Summer's Last "Official" Weekend...

Labor Day is upon us....where DID the summer go? Time to hit the lakes one last time, fire up that grill for one more Sunday get-together, and prepare ourselves for the advent of football season (all you sports-widows out there...be warned).

Back about 30 some odd years ago, we were getting set to return to school, and THIS weekend was our "last chance" to do as much as we could in as little time as possible before we hit those books again.
Today, our kids have BEEN BACK at school for 2 weeks now (some longer), so there's none of that "deadly anticipation" after Labor Day of returning to school to find out if we got "that" teacher all the upper classmen warned us about.

My, how things have changed.
Labor Day (today) is a far cry from decades past...or is it?

So, thanks to the DOL, here's the *4-1-1* on this holiday:

(Educational ALERT - WARNING, you might LEARN something here)

Labor Day: How it Came About; What it Means
"Labor Day differs in every essential way from the other holidays of the year in any country," said Samuel Gompers, founder and longtime president of the American Federation of Labor. "All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man's prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another. Labor Day...is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation."

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
Founder of Labor Day
More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.
Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."
But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York.
What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.
The First Labor Day
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.
In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingman's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.
Labor Day Legislation
Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From them developed the movement to secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. During the year four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment.
By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.
A Nationwide Holiday
The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take were outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.

The character of the Labor Day celebration has undergone a change in recent years, especially in large industrial centers where mass displays and huge parades have proved a problem. This change, however, is more a shift in emphasis and medium of expression. Labor Day addresses by leading union officials, industrialists, educators, clerics and government officials are given wide coverage in newspapers, radio, and television.
The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.
=====================================================
See?
Simple, huh?

It's about the police officers and firemen.
It's about the store clerks (who nowadays don't EVEN get Labor Day off), the warehouse staff, the printers, the trashmen, and even the sewer workers.
It's about the EMTs, the air traffic controllers (who definitely will get a "workout" this weekend), the farmers, the doctors, the nurses, and the auto mechanic.
It's about the soldier in the foxhole, the airman fueling the planes, the sailor swabbing a deck, and the corpsman stopping a brother in arms from bleeding to death.

It's about all them (and you know who you are)...the ones that make everything work the way it's supposed to by going the extra "mile", so everyone else can enjoy their lives...and so much more.
So when we toss those steaks and ribs on the grill, or take the boat out, or even just kick back because We don't have to work that day...remember all those that still HAVE to for whatever reason. THEY are the REAL laborers that make this holiday what it is.
They always HAVE been...and always WILL BE.

Have yourselves a SAFE Labor Day weekend!

It's All In The Genes - I Mean JEANS...

I usually don't go into the fashion realm, as there are plenty of nonsensical shows on cable to watch that takes care of that nicely (ask my wife, a regular viewer of such shows as "What Not To Wear" and "How Do I Look?"). And that's all well and good, "IF" you've got someone ELSE'S credit card to utilize (part of the show's premise).

However, if you're like ME (that would be practical when necessary yet tasteful when needed), you just don't have time for that stuff...not when there's projects around the house that requires attention to some degree (and that's where someone else's credit card WOULD come in handy!).

Today's paper had an article about one of the most basic parts of anyone's wardrobe...the venerable BLUE JEAN. I'll wager that Levi Strauss could NEVER have envisioned the monster he would spawn by sewing together some cotton denim fabric with double stitches and some industrial strength buttons (or zipper), all for the sake of providing men with utilitarian clothing (that wore like iron) whether they were plowing the "back 40", or shoveling manure, or working in the coal mines of America.

Today's world is FULL of jeans of EVERY conceivable style, shape and fit (to match the wearer in MOST cases). This has become part of a growing problem (along with America's waistline...lol). Market watchers have noticed a downturn in the sale of jeans.
And we're surprised at this...why?
Well, it seems that the market has reached a "saturation point" as far as jeans go.
Consider the fact that they still pretty much wear like iron, and wind up going out of "style" before they actually wear out. Yet we keep selling them like there's no tomorrow. You've got your boot cut, straight leg, flared leg, high-rise, low-rise, mid-rise, tapered fit, loose fit, skinny fit (along the feminine problems associated with "too-tight" jeans), and of course, those "saggy-baggys" for those with absolutely NO idea what the hell it means to look GOOD in any type of clothing.

And while some people DO look good in jeans, how many farmers with denim bib overalls do we have on the "designer" listings? Look around you, and you've got SOMEBODY'S name and design either on your ass, or someone else's ass (men, be especially careful when attempting this while in the company of your significant other). Designer names, as well as the "standards" like Lee, Wrangler and Levi permeate the store shelves and shop displays.

You see jeans EVERYWHERE..all the time. And too much of ANYTHING isn't necessarily a "good" thing...is it?

Now I'll be the first to tell you that I bought into the craze during the late 70s and early 80s. I had my Jordaches with the lightning bolt design on the hip pockets...and I wore them proudly, but I still had THOSE jeans for working on the car...the basic ones from K-mart (Rustler). And those were every damn bit as good as those $25 jobs. I still buy a par of Rustlers when I need them, but as for the "designer" jeans...sorry, the price is WAY too high for the same thing we bought nearly 30 years ago, and the quality has not risen with the price.
It's all about THE NAME now.
And since nobody wears clothes with MY name on them, I'm not going to wear "someone else's" clothing (sorry Sean John)...LMAO!
MY casual wear is nothing short of military (surplus) fatigues. Anyone that has served will tell you these are the next best thing to jeans...and they were "free" (except for that "hitch" you spent a few years toiling at). They even have summer as well as winter weight fatigues, and you can use them for hunting, fishing, car repair, house repair...you name it. You just gotta LOVE all those damn pockets, too. Haven't seen a "summer weight" denim with enough pockets...yet.

