Monday Musings - Labor Day Edition...
I know most of you are still reveling in the resignation of the (ho, ho, ho) "Green Jobs Czar", Van Jones...and it's about time, but let's put this crap aside for a spell and take in some of what today is.
Today is Labor Day.
This is one of those "cool" holidays...and by that I mean it celebrates something (or rather someone) we often take purely for granted.
And that's the WORKING men and women of this nation.
We always have the obvious holidays like Christmas, or Thanksgiving, and Easter.
And we also have the PATRIOTIC holidays like Veteran's Day, The 4th of July, and Memorial Day.
We do also celebrate religious holidays of various faiths throughout our year.
But today always seems a little different.
None of the fireworks, the fol-de-rol, the pageantry...just plain old sighs of relief by the working class stiffs.
It's a day to TAKE IT EASY...to receive acknowledgment for being one of the "grunts in the trenches", as it were.
Here's the WIKI on today:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_Day
To all of you that have toiled or are still toiling for that paycheck...this is YOUR day!
Now granted, today is ALSO utilized by stores to have yet ANOTHER sale day.
I guess even some people can't figure it out...
Yes, Virginia, even though today honors those of the working class, that does NOT mean that ALL work is suspended for 24 hours...heaven forbid.
The police still patrol our streets, firefighters still answer that bell when needed. Doctors and nurses still care for the sick and infirm. Pilots still fly airliners, captains still sail cargo ships, and even the neighborhood ice cream man still makes his rounds.
Some people are just "lucky" like that...
Actually, today means JUST as much to THEM, as it does to those who DO have the day off.
And it's to THEM that today should mean a little bit more to the rest of us.
Personally, I can't imagine WHAT would transpire should EVERYONE have today off...can you?
It would be total chaos, and we've got enough of that across the globe as it is. And speaking of "across the globe", today pertains to EVERY single one of our men and women in military uniform perhaps MORE than in any other occupation.
For it's these brave souls that have ALLOWED us to enjoy the ability to freely work HERE...to pursue the careers of OUR choice, and to enable us to have that "day off" in the first place.
So today, we fly our nation's flag to honor THEM.
Like I said...today IS a COOL holiday.
Yet, there is a bit of a "down side" to this, unfortunately...
I look about my neighborhood, and I see way too many perfectly healthy and fit people who DO not, HAVE not, nor EVER WISH to work.
And they also have the exact same freedoms as the rest of us.
They look at today as "just another day to party"...and that's sad.
They don't see today (or any holiday for that matter) as a way of HONORING anything or anyone.
If it were up to me, I'd make sure that every one of these people WOULD work today...just so they get an idea of what it's like to be RESPONSIBLE. I think that's only fair.
I mean, when EVERY day is a "holiday", you SHOULD take a break...once in a while.
Then again, these folks don't operate on the same societal plane as most other normal people do.
They are still living under the misconception that the solar system revolves around THEM.
Must be all the gub'ment money making them giddy that way.
That's a pitiful life they lead...pitiful.
We, as the working class, appreciate that for which we work...and we appreciate the fact that we CAN work...earn a living, and save to purchase not only what we NEED, but also a few things that we "want".
That is what our lives are all about.
Without the ability to work...to achieve, to financially support OURSELVES, we are lessened individuals, and fail miserably as a race.
We NEED to work...to build...to prosper as a people. It's in our blood to do so.
That's what BUILT this nation in the first damn place; people who busted their asses every day creating everything we see around us.
WE, the people built the houses, the stores, the office buildings, the airports, the docks, the very Capitol itself.
WE did it...and for the right reasons.
WE built the Panama Canal, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Brooklyn Bridge, The Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and yes, even the World trade Center.
Had it not been for the ingenuity OF Americans over the centuries, as well as their perspicacity and stubborn dedication for a better nation, we'd be just another 3rd world country.
I think we "done good" in that respect.
So as you fire up the grill, or go visit the relatives, think on some of the things mentioned here.
YOU, as a worker of this nation, OUR nation...made today possible.
Enjoy yourselves...you have definitely EARNED it.
Stay safe out there, America.

Weekend Roundup...
