Weekend Roundup...
If you never thought SPRING would arrive, check your (Midwest) clocks around 1300 hours TODAY, and you'll know what I'm talking about.
Looks like it will be a good weekend to dust off that lawnmower, fire it up, and take it for a spin around "Homestead Heights".
Also, it's an excellent time to check the local stores and nurseries for PLANTS, FLOWERS, and SHRUBS.
And don't forget the topsoil, manure, Weed N Feed and Miracle Gro!
Whip that garden back into shape, people. Plant those tomatoes, mulch that flower bed, and get those paws dirty...LOL!
I know for a fact, that I've got my "honeydew" list all ready to go. And to think I USED to be a (Philly born & raised) "city boy"...pshaw!
Yepper, those big box improvement stores are a'callin' me...time to "help the economy", folks!
Elsewhere...
-- Looks like that crime I said WOULD be coming "to a neighborhood near you" has begun to happen.
An Aboite couple was robbed at gunpoint as they pulled into THEIR OWN GARAGE!
Here's a link to the entire story(from WANE's site).
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local_wane_ftwayne_couple_robbed_in_garage_200904231557 Now what surprises me about this, aside from some decent coverage on WANE news, is that the newspapers didn't give this more attention.
I mean this kind of thing is SOP on the SOUTH side of town, but in the environs of the upper middle class, you'd expect this sort of thing to garner a LOT of outcry. It's not like this happens several times EVERY damn day there, right?
Grow some backbone out there, people....start patrolling your streets, stop hiding behind security systems and locked doors, get outside, and not be afraid to call in ANYTHING that seems the least bit hinky, unless you want YOUR part of the city to gradually become like MINE (and it will, trust me).
Remember...your first, BEST defense (before the police arrive) is YOU.
-- With ALL these bailouts, handouts, and copouts, it makes us wonder WHO (or what) will be next to get some free money. Well, think on this...
Recently, Glenbrook Mall has filed for Chapter 11, since it could NOT find a new buyer. I talked about this a short time ago, and it was said that mall operations would NOT be affected.
Seems that might NOT be all that true now, according to some analysts that track RETAIL or COMMERCIAL properties.
The next "big thing" to come down this financial "pike" will be closings of COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES. Now, don't get your undies in a bunch, because I DO NOT see Glenbrook CLOSING one bit.
But what I will concede, is that SOME stores in that mall will close, and that COULD lead to some interesting developments for the mall.
First stores to close will be all these fancy boutiques, as they serve a particular clientele.
After all, people ARE re-learning to become more frugal, and are weighing how BEST to spend what money they can save during this financial debacle.
Malls across the nation are seeing up to 30% closing of commercial space. That kinda makes the residential mortgage aspect pale in comparison, but blame it on those owners who have money DUE that can't secure any type of refinancing to cover the costs. Best thing to do when you're dealt a bad hand (if you can't bluff all that well), is FOLD.
Sadly, things like this will happen.
Just wanted to let you people know...forewarned IS forearmed.
-- We dropped COMCAST cable for VERIZON 3-in-1 package (w/ FiOS) a while back, and it's been pretty damn good...until recently.
We're experiencing audio dropouts on certain channels (not all of them, thankfully), The TV set does have a converter box, but not the larger box (with all the bells and whistles like FREE movies, channel guides, etc). I know it's not the TV, because I swapped the set out with a smaller one, checking the audio...still dropping out.
Now, I've worked with A/V systems years ago, and the physics doesn't change over time, so it must be the specific technology that's at fault here (I'm thinking that small cable box, or possibly the cable itself to the set). I plan to contact Verizon and get them to come see what's going on, as the other set in the living room works fine with NO audio drops.
I'd like to hear about anyone else that is having similar problems and how you resolved it.
-- Lastly, the other night, I happened to see a man on a Harley drive through the area. Now that's hardly remarkable by any stretch of the imagination, but THIS guy stood out like a damn sore thumb...and with good reason.
He had the music playing LOUDER THAN THE BIKE ITSELF, and anyone that owns (or has owned) a Harley will tell you...they can be DAMN loud with those straight pipes.
But wait...it DOES get even BETTER than that.
This idiot ALSO had a shitload of RED LEDs all over the bottom of the bike, with some FLASHING.
Now, I can tell you straight away...that's ILLEGAL. The damn thing was lit up like a frigging Christmas tree, AND thumping to beat the band.
For any and all FWPD "friends" out there, this guy will be someone to BOLO!
And at night, he sure as hell won't be HARD to miss.
I suppose since we have BOOMCARS, and BOOM SUVs, and now BOOMHARLEYS, makes you wonder about the "next step"?
We may see the advent of BOOM-BICYCLES, BOOMSKATEBOARDS, BOOMROLLERBLADES, or maybe even....(shudder)...the return of the dreaded BOOM-BOX!
And for the toddlers, we can always have the BOOM-BIGWHEELS and BOOMTRIKES!
Where the hell DOES this stupidity END, anyway?
And why are people becoming SO damn annoying and obnoxious, especially when ORDINANCES are in place to PREVENT such shenanigans?
If they WANT respect, they better start showing a little FIRST, because that is how YOU receive it.
"Give it to get it", as I always say.
Then again...it IS the SOUTH side of town, right?
And my "neighbors" ARE the poster children for MORONS R US.
In any event, enjoy the marvelous weather this weekend, and always be sure to...
Stay safe out there, America.

