07 January 2014

Tundra Tuesday...
Yes, it's STILL deathly COLD outside today in the Hoosierland.
It really IS...THAT cold in the Hoosierland!!!
Our downtown area looked like a damn GHOST TOWN yesterday...even at "rush-hour".
Many people took the advice of government officials and weather people and STAYED HOME.
And considering that all schools and many businesses and activities were CLOSED yesterday, there wasn't much happening to warrant being out and about anywhere in Fort Wayne.
That's not to say our police and fire personnel had it "easy"...they did not.
Scores of slide-offs, vehicles getting stuck or crapping out, as well as a plethora of medical calls caused our responders to REALLY be on their game. Saw a FWPD cruiser today citing a vehicle parked along Pettit.
Under such conditions, people NEED to heed the warnings
It's NOT only a cold day HERE...
Also, as could be expected, the bone-chilling temps did not help in ANY manner.
Around our "Fortress", all was eerily quiet, after the plows rolled through yesterday morning.
We are without a newspaper for the SECOND day, and I did NOT see a USPS truck come up our street yesterday.
I would wager that our mayor, public safety director and police chief got THEIR papers and had THEIR mail delivered, though.
We're only the SE side...who gives a sh*t about anyone down here, right?
Like I say...you get used to being ignored in many ways
If you're looking for better weather today...think again.
Jack Frost HAS been busy at our place!
Temps will ONLY rise to MINUS FIVE DEGREES, with a low tonight of around MINUS TWENTY.
Tomorrow, we get to "warm" up to a balmy NINETEEN DEGREES, with more warming as the week progresses.
Finally, we might be able to put this "polar vortex" behind us...
Polar Vortex my ass...pass me some penguin, Harry.
(and maybe those people will stop messing with the HAARP array up north and screwing with our weather)
So, let's again take it very slow today, stay inside and keep warm with some coffee, tea or cocoa, as we see what else has been going on...
*** First out of the chill zone today comes a cautionary story about the regional electrical grid operator that supplies power to much of Indiana, warning customers to CONSERVE POWER.
Here's the story link:
http://www.wane.com/news/local/officials-conserve-electricity-tuesday
Personally, I'd LOVE to comply. I hate wasting damn near anything...BUT (uh oh, here he goes) when ELECTRICITY is the ONLY viable energy source available, you'll forgive me if I choose NOT to freeze to death and "decrease the surplus population" (as Dickens once wrote).
Maybe we should STOP bugging Mother Nature???
I suppose the electrical grid is stretched a bit, but MAY-BE it's due to Obummer shutting DOWN many of Indiana's COAL PLANTS, because he's permitted the EPA is over-regulate them into near-extinction???
Hell, we used to have a COAL-fired furnace in our house when I was a child...
And with all this COLD outside,. wouldn't a tad more greenhouse gases be WELCOME?
I turned MY thermostat back...WAY back!
It would seem the pendulum has swung a bit too far in the wrong direction, and, in our (libtard-driven) mad rush to "save the planet", we've allowed the decrease in greenhouse gases to cause global COOLING...at least it would appear that way.
Do NOT hit that BIG...RED...BUTTON, Bill...!
Then again, the nation's electrical grid is in dire need of upgrading, and we're often hard-pressed to even mention it..until "something" happens.
And even though we have a furnace that runs on natural gas, the operating system  and fan is ELECTRICAL, so we need power to keep it running at whatever temperature we set it at.
Moving on...
*** With such record-breaking, sub-zero temperatures, many things we take for granted tend to act "differently" than in more moderate climates.
We KNOW that vehicles are susceptible to the frigid weather, what with batteries that go south (like your aunt and uncle when they move to Florida), or tires with not enough tread to make any headway, and the like.
It's SO cold...I can't find MY nuts either...
Since most areas have done away with studded and/or snow tires (proper), you're left to those less-aggressive tread radials...great from sliding on bad roads.
They build 'em WARM at Thule AFB!
