Friday Follies...
Welcome to the (pre) St. Patrick's Day/weekend edition, because TOMORROW is the day for "the wearin' of the green, don'cha know?"
(Plus, I want to take it easy with a Guinness or two this weekend)
And, it looks like we might have to fire up the AIR-CONDITIONERS sometime in the next 7 days, due to this impromptu warm-spell we're having (which belongs a lot closer to the 4th of july)
But, at least we're not as bad off as Spain and Portugal, who are going through a DROUGHT at this time.
Or Japan, which is STILL recovering from last year's earthquake, tsunami, and reactor meltdown (they recently had another small tsunami, but no deaths were reported and damage was minimal).
Now, while this "heatwave" in March is a godsend for the WHEAT growers, it's a bane to the GRAPE growers...you just can't seem to win.
Wonder if they (the government) are mucking about with that HAARP array again...?
Or maybe it's "global warming"...or sunspots, or maybe the economy?
Perhaps Obama will blame Bush for the warm weather?
Could this be a precursor to a worse winter late this year?
Or are we just becoming the "new" tropical paradise?
Too many questions, and too many folks scratching their heads on this one...your guess is as good as mine...(or theirs).
Meanwhile, back at the wheat field...
*** First up, a few personal "observations" about this whole NCAA "March Madness" gig...
It SUCKS...period. And here's why (imho):
--Employers belabor the point about lost productivity due to the playoffs. Suck it up - you knew it was coming.
--Some of my favorite programs (and even the news) are pre-empted for the duration.
--I see ENOUGH posers wearing ill-fitting satin shorts every day - don't need to see more (overpaid and under worked) ones on TV
--What's with the hanging from the hoops like some damn zoo primate anyway?
Cripes, it makes watching GOLF exciting (yawn).
What have I always said about our societal entertainment quotient?
We go from one event to the other...we NEED this constant bombardment of "something" to occupy our time.
Whatever happened to the days when stuff like this didn't have nearly the "meaning" it has been assigned today?
Seems we did OK then..before all the fol-de-rol.
*** Next, my wife relayed a story to me from work (school) regarding a student being stabbed in the leg while she was baby-sitting.
The toddler was "playing" with a knife (what? no TOYS around to play with?), and one thing led to another.
The first thing out of my mouth was the post earlier this week where I mentioned the overt aggression that children (even toddlers) display while "playing", and how this is contributing to a lot of our society's problems. A prime example of how some parents are failing poorly in that task.
Kind of takes away from all the GOOD parents we have out there that ARE doing the right thing (for the right reason)...doesn't it?
*** And then, there's this from WPTA news:
http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/news/local/Pitch-To-Save-Fort-Wayne-Fighter-Jets-Gets-Attention-Of-Air-Force-Leaders-142847815.html
The 122nd Fighter Wing might NOT be losing their A-10s...and that's still a BIG maybe.
With the military cutbacks, the USAF is looking to keep more ANG units active and at full strength, while cutting ACTIVE-DUTY U.S.A.F. personnel.
(sounds like a plan so far)
We shall know the outcome of this proposal to the DoD in the next several months.
*** THIS is what can happen when you don't grow as much of "your own" as you should.
http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/news/state/142683135.html
The CDC says that food borne disease outbreaks are on the increase in the USA, thanks to all the foods (and spices) being IMPORTED here.
(who knew?)
With a more global food supply, we can expect such things to occur, because not everyone all over the world has the SAME immunity levels to all the pathogens on the planet. That's asking a bit much for ANY country...or every country.
It would surprise you just HOW MUCH of the foods you buy at the grocery are from "elsewhere" other than the USA...seriously.
And it's no longer restricted to just fresh fruits and vegetables...canned, bottled and boxed items are now fair game for importation.
Geez, the last thing we (and I) need is a pandemic that causes some widespread ZOMBIE incursion...I don't have enough ammo stockpiled yet.
But I have seen my share of the "walking dead"...just in my neighborhood, so you know I won't be allowing any of THEM to get close enough to have them over for "a bite to eat", as it were.