What we're seeing with the slowing trend of jean purchasing is exactly what happens when something that was once reserved for "dedicated" tasks becomes MAINSTREAM. We get "bored" with it. It gets old. It goes out of vogue. We tire of it. Our societal ADHD kicks in, and our attention turns elsewhere. What was once a piece of clothing reserved for AFTER school, or work or whatever, has become THE piece of clothing to wear AT work, or school, or whatever. It ain't just for fishing anymore, Beatrice!
Now I'm all for utilitarian clothing WHEN the need arises (right tools for the job thing), but unless you live in Communist CHINA (where they wear those padded PJs and "party" attire), it doesn't say much about our evolution as a nation. And we won't even get into how most ALL jeans are made everywhere else BUT in America...or the sweatshops that produce them. That's another post for another time

I'm all from dress codes in schools (and we had them once....), which means NO jeans at school. Reserve them for AFTER the kids are home. Same goes for SNEAKERS (excuse me..."athletic shoes"). Sneakers belong in GYM class or on the fields of competitive "combat". Nothing says "wrong" to me faster than seeing a person with $200 shoes, a designer sport coat, shirt and tie and BLUE JEANS. They almost got it right, but dropped the ball near the other team's goal line.

So if blue jeans are "taking a hit" on the fashion market with slowing sales...good. Maybe if we all step back a few paces, take time to catch or breath, and revisit the wonderful world of denim at a later date, we'll all look a bit better whenever we venture out.
And maybe, if we start looking a bit more like the venue we find ourselves in, we could turn away from our nation's penchant for slovenly dress.

Now...where's my "gardening" camos?

Hump-Day Happenings...



Middle of the work week...and what better time to bring you more of the stories that need a good, solid dose of sarcasm, laced with pungent social comment.

So be prepared to smirk, smile, guffaw, chortle, nod in agreement, shake your head in disgust, or even wonder to yourself "WTF planet did I wake up on this morning, 'cause things weren't THIS bollixed up when I went to bed last night?", OK?

Item - Atlanta Seeks "Dress Code" Ordinance:
This city might just be the first to enact a "law" that would otherwise BAN those (what I like to call) "saggy-bottom boys" roaming around. Public display of skin or underwear while the pants ride at or below the buttocks (Yes, Forrest...I said BUTTOCKS) is coming under scrutiny, citing a degrading and slovenly appearance. Not to mention, it's easier to run from police when you have BOTH hands free (as in better fitting pants that need no "assistance").
I didn't say you won't STILL get caught, though...LOL!
Now those of you who read here regularly KNOW EXACTLY how I feel about this; When you DRESS like a slob, people will LOOK at you like...(all together now)...a slob. It's just one of my "universal truths". And nothing says SLOB to me MORE than some young buck parading his Calvin Klein-clad butt cheeks, hanging out like some mandrill in heat for all the world to see as he waltzes down a street, or in a mall. There is NO redeeming value in this manner of dress whatsoever.
It's mainly a "gang-thang". Buy a frigging BELT, you assholes!
I'd love to see this "ban" become the norm all across America. Maybe if we can get people to LOOK LIKE PEOPLE again, we can avoid this "devolving of society" that we've been "enjoying" lo, these many years. I wish the city leaders in Atlanta good luck, because you KNOW they're going to NEED it. The NAACP and the ACLU are already licking their chops over this. They know fresh underwear...I mean meat...when they see it.

Item - Median Income in Indiana Stumbles:
The household income across Indiana has dropped 10% (Allen County is at 11% -since 2000), and although neither inflation nor taxation has dropped in kind, many are finding it much more difficult to make ends meet (except if you're dealing drugs and on welfare and bilking the system by having 5+ kids and a new boyfriend every damn month...then you're doing fine). The Census Bureau's American Community Survey of 3 million households (which WE were not one of) noted that of the 25 counties and eight cities studied, all were failing as far as median income levels went (versus the national averages). They reported that the poverty level dropped between 2005-2006 from 12.6% to 12.3% respectively (big frigging deal, huh?), while the number of people without health insurance ROSE from 44.8 million to 47 million (hell, they just had to pay for all the tax increases...something's got to give). Indiana's median income was as estimated $45,394 (pssst...don't tell any educators or police and fire officers it's that high) last year (national median was $50,815 in 2000, adjusted for inflation). Only Ohio, Michigan, and North Carolina had greater declines (hmm...I wonder what ALL these states have in common...let me see). Eight states actually outpaced inflation (and I can guess which ones THEY are). IU's Carol Rogers (assoc dir/ Info sys & serv) believes Indiana has dropped in ranking due to "Reduction of high-wage jobs". She linked the decline partially to a loss of production jobs through "faster, leaner ways of introducing products" (that would mean the jobs lost to Mexico and overseas nations such as CHINA), and through attrition as older workers retire (but what do they have to retire TO...or WITH?). And naturally the black & Hispanic incomes showed the largest inflationary decline (not hard to imagine when only 70% or less OF those people even bother to look for work, let alone actively pursue it).
In a nutshell...get manufacturing jobs BACK to the USA...kapesh?

Item - Downtown Project Clears Hurdle:
The quasi-economic Fort Wayne juggernaut (known as Harrison Square) keeps on moving, like a runaway train down the Matterhorn, slowing for no one, hell bent on completion, whether or not the vast majority of people want it or not. Amazing what a good, solid CABAL in city government can do, isn't it? Zoning has been given (after a LOT of under the table wheeling and dealing no doubt) to make the downtown project another green light closer to completion.
Only councilman John Shoaff (at large-D) rebuffed the proceeding, asking whether the zoning is appropriate for OTHER downtown developments (we're getting a new ballpark and hotel John...what else do we REALLY need down there anyway?).
Still...Shoaff makes a good case; namely to examine different zoning rules for downtown areas to allow different and mixed-use development in the urban core. City officials have previously said the rules need to be changed for downtown development (but I guess they just forgot, huh John?). City council must still approve a short-term bond to begin the project and approve closing some streets needed for the project.
Happy Motoring!