Homes are also privy to such arctic conditions, and since we all don't have corregated steel Quonset huts that have been buried UNDER the tundra and heavily insulated against the arctic blasts of cold air, we are pretty much left out in the cold (no pun intended).
A row-home isn't that bad...only TWO sides to insulate, but with our "stand-alones", we have ALL FOUR sides that need tending to.
It's NOT our house - it's a house at McMurdo AFB
Our "Fortress", which was built at the close of WW2 tends to leak warm air out and let cold air in...some of the aluminum storm windows have had FROST on them, but at last that's on the inside of the OUTSIDE window. An apartment Wifey and I had in Columbus had frost on the INSIDE of the window, and I remember getting caulk to better seal it so we weren't cranking the heat to the TROPICAL setting.
Doors of a house tend to act "weird", too, and they actually change SHAPE with such cold, typically going "out-of-square", so that locking them becomes a chore.
This can happen to wood OR steel entry doors, too.
You also have to maintain proper insulation on pipes in crawlspaces or basements...ditto for the water heater. That's why in many colder climates, people have HEAT EXCHANGE units...that heat water ON DEMAND...so no failing water heaters to crap up whatever space they occupy.
Then there is electrical problems, such as cords when exposed to the cold become brittle, and can crack and break.
Had one do that to me today...not big deal.
All you need is one of those screw on plug ends (male OR female), wire strippers, screwdriver, and about 5 minutes.
The birds STILL get fed here.
Let's face it...when MOST of our houses OR apartments were built in Fort Wayne, NO ONE had any idea we'd be exposed to such FRIGID temps for ANY length of time, and it's at those times, we find out how WELL our places were built...or how poorly.
So, you basically have TWO choices (when building a new construct) to fight ANY type of extreme weather at either end of the temperature spectrum...
1)  You can insulate the HELL out of the place, and that will cost you some serious money
2)  You can bury the house underground for the most part, and let the earth insulate the house, which will dramatically LOWER heating and cooling bills.
Aside from that, with any existing structure, you're just stuck with the hand you're been dealt, and are playing "catch-up".
*** Lastly today, a little peek into how WE are coping with this weather...we have an upstairs sink that will not drain, the Wifeymobile in the shop for that racing idle problem, a sticking door, frosted windows, a furnace you can no longer get parts for because the company went out of business (we cross our fingers a lot), a garage light plug that snapped off (but I fixed that one)...
And that's what we have...SO far.
-- 0945 hrs - We got the car back...turns out it was the cruise control linkage that came undone and got wedged in the throttle assembly...and THAT is why I don;t like "cruise-control"...for cars OR society in general.
Being a homeowner requires a certain specific level of responsibility...no one  comes along and fixes your stuff when it craps out, like apartment maintenance crews...every item that can require a fix, sooner or later, cannot always be fixed by Handyman "Bob", or even Red-Green.
Owning a home is not for the "cruise-control" minded...something will always crop up, usually at the worst time, and most often, for no apparent reason.
And it will certainly wind up costing something.
It's like our cars..or even our own bodies. Things were never made to last ad infinitum, and if they were, there's be a helluva lotta repair guys with a whole lot of nothing to do all the time.
I'm always talking about paying attention, and we do that whenever our body tells us something's not as right as it should be...or when or car makes a weird sound or "feels" wrong...same for a house.
With such conditions OUTSIDE, we often forget how that affects us INSIDE.
But I'm sure we're learning how to adapt to such things...after all, life IS the ultimate learning experience, is it not?
Be well, make a difference to someone today, and...
Stay safe AND warm out there, America.

(( PS - If you're looking for some good TV to watch tonight...try the season premiere of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD (ABC - 8PM)..

.And over on FX at 10PM the season premiere of JUSTIFIED.

Now THOSE are worth STAYING INSIDE for...kapeesh? ))

06 January 2014

Monday Musings - Duly-Frozen Edition...
So, if ALL that snow didn't have you wondering exactly HOW many days until SPRING, the FRIGID temps today most certainly will...
You KNOW this is all caused by GLOBAL WARMING, though...ROFLMAO!