The chance of ANY disease being able to spread with such rapidity is the result of our ability to span vast distances lots quicker than in times past.
Good for some things...bad for others.
*** And after 13 LONG years, it's finally coming BACK.
Yes, friends, the Fort Wayne Air Show is slated to take place on September 1st and 2nd this year.
Details are still being fleshed out, but there WILL be an F-22 RAPTOR on scene, so you KNOW where I'll be that weekend.
Admission to the public is supposed to be FREE, so at least the PRICE is right.
Hell, I'd GLADLY pay a cover-charge to attend an airshow...I have missed them for so damn long.
As more information becomes available, I will post it here.
*** Lastly today....tomorrow IS St. Patrick's Day, and that means a lot of GREEN (or ORANGE, if you're one of those traditionalist protestant pot-stirrers, like my Mom used to be...lol)
Now, this means that law-enforcement will be out IN FORCE to make sure no one is driving IMPAIRED...
Sure would be nice if they'd swing on down HERE, and see all the impaired drivers EVERY stinking day...but I digress (and I can dream, too).
And, as is the case on such a day, here's the WIKI on the holiday:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick
Here's the History Channel's site with lots of related topics:
http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day
OR, if you'd rather, you can always look back to my ARCHIVES for 17 March over the last several years...plenty of good stuff there, too.
Should be some Irish-related movies to watch...The Quiet Man w/ John Wayne is a perennial favorite...goes good with a cold GUINNESS!
Even though I'm not in any way "Irish" (I just play one every March 17th, and have a lot of Irish liquor and beer in me over the decades, so that kinda counts, hmm?), I do have an appreciation for the Celtic music that's usually played on the local classical station - Love the CHIEFTAINS and JAMES GALWAY.
Something about it all seems to exude the pride these people have enjoyed over the centuries, as well as how they struggled both in their homeland AND here when they arrived and sought to assimilate into our culture.
But they never rolled over and gave up, and I think that's as good an example of the human condition as you're ever going to find...anywhere.
Perhaps that should be a lesson we ALL can take away from this weekend.
Never give in.
Never give up.
So, in lieu of the impending celebratory fest, let me leave you with a apropos blessing, because tomorrow, we're ALL a wee bit Irish:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May God grant you many years to live,
For sure he must be knowing
The earth has angels all to few
And Heaven is overflowing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DO have yourselves a fantastic weekend, and enjoy this gift called life.
Be well, make a difference to someone today, and as always...
Stay SAFE out there, America.

Thursdays Are For Thunderstorms...
Well, that's what it seems like in NE Indiana this morning (and according to NOAA, some more later today...maybe).
Now, don't get me wrong here...I LOVE thunderstorms...always have growing up and always will to my dying day.
Hell, I love ANYTHING that serves to drown out those damn boomcars...lol.
(and it's WAY cheaper than capping off a magazine of .45 ACP at those moron-mobiles)
If anything, I find it VERY easy to sleep during a thunderstorm...dunno why, either.
I suppose it takes me back to when I would stay over at grandma & grandpa's place in (what seemed rural) Penndel, PA (reminds me of Portland, IN).
The rain would make this soothing sound on the porch roof out back.
And somehow, during the lightning and the thunder...you felt safe, and whatever bothered you seemed very far away.
But enough about waxing nostalgic...let's get to the "meat and potatoes" of this meal.
*** The answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:
"The glory of human nature lies in our seeming capacity to exercise conscious control on our own destiny."
This was said (you were probably thinking this already) by Winston S. Churchill (1874-1965) quoted by C.E.M. Joad, "Churchill the Philosopher", in Charles Eade, ed., Churchill By His Contemporaries, 1953.
To paraphrase an old cigarette commercial:
"Winston talks GOOD...like a statesman should".
(Yeah, I know...grammatically INcorrect...he talks WELL....sheesh)
Anyway, let's see what ELSE has been going since last we met.
*** There was a police standoff along Bluffton Rd in Waynedale.
Here's the story link:
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/crime/barricaded-subject-surrenderes-peacefully-to-police
I knew someone must be living over Low Bob's there (we stop there from time to time), but little did I realize that it was a "problem" person.
