Shiver Me Timbers...
And damn near every OTHER part of me...

"It's cold, I say it's TOO COLD out here without a scarf, boy...pay attention."

It is FRIGID out there this morning, and perhaps that's WHY near all the schools have a 2-hour delay.
What that delay has to do with the ROAD conditions or the TEMPS outside now as opposed to 120 minutes later...I have NO frigging clue.
Maybe we can better SEE the frozen bodies out there when it gets light out?
No matter...
I can say that being out before 6AM to shovel our driveway, and pavements has proven to be an exercise in human endurance.

"This isn't Pizno Beach...it's FORT WAYNE...???"

You can feel the inside of your nostrils freezing up, and the face gets a might "tingly", and not in a good kinda way, mind you.
So, while all this is going on around us, let's warm up that cup of whatever you're having, and let's get moving...
*** First out of the igloo today, is the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quote:

"Winter is on my head, but eternal Spring is in my heart."
This was spoken by none other than VICTOR MARIE (?) HUGO - 26 Feb 1802 - 22 May 1885.
(That's one helluva middle name)
And HERE is his WIKI:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Hugo
He's most noted for his novels Les Miserable and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
His life and thoughts and beliefs on politics and religion are worth a read, as his views changed significantly as he got older,and his writings reflect that in a most profound manner.
Classical composers Franz Liszt and Hector Berlioz were friends with Hugo. His work continues to act as inspirational material for music to this day.
Not too bad for someone once exiled from France when he declared Napoleon a traitor TO France.

There 'ya go - a "two-fer" quotes!

He died from pneumonia at the age of 83 after returning from exile on 1870.
Hugo was declared a national hero.
He is buried at the Pantheon.
*** Next up is a followup story about the 3-year old girl that was shot Tuesday evening.
Here's the story link:
http://www.wane.com/news/local/child-found-shot-in-alley

Yeah, it was a "accident"...as in accidentally STUPID behavior on the part of the baby-,mama and her BFOM (boyfriend of the month).
The girl found a (loaded) gun on a kitchen table (which is where I always happen to keep MY firearms...NOT), and when it fell to the floor, it went off, striking the child in the leg.
Police determined there was something ip when the stories of BFOM and Baby-Mama didn't jive...and this tends to happen when stupid people get together...several versions of the same incident...no consensus with the lies they tell.
Police found the gun on the ROOF of the house (which is the BEST place to toss it so the cops won't find it in the SNOW...NOT)
You know, I JUST recently had a post from a column by Bob Aldridge about GUN SAFETY (see archive post of 13 January), and it would seem that IF some people at that house READ the post, the child would NOT be recovering from am "accidental" gunshot wound.

If these people would take time to READ....

Typical for what is passing for "parents" THESE days...isn't it?
People that didn't know how to TREAT a firearm, will most likely NOT know how to treat the vehicle they're driving, OR a family pet...OR the children in their care.
It's just (in) human nature.
Moving on...
*** And speaking of guns...there's this little tale:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140123/LOCAL07/301239947/1002/LOCAL
A report of shots fired Tuesday night prompted TWO Indiana State Troopers (helping the FWPD in trouble areas, no doubt) to respond to radio chatter about a possible shooting at Greene St and Oliver (Eden Green Apartments...where else?).
Troopers saw a 2000 black Impala speeding from the complex and stopped it.

Inside they found a loaded .22 caliber Beretta, a bag with loose .22 rounds, and one dumbass perp, Micheal William Bracey, 20 of Ft. Wayne.
And the best part, that gun he had was reported STOLEN after an armed robbery at Lev's Pawn Shop back on 10 January.
(and THAT story was never reported...wonder why?)
Bracey is facing charges of receiving stolen property and carrying a handgun w/o a license.
He's being held on $3,250 bail.
(and that means he'll be back out in no time).
Once again, we see the METHOD of choice when it comes to getting a firearm (by some thug) is to "buy" a STOLEN weapon...or steal one outright.
And that's why we call such things ILLEGAL guns....and  why gun control is never about guns.

