Trick Or Treat (aka The Great Beg-A-Thon)...

I have to admit that although getting some FREE candy from a total stranger DOES have it's merits, I've never really "taken" to that all too increasingly notable(?) holiday, Hallowe'en. No sooner are the kids back in school, then we find ourselves (us older folk) bombarded with Hallowe'en this and that....like it's our patriotic DUTY to buy a $hitload of cavity-producing treats to GIVE away gratis to anyone that knocks on our doors October 31st.

I can probably count on ONE hand all the times I went trick or treating for Hallowe'en....and I'm OK with that. I really didn't "need" all that sugar in my system (as Mom used to say). Many times, I came down with a cold around the 31st of October, thanks to kids that didn't cover their noses or mouths when they shot microbes (with MY name on them) into the adjacent atmosphere. As I'm getting older (and wiser), I find that some sort of REAL "purpose" ought to be attached with these children that show up for their yearly "freebie" at my door.

And I've gotten together a list of thigns that I feel would make Hallowe'en not only more fun for me, but would be mentally (and physically) more challenging to our youth, and heaven KNOWS they need it.

Rule #1: You show up WITHOUT a costume....you have TWO choices:
a) You can just turn around and LEAVE, or (my favorite) ...
b) Show me you're WORTHY of my candy WITHOUT a costume by jumping through these FLAMING HOOPS I have set up on my lawn, OK? If the folks can't blow TEN bucks to get you SOME kind of costume (and dressing in mom's old clothes brings up gender issues, even though it's FREE), then just spend FIVE bucks for some of your OWN candy (hint - after the 31st, all the holiday candy is 50% off)!

Rule #2: If you're OLDER than say....12 years old, you better either have a DAMN GOOD (original) costume, or you better have the mental state of a 3 year old. Either one will get you treats! Anything else will get you a nice door closed in your face! If you're THAT old...just stop at Handy-dandy and grab a bag of M&Ms for yourself, lazy-ass!

Rule #3: Facepaint ALONE does NOT a costume make....Even SOLDIERS wear a UNIFORM WITH their facepaint, and Indians have horses and head-dresses.....so...NO horse, NO treats, Kimosabi!

Rule #4: If you are coming to my house on Hallowe'en with a BUNCH of friends...be advised, I WILL be "packing" (to dissuade you from a home invasion)!

Rule #5: Don't try taking a "short cut" across MY lawn to cross the street (that barbed wire I have up will do a real number on your legs...trust me)! Better to stay on the sidewalk.

Rule #6: DO NOT show up at the house as a ZOMBIE, LIVING-DEAD person, or some sort of analogous entity. If I EVER want to see the living dead (aside from a George Romero flick), all I have to do is watch MOST of the non-working "neighbors" on welfare that have NO future past the next bottle of malt liquor meander through their pitiful lives. Also...NO ELMOS!

Rule #7: When I ask you to take what you want from the huge bowl of candy, that DOES NOT MEAN grab every damn single piece OF candy.....taking EVERYTHING should NEVER be a choice...it means be SELECTIVE...others might want to drop on by, 'K?

Rule #8: If you don't like what we GIVE (free) to you, don't even think about retaliatory measures....I've already PLANNED for THAT contingent...(heh, heh, heh)...and you might not like the result.

So there you are...MY "Eight Simple Rules" for handling Hallowe'en. I think it's more in the "spirit" of the evening, and if you want to get a slice of what exactly I've been going on about, go watch Garfield's Hallowe'en Adventure (of you can find a copy)....funny thing...they DON'T show it in INDIANA...the HOME of Jim Davis, CREATOR of Garfield...

There is DEFINITELY something wrong with THAT picture...!!!

...And The Party Continues....

Let it not be said that the DEA can't toss a mean SHINDIG, eh? This officer (not from around this area) is just typical of one of the "revelers" enjoying a nice day out in the country....arresting LOSERS and confiscating ILLEGAL DRUGS....what a BLAST!

A pot bust in nearby Noble County netted ANOTHER 500 lbs of the leafy substance. Anyone seeing an Indiana tag with a "57" prefix....yep, that's NOBLE county!

(( Noble County - WANE-
Three people were arrested earlier this week after they took delivery of 500 pounds of pot. The undercover investigation began in Texas and ended inside a Ligonier home on Tuesday.
An officer with the Noble County Sheriff's Department told NewsChannel 15 that the DEA learned of a planned delivery of marijuana to a home in Ligonier. An undercover officer with the DEA actually helped deliver the pot which was offloaded from a semi to another vehicle on Tuesday before it was delivered to a home locaed in the 1500 block of Longwood Lane in Ligonier. Once the pot was delivered, several local SWAT teams and police agencies went to the home where they arrested 24 year old Hector Manuel Lopez of Ligonier, Aldo F. Perez of Detroit and 27-year old Roman Alvaro Torres of Ligonier.
All three men have been charged with possession with intent to distribute, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and aiding and abetting.
Besides the pot, officers also found a shotgun, a scale with packaging materials, drug ledgers and $45,000 in cash.
The investigation hasn't ended with the bust and police say they expect more arrests.))

Personally, I find this marvelous. When law-enforcement agencies can come together and net OVER 1500 pound of marijuana in ONE week around the Fort Wayne area, it just puts a smile on MY face...!

The damn shame is that although all these really good POT busts are being made....we STILL have all this CRACK being sold on the streets daily. And we're not even factoring in the METH aspect to all of this (by the way...NOBLE county has one of the larger METH "industries" , both stationary AND mobile in all of northeastern Indiana - check the DOJ stats).

I guess the meth-heads are using the pot trade to PAY for the labs aka "cooking facilities"...'ya think? From a "business" standpoint, it makes sense, in an eerie, perverted sort of way.

The BEST part is...the DEA isn't DONE...they expect MORE arrests, and I couldn't be happier.

When I see these thugs around my neighborhood, toking a blunt OUTSIDE their rental during school hours (oh, no...THEY don't work...you, the taxpayer are helping fund their "activities", along with their "ho's" who might actually WORK a job to keep the freebies coming from the gov't.), I become SO incensed... yet the polce here never seem to "see" this. And to watch a part of their "livelihood" get dashed thanks to these busts just makes MY day. It's funny to see "how" they are going to get their pot NOW...!

Then again, I'm SURE there are those who "home-grow" (like this other loser down our street that was said to have grown in his house at one time), and their business will be booming. We also have those that choose to "help themselves" to OTHER peoples' fields to "grow on the fly", as it were. Must be nice to be a CORN farmer, and then get a visit from several law-enforcement agencies who noticed about 300 marijuana plants in your fields while overflying the county...!

One of today's BIGGEST problems is that some people just have NO SHAME. We can add that to their lack of morality, incivility, unaccountablity, disrespect, and overall reprehensible behavior....this is the future? Damn it looks bleak!

I've always contended that AMERICA really IS the land of the free...as long as that freedom doesn't extend into IRRESPONSIBILITY or STUPIDITY.

"I grow impatient at stupidity" - (Klaatu, from The Day the Earth Stood Still - 1951)

Interesting how HOLLYWOOD said back THEN what is SO applicable TODAY.

Observations from "My" Edge of the Abyss....

I've been seeing SO many blogs lately flaming a Democrat...or a Republican for some of the damndest reasons. Some people just plain HATE a person with a particular affiliation. And some couldn't find an ounce of decency in ANY candidate (REPS or DEMS) if their lives depended on it.

