Post Thanksgiving Day Ramblings...
It was a nice Thanksgiving, and everything went as well as could be. And not ONE sports event graced our TV. W played some Benny Goodman (fine eating music). You see, we're NOT part of that "Hurry up and scarf down the meal, 'cause we're off to the sports bar to catch the COLTS game that won't be shown on area stations" troop.
And never will be, if we're fortunate.
We took some time to have a real family-oriented repast. And since *my* family exists primarily of long lost cousins back in PA, or the residents of our house (with two more in TX and a couple in Portland, Indiana), it's a small gathering, but a sincere one.
But now it's on to the business at hand...CHRISTMAS SHOPPING. (and the worst day of the year to do it...TODAY).
Yeah, we've seen those camping outside stores for the best deals, and perhaps they'll get some, but I was never into standing in line for anything when I could much rather go elsewhere, walk in and get something. It's an "efficiency in retail experiences" thing with me.

But be serious, with all the OTHER financial swords dangling above our heads these days, do we need to exacerbate it by caving in to THIS day to shop? Haven't we been paying attention during the REST of the year for gifts to give for Christmas? Why do we wait for "someone else" to tell us that NOW is THE time to SHOP for those CHRISTMAS GIFTS? I think a lot of it is the "lemming syndrome". When everyone ELSE does it, then I will too. Well, that works well when trying to relax...or have fun, but when it comes to leaping off of a financial precipice, I tend to hedge a bit...no, make that a LOT.
Then there are the LINES...the PEOPLE (with assorted germs just WAITING to "share" by coughing in your face), the PARKING (when you can find it), and of course...the SALES. All of this just doesn't quite make a nice end to a good Thanksgiving. Who needs angst for dessert anyway? It's not all about sales anyway (except for the stores' "bottom line")...it's about finding the "right" gift for those special people, and *if* you CATCH A SALE in the process...all the better.
But I sure don't need that ELECTRIC CAT POLISHER...
JUST BECAUSE it's 50% OFF today only!
(and neither do our cats)
Still, the "time of the year" has a lot to do with WANTING to shop...the growing festive nature, the seasonal aromas in the air, the crisp chill OF the air itself all lend a helping hand with us parting with our hard-earned savings. And despite all the annoying aspects related to the shopping experience now, we really don't mind all that much in the long run (until the bills come due). What we need to do is practice some self-control, though. We still have to fuel our cars and heat our homes this winter, right?
Those people that do nothing all day but study stuff (and get paid too damn much for it too, if you ask me...I could do it for a lot less and still make out well) said that the "average" person will lay out over $840 for Christmas gifts. Wish that "Mr. Average" considered ME a good friend...LOL! My wife and I together won't come close to that number, and yet, we'll have a good holiday. Then again, I can do a lot with very little (something I picked up in life).
Will we shop today?
Maybe, but we won't be wandering all over creation to do it. We make our lists well in advance, check them THRICE (Santa could learn from that), and with a plan in mind...we set forth (note: having a PLAN-B is always a good thing). And there is always TOMORROW....as well as the OTHER 32 DAYS with which to "accomplish the mission". So before you head out, check that fuel gauge and keep those credit cards nearby, so you can "git 'er done"!
Good luck...you're going to need it.

Have a Safe Weekend

Talking Turkey For Thanksgiving...
While you're waiting for the family to gather and the Butterball to baste itself, here's an interesting little note to tuck in the back of your mind, especially if you have to drive anywhere the next four days:
ONE out of SIX drivers would fail a driving test if given today. (good, get THEM off the road...there'll be a lot less traffic when I go out and shop)
The 2007 GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test study found that 55 percent of motorists don't know WHEN to activate their turn signals (that explains a helluva LOT).
But wait, it gets better.
Adding to the 1 in 6 failure rate of drivers flunking a simple driver's test, an incredible 84 PERCENT of test takers didn't know what to do at a YELLOW LIGHT (hint: the answer is NOT "go faster").
That reminds me of that TAXI sketch with Reverend Jim at the BMV....LMAO!
The auto insurer gave this "test" - with questions from real motor vehicle department driving tests - to 5,100 respondents (they NEVER ask me to take these tests). About 18 percent failed outright, compared with only 9 percent in 2006 (some things do NOT get better as time goes on). The national average score was 77.1 percent (that's a REAL low "C" in ANY classroom).
Not surprisingly, drivers 35 and OLDER were more likely to PASS the test (score one for the "home team"). Take THAT, you young whipper-snappers!
So remember friends, if you HAVE to drive anywhere this weekend, make sure you're OVER 35, or at least make sure you're on the road with FEWER than FIVE other people (that'll take care of that nasty "1 in 6 failure rate" thing).
Enjoy the holiday, and save room for dessert...ALL of them.

A New Take On "24"...

Nice to know that Jack Bauer can rout the bad guys and save the world in a mere 24 hours. Me? I can't even have a 24 hour virus without it hanging around for at least SEVENTY-TWO hours! I'm on the mend, such as it is...still have a low-grade fever (which is a good thing; it shows the body is STILL in the fight), and any congestion I had is now "looser" than a 3-time DUI perp on a Fort Wayne street...LOL!

So, let's take some shots at those most deserving. Now this will probably cheese off a few people, but with *my* readership so low....I figure what the hell. Those that take the time to READ and UNDERSTAND...will "get it".

I was thinking long & hard about this Heritage H.S. racism note thing. And I've got plenty of thoughts on this. If this racism was directed at good, well-behaved black students with social ethics and a sense of morality, that is just plain WRONG. We can act immediately when a racist note (or symbol) is found, but when other students exhibit prolonged aberrant behavior, we hedge a bit...until something happens (like VT). Is there something wrong with this? This duplicity is one point that a lot of the *PC* brigade fails to acknowledge. And it's costing society....a lot.

