Friday Follies...

Well, here we are at last - end of the week AND the end of the month.
I kinda like when that happens...makes things a lot less complicated.
Weather today will seem more SPRING-like than anything else. For the next several days, we're going to see mild temps in the 50s.
Hey, I can deal with that...I love light-jacket weather.
And to those of you that believe we're a mere 22 days from the end of everything (12/21/12) I wouldn't go and max out those credit cards JUST yet.
So, let's get busy with seeing what the hell has been going on over the past 24 hours, shall we?
*** An update to the Pontiac Mall shooting.
Here's the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20121130/LOCAL07/311309969

At least the coroner followed my lead and called this the 26th homicide this year.

Kenton Allen Beckman, 44 was the victim, and if you think he was less than a stellar citizen with a criminal past, give yourself a gold star and go to the head of the class.

The story mentions one incident Beckman was involved with, but let's see his ENTIRE rap sheet.

===============
Kenton Allen Beckman
====ADDRESSES====
2601 Oxford St.
Fort Wayne, IN 46806
2711 Thompson
Ft Wayne IN
902 Ridgewood 2
Fort Wayne, IN 46805
205 Putnam
Fort Wayne, IN 46808
4034 Smith St
Fort Wayne, IN 46806
4808 SIMPLICITY CT
Fort Wayne, IN 46818
5009 TURBO TRL
Fort Wayne, IN 46818
=======RAP SHEET========
02D04-8708-IF-019311 Beckman, Kenton A 08/12/1987
Allen Superior Court 4 IF - Infraction
Decided DISREGARDING AUTOM SIGNAL
02D04-9010-IF-031070 Beckman, Kenton A 10/29/1990
Allen Superior Court 6 IF - Infraction
Decided DISREGARDING AUTOM SIGNAL
02D04-9607-CM-005834 Beckman, Kenton A 07/15/1996
Allen Superior Court 5 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided BATTERY (A) (D.V.)
02D04-9909-IF-014182 Beckman, Kenton A 09/18/1999
Allen Superior Court 6 IF - Infraction
Decided EXCEED POSTED SPEED LIMIT
02D04-0012-IF-021845 Beckman, Kenton A 12/07/2000
Allen Superior Court 4 IF - Infraction
Decided EXCEED POSTED SPEED LIMIT
02D04-0602-IF-001171 Beckman, Kenton A 02/07/2006
Allen Superior Court 4 IF - Infraction
Decided EXCEED MAX LAWFUL SPEEDS
02D04-0610-CM-007227 Beckman, Kenton A 10/31/2006
Allen Superior Court 4 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided CRIMINAL MISCHIEF (A)
20D04-0710-IF-04656 009393 Beckman, Kenton A 10/16/2007
Elkhart Superior Court 4 IF - Infraction
Decided SPEEDING - ALTERATION OF MAXIMUM Speed:50 Speed Zone: 35
02D04-0711-MC-002307 Beckman, Kenton A 11/05/2007
Allen Superior Court 4 MC - Miscellaneous Criminal
Decided P.C. ROBBERY
BATTERY (A)
P.C. CARJACKING
02D04-0711-FB-000160 Beckman, Kenton A 11/08/2007
Allen Superior Court 6 FB - Class B Felony
Decided ROBBERY
CARJACKING
02D04-1005-IF-005045 575961 Beckman, Kenton A 05/27/2010
Allen Superior Court 6 IF - Infraction
Decided FAILURE WEAR SAFETY BELT
02D04-1105-CM-003202 NA BECKMAN, KENTON A 05/31/2011
Allen Superior Court 4 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Pending 35-44-3-3(a)(1)/MA: Resisting Law Enforcement
02D06-1209-CM-005275 NA BECKMAN, KENTON A 09/25/2012
Allen Superior Court 6 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided 35-46-1-15.1(2)/MA: Invasion of Privacy -
Viol Ex Parte Protec Order Issued Under 34-26-5
=============
This guy must have pissed someone off bad enough to warrant a shooting.
I love that fact that his CARJACKING case from 2007, being accused of fleeing in his mother's car after throwing her to the ground and taking money from her purse was DISMISSED (thanks, Karen Richards. You sure know how to prosecute...NOT).
Beckman also liked to drive fast and run red lights...since 1987.
NOT ANY LONGER!
*** And what about that PROFED Credit union robbery that occurred yesterday morning?
Glad you asked.
Here is the source story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20121130/LOCAL07/311309962

At least THIS one didn't happen on the SE side of town...just the EAST side, where THREE schools were placed on lockdown and ELEVEN schools (total) were put "on alert"..
Amazing we always hear THAT term - LOCKDOWN - a term once used to refer to a PRISON situation.
Wifey even shot me an email asking what was going on, so I filled her in.

The ProFed Credit Union located at 6448 Stellhorn Rd was targeted by THREE masked robbers toting guns.
One of the employees was ambushed as she opened the place up, and was bound and battered along with 2 other employees.