Which leads me to believe that both parites are equally guilty of pulling some wool over a lot of people's eyes. Now I might be wrong, but I don't think so.

Too many people already have this misplaced "allegence" to a specific political party. They love whatever candidate the party tosses at 'em. Well, that's simply WRONG. That's what gets a lot of the wrong people in the "right" jobs!

Not enough people vote with their conscience. If we had more folks looking at the PEOPLE, instead of the PARTIES, there might be some real changes IN the people we send to whatever offices we vote them into.

The REPS are taking it on the chin for the war in Iraq. The DEMS are taking it for spending and change for change sake. If we were to look at both parties equally, we'd find GOOD AND BAD in both. That's why I have our friend up there (Mr. REPUBLICRAT) showing why a lot of the political lines are becoming convoluted and blurred.

The polls show (if you believe them) that the REPS are loosing voters to the DEMS. The DEMS are looking like they are becoming less liberal and more moderate (i.e. swinging to the right a tad). So what's a voter to do?

The answer is easy..vote from the gut (that would be conscience). If the PERSON is one of integrity, and would have the best interest of EVERYONE in mind...well, that's a damn good start.

Just because a candidate has a type of CHARISMA, it does not mean they'll make a good "leader"....(Germany, 1933, a man called ADOLPH...sound familiar?) Hitler was elected NOT by a majority of votes (only 37%), but because of backroom deals...he had THAT kind of "influence". Not to mention that the German people wanted CHANGE and Hitler would make sure they had plenty of it...so be warned about this slippery slope.

Even Lincoln was a member of the WHIG party before joining the REP party.

I just feel bad for those that can't see the "forest for the trees" when it comes to politicains...they just "go with the flow", meaning their party.

When I look at recent part presidents, it's a mixed bag with me. Reagan was OK, but his legacy came back to bite us in the a$$. Truman was good, but no one else seems to think so. Ike wasn't bad (for a former general). JFK was good, but didn't live long enough to make accurate conclusions. Johnson was good with civil rights, bad with 'Nam. Nixon was good with 'Nam, but bad with getting caught at Watergate. Ford was so-so, Carter was real good until the Iran Hostage situation (they waited until Reagan was in office to let them go...weird, huh?). FDR was damn good and his "New Deal" helped a LOT of people suffering from the depression.

But many will just bash them "because they were DEMOCRAT...or REPUBLICAN". I say forget the party...LOOK AT THE PERSON!

The Libertarians have some good ideas, as do the DEMS and the REPS. As to how they plan to administer these to the people, let's hope they have that plan in place as well. I say look at ALL the choices (but maybe not the communists or fascist party...they cause trouble...lol).

A lot of us think about "the lesser of two evils" aspect of elections....and we should. Seems these days, most EVERY politician has at least ONE skeleton in their closet. Our choice is whether or not we can live with that.

Would I say Bush Jr. was a good president? Yeah, I would. The war in Iraq is no longer about the USA..it's about the IRAQI people. Can THEY handle this independence? Can THEY sustain their freedom without ethic groups subverting what they have achieved? Can they govern themselves effectively? It's basically out of OUR hands at this point, and all up to THEM. And President Bush cannot control their actions...he can only provide the impetus for THEM to decide. Like leading a horse to water, but not being able to make it drink.

Was Graham Richards a good mayor (for Fort Wayne)? Yeah, I think we was, but could have been better. Mayor RIchards started some good plans, and had most of them realized, or at least discussed. I can't say the same for Mayor Street in Philly, though. He's taken a city that had potential and spun it into the ground...crime is up, and a ton of people are pissed off to no end. Bad mayor. It's never about parties..it's the people..there, I've said it yet AGAIN.

What I will always look for in any candidate is not what party they align themselves with...it will be whether or not they can make good choices, based on real facts, honest input from constituents, and a sincere desire to do what the PEOPLE want, and not be self-absorbed in how to become a career politician at the taxpayer's expense....for we have too many of THOSE characters around already. We need real civil SERVANTS..not cronies running the estate in OUR (the estate "owners") best interest.

And (at least) HERE on this blog, we will take to task those of ANY political party that are not holding up THEIR end of the log* on ANY issue.
(*gratuitous military PT reference).

But that's just *my* (independent, moderate) point of view...I just want the best people in the offices they are elected to...is THAT so much to ask?

I honestly don't think it is.

Yo Quero "Mary Jane"?

It doesn't take a talking chihuahua to tell us we have a drug problem in Fort Wayne.


Our latest bust was about a half TON (that's one THOUSAND POUNDS, people) of marijuana coming up from the beautiful state of TEXAS in packaged bales, ready for distribution to a neighborhood near you. Five arrests were made, including a 57 year old male from our fair city, a Mexican national, an hispanic from Goshen, and another from Warsaw (the TOWN, not the street). The "ringleader" of all this was a Brownsville hispanic male, aged 54 (my age...what a coincidence). So remember, when you hear the phrase "The girls are in town", it doesn't mean Aunt Edna from Albion has come for a visit....oh, no. That's just slang for "product on site".

Fort Wayne is a hub for all the major players in the Midwest....think of this city as a drug magnet (and subsequently, an idiot magnet) for a lot of suppliers from "down south". Of course the illegal alien situation MUST be aiding this to no end, as at last count, we have at least 45 illegals in the hoosegow (with an obviously greater number among our populace).

Now I would be one of the first to tell you that the drug trade is doing quite well in MY neck of the woods. During the summer, you can see young males, standing outside their rentals with a blunt firming held in one hand, a beer (or whatever is cheap this week) in the other. Funny, I thought there were jobs available, but I suppose as long as "de biyatch is workin' to support dem kids I made wiff her...I don' gotta work".

Wow...Another example of LOGIC at it's FINEST, eh?

There are open-air drug deals on our streets EVERY SINGLE DAY. And with schoolkids coming home, you would "think" these dealers would show some discretion....HELL NO! hat is their prime time...around the time schools let out. We aslso have increasing instances of middle schoolers caught with drugs AT school! It's what I like to call "The Trickle Down Effect". All the problems that used to be attributable to OLDER folks are trickling on down to younger and yonger people. We're seeing PRE-TEENS now. What's next? Toddler "mules"?
(sorry, already HAVE that with people stashing crack in diapers...)

Still, this latest half-ton bust will hurt the marijuana business. This is akin to that other bust a few years back in Fort Wayne...when they found pot being brought into the city in huge clay vases (modern "art" anyone?). Think of it as a Indiana version of OPEC (and the oil pricing). It's all about SUPPLY AND DEMAND. In Fort Wayne, we have the demand gig down pat. It's the supply part that becomes burdensome to these dealers (and users). And we haven't EVEN gotten into the CRACK and METH businesses. We're still on the "small $hit". Check the DOJ sites for info on "the harder stuff".

Just like Mr. Marx who wants the druggies off of his property (see earlier posting), the rest of us should "want" this to go away, or at least diminsh to a reasonable enough level where our citizens don't have to worry about leaving their houses unattended for a hour without fear of burglary, or be able to walk the streets regularly, or let their children play outside without having to be concerned whether they will be shot at during a botched deal.

I don't think the citizenry of this city is asking too much in that regard...do you?

Overreaction....or Childrens' Safety???