Well, gang...here we are staring at the Labor Day weekend, and I'm sure all of you are chomping at the bit getting that "last gasp of Summer" into your personal record books, right?
So, without any further ado, let's crack open the recently de-classified files and see what's been going on.
** From the "Just Another Brick In The Wall" Department:
President Obama's "message to our children", which is scheduled to air on 8 September at 1200 hrs is meeting with mixed reactions from parents.
Some are saying it's perfectly fine, as former President Bush (senior) did something similar back in 1991. Other parents are concerned this is a facade for something a bit more "insidious".
I'm on the fence on this one.
My take, is that IF Obama sticks PURELY to education, and the value of STAYING IN SCHOOL, without any hype or any rhetoric about "service", then that's fine. If, on the other hand it DOES appear to be laced with subliminal messages or propagandized words or phrases, then I would have to look a bit deeper into it.
But let's be honest, people. This administration has WAY too many questions surrounding it, and we're basically getting NO answers along the way, aren't we? So, in the best interest of our nation, and especially our children, perhaps it IS in EVERYONE'S interest that we approach this speech with "caution", and be willing to ask questions when and if we feel the need to.
I mean, I sure wouldn't want MY child to grow up to be another Van Jones...would you?
** From the "Innocent victims? Really?" Department:
Got an update on that double homicide on Fort Wayne's S/E side late Tuesday night:
Coroner IDs slain mother, daughter / Holly Abrams-The Journal Gazette
The Allen County Coroner’s Office has identified the mother and daughter shot to death inside their south-side home Tuesday.
Danita Shang James, 49, and her daughter, Keysha Zitia James, 31, were pronounced dead inside their home at 3417 Oliver St., moments after police arrived.
Officers were called to a shooting at that address, just north of Oxford Street, about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Both women were shot to death, according to autopsy results. Their deaths were ruled the county’s 14th and 15th homicides this year.
Police, meanwhile, said they have few details on what might have prompted the killings.
They have said they believe it was a home invasion. Moments after gunshots were fired, a witness reported seeing two men running from the area. Both men had their faces covered, officer Michael Joyner said.
"It’s highly probable the individuals seen running from the house were in the house," Joyner said.
Police have not released a motive for the killing or suspect descriptions, and no arrests have been made.
A neighbor said the James women lived at the Oliver Street home for about a year and that Keysha James had a son and a daughter. Police said two other people, including a child, were in the home at the time of the shooting, but were not harmed.
Danita James spent time in prison and has used the aliases "Donita" and "Denise" in the past, Allen County Jail officials said.
She was convicted in Allen County on two counts of theft and one count of dealing cocaine.
She was released from prison in January, according to Indiana Department of Correction officials.
And by the looks of those photos, both of them had MUG SHOTS...so much for being the "model" neighbors that some would want you to believe they were.
People have weird ways of DEFINING things these days.
For example, whenever you hear about an INNER CITY neighborhood as being a "quiet" neighborhood, that doesn't mean what the words say. It DOES mean that the area has FEWER gunshots, drug deals, muggings, loud music than say that "other" neighborhood a few blocks over. But, compared to what we know to be a NORMAL neighborhood, yeah, it's still noisier than hell!
I suppose if one were DEAF, most ANY of these blighted areas (including MINE) WOULD be considered QUIET...but that's just me.
** From the "See? It Can Happen To You" Department:
Club-goer charged with passing phony $100 bills / The Journal Gazette
A Fort Wayne man faces a formal counterfeiting charge, accused of passing fake money at a local club.
Noah McIntosh, 25, of the 5700 block of Woodlea Avenue, was being held in lieu of $2,500 bail.
Police said McIntosh passed three $100 counterfeit bills July 19 to pay for drinks at Piere’s Entertainment Center, 5629 St. Joe Road. An off-duty police officer working security at the club was told about the bills by a bartender, court records filed Thursday said. Police noticed the bills "felt unusual" and had no security strips in them.
Last week, Fort Wayne police said they had noticed an increase since May in the number of people reporting counterfeit money.
Now, it's yet to be determined if THIS guy is the one making all this "funny munny", but you can be SURE the SECRET SERVICE is having a nice, LONG talk with him. And there is a line of OTHER federal agencies just WAITING their turn to "chat".
