Humpday Happenings...

Middle of the week once again, and with it comes a bit of a cool down from the last couple days.
Our Hoosierland weather will see us with partly cloudy skies with an expected high into the mid FORTIES.
The nights are still going to be a bit on the frosty side, however.
Can't really complain though.
Still beats the hell out of shoveling snow.
(although we always seem to have a SNOW-job coming out of D.C. - heh)
So, without any further ado, let's all get our cup of mid-week fortitude poured and at the ready, as we take a look at what else has been going on in other places...
*** First off the flight deck is our WHO SAID THAT? quote of the week:
"Associate with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for it is better to be alone than in bad company."
I think we've all been down this street in our lives, dealing with people of bad quality.
 Fortunately, I don't believe any of us have chosen to "live" there.
So, who said that? The answer at the top of tomorrow's post.
Meanwhile, back in the Continental Congress...
*** It's also time once again for our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
March 18 - 
Now, I would have thought that today WOULD have been NATIONAL HANGOVER DAY, given that yesterday was St. Patty's Day and the beer flowed like rivers through a lot of people...lol.
Guess not, hmm?
But instead, we have these:
---Today is GODDESS OF FERTILITY DAY.

Looks Egyptian to me

Wonder WHICH goddess from WHICH pagan sect?
---It's also NATIONAL AGRICULTURE DAY.

Sure is a big crop of DUNG...in D.C. every year.

(well that goes hand-in-glove with that fertility goddess, doesn't it?)
---And, it's SUPREME SACRIFICE DAY.

Maybe this should be every day?

(I thought that was memorial Day? Now, I'm confused)
*** Next up, here's a case of "everything old is new again":
http://wane.com/2015/03/17/sacs-approves-new-grading-scale/

Remember the grading system when YOU were in school?
I do, and according to this story about the Southwest Allen County Schools, so do THEY.
Only took them YEARS of discussion to reach a conclusion that puts things back to rights (again).
This change to more appropriate grading (like in the old days) will only apply to middle and high schools, however.
Why they don't change this across the board for all grades beats me.
But, with every GOOD decision comes a bad one (in my opinion anyway)...
SACS will be eliminating the designations of VALEDICTORIAN and SALUTATORIAN (after the 2018 class).

Could be going bye-bye soon...

What they plan (instead) is honoring students based on their performances CUM LAUDE, MAGNA CUM LAUDE, and SUMMA CUM LAUDE.
So, no more singling out THE best of the best, as it were.

Doing away with THIS?

And yes, I DO believe this is redefining something we used to call HEALTHY COMPETITION.
Dr. Phil Downs (SACS superintendent) thinks this will allow "students to work together to get better and make each other better."
Sounds good in theory, but what about those few students who DO rise to the challenge by helping not only themselves but OTHERS along thier path to excellence?
 The VALS and SALS seem to have much of that premise nailed, so why "slight" them in the process?
Personal achievement is not meant to resemble some circle-sitting kumbayah singers.
Every student learns at THEIR own level, and that's the biggest hurdle ANY school system has to address.

(I smell progressivism here somewhere)
I think that while the return to what used to be "our" grading system is a good idea, lumping students en masse` to make everyone better might not work out as designed...not yet, anyway.
*** Next, a late night robbery at a convenience store nets TWO

Here's the story link:
http://wane.com/2015/03/18/two-detained-after-local-gas-station-robbed-at-gunpoint/
This happened last night around 2300 hrs at the Eddie's Quick Mart Marathon station located at 4233 N. Clinton St.
A 911 caller described the getaway vehicle to police and they later found a matching vehicle and pulled it over.

Looks like a PT Cruiser to me.

Officers took 2 in custody, but have not said anything as to pending charges.
Guess descriptions of the PERPS would be BIASED?
(inquiring minds want to know)
*** Next, and speaking of school systems...seems that FWCS is not the only school system facing budgets cuts in the transportation arena.

EACS is also looking toi make necessary cuts as well, and here's the story:
http://www.21alive.com/nbc33/news/EACS-School-Board-Votes-to-Cut-Some-Bus-Transportation-296670841.html
I come from an era when you several options when it came to HOW to get your ass to school:
1) WALK (helps shake out the cobwebs and builds stronger bodies)
2) TAKE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION - not bad, if you like waiting in the rain or snow, and standing.
3) PARENTAL DRIVER - The lucky kids got this treatment, or if some friend saw you on a street and told his mom/dad to pull over.

They cost $$$ while idle, too.

In any event, we had NO excuse NOT to get to school...no busing for us (talk about a lack of "white privilege"...LMAO)
Now, with the advent of school busing, the decline and abandonment of neighborhood school, and the ability to take some of the worst kids and bus them across town to a good school (and watch them decline) has led to an ever-growing budget for such transportation.
Even if the buses are leased (and I doubt that very much), that STILL costs, as does upkeep, storage facilities, security FOR those facilities, insurance, fuel...vehicle replacement...well, you get the idea.
It's COSTLY (mainly to those paying the taxes for those schools).
We bus more kids all over the place when they CAN learn just as well closer to their homes - the only exception to this being in RURAL areas, where schools can be more than a couple MILES from where students might live.
It's only logical that such spiraling costs be contained, even IF it's after the horses have left the corral and you fix the gate.
And making the journey to and from schools for kids (on foot) as safe as possible should ahve been the MAIN concern of cities all around this area...YEARS AGO.
Now, everyone has to play "catch-up", and it will be fun to watch how that is accomplished.
*** Last back to the hangar...all of you know how much I detest "change for change sake".
It's such a damn waste of time, money and resources.

Not a good idea.

If you indeed have something that ":works", then by God, KEEP it going. If that something has PROVED in the past to be reliable, well-tested, and cost-effective, then don't change it.
But, there are some that LOVE to change things, and one doesn;t have to venture further than in one's own home...or vehicle to find that out.
We HAD to change from CRT televisions to flat screen plasma, LCD, and LED sets, when the CRT technology hadn't even reached it's ZENITH (no electronics pun intended).
Same with our damn light-bulbs...why change from what works to something that is hazardous should it break in our home?
Ditto for cars...WHY make everything a "powered accessory" (like door locks and windows) when the tried and true HAND CRANKS and door lock BUTTONS worked flawlessly?
Granted, there are those times when a change IS for the good...like a leap in technology (the Internet, security systems, firearms, some appliances), but when people start to change everything under the damn sun, we need to question not only the reasoning behind it...but the purpose and net result.
Does all this stuff make our LIVES better, so that we can make OURSELVES better, or should we begin by making US better and thereby create better things to amend the way we live?
I think you know the answer to that one.

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