06 March 2009

Weekend Roundup...
Funny as it seems, we've made it through another week here on Bizarro World, relatively unscathed.
That alone amazes the hell out of me, and at my age, I don't get amazed all that often.
--First off, if you want to see a really good take on the whole superhero genre, then get thee to a theater this weekend and see WATCHMEN.
This is based very closely on the graphic novel, and it explores what goes on under the cape, as it were.
I found the series intriguing as all hell, when it first came out, and this movie looks to take "superherodom" to a new level.
It's not your run-of-the-mill Superman, or Batman, or even Spiderman, but it is good escapist fare, that happens to spin a damn good yarn in the process, by asking the question:
"What happens when a superhero is MURDERED?"
That alone should get you thinking.
And that's what we like to do HERE...get people thinking. The worse that can happen, is that you come away with a slight headache...LOL.
But that's what aspirn's for...
--Next, the Economy:
BWAHAHAHAHAhahahahahaaaaaa...yeah, that's laughable!
Seems every time Obama puts his name on some piece of paper, Wall Street watches the DOW tank another several hundred points.
For God's sake, Mr President...STOP...SIGNING...SH*T...!!!!
--And speaking of WASTE, nuclear or otherwise...
Bet you thought that Yucca Mountain location for nuclear waste storage in Nevada was a "done deal", didn't you?
Think again.
The 60,000 TONS of waste material should remain at nuclear facilities (says the Obama administration) until a "comprehensive" disposal plan is developed (note to self - email the President and tell him NOT TO SIGN anything). And all this AFTER over $13.5 BILLION bucks has been spent over 22 years to get Yucca Mountain ready to roll.
Oh, this has the word "PROBLEM" written ALL over it.
Many of the nuclear plants in this nation have reached their DECOM dates, and will be shut down. The spent fuel is "supposed" to go to Yucca Mountain or some holding facility, due to the half-life of the fuel material rods (think a LOTTA years...your KIDS won't be around when it fully depletes). Now, the fuel rods have to be kept AT the closed facilities...more security for EVERY SINGLE plant that is NON-OPERATIONAL (and that still costs a lot of money for those people, even if it's the military, which would be MY first choice).
How's about we take this depleted fuel, and make NUCLEAR-POWERED VEHICLES? Hop in my nuke-mobile and roll around for say, TWENTY YEARS before I have to "fill up" again...sounds reasonable to ME.
Helps the car industry, we get rid of fissionable material by driving it around into depletion, we "green up" the world (Gore is creaming his pants), and any terrorist that tries to attack us, we just drop a few of OUR *NEW* CHEVYS on his frigging country...problem solved!
Well, we DO live on Bizarro World , remember?
Everything is Back-Assward!
--Lastly, I saw a story last night on the 11PM news that ran me through a gamut of emotions.
You know the drill; first you're in disbelief as to what you're hearing, then you start snickering at the situation and those involved in it, and THEN, you become down right indignant that you heard what you heard, when you know the REAL story.
Janice Allen reported about the "efforts" going into "improving" the Southeast side of our city (that would be where I happen to dwell).
Now Janice is (imho) a VERY good reporter who happens to also be VERY easy on my eyes. Yeah, she's hot!
But I think it was rather unfair to saddle her with a story like this, in lieu of certain aspects attached to this part of town.
Sure, we have the highest number of ethnics down here, AND we also have the SECOND HIGHEST spending capacity in the four quadrants (must be de drug money).
We ALSO have the HIGHEST CRIME RATES, as well as some of the most LACKLUSTER politicians when it comes to getting ANYTHING of lasting substance done.
We have the highest amount of RENTAL properties, Section 8 and HUD housing, as well as the highest dropout rate for students.
But those aren't the reasons this story bothered me...
The story focused on rehashing what has been done ALREADY down here, as a sign this part of town was turning around, and that's simply NOT the case, because in spite of the fact that we DID have a Menards and a Wal-Mart placed down here, we STILL maintain all of the issues I just mentioned, with no end to them in sight.
We have a police department that is doing the very best they can given the constraints in which they have to operate, and by that, I mean the FACT that THIS part of town can prove to you, on any day you choose to name, that Community-Oriented Policing, in and by itself simply CANNOT work to the efficiency level that city admins would have you believe.
It takes a COMMUNITY for something like that to work, and in too many of our neighborhoods, there is no REAL sense OF community. There are only pockets of sub-cultures, devoid of participation, and answerable only to each other, as proven by the manner in which they handle their own affairs. Police are "used" as an adjunct, rather than the first-line "go-to" people they should be.
