Friday Follies...
Here we are - the FIRST Friday of the new year, and we haven't had ANY more homicides (yet).
But, we've plenty of year left, as well of plenty of criminals with the intent, so don't count them out.
*** First up, today is EPIPHANY (6 Jan), and that means that all our Christmas decorations can OFFICIALLY come down (in our house).
It's just something that my late Mom used to ascribe to...don't ask me why.
Mom wasn't even Catholic...she was (like I am) a "shouting" Methodist.
Traditionally, this Christian festival commemorates the manifestation of Christ to the gentiles in the persons of the Magi.
It also is the day immediately following those other "Twelve" days of Christmas (which ends on the 5th).
But hey, you don't need me bending your ear on this...so, here's the WIKI:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphany_(holiday)
So, I get to UNdecorate the house, and I'm probably not the only one that gets a bit "down" while putting it all away for the next 340 or so days.
At least I won't be leaving outdoor lights up until late Spring (or later)...like many often do. And that is just SO damn tacky.
The tree comes down tomorrow (sigh).
Still, like they say...as one door closes, another one opens...right?
*** Next on the agenda, hundreds turn out to say goodbye to Aliahna Lemmon.
Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120106/LOCAL07/301069970
Now, if this tugs at your heart strings a wee bit...GOOD...it's supposed to.
I will never live long enough to figure out WHY young lives are snuffed out LONG before their time, while others continue.
If I were to venture a guess, it would be so that those of us that DO continue on will not forget those lives, and be bold enough to stand up for such young lives, allowing them the opportunity to enjoy a life where they can grow into adulthood and prosper, and not have to endure such evils so early in those lives. Maybe that's asking too much, or being too idealistic, but hell, we've got to start somewhere and be the voice of our future in their stead.
Personally,. I don't believe that IS asking too much...of any of us.
*** Next up, a nice LONG sentence for a murdering thug.
Here's the link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120106/LOCAL03/301069966
Roderick Vandrell Lewis won't be practicing his particular brand of "getting to know people" for quite some time.
With his VERY checkered background with drugs, gangs (Gangster Disciples), and crime, you have to remember that he is still a "GOOD BOY".
Sorry, but a good boy is one that keeps his damn nose clean...or a dog that fetches when you toss a ball.
This piece of human waste isn't fit to breathe the same air as the rest of us.
But he DOES have the balls to say to the families who lost teenagers at HIS hands that he's a "good person".
Yeah, right...and everyone WAS really born yesterday, too.
Lewis says he is a changed man because of religion.
Well, I got a feeling he's gonna be shouting the Creator's name should he ever drop the soap in the prison shower.
The house that Lewis shot the two teenagers at was a PARTY HOUSE for youth and drugs.
Gee, don't we have a few MORE of them down here in the crotch of Fort Wayne?
I know there are several that get higher than usual "traffic" both by vehicle and on foot.
The families of the slain teens took exception with the media for portraying their sons as gang members (well, if you HANG with gang members, some of THAT crap's bound to rub off...don'cha think?). Isn't it the whole "lying down with pigs" thing?
Some people MUST like the SMELL.
*** A followup on homicide #2 for this year.
Here's the link to the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120106/LOCAL07/301069914/1002/LOCAL
I find it ODD that the FWPD will not disclose the LOCATION where they found that 2005 blue Impala (which belonged to the shooting victim).
Maybe they found it DOWN HERE (like I said was a distinct possibility)?
The car was unoccupied at the time police found it, and believe it might yield clues in the ongoing investigation.
I'll try and stay on top of this one, should more information become available.
*** Lastly today, is anyone just a wee bit confused as to WHO the GOP candidate will be (who will or can) defeat Obama?
I know I sure as hell am.
I already mentioned to several other bloggers (and Wifey) that NONE of them have the "complete package", because each of them is deficient in some area somewhere.
Now maybe, I'm looking too hard for the PERFECT candidate...so what's wrong with that, other than the fact that they probably don't exist?
Doesn't hurt to set HIGH standards when it comes to the highest office in our own government, right?
I mean, I want the BEST-QUALIFIED person for the job...period!
(and not an empty suit that practices Chicago politics with ties to Kenya and wants to turn the USA into some socialistic adjunct of China...or worse...sound familiar?)
Whenever I deal with someone on a professional level, I would hope that they KNOW what they're doing...that's why I choose to deal with them.
Could be a mechanic, a home repair specialist, a TV repairman, plumber...doesn't matter WHO it is...as long as they exude confidence in their job, because they KNOW their craft (and they better know it BETTER than I do, because I'm paying them to do something I can't...lol)
Isn't that the way it SHOULD work?