Sure good to know that the ISP is on patrol...even if we don't see the FWPD (which is undermanned and overstretched)
*** Next up,  Kevin Leininger has a column today that looks at our new police chief.

And here's the story link:
http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140123/NEWS/140129859/1012/LOCAL
It's both a blessing an a curse, states Chief Hamilton.
While Hamilton "...is no fan of diversity for it's own sake", he would like to see a more DIVERSE makeup when it comes to the department, to better reflect the community it serves.
And that's all well and good...provisionally-speaking.
If you cannot FIND QUALIFIED candidates for the department, you should NEVER "create" them, but I'm kinda old-fashioned in that regard.

Hamilton believes that if more citizens see "officers who represent people like them", then those citizens will be more willing to come forward as witnesses.
That is a rather SHALLOW belief.
It's not about BLACK or WHITE...it IS about BLACK AND BLUE. I keep telling you this.

I told the former quadrant commander here that we could have ALL BLACK OFFICERS down here in the SE, and it would not make a noticeable difference in the way the criminals behave...or in the way people would be more willing to provide information to those officers.
I even said the same thing to Kevin, during one of the several times WE spoke.
Not to mention, you can attract ALL the minority applicants for the department you want...BUT, to have them pass through Academy and become street officers is quite another thing. MANY will wash out of training, either through physical deficiencies, or through the numerous psych evals that are conducted.
Any minority officers you DO graduate will be few in number...those are the FACTS.
If you recruit say SIXTY applicants, it's a certainty you'll ONLY graduate a DOZEN or so.
Again, it's the law of averages at work here.
Kevin also states that Hamilton wants to work with the DoJ (Holder and HIS cronies - oh, cripes, we are SO screwed now) to implement "civility training" for members of the department, hoping to avoid behavior that can be perceived - either rightly or wrongly - as hostile or disrespectful.

Try working THIS on the low-information people!

Yeah, THAT will go over like a pregnant pole-vaulter...!
Try reaching some CIVILITY to the f$cking PUBLIC instead, Garry...
THERE is where you need it MOST, and most OFTEN.

I have a plan...NOT a dream.

Officers are trained to be able to "control" a situation, so that it doesn't escalate into chaos, and some of the loons they have to deal with daily simply don't WANT an officer in ANY type of control (it's a SUB-CULTURE thing)...these people feel it's THEIR "right" to control everything and everyone.
And that is inherently WRONG...for all the logical reasons.
Kevin's got a good take on this and the column is also worth a read.
Can Hamilton be someone who can succeed where York has not?
Time will always tell, but I will say that without a few boots on the necks of these gang members, and making it known that the police WILL do the job we hire them to do, not much will change.
*** Last back to the barn today...if people are the cause of much of society's ills, then people SHOULD be able to also be the solution.
Well, that's the way it works in a world that is NOT trying to turn itself on it's ass every day, right?
With an increasing lack of such things like ethics and civility, it's little wonder we see all the crap that we do every day.
If it's not some dumbass road rage incident, it retribution shooting for some lame-ass act of "disrespect".
If it's not a love (read lust) triangle that goes south of lousy, it's some pissed-off employee going postal.
With a molly-coddling government, bent on intrusion into ALL aspects of our lives, it's no surprise we see people with a lot THINNER skin these days...
They just run and cry like some spoiled brat to the government, when all they REALLY had to do was let that sh*t run off THEIR back like water off a damn duck's. It's that simple..
More people need to "grow a pair", stand up FOR THEMSELVES, and LEARN right from wrong.
That's a damn good start.
And it's something we USED to have here in this country...practiced by a lot MORE people.
Time has come to revisit our past...practice what we learn there today, so that we can move into the future.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and,..,.
Stay SAFE out there, America.