This article had me doing a nice "double-take" when I started reading BETWEEN the lines:
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/15836348.htm

Administrators lock down Kekionga after students reported pellet gun.
By Megan Hubartt
Students at Kekionga Middle School are being questioned by Fort Wayne Police after officers found a pellet gun on campus Monday.
Fort Wayne Community Schools spokeswoman Debbie Morgan said several students alerted administrators of the gun’s presence. At that point, they locked down the school and called police.
Morgan said administrators did not find out about the gun until the day was nearly over. Rather than keep students in class past their normal dismissal time while police conducted their search, administrators allowed them to go home but without going to their lockers first.
Morgan said both police and the district continue to investigate the incident. She was not aware of any arrest, and a Fort Wayne Police spokesman could not be reached by this morning.


Now I could go into some diatribe about how educators (and even some officers) need to know the DIFFERENCES between the "real deal" and these (basically) toy guns. Or I could point out that there was some mistakes made on the part of the FWCS by letting the kids go home WITHOUT coats, personal items, etc. One thing the article does NOT say is that children WERE allowed to go to their lockers (for keys or other important items) WITH a school office worker.

The "gun" found was an AIRSOFT pistol which shoots 6mm plastic BBs (not "pellets") at about 150FPS. No biggie...you can shoot it into your hand and not worry about poking a hole in your palm. I own a few, and I know about this. And even "if" the pistol was CO2 powered, we're only looking at a small welt at point of impact. Sure, it can "put yer eye out"...if you AIM there. Basically, what we have is a 21st century equivalent of the 1950s era capguns. Granted, these airsoft pistols LOOK real (except for the BLAZE ORANGE barrel), but believe me, I can make them look a LOT more "real", as could anyone with some modeling experience.
((OK, all you SESAME STREET grads....time to play "One of these things...is NOT like the other"...See if YOU can "spot the REAL pistol" from the fake ones, OK?))

Conversely, if you took a REAL gun, and either painted the barrel BLAZE ORANGE or place day glo red tape at the front of the weapon, without close inspection, this would "appear" to be an "airsoft" pistol. But we know what it REALLY is, right? SO that train of thought might never work, as kids are creative...that's what they excel at, as you all might recall from YOUR days in school.

What I really wonder about is what the hell this kid was thinking about by bringing ANY "look-alike" weapon(?) to school in the FIRST place. I would get his folks in there PRONTO and have a nice LONG sit-down with all of them. I don't think that ANY teacher doing ANY "show-and-tell" would approve of this...not in today's world! Seems more like "show-and-DON'T-tell" anymore.

What I feel needs to be done (in light of recent school shootings) is to get the school administrators to know what is a potential threat to the children and what is NOT. Clearly, ANY item can be "made" or utilized as a "weapon of opportunity" when the need arises such as, but not limited to things like pens, pencils, rulers, plastic lunchroom utensils, combs, brushes, house keys...ANYTHING that can be held and wielded can be used defensively OR offensively. Ever swing a backpack into someone's head? Makes a nice sound, doesn't it?

Naturally, we cannot ban EVERYTHING I mentioned above...that would defeat the purpose OF school in the first place. I'm just saying that if the "need" arises, ANY kid can inflict harm on another without the use of his/her fists or feet. Look at the assaults in prisons...where they're not allowed to have things kids do, and are randomly searched on a regular basis! And they STILL find creative ways to kill or wound one another.

I recall my 6th grade teacher...former marine...and NO ONE screwed with him. Hell, he loved to do ONE-HANDED pushups!! Nobody got out of line in those days, and if they did, there was hell to pay from the school AND THEN from your parents! Not to mention the ridicule from classmates. Talk about a "lose-lose" proposition.

I know that in today's society, we can't just dismiss things we think are harmless, but shouldn't a little education and knowledge in this regard go a much longer way to head things such as this incident "off at the pass", rather than allowing it to even have a chance to occur at all?

Our kids...our FUTURE is at stake and at risk.

((BTW...the REAL gun is the one on the LEFT...the one on the BOTTOM is a CO2 steel BB pistol, and the one on the TOP RIGHT is an "airsoft" pistol...thanks for playing))

A "Perfect" Crime? You Decide....

I have to admit that I am appalled by this story:

http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=100369&ran=66485

Tammy Skinner is escorted from Suffolk Police headquarters Tuesday afternoon.
MICHAEL KESTNER / THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

Seems Ms. Skinner is going to get away with MURDER....that's right, free and clear, thanks to certain "statutes" that are probably as archaic as most of the legislators in Virginia.

"Skinner, 22, called police early Thursday morning and told the dispatcher she had been shot in the stomach. She was pregnant and due to give birth that day. The gunshot wound that police think was self-inflicted caused the death of her unborn baby girl.
After turning herself in Tuesday, Skinner was arrested and charged with illegally inducing an abortion, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and filing a false police report, police spokeswoman Lt. D.J. George said. If convicted, Skinner faces as much as 13 years in prison and a year in jail, plus more than $100,000 in fines. "

On The O'Reilly Factor last evening, it was reported (by Mr. O'Reilly and Judge Andrew Napolitano) that she would basically be walking free, because there was no law preventing Ms. Skinner from doing what she did (thanks to mental health issues). It was also reported that since the fetus was not OUT of the womb, it might not considered a "viable" entity (read person), and YET...how many fetuses are taken from the mother PREMATURELY (by necessity), placed in an ICU incubator until they can survive on their own?
I suppose she could be brought up on firearms violations at this point. But she is not being prosecuted (at this time). Perhaps a furor over this *might* cause a rethinking of the judge's decision. Funny thing...if an "assailant" would have shot Ms. Skinner, killing the fetus, he WOULD HAVE been charged with murder. Yet she faces no such charge currently.

She even LIED to the police (as too many in blighted neighborhoods are "
brought up" and therefore prone to do). There is this inherent disdain (and distrust) for the police (and many other aspects of authority) by these people that promotes a sort of "self-justice"..meaning whatever "I" choose to do is OK, because all my brothers and sisters are backing me up. Sadly, this is another sticking point with this emerging "sub-culture" we have in America. Screw the "law"...we have our OWN way of "dealing" with things.

One questrion I have to ask...Where is the ACLU in all of this? It would appear that they have a case AGAINST Ms. Skinner (if they are looking out for EVERYONE'S civil liberties, as they so often tout). And let's face it, if she was about to "give brirh" as stated, wouldn't that ALONE constitute fetal VIABILITY, ergo a human life?

One has to consider the source though. Would this happen in an upscale neighborhood to a rich-ass woman of professional means? Would we even FIND OUT about it, because that woman has ways of sweeping it under the carpet?

Suffice it to say that this will most certainly have repercussions that will echo for some time.

Personally, I find it tragic, horrific, and despicable. Will Ms. Skinner wind up doing any time for this? I really don't know, but she should, as should ANYONE that carries out such a heinous crime.

That (almost newborn) infant could have grown up to find a cure for Sickle Cell Anemia, or cancer..or AIDS.

But we'll never know now...will we?

Another Nail in Fort Wayne's Coffin?

Sunday's Journal Gazette had an eye-opening article by Frank Gray about a man who is doing anything and everything he can to get DRUG DEALERS off of his property here in the Summit City...
And this man is having quite a tough time of it.

Here' s the link: http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/15819811.htm

Now I would preface this by saying I see a LOT of the SAME things that are described in the article, albeit not nearly AS severe or as constant (yet). Still, we have the same problems where I live, and *MY* fight against this is netting the same results. That would close to NIL.

These thugs have gone so far (with the man in the article) as to FIREBOMB his house...! That's right, this is NOT Mosul...or Baghdad...or Fallujah. This is the HEARTLAND of America folks...Fort-freaking-Wayne, Indi-freaking-ana!!! And we see what amounts to nothing short of domestic terrorism being perpetrated upon OUR OWN PEOPLE by home-grown thugs with no fear of authority, no qualms about whether or not they take a life or two, and no compunction about intimidating anyone that disturbs THEIR "quality-of-life".