Now while I freely admit that there are some doctors who play a mean game of golf, I wouldn't exactly want a golfer to be performing whatever critical SURGERY that's required on me or a loved one...
Should be the SAME way in politics.
Yet, I don't want a staunch "politician"...I want someone who has worked their way UP, has experience dealing with as many problems as possible, and being able to think accordingly (and creatively) to SOLVE those problems.
I want someone looking out for THIS country, and NOT every other country.
I want someone who won't be apologizing FOR this nation.
And I want someone who knows WHAT our Constitution is all about and chooses to stand BY IT...no matter what.
I know, I'm asking a helluva lot, right?
Each of the GOP candidates has one thing going for them, but I'm not willing to toss them all into a blender, and then pour out the contents of that "perfect" candidate. I would hope that they are all LEARNING from one another, and that they DO have the best interest of the people of this nation, as well as the nation ITSELF in mind.
Gonna be an interesting election year...that's for sure.

In the meantime...
Have yourselves a nice, politics-free weekend.
Be well, make a difference to someone today, and as always...
Stay safe out there, America.

If It's Not One Damn Thing....
It's usually another, right?
At least that's the way the saying goes, hmm?
And so it is with humanity...one damn thing after another.
we'll get back to that farther along, but first...more of the "good stuff".
(and yes, I'm being a bit facetious here)
It's time again to dig deep into the recently DE-classified files that I've been keeping in my basement (next to all those Batman comics), and check with our various departmental sources.
*** From the "There's NO fuel like an OLD fuel" department:
With Iran flexing it's muscle in the Middle East, threatening to close the strait of Hormuz, is it any wonder?
Here's just one link from New England:
http://www.wpri.com/dpp/news/local_news/providence/gas-prices-rise-to-start-2012
In the Midwest, prices are expected to be higher still.
In 2011, on average, the price of a gallon of gas was HIGHER than any other year (thanks, Obama).
And, as I mentioned in the FIRST post of this year, America's NUMBER ONE EXPORT is...FUEL!
And THAT is a LEADING cause of OUR higher gas prices at the damn pumps.
I say we start KEEPING all this sh*t, and see how the REST of the world fares WITHOUT OUR FUEL.
OUR fuel should be going into OUR vehicles...seems easy enough to skull the hell out, doesn't it?
*** From the "Once an idiot, always an idiot" Department:
A local DJ was busted (again) for DWI and possession.
Here's the link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120105/LOCAL/301059962/1002/LOCAL
Now, anyone should KNOW by now that if you really WANT to smoke pot, drink AND drive your Cadillac, the BEST place to do it is in the damn ghettohood, because I see people doing it all the time, and THEY (seemingly) NEVER get stopped (even when I mention such things to the FWPD command staff).
The LAST place you should do such things is up on COLISEUM BLVD...because you've got more FWPD officers just looking for those easy tickets, especially during the holiday season.
You want citations, THAT is THE place to go. PLENTY of traffic to choose from.
Then again, the officers in THAT quadrant don't have the amount of (per capita) illegal activity we have down here on the (...all together, gang...) SOUTHEAST SIDE of Fort Wayne. And they don't have liberal ethnics trying to sue the FWPD at the drop of a hat every damn day for stupid crap, either.
Guess Billy Elvis might want to think on those things...in the future, because his DJ days at 92.3 (The Fort) might be numbered.
And next time, "Billy", don't try and toss your "celebrity status" at an arresting officer...that BS doesn't cut it.
*** From the "What GOES around, COMES (back) around" file...
This story is a bit amusing, and after you read it, you'll know why:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120105/LOCAL07/301059967/1002/LOCAL
The lesson to be learned here...never mess with fleet-footed employees who know the layout of the place they work at better than YOU do whenever you attempt to ROB the joint.
Or else, you might find yourself on the OUTSIDE...looking IN.
(white trash moron)
*** From the "Some people should NEVER procreate" FIles:
This is a sad story, but at least it looks to have a happier ending for a 3-year old:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120105/LOCAL07/301059965/1002/LOCAL
Typical behavior from someone who should have NEVER had a child (to pad her welfare) to begin with.
Ms Davis should have never been driving either, because she had been suspended, but that didn't stop HER.
She drove around with NO insurance, her headlights off, and was pulled over for SPEEDING (wish that officer patrolled MY street).
All this while her son (with special physical needs like a feeding tube) could only stay alone in her house and cry.