Maybe now, they'll get a better tenant?
Damn shame it had to take THREE hours, but in situations like this, time can be both FOR you and AGAINST you.
You want to resolve the situation ASAP, but you don't want it to result in harm to the person OR any responding officer.
And whenever a weapon becomes involved, time also becomes a CRITICAL issue, because things can change in an instant, mostly for the worse.
Saw several instances where a man was barricaded and then just offed HIMSELF before SWAT managed to get inside, and it was not fault of the entry team OR the negotiator...the man just made a (bad) choice, and ended it then and there.
Sometimes you can talk them down, other times, not so much.
At least this scenario ended with EVERYONE still walking & breathing.
*** From the Department of the Insanely Ridiculous, we bring you THIS:
Thefts of Tide liquid detergent a problem for retailers. ('ya think?)
Here's the story:
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/tide-laundry-detergent-thefts-on-the-rise-retailers-speak-out
Now, we don't use TIDE...too damn expensive, and no better than less-costlier brands.
But what amazes me about this is HOW people can waltz into say...a Wal-Mart, load up a cart with all these 64 oz, jugs and then bolt out of the place and get AWAY with it???
Yes, this could be another "WTF???" moment...
Some cases report HUNDREDS of bottles leaving the shelves (with some OBVIOUS assists from human vermin, no doubt), and no one is noticing the FRONT DOORS when this happens?
They are being stolen and sold on the "black market" (which might tend to look a lot less GRIMIER, and much WHITER and BRIGHTER in the near future) for drug money...are you sh*tting me?
But maybe all is NOT what it seems...
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/03/13/police-deny-reports-nationwide-spike-in-tide-detergent-theft/
Have we (in AMERICA, for God's sake) devolved into this Mad Max mentality where "items" are bartered for cash or drugs like some THIRD WORLD NATION in some sub-continent overseas?
Hey, maybe I should corner the market on bottle openers, can openers and egg slicers....people will need THOSE, too.
This is getting out of hand, seriously.
People are just STEALING sh*t from major stores, getting AWAY with it (which in and of itself, from a security standpoint, just astounds the crap out of me), and then doing the "street-corner pawn job", because some urban pharmaceutical "distributor" needs to stay in business.
Do we need to escape with drugs THAT damn bad that people turn to such crimes to foster their addictions?
(apparently so, UNLESS this has all been blown out of proportion...)
Personally, I'll stick with the detergent WE use (which is whatever is selling for cheap this week).
We have a couple jugs always on-hand, anyway.
And a word of savvy when it comes to laundry...add either some Borax or baking soda to the wash...works damn well, trust me.
(amazing the things you learn growing up and as a bachelor in another life...lol)
And NEVER do RED clothing with your WHITES...unless you LIKE the color PINK.
(guys, take note on that one)
*** You might have noticed the really NICE weather we're enjoying (seems like MID-JUNE already - talk about rushing things), and we've already some posies coming up and blooming (not to be confused with the local loudass IDIOTS, who are ALWAYS "blooming", if you catch my drift).
Damn shame you can't ENJOY all that you have on or around your property with such "people" nearby.
Case in point, yesterday, I see this little girl (from the newbies that moved into my former GOOD neighbor's house...rotating welfare queens now) ON our lawn going after a squirrel (who was doing a great job of evasion, thankfully).
I opened the door and said nicely: "Please don't bother the squirrels...they can bite".
I know what you're thinking...I fibbed...well, kinda.
They CAN bite (if you can catch the little buggers), but I wanted to make a point that you just don't go and run all over someone else's property for stupid crap like this.
I feel if you need to see animals, you can either ask "baby-mama" to take you to the Children's Zoo here, OR...(and you're gonna like this one)...she can take you to a FAMILY GATHERING...either way fills the bill, right?
'Nuff said there, hmm?
*** Lastly today, I know I'm always pitching a fit over these damn loud boomcars...but I've got FACTS on MY side, regarding the nuisance they create.