And lastly, some tidbits (and appropriate commentary):

-America is the most heavily-armed nation in the world -
U.S. citizens own 270 million of the world's 875 million known firearms, according to the Small Arms Survey 2007 by the Geneva-based Graduate Institute of International Studies. About 4.5 million of the 8 million new guns manufactured worldwide each year are purchased in the United States, it said. "There is roughly one firearm for every seven people worldwide."
"Without the United States, though, this drops to about one firearm per 10 people," it said. India had the world's second-largest civilian gun arsenal, with an estimated 46 million firearms outside law enforcement and the military, though this represented just four guns per 100 people there.
China, ranked third with 40 million privately held guns, had 3 firearms per 100 people. Germany, France, Pakistan, Mexico, Brazil and Russia were next in the ranking of country's overall civilian gun arsenals. On a per-capita basis, Yemen had the second most heavily armed citizenry behind the United States, with 61 guns per 100 people, followed by Finland with 56, Switzerland with 46, Iraq with 39 and Serbia with 38. France, Canada, Sweden, Austria and Germany were next, each with about 30 guns per 100 people, while many poorer countries often associated with violence ranked much lower.
Nigeria, for instance, had just one gun per 100 people. "Firearms are very unevenly distributed around the world. The image we have of certain regions such as Africa or Latin America being awash with weapons -- these images are certainly misleading," Small Arms Survey director Keith Krause said. "Weapons ownership may be correlated with rising levels of wealth, and that means we need to think about future demand in parts of the world where economic growth is giving people larger disposable income," he told a Geneva news conference.
The report, which relied on government data, surveys and media reports to estimate the size of world arsenals, estimated there were 650 million civilian firearms worldwide, and 225 million held by law enforcement and military forces.
Hallelujah...now...who wants to f$ck with US?

-Boy dies in skatepark fall -
A Ft. Wayne boy died when his head struck the cement after he took a fall from his skateboard. It's called wearing the CORRECT attire...like a damn HELMET. The place is made of C-O-N-C-R-E-T-E (unlike the human skull, although even THAT point can be argued in some cases). You want o skateboard there and have fun...try practicing a little SAFETY...you'd be surprised how it can help you in the REAL world! This was another totally-preventable tragedy.

Two year anniversary of hurricane Katrina -
What I have seen since Katrina:
-The poor and the wealthy hurt by the storm.
-Black, white, Hispanic, oriental and Indian all hurt by the storm.
-Christian people giving, giving, giving.
-Neighbors going door to door helping one another.
-Thugs & hoodlums going door to door helping THEMSELVES.
-Ice & water being fought over as police tried to keep the peace.
-People coming up from New Orleans taking over empty houses because shelters are full.
-Out of town volunteers coming with food and water & staying for over a week still serving it.
-The Churches all over this part of the country doing what Christians do in a crisis.
-The Red Cross doing a great job in the shelters.
-The Salvation Army doing a great job in the community.
-400 crewman from everywhere bringing back the power to homes, churches & businesses.
-Lines at service stations a block to a mile long.
-National Guardsman patrolling the streets of Mccomb along with Kentucky policemen protecting people from the hoodlums & thugs of McComb, Pike County & New Orleans (the most dangerous city in the world before Katrina.)
-Drug dealers working outside shelters.
-Doctors, nurses & other hospital personnel working tirelessly, sleeping in the hospital to do the job God called them to do.

WHAT I HAVE NOT SEEN:
-The ACLU setting up a feeding line.
-People for the American Way helping in the shelters
-The NAACP doing any work whatsoever.
-The American Atheist organization serving meals in the shelters.
-Jesse Jackson directing traffic at the gas stations.
I could go on but you get the idea. The gripers in Congress should take a trip down and get in line to pass the water and the ice. Are you listening, Hillary, Chuck, Teddy, and all the other sorry loafers we call Senators & Congressmen? They apparently don't have clue one as to what life is all about on the gulf coast.

(Man, that was one GOOD cup of coffee...time for a refill)

Have a Good hump-Day!

Just One More Nail....
In our financial coffins, that is. Such a quaint yet apropos idiom, eh? Swing that hammer, Gertie!

Here in Fort Wayne, I have had numerous posts about all of those taxing "entities" that can levy property tax hikes. If you check the archives, you WILL find them, trust me. Well get ready friends, because here comes another player.

Citilink, the city's public transportation authority is seeking a SIXTY-ONE percent (that 61% - no misprint) INCREASE in it's 2008 property tax levy as a result of several recent Ft. Wayne annexations, including much of Aboite Township (thanks a bunch, folks...lol).
This afternoon (lots of time to prepare your pissing and moaning speeches for all the GOOD they will do), a public hearing will be conducted (I imagine the City-County building will be the venue) to discuss it's budget. This budget calls for a $2.1 MILLION (they just love the sound of that word, don't they?) increase in the amount of (here it comes...hope you're sitting down) PROPERTY TAXES the corporation can collect (someone erroneously still believes that BLOOD can still be had from a TURNIP).

Other city services have increased their operating revenues to provide services to *new* areas (that would be ABOITE), and Citilink officials were told the transportation corporation could as well (love to know "what" other city services they're talking about). Officials were told they were not eligible for such an increase (too many hands already in our pockets?). With past annexations, Citilink had not collected more tax dollars (low man on the totem pole, eh?). Existing residents instead saw a DROP in the taxes they paid to the corporation because more people were contributing (and that drop was taken away by those other 30+ "entities" that all had a slice of OUR pie through INCREASED taxes).

As it's service grows, Citilink can appeal to INCREASE (there's THAT word again) it's property tax levy based on the increased assessed value that came with the annexation (see...you people in Aboite ARE worth a lot of "CHA-CHING" -$$$- to the city...nice, huh?), said the Allen County Deputy Auditor.