Yeah, the U. S. Treasury department is like that.
They don't take kindly to OTHER people making THEIR money...they much prefer to PRINT THEIR OWN, regardless of the (lack of) value backing those bucks up these days.
** From the "We're Not getting OLDER, We're Getting BROKER" Department.
Hidden pockets of elderly said to be in poverty
By HOPE YEN -AP - WASHINGTON –
The official poverty rate for Americans 65 years and older has stood for years at 10 percent, the lowest rate among age groups. But the true rate could be nearly twice that high, according to a revised formula created by the National Academy of Sciences that is gaining favor among public officials, including some in the Obama administration.
The NAS formula would put the poverty rate for older Americans at 18.6 percent, or 6.8 million people, compared with 9.7 percent, or 3.6 million people, under the existing measure.
The original government formula, created in 1955, doesn't take account of rising costs of medical care and other factors.
"It's a hidden problem," said Robin Talbert, president of the AARP Foundation, which provides job training and support to low-income seniors and is backing legislation that would adopt the NAS formula. "There are still many millions of older people on the edge, who don't have what they need to get by."
If the academy's formula is adopted, a more refined picture of American poverty could emerge that would capture everyday costs of necessities besides just food. The result could upend long-standing notions of those in greatest need and lead eventually to shifts in how billions of federal dollars for the poor are distributed for health, housing, nutrition and child-care benefits.
The overall official poverty rate would increase, from 12.5 percent to 15.3 percent, for a total of 45.7 million people, according to rough calculations by the Census Bureau.
Data on all segments, not only the elderly, would be affected:
- The rate for children under 18 in poverty would decline slightly, to 17.9 percent.
- Single mothers and their children, who disproportionately receive food stamps, would see declines in the rates of poverty because noncash aid would be taken into account.
Low-income people who are working could see increases in poverty rates, a reflection of transportation and child-care costs.
- Cities with higher costs of living, such as New York, Chicago and San Francisco, would see higher poverty rates, while more rural areas in the Midwest and South might see declines.
- The rate for extreme poverty, defined as income falling below 50 percent of the poverty line, would decrease due to housing and other noncash benefits.
- Immigrant poverty rates would go up, due to transportation costs and lower participation in government aid programs.
The changes have been discussed quietly for years in academic circles, and both Democrats and Republicans agree that the decades-old White House formula, which is based on a 1955 cost of an emergency food diet, is outdated.
The current calculation sets the poverty level at three times the annual cost of groceries.
For a family of four that is $21,203. That calculation does not factor in rising medical, transportation, child care and housing expenses or geographical variations in living costs.
Nor does the current formula consider noncash aid when calculating income, despite the recent expansion of food stamps and tax credits in the federal economic stimulus and other government programs. The result: The poverty rate has varied little from its current 12. percent.
Next week, the Census Bureau will publish official poverty figures for 2008 with a cautionary note about the shortcomings. The agency says it will expedite release of alternative numbers in the following weeks, because of the interest expressed by lawmakers and the Obama administration in seeing a fuller range of numbers.
"The current poverty measure does a very bad job of measuring the impact of quite a few of our anti-poverty policies," Rebecca Blank, the Commerce Department's undersecretary of economic affairs, said in an interview. "It isn't meaningless, but it isn't complete."
Although the White House Office of Management and Budget dictates how federal poverty is measured, legislation pending in Congress would require use of the National Academy approach.
Advocates are hoping the White House may act on its own.
Simon Norwood of Little Rock, Ark., 56, says he's still keeping faith in that promise.
A lifelong construction worker who receives food stamps, Norwood hasn't had regular work for months once jobs dried up in the housing meltdown. He doesn't dare to think about getting sick or injured because he doesn't know whether he could cover the expenses.
Now working a part-time, minimum-wage job, Norwood said it doesn't matter to him how the poverty numbers are sliced so long as people get a fair shake at getting assistance.
"I often tell my son, 'You've got to save your money. Live within your means,'" he said.
"Because you never know when things might take a turn."
Well, there you have it...as we age, we're gonna be poor...DAMN, and I was looking to the autumn of my years with a LOT more of the GOOD kind of "excitement" (as if my neighborhood doesn't provide ample diversion as it is), instead of all this BAD excitement.
