Odds And Ends...
Tuesdays tend to be one of those "cast off" days. It's not the START of a week, nor is it the END of a week. It's certainly not the MIDDLE of the week, either, nor is it part of the weekends we relish so much.
We're still climbing that mountain to "humpday" with Tuesdays.
No "coasting" allowed, folks.
If I were to buy a new car (perish the thought), I'd opt for finding one that was built on a TUESDAY.
Seems to be more pride put into things made on a Tuesday.
And I believe my current car WAS built on such a day as this. I mean how else could I account for it's longevity, hmm?
This past Sunday, I took ye olde Firebird out to gas it up in Waynedale, and I drove over Winchester Rd. which is scenic, if a bit short in duration....lots of winding road and trees. Broadview Nursery is along this stretch of road, too for those who are familiar with the area.
I kept to the speed limit (unposted - 35 MPH), and I could feel myself smiling slightly as I was driving...didn't know why at first.
Then it hit me.
I STILL love driving this car!
It's an "honest" car, in that what you "feel" through the wheel is what the car will do...very little body roll through the turns, and good acceleration for a 2.8L V-6 (no turbo or sequential fuel injection, either).
Wifey's car is big compared to mine, but it tends to roll more into turns.

I've always been a person of simple pleasures, and Sunday's morning drive was just that...and a guilty pleasure at that...lol.
Trouble with that , is that I always have to return to our house, which isn't all that bad either, until you realize WHERE it's located, and WHO lives all about you...
Well, it WAS fun, if a bit short-lived. I must do that again some morning...soon.
But enough about man's love affair with the machinations of transport.
In the meantime, we've lots of other things happening all over the place in our fair city, such as these:
*** A followup to that story about the man accosted while walking his dog last week.
(( A Fort Wayne man accused of a robbery on the Rivergreenway last week has been formally charged with robbery, according to Allen Superior Court records filed Monday. Melvin Murdock, 40, of the 1400 block of Summit Street, faces a sole robbery count.
He was being held in lieu of $10,000 bail.
Police say Murdock, along with James Jacquelle Davis, 19, and Tyrell Lavon Williams, 18, tried to rob a 28-year-old man after an encounter on the River Greenway outside his apartment at 1001 Edgewater Ave. on April 3, according to court documents.
During the botched robbery, the the victim stabbed Williams to death after the three forced the resident into his apartment at gunpoint, court documents said.
Murdock told detectives the victim approached them on the greenway, offered them a flashlight and invited them inside to smoke marijuana, court documents said. ))
Well, imagine that. How much do 'ya want to bet that the "defense" for these thugs pleads that the victim as trying to "entrap" the defendants by luring them back to smoke pot? At least Davis turned himself into the FWPD late last week, and Murdock also turned himself in shortly after. Seems he might have been the "ring-leader" of this terrible trio (now just a dumbass DUO).
*** The city has had it's ELEVENTH homicide (for those keeping score)...
(( The shooting death of a city woman has been ruled a homicide, and Fort Wayne police are seeking the public’s help in locating a man wanted for questioning in connection with the death.
An autopsy completed Monday revealed that Carmen D. Ramos, 33, was shot to death. Her death was ruled the 11th homicide in Allen County this year. All but one of the deaths have occurred in the city.
Family of Ramos called 911 on Sunday night after finding her unconscious inside her apartment, at 1307 Huestis Ave., just southwest of downtown. Police said Ramos appeared to have more than one gunshot wound to her body. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police believe domestic violence played a role in the slaying and have identified a person of interest.
Detectives are trying to locate Thomas Howard Manjarez, 34, of Fort Wayne, to question him regarding Ramos’ death.
Manjarez is the father of Ramos’ three children, according to officer Raquel Foster, a police spokeswoman.
Ramos had petitioned for and received a protection order against Manjarez in January, according to court records.
In Ramos’ order, she alleged that Manjarez had beaten her in front of their children in October. She also alleged that, in January, Manjarez had called her and threatened to shoot her anywhere he saw her, records state.
That protection order was valid until January 2012, but was dismissed April 1 at the request of Ramos, court records state. Three other people also petitioned for protective orders in January against Manjarez, records state.