Fort Wayne officials did the SAME thing to raise money to operate government services for Aboite residents. Newly annexed Aboiters paid city taxes for the first time this year (bet THAT was fun for all of you), resulting in an average increase of 57%. So what that means to homeowners (everywhere else but the SOUTH side of Fort Wayne), is that anyone with a home worth $100,000 will pay an ADDITIONAL $32.40 in PROPERTY TAXES to cover Citilink's budget increase. See, our homes down HERE don't come close to "that" magic number of $100K (lucky us...I think).

But wait...there's more....

Because Citilink is appealing several city annexations (back to 2004), controller Dawn Reese advertised an amount HIGH ENOUGH to cover ANY increases the state Department of Government Financing might allow (that was nice of her). She increased the 2007 levy by about 15% (nice round figure), THEN added an additional 5% for annual growth as well as an additional 32% (another nicely arbitrary figure) increase to get the $2.1 MILLION increase.

Without more money, it's difficult to provide service to expanded areas (I don't know...they did OK with Aboite BEFORE all this annexation crap, didn't they?), but with more resources, they can do MORE in that area and around the rest of the city. This additional funding "could" help provide (sounds a bit intangible and ambiguous) better service system-wide with more frequent service and later service. It "could" also help pay for extending the Waynedale route to the new Social Security building off Bluffton Rd.. The money "could" also help offset the loss of federal grant funding that will run out (aw, c'mon...you can beg some dinero from SOME Federal agency...get creative, people).

Officials tend to create a "new" development plan in a few years (when even MORE money will be needed) adding more routes in the Aboite area (that will probably include Columbia City and Harlan by then...the way this city needs to annex). Officials believe (no certainty here) that if the service is more convenient, the ridership will increase (yeah...I want to ride with indigent, transient bums and other assorted human flotsam...that makes my ride SO much more enjoyable). But escalating gas prices and more environmentally conscious residents have contributed to an increase of riders in the past years (I guess that would include the people that had their licenses taken away from chronic DUIs as well?) they said. Ridership increased 10 percent last year, which was above the national average of 3 percent.

So I guess all you in Aboite can finally park your Lexus 300s, Mercedes, Lincolns, BMWs and Hummers now. You can take the BUS...and save the globe at the same time.
(pause for hysterical laughter)...

Yeah... I thought as much!

All I Know Is...It Wasn't ME...

Only ONE winning ticket was sold for that huge $314 MILLION dollar Powerball payoff this weekend, and that was in Richmond, Indiana. Now it's not really important whether the ticket was purchased by ONE person or a GROUP of people.
What IS important is the obvious question:
"What are you going to DO with ALL THAT DAMN MOOLAH"?

The first question regarding ANY win that's THIS big is "Do I opt for the yearly CHECK or do I take the LUMP-SUM payout"?
If it were me with THIS much sudden "disposable income", I'd bite the bullet, pay all my "uncles" off, and take the CASH! Sure I'd be taking a hit as to my bottom line, but I wouldn't owe ANYONE after that, even if I "only" received HALF of that $314 MILLION. After all, $157 MILLION is better than nothing...right?

I do have my "wish list" as for some "frivolous" expenditures. For example, one thing I would do straight away would be to buy up all these hovels around here (which wouldn't even begin to scratch the surface of my new-found wealth), and promptly RAZE THEM back into the good earth that spawned them in the first place.
Now THAT, my friends is called URBAN RENEWAL!
Then, I would get my car repaired...a few thousand tossed at it should get it back to showroom new shape! Hell, I might even have some performance work done on it (I'm "socially-secure" now, after all). My wife could get a NEW car...or TWO, if she so desired...her call.

After that, we would get a NICE FIVE ACRE chuck of real estate somewhere that would be far enough A-W-A-Y from Fort Wayne (place to be determined), build us a HOME (not just a house) and get back to something I used to call LIVING once again. And the house would HAVE to have a nice size fireplace, so I could have a place to hang my shotgun, just like they USED to do. My first thought is somewhere in the Pocono mountains of Pennsylvania. Hell, I could even move to GETTYSBURG with that much money, and my wife could even teach there (if she still wanted to deal with other people's kids on a daily basis).

But what about all those houses I tore down on the southeast side of Ft. Wayne? I'd sell the land to some developer, so he can start the whole slum-ghetto process anew (if that's the direction the city truly wants to go), that way I can negate all that nasty property tax crap.
(see, there IS a method to my "madness" afoot here)

One thing I would do would be to get us the FASTEST DAMN COMPUTER I could, and that goes for the server as well. Give me something and someone that can run at a speed OTHER than the snail's pace I currently "enjoy"...please! And I might even get a flat-panel TV for the wall with surround sound. Don't have to break any bank to do that these days anyway. Be nice to embrace the 21st century a lot more, technologically-speaking, even though I don't really like to all that much. Then there'd be some decent gifts for my all too few dear friends (and they KNOW who THEY are already, so no usurpers please).

THEN, after all THIS stuff is out of the way, we'd take a nice large chunk of what's left over and do something not many lottery winners seem to do...namely INVEST IT. I'm sorry, but if I've got some money lying around. I'd much rather have it making me MORE money, than collecting dust, or making some bank richer. It's not greed..it's looking toward the future.
How many lottery winners do we hear about that become more like lottery WHINERS when they're BROKE within a damn YEAR? That's just pathetic, as well as a testament to man's sheer stupidity and lack of foresight. It's all about proper prioritization...plain and simple. You hope for the best, but expect the worst...and thereby are PREPARED for almost ANY eventuality. It'd be amazing what people could discover about themselves if they'd practice THAT a bit more. Hell, it beats having life "blind-side" you when you least expect it.

So..after we've done all THAT, we would surely have SOME money "left over", and what better way to divide it up and spend it accordingly. Some church would definitely get a nice "anonymous" tithe. Ditto some charitable group like a food bank or PAL, or some orphanage (they DO still have those, right?). And THEN, I'd get a few "wants" taken care of (no, I don't mean THAT). I'd buy another gun (or two)...maybe my dream pistol; a Walther P99 in .40 S&W. With those 5 acres, I could even build my OWN gun range for cheap...(invite the cops over..have some fun). That reminds me...if I have FIVE acres, I'm going to need a RIDING MOWER (or a LOT more extension cords for the electric one I own now)....LOL!

