07 October 2010

Some Days, You Just Gotta Wonder...
I remember growing up, and a lot more seemed "right" with the world.
Sure, we still had crime...and taxes...and politics, but we also seemed to have a lot more "fun".
And, as we grew up, we took on many of the same responsibilities that our parents used to "enjoy".
It must have been all those nasty VALUES that were instilled in us BY our parents (or others who gave a damn about our upbringing) that made the difference.
So, if in times such as these, you have this nagging feeling that "something" is out of place, or that you appear to be a bit "out of touch" with the world...rest assured, you're NOT alone. You might recall times when your parents struggled to make ends meet.
There was always that house payment, or car payment, or even the grocery bill to wonder if your parents had too much week left at the end of their money.
I suppose being an only child makes one a bit more aware of such things, as they were regularly discussed at our dinner table.
Naturally, we were too young to make a difference then, but as we grew older, more seasoned, and (hopefully) a whole lot WISER, we carried with us those parts of our parents that made us proud to be their child.
It was their sacrifices (often unseen and unnoticed by us), their persistence and willingness to always want to do "what was right" that allowed us to grow up into who we are today.
Now, I know every family is different, and I can only speak from my experiences, but there was always a sense of pride in what my parents had, what they did, and how they brought me up.
I'd like to think I came away from all this with the best they could offer, tempered with my own life experiences.
And that also includes a lot of my bone-headed mistakes along the way.
Hopefully, I learned something during such times.
I look at everything as part of the learning curve, and the day any of us STOP learning, is the day we all take that long dirt nap!
We often have to remind ourselves that we have obligations and responsibilities every single day we are alive.
Some days, those things may appear minuscule in nature, while other days, they seem almost insurmountable.
But face them we do, because it's all part of life...and the human condition.
You can't learn anything if you deny yourself the opportunity, can you?
Life requires active participation...not sitting along the sidelines watching the "game" play itself out.
And part of that participation means we need to attune ourselves to what our senses are telling us.
We keep our eyes open, and we keep our ears open.
Because we are ALSO being observed.
Now, don't think of this as some sort of conspiracy plot, or schizophrenic phobia.
Just as we make observations about others, they are also doing likewise to each of us.
You look at someone...their manner of dress...their speech, they way they "carry" themselves, and you get a pretty good idea about that person.
The same applies to YOU.
People are viewing you and making conclusions based on YOUR actions...YOUR manner of speech, and the way YOU carry YOURSELF.
I always viewed this as being an "Ambassador of your family".
Do you represent the values and principles that your parents passed onto you?
Do you give off "good vibes", or do you make people shake their heads in disgust?
Hopefully, you ALL do the FORMER, and NOT the latter.
Which brings me back to my initial thoughts...
A lot more seemed RIGHT with the world...in times past.
Today, not so much.
Much of our society has forgotten it's core beliefs, and that leaves the rest of wondering our asses off what's coming down the pike next.
We've allowed a (growing) portion of America to become entitlement-driven, meaning all they have to do is sit back and enjoy the ride...and guess who's still driving? We are. And our destination is looking farther away the more we drive.
We've also permitted ourselves the "luxury" of racking up debts many of us can't honestly pay, and that starts at the top (The Feds) and runs all the way down into our households.
Did we REALLY need to buy THAT house in THAT development at THAT price?
With the economy in such flux, many families find they're in WAY over their heads when it comes to the whole "finances IN - finances OUT" gig.
Got more going OUT than coming IN, and that ain't good, no matter which way you shake it.
We can look at the foreclosure market to bear that much out. We're STILL seeing it happen, regardless of how many "bailouts" people receive.
Back in the late 50s, my folks knew HOW to stretch a dollar, mainly because we didn't have all that many of them coming the hell in.
Can we say the same today?
Granted, the dollar IS worth LESS than it's cold war counterpart, but does that mean people just toss up their hands and cave the hell in?
Well, that would be the EASY way out, but no one ever said that LIFE was "easy", did they?
Someone still has to pay for all that EASY going on...and most likely, it will be your children, if it's not YOU already.
(just don't let THEM know...it might damage their self-esteem)
I still believe we sell ourselves a tad short when it comes to being able to have that SPIRIT our parents used to display...that CAN DO spirit.
We've got it...we just don't use it all that much today (like we did back in WW2).
Maybe it's high time we took it down from that dusty spot on the shelf, blow away the cobwebs and open it back up again.
