Humpday Happenings...

It's the middle of the rolling week once again, and that means we'll soon be over the hump and everything will be downhill from here (at l;east that's what we're being led to believe).
So, let's make the best of things...whatever comes our way.
Our Hoosierland weather for today won't be much different from yesterday, with partly cloudy skies, temps climbing (again) to around the 74 degree mark, and no rain to speak of (but we still have mosquitoes out there...what the hell.
What say we get ourselves a refreshing beverage to get things going, as we see what else has been going on...fair enough?
*** First off of the chandelier is our WHO SAID THAT? quote for the week:

"Heaven has given to every human being the power of controlling his passions, and if he neglects or loses it, the fault is his own, and he must be answerable for it."
Sounds like this person knows what it means to make good choices in life...can't argue with that one bit.
And, it also mentions that we should be responsible for those choices.
So, who said that? The answer at the top of tomorrow's post.
Meanwhile, back at Braintree, Massachusetts...
*** Next, time for our '"What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
SEPTEMBER 12 -
---It's National Chocolate Milkshake Day

(sounds like breakfast to me)
---It's National Day of Encouragement.

(I think a lot of us can use this more than once a year)
---It's National Report Medicare Fraud Day

(Oh, to have the money that all the fraud has taken from that)
---It's National Video Game Day

(can't remember the last time I dusted off the old Playstation 1 and played)
*** Next up,  A FWPD officer dies in line of duty after foot pursuit. Here's the story:
http://www.wpta21.com/story/39067562/fort-wayne-police-officer-dies-after-chase-monday-night

50-year old David A. Tinsley a 16-year veteran of the department suffered an apparent heart attack after an arrest of a perp who stole a pickup and then crashed it into the rivergreenway on the SOUTH side of town Monday night.
One of Wifey's sorority sisters is the wife of the fallen officer, so it kinda hits closer to home than usual.
Officer Tinsley (no relation to the family of April Tinsley) is the 101st officer this year to die in the line of duty.

My prayers and condolences go out to his family and brothers and sisters behind the shield.
We have you 10-88.
*** Next,  FWCS is changing up English courses in high schools?
http://www.wpta21.com/story/39066784/new-high-school-english-change-concerning-parents

High School English will no longer read novels from cover to cover. Teachers are now assigning excerpts to read from the books instead.
I guess I'd be concerned as well...as a parent of a student.
Might as well hand of Cliff's Notes then.
Then again, you ahve to realize that this is being done for one reason...ISTEP.
FWCS is still teaching to the TEST...so much for progress in the public school system.
*** Next, and while we're talking about young people, there's this:
https://www.wane.com/news/national-world/poll-teens-say-social-media-makes-better-feel-better/1432194794

Teens and smartphones...not the best combination I can think of.
Maybe THEY feel positive about it (for now), but older folks (like parents, teachers and others) KNOW it's not going over that well. And when the teens get older, that genie won;t be around to try to get back into the bottle they loosed him from...will they?
Did they forget about child predators, or social media bullying so soon? Guess so.
That makes no sense at all...to normal people.
*** Next up, time to stop by "Kitten Corner"...
Yes, the kids were in full manic mode for a small part of the morning...but they did tire themselves out in the process.

they have this pattern developing - eat,  go crazy, rest, play with toys, eat, follow daddy, rest, eat, park in a living room chair while Daddy watches TV, or climb on Mommy in the family room...sleep.

Oh, and there are  a couple trips to the litter pan in among all that...lol.
Man, to have a life such as that, right?
*** Next, let's check in with "Midnight and Whiskers"...

The furry duo were sticking by most of yesterday. I'm sure they liked not having to be fed under the table,.
Midnight was late for lunch again, but Whiskers was there all day.

The last call for treats comes about an hour earlier (and will arrive earlier still when it's winter (and I'm freezing...heh).
As long as I keep showing up WITH the treats, I suppose they;ll keep waiting for them...
*** Last back to the waiting room...I thought about several things I was tossing around for my close today.

But, I decided to settle on the fact that we live in very interesting times.
I would love to say we live in great times, but that depends on HOW you choose to define that word. And, you have to think about the context in which it's used.
Sure, we have all this "stuff" around us that helps a little with the everyday things, but we also have lots of things that have made our lives a LOT more complex.

We never got scam calls on the old hard-wired landlines, and we never based our lives around a lousy smartphone. We actually used to talk (face-to-face) at dinner, and the only time we called anyone was when we NEEDED to.

Yep, kind of looks like THIS.

Today, it's more about feeding our whims and desires, rather than our needs.
Maybe that's why we read about people with food hardships or money issues. The priorities might be a bit skewed...'ya think?
I'm a simple man with simple pleasures and a simple lifestyle. You can keep all the glitz and glamour. That only attracts attention, usually of the undesirable type.
And there are a myriad of things I can't afford, so I do without them, but that does not mean I don't want them.
It's more important that I attend to what I need first, and IF a desire can be had (after that), then so be it.
There is a caveat that goes along with all this, however...the world bases everything more on desires than needs.
Or, in some instances, the desires takes the place OF those needs...so the lines get blurred real fast.

Don't get me wrong...THIS nation is still the best there is on the planet, make ni mistake, and in spite of all the problems we face.
It just could be so much better if more people took the time to choose a bit more wisely when it comes to their lives.
And that's all I have to say on that for now.

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