Today's high in the tundra-like Hoosierland will be in NEGATIVE numbers, and the higher THAT number,. the WORSE it is.
We're just BELOW zero degrees, and by 1500 hours today, we will be down into double-digit negative temps.
A "state-of-emergency" exists in the county Allen of Indiana.
Now, toss in a steady wind of greater than 10-15 MPH, and you're talking Robert Peary arctic expeditionary trek to the NORTH POLE kinda weather...with NO jolly old St. Nick anywhere to be found.
We claim this city of Ft. Wayne...!
So, keep those hot beverages at-the-ready, because we're talking some SERIOUS health-risk weather for people of ANY age.
*** First out of the deep-freeze today is the fact that Wifey and I dodged all this by grocery shopping EARLY on Saturday.
We were out and back before 0930 hrs.
There was one (important) hiccup to all this - The Wifeymobile was in the shop Friday for an oil change and new valve cover gaskets.
When I was driving it Saturday, I noticed the idle was "racing", and that's not really a good thing, especially if you're TRYING to go SLOW...because the car will keep accelerating. And let's just say when driving in BAD winter weather, an unexpected increase in speed is not something that makes ME feel comfortable. So, we;ll have to schedule to take it BACK in and see what's wrong. I'm thinking some type of sensor, because it's a MFI engine, as opposed to MY car, which still has a carburetor on it, and can be "adjusted" for idle speeds.
Perhaps when they took the plenum off the top of the engine, they disturbed something...who can say, but when "I:" feel leery driving a vehicle, you know it's something that needs attention.
Moving on cautiously...
*** Next up, I was amazed at the number of drivers ON the roads yesterday, and the number of slide-offs all over the damn place. Police were so busy...as were the flatbed wreckers.
FWPD use snow-speeders and Tauntauns to get around.
One police call was for a BIGGER wrecker - to pull out another WRECKER...that was stuck.
TRAA ambulance drivers were having trouble negotiating residential streets, due to impassibility.
Today is no better with tractor-trailers getting into difficulty, mainly due to the increasing WINDS.
But, if you can make it DOWNTOWN, the streets THERE are fairly CLEARED....yeah, it's ALWAYS about "downtown" abbey.
A few got stuck along our streets, but managed to get going.
The LAST thing I want is a bunch of cars littering MY property line because they're too stupid to heed the newscasts and REMAIN in their houses or apartments.
Wifey and I cleared the driveway ONCE, and teamed up for the sidewalks OUT FRONT (where no one EVER walks), because it's a city ORDINANCE stating they must be cleared by 0900 hrs. No one ELSE around here EVER does, and they NEVER get cited.
Nor do people clear out FIRE HYDRANTS, which could become FROZEN if encased in snow...OR could be struck by a vehicle because NO ONE CAN SEE THEM when they're buried under such snow.
Failure to clear them "could" bring a hefty $2500 FINE from the city (that they would never follow up on).
Now, if you STILL believe in MIRACLES (and who doesn't?)...we had THREE (count 'em 3) plows criss-cross OUR area this morning right after 0800 hrs...
A-F$CKING-MAZING...that's a FIRST!
*** To say it's been a "busy" 24 hours would be an understatement of EPIC proportions.
Fire crews have been out answering various calls (curiously very few for actual fires, thank God) non-stop, and the police have been helping stranded motorists where possible. A few have gotten stuck themselves answering a few calls, but overall, both departments have been performing in an exemplary manner.
This is NO reflection of either Hamilton OR York...THEY haven't done a thing (imho)...it's the fire crews and street officers that have done it all out there.
Basically, what we are staring at in Fort Wayne is a CLOSED CITY...even public transit (Citilink) is "closed" for the day, as is damn near everything else.
It would not surprise me if the schools were ALSO closed tomorrow, because of the COLD temps.
When we USED to have neighborhood schools, we trudged to them in ankle-deep snow...wasn't far to walk at all, and we placed our boots (galoshes for some) in the "cloak room" with all out other foul-weather gear. But since we NOW bus kids across town for no good reason, the chance of MISSING school is a lot more possible, especially if the DIESEL fuel for the buses has turned to JELL-O in the damn tanks.