Not ALL members of the black race are "worthy" of such a derogatory title as the *N* word. In fact, less than 5% of the ENTIRE black race in this country deserves (read asks) to be called exactly what they are. I am fortunate to say that I have NEVER befriended a person of color who deserved to be called the *N* word. And I guess some would call that "biased". SO be it. I can take the heat. Hell, THEY used that word more than I did, and didn't mind when I used it to someone they thought was one either.

The real PROBLEM stems from the modern connotation of the *N* word, as well as social indoctrination. People (incorrectly) use it as a "blanket" term to describe EVERYONE of the black race. Sorry, that dog just won't hunt. You can't "redefine" a word to fit YOUR agenda, but people do, and a lot of us are fooled into following that. Colin Powell, Condie Rice, Bill Cosby, John McWhorter, Larry Elder, Winton Marsalis, Leontyne Price, and scores of other notable black people (many of whom have made SIGNIFICANT contributions to OUR ENTIRE society throughout history) are being lumped in with this rabble who, by their actions, mannerisms, speech (if you can call ebonic mumblease such a thing), along with utter CONTEMPT for anyone OTHER than their "own kind" (which actually excludes many blacks - the OREO syndrome) beg to be called what they purport to be.

Calling these "people" anything better than what they are does everyone else a disservice. You cannot seriously make me believe that the welfare fraud mom with her thuggie boyfriend, who hasn't worked since he was kicked out of school, driving around in his brand new Durango, thumping that loud-ass $3K stereo and spinning those $2K rims all bought with drug money, and who will rob a person or business at the drop of a hat with his homeys is JUST AS DESERVING to NOT be called the *N* word than George Washington Carver OR Harriet Tubman....NO freaking way!

We can't even say "Afro-Americans" any longer. And negro is definitely taboo. Nubian is too confusing as many don't even know what that word denotes. I wonder how all the harps, mics, wops, krauts, nips, limeys, chinks, and hebs (wow, I'm somewhere in that group too) feel about this?. Hell, they MADE this nation as well.

We're perfectly OK calling a terrorist a TERRORIST, or a child molester a CHILD MOLESTER...because that is WHAT THEY ARE. But trying to do away with a word from our lexicon that denotes a "particular" group in our society (and not an entire race) takes us down the fascist road of the 3rd Reich. We can easily slide down this slippery slope of becoming a fascist state if we refrain from calling things as they are. Now I don't know about YOU, but fascism is NOT anywhere on my "to-do" list in my life any time soon.

We cannot create a better world by denial.

What is needed is temperance, and a return to a time where "sticks and stones may break our bones, but WORDS will never hurt us". I know that flies in the face of words having POWER, but you have to realize that people either GIVE those words power...or take that power away.

And how the rest of us respond to this "power-struggle" sets the tone for the subsequent generations. They will learn from US.
I, unlike so many others will admit to using the *N* word, but only where it is APPLICABLE. Outside of that "less than 5%", all other blacks are "just plain old people" to me. I will assess each person (of any race for that matter) on their own merits, their integrity, their morality, and social nuances. But if they dress like a slob, talk like an illiterate, and shuffle along the street, don't cajole me into thinking THIS guy's an up and coming BANK MANAGER...ain't gonna happen, people.And I think that's about AS FAIR as anyone can be when sizing someone up. It's when they demonstrate that they have NO respect, NO regard, and NO compassion towards anything or anyone (but themselves) that we have a parting of the ways.

It's this *N* mentality and blatant victimology they so often portray that has pervaded too many levels of our society, setting double standards, duplicity of speech, and confusion for the rest of society. The media allows the films, music, and lifestyle to become part of our lives daily, and little gets done to stop this indoctrination.

Our reaction is to knee-jerk ourselves into a overly-cautionary stance, enacting laws, bans, and hate crime legislation that is ill conceived and unfairly enforced. The FBI states that hate crimes are rising...well when you legislate anything and everything INTO a hate crime (except thought...for now anyway), what do you expect?

A TRUE hate crime is not just calling someone the *N* word...it IS dragging some poor black soul behind a truck until he's dismembered. That is reprehensible on too many levels. We're rapidly blurring the lines as to the true definition of hate crimes, and I fear the next step will be a further governing of our speech and eventually...our thoughts.

How Orwellian is THAT?

People need to start being honest with THEMSELVES, and grow a thicker skin, before they can be honest with others.
We can but hope that better minds will prevail.

It's those GERMS, stupid...

Forget everything I said yesterday about fighting this illness. They've launched a major offensive.
I haven't felt this bad for a DECADE!

If anything, my stubbornness to go see a doctor will most likely be the death of me, but hey, no one lives forever, do they?
To me, doctors are like hairdressers...once they get you "in the door", you're "hooked".

So bear with me if the posts are not coming everyday, I've already got a screwed up Thanksgiving dinner staring me in the face (who wants to invite the relatives up when I don't have an appetite)?
Giving my favorite octogenarians a cold or the flu is NOT my way of bringing on the holiday season.

Actually I do feel a lot like George S. Patton, though...like when he was in that car accident in Germany in 1945 and was paralyzed.
How fall the mighty indeed.

Be nice to have some erythomycin handy....can't do penicillin. Maybe in a week or so this will go away...or kill me. One of the two.

In the meantime, unless you hear otherwise, I'll still be around. And I'll be posting.

Monday Musings...

Saturday's paper FINALLY showed up, the trash was collected as well, and my wife and I have all the "fixins" for Thanksgiving. Things couldn't be better, right?

Gee...I don't know. How about a sudden bout of general malaise?

I woke up yesterday aching all over, so I can only surmise that even MY immune system doesn't take kindly to at least ONE particular germ. Then again, I get maybe ONE cold every few YEARS, unlike my school-teaching wife who enjoys (?) her YEARLY bout of sharing her students' colds with great gusto.

So here we are...I have the relatives coming up this Thursday for Thanksgiving Dinner, and I'm hitting on about 5 cylinders (out of a usual 8).