Only through a third party, does much of the FWPD involvement with citizens take place.
THAT is NOT Community-Oriented Policing.
That is called desperation.
Used to be a time when officers where a LOT more PROACTIVE...patrolling areas, getting to know the people, the habits, the trends of a patrolled area. Ain't like that today, m'boy...
Officers are run from call to call to call.
That's COMPLAINT-DRIVEN policing, plain and simple.
How is THIS method of policing MORE effective than being proactive?
It's like fixing the gate WHILE the horses are getting the hell out of the corral.
"And that dog just ain't gonna hunt...!"
The officer walks into a situation AFTER the fact, and in many cases DURING "the fact".
And while a good collar works well to diffuse a potentially hazardous situation as it unfolds, it's not the best way to manage a city's population. It's only a net result.
After someone's been stabbed, you can't just wave your hand, and make the wound go away. You can't call back a bullet after it leaves the muzzle, and you can no more "un-bludgeon" someone than you can change to color of your skin.
If the department took a few pages from the Problem-Oriented policing handbook, it would go a VERY long way to heading off a lot of crime before it even occurs. THAT'S how you utilize departmental resources BETTER, SMARTER, and MORE PRODUCTIVELY.
You tackle the PROBLEMS that cause crime, not constantly react to them after they've happened.
That makes the citizenry safer, provides safety for the officers, and keeps the criminals on the run, or gets them caught a helluva lot sooner.
Can't argue with that, can you?
--In a related story, Parkview Hospital is "donating" a building they own (for a nominal cost of $10 a year) to the FWPD to be used as an outpost up on 2730 E.State Blvd, as a possible solution to the recent spate of robberies at businesses along that stretch of road. If you recall, about 20 robberies have taken place around that area. Officers will be coming and going from the building 24/7, so the PRESENCE of those LEOS should go a long way to alleviate criminal activity there.
BUT...what about DOWN WHERE I LIVE?
On ANY given day, you will see the SAME NUMBER of calls for robberies, burglaries, fights, domestics, disturbances,etc., and NO building is able to be "donated" or otherwise utilized to combat crime HERE.
(and we've more than OUR share of "vacant" dwellings, believe me)
Why is that?
We have those 20 crimes EVERY DAY of EVERY WEEK, of EVERY YEAR, and...NOTHING.
Somehow the city can cater to SOME people while (once again) ignoring others...and they do it damn well, too.
Over 30% of the FWPD's resources are used JUST for my quadrant alone (which will be expanding NORTH to include center city and the "Costaplenty/Harrison Square area soon).
As some people stated at a meeting at the Academy (regarding S/E side "progress"), We don't have those "sit-down" restaurants HERE.
Why is that?
Robberies chased them all AWAY. We have NO bookstores, NO "real" music stores, just a plethora of dollar havens, rent-a-centers, and assorted specialty ethnic stores.
Glynn Hines spoke about the "dilapidated Southtown mall", and I wanted to smack him right in the kisser.
Glynn, WHY THE HELL do you think that mall BECAME dilapidated?
It was the damn CRIME,you idiot!
...From YOUR PEOPLE!
I came here when that mall still had about 50% occupancy (1996-1997), and watched it DEVOLVE over a decade, due to theft, shooting, and fear from the store owners and shoppers, until it finally closed. The management couldn't keep the place viable when thugs kept tearing it apart,and even they threw up their hands in disgust. Hell, we were broken into at Willow Creek Crossing during the damn day (when we were both at work), and that was in 1998. The apartment complex STILL has major issues with it's tenants, but you never hear about that either.
When the hell are people going to search for the TRUTH in all of this?
WAKE THE HELL UP, people!
The (societal) alarm clock is going the hell off, and too many are just hitting the SNOOZE button and rolling the hell over.
And "ROLLING OVER" seems to be something MANY have developed into an annoying ART FORM! Well, we each have to live with ourselves in the end, don't we?
In the meantime...
Do have a good weekend, and stay safe out there, America.

05 March 2009

Downsizing, Layoffs, & Closings, Oh My...
This is something we've ALL been hearing about for quite some time, and many others of us have actually "felt the pinch" of such operations (more like a COW BITE these days), but now we're hearing about two closing in nearby Decatur Indiana, which could spell some serious trouble for this small town.
Two manufacturing companies, Fleetwood RV and Formula Boats, that cater to those of greater wealth than the average Joe, have been the target of recent layoffs, and these two companies are responsible for employing quite a few hundred people in this town.
Having so many suddenly on the dole will place a strain ON that town (and it's working-class citizens), as it has done in many other small towns across this nation.
