07 June 2011

There's Only THREE Words For It...
Hazy...
Hot...
Humid...
That's the way I remember most summer forecasts back in Philly. Used to get tired of "hearing the same old record".
But that's what we have here in Fort Wayne today...and plenty of it. Highs to reach the middle NINETIES, with enough humidity to wring out the air you breathe. I am SO glad I don't have to get out an mow ANYTHING today.
And that's pretty much the GOOD news...
Everything else?
Not so much.
So, let's get crackin', and see what's been happening.
*** First up, not all that much coverage about the 67th anniversary of D-Day around the media circles.
I found more coverage on BLOGS (and the Military channel...thank you, Lord)
As long as ONE person remembers, it will never be forgotten.
And at the rate the vets from that operation are passing on, it shall not be long before none of them will be around to convey what they experienced.
I charge my generation, as well as all that come after us to never let this pass from our view and memory.
it is up to US (now) to keep history alive in whatever manner we can, so that we may instruct those that come after us.
*** Next up, we have the Fort Wayne and Allen County's ELEVENTH HOMICIDE (for those in the betting pools)...!
See, I told you we're still on track to mimic last year's count.
The fellow that was bludgeoned with a hammer on the WEST side of town died Friday, and now those "aggravated battery" charges just got booted UP a few notches to good old HOMICIDE.
Here's the "skinny":
(( Published: June 7, 2011 3:00 a.m.
West-side beating victim, 20, dies; 2 held - Hammer found; prosecutors expect charges today
Archie Ingersoll The Journal Gazette
A Fort Wayne man has died from head injuries he suffered when two men severely beat him, possibly with a hammer, in his west-side apartment.
William J. Fett Jr., 20, (no relation to BOBA or JANGO) was found unresponsive and bloodied early Thursday in his home. Fett was taken to Lutheran Hospital in critical condition. He died there Friday, the Allen County Coroner’s Office said Monday.
According to court documents, a neighbor called police about 3 a.m. Thursday because he heard what sounded like people "bouncing off the walls" in Fett’s apartment. The neighbor reported that the walls of his apartment were shaking and that he could hear yelling.
City police officers went to Fett’s apartment in the 5700 block of Ullyot Drive, near Illinois and Getz roads, and knocked on the door but there was no answer. They noticed blood on a window and on the blinds.
Through a gap in the blinds, officers saw Fett on the floor with blood on his face and body, so they forced their way inside. Along with Fett, they found Anthony Tate, 22, and a 17-year-old male. Court documents said Tate and the teen were not injured but both had a "substantial amount" of blood on their clothing and hands. It’s unclear whether Fett and the two suspects knew each other.
Blood was visible throughout the apartment, and a hammer with what appeared to be blood on it was found in the laundry area, according to court documents.
Tate and the teen were arrested and taken to a police station to be interviewed. Both requested attorneys, which ended the interview process. Tate, of the 2700 block of South Anthony Boulevard, and the 17-year-old, also of Fort Wayne, were preliminarily charged with aggravated battery.
An autopsy found that Fett died from blunt-force trauma to his head. His death was the city and county’s 11th homicide in 2011, the coroner’s office said.
Allen County Assistant Prosecutor Mike McAlexander said his office expects to file formal charges in the case by this afternoon. Prosecutors were still discussing Monday what the charges would be in light of Fett’s death, McAlexander said.
Tate was being held at the Allen County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bond. The teen was earlier booked into the Allen County Juvenile Center.
))
And "Tony The Hammer" is no stranger to the Allen County Penal system:
Tate, Anthony S 03/17/2008
Allen Superior Court 6 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided CARRYING HANDGUN W/O LICENSE
CRIMINAL CONVERSION
Tate, Anthony S 03/31/2008
Allen Superior Court 5 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided RECKLESS DRIVING
NO FIN RESPONSIBILITY(INF)
EXPIRED PLATE
Tate, Anthony S 04/29/2008
Allen Superior Court 6 MC - Miscellaneous Criminal
Decided P.C BURGLARY
RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT
Tate, Anthony S 05/02/2008
Allen Superior Court 6 FB - Class B Felony
Decided BURGLARY
CARRYING A HANDGUN WITHOUT A LICENSE
RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT
Tate, Anthony S 12/08/2009
Marion County - Infractions/Ordinances OV - Local Ordinance Violation
Decided SPEEDING: CERTAIN STREETS/OI
Tate, Anthony S 06/29/2010
Allen Superior Court 4 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided FALSE INFORMING (B)
EXCEED POSTED SPEED LIMIT
Tate, Anthony S 06/03/2011
Allen Superior Court 6 MC - Miscellaneous Criminal (Citation)
Pending 35-42-2-1.5(1)/FB:
Aggravated Battery (injury causes serious permanent disfigurement)
Something tells me that Anthony will be looking EVER-so-stylish in his "ORANGE WEAR" for some time to come.