But aside from those "things", I don't see my wife or I becoming JADED in the process. Neither of us are given to such flights of fancy that we'd be destitute within any time soon. Hell, we'd probably still shop at local markets, and buy THEIR brands. We might buy a little MORE than we used to, but we don't go in for all the fol-de-rol that comes with wealth. We REMEMBER how we were brought up, me especially with those ketchup sandwiches and soup all week in some rowhouse in Philly, wondering if Dad's plant was going to strike THIS year, and how we'd get by (which we manged to many times).
I'd like to think we'd be doing many of the "right" things while being responsible in the process as far as money-management goes. Hey, we've been doing pretty good with not all that much SO far, even in THIS part of the city, and that is a major accomplishment. We're certainly not "well-off", but we get by OK.
We don't worry that much about whether we have the NEWEST car (we keep the older ones we have LOOKING and running LIKE NEW).
We don't worry about having the fanciest house on the block (we just keep OUR house looking better than everyone else's which is rather EASY when everyone else does NOTHING to improve THEIR property).
We don't go in for all the marketing hype (we live within our means, and if we don't get the center cut of the meat every week, or that big-screen TV...so be it).
We try to be as responsible with what WE have been given (financially), as possible, because we do appreciate the stewardship of what we have been charged with.

So when the day's done, we can look back and think that we "done good". All we have to do is repeat it tomorrow.

And that's not all that bad, considering we never really OWN anything in this world...we just take care of it for a while until we pass it on to our future...our children, hopefully with the same values our parents gave to us.

Special *5 Star* Saturday Edition...
Didn't know I'd make it THIS far. Today marks the FIRST YEAR since my very first post on my very own blog!

And what a year it's been.

Mired among trials for "retarded" killers, celebutantes bucking the judicial system, usurpers to the thrones of major league sports, and the occasional "act of God" in our nation, such as a drought, wildfire or flood, is this here small, infinitesimal portion of what we've come to know as the "blogosphere".

And it's here that I've found a soapbox, where I can "talk" about anything and everything that means something to most all of us. Whether it's been something practical, something philosophical, something humorous, or even something tragic...I've attempted to bring it to YOU. Like the banner here reads: "Common Sense for the Common Man (or woman)". Can't much more down to earth that that, eh?
And I've really enjoyed the ride so far, and appreciate the thoughts and words that YOU, the people have brought here. I have also come to know some really great people THROUGH their words both here, as well as on THEIR OWN blogs.

Again, I have to say a sincere thank you to each and every one of them (and you). After all, if it wasn't for their (and your) insistence upon creating this blog, I wouldn't have been able to find out how REALLY SLOW a Pentium II , 2GB system on a land-line can be with AOHELL 7.0...LOL!

So under the auspices of celebratory festivities, let us say that for the past year, the hall has been rented, and the orchestra engaged. And all during that year, we've seen how well everyone can DANCE...some better than others.

Suffice it to say that there have been days that have tried my patience (like having a keyboard with most of the letters RUBBED OFF thanks to my wife). Ever try "sight-typing by memory"?
Makes me feel about as good as when I see BRAILLE keypads at drive-up ATM machines...LOL!

Still, there ARE those around here that have gotten into the spirit of today's meaning (read party), such as these two fine friends of ours (actually, they were "liberated" from a GOOGLE search..another fine thing about blogging).

You have to admit that they DO appear to be having fun (well, maybe the guy on the RIGHT seems that way...the one on the left looks a tad pissed).

So here's to my FIRST year with The PA-IN Erudition. With SO much more that still needs to be said (and as one dear, fellow blogger commented: "there's so many more people to piss off"), I think we'll be around a while longer. Now..if only MORE OF YOU would bother to READ the posts once in a frigging while....!
(present readers excluded, naturally)

With that in mind, let me leave you with a nice "quasi-political" parting thought in cartoon form:

(with deepest apologies to Jim Davis...I sincerely LOVE Garfield, and would only show HIM in a positive light, so NO lawsuits, kapesh?)

The same cannot be said for our very own "King Richard".
Maybe this city needs to form it's own "Fellowship of the Ring"...any takers?

Have a great weekend, all!

Friday Follies...

Time once again for another edition of stories in the news from around the city, nation, and globe that make you ponder that age old question:

WTF IS GOING ON HERE WITH THAT?

So sit back, relax, pour another cup of coffee and get ready to be amused, enraged, and maybe a tad flummoxed in the process.

After all, we never said this world was chock full of Einsteins, nor was the Crayola box full of the "brightest" crayons....did we?

Item - China Hits Back Saying U.S. Soybeans "Tainted".
Mark this one in the "tit-for-tat" column, as China faces a global backlash for exporting various toy items with lead-based paint and small magnets, as well as pet foods and toothpaste with toxic substances. China mainly uses soybeans for oil, as well as animal feed and the beans are the LARGEST U.S. farm export to China. The Department of Agriculture hasn't received any official complaints FROM China about any contamination (hmm...)
All I can say is....keep checking your fortune cookies for updates!

Item - The Revolving Door At Our Borders.
A Fort Wayne man ( Jermaine Andre Norris) was indicted by a grand jury with 2 counts of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in relation to a drug offense, and being a felon in possession of a firearm on 20 July. The BATFE and the FWPD conducted the investigation. An investigation by Bluffton police and ICE led to a single count indictment against a Bluffton man (Juan Luis Ortiz-Silguerio) charged with RE-ENTERING the U.S. after being deported for illegal immigration back on 25 July.

Didn't take HIM long to get back in, did it?