Rather than lay off people, and wind up possibly closing the plants (or selling them to another larger company that will use them for a tax write off), why not become daring in scope and innovative in concept instead?
Okay, so a lot fewer people want RVs...how's about taking that "leap of faith" , and get Fleetwood RV into the realm of ROBOTIC military vehicles? Be nice to have an ambulance on the battlefield to get our wounded warriors OUT of harm's way without placing more soldiers in danger.
Think about it...it's sure got potential, and unmanned warfare seems to be the "hot lick" these days., whether it's in the air, on the land, or on the sea.
There is a market for it.
Wouldn't take ALL that much to retool for something like that, and could very well become a major HUB of military contract companies.
Think of the possibilities...and the revenues
Same goes for Formula Boats.
Unmanned craft that can act as interdiction vessels until manned units arrive has got a lot of people at the Pentagon agog with this idea.
With both companies placing design concepts and prototypical units at the ready, this has the possibility of securing some serious jobs and needed tax revenues for that town , as well as the county itself.
I mention this because it was the CAR COMPANIES that made it possible for THIS nation (and her allies) to WIN World War II, through sheer numbers. And we had a lot more than "just three" companies back then.
If you recall, NO CARS were produced during the war years. Everyone was too busy making TANKS, JEEPS, TRUCKS, PLANES, and SHIPS.
If such innovation was achieved BEFORE, it can be done AGAIN.
Just a thought...
When it comes to American car companies thee days, the "yawn factor" is REAL high on MY list.
With VERY few exceptions, the cars we make here are nothing short of cookie-cutter machinations, much like all the Asian imports. It's harder to tell the difference between a Mazda and a Ford (Ford owns Mazda, btw), or between Mitsubishi and Dodge (more bedfellows).
American car companies have laid off thousands of workers, closed dozens of plants and lost BILLIONS of bucks along the way. And now, we're seeing the Japanese doing likewise, asking for THEIR government to help "bail THEM out".
Americans are just NOT BUYING cars these days, preferring to keep what they have and get them fixed.
I haven't bought a car in damn near TWENTY SIX YEARS!
Why is that, you say?
Well, I LIKE the car (actually love the car, but we won;t get into the transference thing). I like the way it rides, the way it handles, and the overall shape of it.
And it STILL gets 25-27 MPG on the highway...about 20 MPG in the city.
Not too bad for a carburetor-infested V-6 with some serious years behind it, eh? If the car makers would just ASK THE CONSUMER what the hell they want, MAYBE we'd be selling more cars...'ya think?
See, we got into this "creature-comfort" gig decades ago, and we never let go. We became addicted to all the bells & whistles tossed at us, and we found ourselves buying more and more imports, until THOSE car makers built factories HERE. Then we felt better, because THESE cars were "built in America". How insidious this all became.
And we lapped it up on cue like Pavlov's dog!
Used to be, when you got a car, you had an "option" list, and many times, that list was pretty damn sparse. You might be able to get something like an AM-FM cassette radio, or AIR CONDITIONING as an "add on" feature, usually for a substantial increase in the BASE PRICE of the vehicle.
Hell, even ELECTRIC WINDOWS and LOCKS were "extra".
Not anymore.
You get ALL that crap for "free" .
(the base price has gone up considerably as a result).
Now who NEEDS all that fuel-sapping crap anyway?
And who NEEDS 300+ BHP to go from 0-60 in UNDER 6 seconds?
(Hey, I'm not at the drag strip...are you? All I ask for is a good power-to-weight ratio, and that's easily achievable...the rest will take care of itself, no matter what road I drive on)
Can't we MANUALLY lock our doors, or crank down our windows any longer? Have we become a nation of "physically-challenged" people, all of a sudden? Or are we just plain LAZY?
Either way, what we NEED to do here, is get back to basic transportation, and let the "after-market" profiteers and shops add crap on that we might "want" to burden our vehicles with. That's the kind of thing that fuels CAPITALISM, and that's what runs this nation.
You want a "performance package"?
Fine, take it to a shop and let a PRO add that stuff on.
You want a GPS system?
Fine, go out and BUY one to ADD to the car.
And for God's sake, let's get the automakers producing cars that LOOK GOOD again...please!
The technology exists to make fuel-efficient vehicles, no matter WHAT fuels them, and the technology exists to make NICE LOOKING vehicles, thanks to computer simulation modelling.
Let's not "heavy down" these vehicles with B/S we don't really need, but just desire...
The pioneers didn't have all that luxury crap in their Conestoga wagons or buckboards, and they fared OK.
Henry Ford had the right idea with his original Model T.