Nice...a TRUE example of how NOT to be a parent OR a responsible human being.
(aboriginal dumbass)
*** From the "We're off to a FINE start this year" Files:
We're barely FIVE days into the new year, and we've already had TWO (count 'em...2) HOMICIDES in Allen Country (1 in Ft. Wayne).
That seems to be on track with MY prediction. (so far...and then some)
Here's the link to the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120105/LOCAL07/301059928
Now, Mr. Jones is no stranger to being a victim, as he was shot back on 2 December (hand wound), and was uncooperative with officers about he came to be wounded. He lived on Anderson Ave, up north, so at least this death didn't occur down on the (...all together, gang...) SOUTHEAST SIDE.
This time, someone made SURE he was shot, because there seems to be no evidence of suicide.
And his car is missing.
It's a 2005 blue Impala with (too) dark-tinted windows and has the tag MIKE74 (which has probably been changed if the perp was smart), and if any car thief was worth his weight in car parts, he probably found some place to get the vehicle repainted.
Lord KNOWS there are TOO many Impalas down there in the ghettohood, and very easy to go undetected in that manner.
Radio chatter last night mentioned that both the sister and another man were forthcoming with information. Whether or not it's USEFUL, or just a diversion remains to be seen (and heard).
Oh, and I'm SURE he was just a "good boy"...never did anyone any harm, was fun to be with...yada, yada, yada...
They ALL are...what the hell are WE doing thinking otherwise.
There's not a GUILTY one in the whole damn tribe, is there?
They're ALL innocent and pure as the driven snow....aaaannnnd I have a bridge for sale in NYC if anyone's interested.
Looks like betting on at least 25 homicides (here) might be worth the gamble.
*** Lastly today...lots of really weird crap going down, and that's why it seems more like a continuation of LAST year, rather than a NEW year.
I would think a new year denotes SOME change, and hopefully for the BETTER....just not seeing it all that much so far.
Hell, you really WANT to be optimistic, but you keep seeing examples of why NOT being that way makes a lot more sense.
I prefer to practice a CAUTIOUS type of optimism...
Like walking through a minefield...being very careful in where you step, looking for those tell-tale signs of a booby trap, like trip wires, freshly moved dirt...well, you get the idea.
Would that we all have that starry-eyed type of optimism that NEVER shakes our resolve.
But we live in the REAL world...and we deal in TRUTH.
Fact is, many of us know the score, know the players, and (usually) know the outcomes.
Still, that should never totally dissuade us from our pursuit of the belief that things can get better...because they eventually will, some faster than others. We just have to stay the course...and know it will.
Be well, make a difference to someone today, and...
Stay safe out there, America.

Humpday Happenings...
I've got this world wildlife calendar staring at me from the wall, and it's got a picture of a mama polar bear and her cub on some frozen tundra-like landscape...not doing all that much to make me feel "warm and fuzzy" during winter...so that's why the coffee is within a hand-grab.
I knew I should have put the sleeping kitten calendar up on that wall...but that would have made me drowsy...
And the Chinese calendar from a local eatery would have made me hungry...can't seem to win here.
To think I COULD have had a Three Stooges calendar...at HALF PRICE, and yet neglected to purchase it.
Next year, maybe?
I could always save that polar bear picture for JULY...when I really NEED it...LOL.
Anyway, let's see what "WHO SAID IT?" quote we have in store today.
*** This quote is really attributable to no one in particular, but is considered one of those "sayings":
"Climate is what you expect, and weather is what you get."
If I were to venture a guess as to who MIGHT have said this, I'd figure some grunt in some god-forsaken foxhole fighting to keep all the parts of him that he entered battle with where the Creator intended them to remain while ALSO battling the elements.
Lord knows there's nothing worse than trying to combat TWO "enemies" at the same time...in the same place.
*** Next up, what ABOUT that New Year's Resolution, anyway?
Do you take the time to make one up, and if so, do you really KEEP it?
A RESOLUTION is defined thus:
1. a formal expression of opinion or intention made, usually after voting, by a formal organization, a legislature, a club, or other group. Compare concurrent resolution, joint resolution.
2. a resolve or determination: to make a firm resolution to do something.
3. the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc.
4. the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute; firmness of purpose.
5. the act or process of resolving or separating into constituent or elementary parts.
I don't know about YOU, but #4 kinda intrigues me...that whole "firmness of purpose" thing.
As to actually MAKING one...can't pigeonhole myself in such a manner.
My ONLY resolution is really NOT to make a resolution...that way I can never really be disappointed or otherwise let down.
