Humpday Happenings...

And, it's a rather UN-Springlike day greeting us here in the Midwest.
Temps are starting out in the lower 30s, but it WILL warm up to around 60 degrees by late afternoon.
Plenty of sunshine to go around as well. And maybe a slight breeze
All-in-all, not a bad day for the middle of the week (until someone comes along and screws it up).
And in the best manner of enjoyment of Wednesday, let us proceed into this good day, so top off that morning beverage as we get this ball rolling.
*** First out of the frying pan is our WHO SAID THAT? quote of the week:
"It is not part of a true culture to tame tigers, any more than it is to make sheep ferocious."
And in following our path about culture, this quote, although brief in content, is lengthy is wisdom (and you can quote ME on that one...lol)
So, who said that?
The answer at the top of tomorrow's post.
Meanwhile, back in the classical literature stacks...
*** Had an "oops" moment yesterday while cleaning up the patio area. We have this millet that grows over 6 ft. tall, and after Winter, it's dried out stalks that need removal.
I was pulling up some of them when I felt my hand a bit "sticky"...turns out it was blood.

...To the rescue!!!

Cut my hand (fingers) not once, but TWICE...that'll learn me to wear the gloves that I have.
So, after two well-placed band-aids on the fingers I cut, and some ointment, we're good to go once again.
A little "sacrifice" (via blood) can be a good thing.
*** Next, a recent drug bust on Ft. Wayne's...(...all together, gang...)...SOUTHEAST SIDE nets a nice amount of contraband.

Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140423/LOCAL07/304239930/1043/LOCAL07
If you get the J-G, you'd have to look DEEP in the METRO section to find this story, that, unlike the WANE account, provides the perp's address.
They don't like to make THIS kind of crap PAGE-ONE material (for some odd reason).
Richard E. Jordan, 47 (never to be confused with the late ACTOR, Richard Jordan), of the 3000 block of S. Monroe St (about a half mile from our "Fortress") was charged with multiple felony counts pertaining to drug possession and distribution.

HE BE BUSTED!

Officers conduced a warrant search at a house located at 1937 Andreas Way (off of Getz Rd.), and found two guns, cocaine, and paraphernalia.
The charges are as follows:
-- Dealing cocaine (5 counts)
-- Possession of cocaine
-- Possession of heroin
-- Possession of paraphernalia
Bond has been set at (a nice) $265,000...!
The investigation that led to the arrest had been ongoing for several months.
As can be expected, Jordan has a LENGTHY rap sheet that begins WAY back in 1987 for forging an I.D. card.

Welcome baa-aack. (sing along)

And, it gets better from there with such things as multiple traffic violations, carrying a handgun w/o a license (1991), invasion of privacy (1998), and, believe it or not, the FWPD apparently USED to cite for WINDOW TINT, and this buck got written up for violating that ordinance (1995), and MULTIPLE violations of the NOISE ordinance (when the FWPD used to enforce THAT, too).
And yes, he's a male BLACK, 6'0", 220 lbs
(predictable, yes?)
His addresses are:
3003 S. Monroe - 46806
4410 Oliver St. - 46806
(at least he stays close to "home")
His accumulation of SO many traffic violations SHOULD have gotten his ass taken off the streets...guess not.
Nice to know some things in this city never change over the years.
Moving on...
*** I always find stories like this SO damn satisfying, because I was right on about it.
Here's the link:
http://news.yahoo.com/study-fuels-corn-waste-not-better-gas-170115788--finance.html
Now who DIDN'T see this one coming?
Fuels made from corn waste are NO BETTER than gasoline.
In fact, they're actually WORSE for the environment, releasing 7% MORE greenhouse gases.
And the best part, the FEDS paid for the study to the tune of $500K (nice song).
We ALREADY know that ETHANOL isn't any damn good (corrodes rubber components and is about 75% as effective as regular gasoline)

It TASTES better than it "runs".

So, we've been wasting ALL those acres that could have been used to feed CATTLE, which would help in making herds LARGER, and drop the price of beef, but NOOOoooooo, that would be too frigging easy (and too damn correct).

Facts don't lie...

Instead, we EXPORT CORN overseas (less feed for cattle and food for US), we EXPORT CATTLE (when we should send breeding stock overseas to let other nations :grow their own to feed themselves), causing OUR meat prices to sky-rocket, and finally, we EXPORT OIL when we should be keeping it here to allow OUR prices to drop to reasonable levels (again, as they should).
All the while, this administration pushes for more "green technology"...like ELECTRIC CARS.
And while the COAL PLANTS in America continue to dwindle in number (thanks to the EPA, that should be disbanded), what EXACTLY will be fueling those electro-mobiles, anyway?
Magic? Rainbows and unicorns? Alchemy? Prayer? (gonna need a LOT of that LAST one)

WE pump OUR oil, and ship OUR oil overseas?

NO new nuclear plants are being built, certainly NO new (cleaner) coal plants being built, no Keystone XL pipeline (at this time), NO new refineries to help the flow of fuel across the nation, AND a power grid that is about several sub-stations from a major failure that is NOT being upgraded...and this is making our lives BETTER...HOW, really?
I'm just not seeing it, folks.
*** Fort Wayne (Sh)City Council has FIVE street projects over the next FIVE years.
Here's http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140423/LOCAL/304239973the story link:
How about that...and not ONE mention of the SE side, where the streets have more cracks in them than fine porcelain. After every rain event, our streets "weep" water for days following the cessation of tha rain. Street department says that's okay (until a sinkhole develops, or a main breaks underneath).
--And in a somewhat "related" story, some SE residents are pushing (not drugs for a change) to get TRAILS down here.

(like those trails we have in ALL the other parts of the city. THOSE get used by LOTS of people from walking to jogging and biking.)
We have a little bit of "trails" in the SE...mainly near that new YMCA (Renaissance Pointe area), and that's it, unless you trek down by the PSA and Southtown...or go over by Foster Park (but that's SW).

The website shows the details.

There ARE bike LANES painted along Hanna St. (farther north),but that does NOT guarantee ANY form of safety...and that's because of ALL the uninsured drivers down here who are distracted by their loud car stereos, are high...drunk, or otherwise have their head elsewhere.
This solution is a simple as the day is long - you want REAL TRAILS down here?
...GET THE F$CKING CRIME OUT OF THE DAMN AREA...PERIOD!

Gotta fix all THIS sh*t FIRST...

Doing THAT will also cause businesses to return, good people to move back into SE, and cause a domino effect in a positive light...something we haven't seen down here in ages (or since Glynn Hines was on City Council).
You don't remove the bad element, none of this will happen, and wasting money by putting lipstick on pigs won't make it better one damn bit.
*** Last back into the fire...we see what can happen when people make those crap choices in life - they become crap themselves.
We can also see what occurs when people chose to give a damn and WANT better, but to stick out your hand and just demand it does no good, either.
It takes a self-motivated and concerned effort, and it can begin with ONE person (although that's a harder climb on the mountain).
It takes effort on the part of those in authority...doing what is needed to ensure that a community can move FORWARD, instead of regressing.
Such opportunities do abound, if we're willing to look for them, and not wait until they knock on our doors.
We ALL are affected by whatever good OR bad this city allows to happen, and those downtown have to answer for what goes wrong, as well as laud that which goes right.
It's  TWO-WAY street here with cross-streets that demand our attention, lest we get broadsided.
And sometimes, you might need a traffic cop to straighten out the gridlock that can occur when people don't read the signage.
That...is something to think about.

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