It was BASIC, got the job done, ran on damn near anything from gasoline to moonshine, and allowed a lot more people to take to the roads at a fair price.
As the world's premiere leader in such innovations, history is our barometer that shows us we've done it before, and by God, I really believe we CAN do it again.
All WE have to do...is want it BAD enough, like that DVD player in the rear seat for the kids...(rolls eyes)...rrrright.
OK, bad example...LOL!
Or we can keep driving the crap they shove at us, go to McD's, order some "Pigeon McNuggets" and then dial *911* (several times) when they don't have them (like that dumbass I read about recently)
In the meantime, I'll keep driving that 26 year-old Firebird, (ala Elvis) thankyouverymuch.
(Bob has left the building)...LOL!
Stay safe out there America.

04 March 2009

Humpday Happenings...
It's the middle of the week, and while you're watching your stocks and 401K sink faster than the Lusitania, you can take pause, pull up the old chair, secure yourself a drink, spend some time here, and get your daily dose of the ridiculous, as well as truth, justice AND the American way.
It's what's for breakfast.
And it's affordable...LOL!
First off, allow me to congratulate YOU, the reading public for permitting the PA-IN Erudition to reach it's 700th POST.
What a millstone....correct that...MILESTONE!
YOU are the reason this blog exists, and it's YOU who drive the substance of this blog. I'm just a regular shmoe who doesn't mind reading between the lines to find out what the real truth is. And I don't mind bringing to you, because this is stuff YOU need to know, if you haven't figured it out already (as many of you have).
Like the banner at the top of this blog states...THIS IS common sense for the common man or woman.
It might piss off those at the top of the heap, but you know the old saying:
"If you toss a rock into a pack of dogs, the one that YELPS is the one that got HIT".
So here we are now at 700 posts...remarkable.
And with any luck (and a few more comments) we might reach ANOTHER 700...
Next, with all the societal issues and homicides flying about, I nearly forgot about this.
After over TWO months (since that nasty ice storm that brought down ALL those branches and limbs about the city), WE, here in our very own quasi-ghetto FINALLY got the streets CLEARED of those branches and limbs...can you IMAGINE THAT?
When I saw and heard these trucks coming into the area, my FIRST thought was "pothole repair", because we have a plethora OF those, as well as more than ample amount of f$ckwads that pull "holeshots" on our streets to flex their testosterone, creating said potholes.
Much to my utter amazement, the trucks were NOT here for that...they were here for BRANCH REMOVAL.
And they were rather expeditious about it, what with the mayor claiming (erroneously) that OUR part of the city was already completed.
Now THIS is exactly what I'm talking about when I constantly harp on the "quality" of the "residents" down here.
If you IGNORE the problem LONG ENOUGH, the city WILL come along and do everything FOR YOU.
To me, IGNORANCE was never a good reason to do NOTHING, and an even lousier excuse.
((CAUTION - SEGUE ALERT - YOU MIGHT COME AWAY ENLIGHTENED))
But there are some that LIKE government control...in fact, they cannot do WITHOUT it.
They figure that if the government does everything FOR them, then all they have left to do is NOTHING.
Well, that works rather well for all MY neighbors.
Drive down my streets on ANY given day, and you'll see EXACTLY what I'm talking about.
Of course, you WILL have to ignore the LOUD MUSIC from the houses and vehicles, the drug deals, the trash-strewn streets, the dilapidated properties, the dilapidated PEOPLE, the roaming kids, the roaming animals, the robberies, the assaults, the burglaries, the rapes, and other assorted "activities" that make our neighborhood what it has become.
THAT is the result of "government control".
If you believe otherwise, think on this:
The GOVERNMENT controls the money going to the people down here via food stamps, WIC, welfare, section 8 housing, etc. In many instances, the GOVERNMENT is rewarding slovenly behavior and fraud. The GOVERNMENT doles out funds from YOUR taxpaying pocket to "pay" for people to do little if NOTHING with their lives.
And if there are any GOVERNMENT-sponsored programs designed to "help" these people find gainful employment and become useful, taxpaying citizens, it's at the most menial level. Any desire to better oneself comes from within the individual, rather than from these programs.
Few is the number of those that climb out of such a societal abyss to achieve and succeed. And they have no one but THEMSELVES to thank for it. It's THEIR OWN intestinal fortitude that elevates them from the dregs of poverty into a life of self-sustainability.
But you have to realize, that it's DESIGNED this way.
The GOVERNMENT truly NEEDS these do-nothing people so they can spend endlessly on worthless projects (and skimming off the top to fund their own agendas).