Having to live with (or even near) that is simply NOT an option!

Now excuse me for not getting all my memos, and maybe missing a "meeting" or two, but don't we have agencies in place NOW to prevent such occurances? So...where the hell ARE they? Why is Mr.Marx (the man in the article) NOT getting the protection OR the justice he asks for (and PAYS for with his taxes) as a citizen of this fair city? Cripes, it looks like that area isn't even getting the police PRESENCE needed to dissuade these thugs from conducting their "business" (many times ON his front porch). Having police cruise the area ALONE would send a message to these dealers. Then again, I'm seeing much the same around my neighborhood.

If I were the police chief, and Mr. Marx decided to take matters into his OWN hands, and waste a shitload of these drug dealers...hell, I'd give the man a damn medal...AND take care of his ammo "tab". Yeah, that seems a bit harsh (and a tad "Patton-esque"), but believe what you will...make NO mistake about it. This IS a war, and unless we are willing to do WHAT IS NEEDED to end it, it will just continue year after year. Negotiation with these criminals is not up for debate or consideration.

It would appear that our very own "Snitches Get Stitches" brigade is out in full force, bullying anyone and everyone into apathy, or fear enough to move away. And gee...isn't that WHY neighborhoods turn into GHETTOS in the first place? I've seen this play out several times in my neighborhood over the years...people fed up with the way things are becoming just moving the hell AWAY...and I can say it's getting pretty damn lonely around here now.

I've been threatened several times for merely shining a LASER POINTER into a loudass boomcar (which the police didn't like me doing either, although there is NO LAW prohibiting me from doing such things aganist another "citizen"). But I will say that ANY perp that is found ON my property WILL BE "found" on my property...(heh, heh, heh). The FWPD administration needs to step up and do MORE to protect the citizenry than just be a mere "reactionary-oriented" agency, especially when these decent people try to make a "go of it" in an otherwise distressed part of town. THEY (these citizens) are the ones trying to do SOMETHING to make the area BETTER (which is a $hitload more than the politicians apparently want to do), or at the least are trying to keep the area from becoming WORSE, so maybe THEY should be encouraged and helped by whatever means the police have at their disposal. Maybe even more patrols, or a special detachment to park IN those areas to catch these perps dealing (and buying) this crap. Just having patrol cars going by makes these problems "move along"..something I've been trying to get the FWPD to understand for YEARS. Yeah, it's the old "Broken Window" theory all over again. We've got more than broken windows...we've got a broken CITY. And as a result, any type of PROACTIVITY becomes harder to establish, let alone maintain.

But NOW would be a damn good time to START.

It's sad to see people constantly banging their heads against the political walls of this city in an apparently VAIN attempt to make their neighborhood better for all. But as I have found out... Whenever you bang you head against enough walls long enough...it really DOES feel damn good when you stop. And that itself becomes a vicious circle...seeking something, anything that DOES feel good when everything around you is going to the "dogs".

Catch-22 Anyone?

Another Disturbing Trend...

I've been seeing a LOT of this kind of crap around and about lately...

And I can't say that I'm "all for it". What I CAN say is that this is becoming typical of a sub-culture that this nation is nurturing...you know the one.....the sub-culture that raises it's children to disrespect anyone OTHER than themselves (if that)....the ones that have a blatant disregard for ANY type of authority...the ones living off of the taxpayers (when thy're not stealing from them in OTHER ways).

Now we're seeing the marketing juggenauts of America lining up to "promote" exactly this mindset. It's no longer OK to volunteer information to the proper authorities when perps are on your street pumping POISON into young peoples' bodies...OH NO!

It's disingenuous to reveal to the RIGHT people that the WRONG people are causing harm, mayhem, and crime in your area! It's downright wrong to believe that by you telling someone about ilegal activities, YOU have become the target of your neighborhood, workplace, or even schoolroom!

I'm sorry, but in today's society...this type of "failure" is NOT an option!

I can't say that I've ever admired "Tattle-tales" of ANY sort, but this is quite the different animal. Whereas a tattle-tale told on you (or someone else) just to evoke a reaction (usually by telling a falsehood) in you or others, these "snitches" frowned upon today are merely stating FACTS about illicit or illegal activities (such as child abuse, domestic problems, drugs, rape, and the like).

I think what is warranted here is NOT a cessation to the "stop-snitching" gig, because I don't think that giving it MORE attention in this manner will ever make it go away (look at RAP music)...

What I believe MIGHT work is a possible "counter-program", such as...

Now THIS on a t-shirt seems a lot better. If people feel they CAN come forward and give the proper authorities information they either require or need to know, it makes a much better argument FOR Community-Oriented Policing. Like I love to say...ANY program is only as good as the people who ARE INVOLVED in it. When you can't get anyone to "sign on"...then ANY program is destined to fail from the git-go!

Here in Fort Wayne (as opposed to Philly), I can see first-hand that the C.O.P. program isn't worth much more than the paper it's written on (in my area anyway), simply because these PEOPLE that I see don't give a rat's ass about much (other than chasing the good people away).

I think it's time that decent, honest people find some sort of motivation if they are EVER going to turn anything around, namely their neighborhoods. And I'm sure the police departments around the nation would concur. Then, and ONLY then, does it become a winning proposition.

Anything less is only spinning one's "wheels", and we already have plenty of that.

"The Lights Are On, But Nobody's Home..."
(quote from Col. Jack O'Neill)


One of the last vestiges of the Cold War is now closed....

NORAD, otherwise known as the Cheyenne Mountain Complex is basically shut down, with all major operations now coming from a building at nearby Peterson AFB.

You might recall this facility as the headquarters for STARGATE COMMAND (from the longest running sci-fi series: Stargate-SG1)...

((BTW...it's rumored that the "Stargate" is on level 28 of the complex...but you didn't hear that from ME...and *if* you DID...I'll have to kill you...))



*Quote from Robert Weller's AP article* - 17 October

((The United States and Canada spent hundreds of millions on early warning systems to detect a Soviet attack in the 1950s. All the information was funneled into a two-story blockhouse at Colorado Springs’ Ent Air Force Base that could be taken out by a bazooka, NORAD historian Thomas Fuller said.

So crews began digging in 1961 on the edge of Colorado Springs on what used to be a ranch, eventually removing 700,000 tons of granite. Two 25-ton blast doors were constructed to protect the 15 tunnel-like buildings 2,400 feet underground. Each is suspended on thousand-pound springs or, as the joke goes, “the real Colorado springs.”
The mini-city included a barbershop, medical clinic, convenience store, even a fire and police force.
For 40 years, staff in the mountain kept an eye on the Soviets from a command center in a small room.

The collapse of the Soviet Union was the death knell for Cheyenne Mountain. A few years later, Russians were invited to Peterson in case the change of the millennium caused any catastrophic computer problems.
Then came the Sept. 11 attacks. The Northern Command was created in 2002 to defend the nation from internal attacks. Its headquarters were built at Peterson and NORAD’s commander was put in charge of both. It was from Peterson where the military was able to scramble fighter planes 10 minutes after a small plane crashed into a New York City high-rise last week.