Everything from learning problems for children (study done years ago in a Chicago school with just TRAFFIC noise), to heart conditions and hearing problems for everyone concerned...it's all there to look up, if you so wish.
But what I find most curious, if that while the NUMBER ONE REASON people tend to relocate is due to NOISE, and that the NUMBER ONE URBAN PROBLEM is also...NOISE, little gets done to actually turn it all down.
Mayor Bloomberg (of ALL people) has made real progress with noise abatement in NYC, and Lord knows they NEED it there.
Here in Fort Wayne, the mayor (read King Henry and his predecessors to the throne) are ALWAYS hawking this whole "quality-of-life" gig in town...and YET, the FWPD has assigned NOISE violations such a LOW priority, it's actually nonsensical to even call them in, because the response time becomes an issue. This means when a boomcar is sitting in front of some hovel, it will usually take a responding officer UP TO FORTY MINUTES to arrive, and I know this from experience. By then, the car has most likely moved on (they rarely hang around most times anyway, but the annoyance is STILL there).
And much of the call is predicated on whether or not the OFFICER can hear it (the stereo may have been turned down JUST prior to the officer's arrival).
Now, while it can be proven that around 500 noise violations ARE written a year, this in NO way reflects ALL the instances of said violations.
When I have several THOUSAND violations rolling past MY house in any given year, and NONE of them are cited, that says we have a serious problem with enforcement of this ordinance.
Suppose we looked at this from the Broken Window Theory aspect?
When such noise violations are "allowed" (not cited), it usually means the person making the noise wants some kind of attention (like announcing the drugs are in the area). And such attention SHOULD warrant the attention of the local po-po, right?
Face it, when you're not doing ANYTHING suspicious and NOT making yourself stand out in the crowd, the police have NO reason to even give you a second look, right?
Now, if you were dealing drugs, the BEST way to avoid detection would be to act as nondescript as possible, and NOT make yourself stand out or be heard blocks away...simple, hmm?
People will always say it's just a "cultural thang", and to them I counter with it WASN'T ALWAYS LIKE THIS, WAS IT?
Used to be a time when you kept your OWN business (and music)...TO YOURSELF. (that's what concerts and public events were for anyway)
As long as ignorance on both sides of the law prevails, nothing will change, because nothing is being done.
When someone decides to make life better for EVERYONE, and steps up to make it happen, we ALL win.
Accountability respect, and personal responsibility for ALL, and not for some...just like justice.
It should work...it CAN work.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.

Humpday Happenings...
Middle of the week, and it sure feels like it's damn near summer...at least that's what the weather reports are saying for the heartland in the next week.
Highs today...(drum roll)...near SEVENTY!
We've already got hyacinth blooms, and the daffodils aren't that far behind.
And to think the FIRST day of Spring won't get here until the 20th?
Kinda makes those "6 more weeks of Winter" prediction from our groundhog sort of...well, WRONG, right?
Still, if you track back to the earlier parts of the 20th century, we had WARM spells as well, when most of the (soon-to-be broken?) records were established. Hell, I remember wearing short sleeves right after the New Year in the early 1970s.
But, we've other things to attend to this day, so let's get on with it...
*** Today's WHO SAID THAT? military quote is as follows:
"The glory of human nature lies in our seeming capacity to exercise conscious control on our own destiny."
So...who said that? Answer tomorrow at the top of the post.
*** As you (should) know, I'm a huge fan of Fox news channel's THE FIVE...on at, well...5PM (better than calling it "The 1700"...LOL).
And yesterday's show had a marvelous topic that I found so ridiculous, that I'm glad those on the show decided to run with it...and comment accordingly.
Here's the video:
http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/the-five/index.html
I'm gonna run with this one out of the barn today, so bear with me....this is about a recent study (aren't they all fairly "recent"?) saying that rock n roll could make you racist.
Well, maybe it's not THAT pronounced, but (according to that study) there is a racial BIAS attached to such music.
(and like RAP doesn't have similar if not more pronounced tendencies towards racial BIAS?)