Life often has it's times when we NEED to be resolve in some manner.
Perhaps it's a situation we need to attend to immediately, or maybe it's something that deserves our attention at that time.
If I were to make a REAL resolution, I would be sure that it would have a modicum of SUCCESS involved.
I mean, what point is there to making a resolution, if you have little or no intention of seeing it through?
If the odds stack against your succeeding at it, wouldn't it be more prudent to rethink the whole plan and come at it from a different direction, in order to ensure SOME level of success or accomplishment?
Yeah, that DOES make a lot more sense, doesn't it?
So, if you DO make a resolution for the new year, I'd say take some time and think it out...plan for those things that could deter you from the reason you made it in the first place, and do what you need to do in order to make your resolution a victory, rather than a defeat.
*** And speaking of "rethinking things"...this story caught my eye this morning...
It's about how Fort Wayne is trying to assist developers with URBAN HOUSING.
(here we go again...I thought this merry-go-round finally STOPPED)
Here's the link to the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120104/LOCAL/301049981
The Housing and Neighborhood Development Board (who the hell are these mooks?) are investigating ways to create a "loan fund" to help developers build in the city's urban core, which to me sounds like the...(...all together, gang...) SOUTHEAST side of town.
Unless, they're REALLY talking about the area immediately SURROUNDING the (always in development) DOWNTOWN area.
I don't see any specific area boundaries inclusive to the article, so I'm guessing here, but most of my guesses are usually better than most city FACTS, anyway.
To quote the story:
(( The problem locally is that several developers are looking to build urban housing projects, such as condominiums, but Fort Wayne lacks comparable existing units. )) Now, ain't that just too damn bad.
Whenever I hear the words HOUSING PROJECT, I am always reminded of the "facilities" that went up in parts of Philly, initially used to house the low-income of the crowd, mainly ethnic in nature.
And while this is a noble undertaking, the fact of the matter is that ANY of these areas soon become havens for all sorts of illegal activities.
They put up a bunch of high-rises in south Philly to house those displaced by I-95 when it was built, and most of THOSE people were older white folks who lived in houses one could consider historical in nature (one of the oldest sections of the city).
Well, it didn't take long for the wrong folks to begin moving into those high-rises, bringing their "baggage" with them, and soon, it became a place even the police din;t want to visit. Thankfully, they were torn down (in less than 30 years!), distributing the indigent and moronic all over the city (most all the whites have vacated long before that).
And it's screwed up a LOT more neighborhoods as a result of such "noble" experiments.
So, you can see I've got an understanding of what CAN happen with such ventures.
Now, here in Fort Wayne, we also have OVER 400 VACANT houses...waiting to be refurbished and moved into, so WHY would we even bother to bring in developers that want to build completely NEW housing units?
And the current reason we're given that new housing PROJECTS haven't built HERE, is that we presently DO NOT meet the criteria for (enough) AVAILABLE units? We need MORE PROJECTS in order to get even MORE?
(Bob, we need a bigger ghetto to make this wasted money of our future seem worthwhile)
I say IF a developer has the "stones" to build in an area they KNOW will be PROFITABLE, you won't need to dangle some damn (government-sponsored) carrot in front of him to do so.
Developers should be there to ASSIST THE CITY (they build in), and NOT the other way around.
Fort Wayne already does (imho) TOO damn much to "assist" those that shouldn't BE assisted in the first place.
That's why MY neighborhood has devolved over the last 10-15 years...all that "assistance" to the wrong people...and for the wrong reasons.
Don't anybody even TRY to think this thing through...just perform more of your "business-as-usual", and then wind up annexing even MORE surrounding areas when this goes down the tubes...sure, that's the "good old boy" way.
Wonder how often such assisting was performed in such cities like...Detroit...or Chicago...or Atlanta, Cincy, Cleveland, Philly...well, that list just keeps getting LONGER, doesn't it?
This doesn't "solve" ANY problem...it SPREADS it the hell out, and that only increases the likelihood of trashing more nice areas of those cities once it starts all over again. And this is called PROGRESS?
(not hardly)
Stop working on the HOUSING and start working on the POPULATION instead. Get THEIR heads out their asses, and their hands out of the taxpayers' pockets and get THEM accountable and responsible enough to know what it means to be a RESPECTABLE HOMEOWNER...period.
THEN (and only then) will you see blighted areas come back to life...and actually THRIVE.
The rest (businesses and the like) will take of itself.
*** Lastly today, I'm a worrier...there I said it.
It's not that I LIKE to worry...I just do, because a certain level of worry denotes a certain level of CONCERN.