Tales From The South Side...
Now we all know that it IS officially SPRING, in spite of the consistently cooler weather (blame that on "global warming"), and since it might appear that the temperatures WILL be on the rise, we rest assured that outdoor activities will begin to flourish.
That means family activities. Getting out in the fresh air, going to the zoo, the Botanical Garden, the parks...you get the idea.
Well, that's what it means in TYPICAL NORMAL neighborhoods with typical NORMAL families.
Around here, not so much.
First off, what USED to be called a family is a mish-mosh of acquaintances, usually with an alpha female in the traditional role of the "hunter-gatherer". Next in this curious mix is some random male, usually UNemployed (or at best UNDER-employed since dropping out of school).
This male will take perverse pride in establishing himself in this "family", and will be dominant ONLY to the point that the alpha female will allow, which means if he commences to beat on HER, she might have his ass tossed out (so he can move on to his next "conquest").
Many times, after a beating (or ten), she will take the male back in, as she is as co-dependent as he thinks she is.
Then come the children.
Typically, they are products of this "extended family", coming from both male and female separately, usually number more than 3, and the adults will most likely have another child "on the way", because the male HAS to "mark his territory", before moving along. Also, it's a good way to get MORE money from the government. The kids are seen as a DEDUCTION FIRST...not a human being. That comes further down their list.

And these disenfranchised kids are pretty much left to their OWN devices...no playing catch with dad, no kite flying, no fishing...no anything really, but hanging the hell out, getting into 50 kinds of trouble.

There simply is NO discipline that is enacted.