Listening to Springsteen makes me a skinhead...O...M...G...!!!
Actually, the reference is to "white supremacist" music (which I personally loathe as much as RAP, btw), a specific "genre" (within a genre?).
A genre's genre, as it were...getting confused yet?
Heather LaMarre authored the study when she was working on a doctorate at OSU (I did chide Wifey for attending that university, even thought she's not a racist, either...but she DOES listen to some rock 'n roll, as do I).
Ms. Lamarre is now a professor with the Mass Communications and Journalism School at UMinn.
I'm sorry, but MY personal preferences in music are VERY wide-ranging...
I DO love classical music (about 90% of it, in fact)...there is a smattering that I find annoying, but none of the familiar works.
And I do love the music of Scott Joplin...and Smokey Robinson...and George Benson...and Nat King Cole...and Sammy Davis, Jr...and yes, even Charley Pride.
I like a LOT of country music such as Sara Evans, Toby Keith, Garth Brooks (to name a few), and bluegrass music like Alison Krauss, as well as Enya, Elvis, Gordon Lightfoot, Neil Diamond, and also AC/DC,













Ted Nugent, Sammy Hagar, Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, The Monkees, The Dave Clark Five, and the Beach Boys.
And that's only the tip of my musical iceberg...
I love good BLUES music... such as B.B.King, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Dinah Washington, The Ink Spots, Clarence Gatemouth Brown (you might have to look up a couple of those...not that well known, but GOOD musicians...lol)
So MY taste in music is quite extensive...I know what I like, AND...I NEVER thump it from my house OR my car so it can be heard several blocks away.
Good music is (or at least SHOULD be) like a fine liquor, such as a scotch or bourbon...meant for SIPPIN'...and NOT for GUZZLIN'.
It's like a classic car...meant for DRIVING...not for showing off and racing!
It's like a comfortable chair or shoes...the older they get...the better you enjoy it.
Good music seems to "fit"...no matter what the occasion or state of mind...it works.
And that's what bothers me. Since I like music from both BLACKS and WHITES...what "kind" of racist does that make me?
I'm torn between two races, musically-speaking...maybe that's why I dislike everyone (equally)...ROFLMAO!
Seriously though, as you get older, you should develop a keen sense of self, and much of what makes up that "self" is an appreciation for certain things in life.
Doesn't matter if it's food or drink...cars, or music, or art of another fashion....it can be ALL good, if you take the time to "get to know it".
Sadly today, many don't bother with anything that isn't "instant" in some manner...
Instant coffee (last resort because I hate it), instant communication, instant banking, instant gratification...damn near instant anything.
Now, to me, it's nice to have something made easier (semi-instant) in life...once in a great while...makes things a bit better to manage, but when people look at "instant" as being something that's done FOR THEM, well, that can open the floodgates, can't it?
When we STOP doing for ourselves, and someone (or something) can do it all FOR US, how does that forward the evolutionary process?
Welcome to the first step into "Entitlementland", kids!
And I've come to feel the same way about music...you have to work at it to find the RIGHT songs (including artists and groups) that make that impact in your life, be it in love, work, play..whatever.
After a time, you manage to assemble "your tunes"...songs that mean something to YOU.
I really dislike the cookie-cutter mentality that pervades music today (as well as other parts of our lives).
I dislike American Idol for that reason...they all sound alike (to me).
Cripes, you can listen to several different TENORS in the same part in the same opera and yet hear the DIFFERENCE in their voices.
The DISTINCTION and the uniqueness is what should matter...not whether they sound as good as the next guy (or gal).
If ANY racism is fostered with specific genres of music, then it has to be the "skinhead" music (spewing hatred of Blacks and Jews and most everyone but themselves) and most all (c)rap music (spewing hatred of the police, misogynistic treatment of women, and a notion of "success at ANY price" in the 'hood). The overwhelming "theme" to BOTH "styles" of music is SELF-GRATIFICATION (hurray for me, to hell with everyone else).
Hedonism at it's finest, people...plain and simple.