Well, you ALSO have people moving BACK with their parents, placing undue financial burdens upon those of my generation. That wasn't mentioned in the article...guess the "pros" didn't take the time to check out those "blighted" areas of most cities, hmm?
It was a damn shame my Dad died THREE YEARS before he could retire (at age 60)...that sucked. He was basically ROBBED of some "quiet time" after serving his nation during WW2, and working like a dog since he returned, raising me, and taking care of a house and all the bills that accompany a family venue.
I know if he were alive today, THIS kind of story would KILL him. Maybe he was just "avoiding the rush".
In any event, people, we're FAR from being "out of the woods" on many of the basic tenets of living.
I'm a FIRM believer in the phase:
LIVING WITHIN YOUR MEANS.
Dad had a quaint saying:
"Never develop CHAMPAGNE taste, when you have a BEER pocketbook".
And I never did....thanks, Dad!
There's a message we can ALL get on board with, no matter WHAT our age.
We'll see all of you back here Monday, so have a great weekend, and...
Stay safe out there, America.

Hi-Yo, Silver...Away...
When I was a mere youth, knee-high to most grasshoppers, there was one constant in my rapidly expanding universe, and that was THE LONE RANGER.
There was just no one like him.
And there never will be again (sadly).
He was one of my FIRST heroes, aside from my DAD, of course, who always was, and always will be my #1 hero.
And in some ways, I sometimes wished that Dad had a white horse, and carried silver bullets.
Instead, Dad had a black Rambler American and carried the family paycheck.
That seemed plenty good enough for us.
But, to this day, I STILL like the Lone Ranger, even though my bubble burst a bit when Jay Silverheels and Clayton Moore passed on to that vast prairie in the sky.
A dear friend of mine, who lives in Delaware now, even sent me a 2 DVD set of those old shows...and you know what? They still work for me. How can you NOT like a guy who goes around righting wrongs, and yet NEVER killed one, single bad guy? The Lone Ranger always shot to "wound"...never kill outright...amazing marksmanship. (and maybe a low budget for the studio...couldn't afford fake blood...who knows and who cares?) It's still cool to me.
Interestingly enough, that TV show was the FIRST to feature a NATIVE AMERICAN in a starring role.
Not too shabby for those Cold War 1950s.
I even had a pair of shiny, chromed "Colt 45-six-shooter" cap guns just like these right here (we all remember ROLL CAPS, right?), contained in dual holsters that mom had to add extra holes in the belt for, JUST so they wouldn't fall about my ankles when I saddled up and "hobby-horsed" into the sunset (after dinner, naturally)...LOL.
Wish I still had those buggers...bet 'ya they'd be worth a LOT of $$$.
Flash-forward about FIFTY years...
The values that the Lone Ranger brought to children (then) are STILL with me.
--Obey the law.
--Do good whenever possible.
--Help others in need.
Yeah, that kind of stuff....never seems to get old, does it?
Yet in today's world, the "bad guys" don't all wear black hats, or are as blatant about the crimes they might commit, and that makes sorting them all out a bit more confusing.
Still, if there was one thing the Lone ranger did was TEACH BY EXAMPLE (even if he DID wear a mask).
Ditto for Tonto (sans the mask).
Now I might not have those silver bullet-filled Colt .45s these days, but I do have something almost as good.
I have acquired my own .45 pistol.
It's a little honey called the Taurus PT 145 Millenium Pro (mil-pro) autoloader.
My newest "toy" is really state of the art when it comes to compact pistols that pack a wallop, too. It carries 10 in the mag plus 1 in the chamber (two less than the Lone Ranger's guns), weighs a mere 23 ounces (empty), and can be concealed with no trouble at all. It fits the hand great, is balanced well, field-strips like a dream, and from what all the reviews I've read (which were too numerous to mention), is a damn fine shooter...in other words, it'spretty damn ACCURATE, and will digest ANY flavor of .45 ACP ammo as well as .45 G.A.P., with NO jams or hangups. That in itself is a testimony to quality of workmanship.
(Not bad for a Brazilian-made firearm)
Plus, I always like hitting what I aim at, no matter the brand of bullets.