*** Lastly today, this is NOT any kind of weather for ANYONE, and that includes PETS too.
You can get frostbite in LESS than 30 minutes if outside today, so don't screw around.
If you HAVE to got out and do the sidewalk, driveway, whatever...DRESS ACCORDINGLY.
Hi-tech?
My house is made of ICE BLOCKS!
-- Cover as much exposed area as possible, like using a balaclava or hooded garment.
-- Wrap a scarf around your neck if you not wearing a turtleneck, and guard your EYES as well, with some sort of protective eye-wear.
-- GOGGLES (mil-spec of ski) will do the trick and keep the frigid air OFF your eyes, but even regular glasses can ease the stinging snow from your eyes.
-- BOOTS are a MUST...no "athletic" shoes of ANY kind will keep your feet warm AND dry..
-- GLOVES ...ditto for protection.
Yet, the most important advice would be...
If you DON'T have to go outside today...DON'T...just DON'T!
You hunker down, take it slow, dig out the cards or board games and let Mother Nature do her thing.
Do have yourselves a good week, in spite of the weather.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE (and warm) out there, America!

03 January 2014

Friday Follies...
MY kinda Friday
If you're a PENGUIN (and NOT from Pittsburgh), you're in 7th heaven today.
We're talking MINUS numbers outside in the Hoosierland this morning. And Joe took the week off to stay inside.
We have BELOW ZERO temps...not for the faint-of-heart, if you have to venture outside today.
This is bone-chilling, snot-freezing, hard-starting, slow-moving, joint-aching, skin-cracking, nothing you put down will work for ice-melting COLD!!!
But, it COULD be worse...like up in MAINE, where temps have plummeted to around THIRTY-FIVE BELOW..
That's like a summer day in ANTARCTICA..(where it IS actually warmer there today.)
The high today will try to get up around THIRTEEN DEGREES (not 30), so we might see very little melting...and no plow trucks (again).
Clouds will be scattered with mostly sunshine.
So, let's take it REAL easy today, pour a nice BIG steaming hot cup of your favorite morning beverage of choice, while I hitch up the dogs to the sled and get this show moving...
God, I feel an odd kinship to British explorer ERNEST SHACKLETON for some strange reason today...
*** First out of the freezer is more a curiosity of sorts...
I mean, with all this COLD impacting a vast majority of the lower 48 states, WHERE are ALL those "global-warming" pundits?
We ATE them...heh,heh,heh.
They seem harder to find these days than an honest politician...or a decent president, police chief, OR public safety director...LOL.
(they must be hiding under all that SNOW)
What would be very nice, would be for some of them to come out and say perhaps they were...WRONG, right?
Maybe with all this CO2 depletion through closing our coal plants, electric cars, those "curly-fries" light-bulbs and such...perhaps the globe is actually COOLING DOWN...then again, Mother Nature runs the show here, contrary to whatever to libtard, tree-huggers profess and believe.
Still, facts are facts, and the fact of the matter is that it...is...cold outside, is it not?
Shivering on...
*** Yes, the dog and pony show downtown was in full swing yesterday, as the new FWPD chief and Director of Public Safety were sworn in by our city clerk for life, Sandy Kennedy (is she 80 yet?).
Here's the lowdown, along with other promotions and the rest of the "shake-up" in the department:
http://www.wane.com/news/crime/garry-hamilton-sworn-in-as-new-police-chief
And our new FWPD chief issued a A STERN warning to the criminals out there...
"...We're coming for you."
Uh, yeah...like Rusty has been doing for the past 14 years?
The perps are shaking in their athletic shoes...(with LAUGHTER).
I guess Garry forgot about the OTHER hand of the system - that of PROSECUTOR, and how THAT department tends to be a real sieve when it comes to plea-dealing all these perps back onto our streets.
The two MOST powerful beings in the Fort Wayne universe.
Naturally, (the Duke of) York is still pulling the strings here (as planned by King Henry)
The good (?) news is that the SE side gets someone who is a better officer in some respects, one Derrick Westfield.
