Friday Follies...

Yes folks, time once again to say goodbye to the work-week, and hello to the weekend.
The Hoosierland weather today will be a lot like yesterday, which means plenty of sunshine, and milder temps, reaching into the 50s once more.
So, take time to get out in your garden and stare at the Springtime posies peeking up through the finally-thawed ground.
Now, without any further ado, let's get busy with all the other "stuff" that's been going on.
*** Film critic Roger Ebert passes away from cancer.

And rather than link to the story, here's his WIKI instead:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Ebert
He was the first critic to ever win a Pulitzer Prize.
I have to admit that I often found myself at odds with HIS movie reviews, and I, more than not sided with his partner, the late Gene Siskel, but I always found their combined cinematic reportage amusing as well as thought-provoking.
And now, they're back together again.
*** Memorial held for murder victim.

Yesterday marked the 25th anniversary of one of this area's most notorious unsolved cases...that of little April Tinsley.
Here's the story:
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/fort-wayne-remembers-unsolved-murder-victim-with-balloon-launch

A balloon launch was held at Parkview Field to honor her.
A film crew from America's Most Wanted was on hand to follow up on previous coverage of the murder.
And while police still do not know WHO killed April, they do believe the killer might still be living in the area.
*** Two men abduct credit union worker and rob her place of employment.

Here's the link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130405/LOCAL07/304059957/1002/LOCAL

You have to admit that THIS sounds like a very WELL-PLANNED heist.

Certainly does NOT have the trappings of the tryouts for Ted Mack's Original AMATEUR Hour.

These perps had to do some homework to make this work without a hitch.

They had to have stalked the worker, get to know her "routine", and the fact that SHE would have access TO the credit union, which means she was probably some level of management, who traditionally have the pass codes for the security keypad.

Unless one or both of these robbers slips up big time, they might be well "into the wind" as they say.

Their best bet would be to leave the area, as an ID might be enough to do them in, if one was obtainable by the worker or her family member, who was bound up in the apartment and basically held hostage, while the other robber accompanied the worker to the credit union.
*** Look-alike vehicles can get you "noticed"...

Parkview Hospital alerted authorities about a suspicious vehicle that appeared to be an unmarked police car, that was alleged to be following women near the facility.
The vehicle in question was a white, late-model Dodge Charger (SRT).
Here's the story link:
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/crime/police-impersonator-vehicle-found
Now, the vehicle WAS found (in Oreland, IN) but the owner/driver insists it was not him that was near the hospital.
If you watch the video and have followed the story, there's a couple things that might make you go "huh?"
--People at the hospital mentioned that HANDCUFFS were hanging from the rearview mirror - same with THIS car.
--The description is the EXACT same, and this particular EX-police car was bought from Chicago Motors.
--It still has a TEMP tag on it.
--It has a PUSHBAR, which means it was most likely used as a highway patrol vehicle and not a standard city police vehicle.
Most big cities used WRECKERS to tow cars away, or request a highway unit vehicle to push a car out of the way at say, an accident scene.

Traditionally, HP (highway patrol) cars are used to push motorists off onto an exit ramp..at least they are in Philly (called X-cars for eXpressway)
Even if this man is NOT the same person, there is a level of INTIMIDATION that goes along when driving ANY vehicle than can be seen as a police car.

I told our former quadrant captain about such things more than a few years ago, when I noticed some "locals" driving about our part of the ghettohood IN ex-police cars.
(mostly Crown Vics and a few Impalas).

Some did still have the SPOTLIGHT on the driver's side A pillar and had the "police rims" with the center caps.
And they also had LOUD stereos in the trunks!
This was a trend (of motorist intimidation) that began down in Indy a year or two prior to me seeing them driving around Ft. Wayne, so I began to watch for them.

Every year, I see a few more, some newbies, but mostly ones that are eventually "ghettoed-up" with rims, gag-a-maggot paint schemes, graphics and such.

And I warned the captain that THESE cars would be a problem with being able to intimidate other drivers JUST by their presence...
(as well as thier loud-ass stereos)
Nice to know I was right yet again.
Makes a case for MORE PATROLS with REAL police cars...because THEY too, can be intimidating...to some of the criminal element.
I've seen people turn the other way when a police car rolls by, or they scatter outright.
In some cases, whenever a FWPD cruiser goes over one of our streets, the ghettohood suddenly becomes QUIET...all the boomcars shut the hell up...an event of almost BIBLICAL proportions...like Moses parting the Red Sea...amazing
Personally, I think that ex-police cars should NOT be made available to the public...and I have my reasons.