I just hope when I get to shoot it (which I wish were ASAP) I can echo those reviews. I think it will work out just fine.
You simply can't beat this pistol when it comes to real "bang for your buck".
I have NOT read one single NEGATIVE review of this weapon, which has been on the market for a few years.
I HAVE read where guys have let their "significant others" shoot this piece, and even THEY liked it, and wanted to get one for personal protection. Can't top that, can you?
Girls with guns...now THAT is a rush at any local range!
Many people will call it a "mousegun", because of it''s size, but just like me...never judge anything OR anyone on SIZE alone. Hell, I'm only 5'7", but you learn things in life, that make you feel a bit taller along the way.
(when one is "vertically-challenged", one does whatever one can)
And yesterday, when I purchased that pistol, I could have sworn I felt at least several inches TALLER when I left that gun shop.
It is one hell of an equalizer, and in today's world, you need ALL the help you can afford. There are evil people out there, trust me.
I am kind of glad I didn't embrace the '50s TV show SKY KING as readily as I did the LONE RANGER...I can't imagine HOW the hell I would ever afford to buy an AIRPLANE (or explain it to the missus)...!
(Yeah, he was a cowboy that FLEW a plane..."Out of the blue of the Western skies").
Now, I only wish I had a "faithful Indian companion" to complete everything...LOL.
Good allies are SO hard to come by these days, especially in MY neighborhood!
But, I now have my very own ".45", and I think somewhere that Dad as well as the Lone Ranger & Tonto are smiling in approval.
OK, so I might not BE anything close to an incarnation OF the Lone Ranger, but there is not one damn thing wrong with espousing the values he taught to every one of us wide-eyed kids way back in the fifties.
I do subscribe to the fact that I AM one of the "good guys", and that's something I won't retreat from one bit.
Some might think that a bit on the "patriotic" side...I really don't, but I appreciate those who feel that way.
The REAL patriots are those fighting for freedom overseas, or here on our streets.
I'm just one guy...trying my damnedest to do what is right these days, and protect those I care for in the process.
If that's the definition of a patriot, then I plead guilty.
And in case any of you are curious...NO, I don't plan to paint my BLACK Firebird WHITE...OR call it "Silver" in the future.
Now...about that concealed-carry permit....mmmmm.
Stay safe out there, America.

Humpday Happenings...
Good morning you "mobsters", and welcome once again to another mid-week edition of: "WTF is going on and how can I stop it, or at least slow it the hell DOWN so I can take it all in?"
There are some very interesting things occurring these days, and whether you like it or not, you ARE all part of it.
** First off the deck, another NEW show premiered last night on, of all channels...SPIKE.
The show is called SURVIVING DISASTER, hosted by an ex-navy SEAL named Cade Courtley, and this boy's definitely got his collective sh*t together.
The first episode showed what you CAN do if the plane you're flying on is hijacked.
Everything from taking down the hijackers, to emergency medical procedures, to landing the damn plane was covered.
Next week's episode will cover what to do in the event of a high-rise office building fire.
The recreations are as real as they get, and the people/stuntmen portraying the "other folks" are well chosen.
The strategies and tactics are sound, and the knowledge you can glean from this show CAN (and most likely would) SAVE YOUR LIFE (as the host states).
Now, when I think of REALITY TV, shows like THIS come to mind. Considering that, aside from talent shows from the past (G.E. College Bowl and Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour), the show that REALLY kicked off this whole trend was a show called COPS, I'm finally glad to see more shows that deal with ACTUAL, REAL situations (even if they are simulated in nature).
It's liken to the shows such as Real Vice Cops, Police Women of Broward County, DEA, Special Ops Mission, and the several SWAT shows (Dallas, Kansas City, Detroit) being televised now.
It will NOT be a waste of an hour of your time, trust me on this one!
** And speaking of "reality"...
This in today's Fort Wayne paper:
((2 Women Found Shot to Death on South Side -Holly Abrams/The Journal Gazette-
Two women were found dead late Tuesday after police were called to a shooting on the city’s south side.
Police said the victims might have been killed during a home invasion. "There appears to be some forced entry to the front door," said Officer Scott Tegtmeyer, police spokesman.