Can you think of a society where most everyone is NOT on some kind of "assistance", relying primarily on THEMSELVES to make it in life?
Think about a people that are not fearful of challenging themselves daily, striving to succeed, not only for themselves, but for their children?
Well, friends, that's NOT a flight of fantasy...that's HISTORY.
And somehow, we're not learning from it all that much these days, are we?
Today's situation with the economy has got that GOVERNMENT control smell all over it. And it doesn't smell all that good.
The GOVERNMENT "thinks" it knows what's BEST for YOU...and ME.
The GOVERNMENT "believes" it has YOUR best interest at heart.
The GOVERNMENT "wants" to take care of you.
All well and good, for those with no ambition, no desire to better oneself, and no self-respect.
If you take a gander into our CONSTITUTION, you will find again and again reasons WHY the GOVERNMENT should not be in the business of "control". It IS in the business of GOVERNING, and there IS a huge difference.
Our government is there to run the COUNTRY...NOT it's PEOPLE.
As Lincoln so eloquently put it: "This is a nation OF the PEOPLE...BY the PEOPLE...and FOR the PEOPLE."
Now maybe I missed something, but I'm not seeing the word "government" ANYWHERE in that, are you?
Still, some will love to be controlled. And in some cases, they will trade the iron chains of oppression for the societal chains of control.
Seems like the difference between caging a dog in a kennel or using one of those "electronic" fences with a collar on the pooch to keep him/her in line, doesn't it?
It's still about THEM controlling YOU.
Maybe that works for the lazy-asses of the world (like my neighbors), but it's NOT what created this nation, and it sure as hell isn't what made this nation great. Wish we could say we ARE still great, but we've tarnished that nomenclature over the recent past.
I believe we CAN be that way once again, as do many others.
But we can't do it by making our GOVERNMENT bigger, costlier, and more controlling of it's citizens.
We need to hold government responsible for it's own actions, just as the laws of our country hold everyone one of US responsible for OURS.
And better still, if we held OURSELVES responsible TO ourselves, as well as to one another, that would help the process along to NO small degree. It seemed to work damn well in the past.
One thing is certain...WE, as a people, can no longer allow the (civil) servants to "run the manor" that WE, the people have bought and paid for with OUR sweat and OUR blood.
THEY are here to serve US, the law-abiding, tax-paying people, and not the other way around.
There should not be ANY inequality, be it among men, or between a government and it's citizenry.
Maybe another "tea party" is on the horizon?
But we should be cautious, lest we have an affair like Alice did in Wonderland.
And a very happy UN-birthday to everyone.
Stay safe out there, America.

03 March 2009

Another One Bites The Dust...
And another one down...
Okay, now that this song by Queen is running through your heads, let's park that morning's refreshing beverage and tune in to what's going on around town, shall we?
Here are two different stories from our newspapers relating to the latest shooting (read 5th homicide) in the city Early Monday morning.
Please note that the first TWO homicides were (justified) POLICE ACTION SHOOTINGS, and NOT "perp on perp" or "perp on vic" shootings.
--Who: Markevious Q. Jackson
--Cause of death: Gunshots
--Circumstances: Jackson was found fatally shot Monday morning in a backyard at 110 W. Concord Lane
--2009 homicide tally: 5
--Number of homicides last year as of March 2: 1
--Sources: Allen County Coroner’s Office, Fort Wayne Police Department
((1 - Homicide victim planned to leave area soon
By Evan Goodenow of The News-Sentinel
Homicide victim Markevious Q. Jackson will return to his hometown of Dumas, Ark., but not the way he or his family planned.
Unemployed and unhappy, Jackson – gunned down Monday morning – had spoken of returning to the town of approximately 4,600 later this month.
"He was tired of being up there and he didn’t want to get in (any) more trouble,"
Jackson’s mother, Louise Jackson, said by phone Monday night from Dumas. "I just want to find out what really did happen."
Jackson, 24, was found lying in the backyard of a south side apartment house at 110 W. Concord Lane, near the intersection of South Calhoun Street, with a red bandanna over his face around 7:05 a.m. A neighbor letting out his dog spotted the body, according to Officer Michael Joyner, a Fort Wayne Police spokesman. Two neighbors told the News-Sentinel they heard from three to five gunshots around 1:15 a.m.

{editor's note: While TWO people heard gunshots, absolutely NOTHING was reported to FWPD in that time period, either a *48* - suspicious activity call, code 113 - shots fired, or anything close at all, and that speaks VOLUMES as to the rampant apathy in many areas. It's called DESENSITIZATION, and that is a BAD. habit to get into}
Police have not given a motive for the killing or said if it was related to Jackson’s criminal history, which includes violence. He was imprisoned for about three months last year for resisting arrest after brawling with a police officer on June 22 and served approximately three years for robbery for an aborted shoplifting attempt in 2003, in which he pulled a knife on workers.