Cheyenne Mountain was a comfort for many during the Cold War. It was put in the middle of the continent for safety reasons, to help ensure that key decisions on defending the nation from a nuclear attack could be made before it was too late.
Until the later years of the Cold War, when more accurate and high-yield bombs were developed, Cheyenne Mountain could probably have even withstood a direct hit.
NORAD recently said it would like to begin talks with the Russians about joint surveillance flights along the Alaska-Siberia frontier.))

* * * * *

I'm sure that Cheyenne Mountain might just become a "fan-mecca" in the near future...that would mean some $$$ for someone with the "right stuff". But just like the huge (once secret) bunker under the Greenbriar Resort Hotel in W. VA (to house our government in case of nuclear holocaust), it could prove financially viable in another venue. (Just make sure NOBODY touches the RED button, OK?)

I'm sad to see it close, but then again, I'm sure "Jack O'Neill" is looking forward to some "down time" finally...right? After all, there IS something to be said for the fine art of fishing (with a cold Guinness nearby)...!

Sustineo Alas

Technology.....We All Love It, Right?




Well, we LOVE it when it WORKS...and DETEST it when it doesn't. That about sum it up?

Sure does for me.

Whenever you look around most ANY room in your house, take notice to all the "gizmos" you have at your disposal...
Go ahead...I'll wait.....

I'll just hit some "high points" with technology here.

~********~

Radio: Still good and reliable. A fundamental part of life.

TV: USED to be good until we got too many choices that we became ADHD afflicted.

Cellphones: Good for emeregncies ONLY...not as an adjunct to DRIVING (or life itself).

Two-Way Radios: Again....nice item to have in a pinch. (when you're stranded)

Electric razors: Not as good as a blade, but what the hell...

Microwave Ovens: One of the BEST items invented...and I can spot planes MILES away with it, as well as wreak havoc with peoples' pacemakers and garage doors...LOL!

Electric Tootbrushes: Lazy people device.

Cordless Drills: The handyman's best friend (next to his German Shepard)

Computers: ONLY AS GOOD as the people designing the software that runs them...PERIOD!
(I'm thinking really expensive calculator/typewriter that plays games myself)

iPods, Blackberrys, etc: Devices for those with NO life, no future, and no way to balance a checkbook by HAND or READ a CALENDAR on a wall , making notations as to where they should eb tomorrow. Add to that VIDEO GAMES that are as real as life (sans the actual effect of bad choices or harder levels of play...lol). I STILL own a PS-1, and I use it as a DIVERSION...not as my "life's calling".

And of course we have the myriad other things that make our life EASIER, or BETTER. Sorry, but with a computer that needs upgrades about every 7.625 HOURS (or so it seems), that is NOT making ANYTHING easier or better for ME...!
Hell, I STILL own a TURNTABLE (what's that?) and a BETA VCR (what's THAT?), and even a 23 year old car with ONLY 59K on it (And it's NOT in some museum?). I have a set of speakers that are OLDER than my wife...and (like her) they STILL work fine.

Now...*if* all this new-fangled STUFF were REALLY making life BETTER and EASIER, freeing up MORE time to do things I want to do (instead of having me constantly on the go for a guy that can FIX the old crap, as well as the latest tech to supplant the archaic tech I already own and CAN'T get fixed)...that WOULD be a godsend. But I just ain't seeing it happen, folks!

I (along with millions of other Americans) have neither the MONEY, nor the desire to even attempt to keep up with a burdgeoning technological market that has something *new & improved* for MY convienience coming out every 30 seconds. And I would be remiss NOT to mention that all these things made to *free up more time* for us are actually making us less sociable creatures, producing a generation unable to function in public venues. People are losing the ability to WRITE (by hand), converse, and conduct themselves in the civil manner that generations of the past used as a necessary tool in human development. How times are changing, indeed.

Besides...who these days can STILL make architectural plans without computer software? (hint...I can), or read a lensatic compass? (again, guilty as charged), or even make a cassette tape of favorite songs via MANUAL dubbing? (Yep...you guessed it). I don't do the D/L gig...feel like I'm ripping off the artists. MP3...no thanks. I enjoy the "challenge" of doing something and getting it right (eventually in some cases...lol).

SO many things are falling by the wayside, and we're talking crafts such as cabinet making, metalworking, glassblowing, and the like. We don't set type any longer to publish anything...we get on the old 'puter and type our butts off. We don't even repair our own cars anymore...a computer talks to our car's computer, and (after tea, scones and "how's your mum?") the problems (if any) appear for the "technician" (no longer a REAL mechanic, but a graduate of computer science) to replace the faulty part (most everything can't be "fixed" per se any more...better to swap it out (at a higher cost, of course).

So, in the end...it IS all about MONEY...and it's mostly YOURS that fills the pockets of ALL these entities as they change things daily for our "benefit".

Yessir...TECHNOLOGY...not the BEST way to evolve as a species...just the ONLY way!!

Yes... the "FUN" Continues....

To all those that think we DON'T have any "concerns" in OUR part of the southeast side of the city....read this:

Shots hit 5 homes - No residents injured on Monroe Street; 2 suspects questioned
By Angela Mapes
The Journal Gazette

Since BLOGGER.COM is acting up AGAIN...the picture is not available to post yet... ((569 No Data
This Web page could not be opened with the specified browser request. Please try again later. )) Bullshit!

Caption: An empty 9 mm shell casing is among many that litter Monroe Street after shots were fired in the area. At least five homes were hit in the gunfire Friday afternoon, according to police.

(( Residents of the Pettit-Rudisill neighborhood arriving home from school and work Friday afternoon were greeted by police cars and bullet holes.
At least five homes on the west side of the 4000 block of Monroe Street were hit by gunfire about 3 p.m., but no one was injured, Fort Wayne police said.
Police were called to the area after witnesses reported hearing at least a dozen shots in the area, Officer John Chambers said.
Two suspects were being questioned in relation to the shootings, but no arrests had been made as of Friday evening, Chambers said.
Nine-millimeter shell casings littered the street as area residents gathered on the sidewalks and children were dropped off from their school buses near the scene.
Carmen Ritter, who lives in one of the houses hit, found a bullet hole in the front wall of her home near a bedroom window.
She had just left the room before the shots were fired, she said.
She heard a rapid succession of loud noises but said she didn’t immediately go outside to investigate.
“I wasn’t about to come out,” she said.
It is usually a quiet neighborhood, Ritter said.
Julio Lozano was working in the back of a house for rent at 4034 Monroe St. when he heard the noises.
“I thought somebody was knocking at the door,” Lozano said.
A window on the top floor of the house had been shot out.
In an alley south of Baxter and Monroe streets, a dark green Chevrolet passenger car was being towed.
Chambers said the vehicle had been pulled over in connection to the shooting.
Close by, near Rudisill Boulevard and Hanna Avenue, two men were being detained by police as half a dozen police cars cordoned off the area. Chambers could not say whether the men were involved in the shooting. ))

Now How's about THAT, people?

But it's NOT like I've been TELLING the FWPD about things such as this in Sector 45 (waiting for the chance to happen)...especially when you see behavior exhibited that will most surely LEAD to a situation like this happening. I've ONLY been relaying information (that could prevent things like this) for oh...let's see...about SEVERAL YEARS now...on a MONTHLY basis.....we're still WAITING.

And as to Ms. Ritter saying it's a "quiet" neighborhood...well, HER idea of quiet must differ from what the REAL meaning of quiet is....unless having BOOMCARS all over is considered "quiet"...(not hardly).

With the ABSENCE of police in the area, it's no surprise that shit like this occurs....again, and again. With fewer people that still give a damn living around there as well, it basically says to the criminals: "Come on down HERE...nobody's around who will say anything if you want to shoot the whole place up or deal drugs". Sorry, that's NOT an option in MY book!