Ditto for his accomplice.
*** Next up, Indiana made some interesting finds regarding it's homeless population.
Here's the link to the WANE story:
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/indiana/in-homelessness-increases-1-percent#
What is disturbing is that the population of homeless ONLY rose ONE percent, but the VETERANS counted in the total rose EIGHT percent to 673.
Now, I stated that ONE sure way to change the face of the SOUTH SIDE of this city was to REHAB the houses that have suffered from all those "government-sponsored" renters...the ones that trash a place just before they move the hell out (read evicted), only to have another tribe of animals take over the crib for more (donk) wheeling and (drug) dealing.
After you get these hovels OUT of the hands of these deadbeat landlords, and get them into capable hands, and then have them made habitable (again), place the VETERANS INTO THEM.
Many such houses around here could easily accommodate those with missing limb injuries and the like.
(only OUR house is "acropolistic" in nature...on a slight hill - best site for a "fortress"...the high ground)
I know I'd much rather have a bunch of VETS living around us than what we have passing for humankind these days...that's for sure.
I Also know this COULD be (and should be) done, but I am nowhere close to having the resources needed, nor knowing those in authority that could effect such change. It would be a lot more beneficial to the city to have people STILL capable of finding work, than those who simply don't WANT to work (and live off of YOUR paychecks). The veteran population of homeless should have that chance to prove as much.
It would also provide more room in emergency shelters for the rest of the homeless folks.
I think that if this city extended it's HAND to HELP these vets, rather than just walk by counting them in shelters or wherever else they find them, it would provide the impetus for these veterans to get on with life, and not just allow it to pass them all by.
Sure, it might cost a few bucks to make it all happen, but it would cost a lot LESS than what's being wasted now...and it would also pay for itself in a relatively short span of time, as most all vets WANT to prove they're still useful and productive.
We didn't spend all that money to TRAIN them, equip them, and teach them to fight for freedom, only to nonchalantly toss them aside whenever the mood in this nation strikes someone's fancy.
People are NOT disposable...not even the worst vermin in society.
All life should be sacred, and those who fight for such a life for themselves as well as the rest of us deserve no less.
One need only look to heroes like Lance Corporal Brandon Long to see as much.
(google his name or read some of our local news stories to get the low-down)
He is getting the chance that other veterans have not so far.
As well he should.
To us, it should always be that whole "history will haunt us if we do nothing" gig.
Yeah, it's hazy...and hot...and humid out there today.
Now, imagine carrying 100 lbs of equipment outside.
Better yet...imagine trying to get around in a wheelchair today...or finding someplace so you can get OUT of such weather, and finding a bit of shade under some bench in a park.
Now, imagine a HOUSE you can live in..with such amenities that regular people have like air-conditioning...or running water...or even a ramp to get you inside and cabinets or a bath tub you can reach from that wheelchair.
The SE side of Fort Wayne has such potential...but will it ever be realized?
I'd like to think so...and for one single reason... It's the RIGHT thing to do...it's WHO WE ARE.
Okay, I'll get off the old soapbox for now...
Take it easy outside today...don't over-exert yourselves and stay hydrated.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there.

06 June 2011

Monday Musings...
This was one of those "better" weekends...as weekends go around here.
It wasn't as bad as it's capable of being...always a good thing (for me).
You could actually hear yourself think for a change. And that in itself is a rarity.
Managed to get both the side AND front lawns mowed (damn nicely, too...I'd hire the guy that did that).
And I had the aches and pains to prove it.
Yeah, doesn't look like I'm still 30-ish anymore.
Doesn't FEEL like it either...!
