Humpday Happenings...

Middle of the week once again (seems to be passing quicker for some reason).
Getting warmer outside to boot. That's what you get with summer, folks.
Our Hoosierland weather for today has got us saddled with mostly sunny skies and hot conditions with an expected high into the UPPER 80s, and with the heat index, it'll feel like it's hotter than 90 degrees. And, it will feel humid as well, so plan your outdoor activities EARLY and take the proper precautions.
Now, without any further ado, let's all get ourselves something to drink as we see what's been going on in other parts of our lives.
*** First out of the swimming pool is our WHO SAID THAT? quote of the week:
"Excellence, then, is a state concerned with choice, lying in a mean, relative to us, this being determined by reason and in the way in which the man of practical wisdom would determine it."

In a time when making a GOOD choice seems paramount, we have to look to our ability to reason and temper it with wisdom. Easier said than done, right?
But, it CAN be done.
So, WHO said that? The answer at the top of tomorrow's post.
Meanwhile, back at in the realm of causality...
*** Next we have our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature.
JULY 20 -
---Today is NATIONAL MOON DAY

(not THAT kinda moon - the REAL one that American astronauts first landed on back in 1969)
---And, it's NATIONAL LOLLIPOP DAY

(there HAS to be a joke in there about an "all-day sucker"...lol)
*** Next up, another LEO is the victim of an active shooter. This time, in Kansas City, KS.
Here's the details:
http://www.kmbc.com/news/police-officer-shot-in-kck-police-chief-says/40783926

Remember the fallen.

Seems like another ambush of another officer (this time a CAPTAIN). The story states it was a "drive-by" shooting.
A police chase followed.
Two suspects have been taken into custody. The race of the suspects was not released. This makes the second officer of KCK killed in two months.
When will this crap end?
*** Next, it looks like that burned body found in an alley back on the 13th of July was a "suicide" according to the Ft. Wayne coroner.

Death by smoke inhalation (still kinda sounds hinky to me), so cross one OFF your deadpool. We're still at 19 homicides (so far). Sorry about that, folks.
*** Next, The Washington (com)Post has an editorial that tries to address this issue.
http://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/-Stop-this-killing----but-how--14204910

Naturally, for a leftist newspaper, it attempts to deflect the killing of police officers on our streets by taking aim at Trump and the few bad apples in law-enforcement.
Another fan for the flames? I'll leave it to you to decide.
*** Next, I've had it with this plagiarism call against Trump's wife. So what if she mimicked the words of Michelle (ma'belle) Obama.

Liberals take note.

Others throughout history have done the same with little to no repercussions.
It won't be the last time, either. Words (still, in spite of liberals) have MEANING, and no matter how many times they're "copied" or repeated by others, still retain that power, so those libtards need to STFD and STFU!
*** Next, Greater Fort Wayne, Inc is still at it, pushing THEIR agenda aka the "ten-year plan" for Fort Wayne.
And WOW, is it gonna COSTAPLENTY...!

Here's the story:
http://www.21alive.com/news/local/Greater-Fort-Wayne-Incs-10-year-vision-plan-presented-to-public-Tuesday-includes-5-key-projects-387548351.html