And whoever is raising the children are just as guilty of have no sense of proper discipline for the kids OR themselves.
This will produce extreme confusion in the children early on, leading to increasingly bad behavior, poor scholastic aptitudes, and possible affiliations with GANGS or CLIQUES, as these particular venues offer a more "protective and nurturing" aspect for these kids.
Sadly, the lack of values, morality, principles and ethics seem to perpetuate the multi-generational stereotypes, and only serve to bilk the government agencies meant to help the TRULY needy to establish themselves as productive members of a city's populace.
Now I said all that to say this:
How in the name of all that is holy, can people WANT to live like this?
Why would they rather sit back, let everyone ELSE do everything else for them?
Where is the sense of personal ACCOMPLISHMENT?
I'm sorry, but there is never "something for nothing" in the purest form.
SOMEONE is always footing the bill..and that would be the REST of us.
Now, you can piss and moan about student test scores, crime, the economy, or whatever, but no matter WHAT the issue might be, it always comes back to CHOICES, be they on a large scale, or an individual's personal life.
And what makes these dysfunctional families "function", is a crapload of bad choices.
Sad thing is, they get "rewarded" FOR making those bad choices.
Hey, everyone screws up a few times in their lives...that's how we frigging LEARN to not do that kind of stuff again.
The trick is NOT to make screwing up a "chronic condition".
Couldn't seem to tell many of my "neighbors" down on the south side of town that, though.
They revel in bad choice making. They have become artists at it.
Still, the question remains...
How can people get into such a mindset where they truly BELIEVE that making bad choices is something they WANT to pursue?
I will probably never figure it out.
I've said it before that so many people down here view their world as an area that encompasses only their immediate neighborhood, no matter what city they might have come from...the thinking is the same.
Yet, there is SO much more that's out there.
Kids today suck at Geography..that's a fact. They don't even know the capital cities of neighboring states.

That's pitiful. And they have no idea about former Presidents, save for the last 2 or 3 immediate predecessors to our current one.
Like the saying goes: "If we don't learn from our past, we are destined to repeat it".
That pretty well sums up today's world.
Only one problem with that...the kids today are not even looking towards THEIR FUTURE.
And that will cost them more than they can imagine.
Whatever passes for their "family" today, might well be a far cry from what will become that same family in say...ten years.
Instead of returning to what once worked damn well, as far as the family unit is concerned, we're moving even FARTHER from it.
Now how can people function when there is NO paternal influence?
And how can even ONE parent preside over the upbringing of her children, when the government wishes to indoctrinate them at even earlier ages into a specific way of thinking?
Somehow, that just doesn't seem right.
The family, as many of remember it, IS in jeopardy.
Luckily we have single parents out there that CAN and WILL do everything in their power to make a life for themselves AS WELL AS their kids, so there is a glimmer of hope there, as well as with those that still espouse tradition with what we remember as constituting a family.
To those that are fortunate enough to have a more traditional situation, good luck with keeping it that way.
You are being fought at most every turn there.
Yeah..it's SPRINGTIME...you can tell, especially down HERE.
Those of you fortunate enough to be a TRUE parent to your child (or children)...take a few minutes, step back, and marvel in what you have produced. YOU have created our FUTURE, and how YOU manage their upbringing will determine that future's outcome, good OR bad.
When you're involved WITH your children, the outcome is good.
But when you do NOTHING...well, nothing is exactly what gets done in these children's lives.
And that outcome is something we'd best not attempt to entertain....not now...not ever.
So get outside, enjoy what life offers, and strive to be the parent that your kids need.
And while you're at it,
Stay safe out there, America.

Hump (earth )Day Happenings...
Yes, it's the 39th anniversary of EARTH DAY...yeaaaaaahhhh, rrrrrriiiiiiight.
Now I was in my senior year at Abraham Lincoln High, back in Philly, and I was about as concerned over this contrived "special day" as I am now...I'm just a lot more cynical about it TODAY (blame that on 30+ years of accumulated knowledge as well as applied wisdom and discernment).
No one seems to fully comprehend the POWER of good old Mother Nature, and that's a damn shame. I mean this old girl's been keeping the record book all these millenia, and she's been pretty good about her checks and balances.
Sure, mankind is trying it's best to be a larger part of any problem this rock might encounter, but don't you feel that Mother Nature has things well in hand, and would slough us all off at a moment's notice, if she had a mind to?
I mean, it's NOT like she's given us ample warnings...oh, wait...she HAS, but we're too busy trying to fix something that hasn't been broke in eons, just to say we're helping.
We can eliminate OUR carbon footprint, but what about those volcanoes erupting?
Who stops those?
Perhaps Mother Nature is a bit cheesed off at us for trying to interfere where we're not needed...
Now I'm no tree hugger, but if there is one thing I DO appreciate, it's the glory and majesty of nature itself. And you don't have to be high on reefer, living in some commune, bathing once a month, eating berries and nuts, and wiping your ass with leaves on top of some mountain to notice that.