Police were called just before 11:30 p.m. to 3417 Oliver St., just north of Oxford Street. Both victims appeared to be adults.
Police were waiting for a warrant early today so they could search the home, Tegtmeyer said.
Officers were interviewing witnesses, including two other people who were home at the time. They were not injured.
No one has been arrested.
Police were called to two shootings before they were called to Oliver Street.
Those shootings do not appear to be related to the deaths on Oliver Street, Tegtmeyer said.))
It was also said that this double homicide did NOT appear to be "random", and that this particular house was most likely targeted.
Two black males were seen running from the scene, and no arrest have been made as of this posting.
This should make 15 HOMICIDES so far this year (for those with betting pools at work). I think we can still make 25...IF we get serious.
** Who said women are not being treated "equally" these days in MY part of town?
((Coke bust also nets stolen gun - The Journal Gazette
A Fort Wayne woman was arrested Tuesday on multiple felony charges after she allegedly sold cocaine to undercover detectives, Fort Wayne police said.
Ruby Jewel Lamb, 58, of the 4000 block of Plaza Drive, is charged with three counts of dealing cocaine and single counts of cocaine possession, possession of stolen property and being a serious violent felon in possession of a firearm.
She was being held in lieu of $225,000 bail. Police searched Lamb’s home after conducting previous undercover drug buys. When
officers searched the home, they found a stolen handgun in Lamb’s bedroom. They also found Marquaylon Johnson, 22, of the 4500 block of Kenilworth Street. Johnson faces a felony cocaine possession charge.
He was being held in lieu of $3,250 bail.))
** And just so we don't leave out the WHITE trash of our area:
((Man caught with meth near school - The Journal Gazette
A man was arrested Monday in Kosciusko County after he was caught near Sacred Heart School with materials to make methamphetamine, sheriff’s deputies said.
Just after 1 p.m., deputies were notified that a man was trying to buy pseudoephedrine – used to make meth – from the Walgreens pharmacy in Warsaw.
Douglas Fancil Jr., 35, of New Paris, had several materials with him used to make meth, deputies said.
Fancil was charged with possession of meth within 1,000 feet of a school and driving with a suspended license.
He was being held in lieu of $21,000 bail at Kosciusko County jail.))
"Poverty" sure does STRANGE sh*t to people...doesn't it?
Oh, wait...all these people are probably only FEIGNING being poor...betcha that guy wanted to buy the meth ingredients with that gov't check money he just received. And that would explain the shootings...that gov't check had to have paid for some AMMO!
Or...maybe it was the DRUGS the two males were selling that allowed them to secure a FIREARM and the ammo...yeah, that's gotta be it. See, there's always a "rational" explanation to human behavior.
BTW...I am also the REAL Pope (not bad for a Methodist)...LOL!
** And along those lines...
I am looking into uprating my home and personal defense firepower, and by the end of today, I will have completed that mission. I will fill everyone in on tomorrow's post regarding that. Let's just say it's worth not getting my car's air-conditioner fixed THIS year (again)...!
(I will work on those seat belts though...I promise)
You see, when you live in an area that, thanks to a lot of people, who, for one reason or another refused to STAY in the homes they had that were already PAID OFF, and moved into some long-term debt with another house far from this madding crowd, you find yourself with an ever-shrinking cadre of allies with which to fend off the rising tide of "ghettoesque" human flotsam.
I like to call myself "A Neighborhood Association of One".
Deadbeat landlords buy up these houses for a fast buck (druggies love to pay in CASH for some reason), and that's about all they can see are those dollar signs. Properties get trashed and condemned by the city (but rarely torn the hell down), so they sit...and fester like a boil on Fort Wayne's Southeast ass.
And when you have all of the refuse society has to offer coming to a neighborhood near YOU, you see again that "instant gratification" aspect rear it's ugly head. Hell, even DECENT BLACK people don't even want to live here any longer, and if they already DO, they're just as frightened as YOU are, and they keep to THEMSELVES, just as YOU do.
Besides, I like having some anonymity and keeping to myself (in this area these days).
Makes others wonder WHO I am...and that gives me a tactical advantage in damn near any situation.
