Thoughts For Thursday...

And, it's another "ditto day", with a slight exception; it will feel a bit more like SUMMER rather than the first day if FALL. Still, if you hear a loud crash or thump, that will be autumn arriving some time later today.
(in our part of the ghettohood, it will most likely be another idiot doing what they do best - being an asshole)
Our Hoosierland weather for today will have us enjoying mostly sunny skies, mild breezes, and a high up around 88 degrees by late afternoon. Like I said, it's damn near a mirror of the last several days.
Now, what say we all get ourselves a nice morning drink poured, as we take a look at what's been going on elsewhere, okay?
*** First off of the patio is the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:
"If you look in general at people who live in anarchy, they have quite high rates of death from either homicide or warfare or both. Anarchy is one of the main reasons for violence, and it may be the most important."

This is attributed to yet another "newbie" here, one Steven Pinker (born September 18, 1954) who is a Canadian-born American cognitive scientist, psychologist, linguist, and popular science author.
 And here is his WIKI:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Pinker
He is Johnstone Family Professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University, and is known for his advocacy of evolutionary psychology and the computational theory of mind.

He was born into a Jewish family, but became an atheist at 13 (how he knew to become one that young baffles me), and later, also considered himself an anarchist...UNTIL he witnessed the civil unrest that took place in the late 1960s.
(yeah, things like that tend to turn away normal minds from such activity)
You can read the WIKI for yourselves and  find out what you think about this man.
I've always found people who study and do research into linguistics and psychology the stuff that ignites my curiosity.
He has made some good assessments as to what science considers human nature. In a 2007 interview, he cites:
---The sexes are not statistically identical; their interests and talents form two overlapping distributions. Any policy that wants to provide equal outcomes for both men and women will have to discriminate against one or the other.
---Individuals differ in personality and intelligence.
---People favor themselves and their families over an abstraction called society.
---Humans are systematically self deceived. 
Each one of us thinks of ourselves as more competent and benevolent than we are."
---People crave status and power
That's some pretty strong conclusion-making, and from several standpoints, makes a good deal of sense.
The WIKI is an interesting read, and worth a few minutes.
*** Next up, time for our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
SEPTEMBER 22 -
---Today is NATIONAL CENTENARIANS DAY

(hurray for those over 100)
---It's NATIONAL WHITE CHOCOLATE DAY

(chocolate is good in any color)
---It's also AMERICAN BUSINESS WOMEN'S DAY

(and a lot of women MEAN business, too)
---It's also CAR FREE DAY

(tree-hugger holiday...let THEM walk)
---It's DEAR DIARY DAY

(my blog is my diary...of sorts)
---It's NATIONAL ELEPHANT APPRECIATION DAY

(pachyderms need love too)
---It's HOBBIT DAY

(let's all go to Middle Earth, where the crime rate's LOWER)
---It's NATIONAL ICE CREAM CONE DAY

(always liked waffle cones)
---And, it's the AUTUMN EQUINOX

(first day of fall  for the rookies out there)
Whew...that was a lot to cram in.
*** Next up, an update os the 35th homicide victim on the SE side

(and less than a 1/4 mile from our "Fortress")
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/Avondale-shooting-victim-ID-d-15382381
Robert Moore, 55 is the latest victim, and was apparently standing on his porch next to his brother when he was shot dead.

Guess you can't stand outside down here at night now?
The story actually says more about this part of town than people realize.
(wish our "king" would figure this one out)
*** Next, a related story from WANE:
http://wane.com/2016/09/21/chief-reed-hits-the-streets-one-day-after-citys-35th-homicide/

FWPD chief Reed is wasting no time getting out on the streets, going door-to-door regarding the investigation of the city's latest homicide. And where is Gary Hamilton, the former chief, who wa supposed to be a community liaison here?

Let's get THESE fixed.

If chief Reed would ever stop by HERE, I'd say the best thing you could do would be a 2-point solution:
1) Put the community-oriented policing on the back burner for now,  and concentrate of PROBLEM-oriented policing.
2) Get the Broken Window Theory back in practice here...NOW.
Start citing people for the small shit like parking, noise, litter and such before the ignorance of those leads to the big shit...like..I dunno....maybe....HOMICIDES.
*** Next, an update to the anarchistic ethnics out in Charlotte:
http://wane.com/2016/09/21/charlotte-under-state-of-emergency-in-2nd-night-of-protests/

Anyone want a "wood-shampoo"?

Sixteen officers there have been injured by the mooks tossing rocks and such at police.
I have no problem with ANY form of passive protest, but when the FIRST brick, bottle and anything else that can cause bodily harm is tossed, you send in the troops, and arrest them ALL...period. So far only ONE person has been arrested in connection with all the rioting and looting. C'mon...you can do better than THAT.
Clean the streets of such vermin and don;t allow their mayhem to create further problems for the rest of the citizens. Let them get angry IN JAIL, instead of aisle 4 of the Wal-Mart they broke into to steal i-phones and tablets.
*** Next up, a great letter to the editor.

Here's the link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/letters/Letters-15253650
Yes, even people who move here from other cities can see the problem we have right HERE in the Summit City when it comes to the CRIME.

And on the SE side - it's been like this for years.

And, since it's been allowed to fester since the days of Win Moses (as mayor), the results are all TOO predictable. Maybe that's why this "push" is on for the whole downtown-riverfront crap.
That'll get people to "forget" about the crime (elsewhere)...yeah, tell that to the author of the letter...or me.
Sorry, WE can see the subterfuge at play here.
*** Next up, another installment of "The Hobo Chronicles"...
As could be foreseen, it was another one of those "lazy" days.

"Wake me when it's time to eat again."

Not much to do but eat, rub a leg now and then, and perhaps catch a nap in between meals.
Whatta life.
But, there does come those (few) times when chasing Patches up a nearby tree breaks the routine.
(Wifey and I watched that.

"Patches tuckered me out..."

Happened too fast to get a picture, but there was some serious "juking" going on.
A fighter pilot would be hard-pressed to duplicate those maneuvers.
*** Last back to the yardscape...human nature can be both complex AND predictable.

It's also something that many people work at, while others ignore completely.
Much of the basis for how we act can be found in the manner in which we are brought up.
The Good Book tells us that we need the proper "foundation" to build our house (life) upon.

And that's correct. Any good builder can see that much, so you don't need to be a theologian.
Build a house on sandy soil, and one good rain will wash it away. Build it on rocky uneven ground, and a good wind can knock it over (if an earthquake doesn't), BUT...build a house on firm, solid soil and it will stand as long as it has to, protecting and sheltering those inside. Not rocket science, just common sense at work there.
A shame that many people fail to see some of the most BASIC tenets of what it means to be a human being.
Again, we can clearly see that SOME level of morality is required.
With morality comes many other facets of our lives that a normal person will need to make it through life, such as civility, ethics, compassion, patience, and many more.
Yet, without your moral compass pointed in the right direction, you will be lost a lot more often than you think, and getting to whatever destination in life will be that much more difficult.
Like I said...it's just common sense...right?

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