Those TWO sub-genres of music serve ONLY to hate the other, but yet, someone comes along, plays the race card yet AGAIN, and now ALL rock n roll is subject to the microscope of bias...give me a damn break, here.
If one were to trace the roots of "rock and roll", one need only look back to black GOSPEL music.
Now, I'm sure CWM could perform a much better job at splainin" this to all of us, as he's the musical guru in these parts.
I'm just someone who has listened to a LOT of different music genres, brought up with black AND white music played on the stereo, and learned to love MANY types of music by people of ANY race...it's just what sounds good.
The FOX video goes into another aspect of the whole race gig, and that's the theme of "Big Race"...much like Big Oil...or Big Government.
We're reaching a point now, where race, which was supposed to NOT be an issue, is in fact becoming THE issue...for anything AND everything.
That's not a good thing at all.
Listen to a certain music style - you're racist.
Say a certain word - you're racist.
Eat a specific food - you're racist.
Call out the welfare queens - you're racist.
Think anything other than a liberal mindset - you're racist.
Own a gun and a bible - you're racist.
Say anything against Obama's policies - you're racist.
(where does this BS end?)
Curiously, it's not the whites perpetuating this against the populace, but, as is so often the case, THEY (we) are the ones targeted with misplaced "guilt" by others. And it's undeserved guilt at that!
I have said for decades that IF we were headed for another "civil war", it wouldn't be North against South.
In fact, it wouldn't be ANY geographical aspect assigned to it. It would become a lot more "personal" in nature.
Sure hope to hell I'm wrong on this one.
Now, I will admit that I detest people who go out of their way to practice that special kind of stupid throughout the world, and if THAT makes me a racist, so be it. THAT one I can live with.
Those who are chronically stupid, blatantly stupid, loudly stupid (never met a QUIET one yet), and rampantly stupid ALL have no place in society, because it's called EDUCATION for a damn reason.
(but enough about my "neighbors"...lol)
I just feel it's time to call out the REAL racists for who THEY are, and not who they want us to think are racist.
And by God, if we have to do it to the tune of Elvis Presley, let's have at it then, hmm?
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.

Tales From the SOUTH Side...
Going to be another springlike day - highs in the mid 60s again. Going to be a wonderfully LOUD day for us.
And yes, that makes it time for another soiree into the wonderful world that is the crotch of the Summit City aka Fort Wayne.
Now, don't get me wrong here...the neighborhood (if it were totally devoid of the socially-unacceptable and transient miscreants) would be a wonderful place to live, raise a family and grow old. I wish it were only that nice.
But, as is the case whenever such human flotsam are allowed to not only move in, but "thrive" in an area like ours, does it become a lot less than it was meant to be.
With that as our preamble today, let's get cracking with what's going on in and around our "Fortress of Reason".
*** First up, another infant death on the...(all together, gang...)...SOUTHEAST SIDE of Fort Wayne.
Here's the link to the brief story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120313/LOCAL07/303139992
Something you should (already) know, being a regular reader of this blog; The area where this took place is not the most amenable area on the SE side...in fact, it's one of the WORST, if the police blotter has anything to say about it. The 7900 block of Serenity Drive is rather notorious when it comes to crime...it's pretty much a fact-of-life there, if one can call such things "living".
I like to call it Eden Green SOUTH.
If you want to find a bunch of do-nothing people with no sense of responsibility, no desire to make anything of themselves, and all the time in the world to do it, while they suck up dollar after dollar of "free" money (that would be YOUR tax dollars), then, by all means, stop down there and see your government at work for YOU.
Generational dependency at it's finest, folks.
Baby-mama went down the street...with an infant she gave birth to a mere SIX weeks prior, leaving him to another baby-mama with probably the SAME level of "expertise" when it comes to CARING for such a young child.
The ONLY thing they seemed "experienced" at is MAKING the babies...well, that and causing chaos wherever they go.
How typical...and woefully unchecked.
*** Next up, the "new kids on the block" at play.
No, we're not talking about a resurgence of some boy-band (thankfully), but rather some children who recently moved into one of the vacant hovels decorating our block.
