Monday Musings...
And what a past 72 hours it has been, both here at our "fortress" , as well as farther south in the state of Indiana.
To me, if there ever was a reason to consider a return to simpler, gentler times, it was this weekend.
So, with that said, let's get into today's post, which happens to be packed tighter than a one-story house which contains over FIFTY CATS.
(and that is it's own, unique tale here in the Summit City)
*** Fort Wayne has it's FOURTH homicide.
Here's the link to the story:
http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120304/NEWS/120309825/1005
Seems two men got in a fracas outside of the East State Bar & Grille, one of them brought a gun into the mix, and the net result was all-too-predictable (as in NEVER bring a FIST to a GUNFIGHT).
But there WAS an arrest made, as stated in THIS followup story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120305/LOCAL07/303059932
In my opinion, the combatants SHOULD have been SEPARATED first (one sent outside) until police could be called to scene.
I do believe THIS one could have been a lot more preventable.
*** Over FIFTY cats removed from condemned house; some are neighborhood strays.
Helluva way to increase the bird population.
Here's the link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120304/LOCAL07/303049895
Guess some neighbors were wondering where "Cuddles" disappeared to.
Well, wonder no longer.
The initial story can be found HERE:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120302/LOCAL07/303029936



*** And ANOTHER numbnut (that doesn't belong in a HOUSE) proves that cooking at 2AM has it's consequences.
Here's the link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120305/LOCAL07/303059933
As usual, this happened on the...(...all together, gang...)...SOUTHEAST SIDE of Ft. Wayne.
Cripes, at this rate, we'll be a burgeoning brownfield, ripe for RE-development in less than 5 years!
And speaking of the SOUTHEAST SIDE...there's this:
(you won't see this on the news...yet, anyway)
*** I come from a city that is laced with graffiti...Philly has a bad rep when it comes to that...had one for decades.
But NOW, it's managed to make it out HERE, and quite well, as evidenced (all too often) by THIS.
((warning - it is a bit graphic, however.))
We saw this on a former city (utility?) building about 2 blocks from the "fortress" a few WEEKS ago, and this past weekend, I finally decided to take a picture of it, because obviously, this has gone UN-noticed by both POLICE and MEDIA (imagine that).
I decided to "stir the pot" here, and did contact one media source (nothing in over a week) and emailed another in the hopes that the "problems" we face down here get noticed, and thrust in the face of EVERY city department that holds sway to DO something about it (and has done little to date).
*** It is ironic to note that this weekend saw the passing of one James Q.Wilson (and that probably doesn't mean much to most of you, and that's fine...there won't be a quiz here).
Mr. Wilson was one of the co-authors of the whole BROKEN WINDOW THEORY
Here's a link about this forward-thinking individual:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/03/nyregion/james-q-wilson-dies-at-80-originated-broken-windows-policing-strategy.html?_r=1
It was HIS results from such studies about small crime = big crime that led to the whole Community-Oriented Policing we see in place today, except in like places such as MY part of Ft. Wayne's ghettohood, where PROBLEM-Oriented Policing should be followed until they get a real handle on the crime here...THEN, they can do the C.O.P. gig.
*** Once again, WEATHER takes the lead in Indiana this weekend.
If you were planning to take a visit south to the towns of Henrysville or Marysville, Indiana...well, they pretty much DON'T EXIST any longer, thanks to some tornadoes that rolled through last Friday, killing 13 (so far). Houses are gone...period.
Here's the link to the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120305/NEWS07/303059915
*** I can relate to this on a MUCH smaller scale, as this past Friday (night), during those winds that (only) reached close to FIFTY MPH here, part of our fence was blown down. The area bracketed by yellow shows the section that fell.
Thanks to some Wifely assistance, (and a few hanks of old clothesline I had in the basement), I was able to get the fence back up and lashed down to the vertical posts.
Kinda hard to accomplish lifting a (damn heavy) wooden "sail" back into place with wind blowing crap in your eyes, no sunlight and dropping temperatures, I can tell you. My arms are still aching from that.
