Thoughts On Thursday...

Welcome to another adventure into the land of the surreal, otherwise known as "the game of life" (not to be confused with the much EASIER TO MASTER board game of the same name).
Ever notice how HARD it is to remain SINGLE in that game...and how hard it is to become independently rich beyond avarice?
Many days, it's more like Chutes and Ladders (with too many chutes).
Our Hooiserland weather today will be a close copy of yesterday, with some early morning fog tossed into those rural areas
The rain will not be as constant or hard...just scattered showers, with temps again rising to the low 60s
( not a BAD rut to be in...as ruts go)
So, I'e got MY cup of fortitude, now go get yours and together, we'll see what is going on elsewhere.
*** First out of the bullpen today is the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:

And he was CORRECT, too.

"There are no constraints on the human mind, no walls around the human spirit, no barriers to our progress except those we erect ourselves."
This was spoken by none other than our 40th President, Ronald Reagan (gold star if you guessed correctly). And here is his WIKI :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Reagan
Now, since we covered him before, I'll leave it to you to read back up on him, and how he was a much better president than the recent "crop".
It's interesting to note that he was probably the LAST decent governor of California (now referred to the "land of fruits and buts" or the "socialist republik of Kalifornia").
Kinda makes you long for those days again...
*** Next up is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
October 16 - 
Today is BOSSES DAY, and I do recall a time when I actually had some GOOD bosses...ones who would think nothing of jumping right in with you in whatever mess you found yourself.

Who you settle for when hiring is what you get...

You know the ones...those who LEAD BY EXAMPLE, rather than by stentorian verbiage and a bevy of expletives.

That's more like TODAY.

Used to have a lot more bosses who KNEW the job and then knew how to work WITH people - how to talk TO people, instead of AT them. And they LISTENED, rather than just hear.
Miss those days, too.
-- It's also DICTIONARY DAY, so go hug a copy of Merriam-Websters, or...if you're feeling REALLY brave, a copy of OXFORD'S multi-volume set...lol.

And be sure to stop and thank those who make our words possible...except those that make up crap words and then mainstream them into OUR lexicon, dumping good words in the process (that's why I have my OWN lexicon).
*** Next up, some update on the triple shooting on the city's near-south side.
Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20141016/LOCAL07/141019650/1043/LOCAL07
This provides some of the "back-story" and covers some things that led up to the shootout between an off-duty security guard and a man who was beating on his "girlfriend"

Most times, things like this BEGIN with a domestic situation, and if people could learn to better control their animal instincts, crap like this could be resolved through TALKING, rather than fighting.
*** Remember when you were in school and got that letter grade?
Well, NOW, some people want to change the system of grading for schools.
Here's the link to the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20141016/LOCAL04/310169987

We look back with fondness (?), knowing we got :LETTER grades, but those used to be based on NUMERICAL equivalences.
For example, 90-100 was an A, while anything BELOW 70 used to be a FLUNK (E of F, depending on whether you were in elementary or high school).
But THESE grades (in the story) apply to school ACCOUNTABILITY, and not student accountability.
Should there even BE a difference between the two?
The numerical values can be made simply, even with ALL the various OTHER parameters used to compile the grade...should be a damn no-brainer, right?
Well, those in the state capital want to hold off sending out grades, in case they have to be changed.
How about we make ONE system, stick to it, and call it done, instead of all this dancing around?
The state (and unfortunately, the feds) have already established criteria for the educational systems, so why all the "tweaking"? Thought they KNEW what they were doing?
One thing you have to understand, is that creative manipulation can ALWAYS (and often does) take place, in order to make EVERYONE look good, but there are some school systems that are so bad, nothing will help (law of averages thing).

Empty seats...for future empty minds?

When the world of POLITICS enters the classroom (or anyplace else it should not), you just KNOW trouble (and spiraling costs to the taxpayers) can't be that far behind.
A return to basics is (always) the key...and someday, these folks will figure it out...again.
*** Last back to the showers...Megyn Kelly said last night on her show what SO many of us have been thinking for quite some time (and the polls have now proved) - that "...this nation is going to hell in a hand-basket".
(sounds about right to me - been saying that for a while)

But, it's such a LOVELY basket.

What I find bothersome, is all the change we go through in order to be riding to Hades in a wicker contrivance.
Everywhere you turn, there is something that we can point to as a contributor to Megyn's claim.
We seem to be trying to keep up with all the crap flying at us...
Well, we can't, nor should we.
There is too much for ANY of us to give total attention to, so why try?

What we CAN do, is focus on the immediate, while keeping our eye on the "long-term" stuff in our lives.
And what better place to start doing that then in our OWN homes and lives.
Find what is affecting us (you), and work to better it or change it for the better.
It's not some magic bullet meant to serve the masses...it's simple solutions to daily problems WE all encounter.
It requires some work, but that's where the "big three" come in - Hope, Faith, and Courage.
A poet once noted that "if you think you are beaten, you are", so why not reverse that and believe that "if you think you can do better, you WILL"?
Therein lies the lesson for today.

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