The Gang's All Here...
Now before you even start breaking out the keg, we're not talking about THAT gang.
It's not "your old gang", or the Our Gang comedies of the 1930s....oh, no.
We're talking GANGS, as in those dregs of society that are fast becoming a menace to way too many neighborhoods across this country.
Yeah, THOSE gangs.
And here in Indiana, we're not immune one damn bit.
In fact, THIS state serves as a "hub", if you will for many other cities such as Cleveland, Cincy, Chi-town, Detroit, and all points violent. That certainly includes Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, along with Gary, Evansville, and a few other cities.
Now the really NICE part to having gangs is that sooner or later, someone that might actually be able to DO something will show up.
Enter....the FEDS.
To be more specific...the FBI.
Now before I continue, let me say that the FWPD does a VERY commendable job when dealing with gangs in THIS city. But so many people can ONLY do so much, before a saturation point is reached.
Local gangs (like the 7 Figs and the Eden Green Thugs) have been kept pretty much in check.
It's when the "out-of-towners" begin to have a noticeable presence in a city that it's time to "step things up" a notch a two.
Indiana currently has "representatives" of OVER THIRTY GANGS within it's confines, and the law-abiding public should KNOW about that, as well as be ON GUARD for activity in their neighborhoods.
The news story about the timely intervention of the FBI to OUR city is at this link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20090528/LOCAL/305289987
Now, with that premise in kind, let's take a look at maybe WHY the FBI "needs" to be here.
First - The FBI is needed because it's part of some much larger investigations into gang activity in other cities (like the ones I mentioned above). Fort Wayne even has drug ties to MEXICO (big surprise there, huh?).
Second - Fort Wayne is RIPE for "beating in" some new blood. We've pretty much got a ready-made market for recruits with certain sections of the city (namely MY quadrant, the S/E) full of non-working, lazy-asses looking for the "fast buck" (at anyone else's expense).
So don't think gangs from other cities DON'T follow the local papers...they do, as well as have a network of people that have moved here (or to your city) and are somehow related to someone in some gang elsewhere.
Third - As I have stated before (several times), the prosecutorial system in Fort Wayne sucks....period.
Too many times, cases are summarily tossed because they're not totally "airtight", when in fact they COULD be pursued and very possibly won. But someone doesn't want to WORK for that conviction. They'd rather just file the paperwork with some plea deal that places the same perps BACK on our streets with all too frequent regularity. That doesn't make for good street morale for the police department.
Too many officers make damn fine collars, but it's when it gets to the prosecutor's office that things go sour.
Wonder why that is?
Enter...(pause for dramatic effect)...the FEDS.
Federal prosecution tends to be a LOT more severe (and final) when it comes to this type of gig.
Personally, it will be nice to see people rightly incarcerated for a change.
Not to mention that the FBI has a lot more "methods" at THEIR disposal to achieve the end to their means.
So this newly-formed Task force should be more than able to get the job done.
As to HOW LONG it will take? That's anyone's guess.
My only hope is that the FBI will keep the public "in the loop" as far as information and education is concerned.
Moving right along...
I've recently come across some freeware that is something anyone who has ever seriously taken art in school or elsewhere should look into. And it's fun, too. Who'da thunk it?
It's called DAZ 3D, and their site is easy enough to find.
having used many types of media over the years from everything from art class projects to street chalk drawings. Yeah, we used to actually draw ON the street (and with everyone's blessing)...we had something called talent in those days, as well as being more than capable of AMUSING OURSELVES without being DESTRUCTIVE...imagine that, hmm?
I can honestly say that I was copying pictures of IRON MAN from my comics ONTO the street....at about 20 times the size!
And we did the Hulk, Captain America, Spiderman, and so on...
After each rain, we started over again. I wish my folks would have taken some pictures of that back then.
We also had COLORING BOOKS too, but that's when kids did a lot more FUN things, instead of robbing the elderly, breaking into houses, and stealing cars.
We had something called HOBBIES.
It might be building models, drawing, stamp or coin collecting (how many kids do THAT today, I wonder?)...well, you get the idea.
I'll have to have a post of hobbies sometime soon.
But I digress...back to DAZ 3D...
It's a little more than mildly addictive, and the free items they have available allow you to pose, clothe, size, and render at will.
And you can even ANIMATE them...make your own YouTube video with your OWN creations
Oh, don't worry about any nudity.
The figures are about as anatomically-correct as Barbie or G.I. Joe. NO real "naughty-bits".
But if you've got a budding art major in your house, you might want to take a look at this.
Registering is free too. Can't beat THAT price.
And in case you're wondering, THESE 2 pictures above ARE, in fact something I "created"...my "kids", if you will (only without having to pay to put them all through college, OR worrying about who they're dating...LOL).
Now if you want to "up the ante", you can purchase ADD-ONS such as clothing, props, vehicles, scenery, animals, etc., that will make scenes that Lucas and Spielberg might become envious of!
This stuff looks pretty damn real...well, as real as ANY CGI from any movie these days.
Like I say...amazing stuff.
And, it DOES keep me OFF the streets (lucky for the thugs around here).
Good use of a computer, too (check your system requirements...that's a MUST), aside from being a desktop paperweight or doorstop...like a lot of MINE...lol!
So there we are...plenty of STUFF to think about.
From CRIME to HOBBIES...in ONE blog posting...can't get much more "diverse" than THAT, can we?
Sometimes, I even scare myself...!
And while you wait for the impending arrival of the weekend (man, that week flew by)...
Stay safe out there, America.