Tuesday Tidbits...

This is one of those mornings where you wish you could just pause time...for a couple more hours.
Feels like that to me, anyway.
At least today marks the start of school for the FWCS regime. That's something to smile about.
(wonder how they'll try to reinvent the educational system THIS year?)
Let's try not to dwell.
Our Hoosierland weather brings us much of a repeat of yesterday with partly cloudy skies, but with slightly higher temps reaching to around 85 degrees, and that "chance of rain" we're always hearing about (but never seeing).

So what say we all take a minute to get a nice refreshing drink to help wake us up, as we see what else has been going on elsewhere, hmm?
*** First off of the schoolbus is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
AUGUST 15 -
---it's National Lemon Meringue Pie Day

(might have to raincheck that until the weekend)
---it's National Relaxation Day

(with kids going back to school, parents will love this one)
*** Next up, and since it is Tuesday, what say we take a peek at all the FWPD calls that we should have been aware of, but for some reason, the media ignored...

SHOTS FIRED ((113)) / ARMED ROBBERY((53)) CALLS - 08/07 - 08/13
((23,113 - vandalism by gunfire))
=======================================
AUG 7 - 
((NO shots fired))
((NO armed robberies))
What? Everyone took the frigging day off???
AUG 8 -
17F097732 08/08/2017 12:03am 113 SHOTS FIRED 1300 WASHINGTON BLVD W
17F097907 08/08/2017 12:37pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 400 PONTIAC ST E & WARSAW ST
17F098067 08/08/2017 07:23pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 3700 SHERMAN BLVD  
17F098111 08/08/2017 09:54pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 1200 GREENE ST & BOWSER AVE
17F098142 08/08/2017 11:33pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 4200 ALVERADO DR  
17F098143 08/08/2017 11:36pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 600 TILLMAN RD E & HANNA ST S
17F098146 08/08/2017 11:37pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 6100 CHATHAM DR & DOWNINGTOWN DR
17F098065 08/08/2017 07:18pm 53 ARMED ROB 300 PETTIT AVE E
AUG 9 -
17F098190 08/09/2017 02:47am 113 SHOTS FIRED 500 LEWIS ST E & MONROE ST S  
17F098609 08/09/2017 11:07pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2500 FAIRFAX AVE E
((NO armed robberies))
AUG 10 -
17F098689 08/10/2017 05:38am 113 SHOTS FIRED 600 STATE BLVD E & PARNELL AVE
17F099005 08/10/2017 10:42pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 800 SALLIE AVE & ST JOSEPH BLVD
17F098715 08/10/2017 08:05am 23,113 2500 FAIRFAX AVE E
((NO armed robberies))
AUG 11 -
17F099405 08/11/2017 08:11pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2800 LAFAYETTE ST S
17F099448 08/11/2017 09:42pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 4000 GAYWOOD DR
((NO armed robberies))
AUG 12 -
17F099551 08/12/2017 03:03am 113 SHOTS FIRED 3200 CENTRAL DR
17F099790 08/12/2017 04:33pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 1200 OAK TRAIL CT
17F099967 08/12/2017 11:50pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 5000 HESSEN CASSEL RD
17F099648 08/12/2017 10:08am 23,113 8300 RAIL FENCE RD
17F099894 08/12/2017 09:34pm 23,113 6100 STELLHORN RD
((NO armed robberies))
AUG 13 -
17F100020 08/13/2017 02:07am 113 SHOTS FIRED 400 STRATTON RD & COLDWATER RD
17F100045 08/13/2017 03:38am 113 SHOTS FIRED 3900 TACOMA AVE & RUDISILL BLVD W
17F100051 08/13/2017 04:52am 113 SHOTS FIRED 400 PERRY AVE
17F100366 08/13/2017 09:25pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 4700 BOWSER AVE
((NO armed robberies))
=========================
More than 40+ vandalism calls, 70+ disturbance calls, 156 domestic calls (40+ additional w/battery), 55 burglaries, and 22 narcotics runs.
==========================
FIREWORKS CALLS 08/07 - 08/13
17F099406 08/11/2017 08:10pm 44FW 2600 WAYNEWOOD DR
17F099445 08/11/2017 09:30pm 44FW 300 TABER ST W & HOAGLAND AVE
17F099444 08/11/2017 09:36pm 44FW 6800 LAMONT DR
17F099907 08/12/2017 09:49pm 44FW 500 WALLEN HILLS DR & WALLEN CT
17F099928 08/12/2017 10:29pm 44FW 5900 SAWMILL WOODS 
===========================
Always good to know we still have our share of dumbasses in our fair city.
*** Next up, another shooting in the city. Here's the story (so far):
https://www.wowo.com/shooting-e-wayne-street-one-serious-condition/

This took place around 2200 hrs Monday at the Stop N Ship, located in the 1800 block of E. Wayne St.
An argument led to one man shooting another in the leg. The suspect ran off.
As usual, it's "under investigation".
*** Next, an update to the boat ramp homicide (number 21 if you're keeping track).
Here's the link:
http://www.wpta21.com/story/36132642/homicide-victim-idd-fwpd-wants-to-know-if-shooting-happened-at-boat-ramp

Jason Underwood did have a lengthy rap sheet for numerous crimes (traffic infractions, drugs, domestics...usual stuff for such perps). And he had several addresses over the last few years...typical of criminals (keep moving so the cops can't locate them). He was easy to find this weekend, wasn't he?
The FWPD should have had this bird on their radar for some time.
*** Next up, two letters to the editor that I found impressive, because they speak the TRUTH (which seems to be in much shorter supply than in times past.