Yes, there are FIVE "key" projects, and the expected pricetag for all of this "vision"???
Try SIX HUNDRED AND FORTY MILLION DOLLARS...!!!
(can you say "cha-ching"?)
Eric Doden (GFWI CEO) is leading this charge (with a huge bill "charged" more than likely to the residents of the city).
I swear, there are a few out there who don't mind seeing our city driven to the poorhouse (but at least the ride will be in a new Bentley, right?).
This is utter financial madness.
Stop with all the "following other cities" bullshit.
Allow Fort Wayne to develop as IT needs to, not by what others are doing.
Doden says over the next 10 years, five key projects will be the focus:
1. A DOWNTOWN ARENA- costing around $85 million with construction from 2016-2018
2. THE LANDING- around $30 million to build up spanning from 2016-2018
3. RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT- $100 million to be spent on the development from 2017 until end of construction in 2021
4. GE CAMPUS- the highest costing project with a total of $250 million with construction from 2018-2020
5. STEAM PARK- the newest concept planned to be built from 2021-2025 with a price tag of $180 million.
And how far up our asses do we, the citizens have to dig to pull all this money out, anyway?
Beware the city council "rubber stamp" on this on. It WILL cost us all a lot in the end.
Is that what you REALLY want?
You want to be like OTHER cities, or would you rather remain unique as Fort Wayne?
And how will this help the growing "distressed" areas of our city, anyway?
Don't see ANY plans for THAT, do we?
I really detest people that can't see BEYOND their damn BILLFOLDS (as they reach into ours)!
*** Next, and speaking of money wasted...the school VOUCHER program - good or bad?

Here's something (an editorial, actually) to get you thinking:
http://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/editorials/Unequal-choice-14214044
And, in case you need some more proof as to the efficacy of this program, there's THIS:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/indiana/Vouchers-run-deficit-but-stay-under-budget-14217595
Sorry, but I have to ask WHY we even NEED this program in the first place.
It it because the PUBLIC school system is failing?
That is a distinct possibility.

Used to be a time when you had THREE choices - PUBLIC or PAROCHIAL or PRIVATE schools.
Most Catholics went to parochial schools, the rest of us (mainly) went to public schools, and those who could afford it attended private schools. End of subject, right?
Well, today we have vouchers that help PAY for the ability to go to ANY school. many of them newly-created charter schools (to which many have closed after a brief run). There is also the HOME-SCHOOL venue, which (imho), is probably the best way to go, considering the alternatives and how they've all appear to have slipped downhill.

What we've done is manage to "wed" vouchers with school choice.
But, with ANY wedding, there DOES come a time when you have to PAY for the affair. The hall, caterer, limo...all of that comes due soon enough. And so it is with school vouchers. The costs are RISING, and the money available for it is drying up. So what to do now? Well, we can always fleece the public (more), or, we can in fact, take a look at the entire program and determine if it warrants continuance.
We can also assess the public school system, make it better than it is (that means go back to the way it USED to be in MY day) and make that a priority.

It's a case of cost effectiveness and education...plain and simple. You have to have both, because we're spending more than ANY other nation per student and getting little back for all that moolah.
*** Last back to the splash pad...We all have to deal with CHOICES.

Yes, I've said that many times, and it happens to STILL be true.
So, when it comes to life, we are ALL given those choices on a daily basis.
We choose what toothpaste we use, what we eat for breakfast (or even bother with breakfast), what clothes to wear, when we have lunch...everything is based on making a choice.
(and I do mean EVERYTHING)
But, what happens when we're given TOO MANY choices?
Or, we're given only bad choices to choose from?
How can we determine which bad choice is the better of the lot?

Then, there are those who choose nothing BUT bad choices - jails are full of them.
(and so is much of Washington D.C. LOL!)
What we learn will have a profound impact on the choices we make. That's a given.
Which makes a case for those who choose NOT to learn...and the choices they decide upon.
It's the old "cause and effect" in play here.

And this is on a GOOD day.

To have too many choices tends to muddy the waters of clarity in our lives, while having NO choice gives us no way out of a particular situation.
There were times when people seemed to have the "right amount" of choices, and that worked well enough.
If one can say that a certain level of diversity can be had from the choices we are given, then I can work with that.
Yet all too often, we hear "you've given me no choice but to..." (fill in the blank).
Like I've said, EVERYTHING in life has choices attached to it, even if that choice consists of but TWO to choose from.
The best we can do is to educate ourselves to better facilitate making the RIGHT choice...at the RIGHT time...and for the RIGHT reason. To do less, or to do it with the wrong intent is to invite mayhem.
And we all have plenty enough in our lives to work with as it is, right?

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