Almost forgot...I "rewarded" myself with a breakfast yesterday of eggs, bacon, sausage , english muffin w/ jelly and coffee...I figured I deserved it...lol.
Today, I get to do the backyard lawn...nice LEVEL (for the most part) ground. It doesn't take long to get that done.
The secret is getting out EARLY - before the locals have a chance to sleep off last night's drunk or high.
So, you have until around 1100 hours to get it all accomplished. Then the "dead" come back to "life", sucking whatever contentment you've managed to get so far from your soul. How "enervating" of them.
-- Only had to call the police ONCE on some loudasses down the block (they like to use their tax-payer-funded Caddy as their "home-stereo" out front...how ghetto of them).
A visit from a black UNMARKED Impala set them straight.
And to think this was only HOURS after TWO FWPD marked cars "visited" their taxpayer-funded abode (for a *46* - domestic...whatta laugh. Nothing "domesticated" about these animals).
I do know that many times around here, people (read taxpayer-funded RENTERS) will MOVE when the police come a'callin' with increasing frequency.
(they like to think they're staying AHEAD of the law that way...how misinformed they all are)
It's worked in the past, as the revolving door of real estate turnovers and lowering property values will attest.
-- Let's shift gears for a bit (pun unintentionally intended)...
ANN HATHAWAY's blog recently featured a very nice 1957 Thunderbird she came across in her travels, and since I am a devout car-lover, I always appreciate those of you who post pictures of whatever classics you find in your travels.
Last year, THE OBSERVER's blog had some great MOPAR pictures as well, and I look forward to more this year.
I mean, I DO drive a 26 year old Firebird (R.I.P. Pontiac) myself, so I think that still keeps me in the game.
One guy who frequents the house across our street has a 1986 Cutlass Supreme...and it's in pretty nice condition and seems to run well.
That is...until THIS happened.
That's right - this once NICE vehicle has been GHETTOIZED...!
((* ROLLS EYES* ))
If this isn't a lesson on how to take a good car and turn it into a "slum-sled", I don''t know what is.
I suppose it's true what my Dad used to say all those years ago...
"Some people have a sweet taste for sh*t!"
Yeah...sounds about right.
I'm sorry, but this is NOT something I want on a residential street, and certainly NOT on any highway I'm traveling.
If he rear-ends you, it's goodbye trunk area, and if he stops short, you're sliding UNDER his ass-end.
Either way, not good for YOU.
It's called a SAFETY-ISSUE...and with good reason.
You've mucked up the geometry of the vehicle..made it unstable and unsafe.
You've placed more wear and tear on the suspension and braking systems...and for what reason?
To compensate for your lack of male virility and penile size?
(would seem that way - ditto for the stereos)
The air almost drips with vehicular testosterone...and still looks like a clown car on steroids...LOL.
Take all that WASTED money on rims and tires and instead INVEST it something called BOOKS...and then these throwbacks might actually LEARN something...something they could USE in their later lives when driving a donk all but abandons them to the curbs of age.
We can but hope that reason will prevail...someday soon.
-- Lastly today, it's the 67th anniversary of the invasion of France by the allies when OPERATION OVERLORD commenced.
And it's still pretty significant, as there has NEVER been such a HUGE invasion before or since in history.












Here are some links regarding the event:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normandy_landings
http://www.history.army.mil/documents/WWII/g4-OL/g4-ol.htm
http://www.kansasheritage.org/abilene/ikedday.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Normandy
http://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries/cemeteries/no.php
(the last link includes some videos of the area)
It's interesting to note that JUST on 6 June 1944, the USA lost (conservatively) close to 4700 men...ONE DAY!
But the REAL eye-opener is the total casualty lists for the ENTIRE operation from both sides.
Germany - 320,000 (killed, wounded, or missing)
USA - 135,000 (killed, wounded, or missing)
UK - 65,000 (killed, wounded, or missing)
Canada - 18,000 (killed, wounded, or missing)
France - 12,200 (killed, wounded, or missing)
That comes to a grand total of 550,200.
Over HALF A MILLION souls lost...incredible.
And that was just ONE operation...not anywhere close to the entire war.
Many survivors still wonder why THEY survived when so many of their comrades never survived the opening shots or even the first day of the invasion.