Now when it comes to getting sick, I will be the FIRST one to tell you that I am the world's WORST patient. I'm the person that when he's told to "eat light foods" (like oatmeal) will opt for a PLAIN pizza with no toppings (to me that IS light eating). I'm the guy that believes in "toughing through" this kind of physical adversity. Sure you feel like crap, achy, feverish, and the appetite ain't what it used to be. But things HAVE to get done, and if YOU don't do it, nothing WILL get done. I have to be pretty DAMN sick to be "off my feet". That's just an option in my book.
Having spent more time in hospital (as a youth) than most DOCTORS was something I don't recommend to everyone as a way to "get away from it all" (and meet new people). But it is nice to return for another illness and have the nurses REMEMBER your first name. That's reassuring. I think they drew the line at me having my own "suite" with nameplate on the door of the ward. And I NEVER missed ONE SINGLE lesson from school, either. Kids today miss schoolwork WHILE THEY'RE IN CLASS.

Being one of those "sickly youths" growing up was just "part of the territory". Fortunately, as I got older, that all went away. I took after my dad in that respect. He rarely missed a day from work, and basically had to be sent home when he was.

Hell, I'd show up with several types of medication coursing through my body in a foot and a half of snow, when other healthier people couldn't (or wouldn't) make it to work. Even got a day's pay for less than an hour's work when I was one of only THREE people (out of about FORTY) that showed up for work one time. That's sweet.
Still, I'm going to be pulling out all the stops this week, in an effort to fight this microbial attack on my personage. And I'm not taking ANY prisoners in the process. This cold might take some wind out of my sails, but it's sure as hell NOT going to stop me. And I've found that that THIS approach works pretty darn well. Germ warfare is still (and should be treated as) WARFARE!

One of the WORST things you can do is wallow around bemoaning how sick you are, when you could be demonstrating to all these microscopic little shits "who's running the show" here. They invaded YOUR body, and NOT the other way around.

Cold germs are like crimes....you don't give them a place to play, and they have no choice but to move elsewhere.

Taking care of the "basics" is paramount: Drink plenty of fluids (citrus is the best), take some good old JEWISH PENICILLIN (chicken soup), wash your hands often (like after you blow your schnoz), and for God's sake, cover your MOUTH when coughing (and be careful who you kiss). That last one is the worst culprit of spreading germs. One need go no farther to find THAT out than the nearest shopping center or grocery store.

And when it comes to fighting any cold, call me George S. Patton.

(Yeah...think I'll go play that opening speech from the movie....again)

It's Not All About Stubborn Trees...

I'm sure Oliver Wendell Holmes had days like this.

We're well into November, with that seasonal crispness in the morning air. So, as I do every morning, I step outside, take a nice long inhale of that brisk air, and...hear the sound of POLICE SIRENS somewhere within a ten-block radius (again).

Ahh...just another "typical" day on the SOUTH side.

I look around for my morning newspaper, and lo, it's nowhere to be found (again). Seems the MORNING edition is fast becoming more like a MIDDAY edition. I guess that speedy-ass high tech printing press needs to be seriously DE-BUGGED. Either that, or they should dig out the OLD press as a backup.

Maybe it's time to swap papers for the afternoon edition. This way, if THAT paper is late, I STILL get a "morning" edition. A win-win all around. It's the "life gives you lemons so you make lemonade" thing.

So, while waiting for the paper, I decide to toss another bag of trash in the bin, which is STILL sitting by the driveway waiting to be collected (again - from yesterday when Serv-All apparently forgot that OUR block is STILL on the frigging route).

Then there's that stubborn tree out back.

Every neighborhood has one, I'm sure.

You know what I'm talking about. It's that stodgy old maple or oak that is the very LAST one to drop it's leaves. When other trees have since gone barren, this tardy tree is hanging onto it's foliage like they were $100 bills! And how I wish they were, as the city must surely "think" our money GROWS on those trees.

But that's another tale for another time.

Here's a link for a more apt description of the situation:

http://www.ibiblio.org/eldritch/owh/llpix.html

This stubborn old tree , in many ways, is my counterpart in the world of flora. This tree doesn't take well to change. It wants to keep things as they were when it looked beautiful, providing shade, and making the place look less like a ghetto...and that about sums me up (except I don't provide all that much shade...well, that and the "beautiful" part...a little handsome perhaps, but NOT beautiful...that's me...LOL).

Damn...it's amazing how those TANGENTS sneak up on you.

That old maple tree doesn't want the cold weather to come...neither do I. Then again, IT doesn't have to put up with assorted aches and pains related to the weather, or layer it's clothing and go shovel snow, or clean out the gutters yearly. But, when spring comes around again, it'll start it's cycle anew...wish I could do likewise, but Father Time has other ideas in mind.

If there is ONE thing about that tree that's truly annoying, it's that when ALL the leaves from ALL the other trees have been gathered up and picked up, this bugger will wait until that last city vehicle is around the corner, AND THEN start it's defoliation with gusto...all over the (newly-cleaned) property, making it look like the lawns haven't seen a rake or a leaf blower in ages (much like everyone else's lawns).

I suppose it wouldn't look AS BAD if some of the OTHER people in the neighborhood KNEW what a rake was (they rarely bother to rake ANY leaves, so you know where they ALL blow to, right?), because a little WORK wouldn't kill any of them (although I might...if provoked sufficiently).

So this tree and I have "come to terms"...after a fashion.

I promise I won't chop it down, and it (looks like it) won't fall on the garage. Fair enough, eh? Let's hope it keeps IT'S part of this "bargain", unlike that tree down the street that dropped a huge part of it's trunk last month (and is still not looking all that much fun to walk under....it's basically a non-tree; it's dead).

At this point, you're probably wondering WHY I "make deals with trees". Well, it's simple enough. These trees tend to be a lot more predictable than ANY of the PEOPLE around here, they hold a LOT BETTER quality of conversation, and are SMARTER than the human flotsam indigenous to the area. I do draw the line at wanting to HUG this tree...leave that to some hippie!

Thank goodness that living down here isn't JUST a job...it IS an adventure.

...And (like Remo Williams) the adventure continues.