And I am a CONCERNED individual.
I'm concerned about the state of my neighborhood, this city, the state I reside in, and especially this nation.
And concerned people tend to be more GOAL-oriented, than TASK-oriented.
Granted, you have to perform certain tasks in order to achieve a GOAL.
But the whole issue is KNOWING you HAVE to perform whatever task is required, if you are ever to MAKE the goal you have set for yourself.
And the driving force behind that is MOTIVATION...plain and simple.
When people are not motivated to do something...anything...the whole plan unravels like a cheap-ass sweater.
THAT is what is ailing America these days...not enough people motivated into action.
It doesn't take THAT much to get the ball rolling...it just take the WILL to say you can...and then stick to it and see it through.
In the end, it takes INDIVIDUAL commitment, and with ENOUGH individuals pulling together, things WILL get done.
Now, I don't know what lights the fire under your ass...you have to find that out for yourselves.
Whatever motivates you into action is the key.
And history has proven that motivated people can do damn near anything.
Let THAT be your guide today, and for every day to come.
YOU have it in you to make things happen...however small of insignificant it might seem to others.
THAT is what makes this nation the greatest in the world.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.

A Taste of Winter Weather...
Yes, friends, you can tell that winter IS in the air...and that global warming has taken a holiday (probably to the Caribbean, or perhaps even Australia), as we here in Fort Wayne received our first significant snowfall of this year (the one late last year was just a "trial run").
Although we only got a dusting down here at the "Fortress of Reason" (nestled in the crotch of the Ghettoland Abusement Park and Discount House of Pharmaceuticals), points north and west of the city received up to SIX (count 'em...6) inches of the flaky white stuff.
And naturally, drivers thought it still OK to drive like it was a normal day...and quickly found out how WRONG they were.
Slide-offs, spin outs, and fender benders along roads and highways farther north kept traffic moving at a more "respectable" pace, and officers were kept busy.
With road traffic at the usual volume, it's unlikely we'll see any plowing, but I would wager that salt crews might have rolled to cover the overpasses north and west...just as a precaution (I know I would do that).
We DO have this "gypsy" plow that comes over OUR alley, damn near waking the dead around 0630. Don't know where he lives at, but I have a good idea. This guy plows whatever snow across the street onto the entrance of the NEXT block's alley....how STUPID is that?
Love to see the police nail this guy for something (like maybe tearing up the gravel in OUR alley, which it sounds like he's doing).
There was barely ONE STINKING INCH OF SNOW, and this jerk is PLOWING???
It's getting so we can almost find at least ONE "WTF???" moment per day around here...and I'm not EVEN trying hard...LOL!
Anyway, with THAT (hopefully) behind us, let's see what ELSE in happening out and about, hmm?
*** Well, THAT didn't take long to happen, did it?
The FIRST homicide of the new year has occurred in Allen County (Huntertown to be exact)...it's "official", now.
Here's the link to the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120103/LOCAL07/301039940
Let me ask this: Is ANY argument worth the type of escalation that results in gunplay...on New Year's Day?
The end was a homicide and suicide.
Now, I'll be the first to tell you that around my ghettohood, there are a LOT of people that DESERVE to be shot (at least once, especially the LOUDASSES), because of the arrogance and disrespect they employ on a daily basis...
This situation in Huntertown seems like another "domestic", and those can get real serious real fast...emotions run high.
I know I never cease to be amazed at people that feel the "need" to wail the snot out of one another on a regular basis, at any time of day.
But my folks had a simple remedy for that:
They never went to bed angry at one another...and THAT worked!
*** The memorial service for Aliahna Lemmon...
Here's the *4-1-1* on this continuing story:
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/memorial-service-set-for-aliahna
And here's her obit:
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/fortwayne/obituary.aspx?n=aliahna-marie-maroney-lemmon&pid=155311552&fhid=6185
As hard as it is to see an older (and loved) person pass, it's even MORE so with a child.
If you have ever seen the Lord Of the Rings trilogy, there is a quote that comes to mind:
"No parent should have to bury their child" - (Theoden, King of Rohan to Gandalf on the passing of his son, Theodred)
Art does imitate life, even in times such as these.
And so, we but turn another page...
*** More of a "Nanny State"?
Hopefully THIS will not be coming HERE anytime soon...or maybe it will....
This story has to do with EATING WHILE DRIVING.
Here's the link (with video):
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/CHP-to-Crack-Down-on-Distracted-Drivers-136407568.html
I find this both hilarious AND disturbing at the same time.
