Friday Follies...
We made it...to another weekend, and I trust none the worse for wear.
The Hoosierland weather today is as follows...
It's going to be a bit warmer than yesterday, with highs in the 80s, and with a good chance of rain and thunderstorms staring at us, and high humidity.
Might have to crank on the A/C one...more...time.
And then, before we know it, it'll be LEAF-RAKING time (joy).
In the meanwhile., let's take it a bit slower, pour another cup of your favorite morning beverage and take a look around at what's been going on.
*** First up today, a FWPD officer is injured in a crash.
Here's the story:
http://www.wane.com/news/local/fwpd-officer-involved-in-crash
This happened around 2215 hrs in the area of Wayne Trace and Oxford Sts., on the SE side.

That DEFINITELY left a mark!

The officer was responding to an emergency call and was running w/ lights and sirens when the incident occurred.
One civilian used the officer's cruiser radio to call for help.
Officer Michael McEachern was transported to hospital in serious condition.
The story says that it doesn't appear than either drugs or alcohol were involved (let's hope not).
*** And whatever "lull" you were enjoying on the SOUTHEAST SIDE can be put to rest...the mooks are back shooting one another...AGAIN.

Here's the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130920/LOCAL07/309209929/1002/LOCAL
This happened around 1900 hrs at the TWIN OAKS Apartments (what...again?) on E. Paulding Rd. near Hessen Cassel.
(yep, that's the ghettohood, all right...and government-sponsored)
The victim and another person were walking outside in the parking lot when the shooter came from an apartment and begin firing.
The shooter fled on foot and remains at-large.
It's the same complex that had all those central A/C units stolen and the last archive post I have dates back almost a month ago to the day (23 August) when another shooting and pursuit ended there.

That was the lavender Caprice that got shot at.
At this time in THIS incident, no motives, no suspects, no weapon recovered...and no hits, runs or erros.
(end of the inning?)
*** Here's a story that is WELL over-due and could lead to reducing our nation's deficit...(and egregious spending habits):
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130920/NEWS03/309209970
Yep...FORTY BILLION dollars (with a "B") can be saved IF legislation for food stamp reduction gets passed.
But, considering the Senate is run by progressives libtards, it's got as much chance as a snowball in Hades, unfortunately.
Yet, if you do the math, you KNOW that all the bucks dumped into this food stamp program cannot possibly go to THAT many people. We don't have that many poor AND elderly COMBINED to warrant such spending, and stats reveal that food stamp FRAUD runs rampant in all the agencies involved, as well as on the streets. One can look no farther than the SE side restaurant guy who was scamming food stamps to purchase food for HIS business...TWENTY-ONE people were charged in that scheme.
This won't take food out of ANYONE'S mouth, but it will hold people accountable...and save a LOT of money.
*** And speaking of accountability, our mayor,  King Henry spoke about the proposed 2014 city budget yesterday (huzzah).
Here's that story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130920/LOCAL/309209971/0/SEARCH

It's GOOD to be KING!

Okay...a BIGGER budget, not as "taxing", and a savings of FIVE MIL?
Love to see how THAT will pans out, sire.
The budget allows for 20 NEW police officers...and before you go "wow, that's cool", think on this...
Those police will be hired to REPLACE the ones retiring or otherwise leaving the department...and won't be IN ADDITION to whatever (lower than the national average) number we ALREADY have, got it?
But city employees are expected to get a 2% raise (didn't they just get a 1.9% raise?)
And I wonder how MUCH will be ear-marked for...(wait for it)...DOWNTOWN?
I do hope city council doesn't "rubber-stamp" this, but goes over it line-by-line, because I can't see how you save AND spend at the same time.
Believe me, Wifey and I tried it (once...just once)...doesn't work well at all...LOL.
You save SO you can spend later on...THAT works.
*** And it looks like we have a "winner", folks...

This is in regards to the recent grocery store robberies on the SOUTH side of the city.
Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130920/LOCAL07/309209927/1002/LOCAL
A 21-year old thug, named Trevale Williams of the 1400 block of W. Wildwood Ave (black male obviously...doesn't sound like a ginger-haired Irishman) was heard bragging about holding up two stores and an anonymous tip was sent to crime stoppers, and well, there 'ya go...happy ending.
Thing is, police went to Williams' address and arrested him on an UNRELATED WARRANT (outstanding, no doubt)
What a punk...with a big-ass mouth. Be nice to lose the key to HIS cell.
*** Lastly today...it's nice to hear good news.
Sadly, there's not that much of it to go around these days.
So, what we're left with is a study in DEGREES...and by that, I mean what is LESS WORSE than all the other crap being tossed at us.
THAT becomes as close to "good" news as it gets.

I think we can find good news, if we're willing to WORK a bit to find it, and sometimes, it's closer than you think.
Perhaps we're looking so far beyond what we should be looking at...the forest for the trees thing.
And when we do find something good, let's get as hepped-up as we do when we hear bad news.
While we shout at the TV or radio, and become disgusted with the printed news, we seldom take time to cheer for something truly GOOD.
Remember, just because the rest of the world is content to reside in some hand-basket destined for the 7th layer of Dante's Inferno, doesn't mean we have to join them....but we CAN wave to them as they pass by.
DO have yourselves a great weekend.

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