Have a safe weekend - hope YOUR paper is ON TIME.

(and your trees are free of leaves)

And So...It Begins...

I'll say one thing for our outgoing mayor here in Fort Wayne...he's got cast-iron agates!

King Richard recently proposed an 8% pay increase (that's $10,000 bucks, people) for the office of mayor. Now aside from the fact that this will likely be voted DOWN, one still has to admire the sheer audacity of such a ploy.

I for one sure didn't expect any type of (financial) SPANISH INQUISITION here. (..."NOOOOOoooooobody expects the Spanish Inquisition"...)

Let's forget that OUR mayor is the HIGHEST paid mayor in ALL of Indiana. And let's forget that this position pays even MORE than being the GOVERNOR. Let's just look at yet another way to SPEND MONEY...period. It doesn't bode well for any democrats that "say" they're for LESS spending, does it? And it kind of reinforces the point that the democrats LOVE to spend, right?

Curiously, neither (Pat) "Roller the Controller" nor incoming (king) mayor Tom Henry could be reached for comment. So I'll just have to comment on this myself.

The mayor, regardless of the "title" associated with the position is STILL a CITY EMPLOYEE, and with any and all other city employees getting only a 3% increase in their salaries, who (exactly) figures that being a mayor (of a city trying to find it's way and purpose) is worth another 5% more than those who are actually DOING MORE for the city anyway? And "if" we have the highest paid mayor (already), shouldn't we be seeing more "bang for our buck"? I'm sure Tom Henry would agree, since he used that phrase in HIS campaign ads. He's not commenting (for now).

To paraphrase a line from Julius Caesar - But Tom Henry is an honorable man.

Besides, didn't the mayor's position ALREADY receive a nice healthy increase on 2007 (which made being a mayor HERE better than being a mayor in any other Indiana city, as well as being a governor in this state)?
Our city is struggling to find it's identity, and no amount of trending, ballpark building, rezoning, annexing, or pay raises for the "Big Kahuna" is going to get this dog to hunt. We could toss (frivolously) a 50% increase in the mayor's salary, and I can say with certainty that all that scratch will NOT make one damn dent in the CRIME we have here. It will NOT bring jobs to the city, and it will NOT make this city a better place to raise a family.

We, the citizens do that (mostly) on our own.

I'd much rather see that $10K (mayoral) increase tossed at the FWPD instead. Hell, give ME that $10K, and I'll not only make MY area safer, but I'll even turn that $10K into more folding money for even MORE public safety. And I'm about as far away from any mayor's office as you could get...and it would be LEGAL to boot.

As I have said time and again: "Any city is only as good as it's worst attribute".

Let's be fair, Fort Wayne has a laundry list of dubious attributes, and thanks to other bloggers, we KNOW what they are, so I won't have to repeat them here. What I will say is that whatever "we" (the people of Fort Wayne that WANT to give a shit) feel about the city, we are on the inside looking at the inside, and share a certain level of bias (good or bad), as opposed to those on the OUTSIDE looking IN (being a lot more objective).

Problems do abound here, as is the case with any fair-sized metropolis, but it's how these problems are DEALT WITH that either entices or repulses both outsiders as well as it's own citizenry.

-Businesses are not likely to build where crime runs rampant.

-People will not move into blighted areas.

-Downtown cannot be revitalized as long as developers are allowed to build FURTHER AWAY from that downtown.

All political parties are to blame as well. This is ONE area where "everyone can share the wealth", as it were. And like the old saying goes: "If you're not part of the SOLUTION, you MUST be part of the PROBLEM". The democrats want change for change sake, while the republicans stodgily hang onto whatever status quo is handy. And even the libertarians need to step it up and do more to at least unseat some of these other two party members that don't appear to have OUR best interest in mind.

I usually don't get into the political realm (here), but I just could NOT let this fish get away...the pole was starting to bend a tad too much (plus I didn't want to lose that "lure")...LOL!

And just "cutting the line" was simply NOT an option.

I just hope others see this for what it's truly worth, and come to the same conclusions. This last hurrah for "King Richard" (the shifty-hearted) will likely become a muffled whimper (just keep an eye on those "peasants", your majesty). Let's trust "King Henry" will not suffer us the same indignities.

Or as Ash (from Army of Darkness) would say: "Hail to the king, baby".

Happy Hump Day!
To paraphrase a local commercial: "If you're not at the PA-IN Erudition...you're at the WRONG place".
Welcome to the middle of the week.
Submitted for your approval are two stories that go a bit outside the boundaries of human reasoning. They make a mockery of our intelligence. But never fear, because as your guide into this soiree of unmitigated lunacy, it will be my job to make sure that no harm comes to you. Read on.

Item - Voter ID law receives challenge.
Seems that a counsel for the Brennan Center for the Justice at the NYU School of Law has filed a brief argument over voters having proper ID when going to the polls. He cites that the elderly, poor, and black are less likely than others to have the photo identification required to vote.
I can sum this up in ONE word: BULL$HIT.
And here's how I got there...
Let's take MY neighborhood (puh-lease) for example. We have about 42,000 "eligible" voters in the area (barring children of course). We had ONLY an ELEVEN PERCENT voter turnout for the entire 6th councilmanic district this past election...truly pathetic, as well as apathetic (per my post of last Friday). So that tells us that EIGHTY-NINE PERCENT didn't give the proverbial rat's ass about voting. We can "allege" that this 89% didn't have the proper photo ID.
Another load of B.S.
Without exception, nearly EVERY DAMN ONE of these "poor" and "black" people around here have EITHER a DRIVER'S LICENSE...OR...a PHOTO ID to get "dat welfare check". And you can't tell me they do not. I see these IDs at the grocery when using their food stamps (that YOU have paid for). So they DO in fact HAVE some form of photo ID, which by law is good enough to get their asses into the voting booth to cast their ballots. Trouble is...they just DON'T. Call it LAZY (an apt description), or call it whatever else you will, there is NO excuse for this 89% of the people in MY area to NOT have proper ID to vote, because it's a non sequitor. They DO have ID. They'd rather pursue their hedonistic desires than make any difference to anyone or anything. And this holds true everywhere else in this nation.
As for the elderly, are they not requiring photo IDs for meds these days too? Can they not vote in absentia? Can't anyone DRIVE them to the polls? Even they don't have an extremely VALID reason any longer. It's real simple: Poor people don't want to vote. Poor BLACK people don't want to vote. And the elderly often forget, or are encumbered physically enough to not be able to vote. Drop the challenge, NYU...it's a moot point.