Then, maybe we wouldn't be wondering as much when it comes to what we're seeing in the world.
We need purpose...direction...guidance, and as Americans, we have it within ourselves to make those things happen.
And I think that the state of affairs today might just be the impetus we need to get that kick in our complacency. It's like that old saying:
"If people do nothing, then nothing gets done."
We spend the most time with OURSELVES...that's a given.
So who BETTER to motivate us into action, hmm?
Who can do for us MORE than ourselves?
Dad was one of those who often said:
"Want something done? Do it yourself."
It begins with each one of us...the same way it will end.
We ARE better than others portray us...much better.
All we have to do is know it, and believe it ourselves.
And that can start TODAY...if you WANT it bad enough.
Okay, I'm done with the soapbox...it's up to you now.
Be MORE than you were yesterday...be BETTER than you were yesterday.
The future depends upon it.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.

06 October 2010

Humpday Happenings...
I trust all of you that are thinking of having that "mid-week crisis" are on schedule.
I like to have mine on MONDAYS...that way, I've got that crap out of the way.
We do have a rather full plate of stories today, so let's get rolling...
(( Published: October 5, 2010 3:00 a.m.
Police probing 2 retail robberies - Lone bandits in both holdups
-Journal Gazette-
Fort Wayne police investigated two separate business robberies Saturday.
*** The first robbery was reported downtown just after 8 p.m. Saturday at adult novelty store Boudoir Noir, 512 W. Superior St.
A man entered the store and approached a female employee who was behind the cash registers. He pulled out a black semiautomatic gun, pointed it at her and demanded money. The man left with an undisclosed amount of cash, a report said.

(note: stock robbery photo used)
The robber was described as a skinny black man in his 20s, with a bony face. He stood less than 6-foot-1 and wore blue jeans and a navy blue sweatshirt with the hood up. He had a bandanna around his neck and wore latex gloves, according to a police report.
*** The second robbery was reported about 11:30 p.m. Saturday at Belmont Beverage, 5992 W. Jefferson Blvd., on the city’s west side. A man armed with a black revolver robbed the store, according to police dispatch logs.
Officers used a police dog in an effort to track the robber, who fled through a back door of the business.
A complete description of the gunman or further information about the robbery was not available.
No arrests have been made in either case.
))
Gee, a black guy hitting an adult novelty store...how disturbingly "quaint".
This store was also robbed back in December 2009, so SOMEONE knows this place is ripe (no pun intended).
And whatta 'ya know...a LIQUOR STORE gets hit earlier in the day. Doesn't say if it was the same perp, but what does make sense is having to "booze up" to get that LIQUID COURAGE we tend to see in the blighted areas of town.
Take away the liquor and the drugs, and these thugs are nothing more than cowards with big mouths and more attitude than brains.
Just ask any LEO running "The Badlands".
Then there's this story:
(( Published: October 5, 2010 3:00 a.m.
City police veteran disciplined 1 day for lapse in handling evidence
Holly Abrams The Journal Gazette
A veteran Fort Wayne police officer served a one-day unpaid suspension last month for failing to properly secure evidence.
Fort Wayne police Assistant Chief Ron Partridge announced the discipline Monday at the monthly Board of Public Safety meeting.
Officer Andrew Noll, a 15-year veteran of the force, was suspended after he took packaged evidence from a crime scene but failed to put it in an evidence locker – instead leaving the item on a table in the police department, Partridge said.
"He must have been distracted," Partridge told the board, adding that the evidence is not part of any case resulting in an arrest – nor are any arrests expected related to the case.
Noll, a southwest patrol officer, has been previously suspended for three separate police vehicle accidents and one allegation of excessive force. He has received two commendations during his tenure.
))
OOPS...well, sh* t DOES happen. At least the evidence was NOT connected with an arrest, but THIS is where a LEO really NEEDS to have his/her head screwed on nice and straight. The "brass" loves to look for stuff like this, because with every disciplinary action, they (the chief) get a bit of a "kickback"...think of it as a bonus of sorts. I can't go into the details, but let's say it pads the head honcho's salary nicely when officers mess up, no matter HOW trivially it may seem.
I can understand when an officer totals a squad car, or discharges a weapon -mountains of paperwork, plus the headhunters of Internal Affairs get to justify their salaries, but when the brass starts nit-picking all the small sh*t, that doesn't help an already lower than normal MORALE to rise any higher, does it?
