Monday Musings...

Hope you all enjoyed the relatively nice weather we've been having...for it' seems to be coming to an end, seasonably-speaking. Yes, we are in December, and that usually means "cold" conditions.
Welcome to another week, sure to be filled with sexual harassment allegations, crime, and all the other things we've come to know and put up with (for what reason I have no idea).
Our Hoosierland weather brings us increasingly cloudy skies, temps climbing to around 60 degrees, and gusting winds along with scattered showers (all in anticipation for a temperature drop rolling in by this evening).

Now, what say we get that morning beverage (preferably full of caffeine - got a feeling we're gonna need it) so we can better greet this day and all that awaits us, hmm?
*** First off of the waffle iron is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
DECEMBER 4 -
---It's National Cookie Day

(someone screwed up. We just had one back on 26 November. Not my cault, but hey, it's cookies, right?)
---It's National Dice Day

(Andrew Clay, where for art thou?)
---It's National Sock Day

(I initially took this to mean something COMPLETELY different...lol)
*** Next up, looks like we made it to HOMICIDE NUMBER 37 for the year.

Here's what's known (so far):
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/20171204/victim-of-shooting-dies-on-winter-st

Lookie-loos all.

This took place in the 5300 block of Winter St near Roosevelt St (that's right, down on the SE side...where else?) around 1800 hrs (which is when I heard more than a few sirens in th distance).
A moving van with one male occupant was found by police sitting at a curb near the intersection, The man inside was pronounced dead at the scene.
No other information has been released (like we expected any).
*** Next, and who needs a gun to commit an armed robbery in Fort Wayne?

Here's this story:
http://wane.com/2017/12/03/armed-robbery-at-goshen-rd-papa-johns/

This took place at the Papa John's pizza shop located at 1575 Goshen Rd around 1438 hrs yesterday.
Investigators said the suspect wore a mask and then took it off. He also appeared to have either a knife or a screwdriver. (The suspect left in either a white or silver Buick,as per other sources).
No other details has been released (as usual).
Don'cha just love the flood of NON-information these days?
*** Next up, if you think charter schools are THE way to go...not so fast, pardner.

Here's something that could well change your way of thinking:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/us/20171204/segregation-hurting-charter-students

Now let me get this straight...we integrated schools so everyone (including minoroties) would learn EQUALLY, but then we created charter schools to segregate students so they (minorities) could learn BETTER. Now. we're told that segregation is HURTING minority students? Please tell me WTF is going on?
((“Desegregation works. Nothing else does,” said Daniel Shulman, a Minnesota civil rights attorney. “There is no amount of money you can put into a segregated school that is going to make it equal.”))
AHH...a "civil rights attorney" (and not an educator) making this claim...well that says EVERYTHING we need to know about the truth concerning this, doesn't it?

Careful what you WISH for...

((The charter school movement born a quarter of a century ago has thrived in large urban areas, where advocates say they often aim to serve students – by and large, minorities – who have been let down by their district schools.
And on average, children in hypersegregated charters do at least marginally better on tests than those in comparably segregated traditional schools.
For inner-city families with limited schooling options, the cultural homogeneity of some charters can boost their appeal as alternatives to traditional public schools that are sometimes seen as hostile environments.))

And who has ALLOWED public school to become "hostile" anyway? A liberal hand-holding participation-trophy giving public?
Yes friends, diversity for diversity sake...screw actual learning and the ability to function in the REAL world.
*** Next, and keeping with this education "thing", there's this story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/schools/20171203/future-of-the-teaching-world

Okay, so we have kids in school to LEARN, and we're teaching them about...EDUCATION.
Well, to be more precise, it's a class created to show kids that TEACHING could be a career path.
I dunno about this. Back in the day, teaching was viewed as a NOBLE profession, and one with a lot more (and better) rewards) for those educators.
You think kids will want to be teaching people like themselves in a few short years, knowing they way they act now? Not to mention the rules and restrictions placed upon teachers these days, compared to times past?

I think that's asking a helluva lot for a helluva little, because it's all about teaching to the damn achievement TESTS...which obviously prepares kids for the "real world"...sounds like a  joke to me. Cripes, it's no wonder the percentage of teachers leaving their chosen filed rivals the damn divorce rate these days.
*** Next up, time we make a stop over to "Kitten Corner"...
The kids were not that bad all weekend, which is a blessing.

He is probably DREAMING about watching the birds.

Gallifrey busied himself by watching birds from our patio door (yes, I manged to get a feeder out by the fence where the birds can stop and get some seed).
Violet tends to find some toy an carry it around the house. She also "talks" to it...lol. That's funny to hear.

She is all chased and played out.

Evenings are for taking over the living room chairs, causing me to utilize the couch (or floor).
Still would be nice to not have them chase one another through the house, especially when decorations will be going up this week...crossing my fingers on that one.
*** Next, let's check in with "Midnight and Company"...
Our furry twosome are at the patio door every morning like clockwork (wish they had a "snooze" setting...lol).

Life is good at THIS house.

They're there long before the sky starts getting light. I'm still trying to wake the heck up. Whiskers is around most ALL the time, and rarely misses a beat when it comes to food.
Midnight does wander off during the day (Missed a midday snack in fact),  but always is back for evening meals and "last call" (the handheld treat-fest(.

Quite right, the food comes to US.

We did "soggy food Sunday" where they get a CAN of food, rather than dry food, and that is gobbled up like there's no tomorrow.
We do this twice a week, just to give them something special. Wonder what they'd like for Christmas (other than a real forever home)?
*** Last back to the toaster...so much in the world keeps seeming like that old saying:
"The more things change, the more they stay the same"

Thanks, Alphonse.

And by that I mean whatever results people are looking for by changing things, it's not working, so they keep repeating the process in the hope that (a desired) change will take place.
I believe Einstein called that the definition of insanity, and that makes a LOT of sense to me.

After close to 50 years, it seems we're not much closer to this "equality" when it comes to education.
The dissolving of the traditional family is one dynamic I'm sure no one planned on when it came to education.
And busing kids all over cities (creating mounds of expenditures for school systems and the cities themselves) hasn't seemed to produce the "desired" effect, whatever that was SUPPOSED to be.
I went to what used to be called "neighborhood" schools until I reaching high school Then it was an integrated affair, with NO busing of students from other areas. It was still a good and accurate representation of where we lived, (from a racial standpoint)...and THAT worked well enough.
So, the powers that be decided that because that wasn't broke...they had to "fix" it. This took place all over the country, and has yet to net a positive figure in any ledger.

I keep saying that to get all our kids on the right educational track, we HAVE to get back to basics - that which worked for our generation (and those before us).
Unless, we would much rather PREFER to have our children indoctrinated into a specific mindset, which it appears is the direction we are moving. Woe to us for permitting such folly, right? Remember, there are ALWAYS consequences for ANY action...even inaction itself.

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