I like to feel that I'm more in tune with what the Native Americans believe...
We should RESPECT the Earth...treat it as the living entity is truly is.
I do what I can to show my RESPECT, and that means no trash tossing, recycling, cleaning up my little part of the planet, which is more than I can say for most everyone ELSE living around us. The world is their dumping ground, and they make no bones about it.
Maybe THAT'S why we have such glorious and thriving GHETTOS in America, when we really don't have to.
It really IS all about RESPECT.
And it's the LACK of such, that promotes this crime against our fellow man as well as the planet.

Someday, these "people" might get a clue and figure it out...

But not today, unfortunately.
-- In other news...
Looks like things could get a bit more "sporty" on our streets, thanks to our illustrious Supreme Court.
((Court hits brakes on police car-search powers
WASHINGTON –
The Supreme Court on Tuesday sharply limited the power of police to search a suspect’s car after making an arrest, acknowledging that the decision changes a rule that law enforcement has relied on for nearly 30 years.
In a decision written by Justice John Paul Stevens, an unusual five-member majority said police may search a vehicle without a warrant only when the suspect could reach for a weapon or try to destroy evidence, or when it is "reasonable to believe" there is evidence in the car supporting the crime at hand.
The justices noted that law enforcement for years has interpreted the court’s rulings on warrantless car searches to mean that officers may search the passenger compartment of a vehicle as part of a lawful arrest of a suspect. But Stevens said that was a misreading of the court’s decision in New York v. Belton in 1981. "Blind adherence to Belton’s faulty assumption would authorize myriad unconstitutional searches," Stevens said, adding that the court’s tradition of honoring past decisions did not bind it to continue such a view. "The doctrine of stare decisis does not require us to approve routine constitutional violations."
Stevens was joined by two of his most liberal colleagues – Justices David Souter and Ruth Bader Ginsburg – and two of his most conservative – Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas.
Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the four dissenters, said the court’s insistence that its precedents had been misinterpreted was simply a cover for getting rid of a decision with which it disagreed, and that the new rule may confuse and could endanger officers.
– Holly Abrams, The Journal Gazette
Locally:
Both Fort Wayne Police Chief Rusty York and Allen County Sheriff Ken Fries said they plan to look at the ruling to see whether it will affect their departments.
"I don’t think it will have a major impact on what we do," York said. "As always, we will look to the prosecutor’s office for guidance on this to make sure (what we do) meshes with this reinterpretation."
If officers see a gun or evidence of drugs in a vehicle, they can and will search it, York said.
If a motorist is arrested and the vehicle is going to be towed, police will conduct an inventory search because they take on liability for what is inside, York said. Vehicle searches take more time if a warrant is required, Fries added.
"It’s certainly much more labor-intensive," he said.))
Now ain't that a kick in the old law-enforcement head, hmm?
This could bring out the ambulance-chasers by the DROVES, now.
As any LEO (or informed citizen) knows, ANY vehicular stop is POTENTIALLY LETHAL, and I don't give a hoot in hell what others might think. One need only look to memorial walls of slain officers to KNOW the truth.