I would say it's because those that DID make it through such carnage were tasked with being the best ones to chronicle this event...to be that part of history that reminds us that (as Sherman said) WAR IS HELL.
Still, we never quite seem to learn this lesson.
Granted, in some ways, today's political climates in certain parts of the world all but dictate that we respond with force, so that whatever evils raise their ugly heads in tyranny can be severed by those standing for freedom and liberty.
The goals for both sides in such a war are usually the same.
World dominance for one - world peace for the other.
And we always need to make sure we're on the right side...the one standing for peace.
But many times, that peace comes with a price, for it's often been said that FREEDOM IS NEVER FREE.
It costs everyone something, and to many, it costs everything.
That's what was at stake 67 years ago along the beaches of Normandy, France.
And if we all listen closely enough...we can hear the voices of those who died there remind us of that.
That's one reminder we should NEVER tire of hearing.
Our ears should never become do deaf as to drown out those who fought there and died so that we might enjoy all which we do today.
it might seem so long ago, and so very distant.
But in many ways, when we look to those serving today around the globe, we should still hear those cries of liberty.
When we see the faces of those who sacrificed, we should also see our fathers and grandfathers...calling to us from those French beaches 67 years ago today.
It's important that we all NEVER forget.
Just a little something to think about today.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.

03 June 2011

Weekend Roundup...
Here we are, already THREE days into June.
(geez)
And we've got a rather full platter to whet your appetite today.
Some of it is actually pretty decent...some, not so much.
Tell 'ya what...let's get all the "not so much" out of the way first, hmm?
And hang on tight...we might pull a few G's along the way. And be sure that your seat IS in the upright position.
First up, all the low down on the down low starting with an update to yesterday's story:
*** (( Published: June 3, 2011 3:00 a.m.
Homicide victim found shot dead near sidewalk

Archie Ingersoll / The Journal Gazette
A 19-year-old man was found shot to death early Thursday near an intersection in south Fort Wayne, city police said.
The body of Dreshawn Lamond Cooper of Fort Wayne was discovered about 1:30 a.m. lying in the grass near a sidewalk by Oliver and Greene streets, police spokesman John Chambers said.
After responding to a report of a man down, police officers and paramedics found Cooper. He died at the scene, police said.
The slaying occurred not far from Bunche Elementary, 1111 Greene St., north of East Creighton Avenue and west of South Anthony Boulevard.
Chambers said he did not have information on a possible motive in the shooting. The shooting occurred near the intersection, the Allen County Coroner’s Office said in a written statement.Cooper’s death is the county’s 10th homicide in 2011, the coroner’s office said.
All have occurred in the city.
No arrests have been made.
))
These people don't need a stinking MOTIVE to shoot anyone down here...just an illegally-acquired gun, a few rounds, some cheap-ass booze recently purchased, a POS vehicle to tool around in, and LOTS of time on their primate hands...that's about it!
Looks like we're still on track to hit that MAGIC number of 25 homicides (for your betting pools at work or home)...if human nature in our ghettohood is ANY indication. I can predict as much whenever the weather breaks...wish others with more authority could.
And then, there's THIS:
(( Shooting injures one person
Updated: Thursday, 02 Jun 2011, 7:19 PM EDT
Published : Thursday, 02 Jun 2011, 7:19 PM EDT
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Police say a young male was injured after a shooting Thursday evening.
Officials on the scene say a young male was riding his moped in the 3800 block of South Park Drive.

(I woulda wrote a citation for that Stratus parked the WRONG way as well)
A burgundy mid-size sedan drove by and fired at least one shot, hitting him in the back.He was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
No other information has been released at this time.
))
Wow...apparently, now it's NOT even safe to ride your moped along the streets of the (...all together, gang...) SOUTHEAST SIDE... (thank you for your participation) of Fort Wayne these days, even when it's still LIGHT out.
But remember, these are ALL "good" neighborhoods...nothing like this EVER occurs...
(( *ROLLS EYES* ))
...Right, and I'm also the bloody POPE!
(and every single murderer in this part of town are ALL "good boys".)
Luckily, all of YOU already know what this part of town is like (and what's it's been like over the years) thanks to my chronicles here.
Be nice if those that CAN (and should) do something about this...WOULD, hmm?
