Thoughts For Thursday...

And the weekend looms closer by the minute.
We actually got above the stated high for yesterday, reaching into the UPPER 70s.
Today won't be that much different...
Our Hoosierland weather will have us with mostly sunny skies (wow, a sunrise!) with temps reaching again into the upper 70s.
Must be part of our own "Indian Summer" thing in the Midwest...I suppose some goofball will want THAT changed to "Native-American Summer"?
let's not even go there now.
Instead, let's get our morning drinks poured as we take a look at what's been going on elsewhere.
*** First out of the cornfield is the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:
"Truth is not only violated by falsehood, it may be equally outraged by silence."
This is attributed to Henri Frederic Amiel (September 27, 1821 - Mat 11, 1881) and he was a Swiss moral philosopher, poet and author.Here is his rather brief WIKI:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri-Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric_Amiel

Not much to say about this fellow, other than he wrote some nice quotes.
Having lost both parents at an early age, he grew up (no one knows who raised him) to study German philosophy in Berlin.
He was appointed professor of aesthetics at the Academy of Geneva, and in 1854 became professor of moral philosophy.
Having been isolated from the support of the aristocratic class, we wrote his most notable work, published after his death entitled "Journal Intime" (private journal). He also produced several volumes of poetry and wrote studies of Erasmus, Madame de Stael, and other authors.
Maybe that's something the world could use today - more MORAL philosophers.
*** Next, up, is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
October 8 -
---Today is NATIONAL FLUFFERNUTTER DAY

(Created back in 1961, another one of those things I never took a shine to)
---It's also NATIONAL PIEROGY DAY

(now THIS I've had...and liked. Helps to have friends of polish descent)
---And, it's NATIONAL AMERICAN TOUCH TAG DAY

(Guess this differs from that "Al-Queda touch tag" with bomb-vests? Believe it or not, SOME schools here have BANNED this in school yards...what is this world coming to?)
---It's also NATIONAL POETRY DAY

(not be confused with limericks or Haiku)
Odd, because I thought this was on the 28th of August...never have enough poetry days, I suppose.
And HERE are the list of JUST the AMERICAN poets:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_poets_from_the_United_States
Now THAT'S a lot of poets, folks!
*** Next up, There is a story in the News-Sentinel that I just HAVE to mention, not that it's a great story, but it's one that just makes me smile.
Strike that...it makes me LAUGH...a LOT because you can see that there are those in positions of authority in our city that are just grasping at straws.

Here's the story link:
http://www.news-sentinel.com/news/local/City-police-taking-steps-to-prevent--and-respond-to--growing-wave-of-civil-unrest
Kevin Leininger wrote a good column (as usual, and my laughter is not directed at him)), but you have to wonder WHO is really running this city, and more specifically, who is running OUR part OF the city.
I'd LIKE to believe that the FWPD is in control on the streets, but there's not much I can hang a hat (or even a FEZ) on to assuage my concerns in this regard.

Is this another "Dumb and Dumber" movie???

FWPD chief Hamilton (who actually makes York look like a good chief) proposed the creation of a "Public Safety Response Team" at City Council, and this team "will protect life and property during civil disturbance" (so we ARE expecting the black community to riot in the future?) as well as a "Community Relations Division" to enhance relations between the department and the community through the use of the media, liaison officers and community outreach.
More "top-heaviness" in the FWPD?

Theater of the Absurd tickets on sale.

Got news for Chief Garry...it's already being done, so why create more redundancies?
I guess THAT is what Hamilton does best?
Lack of experience in the job SHOWS.
York stressed "crowd control in a surgical manner"...guess he doesn't want another Ferguson HERE either. Like I said...grasping at straws.
York states this is to be a PROACTIVE measure...are you kidding me?
You've had ALL these opportunities to BE PROACTIVE FOR YEARS, and you pissed those chances up against a wall, pal. You've allowed MORE broken windows than I can count and not fixed a single one...and NOW, you "suddenly" want to be proactive?
Good luck with that one. You're gonna need it, people.