This could be a reason that more people might up and leave...OR...it COULD be the impetus to get the FWPD admins off their blue-shirted butts and get a little PROACTIVE with crime for a change...
That might just work...'ya think?

And it's a FRIDAY Too...

SO how many are superstitious, eh?
Walking under any ladders lately? See any black cats crossing your paths? How about stepping on those cracks along the sidewalks?
It's one of those Friday the 13ths again...

Amazing how worrysome we become about things like these, among others, when we can spend a lot more productive time elsewhere.

I suppose it all depends on how each of us defines LUCK.

- Have we been "lucky" enough to find that "special someone"?
- Were we lucky enough to miss that accident on the street we USUALLY come home on?
- Are we lucky because we've simply made it through another day?

I'd be the first to say that I wouldn't wish my "luck" on most people. Cripes, I could have a TWELVE-LEAF clover and STILL not become "lucky". And since my "luck" seems anything but present (in a positive way that is), I figure why even bother to ackowledge it in the first place. It all depends on how we consider what our luck is based on. Can we "make" our own luck? Well, if you do the math right...maybe. I would say that LUCK = EXPERIENCE + OPPORTUNITY (as Larry Elder also says)...so *IF* you have the experience, and the opportunity presents itself...you just might become "lucky".

Of course there is ALWAYS the exception to tis rule..anmely LOTTERY WINNERS. It's all about REAL "luck"....as in I just played ONE ticket...and hit for $30 MILLION....now THAT my friends, is REAL LUCK...actually more like an aberration of circumstances...the "one in a million chance" we hear tell about.

Life is not about luck...that (with the equation above) we have to make for ourselves. So conversely, any "unluckiness" we encounter is based on missed opportunities, lack of experience (or experience in the "wrong" venue). And naturally, since we have the "chance encounter" that led to someone becoming an instant millionaire...we also have those "random acts of fate", as I like to call it...

They are those things that come at you in life from WAY out in left field...smack you across the head, and have you wondering what the hell you are doing here and for what reason! The things like a sudden death in the family (from out of the blue), or that motorist that chose YOUR car to "T-Bone" at the intersection, or even that tree limb that came crashing through YOUR roof, while othersstayed put. And I'm sure you can relate SO many other "things" such as this that have you feel as though you've been dealt the losing hand in life.

Don't you wish you could just "fold", and get up from the table?

It's not that simple...though it SHOULD be.

Each of us has the capacity to learn from whatever life throws at us...it's OUR choice as to whether or not we avail ourselves OF this resource.

SO even if it's "Friday the 13th"...we can still come out "luckier" than we could ever think...

Can we say the same about....TOMORROW?

To Quote the Cowardly Lion...

"Weird weather we're havin', ain't it?"

Today saw the first "snow shower" in Fort Wayne, albeit brief. Thanks to those great lakes and Canadian air, we're getting a taste of OLD MAN WINTER already.

Now I'm all for some nice winerty weather...IN THE WINTER that is...NOT in freaking early OCTOBER, especially when the fall foliage is starting to get into high gear (the cold will nip that in the bud).

I've got a LOT of cherry tomatoes in the garden that will probably get "frost-bit" soon enough, so there goes that chance of having them a while longer.

Now in Philly, I did manage to have about ONE tomato plant out front (near the house, at the top of out "lawn"...all 8 square FEET of it...LOL! With the patio fence there, I didn't even need stakes!

But at least I never went out on the patio and found a RACCOON staring back at me like I did yesterday...!

This (cute) little bugger (who looked just like the one pictured here) was trying to get over our fence, back outside the yard. I went and got some dry cat food for him to eat, whereas he promptly hissed, growled, snarled, or WHATEVER it is they do to "get your attention". BTW...he got mine VERY quickly.

Now since I don't look all that good with a (possibly) rabid animal securely attached to my face, I backed away slowly, and watched him take his furry keister over the neighbor's fence.

But damn it all, he WAS kinda cute. And anyone who has EVER been to the Pocono Candle Shop in upstate PA knows they have raccoons THERE you can FEED...

(note to self...Indiana raccoons are NOT the same as PA raccoons, especially in the "wild".)


((Arrrrggggghhhh, avast thar, matie...hand over yer food)))

So much for my St. Francis complex being nurtured THIS week....

But there is always NEXT week...heh, heh, heh.

Another Repeat Perp BACK behind bars...

This guy was just bad news from the git-go...


Mr BRIAN LADNER, 22, from the 3200 block of Oliver Street (gee...he USED to live at 4728 Monroe before he was tossed out by his "ho") has ONCE AGAIN been busted for possession.

Kinda has that face only a MOTHER (f$cker) could love, doesn't he?
(Nice photo, Brian...the cops just roust your ass outta bed??)

I have seen this badass dealing drugs actively outside the house on MORE than a few occassions, and his "cadre" is replete with the "usual suspects".....

SO...if ANYONE sees this guy back OUT on the streets of Fort Wayne, and he's on or around a neighborhood near YOU...run, don't walk to the phone, and let the FWPD know about this punk-ass thug. And watch him like a hawk, because THIS cat won't "change his stripes" any time soon.

Interesting sidebar to this....the house at 4728 Monroe was condemned by NCE for "utilitites violations"....and having known the people that USED to OWN the house before it was sold, there was NEVER a problem with ANYTHING in that house.

MAY-BE..it's a problem with the RENTERS????
((as in the drug-dealing, boomcar-driving, always high or drunk, never work a damn job a day in their life because hanging with 'ma homeys is way less whack & "ma biyatch is working anyway, so why should I?" kinda people))
....yeeeeaaaaaahhhhh, THOSE renters.

Actually, the renter that got the house TOOK HIM IN...(like a stray puppy???). I call them "straw-renters"...people who move into a place, THEN, after a few weeks (or even months) bring in MORE people. You eventually wind up with about 5-7 folks in a house designed for a family of THREE, and of course, all their "friends" of dubious character....like these fine folks below, for example.

Yessir, nothing like says "Neighborhood going to hell in a handbasket" QUICKER than seeing THIS on your street, does it?

The way the "system" is set up....these thugs will be back doing business as usual in NO time....trust me.

And even trying to get the police to ACT on information you provide (with no compensation other than being able to feel good and know YOU have done your civic duty) is harder than yanking teeth with rusty pliers (and no novocaine)!!!

But it's not like we KNOW what's going on...hell no. We just have to SEE it, HEAR it, and (apparently) DEAL with it (like so many others are prone to say in this city).

To me, there ARE other options....all the police have to do is not ask any questions....

This is SO typical of Fort Wayne.....

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/15695723.htm

Here's a picture of the city's "solution" to graffiti on a street:

Namely...PAINT THE F$CK OVER IT with an even LOUDER color....WTG, morons!


I had even sent an email (regarding this) to the quadrant captain (Nancy Becher) on the FIRST of this month, but it took the intervention of a NEWSPAPER to get something done....
((maybe Captain Becher should read her emails more frequently???))

Next time I need help....maybe I should put the local NEWSPAPER on speed-dial...the response is faster!

A sincere "hat-tip" to Marty Lauer...who is trying to keep her area from becoming what it "wants" to become...namely a GHETTO!

Been there, Marty...STILL doing that!

Losing An Internet Friend...

We're all part of this new technlogical realm, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not...we really are. And we've ALL lost friends of one sort or another, while some of us have lost family members.