Here's a idea for a new state motto:
"Come To Indiana...We STILL have plenty of places to hide"

Item - Indy Store Owner Thwarts Robbery.
A baseball-wielding shop owner chased would-be robbers out of his store and kept them from escaping until police arrived. Gunmukh Singh, the store owner used the bat to smash a pickup window when one of the men climbed into the vehicle. Singh told police he became suspicious when the two men came in wearing HOODED sweatshirts when temperatures were already in the 80s. Video captured the whole event.

Singh shouted at the men while chasing them: "I'm not letting you go".

The gun one of the men pointed at Singh was a BB gun (I already figured that when I saw the story on TV and noticed the way the perp brandished it...easy to spot. Good call by Mr. Singh...you rock, Bub!) One of the men threatened Singh with a knife before running. Friends and neighbors joined in the chase (read "fun"), and helped corner one of the men until police arrived (the perp was probably GLAD to see those LEOs show up). The other man later surrendered to police. The two 18 year olds were booked into Marion County jail charged with robbery.
And Mr. Singh should get a damn MEDAL!

Item - Six Arrested in Separate Drug Probes.
James T. Johnson was arrested in Wabash County on charges of possession of marijuana over 30 grams, cultivating the pot, and maintaining a common nuisance, all felonies. I mean the guy DID have more than 320 marijuana plants growing near a house in Amboy Indiana with a street value of $321,000...about 1K per plant. (I guess those MUMS on sale for $6 are a damn BARGAIN then, eh?). This investigation led to ANOTHER house in Madison County.
When police arrived at the home of Maurice Combs, both father and son were trying to burn their plants (talk about a contact high!), and fled on foot. Both were apprehended. The take at this house - 170 marijuana plants growing in a barn and another 30 in a nearby cornfield (talk about a "field of dreams"!). Street value for this haul was $200,000. In a separate case, Wabash police served search warrants at the home and vehicle of Randolph and Susan Beaty, both 24, shortly after midnight (never saw them coming, didja?).
About 150 bags of heroin were found in the vehicle, being driven by an accomplice. In the home were found a variety of narcotics in pill form, syringes, and other drug paraphernalia. (Now, if ONLY the FWPD would be allowed do a little of THAT kind of policing in MY neighborhood...we'd have a pretty damn nice place to live...AGAIN).

And there you have it....more of the stuff you've come to expect (or is that expectorate?)

Remember to ALWAYS look BOTH WAYS as you duck, when running a red light (in Ft. Wayne) as the guy in the car next to you pulls a gun and demands all your money!

(Or...you can do what I do...when he demands YOUR money, you pull YOUR gun out, stick it in HIS face, and say "you FIRST, asshole".)

Have a SAFE weekend!

Life In The "55" Lane...

Now for Sammy Hagar (and me) that seems about right, but for a lot of others who haven't yet experienced the wonderfulness of reaching such a millstone (correction...MILESTONE), as the song goes - "The Best Is Yet To Come" (unless the unforeseen occurs).

And in that vein, here are some random observations regarding this stage of life that I like to refer to as:

BOBBY G'S ~ BELIEVE IT...OR ELSE!

If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days, you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee.

(Hardly seems worth it)

If you fart consistently for 6 years and 9 months, enough gas is produced to create the energy of an atomic bomb.

(Now that's more like it)

A pig's orgasm lasts for 30 minutes.

(In my next life I wanna be a pig)

(How'd they figure this out, and why?)

Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour.

(Still can't get over that pig thing)

(Don't try this at home...maybe at work?)

Humans and dolphins are the only species that have sex for pleasure.

(Is THAT why Flipper was always smiling?)

(And pigs get 30-minute orgasms? Doesn't seem fair)

The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue.

(Hmmmmmmmmm........)

Right-handed people live, on average, 9 years longer than left-handed people do.

(If you're ambidextrous do you split the difference?)

The ant can lift 50 times its own weight, can pull 30 times its own weight & always falls over on its right side when intoxicated.

(From drinking little bottles of...?)

(Did taxpayers pay for this research??)

Polar bears are left handed.

(Who knew....? Who cares? How'd they ask them?)

The catfish has over 27,000 taste buds.

(What can be SO tasty on the bottom of the pond?)

The flea can jump 350 times its body length.

It's like a human jumping the length of a football field.

(30 minutes...can you imagine?? And why pigs?)

A cockroach will live nine days without it's head, before it starves to death.

(Creepy)

The male praying mantis cannot copulate while its head is

attached to its body.

The female initiates sex by ripping the male's head off.

(Honey, I'm home. What the....)

(Well, at least pigs get a break there...)

Some lions mate over 50 times a day.

(That's a tough call ... quality vs quantity)

Butterflies taste with their feet.

(Oh, Geez...That's almost as bad as catfish)

An ostrich's eye is bigger than it's brain.

(I know some neighbors like that.)

Starfish don't have brains.

(I know a lot of neighbors like that too.)

All I can say is.............Lucky Pigs!

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And While We're On The Subject....

In just 3 short days, THIS blog will celebrate it's FIRST anniversary (25 August). Coming on the heels of MY birthday, it's kind of disconcerting. The blog is still in it's relative infancy, while I'm enjoying (?) the "late summer and early autumn" of my life. Wonder how that daylight saving time thing works with THOSE "seasons"?

Still, I wouldn't have gotten to where I am with this blog without some people urging me to "get one" in the first place. Thanks, I think.

To Tim:

You and your intellect....dammit! You had to go make my life THAT much more complicated, didn't you? And me with an 8 year old 'puter (the newer one is only 3 years younger) AS WELL AS a land line. SHEESH... You're the Dr. Frankenstein (that's Frahnken-SCHTEEN) to "my" monster that sits in front of me every time I post, operating at a pace that would make the "SLOWSKIS" envious...LOL!

To AWB (aka Dan):

I'd like to say that you're the "wind beneath my virtual wings", but we're both REAL MEN, and don't do that mushy, sappy-ass, "Lifetime" Channel bullshit... What I CAN say is that you've been a guidepost in my travels through the blogosphere. I've found a LOT of bloggers that have great views on various topics, both good AND bad. My link list is AS LONG as it is...thanks to you.