The most innocuous stop can wind up making some police officer's wife a widow...in a heartbeat.
What I would attempt to do (here), is make sure all cruisers are staffed with TWO officers, just to be SAFE. Many major cities already have this in place, but their departments are HUGE (numbering in the THOUSANDS) compared to ours in Ft. Wayne (Mid- 400s).
But then, that lowers the number of cars on the streets, or increases the number of officers needed to fill the front seats of the 2-man cruisers. Either way, it's not a perfect fit, and the criminals will know this...believe me, they will!
Be curious to see the spurt in lawsuits by those who love to bilk the police department for false claims.
Hope it never happens.
And if THAT wasn't enough to get your shift off to a lousy start...try this:
The local Krispy Kreme store out on Illinois Road will be CLOSING. Donuts going bye-bye!
Citing cutbacks, the store (staffed by 50 people) will be closing this Sunday. The donuts will still be available in grocery stores (big frigging' deal...I like mine FRESH).
But never fear, LEOs...DUNKIN' DONUTS is still alive and well, as are other places in and around town.
Now admit it, there are some officers that really DON'T like donuts, some that have had a few TOO many, and we've ALL heard the stories and jokes that abound when it comes to donuts and police:
Q- How do you get crime out of a neighborhood?
A- Open a DONUT SHOP!
See what I mean?
Now, I have *my* favorites, but am still 140 lbs...don't ask why. Must be a hyper metabolism.
I love my (Belushi-inspired) "little chocolate donuts"...the bite-sized morsels of ecstasy that go great with a nice coffee first up in the AM.
Then there was HAEGERLE'S BAKERY in Mayfair (Philly). Owned and staffed by ancient women with German-inflected English who brought heaven to earth with their pastries for decades!
The only place that comes CLOSE is the WAYNEDALE BAKERY out on Lower Huntington Road. They got some GOOD stuff out there, trust me. But, in a pinch, the local Dunkin' Donuts or 7-11 was always at hand. Never did get into Krispy Kreme (a Midwest thing). I don't think anything connected with donuts should be "krispy". RICE should be KRISPY...ask Snap, Crackle or Pop!
One thing I'd like to see is a nice BIG HONKIN' DONUT SHOP open at the corner of Hanna & Pettit (where all those lousy crime-ridden convenience stores used to be).

THAT would get more police in the area...LOL!
Yeah, I can dream...the price is ALWAYS right (free)...!
Funny thing....dreams are the stuff of reality, if we choose to make them happen.
And today would be a good day to start fresh.
Now, get your butts out there and start respecting the land you walk upon.
Mother Nature is watching.
And while you're doing whatever you do, donuts not withstanding...
Stay safe out there, America.