Item - NY police shoot, kill teen.
There are TWO sides to this tragic tale...one the MSM will tell and the truth. The MSM states that an "unarmed, mentally-ill teenager that could be heard yelling, 'I have a gun' by his mother before police arrived and killed him in a 20-bullet barrage".
This will no doubt have "The Sharpton and Jackson Show" back on the road, wanting blood for blood from the NYPD. And we'll have the obligatory "ma baby was a good boy" from the mama, and the MSM will be all over this like flies on manure.
The teen had brandished a hairbrush like a gun when he exited his mother's home. It was then he was killed by police. They did not know it was a hairbrush until after he had been shot dead. Yes, that IS a sad story. It's sad that this boy was killed. It's sad that he didn't get the medical help with his condition prior to this outburst. And it's sad that non-lethal measures were not first employed. It's tragic on many levels.
But the truth of the matter is this: You PAY the police to PROTECT you. You pay to have them strap on a gun, pin on a shield, and serve the greater good of whatever community they are charged with patrolling. And every one of them is NOT clairvoyant. They can only act on what they are trained to OBSERVE, as well as their gut instinct. They cannot foresee any given situation and how it will pan out. They do NOT have tarot cards, a crystal ball or a Ouija board as standard issue in their cruiser. And don't expect them to any time soon.
What they DO have is a radio, a computer, and a brain between their ears.
If YOU were to walk into this situation with only the information provided by dispatch (and your training), how would YOU react?
Would you "roll the dice" and HOPE this boy did NOT have a weapon which could send YOU to the morgue? It's damn hard to protect the innocent when pushing up daisies, isn't it? In many other (less publicized instances) officers who took that split second to "evaluate" the situation were gunned down. How do you explain that to his widow? Or mother?
It's bad enough we have too many guns on the streets in the WRONG hands, but given this, are we seeing guns where none exist? Or are we erring on the side of caution to promote the general welfare and protect the common good?
Is there a definitive solution?
Non lethal weapons would have been my first choice in this case, but they were not used (for whatever reason). It could have been the immediacy of the scenario. It could have been lack of funding to equip every officer with a TASER. One solution is NOT to defame the police for doing their job (with what they have at hand), but yet there will be those people who will point fingers for weeks over this. If the officers conducted themselves in a reckless manner, it will come out. If they acted properly, that will also come out. Whether it was 20 bullets or one well-placed shot...the boy is gone. That's a fact. And he's not coming back any time soon.
In our modern society where violence abounds, the police are supposed to be our first defense, and we entrust them with this overwhelming task to stem the tide of violence. That hairbrush can become damn threatening at night when you don't KNOW it's a hairbrush, and when you also know there are those out there wanting to kill you JUST because of the color of your shirt, and the badge on your chest.

Things to make you think...that's for sure.
And maybe the world could use more cognitive reasoning.
'Ya think?

It's About Time...

Everyone knows (or at least SHOULD know) exactly WHY we have TIME in the first place; It's to keep all the crap in the world from happening ALL AT ONCE.

We have time zones, military time (24 hours instead of two 12 hour cycles), Zulu time (Greenwich time), daylight saving time, a magazine named TIME, time enough for one more drink, time to fritter away, no time to lose, time to get moving, no time for the love you send (The Guess Who), time to spare, time to kill, and time to think things out. And as we all know, time keeps on slipping...into the future (Steve Miller Band).

We could have plenty of time left, be out of time, or just in the nick of time. We could dance the Time Warp, become lost in time, travel in time (H.G.Wells), or even stuck in time.

It could be time to get started, time to quit, time to get some sleep, time to shove off, time to pay our taxes, time to give the devil his due (which is curiously LIKE paying taxes), time to let the dog out, time to let the dog back in, time to get to work and school, time to put up all the Christmas decorations, time to take down all the decorations (except on the south side where they leave them until APRIL), or even time to sit back, do nothing, and have a cold one.

But it all comes back to one thing we can't do without...TIME.

And whatever the situation, we can always be sure of one thing, and that is something to MONITOR or keep track of all this "time". Look on most ANY wall or even at your wrist, and you will see those devices quaintly known as CHRONOMETERS...things that TELL us the time. It could be analog (hands on the clock or watch face), or it could be digital. It can glow in the dark, beep, chirp, talk, or even project what time it is on our ceilings.

Thank the maker for that "snooze" button, though.

No matter what manner of device we use, we depend on them, because if we did not, we'd be a lot more screwed up (than we already are) a lot more often, and let's face it, not EVERYONE can strap on a SUNDIAL and tell what time it is at a glance. And there's NEVER a DRUID around when you need HIM.

Now I'm one of those traditionalists when it comes to chronometry. I like my WIND-UP watches. I'm proud to say that I still own a Longines that I got as a graduation gift in 1970, perfectly functional, and still keeps VERY accurate time. Bet that puppy's worth some SERIOUS scratch today, eh? I even had a watch that stayed wound up by simple movements of one's wrist. They now call these "Kinetic" watches, and believe it or not, they STILL make these (they just cost a helluva lot MORE than they used to). And my mom used to have a German-made cuckoo clock that had to be wound every day (actually you had to pull the chains to reset the balancers).