But is it different when that "friend" is nothing but a bunch of *1s* and *0s* at the other end of some fiber optic cable or copper wire? Does this make that friend any LESS of a friend for not being able to stop over to their house for a cold one, or have a barbeque?

Not in the least, believe you me.

When other people come to know one another, there is that inate "bond" that is shared by those who plough the internet. Whether you met them in a chat room, a news group, a common interest site, or even a blog...they are JUST AS REAL as if you met them in a classroom, at the store, at the gas pump, or even at the PTA meetings.

Sure, there are those that dismiss all this, look at the internet at a novelty, the people mere avatars, with no "real" substance...and I would have to call these people WRONG.

Those we choose to know HERE...NOW, are as real as real can get, make no mistake about it.

And when they hurt...WE hurt...when they smile...WE smile.
When they lose a loved one...WE also lose someone we have come to know. We share our lives here, online in many cases, and some of us become lucky enough to find THAT someone...the person who we spend the rest of our lives with.....

I have lost an internet friend....he was from my home state of Pennsylvania, loved the same foods, knew the same places as I did, and was in many ways, someone who I wished I had met face-to-face. He has a son in Iraq who is doing well, and yet I can't help but wonder what will he think of this? How will this change HIS life? And my friend's wife....another dear (longtime) internet friend who is coping with this as best she can...how will she ever be able to talk with her best friend who was also her husband any longer?

You see? Whatever happens in REAL life ALSO happens to those ONLINE....it's JUST AS REAL...it's not a "vitual reality"...it IS reality!

Yeah, this all sounds a bit corny and melodramatic, but friends ARE friends, no matter where they are. Miles cannot separate the bond you develop for the internet "extended family".

Technology has taken much away from us, as a people....we've learned to cocoon ourselves from the outside, remaining at a keyboard, when we could be socializing in REAL TIME with REAL people. Yet, those we interact with here are no less valuable than those walking down our streets.

But for people that still hold values such as this close to them...this is really a moot point.

I will miss my internet friend as much as my best friend in Philly. And I consider myself lucky to have known him, even if I never met him face-to-face.

It's STILL All About the NUMBERS...

In the first installment, I went into detail about "how" the FWPD COULD make some serious scratch by citing people with burned out license plate bulbs (a valid violation in the Fort Wayne ordinance books).
THIS time, we'll crunch some more figures regarding BOOMCARS (one of my *personal* favorites).

In a recent post to the FWPD discussion board, an officer stated the following:
((first citation for violation of noise ordinance from a vehicle is 250 dollars. second offense is 500, third is 750...i believe after 3 convictions the judge will order the equipment handed over to the courts..fyi this is a fort wayne city ordinance only and could differ outside fort wayne city limits..advice..if you must listen to your music loud, lower the bass, and roll the windows up..30 feet is not a significant distance... ))

Now...with THAT being said...let's do the math on this, shall we?

FACT: Last month (alone) in my neighborhood, we had about 390+ BOOMCARS driving about to all hours.
FACT: The FWPD "charges" $250 for the FIRST citation.
FACT: That comes to "about" $97,500.00! For ONE DAMN MONTH! That is....*IF* they had caught ALL of these jerkoffs...(which they obviously did'nt).
FACT: *IF* they had caught about 30% of them, the amount of revenue would still be about $32,500! Again, that's if the FWPD we're stringently ENFORCING the noise ordinance.

Which they apparently are NOT doing (sufficiently to satisfy my DESIRE for some peace and quiet).

I would be remiss if I didn't state that a LOT of those 390 boomcars LAST month were REPEAT offenders (and that can REALLY add up...can't it?) that SHOULD have been caught at least ONCE...don'cha think?

When I send pictures with license plate numbers of these chronic offenders to the FWPD, I'd *expect* something to come of MY part in this effort...well, that's what ANY citizen would EXPECT.

But sometimes, we must expect WAY TOO MUCH of the officers on the streets....aside from the FACT that it's been PROVEN that neighborhoods replete with BOOMCAR traffic quickly become havens for OTHER illicit activities (and I can say with conviction that observations such as that ARE true). Hell, I see (and hear) it EVERY DAMN DAY!

But yet...not much (if anything) gets done to quell this annoyance. Forget the fact that a traffic stop (for noise) could lead to an officer finding drugs or paraphenalia or even an illegal handgun in the vehicle, not to mention outstanding warrants... I read about routine traffic stops leading to this every day...just not too often around my area...lol!
That again would be hinting at some sort of PROACTIVE stance...and the police (in almost ANY major city) seem to be more a reactionary agency, than one noted for proactivity...I'd like to see that come around about 180 degrees! I'm more than willing to help them any way possible, and I think I've proven as much to them time and again.

If you don't take measures to nip things in the bud, then don't complain about needing more resources when budget time hits....mending fences after the horses get out is not the answer we, the taxpayers like to hear. You should have had a better fence IN PLACE...in the first place.

I hate to say it, but in THIS case...an OUNCE of prevention IS really worth a POUND of cure!

Will Somebody PUH-LEASE Tell These People...?

With the shooting of the Amish girls in Lancaster, PA, I just KNEW it would be a matter of (brief) time before the ANTI-GUN folks would step up and take another shot (no pun intended) at the status quo.
Enter Paul Helmke...former mayor of Fort Wayne, now president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence who is again spouting for "more GUN control", as if we don't have enough NOW.

But you would say "That sounds fine to me...guns are the cause of SO much violent crime today"...and I would have to reply "No dummy...GUNS don't kill PEOPLE...P E O P L E kill PEOPLE"! Guns are as much to "blame" for crime as flies are to blame for GARBAGE...or cars are to blame for DRUNK DRIVING ACCIDENTS! The airplanes (on 9/11) didn't fly into the Pentagon and the World Trade Center ALL BY THEMSELVES....did they?
GET WITH THE DAMN PROGRAM and take the time to EDUCATE YOURSELVES!

God...it amazes me the depths of stupidity some will dive to JUST to make a totally INVALID point. They should be MORE concerned about the POINT on their heads (the one with the word DUNCE written on it).

Helmke doesn't want to infringe on the rights of collectors, and those who "legitimately feel the need to have a gun". Really Paul? And who EXACTLY would "FEEL THE NEED" to have a gun, especially in TODAY'S society, hmm?

Lemme do the math on that............

Gee...let's say EVERY law-abiding citizen that is a potential victim thanks to perps who have NO regard for the law, NO regard for authority in general, will do ANYTHING to get what the hell THEY want, by whatever means, and will stop at nothing to get a gun ILLEGALLY...how's that SO far?

Cripes..you take a damn step out your door...you're basically "at risk" by some f$cking thug that has once AGAIN slipped through the ever-widening gaps of our severely flawed JUDICIAL system, is back on YOUR street, and sees YOU as a nice "pigeon", ready for plucking! People aren't even safe BEHIND their doors with all the HOME INVASIONS we hear about. This phrase was relatively UNKNOWN about 15 years ago, wasn't it? Not anymore!

Now let it be said that I AM ALL FOR having the gun dealers accountable. Let's face it, when they go and sell to perps with NO background checks, THAT is a recipe for disaster. The same goes for "straw purchasers"...those who buy up a $hitload of firearms for "someone else" while lying their ass of and saying all this hardware is for THEM. Also, let's have some credibility at gun shows....a LOT of firearms are bought there, and I'd be happy to see some dsort of background checks available at these venues for purchasers.