The down side, is that he was arrested for violation of an RO back in 2005, even though he was acquitted, he still has a nice mug shot.
A good cop...with a lousy personal life.
I guess it's better than a lousy cop with a great personal life...sorta, kinda.
It's a crapshoot these days.
So in MY part of the ghettohood, we go from an incompetent with no experience (but a nice guy) to a former felon as our deputy chief...how's that any better?
And Westfield will only be as good as the chief allows him to be.
Everyone's on a "short leash" here.
Sure, let's make THIS another one of those "WTF???" moments...
You just cannot make this stuff up...
Also, York has already been in negotiations with the FWFD contracts...told you he was going to place his finger in too many pies.
We get these people in Fort Wayne that never seem to go away, whether it's Win Moses, Helmke, Sandy Kennedy, York, Marty Bender, who is now head of FWPD "special operations'...
(does that include making DONUT runs, 'cause he looks like he's been GOOD at that, as well as "controlling" the purse-strings OF the department?. How does he pass the department physical?)
Doesn't anyone in this city EVER believe in RETIRING when it's past their time?
And if they're not retiring, they're being moved to ANOTHER position (they don't deserve to hold), like Greg Leatherman  (wasn't much good when he was part of the street dept).
Now he's redevelopment "capo".
They call me MISTER "Downtown"...!
"Mr. Downtown", as I call him...everything for center city...screw the rest of us.
Urbahns, Al Moll...two more that have not done anything when they were doing whatever it is they were appointed to do.
It's like these people (and the city) were ALL on "cruise-control"
Oh my God, another city hall DEMOCRAT?
Well, the road is getting bumpier, and it's time to grab the wheel and pay the hell attention.
This city needs a major CONSERVATIVE overhaul, because if you look at how bad Philly is doing these days, you;ll see what it's like to be "ruled" by democrats (for over 40 years)...not a pretty picture, but you get what you pay for, as it were.
*** Next up...so what DOES chief Hamilton really got in mind?
Well, let's see, if it were ME that was appointed to FWPD chief, I would not be having MY strings pulled by YORK...OR have a "deputy chief" to cover my ass, as Steve Reed was appointed to do for Hamilton. If Garry doesn't have a crutch (someone to make sure he doesn't screw up) , he falls down.
A GOOD place to start with these mooks!
I would pursue the following mandates:
1) Have ALL after-market DARK window tint removed from vehicles in order to better protect MY officers. Besides, we don't live on the sun..or in Arizona.
2) Any NOISE violations from car stereos will result in IMPOUNDING of said vehicles and a fine to have them given back, WITHOUT the stereo. Worked well in Chi-Town.
3) Citizens WILL be cited when spotted walking IN the street (only) when there IS a sidewalk parallel to the street. Those in 3rd-world nations walk in the damn streets!
4) The institution of our own version of STOP, ASK, AND FRISK, especially in chronic crime areas.
Worked in NYC, despite what the lame-stream media says.
5) Noise violations at residences will result in arrests if officers are dispatched to the same house several times a month.
6) More active patrols along the ALLEYS in high crime areas, with NCE followups to code violations.
And the citing of residents that trash up those alleys.
7) More monitoring of gun stores and ammunition purchases by people associated in ANY way with felons (straw-purchases). ANd mandatory sentences for gun-related CRIMES.
8) A ban of ALL vehicles with rims larger than designed for the vehicle that are DRIVING along city streets. They're not safe on DRY streets, and should be for displays at specified shows.
That's just the short list...but then again, you have to know that THESE aforementioned points all have some relationship to criminal activity.
This is called PROBLEM-oriented policing...
When people SEE you are serious about crime, and are taking definitive steps to alleviate it in targeted area, by starting with the small stuff (which leads to the BIG stuff), THEN, the citizens will begin to feel comfortable enough to come forward to officers, and will readily confide in you (law-enforcement), but NOT before.
Then, after you've built up that TRUST, you can apply COMMUNITY-oriented policing.