And that's why whenever I go out to mow our lawns or do other work about the exterior of our "Fortress"...I am packing heat.
I don't ever plan to be caught with my pants down...that's best left to all the SEX OFFENDERS we (still) have living around us down here.
There USED to be a time, not so long ago, when we had a LOT LESS of this sort of crap going on...and with a lot less frequency to boot.
We USED to have a FWPD sub-station in Southgate Plaza.
We USED to have FWPD cruisers patrol our ALLEYS, too. And we USED to have a LOT FEWER RENTALS on the streets.
Curiously enough, during those times past, we also USED to have a LOT FEWER BLACKS and HISPANICS in the immediate area.
(How did Neil Diamond put it? "But used-to-be's don't count anymore...they just lay on the floor 'til we sweep them away"...seems to apply here)
Now, I'm not saying THEY are the "direct" cause of the degradation of this area, but there IS a connection with them...has to be.
I would hate to think that (normal) blacks and Hispanics tend to GRAVITATE to blighted areas and PREFER to live in areas that have RISING crime and more violent crime. That goes against logic as well as human nature...UNLESS "they" ARE part of the reason things go down the crapper.
('cause they don't appear to be part of ANY solution, that's a given)
I've been here watching this happen, so I know what's been transpiring these past 13+ years.
And I've keep a record of the events that have occurred...just in case, and also for anyone's reference.
Sometimes, I think it all well and good that you have those "voices crying in the wilderness", so to speak...
Someone has got to take a stand and speak the truth.
And even if out of every hundred people who hear this, only ONE OTHER PERSON gets the message, it's worth it.
You have to have FAITH that it does...and will.
Many days, that's about all you have to run on...but it works.
Now, moving along to some of the GOOD stuff...
*** Our garden is finally starting to come back to life.
Mr. Bunny is a regular "customer", and stops by almost every morning for his "goods", as do the various birds and a few squirrels.
But the really COOL news is that YESTERDAY, we saw OUR first HUMMINGBIRD of the season at the feeder!
(borrowed picture - wish I could get THAT close)
Considering that the migratory pattern (from Mexico) is such that they've been around Indiana since 12 May (according to the migration viewing charts), I'm kinda feeling a little privileged to see these little guys at last. I didn't know they come up here THAT early.
But, it's good to know that ONE of them found the feeder here, and will probably not be the last one we see this season.
And then, there is always the "community wading pool" , which is SUPPOSED to be a water dish ...the starlings love it...LOL.
Next, our PEONIES are starting to bloom.
These buggers are better than softball-sized, and they're about the ONLY flowering plant we have that has a fragrance in our garden / patio / backyard!
And what a fragrance it IS...almost makes you feel as if the place you live is NOT in a blighted part of the city.
Hey, you take your contentment wherever you can grab it these days around here.
Our rose bushes have also begun blooming, so their aroma will be mingling with the peonies soon enough.
Toss in some wild jasmine and honeysuckle, and you don't even smell the rentals or the vermin infesting them.
Then, we have the lavenders and sage...more good smells, along with some Greek oregano.
Yeah, now THAT is the kind of "sensory-overload" I can get on board with in a heartbeat!
It really makes outdoor chores like painting window frames, sills and the like worthwhile.
And when we get a few nice days in a row, that's exactly what I'll be doing...painting.
No one ever said that houses were self-maintaining...right?
And these "stand-alones" require more TLC than a Philly row home, that's for sure.
But, I'm learning...always a good thing.
The best part comes when it's some lazy summer morning...
The sun has risen, but remains low in the sky..perhaps a slight breeze blowing...just enough to move the leaves on the overhanging tree limbs.
The only sounds you hear are songbirds, and the rustling of the trees.
And the smells are nothing but nice all around....freshly mown grass...the cleaner aspect to greenery about you...nothing "man-made".
You pull out a chair from the patio set, sit yourself down, lean back and take it all in.
And for a brief time, you lightly shut your eyes and process that which is all around you...
You breathe deeply, and let it out slowly...
And you feel young again...vital and alive.
Like I say...you take your contentment wherever and whenever you can...for there are those that can't fathom such basic things from nature...or God.
And because of THEIR lack of appreciation for these things, and lack of foresight, intellect, and wisdom...they rarely if ever will.