In Other Words...
I've always been fond of language and it's usage, and I've also been a fan of the late George Carlin, who used to poke fun AT the manner we use our language. So, it's with mixed feelings that I am hearing all the verbiage coming out of the mouths of supposedly educated people...people of alleged erudition, who are, for the most part, making all this up as they go along.
Now I find that I can discuss things intellectually AND I can cuss like a longshoreman...I just try to not do BOTH at the same time...LOL.
Not bad for largely being self-taught.
Over the last several decades, we've become accustomed to "buzz words" or "catch phrases", generated to invoke a specified response in us whenever we hear them, much like Pavlov's Dog, sans the salivation factor.
Take some of the OBVIOUS changes to our language, for the most part done to skew our "perception" of people, places, and things.
People are no longer BLIND - they're VISUALLY-IMPAIRED (that would explain the BRAILLE all over the PARKING GARAGES...who'd have believed that all these BLIND people are driving TO those car parks anyway?)
We're not BIGOTS, we're RACIALLY-CHALLENGED (and in many cases overly-tolerant of aberrant behavior, which is a whole OTHER post).
We're no longer DEAF, we're ACOUSTICALLY-INSENSITIVE. (What the hell did he say?)
People are not SHORT, they're just VERTICALLY-CHALLENGED. (I tend to think of myself as slightly below average, so I'm in denial)
People are no longer OVERWEIGHT, but rather UNDER TALL. (kinda shoots the whole "big bone" theory in the ass, doesn't it?)
People are not STUPID, they're INTELLECTUALLY-INHIBITED (No, there are some that are REALLY just plain stupid, and a few that exhibit a "special kind OF stupid")
Folks are not RETARDED, they're just PHYSICALLY or MENTALLY-CHALLENGED. (explain THAT one to the teacher trying to encourage some LAZY kid what the value of an education is all about, as he nods off again in class)
But it gets even better. Seems we've manage to find "excuses" for most EVERY type of behavior these days...
People are no longer DRUNK, they just have a LOW ALCOHOL AND INHIBITION QUOTIENTS.
People are not VIOLENT, they're just suffer from OPPOSITE REACTIVE DISORDER.
People are no longer REACTIONARY, they're just victims of ADVERSARIAL OPINION SYNDROME.
People are not just LAZY, they suffer from CHRONIC FATIGUE DISORDER.
People are not POOR, they're just plagued by FINANCIAL DISENFRANCHISEMENT SYNDROME.
People are no longer RELIGIOUS, they're suffering from THEISTIC TENDENCIES.
It's amazing how people can twist and turn our language around to suit whatever need arises.
For example, we are NO LONGER waging a "War on terror". We are INSTEAD conducting an OVERSEAS CONTINGENCY OPERATION...how's about THEM apples, people?
But it gets better. We're not EVEN calling a TERRORIST a terrorist any longer. They are NOW called ENEMY COMBATANTS, but hold on just a second...isn't there a SPECIFIED TREATMENT for those ECs that are CAPTURED? Do we not treat them a bit DIFFERENTLY than say regular combatants? Or regular enemies? Don't they go before a MILITARY TRIBUNAL (that's the name for a "war court") for crimes AGAINST our military or against another nation involved in a war?
And to carry this further to OUR own shores, should we NOT consider the thugs and gang members that take over our streets and neighborhoods to sell their poisonous drugs to the masses THE ENEMY...or COMBATANTS, after a fashion?
I pretty much think we SHOULD. They're DOMESTIC TERRORISTS, plain and simple.
They just don't wear a tablecloth on their heads, turn to Mecca 5 times a day, or have sworn any type of JIHAD against us (that I know of anyway). But they are still OUR enemy, and should be treated as such, and not the "such a nice boy" that his baby mama knew and loved (as she re lit her crack pipe for today's morning high).
It's astounding that in some cases, we call things as they ARE, but in other instances, we try to divert our attention by renaming or reclassifying something or someone.
To me, it's all smoke and mirrors.
Every time I hear another "new" catch phrase of buzz word, I have to roll my eyes at the indecencies being perpetrated against OUR language.
If you stop and read letters from people from the 18th century through Victorian times, you see a masterful command of the language, with such depth and passion for whatever was written. People had a flourish for words and their true meanings, and over the centuries, it has been slowly lost.
Somehow, the "magic" of language seems to be missing these days, supplanted by a contrived mish-mosh of BS designed to entice us to a "higher" level of humanity.
Look at the fundamental construction of our founding documents...and then TRY to look at laws being passed in THIS day and age.
Our forefathers made those documents simple, and yet powerful and just complex enough to the point that tampering wasn't easy.
Today, it's ALL about skirting the law (after it's been written). Loopholes abound that one could drive a Kenworth through, and it's all designed this way, until people wise up and figure out how much they're being duped.
People have to understand their language...it's that simple.
We have to make our YEA be YEA, and our NAY be NAY.
Black is not white and vice versa.
Say what you mean, and mean what you say.
Doesn't get any easier than that.
But most of all, we have to UNLEARN all this linguistic tripe, and focus on the real meaning of the real words.
We have to see past the smoke, mirrors and diversions to get to the heart of learning and understanding.
Then, and only then, can we reclaim that part of AMERICA that has managed to slip through our fingers, and that would be the education OF the people. Enough with all the "buzz n catch" crap.
Get back to basics in order to promote knowledge and wisdom.
And it's SO simple a cavem...well, you know the rest.
Stay safe out there, America.