It all has to be done in the PROPER steps to succeed.
It's called FIXING those broken windows.
As chief, I would also petition City Council to change the relevant city ordinances to reflect my mandate for a SAFER city for everyone.
But, we ALL know none of this would ever happen, because the police chief is an APPOINTED position (BY the mayor), and that means being a lap-dog FOR the mayor...or being an outcast with every decision you make coming into question.
Great for all the kiss-asses in the crowd - not good for anyone that places the citizens OVER the mayor's "agenda"..
*** Next up, a little something for "Garry" to look into...
Here's the story link:
http://www.wane.com/news/crime/pizza-deliveryman-robbed-car-stolen
Imagine that...another Vito's pizza delivery man was robbed AGAIN...!
And where did this happen?
(all together, people...nice and loud)
THE SOUTHEAST SIDE!
It began in the 5000 block of Winter St., around (the usual time) 0415 hrs this morning. when police were called there for an armed robbery.
The pizza man was robbed of cash AND his car (typical entitlement mindset by the thugs).
If you ask me, places like this should NOT be OPEN 24 hours..who the hell NEEDS a damn pizza at FOUR-f$cking-AM?
(Answer - the pot-smoking crowd in the ghettohood, that's who)
The deliveryman's car was recovered in the 4700 block of Reed St.
Business AS usual.
And, as Rod Hissong reported, the FWPD isn't saying much else about suspect description, amount of money taken, evidence found...must be a gag order from the new chief or SE deputy...nice to see little HAS changed...and THAT is par for the course down here.
*** Lastly today, it's often been said that "the more you change things, the more they stay the same", and while that might be a good thing when it comes to certain parts of society, there are those aspects where change for change sake is NEVER a good thing.
It's like the light-bulb gig...why CHANGE the bulbs when we really didn't NEED a change?
Or, why CHANGE our view of global warming, when it's been a hoax from the start?
Why CHANGE over to unproven alternative fuel sources when the government closes down coal plants whose reserves will last HUNDREDS of years?
You go with WHAT WORKS...and WHAT HAS BEEN PROVEN.
Now, there is always some sort of EVOLUTION with society, be it in social facets themselves, or technology, or even a philosophical view of things.
Technology evolves, just as people are supposed to...and it's usually a gradual and purposeful adaptation to whatever the situation has demanded.
It's when we CHANGE technology (or the manner we live our lives) that we encounter problems.
Evolution denotes a move in a better direction, whereas change doesn't always follow suit.
So, with all this cold weather, perhaps this weekend would be a good time to ponder these things...change and evolution.
We cannot avoid one, but can often do well without the other.
Just something to think about.
Have yourselves a great weekend.
Be well, keep warm, make a difference to someone today, and as always...
Stay SAFE out there, America.

02 January 2014

Thursday Already...
Well, now...this is CERTAINLY a great way to kick off the NEW year, isn't it?
And if the FIRST day is ANY portent of things to come, 2014 will be a more than "interesting" year.
I'll be taking a look into that, and more in just a moment, but before we do that, let's take a look at the Hoosierland weather.
It's COLD outside, and if you're thinking we're even going to have a high today, you'd best see one of the "locals" for THAT high, because it's only going to get colder as the day progresses. Temps are currently around 20...and by 1600 hrs today, it will closer to 12 degrees, but we also have a pretty steady WIND outside, and that makes it feel like SINGLE DIGITS.
Trust me, I KNOW...I was outside shoveling around 0615 hrs, and it's that stinging cold wind...with lots of snow blowing around. In some respects, it's like trying to shovel SUGAR...only not as sweet. After a time, you can feel your skin tightening, and not in a good, face-lifting, trying to preserve-your-youth way.
We're going to have light snowfall most of the day, subsiding by this afternoon, but the temps aren't rising that far soon enough.
That means no reflective melting, and probably no snow plows coming down OUR street by week's end (as usual).
I'd be surprised if they did.
Now, having dispensed with that, let's see how THIS year is shaping up, shall we?
Go grab a refill of a nice WARM beverage, too...you're gonna need it.