Jackson’s criminal history also included drug charges. He pleaded guilty to marijuana possession in 2007 the same year he was charged with cocaine possession.
While he had a temper, relatives said the young man they called "Bubba" was often good natured and laid back. "He just liked to sit around and laugh and crack jokes," Louise Jackson said.
After the death of his grandfather in Dumas, with whom he was close, Markevious Jackson became depressed. "He said he didn’t have anybody to talk to," said his grandmother, Joy Jackson. He was sent to live with his aunt, Lisa Jackson, in Fort Wayne in 2003, but experienced more problems.
"He was the kind of kid who got too friendly with people," Joy Jackson said. "He got mixed up with the wrong people running with the wrong crowd."
Lisa Jackson said she warned Markevious Jackson about some of his friends. She said she last saw him Sunday night when he came home to change clothes. When not living with his aunt, Markevious Jackson sometimes stayed with his cousin, Vashenya Jackson and her boyfriend, James Dodson whose three children he babysat.
The two said Jackson mentioned Sunday that he had recently feuded with another man over a woman, but they were baffled why anyone would kill him. Dodson said he deserved better.
"He wasn’t no saint. I’m not going to paint a picture of somebody who never got in no trouble, because we all got our faults, but he wasn’t from here," Dodson said. "He was getting ready to go back home for good, and now the next time his family sees him, he’s going to be in a casket." ))
And here's the second story:
((2 - Parolee found shot to death behind home
Holly Abrams The Journal Gazette
A recent parolee was found shot to death behind a south-side home Monday morning, Fort Wayne police said.
The body of Markevious Q. Jackson was discovered when a man let his dogs
outside for a walk about 7 a.m. near his apartment, at 110 W. Concord Lane, just off of South Calhoun Street.
The Allen County Coroner’s Office ruled Jackson’s death the fifth homicide this year. All have occurred in the city.
Jackson, 24, was released Dec. 20 from the Indiana Department of Correction,
said spokesman Doug Garrison. He was sentenced in Allen Superior Court in May 2004 to five years in prison for robbery and resisting law enforcement, court records state.
When tenant Jaime Acosta let his dogs outside his apartment, they took off
behind the building. Acosta followed the dogs and found a man lying in the backyard "I thought it was a plastic garbage bag," he said. "The closer I got I was like ‘Whoa!’ There was a guy lying on the ground."
Acosta, 47, said the man appeared to have been dead for some time, and he
immediately called police. Acosta said he had left work before 1 a.m. Monday
but that when he arrived back home neighbors told him they heard gunshots shortly after that time.
"It’s safe to assume that it (the shooting) happened in that neighborhood,"
police spokesman Michael Joyner said.
Joyner said he was uncertain whether Jackson had been living in the residential neighborhood where his body was found.
The last listed address for Jackson before his incarceration is a now-abandoned home on Radcliffe Court on the city’s southeast side.
Before moving to Indiana, Jackson lived in Dumas, Ark., court records state.
When Acosta discovered the body, he said there were no outward signs of injury besides a bloody nose. Jackson was lying on his left side, facing the back of the home, which consists of four apartments, he said.
"It’s not one of those things you see every day," he said, adding that he has lived there for four years.
Jackson’s conviction stemmed from an August 2003 robbery at Meijer, 6309 Lima Road.
Clerks at the store observed Jackson shoplifting electronic equipment. They tried to detain him and Jackson pulled out a knife, court records state.
Joyner said detectives do not have a motive. Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers at 436-STOP.))
Now this is far from the end of the "Real Story", but take a look at this man's history, and then look me in the face and proclaim that the BLACK COMMUNITY did NOT let this man down in ANY way, okay?
Tell me that he was given the opportunity to become a worthwhile person, and that he had black leadership mentoring him, teaching him to become a better person.
Sorry, looks like "someone" fumbled the ball in that regard.
But that's not what frustrates me...
What REALLY pisses me off is the "family" that comes along and says "What a good boy he was, never hurt a fly, always joking and smiling...yada, yada, yada..."
Gimme a break!
I'm not "employed" (per se), and I get very unhappy (living in an area that wants to become a ghetto), and have relatively FEW people to talk to (THEY all moved or passed away, or are back in Philly), but I sure as hell don't have ANY desire to "hang with the wrong crowd".
(must be that ETHICAL behavior and personal responsibility my PARENTS instilled in me from little on up, 'ya think?)
