We'll never know how good that could work out for us...if we don't try, right?

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