The technology DOES exist to make THESE things possible, but don't go and place ME under a microscope for owning a few guns....I'm not the one doing ANY of the crime.

One thing I DO know...there are a lot of guns on the streets, in the hands of people who don't deserve to have them in the first place. When you check our local felony report, all you see is "illegal posession of a handgun", of "posession of a handgun by a minor (or felon)". That simply will not fly in MY book, and does absolutely NOTHING to make ANY of our streets safer, does it?

Gun control? You MUST be f$cking kidding me....let's talk "PEOPLE" control instead. Learn to control those thugs that are doing the crime. Do more to get THEM off the street for a LOT longer. Make dealers accountable for their inventory and sales...ditto for gun shows.

It disgusts me to NO end when all these people want to dilute my 2nd amendment RIGHTS. Actually, I view gun ownership as a privilege as well, just like driving a car, because with certain rights AND privileges, there comes a RESPONSIBILITY, to which YOU are held accountable.
((amazing how those words KEEP coming up, isn't it?))

Start trusting those who FOLLOW the law...not those who BREAK it...fair enough?

So Paul...hands off my "stuff"...let ME do what I have to do to defend MY home, MY family, and even MY country. It's MY right, MY choice, and MY responsibility.

AS it is for EVERY single law-abiding citizen of this nation!

Finally...There Is A Beacon (or Deacon) Of Light...

If anyone managed to catch the OP-ED page in Monday's Journal-Gazette, there was a column by a Reverend Bill McGill, senior pastor of Imani Baptist Temple in Ft. Wayne. In that article he RIGHTLY explains the use of the race card, and the IN-frequency that it should be "played".

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/news/editorial/15659169.htm

He states that FACTS should dictate involvement, and not suppositions or perceptions. He says that too many are REACTIVE, when they should be PROACTIVE. He stresses a better prioritization of the black community, and it's not with X-Boxes, bling, or celebrating girls becoming mothers. He says it doesn't matter who he "cheeses off" (he states he is treading on dangerous ground) in this process, for he feels that this NEEDS to be said....(way to go, Rev...)!

If I didn't know better, I'd swear he was peeping my blog...lol!

But that's fine, because what I state here is FACT, and I know if bothers some that might read it. Wel, that';s just too damn bad. If you don't like hearing the truth, then maybe you should start acting in a manner that doesn't call attention to you in a negative way, eh?

Still, *if* the NAACP would like to get back to basics, a good place to start would be to oust Michael Latham, and embrace Bill McGill, who obviously does NOT subscribe to the "Victicrat of the month club", as do others in his community.

I applaud Rev. McGill's rhetoric (which harkens back to a certain Martin Luther King, Jr.), as well as his stance on how best to not only serve HIS community, but everyone else in the process. It's high time a man of substance such as this stirs the pot, instead of just "letting it burn", as many before him have.

It's OK to boycott, as long as the CAUSE is just (such as illiteracy and illegitimacy) as Rev. McGill states. This man KNOWS what's going on.

Finally, someone GETS IT!

Even the AMISH Are No Longer Exempt...

Yesterday's terrible shooting of Amish schoolgirls (between the ages of 6-15) in Lancaster county, PA, is going to send a mixed bag of messages that will reverberate across the nation for some time. Evil has come to a people who shrug away from "our world and it's ways".

The man who killed 8 of these children "because he had a 20 year grudge" is nothing short of a monster to be sure, but how wide were the cracks that the system provided for this family man (with 3 children himself) that he managed to fall through anyway? This man had neither a grudge against the Amish NOR young girls, but yet he went against every profile in the book when he went on his rampage. How do we prevent our children from aniother occurance such as this, and more imporantly, how do we begin to determine the standards by which a mild man such as this becomes a killer, seemingly overnight?

The ONE immediate result will be that the anti-gun lobbyists will be out in FORCE, make so mistake about that, decrying the fact that "these guns" took the lives of these children. WRONG! It was the acts of ONE MAN (with those guns however he managed to get them) that precipitated this call to action. That would be a travesty on top of the tragedy.

When a pattern of school shootings occur with a frequency not seen in this nation, we have to ask ourselves what the REAL cause of this is, and it is NOT guns. The REAL instrument of this, or any other similar crime is the PERSON wielding the gun....just as the drunken person BEHIND THE WHEEL of a car is the instrument of the crash.

Unfortunately, it takes situations such as this to motivate others into action. We see it happen on inner city streets every day, and have become an increasingly insular people, save for those willing to fight this status quo. Too many just shake their heads, saying it's such a shame, when we should be trying to figure out the HOWs and the WHYs behind things like this.

What of any justice for the Amish? Because the killer took HIS OWN life, does that become payment for the lives HE viciously took? Does denying one's own life become a substitute or recompense for the taking of other innocent lives?

I can only trust that the Amish will leave it up to God to decide.

It's That FIRST Week of the Month, AGAIN...

And we ALL know what that has come to symbolize, right?

(NO...it's not just the FIRST day of Yom Kippur)
(NO...it doesn't mark the start of "fall foliage")
(NO...it's not JUST 84 shopping days until Christmas)

It's WELFARE WEEK!!!

Yes indeed...the week when ALL liquor (especially the cheap $hit) is ON SALE! It's the week when ALL the GOOD meats will be gobbled up by lazy-ass people who will most likely screw up that beautiful sirloin tip roast you had YOUR eye on. It's the week when mailmen will be assaulted for "that check" from their dear uncle (Sam) that YOU, the working class have paid for in full.

Now let me state now and forever that I am NOT talking about those who are TRULY IN NEED....those people are trying to make ends meet, with this being merely a "stopgap", and NOT a WAY OF LIFE for them. I'm referring to the scores of undeserving, taxpayer-bilking, sit on their dead ass all day and do nothing but find ways to annoy others kind of people.

You can always tell who doing the WIC gig when you check out their shopping carts...filled to the brim with (mostly) "Crunch N Munch" and some type of cheap-ass orange drink...(the ghetto breakfast of "chumpions"). It amazes me that they even BUY anything for breakfast...hell, all their kids get the "freebies" at school anyway, right? Then they have the balls to leave the store and get into the NEW vehicle, be it a Caddy or SUV (parked of COURSE in the handicapped area with the obligatory sticker they also got for free by lying their ass off).

Thank the maker that a major "reform" for this is in the wind. States stand to lose a TON of $$$ if they don't start getting these people off the "dole" and into SOME type of work. I say "About damn time, too". It's no wonder that the Social Security system is going broke.....I'll wager the government is "borrowing" (after some fashion) monies from there to front the multi-generational welfare households, with NO regard to those who have paid their share by WORKING for a living. They just don't want the working-class to KNOW it, that's all.

Now I might be a tad wrong, but I wouldn't put it past our politicos to "rob Peter to pay Paul" in this regard. Maybe that's why they want us all OFF of SSN....they need the money for welfare...'ya think?
Granted that SSN was ALSO "supposed" to be a "stopgap" as well, but with rising inflation and incurred debt out the wazoo, it made sense to be able to have the populace have SOMETHING as a nest-egg when they retire, because Lord KNOWS most companies are about a reliable when it come to retirements as a dead employee showing up for work every day. Those days of the PENSION and the gold "pocket-watch" after 20+ years of service to a company are LOOONNGG gone! Cripes, you're lucky is you even still HAVE a company after 20 years THESE days!

SO...remember that when you go grocery shopping THIS week.....take a second to "people-watch", and see if YOU can spot those taking the rest of us for a ride.....THEN, go ask THEM for a lift home...LMAO!