And, wouldn't you just know it...THEIR baby-mama doesn't know what TOYS are, because the two kids (and the visiting two children) spent the better part of this past weekend tearing the BARK off of a huge dead tree down the street!
I thought only animals in the wild did such things during the winter for food...?
Well, we might have the "animal" part right here.
Some of the SLABS torn off of the tree were larger than the children...(how quaint to see kids at play).
Naturally, they were not on their OWN property, but a neighboring one, and just left the mess for the person working on the other house to clean the hell up (as these creatures often seem to do).
I always say you can tell who has walked by your house, by the trail of trash (never to be confused with the Trail of Tears) they leave in their wake.
Responsible parenting?
Not hardly!
And that's why they sell things called TOYS at damn near anyplace (even dollar stores).
Such items are meant to stimulate CREATIVITY in children in some fashion...and not leave them to their own devices.
*** If you watch kids playing in "distressed" neighborhoods, you see something curious that wouldn't be readily noticed in nice areas of the city...
And that is something I like to call...AGGRESSION!
Doesn't matter how YOUNG the child is, there always seems to be some level of angry behavior.
They grab a stick, and wail the snot out of something with it...like they're practicing some form of psychological "transference" with every strike.
They grab a stone or rock, and will throw it (with focused intent) at a family pet, a squirrel or bird, or even at EACH OTHER (if not at somebody else's car or windows).
Hey, sticks and rocks kinda went out of vogue with the Cro-Magnon period, people...hate to break it to 'ya.
It's little wonder that WITHOUT the proper creative stimulation and supervision, such children become problems at a very young age, and then become criminals earlier, or at least exhibit criminal tendencies before they hit high school.
More generational dependency to deal with.
*** But then, we come to some of the results of this type of "upbringing", and that's seen in whatever passes for adulthood for these people.
I'm talking about those loud-ass drivers that feel the need to "share" their music with everyone within a 4-block radius!
It's been said that: "Music hath charm to sooth the savage breast".
Not in THIS case, folks.
It's more like: "Music (?) hath VOLUME to perpetuate the savage attitude".
Because there is no other reason to explain it...it's certainly NOT soothing and has NO redeeming "charm" attached to it...it's just f$cking louder than a passenger jet ramping up the engines for takeoff (130+ Db).
There is a curious side-effect to this loudness, and that's when the body produces endorphins as a result of such exposure, creating an artificial feeling of euphoria. Thing is, the negative effects are far worse, not the least of which is loss of hearing (what?)...and the stress on internal organs due to sympathetic vibrations. Documented are cases of elevated blood pressure, stress and symptoms that can mirror PTSD...and that's for starters.
You can look it all up for yourselves, because I've mentioned this more than a few times here, and could do a week's worth of posts on just this ONE topic (others have volumes on it, both physical and psychological in nature).
We have our share of loudasses around here...at least several THOUSAND per year drive by, and whatever is being done by the FWPD...it isn't nearly enough to stem the rising tide of noise, and that's creating issues with too many people, especially from an INDIRECT standpoint.
Think of it much like those who disdain second-hand smoke.
We have second-hand NOISE, and sadly, the EPA division that used to enforce such things hasn't been around since the late 1980s.
If there were ONE aspect of government I would LIKE to see open, it would be THEM, because we NEED it now.
*** I was going to mention how the turf at our new Parkview Field (or, as I prefer to call it - COSTAPLENTY STADIUM) is turning yellow already, and how it's going to cost even MORE ($140K) to replace or re-seed it, but I think others will drive this one to the barn, and do it much better than I could.
So, instead, we'll delve into THIS:
*** I mentioned yesterday about how MANY police officers we have in the city and where they are.
Actually, I first mentioned such things WAY back in September of '06.
I did find data from 2005 for our city regarding the number of officers we have (per 1000 residents), and back then, we were BELOW the national average of TWO officers per every 1000 people.
NYC is a little over TEN officers per 1000 people, but they also have over 8 MILLION people in the city.