They don't know WHAT to expect...I love it.
People do ask me about being scared living here, and I tell them: "You're damned right I'm scared...only an idiot (or another drug dealer or user) would be stupid enough to NOT be scared".
But I never look at that as being a HINDRANCE, but rather a HELP to me.
Being a bit scared keeps you AWARE...on your toes, and vigilant.
It's when you relax your guard that sh*t WILL happen...doesn't matter if you're cruising the inner city, walking in a parking lot, rt in combat in some God-forsaken country overseas.
So, you learn to stop, look, and listen....a lot.
And you NEVER appear like a victim....you appear IN control and confident.
Nevertheless, you HOPE you've done everything you can to protect you and yours...and by the numbers.
You might check those doors and windows a few more times than regular people would...
You check about whenever you hear a noise you should NOT be hearing, and you learn to become accustomed to noises you know the house (and those within the walls) SHOULD be making.
For example, I know every inch of this house, and can find my way about in total darkness. I know which floorboards creak and where to step to NOT make them creak. And believe me, this post-WW2 era house does have it's share of eccentricities, when it comes to ambient noise. It loves to "snap, crackle, and pop" whenever the weather changes seasons...LOL.
If nothing else, it makes me damn glad I paid attention earlier in life when things like this were SOP.
Still, it would have been nice to put it all aside for the "autumn" of one's life. You'd like to believe that as you wind down, you can take it all a bit easier than in decades past.
Yeah, it would have been...real nice.
But 'ya gotta do what 'ya gotta do.
That also, is part of life...like it or not.
And the last time I checked, NO ONE ever said life was meant to be all sunshine and lollipops.
Life IS meant to be LIVED, however.
And live it...I WILL (as will all of you).
In the meantime...
Stay safe out there, America.

Oh, the Humanity...
Wouldn't it be really nice to sit back, and watch from a distance as to how this world will wind up in say...20, 30, or even 50 years from now? Be nice to not have to get involved, but just be an observer...taking notes, making lists, and chronicling history as it unfolds.
Well, as the song goes..."You can't always get what you want".
Still, we are living in times our ancestors could only dream of (and they'd probably think it was more like a NIGHTMARE, than a dream).
We are witnesses to history.
All in REAL TIME...with NO "do-overs".
What we see is what we get...period.
If it's not Marxists in the inner circle of the White House "staff", it's "czars" out the wazoo.
If it's not some ill-conceived and illogical "tenet" to SPEND one's way out of debt, it's wasting even MORE money to have governmental control of banks, car makers, and who knows what else.
But, like my Mom used to say: "It could always be worse, son".
Nice thought...and by the way this nation is being run, it probably WILL BE...soon enough.
You can pick any ONE facet of this nations problems, and see them for what they are.
And we have problems in abundance these days.
Take the illegal drug situation just in the state of Indiana.
Almost without missing a beat, you can read about drug deals, drug arrests, drug confiscations damn near EVERY day here.
And why IS that, do you suppose?
Well, there ARE those people that erroneously believe that drug USE can be blamed on the loss of ALL those manufacturing jobs.
Do *I* hold to that belief?
Not so much...and here's why.
When you've lost a job, and nothing surfaces on the immediate horizon...sure, you can get depressed, but instead of that feeling motivating you into even MORE (positive) action, many people retreat into drug use. Like THAT will make ALL those problems disappear.
They started a vicious cycle that they will never be able to break on their own, without some help.
Americans have always been a resilient people...but that was a while back. Today, people want (and in some cases demand) that "instant gratification" I mentioned with kids in YESTERDAY'S post, and what better way to find it, than at the business end of a crack pipe...or a blunt...or a syringe. But doing THAT costs MONEY...money these people don't readily have.
Some will turn to CRIME to get the money...others will fore go normal, basic amenities like FOOD...or paying bills, or even taking care of their kids, leaving THEM to fend for themselves in too many cases.
(and providing an excellent "role model" along the way)
But this is representative of a PART of those displaced workers...and NOT the majority of them (thankfully).
We can't "blame" job losses for a rise in drugs.
After all, how do you account for drug use with minorities in low-income situations?
In my neighborhood, you can count the number of people gainfully employed on ONE FRIGGING HAND!