That's sad that people can't enjoy the subtle things...the overlooked things in life. But for the moment...YOU can revel in it...and only wish they will someday.
Okay...enough with the spirituality & philosophical tangent today.
(was kinda fun, though)
We're in for some warmer weather, so keep the A/C tuned up and rarin' to go.
Take a few minutes to remember that we still have those in need across our fruited plain because of nature's fury.
Take a few more to remember our troops here and abroad, as well as our public safety personnel that put out the fires and put down the perps.
And be sure to take a few moments for...YOURSELVES, that you may view the wonders around you.
Have a great weekend, gang.
We'll see you on the flip-side.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and, as always...
Stay safe out there, America.

02 June 2011

It's June Already, Huh?
Whew, is it just me, or is this year flying the hell past us at break-neck speed?
Seemed not that long ago, some of us were still shoveling snow off the sidewalks.
Now, I don't care what anyone else says (much), but it HAS to be true what they say about time speeding UP when you get older.
Maybe it's part of the whole can't move as spryly as I used to ( no longer faster than a speeding bullet, but at least not shooting myself WITH that bullet...somewhere in-between), so things "appear" to be faster all around gig...I dunno.
At least that's ANOTHER thing we CAN'T blame on global warming...LOL!
*** Been a helluva year for TORNADIC ACTIVITY...doesn't seem to matter WHERE you live, either.
Now, we can add MASSACHUSETTS to the growing list of states hit by such weather.
Springfield had several touch down, and four people were killed as a result.
To this East coast boy, that seems just SO unimaginable.
And just last week, a tornado touched down in NE Philly!
(you can read it on the SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL GUNFIGHTER blog - link at left)
This is unheard of (to me, anyway).
Maybe, Mother Nature is getting a might PO'ed at all our "infighting" over environmental "protection", when SHE knows she has everything well-in-hand...'ya think? This is HER planet after all...were just "along for the ride", so to speak.
I mean, I've come find that it's always best to NEVER cross a woman when she knows something...especially when she so much as tells you so!
(smart move, Bob)
Elsewhere...
*** Seems Fort Wayne has got another D/B on it's hands, as well as another citizen in the hospital in critical condition.
(( Man found dead in Fort Wayne - Police called to Oliver and Greene Streets
Updated: Thursday, 02 Jun 2011, 5:55 AM EDT
Published : Thursday, 02 Jun 2011, 3:53 AM EDT
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Fort Wayne police were called to Oliver and Greene Streets on a report of a man down early Thursday morning.
When officers and paramedics arrived around 1:33 a.m., they found an adult man lying near the sidewalk.
Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.
Police didn't give an indication of the type on injuries the man may have had. His name identity and the exact cause and manner of death will be released by the Allen County Coroners Office.
This incident remains under investigation by the Fort Wayne Police Department, Allen County Prosecutors Office, and the Allen County Coroners Office
=================================
Man in critical condition after 'disturbance'
Updated: Thursday, 02 Jun 2011, 6:28 AM EDT
Published : Thursday, 02 Jun 2011, 5:48 AM EDT
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Fort Wayne police were called to the apartment at 5752 Ullyot Dr. for a reported disturbance early Thursday morning.
When officers arrived, they knocked on the front door, but no one answered. Officers looked through a window and saw a man inside who looked like he may be unconscious.
Officers forced their way into the apartment and determined the man was unresponsive.
When paramedics arrived on the scene they administered medical attention to the victim before taking him to a local hospital in critical condition.
The victim's identity is being withheld until his family has been notified.
This incident remains under investigation by the Fort Wayne Police Department and the Allen County Prosecutors Office.
))
((
EDITOR'S UPDATE - 1235 HR
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - The Fort Wayne Police Department made two arrests in connection to the disturbance call that left a 20-year-old man in critical condition early Thursday morning in the 5700 block of Ullyot Drive.
According to the Fort Wayne Police Department, while responding to the call, officers were told that loud thumping noises were coming from the apartment.
Inside the apartment officers found two other men, one adult and one juvenile.
Both have been arrested on charges of Aggravated Battery.
Anthony Tate, 22, was booked into Allen County Lockup and a juvenile male booked into Allen County Juvenile Center.
))
At least the critical vic was found on the WEST side of town.