We also have this story:
(( Published: October 6, 2010 3:00 a.m.
2 meth labs in lot on Lima; police arrest 7 / Journal Gazette-
Seven people were arrested Monday night during a police investigation into meth-related activity in the parking lot outside a north-side department store.
Fort Wayne police were conducting surveillance just before 9 p.m. Monday when they spotted suspicious activity in the parking lot outside Meijer at 6309 Lima Road. Four people were in a vehicle with a mobile methamphetamine lab and meth-making materials, police said.
They were all arrested on preliminary felony charges and released on their own recognizance.
Kevin Harris, 34, of Pierceton, Sara Longacre, 33, of North Webster, and Marisa Hanlon, 38, who is homeless, are all charged with possession of meth-making materials. Trevor Hanlon, 34, of Fortville, near Indianapolis, is charged with possession of meth-making materials, resisting law enforcement and criminal conversion.
About an hour later, police spotted a second vehicle, also in the Meijer parking lot, with three people inside.
That vehicle also had a mobile meth lab inside and meth-making materials.
All three were arrested on preliminary felony charges.
Thomas Lung, 18, of Cromwell, is charged with meth possession. Kelsy Finkenbiner, 23, of North Webster, is charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of paraphernalia. Both were booked at Allen County Lockup and released on their own recognizance.
Darrell Hatcher II, 25, of Pierceton, is charged with possession of meth-making materials, possession of meth, carrying a handgun without a permit and possession of paraphernalia. He was being held in lieu of $750 bail.
It was unclear from police reports whether the first set of arrests was related to the second.
))
Now what I heard, was that it wasn't EVEN an hour later that the FWPD spotted the 2nd vehicle.
This makes a good case for NOT having such late store hours for one thing, AND being able to CLOSE the parking lots after the store closes.
Be interesting to see what goes on in the very few parking lots for the very few stores we have DOWN HERE...
I can say that the our streets are not "regularly" patrolled, otherwise, we would NOT have those pull-over drug buys, or the frequency of loud vehicles (which in many cases are used to "announce" to the ghettohood that the "store" is now open).
I will say that there ARE enough "signal 30s" in our area (traffic stops), so that the thugs have to divert to more of the side streets (and alleys, which I never see patrolled). Many alleys are SO damn overgrown, and NCE (code enforcement) isn't really busting ass to get the people cited or have the foliage cut the hell down.
You can definitely lose oneself REAL easy in some of the alleys.
Hell, the trash trucks don't even navigate some of them...they're that bad. That SAYS something, doesn't it?
But THIS story takes the cake....or perhaps the "honey"...
(( BEECHER, Ill., Oct. 5 (UPI) --
Police in Illinois and Indiana Tuesday sought a gunman who shot three people, killing one, after asking them about honey bees.
The Chicago Tribune reported the shootings began near Beecher, Ill., south of Chicago. Police said a heavy-set man arrived at a fire-damaged home and began talking to the workmen. Witnesses said he then opened fire after inquiring about honey bees.
One person died, one was hospitalized in critical condition and a third man escaped into a cornfield, said Pat Barry, a spokesman for Will County.
"And as soon as the guys started walking away, he shot him," Barry said. "Nobody seems to know who this guy is … It looks like the suspect is probably very, very unstable."
Just over the state line in Lake County, Ind., sheriff's police said a farmer was shot in Lowell by someone matching the Illinois' suspect's description.
The suspect was wearing a light-green windbreaker, light shirt, light jeans and brown shoes. He was described as in his 40s, about 5-foot-8.
Julie Reichers told WLS-TV, Chicago, the shooting was at her grandmother's house, which was being rebuilt following a fire.
"I called to make sure everyone was OK," said Reichers, a Beecher code enforcement officer. "This is scary."
))











So, if anyone walks up and asks YOU about honey bees (in the northern Indiana area), don't think twice...just shoot the S.O.B. (especially if he fits the description of the shooter)!
And for ME that also includes anyone who mentions HONEY-Nut Cheerios, Nut and HONEY, HONEYcomb cereal...well, you get the picture.
Better to "err" on the side of caution here, right?
Note to self: Don't shoot the missus if she asks about Postequivalent of HONEYsmacks cereal this week (which would be SUGAR CRISP...that ALSO is HONEY-coated) at the grocery.
Got it!
Lastly today, been a bit busy with some more modeling.