Now, I admit to eating behind the wheel...just never in MY car or the Wifeymobile WHILE EITHER IS IN MOTION.
Face it, you've got plenty of distractions as it is, and like Dad ALWAYS said:
"You should treat driving as your SECOND job, son."
And by God, he was right (as usual...now I know where I get that from...lol)
Multi-tasking might be find and dandy for AT HOME...in front of your 'puter..but NOT when you're behind the wheel of a ton and a half (or more) of rolling metal, rubber, plastic and other assorted parts.
Besides, ever drop a glob of Arby sauce (or worse yet...HOT COFFEE) in your LAP while motoring?
NOT the best way to keep your focus ON THE DAMN ROAD...is it?
I know I dropped a lit cigar between my legs ONCE...and ONLY once.
Ever try to drive a car while attempting to STAND UP...in a HARDTOP (while removing the offensive and rather HOT cigar from the seat)?
Tell 'ya right now...it AIN'T EASY, folks!
Luckily I was in a parking lot, and far enough from the stores to NOT hit anyone or anything.
Lesson learned THERE.
Think about it...if this were a few thousand years ago, what self-respecting charioteer would be munching on some grapes while driving said chariot along the Appian Way, hmm?
Or what helmsman on a trade caravel would be gnawing on some salt pork while navigating the Cape of Good Hope (which was one of the most treacherous passages in those days)?
You're not just a DRIVER of your vehicle...you're the "Master and Commander" of it, as it were (even if you don't look or dress like Russell Crowe).
You are the CAPTAIN of that vehicle, and as such, are RESPONSIBLE for it's movement along whatever street, road or highway you have chosen.
Thing is, too many folks treat it all way too lightly, as they do a LOT of life.
And that can cause problems...for themselves and to others.
If you really NEED to eat and drive, pull the hell OVER...ditto for phones, makeup, shavers, reading the newspapers...whatever.
Cripes, we have enough issues with DRUNK (or otherwise impaired) drivers, don't we?
Do we honestly need to ADD to that problem?
I would hope not.
So, an ounce of prevention WILL be worth a pound of cure here...trust me.
*** Lastly today, I watched a portion of the first City Council meeting last evening, and I was impressed by near everyone now on council, as far as their goals go. Naturally, Glynn Hines (our councilperson in the 6th district aka the ghettohood) is an empty suit in my eyes.
Sure, he wants to see the (...all together, gang...) SOUTHEAST SIDE of Fort Wayne prosper.
Hell, I want to see it prosper, but not in the way it's been pursued since he took over...hasn't gotten one bit better since 1999.
It's gotten WORSE, and rarely any outcry as to HOW it got this way and how to fix it.
What HAS really changed since...say, 1999 down here anyway?
Well, for one thing, LOTS of white homeowners have "shipped out"...plain and simple.
I know that ALL but two of our formers neighbors just moved away, because they couldn't take it any longer - the way this neighborhood was turning into a ghettohood.
And I can appreciate their views...trying to KEEP a neighborhood from slipping into the ten levels of hell takes someone not willing to take any crap from the transient refuse that will soon be moving into the area.
You don't "give up" simply because someone else WANTS you to (and wants your property to add to the slumdom of the area).
The other two neighbors passed away, turning the houses either vacant or available for "rent", and we all know what THAT means these days.
But that's a small part of the REAL problem.
When human refuse moves into one house...just ONE, it can affect an ENTIRE BLOCK...(and usually does).
I've seen it firsthand.
And such people bring all their "baggage" with them...typically criminal in nature.
It's not long before local businesses are targeted, robbed, and eventually LEAVE the area.
Now, we've not only got bad people in once nice houses, we've got retail gaps out the ass...nowhere to shop (and plenty of that).
The police begin to turn MORE resources into the area to stem the rising tide of crime...
But, racial allegations soon are levelled at the department, along with frivolous lawsuits for profiling and the like, and that can cause them to back off.
Patrols become fewer, and only for immediate responses for emergencies.
Crime become unpreventable, and the police become relegated to investigatory matters.
None of the houses in the area are "owned" by any sort of REALTOR, but by private persons (slumlords), and no one moving into these rapidly-dilapidated hovels is vetted to ANY extent, so the criminal element grows exponentially.
NOW...you've got a full-blown GHETTO on your hands, and woe to those few "holdouts" that still live among the human excrement that prowls the streets to all hours, looking to serve themselves and find ways to pay for their drug habits.