Jackson had a friggin' rap sheet as long as my grocery list. And that didn't happen "overnight", people. He worked at it (if you can call THAT work).
Listen friends, if he was THAT good a person, wouldn't the road he chose to travel in life be a LOT better one than the one he found himself ambling along with absolutely NO direction or purpose?
I mean you always make your bed, and you have to sleep in it, right?
And isn't life about making AS GOOD CHOICES as one can, under given circumstances?
Sure, we will make mistakes, but we ARE supposed to LEARN FROM THEM, not keep doing the same dumb $hit, are we?
This guy chose unwisely, and it caught the hell up to him, as it always will.
It does make one wonder about the state of our black community here when the lesser number of a particular race are responsible for the majority of the criminal activity in Fort Wayne.
I mean there's some pretty WIDE cracks that all these people are falling the hell through.
Now I'm sure "mister" Jackson didn't suddenly wake up one morning and say, "Today, I'll become a criminal". He didn't just flip a switch in his head and start down the road to ruin. He had to have had some help along the journey.
And it must have started a lot earlier in his life.
When a group of people, ANY group of people are provided "something for nothing" (that would be entitlements in any form or fashion you can dream up), they WILL lose the ability to appreciate what they WORK for (as they don't have to work to get whatever they get for free from the taxpayers). They WILL lose the sense of accomplishment, the ability to challenge themselves, thereby becoming better people in the process.
They WILL stagnate, and eventually devolve into the realm of criminal behavior.
The time for THAT mentality must cease.
ALL people are capable of great things, and it's about time we begin to understand that.
Time to make those accountable who have enjoyed a "pass" for all this time.
It is very difficult to see my way clear of real "equality" in men, when I see those getting handouts and subsidies when they have no intention of providing ANY useful reciprocity to acknowledge those who give freely TO them.
That, my friends is INEQUALITY through SUPERIORITY (by way of taking from others to "even out the playing field").
It's also akin to socialism.
We ALL have to learn to succeed OR fail based soley on OUR OWN MERITS.
And then maybe....MAYBE people like Mr. Jackson won't have to become the latest statistic on some police blotter.
I don't mourn the family's loss. They could see it coming, but they're in denial, and as Mark Twain once stated:
"Denial ain't just a river in Egypt".
Put THAT on the tombstone...in case anyone forgets.
Stay safe out there, America.

02 March 2009

Monday Musings...
If there's one thing I can always find amusement in (aside from watching the local freak show pass by my windows daily), it's the Fort Wayne newspapers. Yeah, I still get the PRINTED version, so sue me. I like having that pulp in my hands while chugging down the morning "Joe".
Yesterday was no exception.
In the METRO section was an article on the "Airsoft Assault".
(rolls eyes)...Here we go again.
Now to the uninitiated, that might seem alarming, but to me, I saw this coming...for quite a while.
Here's the link to the Journal-gazette article:
http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090301/LOCAL/303019908/1002/LOCAL
If you check MY archives WAY back on 24 October 2006, I had a post about look-alike weapons.
I alluded to the fact that something like yesterday's article WAS coming...and how many were listening?
Show of hands?
Anyone?
Well, those at Carroll High School must be as "in touch" as I've been all these years, because I could see this coming like a jail on wheels.
And when it comes to look-alike weapons, I could write a few pages in ANY police department's book, trust me.
It's what I do.
But screwing around, or being otherwise irresponsible with ANY weapon is bad. And today's mock "firearm clones" make it all the more important that everyone pays the hell attention. Misuse of these items can get you killed. It's not your Lone Ranger cap guns or Red Ryder rifles anymore, people.

You treat EVERY weapon as if it's loaded (and with respect), and ALWAYS practice personal responsibility when owning or operating one (kinda like having a vehicle).
I own more than a few airsoft weapons, and YES, I call ANY device that expels a projectile a WEAPON, and deservedly so.
I also own a paintball pistol and a couple of BB pistols, and a pellet pistol (yes, Virginia, there ARE differences).

And I own REAL firearms (9mm, 12 ga, and a .44 cal percussion pistol).
The airsoft weapons utilize a 6mm PLASTIC "BB" (that's a bit larger than the bullet used in an M-16, btw).
The (spring and CO2) BB pistols I have fire a 4mm copper BB (which is a shade smaller than an M-16 bullet at .177 caliber - the M-16s use a .223 caliber slug, just as a point of reference).
The RAM4 pistol I own fires a .43 caliber rubber ball OR paintball (that's a shade smaller than a .45 ACP round).
