Another day...Another Dose Of Rain...
Gonna be a fun gardening season at this rate...!
Be nice to be able to get outside and get something done...mowing the lawn (again) isn't recommended when the grass is constantly WET.
Plus, I should sharpen the mower blades.
So, with that on the back burner for the day, if I may borrow something that CWM (Tilting At Windmills blog - good read and a free plug from me) commented on:
"LIVE...FROM THE ALLEN COUNTY COURTHOUSE..."
Well, that's what it was SUPPOSED to sound like today. But something came along to change that.
Like I said...the worst thing that could happen would be if the jury sub-panel was excused...
Well, EXCUUUUUUUUSSSSSSEEEE...MEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
Yeah, they cancelled today's proceedings! (another one pleas his/her way out of a well-deserved guest stay at the local hoosegow...again)
((*ROLLS EYES*))
Guess God (also) figured it best that I not speak my peace, and possibly wind up on the evening news... (Tzao gao)!
I figure I'm OK with that...for now.
I suppose it's all well and good, but rest assured, I WILL be called back (yet) again....and we'll have to start this gig all over again.
Some folks (like the Allen County court system) never seem to "get it".
(need a bigger 2x4, obviously)
In the meantime...
"LIVE...FROM THE COMPUTER ROOM AT OUR FORTRESS OF REASON..."
*** It's...ANOTHER double shooting at the Eden Green Apartments (a spit and a slide from the the FWPD HQ - go figure)!
Here's the skinny:
(( FORT WAYNE, Ind. -Indiana's NewsCenter
Two people were shot at Eden Green Apartment Complex on Fort Wayne's south east side Monday evening.
Around 10:20 Fort Wayne police were called to two separate locations in the complex. A man and woman were transported to area hospitals in serious conditions.
The man was shot in the leg and the woman was shot in the stomach.
One victim is in serious condition, the other has been upgraded to fair. ))
Curiously enough, there is ALSO an EDEN GREEN Apartment complex in (of all places) CHICAGO...and yes, it also is haven for society's refuse and criminal flotsam. Must be some stigma attached to that name.
Now imagine that story I mentioned yesterday about how HUD was being investigated for about several HUNDRED MILLION BUCKS (of YOUR money) that apparently has been WASTED.
Well, now, you have a good idea where TWO places of waste can be found, hmm?
And I so love the manner in which many of these places are named.
EDEN GREEN...sounds like some peaceful retirement community, replete with gardens, a fountain, and possibly some walking trails and plenty of flora to view.
Nope, guess again.
Ditto for streets so (in)aptly named SERENITY DRIVE (even farther south in the "Ocean" sector of the SE).
Another hotbed for criminal activity...EVERY FREAKING DAY!
Now, I would normally expect a "Serenity Drive" to be some nice winding road in a beautifully-landscaped development where people wave "hi" to you as they're mowing their immaculate lawns and tending to their beautiful foliage surrounding those nice homes.
Nope...not even close, people.
The really sad part about all the crime at Eden Green (here), is that soon enough, the FWPD will be HQ'ed DOWNTOWN.
What the final disposition of the property on Creighton St will be, I have no idea whatsoever.
It would really BEHOOVE the FWPD to "maintain a (strong) presence" in that area...believe you me!
Used to be a time when the FWPD actually HAD a SUB-STATION at SOUTHGATE PLAZA.
(wonder how much crime went on back then?)
The place had closed just after we moved to this house (a mere 3 blocks away), and criminal activity at Southgate has been creeping UP ever since.
(It really increased when SouthTown Mall closed up...and we got to watch THAT happen too)
In my estimation, the FWPD "bosses" have been on the "down-low" when it comes to keeping up with crime down here.
I can see no GOOD reason to close a sub-station in an area that was increasing in crime.
It makes sense to close a place when crime goes DOWN, however...
Well, up north, we have "outposts" that serve the FWPD (and I wonder how crime up THERE compares to crime down HERE?)...bet'cha they have LESS than we do...(just a wild guess on my part).
Add to that, the fact that the the FWPD got rid of it's motorcycles a couple years back, and the reasoning was dubious at best.
The cost of maintenance was cited (I dunno...bikes are cheaper than cars and trucks to buy OR maintain).
And we had good officers manning those bikes.
In fact, they were more able to get THROUGH traffic and on scene wherever they were needed a lot quicker than the cruisers.
The chief also cited that the motorcycles were unable to carry all that computer equipment needed these days.
(Guess the chief didn't figure on those computers getting SMALLER and more adaptable to specific uses, did he?)
To me, that alone is a "MAJOR FAIL".
We used to call it planning AHEAD...as in soon enough, the electronic stuff WILL be small enough to be carried on board a motorcycle.
Hell, the tech that's in the patrol cars NOW is so damn prone to failure as it is.
Every day, I hear officers with failed systems, air card problems, Spillman issues, and the like.
But, we are also growing TOO damn dependent on such systems, are we not?
Welcome to society's perfect storm of a Catch-22 that there could ever be.
You're gonna be damned if you, and damned if you don't any way you shake it.
And since you can't "undo" such a storm, the best thing to do is ride it the hell out the best you can with what you already got.
You can easily see how things can become over thought in today's world when it comes to crime and the manner in which it's addressed.
Local police departments are at their tipping points across the nation, and the last thing we need is such a pending debacle should those that wish to undermine our nation and what she stands for be allowed to get the keys to the candy store, as it were.
BTW, This week is National Police Week, and here are a few sites to stop by:
http://www.policeweek.org/
http://www.nleomf.org/programs/policeweek/national-police-week-history.html
http://blog.discoverpolicing.org/uncategorized/its-national-police-week-2011/
We lost FIFTY-SIX officers in the line of duty last year, and (imho) that was 56 TOO MANY, especially in times such as these.
What we, as law-abiding citizens need to do is to work WITH our LEOs out there.
And I'm talking about the "rank & file" officers here, because THEY are in the trenches daily, and are the ones bearing the burden when it comes to duty and sacrifice. They can use OUR support as much as we can use theirs.
THEY are the reason we can sleep a bit better at night.
THEY are the reason we haven't slipped into anarchy.
And THEY are the ones society will always turn to when it comes to protecting us all.
They truly deserve our praise, and our thanks.
So, if you see an officer in your travels, take a moment to thank them for their service.
Hell, look 'em in the eye and shake their hand...they don't bite.
It will make BOTH of you feel a lot better, trust me.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.