When describing these perps, I like to use the phrase "Poorly-Dressed Ninja Wannabes".

The robbers also shot off their guns (REAL ninjas never use guns) a few times before leaving the building with an undisclosed amount of money

A customer waiting in the drive-thru area saw the robbers fleeing and called police.

A K-9 was used to track the criminals, but could not get a hit on direction of travel, although the customer said the perps fled south.
There IS a $5K reward for info leading to the arrest of the robbers (thanks to the FBI).
At least there were some decent security cam pictures..for what they're worth.
None of the employees required medical attention by EMS as a result of the gunfire or the battery.
Now, forgive me for being correct (again), but with the FWPD short of about 21 officers, and with an increase in crimes across the board, wouldn't it be time to entertain the notion that we do, in fact, need MORE officers on the streets, and not FEWER?
Yeah, I know...CRITICAL THINKING can often piss off a lot of folks...well, that's tough sh*t, isn't it?
*** The "War On Christmas" is starting anew, as it does every year for the past decade.

The first shots have been fired, and as usual, it's the same old morons leading the charge.
One situation happened on Bill O'Reilly's show the other night.

Here's the link (with video) from The Blaze:

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/bill-oreilly-and-atheist-leader-have-gonzo-confrontation-over-christmas-you-are-a-fascist/
Hey, I'm OK with saying that "Christianity" is a "philosophy", with CATHOLICISM being a RELIGION...like JUDAISM.
Christianity is the blanket that covers all the RELIGIOUS denominations, espousing a similarity of values and intents.
It's when the pinhead atheists try to bust on MY religion that I get cheesed the hell off.

I don't go dumping MY religion down other people's throats like scalding hot coffee, and I damn sure don't want (or expect) other people to dump THEIR beliefs down MY throat...got it?

This wasn't even an issue when I was growing up (we seemed to all worship the SAME GOD back then for some odd reason, and we DARED to say the Pledge of Allegiance to our FLAG), but with the advent of a much more "understanding" society (that means caving in to every fringe group and loon with some nonsensical "cause"out there), we transpose OUR true beliefs with their rhetoric, in the name of diversity or tolerance.
((Bullsh*t!))

And if doing that screws with MY holiday cheer, you best look out, because I'm taking NO prisoners.
Sorry, but I've already stared to spread my Christmas wishes...the Fed Ex guy the other day dropped off a parcel, and I wished him a happy holiday season.
People DO appreciate it.
And the closer it gets to Christmas, the MORE I will do it.
If some folks take that as an affront...that's too damn bad.
MERRY (f$cking) CHRISTMAS anyway, you asshats!
These atheists need to just back the hell off from the majority of the people that truly DO celebrate the holidays in the manner for which they were intended.
Don't you think we need SOME TIME OFF from all the crap that gets tossed at us the REST of the rolling year?
And don't you think that CHRISTMAS TIME is the BEST time to do that?
But maybe I'm just not up with the times...too bad.
Tradition DOES still have it's place, both in our lives and in our society.
Anyone that can't (or won't) see that is denying themselves of some wonderful stuff.
*** Lastly today, there is proof that angels walk the earth, and you probably have seen this - I just wanted to reinforce the meaning BEHIND why such altruistic examples are there for us to see.
Here's the link to the story:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/29/nyregion/photo-of-officer-giving-boots-to-barefoot-man-warms-hearts-online.html
An NYPD officer, one Larry DePrimo, 25, a two year member of the department is shown buying boots for an older barefoot homeless man.

The picture (taken by a tourist) has gone viral, as things tend to do on the Internet.

The NYPD Facebook page is loaded with likes and comments as well.
But all this is about MORE than just a pair of boots...or a viral photo on the Internet.
And this officer demonstrates in no small way the manner in which he was brought up...
It's called TRADITIONAL FAMILY VALUES.
You HELP those less fortunate.
You LEND ASSISTANCE where needed.
You STEP UP when others do not, swallow your pride, and DO THE RIGHT THING...not because it's "popular", or because it's trendy.
You do it because that's the way YOU WERE RAISED.
I've known my share of Italian families, and they have a VERY deep sense of family...and of self. Ditto for Irish families, along with others.

And you never place yourself OVER the family...you serve your family...or even your "extended" family, and in some cases, that might entail a lot more people than you can imagine...shield or no shield.
While this homeless man has been blessed by the thoughtfulness of one lone police officer with a good upbringing, that officer has been blessed in ways he won't even know...or be aware of.
Allow me to paraphrase a famous line from RFK...
This officer doesn't look at the world and asks "WHY?"
He looks at the way the world COULD be and asks "WHY NOT"?
God bless such people like Officer Larry DePrimo...he's an idealist.
And let that be the lesson for us ALL this season.

We'll catch you here NEXT month...have yourselves a great weekend.

Be well, make a difference to someone today, and as always...

Stay SAFE out there, America.