While my airsoft weapons use a SPRING to expel the "BB", the paintball pistol uses CO2 to shoot the projectile at muzzle velocities approaching 400 FPS (that WILL leave a mark). Ditto for my CO2-powered copper BB pistols (yes, Ralphie, they WILL put your eye out).
But the BIG selling point on most ALL of these weapons is their REALISM!
They are all 1:1 scale, and many have weight added so they "feel" as real as the actual firearm.
Most all of these items are made overseas, but are easily obtained through mail order (online), Internet auctions on eBay, sporting goods stores (like Dicks or Cabela's), as well as Wal-Mart and K-Mart, which carry many of these pistols and long guns. Hell, we couldn't even BUY a BB pistol of pellet gun IN the city of Philadelphia, and that as back in the 1970s. My dad and I went out to Bensalem township (to a mall) to get ours, but yet, we could go down to the Delaware river and plink cans all damn day...go figure.
Over the years, I've procured mine through all of the sources mentioned with great success.
And I will tell you straight away, ALL of mine LOOK REAL!
I "modified" them on purpose (for me), and I make NO bones about it.
Then again, I live in the "blighted" area of this city, and ANY little bit of "intimidation" I can muster without packing REAL heat 24/7/365 is an advantage I can live with. It's just part of "surviving" down here.
A few years back, I chased some argumentative ethnics off of my property with a spotlight, an AIRSOFT pistol, a damn loud voice and abrupt attitude.
If you know HOW to confront a situation, you WILL have the advantage. How to follow up ON that advantage will determine how well you can bluff the opposition, and nine times out of ten, THEY will back the hell off. It all comes down to "knowing your enemy".
You just have to avoid that "tenth" time, that's all...lol.
But let's look at those that have "other things" in mind when they come into possession of one of these airsoft weapons...
We have more than enough criminals WITH INTENT to bluff their way past a robbery, be it residential or business, using an airsoft weapon.
And they get away with it because people give them the benefit of the doubt as to the weapon being real, and that will SAVE a life or two in the process. So it's no surprise that the LEOs out there will respond to ANY threat with a look-alike weapon as a REAL weapon. The alternative could COST someone a life.
Now I always speak to the fact that we have so many dumb-ass criminals around, but the actuality is that these thugs are really not "stupid" in the strictest sense. Hell, they KNOW damn well WTF they're doing when they decide to commit a crime.
The stupidity enters into it regarding the MANNER they execute that crime.
You can rob a store (with an airsoft pistol) in broad daylight that has security cams all over and a gun-toting employee (stupid), OR you can scope the place out, wait until after closing, and go in through an adjoining wall from another place not so well secured, take out the camera system, bypass the alarms and make your getaway (smart).
If local trends are any indicator of the increased use of airsoft weapons in committing crime (stores report higher sales of such weapons), then expect some sort of BAN on them, just as other cities already have in place (Chicago, NYC, L.A., Detroit..well you see the pattern here).
And you can thank our criminals for that, or you can keep your head in the sand and blame the economy.
As a "city boy" that grew up with every type of toy gun imaginable (and knew what a "zip gun" was, and how to make them to boot), I don't intend to hand over my purchases that easy. That was part of my childhood, and did not turn me into some violence-crazed criminal, hell bent on shooting everyone in range.
But I will admit that my neighbors give me pause to reconsider that chain of thought at times.
I would suffer no great loss, nor shed any tears should ALL the "locals" up and drop dead from lead poisoning tomorrow.
In fact, that would be a damn good start (to reclaiming this neighborhood).
Yes, the days of "playing" Cops & Robbers are long gone, supplanted with the REAL version of the same neighborhood "game", only THIS time, the guns are REAL (or at least airsoft), and the crimes are REAL as well.
Ditto for Cowboys and Indians, but at least that's just not politically correct these days.
Kind of makes you wonder what today's kids DO with all that pent-up hostility when you can't let Billy go outside, whip out the old Hubley cap gun, and "bust a roll" into his buddies after school, can you?
(that's what more violent VIDEO GAMES are for, right?)
Oh, wait...they're shooting one another FOR REAL, aren't they now?
Well, as Dickens would say: "Better for them to die and decrease the surplus population".
(Damn, Bob...that's a bit severe, don'cha think?)
Now I know that Dickens was referring to Victorian era poverty and debtors prison in England, and NOT to kids committing crimes with guns on OUR streets, but it sure sounds like he was onto something.
Used to be an old saying that went: "If you LIVE by the gun, you will DIE by the gun".
Never heard anything said about AIRSOFT, though...weird, huh?
Stay safe out there, America.