They can't find too many regular people to commit crime against, so they begin preying on ONE ANOTHER.
And that actually makes the city breathe a sigh of relief...let them kill ONE ANOTHER.
Thing is, the city has LOST all that tax revenue by allowing such things to happen, so they ANNEX surrounding areas, in the hope of shoring UP that tax base. And that ghetto keeps on GROWING...taking MORE tax money from the city coffers (because none of the "new" residents don't do a damn thing productive like WORK...or pay taxes...they live off of YOU instead...and the city.)
And that is how you ruin a part of a city...all it takes is COMMITMENT...and about a dozen or so years.
Nice, huh?
The COSTS to Fort Wayne are becoming immeasurable, and perhaps some day, someone behind some big-ass desk downtown will figure this out, and do something to change it..
And all THAT would take...is the SAME level of commitment, wouldn't it?
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.

Monday Musings...
Welcome to 2012...which is many respects kinda seems just like a continuation of 2011...weird how that works, isn't it?
With that said, let's see what we might have missed last year, and in the process, become better acquainted with what we might well expect THIS year, fair enough?
*** New Year's Eve around my part of the (...all together, gang...) SOUTHEAST side of Fort Wayne aka the ghettohood was typical of past years.
Lots of illegal "celebratory gunfire", I believe is the term that's usually coined when explaining the asshattery that imbues much of what this part of town has become when lazy-ass folks are given free stuff on YOUR dime.
In some ways, I would really not want to have any veteran that is prone to "flashbacks" around when these idiots start their gun-related monkeyshines.
It always sounds like a busy night in Kandahar...or Baghdad...or the Tet offensive of '68...or pick whatever battle that contained lots of small arms fire...and well, you get the idea.
I DID hear a few FWPD calls for gunshots (signal 113), but as is always the case, I never saw ONE cruiser roll over the two streets that intersect our property.
The gunfire began around 2000 hrs (yeah, THAT early), and went on until AFTER 0130 hrs the following morning (Sunday), but it was just the testosterone-challenged minions of mayhem that were practicing the "I wanna shoot my gun off FIRST or LAST" syndrome. Like the kid that ALWAYS had to have the LAST CLAP in school...(and we're not talking STDs here, but applause...LOL).
Anyone recall the days when POTS, PANS, and CLACKERS (noisemakers) worked well enough to usher in the New Year?
(I sure as hell do...)
Mrs. Bobby G. and I supped on a nice cheese and beef stick platter, with some cocktail shrimp as "chasers"...the standard fare for us.
And we washed it down AT MIDNIGHT with some Andre cold duck...(haven't had that in a LONG time...it tastes better than I remember).
Sunday was something of a more traditional meal (for me, anyway)...corned beef brisket with potatoes and sauerkraut - you have to add some peas into the 'kraut...it's a Pennsylvania Dutch "good-luck" thing that Mom always did. And it was good, rest assured of that.
Besides, around HERE, the more luck you can scarf up,...the BETTER (it helps with the experience and guile...LOL).
So, that's pretty much OUR festivities concerning the advent of the New Year...except for ONE, small thing...like having to REPAIR a section of our (SOON to be replaced and made MUCH STURDIER) privacy fence...as the sun was setting, thanks to some marvelous WIND that blew our way Sunday afternoon and evening, placing that section on our backyard lawn ...(oh, joy...).
That was fun (Wifey helped and "she done good" ), and goes to show that this year will (again) be nothing if not "interesting"...
Still, none of that prevented me from coming across some noteworthy items during the transition from 2011 to 2012, and I think you'll be glad I mentioned them (if you didn't already read them and get PO'ed all by yourself...lol)
*** America IS the land of plenty..no denying that.
We've got PUH-LENTY of damn near everything...such as:
-Crime
-Drugs
-Illegal Aliens
-Stupid People
(that DOES include those either walking, biking, or driving)
-Welfare Leeches
BUT...there is also the "up" side...
We have plenty of:
-Natural Resources
-Food
-Water
-Housing
-Transportation
-Stuff to buy
And about a bazillion other things, but let's focus on resources...for a minute or two.
America loves to GIVE stuff to others...as well as SELL stuff to others...doesn't matter WHERE in the world it is.
Hell, we sold ARMS to IRAQ to fight IRAN...then we slid into bed with IRAN to beat IRAQ, and now we're back on the side of IRAQ against IRAN.
We sell MILLIONS of bushels of CORN overseas, and then ALSO use corn to produce the wonderfully inefficient fuel source known as ETHANOL.