*** First off the toboggan today is the FACT that even as years pass by, SOME people never seem to change.
-- It wasn't even 14 SECONDS past midnight when our city had it's FIRST shooting (a TRIPLE one at that).
Helluva STUPID way to ring in a new year.
Here's the story link:
http://www.wane.com/news/crime/triple-shooting-to-start-new-year
This happened at a house located at 4815 S. Reed St (several blocks from OUR "Fortress"), and because of all the OTHER gunfire, it was indistinguishable from all the other morons shooting off guns.
One of the victims remains in hospital in critical condition. The other two were not seriously injured. Apparently, some other mook saw these people exit the house to the back deck, and decided to shoot at them. The shooter DOES remain at-large.
-- In a related brief story by Rod Hissong, we had our share of CELEBRATORY GUNFIRE.
http://www.wane.com/news/local/celebratory-gunfire-fills-ft-wayne-air
They don't have the video up from last night, but while police were milling about the house, Rod left his microphone on the camcorder OPEN, and you could hear all this background small arms fire going off AROUND the area. Sounded like some fire-fight in Afghanistan.
But at least SOME cities (unlike Fort Wayne) DO take precautions and issue WARNINGS...like Birmingham.
-- The OTHER shooting is alleged to have been a SUICIDE...as ruled by POLICE.
Here's THAT story link:
http://www.wane.com/traffic/incidents/fwpd-investigating-death-on-logan-avenue
Didn't know THEY were allowed to do the CORONER'S job...must be part of the "new direction" the city's law-enforcement is taking? Sounds like a REAL plan, Rusty and Garry...NOT!
But at least that DOES nicely adjust the numbers for homicides...way to go, people.
Family members contend this was an "accident", rather than a suicide..maybe denial, maybe an adult was messing around and the weapon went off...who can say, but to do ANY such thing around 3AM bears a lot closer scrutiny, right? Normal folks don't DO this crap.
-- And there were shots fired outside a gas station...
Here's the link:
http://www.wane.com/news/crime/shots-fired-outside-gas-station
Dey jus be celabratin', dawg!
This happened at the SPEEDWAY at 6033 W. Jefferson Blvd around 0315 hrs Wednesday morning (when all the ethnic mooks are still mostly awake with nothing else to do).
No one was injured and again, the police have NO suspects...good average SO far this year, Garry...nice job (about as mediocre as all your OTHER performances in past positions).
-- And we had another shooting (I heard this one on the PD radio) AGAIN...on the SE side.
Here's the link to this (very short) story:
http://www.wane.com/news/local/woman-in-serious-condition-after-a-shooting
And yet AGAIN, information is not forthcoming, but you shouldn't blame the media..
This happened in the 3700 block of Trace Circle at the Wayne Trace Apartments.at Tillman and Wayne Trace Rd (more gov't-sponsored housing?)
It happened around 2115 hrs Wednesday evening (and not around 3-freaking AM - amazing)
The woman was transported to hospital in serious condition, with wounds to her hand and leg.
So far...that's what we got, but we're not getting STARTED yet.
*** Next up was the story I had a cameo in on WANE Tuesday night, and although the video aired at both 6 and 11 PM, there is no video link.
But here's that story...that seemed to be a marvelous PROLOGUE to what transpired later than night and into yesterday evening.
http://www.wane.com/news/crime/illegal-celebratory-gunfire-common-on-new-years-eve
So, I get to begin 2014 with being in the "public eye"...so to speak.
I hope it bothers Henry, York, Hamilton (et al), because if nothing else, I so want to be that "burr under the saddle" for the city "leaders" THIS year.
I want them to know that whatever they have to say, I will be listening. And if I detect some falsehoods, I will let people KNOW about them.
I figure if the city wants to turn it's back on the SE...then I will let EVERYONE ELSE know it...in no certain terms.
I'm no diplomat, definitely NOT politically-correct (never gonna happen), and can be as subtle as a brick through a plate glass window, but I believe THAT is what is required when you see injustice being perpetrated in YOUR part of town...year after year, especially by those with the nice suits, smiling faces, and  smoke blowing out their asses.