The D/B was located (...all together, gang....) on the SOUTHEAST side!
(thank you for your participation)
Officer Johnny Chambers was pretty busy last night and early this AM, that's for sure.
He's usually on *A* shift (and often in my part of the ghettohood), but I guess they couldn't locate another one of the PIOs for the FWPD.
The Oliver and Greene streets location is one of those nice "dead-end" (no pun intended) areas...about a spit & a slide from the railroad tracks nicely north of us, and closer to the police HQ than we are.
Now, I've been in my share of houses over the years...everything from places that had a vintage (and running) 1908 Oldsmobile in the garage (gotta tell you that story some day) to places where people sat on the sofa smoking away on MJ (and me not wanting to get a contact-high)...seen a lot of stuff, that's for sure.
So, I think that gives me a unique perspective on human nature.
And it's one that I don't readily recommend to the faint-of-heart.
You see, when you've worked as many diverse situations as I have, you get to see it all.
It doesn't have to occur just in law-enforcement.
They (usually) get to see the absolute DREGS of humanity...and very often, on a DAILY basis.
Again, not for the faint-of-heart.
*** Now, I said all THAT...to say THIS:
You rarely get awards or commendations for WHO YOU ARE in THIS life.
(next one, perhaps?)
And I've gotten a few frameable tokens and pins along the way, acknowledging my "workmanship".
Sure, you may receive a commendation for the WORK you performed...going that "extra mile", as it were.
You might receive an award of APPRECIATION for "the job" you did.
But how often do we recognize the PERSON themselves?
Citizen awards are about as close as we come in that regard.
We always hear about the exemplary job that was done, but what about the exemplary PERSON?
What makes that individual hands above the rest?
It takes a great MANY things, actually.
-First of all, it does take COURAGE...to be able to do what needs to be done, say what needs to be said, and to stand by YOUR decision to do or say so.
-It also takes PERSISTENCE...the ability to stay WITH something until it's completed, even if everything is coming down around you like a house of cards.
-It takes KNOWLEDGE...that which we LEARN in order to do the right thing in the right way, and for the right reason.
-It also takes WISDOM...the ability to PROPERLY APPLY that knowledge.
And it's from THESE things that each of us finds the WILL...the STRENGTH and the PERSEVERANCE to see us through some pretty nasty crap in life.
All this is nothing new...not some "magic bullet" of humanity that someone came up with overnight.
It's been with humanity since the beginning.
All anyone has to do is "turn the tap" to get it all flowing.
In some occupations, all this is SOP...it's REQUIRED in order to perform the tasks at hand.
But, I would also maintain that such things are part of who WE are...every one of us, and to not avail ourselves on any or ALL of them deprives us of who we CAN be in the long run.
Now, I don't want to get on some long, philosophical tear about this...that's best left to those with a bunch of initials AFTER their names...LOL.
Let's just say that if we didn't realize this before, we can do so TODAY...and make that stick.
What did the Bible say about having FAITH the size of that mustard seed...and moving mountains in the process?
Got no use for a mountain at the moment, truth be told...no place to PUT the dang thing.
But think about having those OTHER things I mentioned above...in like proportions.
What can we become capable of doing or having in THAT case, hmm?
I believe we can change the face of humanity towards good again.
Yeah, that sounds great, but how does it get done?
One-person-at-a-time...that's how.
Best place to start, is with oneself.
*** Lastly today, I want to sincerely THANK all of you for being a part of MY life now.
And I want you all to know that you have a standing invite to our Fortress of Reason ANYtime you're in the area.
(anyone tries to mess with your vehicle while you're here, I'll shoot 'em)
I would consider it an honor to have you as guests, if for but an hour.
All of you are the type of friends I used to have many years ago.
And although all but a very few (of you) I've never even met face-to-face, I feel totally at ease whenever I visit your blogs or answer a comment you posted here.
Those of you I have met can attest that I do not bite, and have had all my "shots"...!
(and I've got a shooting gallery in his basement to prove it...LOL)
So, thanks again, for bringing some much-needed sunshine into an otherwise cloudy day...every day.
I appreciate you all more than you know (well, maybe NOW you know, 'cause I just told you) and it is my sincere wish that even if we never meet in THIS life, we WILL meet in the next one (I'm pulling in ALL my markers for that).
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.