And even THAT number isn't enough to HALT crime, but it has proven to be effective is lowering it significantly.
But let's deal with Fort Wayne (while we're here).
Here's a link to another blog that mentions the 2005 stats for the 200 largest municipal areas:
http://policepay.blogspot.com/2008/09/sworn-police-officers-per-1000-citizens.html
Clearly the representation of Ft. Wayne is dated, but it does show a disturbing trend, and one which I find right in line with the amount and level of crime on the SE side (and now branching into the other 3 quadrants).
From the Bureau of Justice Statistics comes this tidbit from 2003:
(( According to the 2003 BJS Law Enforcement and Management Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) survey, municipal police departments employed an average of 2.5 full-time officers per 1,000 residents.
Departments serving 25,000 to 99,999 residents had the lowest average ratio (1.8 officers per 1,000 residents), followed by cities with 100,000 to 249,999 residents (1.9), and cities with 10,000 to 24,999 residents (2.0).
Cities with a population of 250,000 or more had 2.5 officers per 1,000 residents. ))
Now, if that were true, and since the population of Fort Wayne is in excess of 250K (currently), then we SHOULD have 2.5 officers per 1,000 residents.
Let's do the math, kids...
We currently have about 460 officers in the FWPD (2007 statistics).
And we have 253,691 residents (per 2010 census - probably higher knowing how some will lie their ass off).
So far, it doesn't look that good.
The 2005 stats had us around 1.87 officers per 1,000 residents. (below the nat'l average)
Given the growth of BOTH population AND officers sworn, the new totals reflect an actual LOSS of staff at 1.81 officers per 1,000 residents.
(Texas Instruments calculators don't lie at our house)
So, what does this mean?
Depends on which side of the fence you fall on.
Some would say that because crime has "gone down" we need FEWER officers on the streets.
I counter by saying that when you RECLASSIFY crimes to make it APPEAR as if crime goes down, you fool the unlearned.
If (in fact) crime DOES go down, it's because of several factors, one of which is TRENDS.
Crime has it's own neaps and ebbs, much like a river...some years are good, others horrendous, depending on variables like availability of street pharms, creative drug distribution (home-growns, one-pots, etc.), and gang activities to name a few.
Take a major "playa" off the street, and you immediately have a DROP in crime in a specific hot spot...until the next perp takes his place (power struggles like this can take a year or so, depending on who steps up).
Another variable is contraband coming from outside the state INTO the state, and many times, that becomes the realm of the FEDS. Hopefully, they can catch it before it arrives into our state.
This is a CLASSIC study of the Broken Window Theory.
Whenever small things get unnoticed, or become "lost in the shuffle" they will inexorably "evolve" with rapidity under such fertile conditions that they will soon become the BIG ticket items in town, and have the police playing "catch-up" in the process...sometimes for YEARS.
With a growing population, a growing immigrant population, and more instances of small crimes (the Opana robberies to name one), it's folly to believe we need FEWER police on our streets, unless the city thinks that having our LEOs do nothing but chase the radio every shift is getting the job done.
(got news for them...it's not)
On any given shift we have about THIRTY officers on patrol...for the WHOLE damn city.
To me, that's simply not cutting the muster, not in areas where a greater police PRESENCE is required.
Do we have a gang division? Not really.
Do we have a grafitti patrol? Not at all.
Do we have officers whose sole purpose is to PATROL...look for things "out-of'whack" in a neighborhood (preferably on the SE side) where trouble can erupt in an instant, due to the "nature of the beasts" inhabiting the area?
If we do, I'm sure not seeing them
And given the numbers of officers on the streets, I doubt I will until something goes down...or I have to call to report something "hinky".
The prefix PRO, as in PROtect should mean something, and I believe in many officers' hearts, it DOES.
Pro should mean EARLIER THAN, PRIOR TO, BEFORE, RUDIMENTARY, PRECURSORY.
To PROTECT should mean that a lot of sh*t should be "headed off at the pass" long before it arrives to endanger us all.
In that, I believe our LEOs would want to perform more of THAT in whatever capacity they find themselves.
I know I would.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.