And here are he results of the past couple weeks:

The P-40 is one of the FLYING TIGERS (with the menacing shark-mouth), and the P-39 "Airacobra" has yet to be embellished with decals, but I'm leaning towards a factory-fresh version destined for perhaps the South Pacific, circa 1942...
(Luther Billis, take note...LOL)
Oh, that was a reference to Rodgers & Hammerstein's musical, in case you were wondering...
Geez, now I've got the song "There Is Nothing Like A Dame" going through my head.
Here's the YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IF4VOOPYZI&feature=related
Now, everyone sing along....and ladies, there IS some "eye-candy" for you, pectorally-speaking.
Be nice if ALL war was fought in that manner...lotsa SINGING...and a lot less shooting.
Real nice...
We're halfway home, folks...I can hear the weekend calling already.
So, be well, make a difference to someone today, and...
Stay safe out there, America.

05 October 2010

United We Stand...
...Divided we fall, or so goes the phrase.
And if you think you know to whom this is attributed, it may surprise you.
The first mention of this phrase comes from AESOP (the fable guy).
John Dickinson, in 1768 wrote this in his "Liberty Song".
George Washington used it, as did Patrick Henry (guess they read Greek fables a lot).
But, no matter WHO says it...it still applies to every American today.
More about this in a bit, but first, an update to a post from last week:
*** (( Bludgeoned victim dies of head trauma - Holly Abrams The Journal Gazette
The man found with multiple skull fractures inside a south-side home last week has died, and his beating death has been ruled a homicide.
Hospitalized since the attack, Misael Araiza-Chavez, 26, of Fort Wayne, died Saturday due to blunt-force head trauma, according to autopsy results released Monday by the Allen County coroner.
His death has been ruled a homicide, the 20th in Allen County this year. All but two homicides have occurred in the city limits.
Araiza-Chavez was found injured Wednesday in a home at 3511 Barr St. The landlord had arrived just before 9 p.m. to check on Araiza-Chavez, having not heard from him recently, police said.
Blood was found around Araiza-Chavez, who sometimes spelled his first name "Mizael," according to officials.
He was taken to a hospital in critical condition. He remained in critical care until his death.Officer Raquel Foster, police spokeswoman, said Monday an object was used as a weapon in the slaying, but she declined to identify the object, citing the ongoing investigation.
Foster said police have no suspects and few other details on the slaying.
"He’s the only witness to the incident and he’s died," she said.
Police investigators originally thought Araiza-Chavez had fallen down the stairs in the home but said evidence later found at the home indicated his injuries were not accidental.
Neighbor Louis Jones said he was working outside his home about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday using a halogen light when the landlord of the Barr Street home approached him, asking to borrow the light.
The home where Araiza-Chavez was found had no electricity, Jones said.
Jones helped the man light the way into the basement, where the landlord said he thought he saw a body. Upon entering the basement the pair saw Araiza-Chavez’s body about 6 feet from the base of the steps. Some of the blood pooled next to Araiza-Chavez’s body had not yet dried, he said.
Jones said Araiza-Chavez and another man had been working the day Araiza-Chavez was found injured and part of the previous day, but he never spoke to either of the men.
Police said Araiza-Chavez lived alone and had been temporarily staying at the home.
No one answered the door at the home Monday afternoon. Discarded crime-scene tape remained in the yard.
))
*** Now...back to the main course for today.
One need only to look about to see the whole "United We Stand" gig at work.
Every community around this nation has it's share of people banding together in some form of unity.
And even in the ghettohood, you see evidence of this.
In a good neighborhood, citizens form neighborhood groups, watch each others' kids, and basically look out for one another.
A similar thing is done in the bad neighborhoods, but for a different reason.
In the good neighborhoods, the "uniting" is done to foster a sense of security from harm from criminal activity, whether it's by burglaries, vandalism, rapists, or any other sicko that wants to practice his or her "talents".
In the bad neighborhoods, similar forms of uniting is done for security, but of a slightly different kind.
Those people want to be "secure" to be able to conduct their (criminal) activities without the nasty intervention from local law-enforcement.
Many times, it works...and works well, thanks to some of the technologies the rest of us take for granted.
Cell phones make looking out for the "po-po" a lot easier, but there is even one step better.
Having an "APP" for that phone or device that will basically turn it into a police scanner.
Knowing WHERE the police are going to be by following radio traffic makes one helluva adjunct to those (thug) lookouts hanging about in the streets for hours on end, right?