But like the rest of you, I got sucked into this realm of BATTERY-POWERED chronometers. They supposedly keep perfect time...(supposedly, that is). Well, my ONE watch loves to run about 5 minutes FASTER (must be on "Bilderberger time"...where's David Icke when I need him? LOL). Hell, we even have watches that ADJUST themselves to the Atomic Clock by communicating to some satellite in orbit twice a frigging day (like I really NEED that). And let's not forget that tossing all those discarded batteries is toxic to the environment. So that would make NONE of us all that "green" when it comes to keeping time, right?

And what happens when that battery craps out? We don't have a "wind-up" backup to keep us apprised of the time. We're chronologically screwed.

Sorry, but I like my "manual" watches and clocks...always will. Not to mention that they kept the art of WATCH REPAIR (and those people who repaired them) an active career. I've known several people who were watch repairmen, and you couldn't fine better people anywhere. Try finding them today...not as easy, is it?

Hey, YOU try working with a snotload of parts smaller than sesame seeds all day long...and enjoy doing it.

I suppose we, in our "hurry up and go" society need this instant gratification whenever we look at a clock or watch. We can't be bothered with winding one up, and many cannot even tell time all that effectively. I guess that "should" make all the illiterate people either very EARLY or very LATE for everything in their lives.

And whenever we set our watches and clocks, what do we use as a base reference?

Is it NPR radio (my source)? How about the Weather Channel? How about another clock in the house? That would at least get the whole house in sync.

Does anyone use the phone to find out the time anymore?

And what do THEY base THEIR time on?

Who's right and who's wrong? Who sets the standard, and does everyone adhere to it? How can we be "sure" that this Atomic Clock is all that accurate? What about if THAT battery fails? Or does someone wind THAT clock? Or is it SOLAR-POWERED?

It IS all about time...make no mistake.

I just trust YOU will be ON TIME.

As for me...well, I'm just 5 minutes EARLY (and out of time)...as usual.

Monday Musings...Veterans Day Edition

Those that read my post yesterday will find this sort of akin to a postscript. To Those that didn't read it..shame on you all....go back and give it a glance. Yesterday, I reflected ON Veterans Day, it's meaning, and some of my personal recollections about it. Today, I thought I'd offer up some ideas along those lines.

As I mentioned yesterday, the History Channel is rerunning BAND OF BLOGGERS this evening at 6PM. If you can watch it...do so. You will come away all the better for it. In that vein, there is one source of information regarding all the men and women who are blogging from in theater.

And that is:
http://www.milblogging.com/
This site will allow you to take a look and post to our troops, no matter what branch of the military they serve in. And there are support blogs, blogs from retired personnel, parents of troops and even children of troops. So stop by and give it a recon. You might find someone from your neighborhood, your former school, or at least make some damn fine new friends in the process.

Now...if you want to do our troops a favor and send something to them, remember tomorrow is the last day to PARCEL POST stuff to an APO or FPO. Today's paper has a list of sending dates and here's the USPS link:

http://www.usps.com/supportingourtroops/addressingtips.htm
Now, if you WANT to send something, but don't have a specific soldier in mind (or what to send), never fear....here's THE solution:

http://anysoldier.com/
At this site, you can send specified items to ANY soldier or ANY branch in theater...(for as little as $15, too!) Now that's a bargain in ANY country, and a fine way to say "THANK YOU" to a soldier that perhaps doesn't receive mail all that much. And let's face it...when we're far away from HOME, what better way to bring a part of "home" to a lonely person who thinks OF that home, right?

Lastly, there are always volunteers needed, whether at VA facilities, or perhaps in toy drives. Use your noodle and look around.
So there you are....some fine ideas for the season that won't empty the old "hip-national bank", and maybe bring a smile or two to someone who can't make it home for the holidays, and make them feel closer to home. Now snap to it and let's make this happen.!

It's not just about remembering VETS, but those currently serving as well. And as we all know, they'll BECOME veterans soon enough. Let them know you appreciate what THEY are doing as well as those who HAVE served.

It's the PATRIOTIC thing to do.

It's the AMERICAN thing to do.

Carry on.

Veterans Day Thoughts:

Let me preface this post by saying that I'm a HISTORY CHANNEL addict...sorry, but that's the way it is (as Walter Cronkite used to say), and Friday night I watched a show entitled BAND OF BLOGGERS (a takeoff from the Band of Brothers series). It was a marvelously riveting show about our soldiers in Iraq who have their own blogs and chronicle the REAL story...the good, the bad and the ugly. I highly recommend this show to everyone. If you remember Letters From Vietnam (an HBO special shown YEARS ago), it's right along those lines, only with real time video. This is the story the MSM doesn't want us to see, or doesn't bother to show us because "they" think it's not relevant (to THEIR OWN agendas). It will be rerun Monday 12 November - 1800 hours (that's 6PM to you "civvies").

But onto the "main attraction"...

I dug out a part of last year's post to use as a jumping-off point, because the words I wrote then are AS important today as they were when first written.

As a youth in Philly, my father never failed to take me downtown every year to watch the Veterans' Day parade along the Ben Franklin Parkway....and although it was a bit colder to stand along the Parkway than say...Memorial Day, it was ALWAYS exciting to watch soldiers of every service march by, along with military vehicles, color guards with flying flags, and an overall sense of REAL patriotism among everybody in attendance.

My father NEVER viewed Veterans' Day as a day to go shopping, or even watch any sports (and he loved his football). That day was for him to put his war-weary feet the hell up and enjoy HIS day off from life's grind. Mom always made his favorite dinner (roast beef), and a cold beer was never far from his grasp. Yet, it wasn't a day to get falling-down drunk either. He used to talk about his days in the CBI during WW2, and even if I had heard a particular story before, it NEVER got old...there was always something *new* I discovered with every telling of a tale. Many times I would ask him to RETELL a favorite story of his. Sometimes he dug out the photo album he made from all the pictures taken overseas.

I am happy to say I STILL have that book in my possession.