But that's what we do here at the "Bobby G. Fortress of Reason"...the difficult is EASY, the "impossible" just takes a bit longer...
Still, I can't imagine losing it ALL from just wind...makes my mind boggle.
Those folks near the KY state line have got their work cut out for them, and the Red Cross has already begun taking donations for essentials (and money) to aid those devastated by the tornadoes.
Hell, all WE have to do is call around for a GOOD fence company to REPLACE the whole damn thing...and THIS time, it WILL be done RIGHT.
STEEL POSTS with wooden fencing...no rotting out of the verticals, and I will specify that I want this fence a lot more "wind-proof" than that old cedar crap. I like my fortresses "secure"...and unable to have it's bastions stormed, by man OR nature.
*** And that brings me to early yesterday morning, when at around 0733, I heard OVER TEN SHOTS ring out...and fairly close by, too.
I immediately went from window to window, to see if anyone was in a vehicle or on foot...with some sort of firearm (and I had MY pistol in hand...just in case). I saw no one outside at all...that was too damn weird (must have been a backyard that was obscured).
I DID hear a code *113* go out on the police radio (shots fired), but could NOT get a *20* (location).
I will post and update when the FWPD decides to post YESTERDAY'S police runs and see where dispatch received the call from.
At least someone ELSE heard it beside the Missus and myself (it was loud enough to wake her up), but I never heard any followup as to arrests, suspects...anything.
Ah, yes...yet ANOTHER illegal firearms discharge goes UNSOLVED down there in the ghettohood...gotta LOVE it.
Well, you have to have ADEQUATE POLICE PATROL COVERAGE in the damn area first, don'cha?
I could honestly say it was well within a TWO-block radius, and a fairly good size caliber, by the type of sound the shots made.
I didn't see any damage to OUR property, but if someone just shot UP...well, those bullets have to come DOWN...somewhere, right?
(and to think I can't go legally shoot all those damn boomcars and other assorted morons infesting OUR area,...oh, wait...I have something called ETHICS. But for how much longer...who can say?)
Now THAT is one helluva double-standard.
*** I FINALLY finished up yesterday on as good a note as I could manage after all this crap...I made us a spaghetti dinner with meatballs (from scratch) with garlic bread and sangria to chase it all down.
And a local station had a MONKEES marathon on all damn day...now THAT brought back a LOT of good memories from those times I mentioned above - kinder and gentler times, even if we were increasingly involved in Vietnam.
At least we weren't hearing our own neighborhood sounding like a hot LZ in the process...AND, we had a lot FEWER "broken Windows" as well.
There is just TOO much sh*t that goes down here DAILY, that apparently a lot of people CAN do something about...but simply aren't.
That establishes a very BAD idea as what constitutes a safe neighborhood, and all but negates what is considered a QUALITY-OF-LIFE that REAL people can wrap their lives around. That just ain't happening, and for whatever reason, I have NO idea.
I could speculate 'til the cows come home, and maybe I will post my thoughts on that (again) some day, but right now, I'm still trying to recoup & regroup for whatever other assaults will be coming at us THIS week...be they from nature, or mankind...or both.
I will tell you one thing...it DOES wear a person down; imperceptibly at first, then more and more as the years roll by.
People should never be "forced" from their homes...not because some (other) people don't want them there, or because of some perverse form of affirmative-action or list of entitlements. That's what causes slum areas to develop in the first place.
Again, it always comes back to holding YOURSELF accountable, and being PERSONALLY responsible for the manner in which YOU conduct YOURSELF.
Take care of THAT problem, and a lot more problems will seemingly disappear before our eyes...I can take that to the bank.
But, until that is properly addressed, and more people take a stand to such things...get used to being nomadic, I guess.
I can be responsible for MY house...and MY life, but everyone else should ALSO be like-minded in that regard.
Because when we all DO think like that...our nation can be reclaimed a lot easier...as it should.
Have yourselves a great week.
be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.