And in such neighborhoods, whenever some crime DOES go down and IS (even) reported (a lot of this does fly under the police radar), these people WILL unite to COVER UP THE TRUTH.
They will lie to your face, dime on someone else to divert suspicion, or make up something to cause the police to be diverted from getting to "the bottom" of the situation. Just watch ANY police "reality" show or better yet...take a ride-along to see what I mean.
If they have a gun on them..."I foun it lyin on de ground."
If they have drugs on them..."Ain't mine...I be done holdin dis fo a fren."
If they were 20 eye-witnesses to a crime ..."nobody din see nuthin."
If they are pulled over and have no license, registration OR insurance..."Well, dis ain't MY car."
Yeah, that makes police work SO much easier, as well as makes that community ITSELF a lot safer...
(rolls eyes)
Like I say...UNITED THEY WILL STAND (as long as the gub'ment check be comin' while dey do nuffin fo it).
But, in good neighborhoods, you will find people who truly watch each other's back, and will work WITH law-enforcement to make their neighborhood BETTER for everyone living there. They are also UNITED.
Now, people also unite when it comes to UNIONS (the words share similar etymology).
Unions USED to be a good thing, especially when moguls provided the worst working conditions imaginable.
They UNITED the workers (often in protest) to demand FAIR wages (not outlandish paychecks and pensions that could never be paid for in the long run), and SAFE working environments (fewer hazards means the workers get to go home and come back to work tomorrow).
Today, they've lost their way, and become behemoths unable to see past that almighty dollar sign.
(and the bosses "say" it's ALL FOR THE WORKER).
My nephew, a fire fighter in D.C. called yesterday and we chatted about that rally this past weekend. He had some questions regarding HIS union (the IAFF) "hanging out" with KNOWN socialist and communist organizations.
He sent an email asking (boldly) about this, and received nothing short of a personal "attack" in response.
I told him that's what uninformed people DO when backed into a corner...rather than seek out answers TO your question, they will ATTACK to divert attention from their own ineptitude and lack of knowledge.
We see this happen time and again in Washington D.C., as well as in other governments at other levels HERE.
Even the politicians are UNITED, most times in DENIAL, which still isn't just a river in Egypt, according to Mark Twain.
My wife (the teacher) was made aware (by yours truly) that the NEA was ALSO at this rally in D.C. (with those many communist organizations).
Hmm...seeing a pattern here, are we?
Well, this month's NEA TODAY magazine cover kind of says it all, don'cha think?
Activist...that word always reminds me of those BAD people wanting change for change sake, and not those who want true REFORM because something broke, busted or very badly bent in our society.
They often label Dr. Martin Luther King as an "activist", when he really was more of a REFORMER.
Malcolm X was an activist.
If one peruses history and examines ALL sides to the issue, one would find that ACTIVISM denotes violence on SOME level, either physically, or (usually) verbally...and sometimes BOTH.
You want to get someones attention...set a car on fire.
That seems to be the M.O. for such people.
You protest loudly and with a bellicose demeanor (instead of peacefully), with DEMANDS (not suggestions or debate), and woe to ANY those might oppose you, or even question you, because they're just WRONG (and you're not).
Well, that WILL garner attention, but it won''t make your case more palatable to those you wish to reach.
But at least, you're all UNITED...in a perverted way.
And that is perhaps the most bothersome aspect to all of this...
Many of those activist and protesters ARE, if nothing else...UNITED.
The Tea-Party movement in this nation ALSO represents UNITY, but they don't have the union "label" or blessing and definitely not the seemingly endless monetary resources to be heard AS vociferously as those "agitators" on the socialistic side of the fence.
But, by God...they ARE trying.
And they ARE determined to invoke a more Constitutionally-endowed government back into the forefront of political reasoning.
Seems like a plan...
And if WE, as a people are "entitled" to ANYTHING in this nation, besides those God-Given rights laid down by our founding documents, we are indeed entitled to a nation that is free from the fetters of government control of it's law-abiding citizenry, by divisive means and divisive people.
THAT is what Americans are entitled to...no more, no less.
And somehow, I have a sneaking suspicion that in about a month, we will in fact see the beginnings of such a time of reformation in this country...
A time when the people become UNITED once again to reclaim their heritage...and their nation.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.

04 October 2010

Monday Musings...
It definitely was an "interesting" weekend around the old homestead.
And I want to relate some of it before I get into the meat & potatoes of today's post...
