Thoughts For Thursday...

We certainly got out of our Midwest weather rut, only to find ourselves in another.
The rain is gone, and has been replaced with heat and humidity. Talk about an Indian Summer.
Hard to believe that Fall starts tomorrow, because it feels like summer just started (again).
Our Hoosierland weather for today brings along partly sunny skies, temps reaching all the way to around 89 degrees, and yes, it will feel warmer than that, so dress accordingly. I'll be real glad when it starts getting cooler.

In the meantime, let's get ourselves a cup or glass of our favorite drink poured and parked close by, as we see what else has been going on, shall we?
*** First  out of the sauna is the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:
"You can't just give someone a creativity injection. You have to create an environment for curiosity and a way to encourage people and get the best out of them." 

This was spoken by another newbie (here), one Ken Robinson (born 4 March 1950) who is a British author, speaker and international adviser on education in the arts to government, non-profits, education and arts bodies. And here is his WIKI:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Robinson_(educationalist)
You can read up on him there, and see that he came from a working class Liverpool family.
He contracted polio at the age of 4, but it doesn't go into details of that disease upon him, other than to say he attended a special school due to the physical effects.
His list of career achievements and educational contributions are numerous.
(( In 2003, he was made Knight Bachelor by the Queen for his services to the arts. He speaks to audiences throughout the world on the creative challenges facing business and education in the new global economies.))
His take on education is where we differ (slightly).

((He believes that much of the present education system in the United States fosters conformity, compliance and standardization rather than creative approaches to learning. Robinson emphasises that we can only succeed if we recognize that education is an organic system, not a mechanical one. Successful school administration is a matter of fostering a helpful climate rather than "command and control".))

I tend to believe (and I'm just a former student who came through a system that WORKED once upon a time), that all students have to MASTER the "mechanical" aspects of learning in order to allow the "organic" aspects to be appreciated and thereby learned. It's like one hand washing the other.
Still, he does make a lot of sense.
*** Next, time for the "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
SEPTEMBER 21 -
---It's National New York Day

(where's Indiana Day?)
---It's National Pecan Cookie Day

(gimme some cold milk, and I'm there.)
*** Next up, a city ordinance tackles problem businesses. Here's the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/20170921/city-revisits-problem-properties

Now, I'm all for keeping such places (like Piere's) from becoming the local O.K. Corral every Saturday or Sunday night, but given the nature of many of the businesses in question, that would seem to be problematic (at best).
What I want to know is...what will be done with all the problem HOUSES we have in certain aprts of the city?
Given the fact that on the south side, we have a lot LESS businesses than anywhere else, the number of houses is still quite high, and therefore become the problem locations.
Let's address THOSE down here...and maybe we can get some of the businesses back that have been goon for far too long.
*** Next, and speaking to the problems we suffer daily on the south side, here's more proof that the very same crimes we have now reside in other parts of the city:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/20170921/5-charged-after-drug-searches

Yes, not one, but two drug raids, one of them out WEST off of Covington Rd (Cheri Ct) past Getz rd.
The other one was (predictably) on the east side, off of Wayne Trace (New Haven Ave).
Police found powder cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, a .25-caliber Raven semi-automatic handgun and around $1,600 in cash during the raid just before 12:30 p.m. This was at the Cheri Ct. address.
At the New Haven Ave. address, officers found crack cocaine and a large amount of drug paraphernalia.

((While officers were at the home, a car pulled into the driveway, and all three people in the car were questioned.
During the questioning, police said they found heroin, marijuana and various items of paraphernalia, including syringes and spoons for aiding in the injection of illegal drugs.))
The three were arrested.
Five people in total were taken into custody. Nice haul, people.
*** Next, the Ken Burns series The Vietnam War has been some good TV.

Tuesday's episode talked about our growing involvement over there, with mention of embedded correspondents, including Joe Gallagher.
Politically, this war had been destined to any lack of major victory on our part. Much of it was due to screw ups in D.C. (surprise), as well as technology not being what it has become since then (too much collateral damage).

The episode ended with the Ia Drang Valley battle, where Col. Hal Moore held off forces that outnumbered his many times over. Get a copy of WE WERE SOLDIERS (Mel Gibson) to see what took place. It's a great movie that tells the story of that battle.
Last night's episode talked about more troops going overseas, and then having them find out this was NOT their father's war, thanks to missteps by those in Washington, who could not seem to figure out HOW to put a government in place in the south that could get the backing of the people there.
Lyndon Johnson was in way over his head. but had a bit too much pride to admit to it...same goes for Westmoreland.
Americans were picking up on this, and that's where the anti-war movement got it's traction.

It's a good series, and not as much liberal slant as you'd think. Peter Coyote does a very good job as narrator (he's also done the WW2 series: The Color Of War).
*** Next up, time to stop by "Kitten Corner"...

With it being hot outside, the kids were comfy inside, and up to some antics.
It was a "rub-fest" with both of them, as Violet followed me all over the house, just to rub my face or leg.

Gallifrey was being his usual "clumsy-affectionate" self, climbing on Wifey (or me) to get his head rubbed.
He's very demonstrative along those lines, while she uses the "subtle" approach.
*** Next, let's check in with "Midnight and Company"...

On the patio, waiting for food...every morning.
That's the routine, and it's a good one, because it works.
Midnight goes on his patrols, but makes them shorter because it's warmer out, while Whiskers/Cinnamon remains close to the house.

Later in the day, Wifey and I go out to get our dose of mutual affection, but the damn mosquitoes won't leave us alone, so time outside is brief.
At "last call" Midnight always leaves the back yard to go wherever he goes, and Whiskers just watches him head out.
Where she goes is anyone's guess, but it can't be that far.
*** Last back to the air conditioner...education is not what it used to be. There, I said it.

Once upon a time, we had school systems that produced a greater number of graduates, and smarter ones to boot.
And that all changed in the 1970s. We, as recent grads saw as much in oiur high schools.
Where once we were a LOT closer to the top of the educational totem pole, we've consistently fallen farther down over the last 40 or so years. And we've inflicted numerous changes in the system to coddle the youth of this country.

Now, how is that preparing them for the real world?
Much of what passes for education these days is applicable only to testing standards, and even there, we're failing.
Such programs stifle imagination, creativity, and yes, even the ability to grasp the mechanics of learning itself.

We need to find out what works for other nations, whose scholastic achievement surpasses ours, take the best of those programs and incorporate them into OUR system, so that kids and youth of today (in OUR country) can actually LEARN, and not from some liberal manifesto, concerned with test scores and teacher accountability.
When it comes to education, we're ALL accountable - teachers, administrators, parents and yes, especially the children. Every citizen has a vested interest in education.
We ALL share the responsibility, and it's time we realized that and made real learning a priority once more.

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