Stirring the Gray Matter...
Every once in a while, there comes a time when creating a blog post becomes a bit problematic.
Funny thing is...it's NOT due to a LACK of things to blog about; quite the reverse.
It's often a case of informational overload.
There is just SO much crap going on at every level, that it's difficult to disseminate what specifics one wishes to post on a given day.
If it's not the FEDS mucking something up, it's the LOCAL government, hard at work, trying their damnedest to slip something past us.
And if it's not the government, it's some of the people themselves. I mean look about you and do an idiot count.
Bet you run out of fingers before you run out of idiots.
And if it's not other people, it's probably something happening right under your roof, like a sickness, car repair, or even (shudders)...something about the house that needs mending or replacing.
Aside from ALL of THIS stuff, every one of us has to make sure we're not a victim of crime. We also have to make sure our kids are getting schooled properly, and that their needs are met. If you have family pets, they also need tending to.
Then there are our financial obligations, such as those nasty BILLS.
We still need heating, electricity and water (especially with all this global-warming BS that's sending temps nose-diving into SINGLE digits for a week at a time), don't we?
It's little wonder we get caught up in some or most of these things while ignoring the rest.
And it's all by design.
The GOOD news is that it's not totally by YOUR design, so pat yourself on the back.
There are forces in place that mean to distract you from the tasks you have at hand.
And like I'm fond of saying...it all becomes a study in FOCUS...for each of us.
We must never loose sight or become detoured along the path to what we all are striving for.
Focus...and proper motivation can work a myriad of minor miracles when it comes to walking that rocky road.
--And speaking of "miracles"....it would BE a miracle if crime took a sabbatical on the SE side of Fort Wayne, but alas, it has not.
While monitoring the police radio yesterday, I heard a signal *53* come across (armed robbery), and where do you think it happened (again)? If you said the LOW BOB'S smoke shop on Lafayette St, you get yourself a gold star, kids!
That's right, in less than sixty days, this same store was robbed.
And this is exactly how businesses disappear from this part of town...trust me.
Less than TWO months ago, this story appeared in the local paper:
((Lafayette St. tobacco store robbed - Journal Gazette - 15 Nov 2009
Fort Wayne police investigated a robbery at Low Bob’s Discount Tobacco on Saturday.
The robbery was reported just after 1 p.m. at the tobacco store at 4601 Lafayette St.
Two men entered the business, one of whom brandished a handgun and demanded money, police said.
The robbers left with an undisclosed amount of cash and cigarettes, according to police.
They fled in a red four-door car, heading east on East Sherwood Terrace, witnesses told police.
Compete descriptions of the robbers were not available.))
Witnesses later said the robbers were BLACK.
And once again, on 4 January, 2010, we have relatively the same scenario, only no red car was involved, and the perps are still at large.
Here's the story from today's paper:
(( Journal Gazette- Holly Abrams reporting - ...The second robbery was reported just before 11:30 a.m. Monday at Low Bob’s Discount Tobacco at 4601 Lafayette St., a report said. Two men entered the business and demanded money.
They fled on foot with cash and 3 cartons of Newport cigarettes, police said.
One robber was described as in his early 20s, black and heavyset – about 250 pounds and 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-9 and displayed a handgun.
He wore gray sweat pants and a dark shirt.
The second man was described as in his early 20s, black, the same height, light-skinned and skinny. He wore dark gray jeans and a gray hooded sweat shirt.))
Stealing the NEWPORTS gave it away as a crime perped by blacks....that's a given.

Talk about lightening striking TWICE, hmm?
THIS is the problem that the city leaders and the black community can't seem to address.
Or maybe they don't WANT to....(no kickbacks or freebies to get from this)...?
You see? THIS is some of the "stuff" that distracts us from seeing the bigger picture that I mentioned above.
Well, it does hit closer to home, whether it occurs in MY city...or yours.
--We can also add to this mix the wonderful new addendum to the No Child Left Behind gig (that will never work as conceived), and that's the "RACE TO THE TOP" program for schools to receive FEDERAL funding according to school performance.
I was talking with Mrs. Bobby G. last evening about this (her being an educator and all), and we hit on some interesting aspects to this (soon to be flawed as well) program.
I liken this "race to the top" to the old playground game "king of the hill", and what puts that ONE person at the pinnacle of that "hill"?
It's the ability to toss everyone else the hell OFF...that's what.
You get to the top of the hill BY ANY MEANS...see the comparison here NOW?
We'll have schools doing all sorts of things in order to have the "best sob story" to the FEDS, in order to become the king of the educational hill. Laying educators off is the LAST thing that should even be considered. Moving administrators all over the place isn't a good deal, either. Each person has their own "style" of administration, and it takes at least 2-3 years for that style to be realized...good OR bad. THEN, you make whatever move is necessary...but certainly NOT before.
You have to give people a chance...to succeed OR fail...works on the battlefield...works in the school system.
There 'ya are...another "distraction" for every one of us.
I mean, you don't take a recruit on the pistol or rifle range and pass his ass when he can't even hit a bull in the ass with a bass fiddle, simply because you want NO SOLDIER LEFT BEHIND. He KEEPS qualifying UNTIL he gets it right and passes the course. He might not graduate boot with his group, but he WILL pass, unless he quits, in which case he should have never been in the military to begin with.
(and bailing when things get tough will have it's own consequences later in life...being a no-show dropout, that is)
We need to start doing the same with the kids early on in school...they can't get promoted UNTIL they have a grasp of the grade's expectations and knowledge level...simple as that. If Johnny isn't able to comprehend the 2nd grade, maybe we shouldn't PROMOTE him to the THIRD GRADE...'ya think?
That way, when they get to middle and high school, the educators aren't dealing with a bunch of lack-luster morons who know they'll be passed anyway, just so the school can get the federal money.
And THAT is how you produce smarter children...oh, wait...that's the way we USED to do it in MY day...
Time to "reinvent" that wheel again, right?
Yes, friends....so much to pay attention to these days, unlike times past, when all we had to worry about was staying whatever color we were born, paying taxes and dying.
Whatever bed we wind up making in life...we are the ones that have to lay in it.
That's not to say we're not up to that task.
We should be...we need to be.
We HAVE to be.
America still means a lot...to a lot of people.
This nation has the best chance of being a continuing world leader...a nation others should be looking UP to, and not laughing up their sleeves at. And we need to focus...and get motivated, as I said above, to make sure every one of us can honestly, and without trepidation pursue that LIFE, LIBERTY, and HAPPINESS granted us by our creator...and our founding documents.
Do well today, make a difference somewhere, and...
Stay safe out there, America.