Friday is Missus Bobby G's day to "cook", and that means she stops by somewhere on her way home to get dinner.
So, last Friday, she surprised me with GYRO DAY.
Having worked in downtown Philly for over a decade, I got to partake in a LOT of different foods, and gyros was always on my short list.
The ones at King Gyros here in Fort Wayne do a bang-up job of providing some tasty victuals.
Then on Saturday, we get up (as usual), go to the grocery, and in the checkout line, Wifey finds that her wallet in missing from her purse...
(*blink*-*blink*)
I run out and search the car...nothing.
So, with limited options at hand, I pull a General Custer and CHARGE away...no biggie.
We get home...still no wallet. We notified the grocery store to BOLO for it, just in case some good Samaritan found it and turned it in.
In the meantime, Wifey and I are out again, driving around to get her LICENSE replaced (a must, AND they were OPEN on Saturday) as well as her calling around for a new credit card, gas card, and ATM card. I used my ATM card to get gas money...again, no biggie.
During the time she was doing that, I was wondering if she dropped her wallet at the GYRO place...?!?
Just had a "feeling"...
I mean, that WAS the only other place she was at in the interim (and my investigative skills were chugging in high gear).
The gyro place didn't open until 11AM, so the missus took the time to call the companies to get replacement cards.
At least she only had $20 in the wallet, so anyone that might have boosted it didn't get much, plus all charges against the card had been halted as a precaution.
When the gyro place opened, Wifey drove over, and came back within 15 minutes...WALLET IN HAND!
(Yeah, I know...I like happy endings, too)
The only thing missing was the ATM card. (which needs a PIN number to use it...go figure)
But, I suppose the angst was worth it, because the missus learned something about keeping your "life" a lot closer to yourself (especially in today's world), and it was also nice to know that someone FOUND it and didn't walk away with it, especially in the ghettohood. That's remarkable in it's own right!
The moral of this story is simple: It NEVER hurts to be a bit OCD when it comes to your personal life, and the items that define it.
In other words...always KNOW where your wallet is, and never let it get beyond arm's reach.
I am getting the missus a personal anti-theft device (called a "screamer") for her wallet/handbag...just in case.
It could have been worse, but I guess our Guardian Angel decided to put in some O/T Saturday...kudos!
We both dodged a bullet on this one, but I'm not as spry as in decades past, so we'll take any help we can find...just to be safe.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the world...
This article in Sunday's paper peaked my interest, because it goes so well with the whole "technology" (doing everything for us) gig SO damn well:
*** This is from the Associated Press.
Here's the link to the entire article (a damn fine read for anyone, trust me):
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jmP7fh_SNw-D41DtcgiqOKRMKy4gD9IGGGK01?docId=D9IGGGK01
Here are some related reading materials.














Now YOU know, and I know we've got (way too much) technology out the ass these days...and for what reason?
To make OUR lives "easier"?
How easy is YOUR life when the computer crashes because of a virus?
How easy is YOUR life when your car has an ongoing problem with the electronic "brain" inside of it?
How easy is YOUR life when your teen spends more time playing Grand Theft Auto III, instead of homework?
You get my point, right?
It could always be WORSE, though...
Oh, wait...it IS worse.
We have 2nd graders that can't tie shoes or zip jackets!
And this problem is of the "trickle-UP" kind.
We've got TEENS that can't figure out a CAN OPENER (thanks to "zip-top" lids), or what to do with an ICE CUBE TRAY (because of ice dispersers in fridge doors)....astounding!
And. we've also got COLLEGE KIDS that have NEVER done LAUNDRY, or ADDRESSED an ENVELOPE!
Seems, that if there's no "APP" for it...they're pretty much lost in space.
How about a teen that can't figure out the "mechanics" of a simple thing like a CLOTHES HANGER?
(well, they are too busy using hooks or just tossing clothes on the floor)
How many kids today are being taught about all those SIMPLE household tasks anyway, hmm?
I know when I was growing up, I found out PRONTO...and was summarily compensated for it along the way (it was called an ALLOWANCE).
I was cleaning the bathroom, running the vacuum, and doing dishes before I even got into high school...among other things.
I knew HOW to tie my shoes, HOW to use the (manual) can opener, and what the hell a HANGER was for.
And I was immediately "lectured" if I had a lapse of memory...