And then we (rightly) bitch a fit when we don't have enough (you guessed it...) CORN to feed our cattle, or to CONSUME ourselves.
But, as much CORN as we sell overseas, that was NOT the LARGEST EXPORT from America in 2011.
Wanna know what it WAS?
(you might not like it...I'm just warning you)
It was...(drum roll, please...)...
FUEL!!!!
Okay, this is officially the FIRST "WTF???" moment of the New Year...
We sent MORE FUEL to other nations than any other item..and I do mean ANY.
Here's the source article that will either make your eyes bleed OR your head explode (so keep the tissues or duct tape handy):
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20111231/BIZ13/312319953
I had to read the damn thing THREE times, and every time I read it, I got a little MORE pissed the hell off...!
(Gee, wonder WHY?)
And OUR gas at the pumps hovers around $3.25 a gallon....for what POSSIBLE reason?
We SEND our fuel overseas, and then IMPORT (foreign) fuel back?
Isn't that just a wee bit f$cked the hell UP?
Amazing that more people aren't bringing this to our attention...like we're NOT supposed to KNOW what these schmucks are doing with OUR fuels.
Do they honestly believe for a moment that ALL of us are THAT damn STUPID to NOT notice this?
Well, that's why I'm here, friends...to LET YOU KNOW...the TRUTH, plain and simple.
If there is a New Year's Resolution in the mix, it would be that I resolve to become MORE AWARE of what the hell is going on around me (in America), and that can never do anyone any harm, you can bank on that.
But wait, there's more...
*** The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette published it's annual "homicide list" (Sunday's paper).
Here's the link to THIS story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120101/LOCAL07/301019896
Now, based on MY "predictions" last year, I said we'd have TWENTY-FIVE homicides (in Allen County, including those in Fort Wayne proper)...we had TWENTY-FOUR (damn close, Bob...or should we call you "Svengali" ?) It's not clairvoyance (think I dated a Clair Voyance in high school)...it's common sense.
I base my estimates on population, trends in specific areas, demographics, past years, and the like.
The Bureau of Justice Statistics states the crime is going DOWN...(yawn)...could have fooled me.
--With deaths of LEOs UP 13%, death (to officers) by gunshots UP 15%, where precisely is the "down" part?
--You reclassify certain crimes to place them in a misdemeanor category, so THOSE crimes appear to go DOWN, but isn't that just an obfuscation of the REAL facts?
--And then there are the UNREPORTED crimes (due to intimidation, fear, etc).
I would maintain that crime is STATIC at best, and in many cases is on the RISE, despite what some people "want" you to believe.
Because if you DO believe what "they" say without question, rather than trust you OWN eyes and ears, you WILL become complacent (and a prime target FOR crime). Maybe that's WHAT they want?
Helluva way to "decrease the surplus population", hmm?
Too much of that kind of "small sh*t" gets under-noticed, or just plain ignored, and although ignorance MIGHT be bliss, it sure as hell ain't helping normal people get on with THEIR lives, is it?
It's not as though small crimes are falling through the cracks...it's more like the cracks have been WIDENED to accommodate them all.
Maybe THIS year could be a time to CLOSE those cracks, toughen the laws (which I might remind you ONLY apply to the LAW-LESS), and hold those accountable that refuse, ignore, or otherwise sidestep either obeying the laws, or enforcing them (and that would include the politicians, and command staff of any law-enforcement department).
MY prediction for THIS year should pretty much be ON PAR with last year (if not increase - we already had our FIRST homicide in Huntertown - gunshot wounds), and I say that due to growing ethnic populations and immigrant cadres within certain parts of the city. I'll stick to around 25 (possibly MORE)
But that's fine, unless you're a young black male (the majority of last year's homicide victims)
Unless there is a SUBSTANTIAL shift in the status quo, especially in MY section of the ghettohood, I see little change.
*** Lastly, you might notice a different "banner" quote at the top, and that as done purposely and with some thought.
I promise that 2012 at the "Erudition", I will continue to bring all this to the forefront...so YOU can know what you need to, in order to be prepared.
If it cheeses some folks off now and then...oh, well...the TRUTH sometimes has that effect.
(it's just the unenlightened people's way of dealing with it...attack the "messenger")
We'll be informed, get PO'ed, become indignant, smile from time to time, and through it all (and then some), we'll remember what this nation STANDS for, and how UNCOMPROMISING we must become in order to KEEP our country from bowing to external or internal forces that would change the face of our nation from what it was intended.
So, here's to 2012...lots of "piss and vinegar" to go around, my friends.
In the meantime:
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.