If we did go anywhere else, it might be to a cemetery to visit a loved one's grave site, or at least to watch the armed services tend to all the vets' graves by placing flags on them. The VFW usually had a memorial service around noontime, complete with color guard and rifle salute. I will say that Veterans' Day in Arlington National Cemetery is really something to see or be a part of, if you ever get the chance. After dad passed, I would go down to the American Legion hall (downtown) and help out with their Veterans Day salute (and chat with those wonderful Gold Star Mothers). I still have a .30 cal. cartridge from one year's ceremony. It made you PROUD to be an American...and it still does.

Somehow, times have changed, as I find this hallowed day brimming with "VETERANS DAY SALES" and pre-Christmas shopping bargains. Now I will be the first one to admit that any place that give veterans additional money off on items is one damn fine way of showing gratitude for their service and sacrifice. Still, the commercialism that has infested other major holidays is now tightening it's grasp on this special day.

Here's an example of how things have "progressed":

During WW2, if there was a soldier (any branch of the military) travelling anywhere (usually by train)...they RARELY (if ever) had to pay for anything, as some citizen would buy them dinner, a drink, or whatever. How many soldiers do we see today that even receive a simple handshake and a "Well Done" from anyone (aside from family and friends)? I'll wager the number is staggeringly LOW by comparison. How many "strangers" would walk up to a serviceman or woman and offer to buy them dinner (or even a damn hotdog)...JUST BECAUSE they are serving our country?
During 'Nam, we had soldiers returning home being spat upon, called baby-killers (among other things) just because they were serving in the military (same as in Korea or WW2). Many of these same personnel HAD served in WW2 and Korea...and that's a far cry from getting a free drink at the local pub, isn't it?

Listen up people....ANY serviceman or woman, simply because they are NOT fighting an enemy on OUR OWN soil, should NEVER be denigrated or diminished in ANY way....they are STILL fighting for OUR liberties, OUR freedoms, and OUR nation. We here in America, far from many madding crowds (except at the local malls) never fully realize the bigger picture in the GLOBAL arena.

There IS evil in the world, and these brave men and women put themselves in the middle of it DAILY...for US.
We also have to attend to the needs of our vets, and that means keeping VA facilities OPEN (and functioning) to provide care for those who no longer can adequately care for themselves. Our nation's vets are not (nor ever were) some "disposable commodity" that we use up and then discard...oh no. We need not close any facility that would tend to these veterans and provide the services they need...we OWE that much to them (and more).
If anything, we should hold them ALL in a higher esteem...they have kept our nation safe...defended our flag....protected our people ever since we first became a nation. We need not be able to recall every name and face...but we should expect and demand from ourselves a remembrance of their sacrifices in their service to America...now, and for generations to come.

I cannot think of more appropriate words to say whenever I think about the families that will not enjoy their loved one because of their service overseas, as well as the families that have suffered losses over the years from those in service to make it possible for the rest of us to live free.

If you get a bit choked up over this...that's fine. You "get it".

Remember them, if not anyone else.

Fly the flag proudly today - Know the reason for doing it.

Friday Follies:
It's the most wonderful time of the year...ALREADY?
I'm sure you've noticed stores around the area with all the CHRISTMAS decor up along with sales out the wazoo. In fact, many retailers have HAD Christmas items up since just BEFORE HALLOWEEN. And the Salvation Army bell-ringers are out.

Rushing things just a bit, are we?
NAAH....it's all part of "The Plan" this year. And woe to those that get suckered into it.

WARNING: FINANCIAL ALERT - YOU MIGHT SAVE MONEY BY READING THIS!
Analysts (and we can't have THAT word with the word ANAL) have predicted a SLOW holiday season as far as retail sales go. Gee, I wonder why THAT is? Could it be the burgeoning PROPERTY TAXES we have to shell out? Or could it be the HIGH FUEL PRICES sucking our wallets dry? Or maybe it things like FOOD (that is costing more because of the fuel prices) that's draining our accounts and paychecks? Actually, it's ALL of them (and more). People are just being a bit more frugal with their money. And those of you that read YESTERDAY'S post know what I refer to. Those that DIDN'T read it....do yourselves a favor and read it. Our inflation rate is down, and the Fed interest rate is due to slip a notch or two as well. But that's all part of "The Plan". You need to be lulled into that false sense of security so you will SPEND anyway, regardless of how much money you (don't) have available. These analysts (and the marketing gurus) are banking on YOUR ignorance. They're hoping for your haphazard methodology to money management.
So don't worry about that mortgage payment. Forget the fact that our state has one of the HIGHEST foreclosure rates in the nation. Make like Custer at Little Big Horn and CHARGE!!! Bend that plastic. Strengthen that economy.
I'd say, beware of Greeks bearing "gifts", and never look that gift horse in it's mouth.
Spend WISELY and think things out. It's your financial future.
After all, it is the most wonderful time of the year.

* * * * *

And now...for something completely different...
There are PARTICIPANTS...and then there are "Wood Collectors". Our recent voter turnout (in Ft. Wayne) is a marvelous example of the rampant apathy that pervades society in general these days. In a city of OVER 250,000 eligible voters, we could not EVEN make it to 33% who voted. That (as many have blogged already) is PATHETIC. Now Lord KNOWS I have PLENTY of other reasons (daily) to get cheesed-off where I live, but this kind of gnawed at me until I just had to say something about it. This goes much, MUCH deeper than just voting.

WARNING: MORAL & PHILOSOPHICAL ALERT - you "might" come away wiser.