Even when these vehicles are "civilianized" (Bob's Lexicon) they STILL have kick-ass engines, heavy-duty suspension and handling packages, and can accommodate heavier loads of electronics such as kicker boxes,amps and crossovers for loud-ass sound equipment.
Strip the vehicles down, recycle what you can, and then put what's left over in the crusher.
There's plenty OTHER places to acquire inexpensive rides...that WON'T intimidate other motorists, or cause women to get fearful.
((Editor's Note - Here's an UPDATE to this story from one of the victims:
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/crime/police-impersonator-victim-shares-story
She states the man in the first story is NOT the man who pukled her over.))
*** Local NAACP holds rally downtown.
Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130405/LOCAL/304059955

The rally was held to DENOUNCE violence, urging witnesses to speak out.
Now, I'm sorry...this is a well-intentioned meeting, as are ALL that seek to get people OUT of this vicious cycle of crime, death and mayhem, but this seems like a case of wanting to fix the gate after all the cattle got out and left the property.

This rally, and other meetings like it SHOULD have been done YEARS ago...and they should have held them every time another one of theirs bit the dust.
It always seems to me that some prayer vigil is held, some media attention devoted to it...and then it goes away.
That doesn't do that much good...for anyone. Guess we can blame our collective ADHD for that?
There were some other points that were addressed at the rally, many of which I strongly disagree with.
They have a 14 point "solution" to the problem of the violence that has occurred in Ft. Wayne: My comments are in brackets.
1- Making background checks "universal" - I hate when they add that word "universal"...
(use current databases to establish a registry of violent offenders that should NOT be able to possess a firearm)
2- Improving state reporting of criminals and mentally ill.
(again, use CURRENT databases to establish offender lists and extend it to the NATIONAL level)
3- Banning assault weapons
(ANY weapon used in an "assault" can be called just that...this is SO wrong and stupid in concept)
4- Capping magazine capacity at TEN rounds.
(another pointless and moronic move - criminals will simply NOT follow that AT ALL)
5- Purging armor-piercing bullets
(When you do away with such ammo, the thugs will simply obtain body armor. Then you have another N. Hollywood scenario from 1997)
6- Funding police officers
(I thought taxpayers were DOING that ALREADY???)
7- Strengthening gun tracking
(you REALLY mean keeping tabs on ALL LAW-ABIDING citizens, right? Guns can be tracked easily enough as it is)
8- Supporting research on gun violence
(Instead, why not research the CAUSES of violent behavior? Oh, wait they've ALREADY done that for decades)
9- Encouraging mental health providers to get involved
(Might have to break down the doctor/patient confidentiality thing)
10- Promoting safe gun ownership
(Most ALL law-abiding gun OWNERS already DO that...that's why they are MORE responsible people)
11- Funding school counseling
(We dump way too much money into education already, and we're nowhere near the top of the heap. This won't solve anything)
12- Encouraging safe, anti-bullying school environments
(and NO dodgeball, with trophies for everyone just for showing up. Suspend the bullies and fine the parents...now THERE'S an idea)
13- Recognizing the mental health needs of low-income Americans
(How about we get the LOW-INFORMATION Americans up to speed and demand personal accountability of them like we USED to do?)
14- Contacting your senator by 8 April
(unless he/she is a CONSERVATIVE, then don't bother...we want only LIBERALS running the nation)

Yeah...so there we go...all the propaganda you can handle, aimed (no pun intended) at conservative gun owners, who are never at the heart of violence by guns, or anything else, but will DEFEND themselves and their families when required.

This rally could have been more about the specific ethnic CULTURES that has brought down that community, but I suppose that weeding out the REAL causes to the problems they face is a bit much for them to stomach. So, they'll just jerk some knees, and hope all goes well.

*** Lastly today, there does come a time when everyone has to get involved in something to some degree.

And I always say that you don't HAVE to go after the big-ticket items to accomplish positive results.
Everything begins with the little things in life.
Just as crime will escalate UP to the big things FROM the little one, so also can changes for the better begin with these little things.
It can be as simple as a letter to an editorial page, or an email to some reporter or newscaster.
Think of it as the "ripple effect"...
You toss a pebble into a large still lake...and then watch the splash ripple outward, until eventually that ripple reaches the shore on the other side of that lake. Whatever we choose to do in life mirrors that image, just as whatever we choose NOT to do will also have it's own effects.

All that life entails for every one of us involves choosing...left or right, up or down, good or bad, forward or backward.
You can't walk out the door of your house without following those "guidelines".
Every decision can be a crossroad, and the path we decide on should be met, not with trepidation, but with enthusiasm, for even if we choose a path that wasn't in our best interest, we can always find a way to return to where we're supposed to be.
We might not always WANT to be where we are, but it's always where we NEED to be, that we should make ourselves aware of.
DO have yourselves a great weekend.

Be well, make a difference to someone today, and as always...
Stay SAFE out there, America.