To my "Regular" commenters, both male AND female:

Thanks for the support. At least I know that YOU GUYS are reading all the crap I complain about (as well as the fun stuff). Believe me, if the world weren't in the state it's in, we might not even be HAVING this conversation. But someone's got to say what needs to be said, and I don't mind being another "grunt in the trench"...to echo those that feel as passionately as I do, and even to make me (and others) see another POV (rare as that can be most days...LOL). Hey, stranger things HAVE happened.

So here's to many more "anniversaries" (like the 26th "anniversary" of my 29th birthday).
Let's hope the world doesn't wind up going to hell in that handbasket TOO fast..we've all got a LOT more pissin' and moanin' to do....right?

So, if anyone is wishing to suffer through a "Meet & Greet" (sometime soon) can email me, send me their email, or ask for an email FROM me...or something that comes close to what the hell I just tried to say...how's about it? I'd prefer to go DUTCH (we each pay), but if anyone wants to go RUSSIAN (you pay)...or maybe go AMERICAN (you only pay THROUGH THE NOSE), or perhaps we could go GHETTO (home owning taxpayers ONLY pay), or maybe we could even go FORT WAYNE (you keep paying more and more every year & never get what you pay for)...we can do any one of these.

It's up to you.

They Say It's Your Birthday...

So what is it to 'ya?
Yeah, I made it to the "double-nickel" era....(55 years old), and that means (as my wife recently quiped) SENIOR DISCOUNTS at fast food joints...(ahem)...big friggin' hairy deal!

Here's a wee sampling of what ELSE happened on THIS day:
Events:
1787: John Fitch tests his steamboat on the Delaware River
1864: The Red Cross is formed
1921: J. Edgar Hoover becomes asst. dir. of the FBI
1945: Vietnam conflict begins as Ho Chi Minh stages a coup
1966: The Beatles arrive in NYC
1984 last VW Rabbit produced (1st generation)
1989: Nolan Ryan strikes out his 5,000 batter (Rickey Henderson)
2007: ???

* * * * *

Famous Birthdays:
Stormin' Norman Schwartzkopf
Cindy Williams
Ray Bradbury
Claude DeBussy
Valerie Harper (Rhoda)
Carl Yastremski
Giada De Laurentiis (everyday Italian - yummy)
John Lee Hooker

Now I have to say that when I was a mere "pup" of about 8 years old, I sure didn't think things would turn out "quite" as they have. All I really wanted was to have a life like my Dad's...no big deal. And he wasn't even what anyone could call "well off". I wanted a car, a small family, nice house in some meaningless little part of some city somewhere, free to work until I retire, watch the kids grow up, mow my lawn, wash my car, and have a cold one now and again.

Well, I DO have the car...(for the past TWENTY FOUR YEARS I've had that car...).

As for everything else...well, it didn't pan out "exactly" like it was SUPPOSED to...then again, what really does?
I had a few successes along the way, made my fair share of REALLY good mistakes (haven't we all?), managed to stay out of jail for ALL these years, and had a really mediocre time of it all. I'm on my second marriage (crosses fingers), I let "THE girl" get away years ago (you guys will know what I mean by that), learned a ton of crap that I can't really apply to anything (or anyone) without getting arrested in the process, and learned a number of trades along the way.

Made a lot of friends also...and made my share of enemies as well (mostly after moving here). I've lost family and dear friends to boot...and the list only gets longer each year.

I never have gotten to see places I WANTED to go to, but got to travel to places that were so-so, hot, rainy, cold, snowy, and a few that were simply breath-taking. Even got to go out of country twice. And getting bronchitis in another country is far worse that getting it at home! Haven't seen nearly as much as time (and finances) would allow, but hey...maybe in the NEXT life?
(Note to self - come back as a TRAVEL AGENT...they always get good deals!)

But through it all, I still can't imagine that I wound up here, in Fort Wayne's worst area, trying to SURVIVE...screw living...that's for people with foreseeable futures.
Me? I take it ONE DAMN DAY at a time.
Never thought I'd live in an area that wants so badly to become a ghetto. I've been through plenty (in several states) to know to never make a choice to settle down there, but nevertheless, the area changed AROUND US, and well...here we are. Amazing the fun tricks "Father Fate" can play, isn't it? I could suppose that I'm HERE (now) for a reason (besides pissing of the locals). I'd like to think I'm making some kind of difference, but to be honest, I'm just not seeing it.

It's like being in a combat area...always on guard, ready for anything, but hoping for nothing. Hours of stress punctuated by seconds of terror...seconds to react...seconds to make like a hole in the ground and hope to hell that whatever hits winds up NOT hitting where you happen to be. And never knowing where (or when) something (or someone) is going to come at you from is always "exciting". You wait for something that doesn't happen, but as soon as you let your defenses down...it comes hard and fast. Yeah..it's kind of like that in our neighborhood.
Sure hasn't been getting BETTER over these ten LONG years.

But we do what we do....it's that simple.


As for whatever time left to me...well, aside from knowing that I have more years BEHIND me than in FRONT of me, I'd love to be able to just hit the damn lottery, move my wife and I far, far A-W-A-Y from this crotch of the Midwest, and get back to LIVING again. And maybe start a family, get a dog or two, and write ...a lot. I figure there's enough for a good size tome regarding my life. I'd like to travel some more too. I always had an affinity for Scotland.
I guess I'd have to PLAY the lottery first...to WIN it...(damn).

Aw, what the hell...I can dream can't I?
And that's what great about dreams...the price is ALWAYS affordable.

So here's to the FIRST 55 years...may the NEXT 55 be a lot...shorter...(as they certainly will be)!