Manjarez is described as Hispanic, 5-foot-9, 225 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Police say anyone with information about his whereabouts should call CrimeStoppers at 436-STOP. Callers can remain anonymous. ))
At least this one wasn't in the SOUTHEAST part of the city (give it time...we'll have another soon enough).
I suppose those PROTECTIVE ORDERS issued from the courts don't amount to a hill of beans when you don't "follow the rules" of them, do they? The woman herself DISMISSED the order...and that was a FATAL mistake, wasn't it?
That's not to say the orders aren't breached by the person against whom the order is issued...they are, and sadly, on a regular basis.
The police (again) can't do much when things go that bad (after the fact), except to clean up the mess.
*** And speaking of messy cleanups...
(( Fort Wayne Police Chief Rusty York said Monday he is recommending to the Board of Public Safety that a city officer be suspended, up to and including termination, as a result of recent allegations the officer used excessive force.
The chief asked the board Monday during its monthly meeting that a disciplinary action hearing be set for officer Scott Morales. The board agreed to schedule a hearing for May 3.
Morales is accused of using excessive physical force against a man in February while taking the suspect from St. Joseph Hospital to the Allen County Lockup. The alleged force was reported to police command by staff at the hospital, York said.
Morales, a 20-year veteran of the department, has served suspensions over the past few months for accusations that he was not alert on duty, and a separate prior accusation of use of excessive force. Morales has a history of disciplinary action dating to 1991. At the May hearing, the board will listen to the chief’s recommendations along with the accusations against Morales.
Morales will have an opportunity to speak.
Any disciplinary action will not be taken until after that hearing.
Any allegation of an offense that could result in more than five days of suspension entitles an officer to such a hearing, the chief said.
--In another matter, the chief announced officer Aaron C. Johnson, a seven-year member of the force, served a one-day unpaid suspension in March for being outside of his assigned district.
Johnson previously received letters of reprimand for a police vehicle accident and failure to use a seat belt.
Last year he was suspended for an allegation that he was not alert while on duty. Johnson received letters of commendation in 2005 and 2008, according to his personnel file. ))
Now who says POLICE WORK isn't a STRESSFUL occupation, hmm?
Maybe the perp WAS resisting, and that more forceful measures had to be utilized...I can't say.
But of the HOSPITAL noticed it, it must have been severe enough.
There ARE perps out there who are wound tighter than a cheap clock on God know what substances, and many times, officers HAVE to resort to forceful measures to ensure control of the scene, as well as the safety of the officer.
The gray area is how much IS truly enough, when it comes to "force"?
Strongarm tactics and personal defense items such as the TASER and OC are often employed to subdue a subject (as was the old "billy club" or nightstick). Pressure points or a well placed knee against the neck while a suspect is to ground works wonders.
But all officers have to remember that line from the movie "Magnum Force", when Clint Eastwood says:
"Every man's got to know his limits."
Limits can equate to boundaries as well, and there comes a point when that line might be crossed.
Back before Miranda, crossing lines worked well to put down a perp, or garner a confession...today, not so much.
If an officer consistently displays overly-aggressive tactics when unwarranted, he/she will bring down the "headhunters" (Internal Affairs Department) on them like a pack of hungry coyotes.
And trying to defend one's actions when the people standing in judgment of you were not THERE, and didn't have corroborative first-hand sight or knowledge of the event is difficult at best.
The danger comes from too much emphasis on aggressive tactics. That can lead to officer hesitation...or worse.
It's like trying to balance on a razor's edge...DAILY.
When the REAL job of policing becomes compromised with an over abundance of dictates "from the top", it can impede the ability of any department to function AS DESIGNED. Conversely, knowing when "enough is enough" in the handling of any suspect should always be well-entrenched in every officer's mindset. That's what TRAINING is for, folks.
Wear the shield proudly, but NEVER hide behind it, or use it as an excuse for unprofessional behavior.
But hey, it's not like I know anything about this sort of stuff, right?
I just do what I do...as should we ALL.
Be well, make a difference to someone today, and...
Stay safe out there, America.