Monday Musings...
...And it happens to be RAINING as well here, so we get a "twofer".
Hopefully today won't get you "too" down (like the song used to go).
-- I mentioned it here a short while back, and now it's final; the FWPD motorcycles are going bye-bye.
Damn shame, because they ARE better in many cases than a standard cruiser.
Chief York says than when more money is available, the idea of "refloating" the cycle patrol WILL be considered.
Good...sure glad we don't have a POLICE MOTORCYCLE DRILL TEAM, like we used to back in Philly. Those boys back there did some FINE charity work, and they were talented as all get out. It as the FIRST time I ever saw a HUMAN PYRAMID on moving motorcycles...haven't seen it since, either.
I maintain that it's still cheaper to have the cycles than cruisers in specified venues, and that every department that is large enough to HAVE motorcycles...SHOULD.
-- It sure looked like the PREZ was "gittin' a litle too cozy" with Hugo Chavez this past week. I mean I know the idea behind the phrase "sleeping with the enemy", but I didn't know we even acknowledged dictators, let alone shook their hand...(shades of Neville Chamberlain in Berlin).
Hey, I'm all for having the CIA recruit Juan Valdez from Colombia, send him AND his coffee bean-laden burro to Venezuela, and shove a can or two of C4-infused Folgers "special blend" up that dictator's ass....but that's just me.
Which brings me to the recent disclosing of CIA memos by the Prez. These memos have to do with interrogation procedures which, up until then, were pretty much kept hush-hush.
But now that this government is being SO "transparent" (as in we can probably see RIGHT THROUGH THEM), I suspect that our enemies around the globe will know, well in advance, what they can expect from "us", should we ever capture them. I'll bet they're already working on ways to steel their resolve...I know I would be.
If I could assign a phrase to this government administration so far, it would have to be: "Bit off more than they could chew", or even "Grasping at straws". Either one seems apropos at this point, and we're NOT EVEN past the "100 day" mark yet.
Can't wait to see what the REST of these NEXT four years will be like. How about you?
-- The new Costalenty Square stadium aka Parkview Field did an SRO opening day business. The following day, attendance dropped by FIFTY PERCENT...wow, who'da thunk it?
But the Tin Caps (formerly known as the Wizards) are still undefeated...when WILL the bubble burst, I wonder?
-- The Komets (hockey team) are leading their playoff series 2 games to 1, and it makes me wonder IF the city will acknowledge the Komets, should they win the Huber Trophy/Cup. They all but ignored them LAST year when they DID win it, and that cheesed me off to NO end. Here you have a damn good hockey team (for a league other than the NHL), and the city didn't do all that much...guess they were too busy with Parkview Field (of dreams).
Oh, wait, I forgot...you have to play up to the BASKETBALL crowd here...THAT is what is important, even more than an education. That's why I never see black kids playing street hockey, but ALWAYS see them playing "bassabaw".
Guess you can't have kids with STICKS in the neighborhood...they'd beat on one another, right?
These kids have just AS MUCH chance of becoming hockey players, but the "bling" isn't as much, so it must be about WHAT YOU HAVE (or can get), and NOT WHO YOU ARE as a person that matters most to them.
That explains a LOT of the problems in their community then, doesn't it?
Funny, we called that HEDONISM.
-- Lastly, There is a good article on Glenn Beck in today's J/G...and it's EASY to find. It's on the LAST page of the LIVING section!
I like this guy. He's got chutzpah...he's got balls, and he's not afraid to mix it up in the trenches, and yet, he's compassionate as well as passionate about people and issues. Don't find too many like that these days. It's refreshing to watch, to say the least.
His show (on @ 5PM our time in Indiana) is the THIRD largest viewership on the FOX channel, after Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity. That's not too shabby, considering the show airs when people are still at work, or are in transit home from work.
If you believe in basic human principles...and basic human values, then give it a watch. You might be pleasantly surprised.
There are more people that still hold true to such things than you would realize.
And when did VALUES and PRINCIPLES ever really HURT anyone, hmm?
Seems that NOT having them IS hurtful...in too many ways.
So keep dry today, be attentive while driving, and...
Stay safe out there, America.