Here's the first letter from the News-Sentinel:
((When will city make safety a priority?
How many shootings and killings does it take to get Mayor Henry and his administration to focus on a real problem rather than glad-handing with downtown businesses just to cement his legacy of rebuilding downtown? Where is the mayor's outrage with the senseless violence throughout Fort Wayne? Where is the outrage against the violence in every GFW City Council District from the GFW City Council?
The quality of life and quality of place must not include the safety of place in our elected officials' mindsets about our city. Is it because our elected officials have focused so much on GFW's vision of Fort Wayne that they have just forgotten that safety of place is just as important as both of the GFW's propaganda slogans of quality of life and quality of place?
Where is our elected officials' plan for stopping the plague of violence that is overwhelming our city? This is not a problem that just started yesterday. 
It's been going on for many years, but it doesn't follow the neat and clean narrative of quality of life and quality of place of downtown or the vision of the GFW for moving Fort Wayne into the future.
Where are our GFW City Council members who are so concerned with improvement of our city? Isn't safety of place just as important as their legacy sayings? Or can't they face the real elephant in the room: “violence of place and place of drugs”?  Why is the focus on rebuilding downtown at the expense of citywide safety ?
Where is the Henry administrations support for our great Police Department? 
Where is the plan for buttressing their so-called support for our police in their frontline defense of all of our neighborhoods against this senseless violence through out Fort Wayne? Can't the Henry administration and the GFW think of a great propaganda slogan that they can say over and over until we believe that we are safe and sound in our neighborhoods?
This and many more questions need to be asked of all our elected officials from state, county and city. Just what are their priorities, great slogans or real meaningful actions to address the violence? Do we have to wait until we turn into Chicago?
John Modezjewski ))
Yes John...you definitely "get it".
And here is the second letter from the Journal Gazette:
((Gangs, drugs to blame for nation's gun violence
I agree that the Sports & Spirits bar was a trouble spot and should have been closed down. I would be interested in knowing how many of the shootings there were committed by licensed firearms holders. Very few or none would be my guess.
These acts of violence had nothing to do with the Second Amendment, which gives us the right of self defense for ourselves, family and country. They were committed by irresponsible people who have no regard for the law. “Common-sense” gun laws won't stop this violence because criminals don't care about another law. There is no legal Second Amendment right to bring anger and loaded firearms into a place.
Also these were not “good guys with guns.” I can tell by Marla Wolf's comments (July 31), she and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America do not support the Second Amendment. They are using it as an excuse to saddle law-abiding citizens with more restrictive gun laws. I agree there are too many gun-related deaths. Perhaps Wolf and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America should focus their time and energy on getting gangs and drugs off the street.
These seem to be the main causes for gun violence today.
Nelson Drudge
Columbia City))
Yes Nelson...you ALSO "get it".
*** Next up, time to stop by and visit "Kitten Corner"...

The future's SO bright...

Yeah, he's gotta wear shades. Got it.

Wifey ran some errands yesterday, so the kids were REALLY well-behaved. Have no idea why that happens.
Let's just say we get used to counting our blessings whenever they occur.

Peek-a-boo. We see you.

That doesn't mean they sleep the day away...they just find other "activities" to busy themselves.
And, as long as nothing gets trashed along the way...all the better, right?
*** Next, let's see what's going on with "Midnight and Company"...

Our "community" twosome were right where they can be found...on our patio awaiting their food.

As the day progressed, Midnight stayed close by, and Whiskers was on or near the patio until sunset.
After that, I can only hope they find some nice place where they're not bothered for the night.
*** Last back to the classroom...all this statue removal crap is wearing really thin with me.

In Durham, "protesters" hauled down a civil war soldier statue. In my day, we called such an act one of VANDALISM, and those responsible would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
These days however, we seem to operate under a different "secular dispensation"; one in which the law has little meaning.
Perhaps it comes down to that quote from yesterday's post?
" Morality is more important than laws, because law depends on morality." (Edmund Burke)
Well, when morality goes out the window, can our LAWS be far behind?
Apparently not.
We can't deny that we had dark times in our nation, so why allow fringe groups to rewrite our history? Does denying something make it go away? No, it doesn't.

I say we need such memorials to REMIND us of what our nation fought through, and how many fathers, sons, and brothers died on American battlefields because of their beliefs.
Groups like "Antifa" represent those who live (and stand) for anarchy, not for patriotism.

History is a GOOD teacher.

Real patriots acknowledge that we made mistakes in our past, but we learned from them, and, as a nation, united in ways that would see us through two world wars with a resolve that our country would stand against tyranny...not embrace it on our own shores.
It's high time we got back to that which allows our nation to be the shining light that she should be.
And, it's not done by turning our nation against itself...we've been through that already.
It's also time to speak the truth, teach the truth, and live the truth.

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