So, what about everyone else?
Well, they're NOT working...and not even TRYING to seek employment, because they're on the dole...aka WELFARE.
And they've been there for YEARS.
Never even TRIED to look for any job.
Never even tried to start their OWN business.
Never have done much of ANYTHING, come to think of it.
And they USE drugs a lot more liberally that most people, if they're NOT selling them. Some do both.
I mean, how can you account for ALL the "new" vehicles driving about...or the DONKS cruising the area with (gag-a-maggot) specialty paint jobs, huge rims that cost a few thousand bucks and a killer audio system you can hear blocks away...when these people DO NOT work?
Welfare does NOT pay out THAT damn much...neither does ANY form of unemployment OR disability.
So...someone is dealing drugs....(gee,Bob...'ya think?)
Well, one can look no farther than the number of thefts from vehicles, stolen vehicles, burglaries and robberies (both business and residential) to see where all this is going.
Job losses are never a true barometer to drug use...ditto for "poverty".
Poor people should not be ABLE TO AFFORD drugs...hell, they say they can't even afford FOOD, so how the hell can they still afford crack...or pot?
Especially with a "nickel bag" going for like $20...instead of the old $5 days I remember on the streets.
(yeah, inflation affects EVERYTHING, people...even the quality of the items being distributed)
What is driving drug use has to be the "instant gratification" factor...as I said yesterday.
Guy goes into a store, brandishes a pistol (could even be a BB gun) and walks out with money...to get drugs. Simple, huh?
This is repeated with an annoying frequency around my city of Fort Wayne.
And it's much worse in larger cities with larger numbers of "disenfranchised" people (especially minorities).
That's just the facts.
Minorities represent the largest number of UNEMPLOYED people...and the largest number of people committing the crimes in areas like that.
But whitey's been busy too...with METH.
We've got "smurfers" all over the place, driving around with "shake-n-bakes" in their back seats, next to infants strapped in car seats.
They might be pulling up alongside you at the next traffic light.
Nothing says "responsible parent" QUITE like THAT, does it?
Rural areas have become a new battleground for growing pot, as the increasing number of huge busts in those areas by local authorities will testify. We can add that to the increased traffic from south of our border, as well as from Canada. (they like to run *E* ...ecstasy down here)
Poor farmer Bill, who's just trying to grow his CORN crop and eek out a living, might be visited by the DEA when an aerial flyover discovers about 400 marijuana plants growing among his crop on the "south 40".
He didn't know they were there, but someone else sure did.
Now, we could just ship all the druggies down to MEXICO, where they can toke and shoot up on the damn streets these days (law was passed just last week, as I stated here), which would be a nice tit-for-tat for all the ILLEGALS that have come HERE.
Or, we can bust all their asses, overcrowd the jails even MORE, and really burst the penal system at the seams...
Or, we could legalize some of this sh*t...and become another nation JUST LIKE MEXICO...or HOLLAND...or AFGHANISTAN.
(By the looks of the government push for takeovers these days, we're trying like hell).
Hindsight is ALWAYS "20-20".
We SHOULD have been making better decisions DECADES ago.
We SHOULD have turned off the "instant gratification" faucet when we had the chance.
The genie is already out of the bottle, and you can never get it back in, so we're faced with some hard decisions.
We NEED to step back, regroup, and come at these drug dealers HARD, FAST, and CONTINUOUS.
We NEED to punish those who influence the trade...ALL of them.
We NEED to stop the generational dependence on these poisons.
Many financial aid systems in this nation are beyond repair, as a result.
People have to take control of THEIR OWN lives...and break the chains of dependency, which has become a new form of slavery in America.
This nation was built upon the backs of STRONG people...not people who had their hands out, or those who were too damn lazy to raise an axe to fell a tree, or handle a bucket to fetch some water.
If there is ANY dependence to be found, it needs to be WITHIN OURSELVES. Learn to depend on YOURSELF...FIRST.
Once you do that, THEN you can be someone who can show others how to depend on THEMSELVES.
You can LEAD...and TEACH...by example.
That is what MADE this nation.
It worked before, and it WILL work again.
So, while you're cogitating on all that...
Stay safe out there, America.