Hump (earth )Day Happenings...
Yes, it's the 39th anniversary of EARTH DAY...yeaaaaaahhhh, rrrrrriiiiiiight.
Now I was in my senior year at Abraham Lincoln High, back in Philly, and I was about as concerned over this contrived "special day" as I am now...I'm just a lot more cynical about it TODAY (blame that on 30+ years of accumulated knowledge as well as applied wisdom and discernment).
No one seems to fully comprehend the POWER of good old Mother Nature, and that's a damn shame. I mean this old girl's been keeping the record book all these millenia, and she's been pretty good about her checks and balances.
Sure, mankind is trying it's best to be a larger part of any problem this rock might encounter, but don't you feel that Mother Nature has things well in hand, and would slough us all off at a moment's notice, if she had a mind to?
I mean, it's NOT like she's given us ample warnings...oh, wait...she HAS, but we're too busy trying to fix something that hasn't been broke in eons, just to say we're helping.
We can eliminate OUR carbon footprint, but what about those volcanoes erupting?
Who stops those?
Perhaps Mother Nature is a bit cheesed off at us for trying to interfere where we're not needed...
Now I'm no tree hugger, but if there is one thing I DO appreciate, it's the glory and majesty of nature itself. And you don't have to be high on reefer, living in some commune, bathing once a month, eating berries and nuts, and wiping your ass with leaves on top of some mountain to notice that.

I like to feel that I'm more in tune with what the Native Americans believe...
We should RESPECT the Earth...treat it as the living entity is truly is.
I do what I can to show my RESPECT, and that means no trash tossing, recycling, cleaning up my little part of the planet, which is more than I can say for most everyone ELSE living around us. The world is their dumping ground, and they make no bones about it.
Maybe THAT'S why we have such glorious and thriving GHETTOS in America, when we really don't have to.
It really IS all about RESPECT.
And it's the LACK of such, that promotes this crime against our fellow man as well as the planet.

Someday, these "people" might get a clue and figure it out...

But not today, unfortunately.
-- In other news...
Looks like things could get a bit more "sporty" on our streets, thanks to our illustrious Supreme Court.
((Court hits brakes on police car-search powers
WASHINGTON –
The Supreme Court on Tuesday sharply limited the power of police to search a suspect’s car after making an arrest, acknowledging that the decision changes a rule that law enforcement has relied on for nearly 30 years.
In a decision written by Justice John Paul Stevens, an unusual five-member majority said police may search a vehicle without a warrant only when the suspect could reach for a weapon or try to destroy evidence, or when it is "reasonable to believe" there is evidence in the car supporting the crime at hand.
The justices noted that law enforcement for years has interpreted the court’s rulings on warrantless car searches to mean that officers may search the passenger compartment of a vehicle as part of a lawful arrest of a suspect. But Stevens said that was a misreading of the court’s decision in New York v. Belton in 1981. "Blind adherence to Belton’s faulty assumption would authorize myriad unconstitutional searches," Stevens said, adding that the court’s tradition of honoring past decisions did not bind it to continue such a view. "The doctrine of stare decisis does not require us to approve routine constitutional violations."
Stevens was joined by two of his most liberal colleagues – Justices David Souter and Ruth Bader Ginsburg – and two of his most conservative – Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas.
Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the four dissenters, said the court’s insistence that its precedents had been misinterpreted was simply a cover for getting rid of a decision with which it disagreed, and that the new rule may confuse and could endanger officers.
– Holly Abrams, The Journal Gazette
Locally:
Both Fort Wayne Police Chief Rusty York and Allen County Sheriff Ken Fries said they plan to look at the ruling to see whether it will affect their departments.
"I don’t think it will have a major impact on what we do," York said. "As always, we will look to the prosecutor’s office for guidance on this to make sure (what we do) meshes with this reinterpretation."
If officers see a gun or evidence of drugs in a vehicle, they can and will search it, York said.
If a motorist is arrested and the vehicle is going to be towed, police will conduct an inventory search because they take on liability for what is inside, York said. Vehicle searches take more time if a warrant is required, Fries added.
"It’s certainly much more labor-intensive," he said.))
Now ain't that a kick in the old law-enforcement head, hmm?
This could bring out the ambulance-chasers by the DROVES, now.
As any LEO (or informed citizen) knows, ANY vehicular stop is POTENTIALLY LETHAL, and I don't give a hoot in hell what others might think. One need only look to memorial walls of slain officers to KNOW the truth.

The most innocuous stop can wind up making some police officer's wife a widow...in a heartbeat.
What I would attempt to do (here), is make sure all cruisers are staffed with TWO officers, just to be SAFE. Many major cities already have this in place, but their departments are HUGE (numbering in the THOUSANDS) compared to ours in Ft. Wayne (Mid- 400s).
But then, that lowers the number of cars on the streets, or increases the number of officers needed to fill the front seats of the 2-man cruisers. Either way, it's not a perfect fit, and the criminals will know this...believe me, they will!
Be curious to see the spurt in lawsuits by those who love to bilk the police department for false claims.
Hope it never happens.
And if THAT wasn't enough to get your shift off to a lousy start...try this:
The local Krispy Kreme store out on Illinois Road will be CLOSING. Donuts going bye-bye!
Citing cutbacks, the store (staffed by 50 people) will be closing this Sunday. The donuts will still be available in grocery stores (big frigging' deal...I like mine FRESH).
But never fear, LEOs...DUNKIN' DONUTS is still alive and well, as are other places in and around town.
Now admit it, there are some officers that really DON'T like donuts, some that have had a few TOO many, and we've ALL heard the stories and jokes that abound when it comes to donuts and police:
Q- How do you get crime out of a neighborhood?
A- Open a DONUT SHOP!
See what I mean?
Now, I have *my* favorites, but am still 140 lbs...don't ask why. Must be a hyper metabolism.
I love my (Belushi-inspired) "little chocolate donuts"...the bite-sized morsels of ecstasy that go great with a nice coffee first up in the AM.
Then there was HAEGERLE'S BAKERY in Mayfair (Philly). Owned and staffed by ancient women with German-inflected English who brought heaven to earth with their pastries for decades!
The only place that comes CLOSE is the WAYNEDALE BAKERY out on Lower Huntington Road. They got some GOOD stuff out there, trust me. But, in a pinch, the local Dunkin' Donuts or 7-11 was always at hand. Never did get into Krispy Kreme (a Midwest thing). I don't think anything connected with donuts should be "krispy". RICE should be KRISPY...ask Snap, Crackle or Pop!
One thing I'd like to see is a nice BIG HONKIN' DONUT SHOP open at the corner of Hanna & Pettit (where all those lousy crime-ridden convenience stores used to be).

THAT would get more police in the area...LOL!
Yeah, I can dream...the price is ALWAYS right (free)...!
Funny thing....dreams are the stuff of reality, if we choose to make them happen.
And today would be a good day to start fresh.
Now, get your butts out there and start respecting the land you walk upon.
Mother Nature is watching.
And while you're doing whatever you do, donuts not withstanding...
Stay safe out there, America.