And FEWER ounces in THIS bottle now.

While trying to place band aids on broken legs, neither Hamilton nor York have noticed that the BREAK needs to be attended to FIRST, and that means taking care of business on our streets, rather than chasing the damn radio going from call to call to call.
This department's been WAY too REACTIVE for years, and now, they're reaping what they've sown.
Cripes, the police can't EVEN control the number and frequency of all the loud-ass-mobiles driving about, nor can they seem to notice vehicles with inoperable lights at night...or even the manner in which people park.
That at least they could record and forward to Parking Control, but nope...doesn't even happen.Take the damn blinders off.
This is a department in search of a REAL LEADER...and in search of a REAL mission to make the city SAFE in it's worst areas.
Let's hope it finds BOTH...and soon, because more people are noticing who is REALLY running our part of Fort Wayne, and they "don have no steenkin badges", friend.
*** Next up, we have one of MANY reasons why the FWPD is seemingly running around, chasing it's own tail. Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/courts/Teen-acquitted-of-rape--robbery-9235721

Jordan Mathis -
dumbass thug

Now, while this teen-thug gets off of this rape charge, he's STILL in jail over a pending trial for attempted murder and aggravated assault from this past March.
The rape charge he was acquitted of took plce a month before that in February.
That's one "busy" teenager, and a prime example of how the black community is FAILING it's OWN people...and quite well.
It also speaks  to the fact that our police are too busy chasing 911 hangup calls to be driving through gas stations at night to perhaps averting such "activity" that took place in the rape/drug deal case.
I know for a fact that the FWPD doesn't patrol along OUR street, otherwise, I would not see people parking for no reason, except to pursue street-pharm purchases.
All it takes is ONE of these deals to "go south" somehow, and then the bullets start flying, and having rounds come through someone's (or even our) house is NOT the best way to enjoy an evening's fill of television viewing, right?
*** Last back to the barn...wouldn't it be REALLY nice to know that the ONLY worries you might encounter on any given day can be found within our own four walls?
I know I long for such days.

But, unfortunately, we don't have the luxury of that.
We have to concern ourselves with problems galore, and none of them are caused by any of us.
Talk about challenges, hmm?
We have to be on guard damn near ALL the time thee days.
We have to worry about what lurks in our own neighborhoods (the burgeoning criminal element), we have to worry about the state of our own city, because many of those in City hall don't have OUR best interests in mind when they spend OUR money. Ditto for the state and yes, especially the federal government.
We have to watch them like parents with a dozen precocious children in our charge.

And STILL, we're not finished.
We have to worry about foreign matters, because whether we choose to believe it or not, they DO affect what happens HERE in the USofA.
All this "globalization" of everything from trade to economies to political and military awareness has to weigh on any CONCERNED citizen of this nation. And we never asked for ANY of this, did we?
All WE wanted to do was live our lives with as FEW problems as possible, and problems to which there was a definable solution.
If ever there was a better reason to seek the moral "high ground":then this has to be it.
There were times when the problems of the world were dealt with by those who KNEW what the hell they were doing a lot more than those we have in power today...and that allowed us to concentrate on affairs at home under our OWN roof.

So, we are enmeshed in things that many of us were ill-prepared for.
Still, I think WE have the answers to many of the things that plague our communities and yes, ewven our nation.
Sadly, too many are devoted to "motivations of passion" rather than doing what is right and just.
In many ways, we (who are involved and care) have become a version of those who founded this country, and wanted to  make it that "shining beacon on the hill" , as it were.
Such things are noble, and are able to still be achieved, but the task is daunting.
Our job is to be up to whatever challenge happens to come along our way, because any alternative is something we need not contemplate.
Like it or not, we're ALL in this for the long haul...a marathon if you will.
And we need to pace ourselves accordingly.

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