It makes me wonder HOW many kids, teen, and adults can safely navigate the DEWEY DECIMAL SYSTEM in a freaking LIBRARY.
Yet, through all this technology being tossed at us on TV and at every store, is someone trying to tell us something?
Are they saying: 'You're too dumb to figure things out, so we're here to do it FOR you"?
Makes a pretty good case, when your teenager can't look up anything in a THESAURUS...or doesn't even KNOW what one is, right?
Sure, just jump on the Internet....and have the answer at your fingertips.
Now, I admit to using the Internet in THAT manner, but at least I can tie my shoes as well as use a can opener, too...LOL.
A while back, I mentioned about the "lost art" of LETTER WRITING...as in using a PEN, some PAPER, and sending something via snail-mail to someone else.
Much easier to email (well, it DOES save on stamps) these days.
I believe that this explains a LOT of the reasons behind why people cannot manage a household, yet find themselves living in a HOUSE, without one frigging clue as to what goes INTO maintaining a house or the family within the walls.
If we deny the simple things, it gets so much more difficult to reason out the HARDER things, simple because we've no experience at dealing with all those little things...That never changes. Think of it as the "broken window" theory applied on the home front.
The "experts" are now saying that certain learned skills are no longer "useful", such as counting in ROMAN NUMERALS (tell that to a 3rd year Latin student), CURSIVE WRITING (mandatory when I entered the 4th grade, and an RPIA for any 8-9 year old), or using that dusty THESAURUS (Poor Mr. Roget).
Many people look at anachronisms such as I mentioned as that "last gasp" of the ANALOG era (which really wasn't so bad, come to think about it - at least THAT worked about 99% of the damn time).
So, maybe we (as an older, more analog generation) shouldn't just kick back and simply say "Kids will be kids...they'll grow up, and thereby figure out ALL these things...EVENTUALLY".
Maybe we SHOULD be arguing with them, and SHOWING them how the simplest of things NEEDS to be done...and done properly.
Kids won't grow up until and unless you give them all a nice, swift kick in their HUBRIS...once in a while.
Time to polish up those boots, because they ain't just made for walking THESE days, eh?
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.

01 October 2010

Friday Follies...
End of the week - beginning of the month.
Gotta love the way that works out, right?
With every ending, there IS a new beginning.
Today would have been my parents' anniversary...61 years.
Amazing how things like that stay with you.
I will have to celebrate in some small manner, even if it's raising a glass to them in honor.
Since their grave site is back in Philly (Magnolia Cemetery), I can't just up and "visit".
Knowing them as I have, I'm sure they would "understand"...
We turn the page, flip the calendar, and press forward.
*** The FWPD have been rather busy of late in the Summit city, and with good reason.
Like this story:
(( Ft. Wayne man busted for dealing heroin - Investigation lasted several months {Myra McCain}
FORT WAYNE, Ind. -WANE - A drug investigation concluded Wednesday night with the arrest of a Fort Wayne man on six charges including dealing and possessing heroin.
According to the Fort Wayne Police Department, the Vice and Narcotics Bureau and Emergency Services Team served a search warrant around 5:45 p.m. at 2828 Roscommon Drive, on the City’s northeast side, ending the several month long investigation.
Police said John Fyock, 58, was found inside the home and was arrested for two counts of dealing heroin, two counts of dealing in a Schedule II controlled substance, possession of heroin and possession of paraphernalia.
Fyock’s bond has been set at $203,250.00.
))
Now, is it just me, or does this guy look like some biker gang member?
And the reason for such HIGH bond is that it was HEROIN.
I also had to spell check the published article and amend it, as the word HEROIN incorrectly had a letter *e* on the end of it.
Sorry, Ms College-Grad, Communications major, but HEROINE refers to a WOMAN type of HERO, NOT to be confused with the drug (HEROIN)...LOL.
Any media source want to hire me on, feel free to contact me, but I don't come CHEAP...!
--And then there's THIS story:
(( Repairman bludgeoned in cellar, police say - Holly Abrams / The Journal Gazette
FORT WAYNE – Police suspect foul play after a man was found critically injured with skull fractures in a south-side home.
Fort Wayne police were called just before 9 p.m. Wednesday to 3511 Barr St., between Clinton and Lafayette streets near Williams Park. Officers found a 26-year-old man suffering from head injuries and lying in blood.
He was taken to a hospital, where he remained in critical condition Thursday, according to officer Raquel
Foster, police spokeswoman.
