Some Thoughts For Thursday...

Today could well wind up as the first official "scorcher" in the Heartland, if you place any stock in weather reports.
We're going to have a nice and mostly sunny day, with temps rising to around 87 degrees!
Now for me (personally) that's too hot, unless I was on a beach in Florida, or Aruba, or Tahiti with a cold drink alongside.
I hear rain is on the way tomorrow, and it might begin as early as later tonight, so if you leave your windows open today, check them before you hit the sack...wouldn't want the rain outside to get inside, right?
With that behind us, let's proceed into this lovely day.
(before someone comes along and louses it up)
Get that morning cup refilled, as we see what's been going on...
*** First out of the footlocker today is the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:
"The negative side to globalization is that it wipes out entire economic systems, and in doing so, wipes out the accompanying culture."
This is attributed to Peter Ludwig Berger (who?) an Austrian-born American sociologist (17 March 1929 - still alive and well) and here is his WIKI:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_L._Berger
He is best known for his work in the sociology of knowledge, the sociology of religion, the study of modernization, and theoretical contributions to sociology of theory
He co-authored a book titled "The Social Construction of Reality" (pub - 1966), and it is considered one of the five MOST influential texts in the sociology of knowledge in the 20th century.
The book has played a central role in the development of social constructionism.
Berger is perhaps also best known for his view that perceived reality is constructed by social consensus.
(that explains a lot about our society today)
The basic thesis in his book presents the premise that human beings construct a SHARED social reality.
And it exists at two levels - SUBJECTIVELY, it can be something we find meaningful, as in a friendship. OBJECTIVELY, it exists in social institutions,  government bureaucracies, and large corporations.
(that's some pretty heavy thinking, Doc)
The WIKI is a very good read and it's helped me arrive at a level of understanding when it comes to how our society works (and why we're headed in the direction we are) Spend a little time there and get to know society...a bit more.
*** Next up, I was watching one of the History Channels (AHC) last night, because they are airing this multi-part series on THE NAZIS - EVOLUTION OF EVIL.

It's well presented, and brings to light many smaller facts that lead up to Hitler coming to power and how he was SO wrong in what he did, as well as how many in his political and military circles thought he was hurting the German more than helping them.

So, in the best interest of history, let's have Sherman set the WAY-BACK machine to Germany, 1938...
Hitler is in power and seeks to "expand the frontier" for HIS people...they need more space...breathing room as it were, so he sets about conferring with his military leaders to see how they can take over the Sudentenland, in Czechoslovakia, which included many people who spoke GERMAN.
Here's a quick WIKI about the area in question:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudetenland
Hitler had this timetable that some generals thought too rash and impulsive, and there was even a plot to arrest Hitler BY these generals, during which time, he would be "shot dead" in the confusion:...damn shame THAT plan didn't pan out.
Anyway, the Czechs were under the protectorate of France and Britain, and Neville Chamberlain was sent to broker a peace (more like a PIECE) with Hitler.
Chamberlain would take the proposal by Hitler back and it would be discussed.

Sure, these people WANTED to be "free"...to be conquered.

Hitler decided to go ahead with invading the Sudetenland in the meantime, and when Chamberlain returned with an OK from France and Britain for the "acquisition" (annexation) of the Sudeten, Hitler basically flew into a rage and stated that was no longer a choice.
He invaded Czechoslovakia proper...and later Poland, and the rest, as they say...IS history.
Naturally, during all this Sudetenland fracas, Hitler's Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels made it appear as if those in the Sudeten were being persecuted by the Czech people (not the case) and then sympathizers IN the region acted upon the propaganda, creating chaos against the Czechs.
Then, it hit me...I've seen this ALL before, and rather RECENTLY.

And here we go...again.

It's exactly what PUTIN is doing in the Crimea and UKRAINE...
And, his propaganda machine has been wound up in the exact same manner that Goebbels did back in 1938.
I suppose it MUST be true that if we never LEARN from history, we ARE bound to REPEAT it.
Now, I wonder who gets to play the role of Neville Chamberlain THIS time around?
Any guesses?
Moving on...
*** Here in Fort Wayne, we're currently enjoying a break from all the homicides we had LAST year, and although our bad weather for the first quarter of 2014 played a huge part in this, it is taking the morons a bit longer to "get rolling" again.
Some might say that's a good thing.
Sure, there were a few gang busts, and these are the ones you want off the streets FIRST, but what about all the others "players" out there, looking to make THEIR mark?
I'm talking about all the assaults that are STILL occurring around the city, especially on the SE side.

Sure doesn't FEEL that way...

I suppose since they're not AS newsworthy, they never get the press, and yet, there is STILL a victim involved.
And I certainly don't see anyone being busted at the houses that have close to a dozen vehicles stop by DAILY.
Doesn't appear to be ANY headway being made to stop all the boom cars, either, or the walking down the middle of many streets, or enforcement of the littering laws. And we sure are having our share of domestics out there...people apparently LOVE to beat on one another for whatever reason.
We still have burglaries and robberies, but since it's not at some high profile BUSINESS, I suppose that's neither here nor there, right?
All one has to do is check the FWPD activity blotter and SPOT CRIME to see what I'm talking about.
If I didn't know better, I'd think that not much was being done to STOP crime, rather than merely REACT to it after it occurs.
I know that the number of FWPD cruisers in our area is wonderfully LOW, as in maybe a couple driving through per month (that I happen to see), and yet, there's not a day that passes where you DON'T hear police sirens wailing through the area close by.
I'd like to believe that the gang problem is under control, but I really believe that these thugs are just biding their time, doing some reorganizing, recruiting, and performing other "business' while the next shipment of drugs arrives in Fort Wayne (for distribution).

It's the SMALL stuff that leads to the BIG stuff.

I'd also like to believe that the police are breathing a collective sigh of relief after taking down a few of these thugs, but I think they're cautiously holding their breath until the next outburst of gang activity surfaces...then we start the game all over again, don't we?
*** Last back to the barracks today...Peter Berger spoke about the sociology of KNOWLEDGE, and as one goes through life, hopefully, there is that acquisition OF knowledge.
Kinda hard to grow old and never learn all that much, isn't it?
We should never stop learning, really.
A day without learning anything is a day wasted (imho).

I like to think that humankind is good enough to WANT to learn...to have a DESIRE to learn, and in some cases, a PASSION for learning.
Let's face it, the only way to solve problems is with knowledge, because creating problems requires little if any, hmm?
We live in a complex world, with even more complex challenges facing all of us...sometimes on a daily basis.
Add that to the fact that WE, as human beings are COMPLEX by nature to begin with.
That's like piling more stuff on top of other stuff, and it can become overwhelming at times.
There are many ways to react to this...we can ignore it (like politicos love to do) in the hope it goes away - that's called APATHY, or we can try to affect change, and that comes along with it's own problems.
We may seek assistance and delegate the work to others, or we may tackle things ourselves.
Either way has it's unique problems and solutions..
All of this and more is the reality we are stuck with, and how we decide to work WITHIN it.
There's no easy button, no cruise-control, no faking it...it's a full-on run at life, such as we make it.
And just as we create the problems in our society, we can also create the solutions to deal with it just as simply...it we choose to do so.

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