-Think about the support our troops are getting from the homefront. Is this support from the VAST majority? Hardly. Is it even from a SIMPLE majority? Barely (if that).
-Think about our governments, at every level. People must be OK with selecting their leaders/representatives via PARTYLINES, rather than candidates and issues.
-Think about education. What are our kids being taught? Are they being taught what they NEED, or what society "wants"? Are students held accountable for THEIR actions, or do we Ritalin the bunch and call them "spec-ed"? Are we so concerned with levelling the playing field for whatever reason that we have tossed REASON itself out the window when it comes to the rudiments of learning?
-Think about your own neighborhood and household. Are you an active participant in what goes on, or are you "warming the bench" (collecting wood)? Do you even give a damn about what occurs outside of your property lines? How many sexual predators live nearby? Why is crime higher? Who are my son's (or daughter's) friends? Are you as good a parent as you can be, or are you just a "good friend" to my kids? Do you only care when something happens "close to home" or do you concern yourself with the BIGGER PICTURE?
Many do not...and that (again) is just PATHETIC. Yet if we add JUST ONE LETTER to the word PATHETIC, what do you suppose that *new* word would be? If you said APATHETIC, give yourself a hearty pat on the back. Nice to know you cannot be APATHETIC without FIRST being PATHETIC, isn't it?
Now to those who DO try and evoke a change for the better and liberally use the word "care" in their daily lives (when needed), my hat's off to you people...you are the salt of this earth. And I should know, because I count myself amongst your ranks.
But how often have we wondered what would happen if *we* didn't care anymore? We are the reason things don't get a helluva lot worse a helluva lot faster (and the reason we have TIME is that so all the s**t doesn't happen ALL AT ONCE).
We are the ones with our fingers in the dam, stopping the leak. Trouble is, when we turn to look for ANY assistance, it's just nowhere to be found. And our fingers are getting a bit "pruney" in the process, don'cha think?. Shakespeare once said that all the world's a stage...and that basically we all have our parts to play. He NEVER said anything about being in the AUDIENCE, filling your piehole with Jujubes and Goobers!
If this sounds a bit accusatory...FINE, because that's what it is intended to be. And if you wake the hell up and "get it"...good for you. If not, don't even come NEAR me...you won't like the outcome.
So to those are are are participating in life...I salute you.
Enjoy every day you have available to you. To those letting others do all the work, either shit or get off the pot...others (who deserve to) need to use the facilities. Better yet...go find a shrub and squat.

**Ed note: Special Veterans' Day post coming...stay tuned!

Have a safe weekend.

This Looks Like a Job...
For...CAPTAIN OBVIOUS!
Sometimes, you just have to bow to the absurd. Other times, you might as well ignore the hell out of it. But leave it to the media to always provide fodder for our cannons.
On today's early news, the story was:
OIL PRICES NEAR $100 A BARREL -
FIND OUT WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOUR CAR AND HOME.

Now, being the person of keen intellect that I've become over the years, I just shook my head at utter disbelief that ANYONE would even think of placing a story like THIS in front of me (and my morning coffee). What an insult to my (and your) intelligence. But, just for argument's sake...a moment of self-indulgence.
Gee....lemme "do the math" on this.
Oil prices near $100 a barrel + prices at the pumps over $3 per gallon + home heating prices rise 20% for natural gas = SCREW ME SOME MORE, PLEASE!


ANY person with even the smallest number of neurons firing in their freaking primate craniums can TELL YOU what's going on with oil prices (in very few succinct words), and they don't have the inside line at WALL STREET. AND...they can tell you what it "means" to their car and home. Also, since my "car and home" cannot speak to this THEMSELVES, I will elaborate in their stead.
Those "Happy Holidays" signs we're beginning to see in stores seem more like personal SARCASM directed at every one of us, than any sincere wish for a festive season, don't they? Then again, one man's sarcasm IS another man's joy.

My wife and I have always maintained an air of frugality when it comes to our cars and the home. it's something my folks taught me when I was young: "Never live ABOVE your means". So if you've got a "champagne taste" in things, you better NOT have a "beer pocketbook". But how much more "frugal" can WE (or anyone else) get? We only use our vehicles for trips we NEED to take...like to work, or the store (weekly) for groceries. We don't spend endless hours cruising the streets of this city in search of "something to do" (unlike the numbers of boomcars we are privy to daily). It's just not in our "budget". We might take a drive to Portland twice a year to visit the relatives, or meet them in Decatur, but aside from these (very) few indulgences, that's IT! The vehicles are mantained to produce the best mileage possible for their age (sounds like ME on a MONDAY) so we don't ignore the small s**t like tire pressures and oil changes.

And when it comes to our house, we don't run the furnace full-tilt in the winter, nor do we do likewise with the A/C in the summer. For it's age, it's not the "tightest" house around, but with some careful insulating and caulking, things are not so bad. Our thermostat is probably the MOST "toyed-with" device in our entire home...(more so than the TV remote) LOL!
We have tightened OUR belts as much as is humanly possible without cutting ourselves neatly in two, while still being able to maintain a level of "livability". We're not freezing like some SIberian gulag, nor are we sweating our butts off in some Kalaharian venue. With careful management of our heating and cooling, we are doing OK.
So now we're given choices we should not have to decide upon, such as do we sacrifice FOOD FOR FUEL? Wow, didn't the U.N. pull some gig like that with disasterous results?
And when you think about those on FIXED incomes such as seniors, the equation I stated above becomes way too real to consider, simply because of the consequences. But maybe it's all part of some "master plan" to off the elderly and get more cheap-ass housing for the undeserving. I would not put it past some people to think that way.

It all makes such a damn good argument for Britain to have NOT given back the Middle East (part and parcel) to those nations after WW2, doesn't it? It's also a forgone conclusion that NONE of our paychecks can keep up with ALL these rising prices to offset the increased expenses we're now incurring.

So, after all this "saving" on OUR part...where is our "payoff"? What "benefits" do WE, the average consumer wind up with, after all is said and done (this week)?
Not a helluva lot, that's for certain. We might get a good feeling for doing the right thing...and not much else. No rebates, no savings, no nest-eggs...yeah, the future's so bright we GOTTA wear shades (thanks to global warming and less ozone).
Sure.
Got it.

Still, the media must be having a SLOW week to provide THIS kind of ridiculous "news". But the REAL story of normal, everyday citizens having to decide on whether to buy gifts for their kids this Christmas...OR eat...OR fill the car up with fuel...OR heat their homes should be more journalistically pressing an issue.
Besides, isn't the NEWS about informing us of things we DO NOT know?
Captain Obvious already KNEW that much.