Off To The Races Again...

And I'm sure we're hoping that the "rats" don't win, right?
(because we all know that life CAN be a rat race at times)
The sun is TRYING to come up today, breaking through the clouds, which are slated to return later as we see some rain in the overnight hours.
(an interesting shade of mauve in the skies...nice)
The temps today in the Hoosierland will mirror those we had yesterday...around 65 degrees, so it looks to be a relatively CALM day (until someone comes along and screws it up...LOL)
In the meanwhile, let's fill that morning cup with whatever strikes your fancy as we take a look at what all's been going on...
*** First off the hotplate is the answer to yesterday's WHO SAID THAT? quite:
"It is not part of a true culture to tame tigers, any more than it is to make sheep ferocious."
This was spoken by literary great Henry David Thoreau (12 July 1817 - 6 May 1862), who aside from being an author, was a poet, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister (gotta like him for THAT alone), development critic, surveyor, historian,  and leading transcendentalist.
(cripes, that's ONE busy life)
And here is his WIKI:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_David_Thoreau
Have to warn you...it's a LENGTHY entry, but very well worth a read.
I don't believe he could have done MORE in his life if he were twins!
Thoreau was a "philosopher of nature" and it's relation to the human condition.
We've covered him before (here), so all I will add is that if you didn't read up about him before, give it a shot.
Somehow, I have a feeling if he were alive today, he be a survivalist, and most likely a Libertarian.
Moving on...
*** Okay, so the last time I checked, all the laws of PHYSICS were in full swing, and that means that certain things will act and react in predictable manners.
Take for example the "chance meeting" of an SUV and a MOPED, like what happened in THIS story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140424/LOCAL07/304249915

Now THAT left a mark!

Yep, it's ALL about physics - not the best way to deal with things in life, just the ONLY way.
A moped carrying two "women" (who were NOT wearing helmet)s, runs a RED LIGHT (oops) where an SUV, legally rolling through the intersection smacks into them (and it). Now, how many ways of wrong can we find here?
The women were badly hurt (never heard of anyone being "goodly" hurt), and taken to hospital.
This took place last night around 2300 hrs at the intersection of West Jefferson Blvd and Getz Rd.

Even in the GARDEN - trust me!

(kinda like a "5-points" type of intersection)
One woman on the moped is listed in critical, while the other was listed as serious.
And the names of everyone involved were not released.
If I didn't know better, it sounds like those that ride around down HERE...two on a moped, no helmets, and usually speeding up, down and across streets with little regard for anything else happening around them.
Even saw one guy wearing iPod ear-buds, so you KNOW that can't be right.
Be nice to have some LAWS on the books regarding responsible use of a motor vehicle like mopeds.
*** Next up, we are, among many other things in this country, a nation of GUNS.
In fact, one might say we have a GUN CULTURE about us, and I don't see anything wrong with such a description. And apparently, neither did some others...

If it were not FOR guns, we'd not have had a revolution where we became a FREE COUNTRY, right?
(kinda hard to bring pitchforks and torches to a WAR anyway, hmm?)
We have taken this form of culture and wonderfully melded it into our metaphoric lexicon, and it's spread around the world from there.
Here's a story that provides the proof:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140424/FEAT/304249993/1011/FEAT
Imagine that...lots of what we say (without thinking about it) refers to GUNS...A-freaking-mazing!
Here's examples from the article:
BITE THE BULLET
FIZZLE
HOTSHOT
KEEP YOUR POWDER DRY
LOADED FOR BEAR
OFFHAND REMARK
POTSHOT
SILVER BULLET
SNAPSHOT

That's pretty cool, and we've probably never thought about it when we said them.
It's really a good story, and one you may find more than interesting.
Now, while some will say that being a gun culture isn't a good thing for us, I'd reply with the FACT that more people are SAVED by guns than are killed by them (in spite of the crims who see fit to settle anything with the barrel of a firearm, rather than employ REASON).
Guns win wars...we've proven that one numerous times throughout our country's brief history.
Guns protect the everyday citizen and their homes...again we've seen the proof in that as well.
But, like ANY "tool" in the box, it's only as good as the person using it.
And, also like any other tool, can be MISused just as easily. We just don't hear about hammers and screwdrivers as weapons of death as much, because you have to get "up close and personal" to use THOSE - look your target in the eye.
Guns are a lot more "impersonal" in that regard.
-- In a related story, the State of Georgia has actually RELAXED it's gun carry laws.

Gee, THEY trust in God, too!

Here's the link:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/04/23/georgia-governor-to-sign-bill-expanding-gun-rights/
The NEW laws expand citizens' ability to carry in locations formerly not permitted, such as schools, bars, churches.
But businesses and the like have the OPTION to not permit guns on their properties.
It has been touted as the most comprehensive PRO-gun legislation in recent state history (says the NRA).
And let's face it, law-abiding citizens with a gun are the FIRST, BEST defense against an active shooter intent on killing others indiscriminately, whether that be in a church, school, business, home, or on the street.
It's not turning Georgia into the "Old West", just providing common sense to an issue that has, in the past, placed innocents needlessly in harm's way by those shooters looking for notoriety. Now, if only Indiana follows suit, I'd be REAL happy.

When I heard the FWPD spokesperson, Mike Joyner talking about gangs in Ft. Wayne the other day on TV, and how "we have them outnumbered", I had to laugh, because that's NOT true.
Consider we have close to 440 sworn officers in the FWPD (with only a DOZEN on this new gang unit), and then consider we have between 20-30 active GANGS in this city. Of those gangs, figure on around 50 members (including associates and recruits) for each gang, more or less, and that's a conservative number.
That brings the members to around 1000 gang members, which is much HIGHER than those 440 FWPD officers, if every officer were tasked to taking down gang members (I am including all of Allen County, because we know gang activity is not solely an "urban" issue these days.
Wonder why THAT was never mentioned in ANY media source?
(not a convenient truth, no doubt)
*** Last back to the barn today...we see clear evidence of many cultures in this country, all rooted in what we used to call the AMERICAN culture.
Think of them as branches to a larger tree.

And, as is the case, we, the people, have become adept at being able to adapt to situations and conditions.
Hence this gun-culture. I look at it as one solution (of many) to problems that result from the unchecked sub-cultures that embrace chaos, running rampant in this country. Those are very REAL problems, and ones which need immediate attention, for they affect not just those in specific areas, but all of us everywhere.
With any culture comes a certain "power", and if that power is used in a way that is detrimental to society as a whole, everyone suffers.
So, it behooves us to become responsible in the use of whatever power we are allowed.

That doesn't make us all superheroes...just people who should come to learn what we need to do for ourselves and for others, so that our society prospers and doesn't de-evolve. And this is not accomplished by giant leaps, but rather "baby-steps".
We take things as they come and one-at-a-time...same with people.
Every day is a gift, and the more we come to appreciate such things, the more we learn, the more we can pass along, and that seems to be something we can all get a handle on.
Therein lies the lesson for today.

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