*** Today we "appoint" a new FWPD chief and a new Director of Public Safety (because these two could NEVER get ELECTED by their records), and I am SO glad the weather is not "user-friendly" today, because I'm sure turnout will be MINIMAL as a result...as it SHOULD be for this "circus".
THIS is definitely a BETTER SHOW!
Hell, the SHRINERS have a better show (circus)...and IS worth the price you pay, unlike the "show" downtown..
I fully hope to see the media coverage with thunderous applause (by about FOUR people)...which would be about right.
ALL the lock-steppers will be there, I'm sure, touting this as the definitive "plan" to chase crime away from town (only the DOWN-town that is).
I feel bad for the city councilmen (the AT-LARGE members) that FELL for this dog and pony show, and have been cajoled into believing THIS is the (best and only) way to go. Didier surprised me too, as did Tom Smith...they ALL have fallen for this ruse.
Shows how REALLY out-of-touch city council IS with a majority of the population,. doesn't it?
Well, all THEY would ever have to do is drop by OUR "Fortress" and see and hear the TRUTH of what is going on down here.
(not what Glynn Hines has to say...even HE doesn't know many of HIS people as well as he thinks)
Yeah...a real BS fest downtown today at 11AM...that's a given...
*** I got ONE major - league, piss-me-off ROYALLY, pitch a fit, pop a vein, cheese me off to NO end, circle-jerking GRIPE to start this new year.
GETTING RID OF INCANDESCENT BULBS...!!!
Yes friends, this will go down as probably the BIGGEST and most important "WTF???" moment of the year..and we're only TWO damn days into it.
After 1 January, companies here will no longer be making OR selling 40W or 60W bulbs...
Last year they did away with the 100W and 75W bulbs.
What's a fella supposed to do NOW?
(we got us a stash anyway...heh, heh, heh)
This whole clusterf$ck is being instigated by the EPA (with blessing from G-W and Obummer - yes, TWO administrations), so they're BOTH wrong.
It's being done to decrease the energy usage and become more efficient with our lighting...
I want a REAL bulb - not these POSERS!
Sure, by putting levels of MERCURY in every one of our damn HOMES...
WTH is up with THAT and why is it SAFER to have that sh*r in MY house?
Talk about a BS session on a BIBLICAL scale...hallelujah???
I think every American should start digging in to get this crap REPEALED, and I have my reasons...
:Let's think on this - all the houses and apartments are becoming MORE energy-efficient...and SO are all our appliances...
So, why can'r we just leave the old bulbs alone? They don't use nearly as much energy as older appliances or a drafty house (and I know about both...lol)
"If I LIKE my BULBS...why can'tI KEEP my bulbs?"
And if THAT isn't DEJA VU...I dunno what is.
Let's GET RID of the damn EPA instead...!!!
We ALL should start bitching to anyone and everyone about this...and get OUR bulbs the hell BACK...where they belong...IN OUR HOMES!
I sure as hell DO NOT want to get an LED light-bulb (great for flashlights and Christmas lights ONLY), and certainly NOT any of those EFFIN "curly-fry" light-bulbs (with free MERCURY) or even a HALOGEN one (they burn hotter, and can start fires easily - they make better outdoor SPOTLIGHTS and HEADLIGHTS for our vehicles, anyway).
The "alternative" bulbs cost way TOO damn much and are way MORE dangerous than a standard "Edison" bulb.And don't give me any BS about costs coming DOWN...won't be by much.
So get typing, writing, or get on the phone and let's get this crap REPEALED ASAP...even MY stash won't last forever...LOL.
And there we have the first post of 2014 - it looks to be another one of "THOSE" years...
If we're not careful, we'll find ourselves mired up to our necks before we know it.
What we can do is educate ourselves more now than ever, speak up whenever we know something to be wrong, and stay focused on what matter to us, and what made this nation great.
Let's hope we can really turn a corner THIS year, and begin to reclaim our country and our values and principles.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.