The man’s identity was not released, pending notification of his family, Foster said.
Police initially thought the man had fallen down some stairs. He had been hired by the home’s landlord to do repairs, Foster said.
Further investigation determined the man’s injuries were not accidental, police said Thursday.
"The injuries he sustained, he could not have sustained them by a fall," Foster said.
The man suffered multiple skull fractures, she said.
According to police dispatch logs, he was not moving when police arrived and was lying in the corner of the basement.
Foster said there was evidence at the home to indicate foul play but declined to say what the evidence was.
She was not sure whether an object had been used as a weapon.
The victim was found after the landlord came to check on the man.
Investigators believe the injured man lived alone and had been temporarily staying at the home.
Foster said police have no suspects.
))
Geez, ANOTHER suspicious death in MY quadrant?
(who knew?)
That would make NUMBER TWENTY in the "homicide pool", kids!
*** Today is also the day I send along my "report" to the quadrant captain regarding my neighborhood situation.
I like to think of it as a monthly "ghettohood evaluation".
And if I were to assign it a letter-grade, I'd have to say we've been flunking marvelously for about the LAST FIVE YEARS...consistently.
Doesn't bode all that well, does it?
Now don't get me wrong, the FWPD does an exemplary job of RESPONDING to calls placed into dispatch.
I just don't see all that much being done in a PREVENTIVE manner.
Let's face it, don't the police tend to show up AFTER something has long begun (sometimes while it's still going on)?
I will grant you that RESPONSE TIME is CRITICAL in many situations, but I've always been one that firmly believes that:
"AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS WORTH A POUND OF CURE."
Otherwise, I wouldn't see as many suspicious people (or vehicles) roaming or loitering about all damn day and night.
And I certainly would not HEAR as many of those damnable boomcars going by, cracking the plaster of my house's walls.
I hold MYSELF to some pretty decent standards, and I am all over myself when I have a lapse of judgment...(like any normal person)
We are, after all, the most "evolved" species on the damn planet, right?
We SHOULD hold ourselves to a loftier standard.
Sadly, many of us simply DO NOT.
More correctly, many WILL NOT.
And it all smacks back to being not an enlightened society in America, but rather an "entitled" society.
As long as something can be done by someone else FOR us, many of us are pretty much okie-dokie with that.
I see the result of that every day, and it's neither something to aspire to, nor be proud of.
Trouble is, you try and take that silver spoon from out the mouth of these lazy-asses, and you WILL see rebellion of a most violent nature.
Yet such people need to be weaned off the teat of the taxpayers.
There is nothing shameful with having to EARN something...anything in life.
And there is nothing wrong with challenging yourself in the process.
That's how WE, as a society truly EVOLVE.
It's NOT by collecting that "assistance" check every month for doing NOTHING. And it's certainly NOT by hanging out with your cronies all damn day, thumping through neighborhoods in loud-ass ghetto-sleds.
It's not by getting high at the break of day, and remaining in such a state until well after that same sun sets, week after week, year after year.
It's not by committing crimes to "break the monotony" of one's pitiful existence and to fuel the need for folding money to score that next hit, or those new Southpole jeans with glitter all over the ass.
It's not by blubbering crocodile tears to every government agency because you "feel" you've been wronged by everyone and you need (read demand) all the stuff everyone who works for a living has acquired over time.
You evolve by doing for YOURSELF, and that means you make tough decisions, do the right things, and conduct yourself in a manner that brings honor and NOT shame to you and your family. THAT is how you become a BETTER person, and NOT some incarcerated thug with a rap sheet longer than your arm.
Sure times are tough, and perhaps may become a bit tougher, but whatever happened to that saying that goes:
"WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH...THE TOUGH GET GOING.", hmm?
What happened to the spirit that drove us to higher goals for ourselves?
I'd like to think we really didn't LOSE it...just shoved it into the back of our personal closets, with the rest of the forgotten relics.
Maybe, it's time we "cleaned house" from a personal standpoint.
Never hurts to get rid of all those cobwebs and break out the dustpan and brush. We might rediscover those good aspects of ourselves we have denied for all this time.
You simply cannot function in a useful manner in this life without becoming accountable for what you do and who you are (or wish to become).
You have to take personal responsibility for yourself, if only because you spend more time with you than anyone else.
And therein lies the lesson...
Have yourselves a fantastic weekend.
Be well, make a difference to someone (perhaps yourself), and remember to...
Stay safe out there, America.