Life In The Dumb Lane...
Sometimes you just have to bow to the absurd. Other times, you just shake your head and wonder exactly WHAT kind of drugs some people are taking, the frequency of dosage, and in what quantities those doses happen to be.

The following story is just such an example:

(WARNING - the surgeon general has determined that reading this person's article could induce rapid heart beat, a rise in blood pressure, and a mounting anger because some people STILL do not get it)

* * * * *

Anti-gang project a waste of resources
By Gwenn Burns

Special to Frost Illustrated (21 Aug 2007)

This comes in response to the recent announcement by Channel 15 and the Journal Gazette that Fort Wayne is establishing a Gang Task Force to handle the gangs in Fort Wayne. Well, someone posed the question: "What gangs?" (how about the Eden Green Thugs, 7 Figs, D-Boyz, along with elements of the Black Gangster Disciples, Black P Stones, Four Corner Hustlers, Gangster Disciples, Ku Klux Klan, Latin Kings, La Raza, Mexican Mafia, Vatos Locos, Skinheads, The new Bosnian gangs, and Vice Lords...is THAT enough gangs for you?)
So, I say this to you:

Fort Wayne police prey on poor people, middle class blacks, or should I say people of color (no, my poor misguided girl...the police prey on CRIMINALS and people with CRIMINAL INTENT...get YOUR FACTS straight). Instead of serving and protecting, their slogan should be "Hunt down, harness and kill." Don't get me wrong, as a mother of a police officer, I know police are good to have around when you really need them (like when YOU are wronged instead of you chronically WRONGING others?), but they have take it a step further (they only take things further because the law demands it in their job description - "hand slapping" and telling people "NO" doesn't work as well as it USED to.) They prey on the poor and underprivileged (don't pull out that old dog-eared poverty/race card - if people of ANY color weren't so damn stupid in the first place and commit crimes, we wouldn't be having this conversation...would we?).

As a matter of fact, Fort Wayne's whole judicial system stinks (when they keep turning perps back into our neighborhoods it stinks) and needs to be restructured from the street police to the sheriff's department to the Allen County courts ( I only agree "provisionally" with this basic assessment - resources need to be REALIGNED to better serve the law-abiding people of the city and come down a lot HARDER on the law-breaking ones). And, now they supposedly are coming up with a funded program to eradicate the gang problem in Fort Wayne (be happy they're not cutting off the welfare-laden gravy-train, sweetie..they're using FEDERAL FUNDS from REAL taxpaying people). This is another way to fund "white collar" folks -you know whom I'm talking about- (sure not talking about ME) to deal with the gangs of the city (who are predominantly BLACK or Hispanic, or are you blind as well as deaf & dumb?). A city resident said the gangs are not that bad here (they must live in Aboite, because they sure as hell didn't ask ME). Of course, they (which "they" are we taking about now?) justified this new program by saying, "we want to curtail it before it starts." (Now that's a damn good plan...we call it PROACTIVITY)
Yeah, right. You want to make an excuse to take out our babies (arresting infants isn't on any LEO's agenda, toots, and the lawbreakers aren't "babies" by ANY stretch of the imagination...they're WAY into the "age of accountability") instead of using those funds to back sport-related programs such as boxing, baseball, football, drill teams or some other sport to get kids off the street (like school, they have to SHOW UP for ANY "program" to ever be EFFECTIVE). No after school programs can be found anywhere on a large scale in the city (didn't know that PAL, the YMCA and the Boys & Girls Club of this city closed their doors, did you? What about all the black churches in town...they ALL run out of ideas and have NO youth programs whatsoever?).
Children need an outlet and need to be placed in a positive environment (start by taking them OUT of the drug houses and away from the "parent wannabes" they're currently living with then, dummy). But, the politicians are helping themselves to the money (don't see any of that...where are YOU looking?) and the police are harassing (no, they're doing what we PAY them to do...their JOBS), so what does a young person with the violence within and without do? (Well, if they commit crime, they can cool their heels in Wood or the AC lockup - if they're obeying the law, they might wind up with an education and maybe even curing cancer.)
We the people of Fort Wayne are outraged (maybe YOU are because you can't see the forest for the trees, but I'm happier than a clam with the anti-gang unit) and we are no longer going to roll over and play dead (unless some gangstas break into YOUR home at 2 AM and kill YOUR ass, right?). We are going to rise up and fight back-not with weapons of steel but with your own weapons-the law (gonna be a rude-awakening event for you then - the law is on the side of the law-abiding, unless someone changed that).
Gwenn Burns describes herself as an outspoken woman on issues concerning the unfair treatment of African Americans and people of color, including police harassment, housing policies and economic development. Born in the rural south, she relocated to Chicago at the age 16 where she tackled issues including fair housing, education, welfare reform and served on a taskforce to help give local power to parents and principals in the Chicago area. She also served of the Public Policy Committee, a Chicago think tank working to develop legislative remedies to various social problems.

* * * * *

WHEW...!
And I thought city leaders had a load of wind-blowing out their ass!
We see this time and again...EVERY time ANY agency comes along in an attempt to take back a neighborhood or part of any city, these nutcases surface, and unfortunately, counter-American groups like the ACLU side with them. It's no wonder the police have such a fight on their hands. They can barely perform their jobs without risking a lawsuit frivolously tossed at them by SOME moron that is part of the problem, and NOT part of any solution.
I'm not going to cast any aspersions at this woman, although she sure is ASKING me to. I'd much rather like to remove her BLINDERS, and allow her the chance to take a GOOD, LONG LOOK at the manner in which HER PEOPLE conduct themselves, poverty notwithstanding, and then ask her if SHE thinks such behavior is "normal". If she's as educated as she purports to be, she will (maybe) understand the truth of the situation. If not, then we'll but have one more example of why the black community is failing ITSELF.

Don't blame the white man when your black children roam the streets, skip or drop out of school, don't look for jobs, turn to crime, get pregnant, go on welfare, and start the cycle anew.

WE didn't do it to you...you're doing it to yourselves!