Monday Musings...

Welcome back to another holiday-laced, fun-filled week...relatively-speaking that is.

Today is going to be back-asswards in the weather department again...morning temps will give way to COLDER temps as the day progresses, dropping to below freezing by day's end. Sounds like December to ME.

Hopefully, we won't see ice covered roads and streets, because you just KNOW there are people pretending to be drivers out there without clue one as how best to navigate in GOOD weather, let alone anything approaching inclement weather, right?

Now, with that aside, let's get busy with the "...rest of the story".

*** We've managed to reach HOMICIDE NUMBER TWENTY-SEVEN in the Summit City.

(and getting closer to the next magic number of 30).
Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20121208/LOCAL07/312089970/1043/LOCAL07
This happened Friday night around 2130 hours in the 700 block of Milton St, on the city's...(...all together, gang...)...SOUTHEAST SIDE.
(now where the hell ELSE could such things occur with such regularity, hmm?)

When police arrived (as they always do) they found one man dead, and another wounded in a green Oldsmobile sedan.

A third man was said to have fled the scene.

As usual, no arrests have been made and police have no suspects.

Neighbors were "concerned" (how novel) about the rising violence, and stated they have to "stay in their homes"...
Hey, welcome to OUR world, sister.
Another story link can be found HERE:
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/two-critical-in-milton-street-shooting
The victim was ID'ed as Paul W. Ward, 22 of Ft. Wayne, and is the 27th homicide in the city and county.
He was a male black, 5'7", 230 lbs with a recent "history"
=====RAP SHEET=====
02D06-1010-IF-013173 612140 WARD, PAUL W 10/16/2010
Allen Superior Court 6 IF - Infraction
Decided 9-19-10-2/IFD: Failure of Occupant to Use Safety Belt
02D04-1204-MC-000876 NA
WARD, PAUL W 04/04/2012
Allen Superior Court 4 MC - Miscellaneous Criminal (Citation)
Decided 35-42-2-1(a)(8)/FC: Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury to a Pregnant Woman
35-42-2-1.3(b)(2)/FD: Domestic Battery - Committed in Presence of Child Less Than 16 Years
35-45-2-5/MA: Interference with the Reporting of a Crime
02D06-1204-CM-002024 NA WARD, PAUL W, III 04/10/2012
Allen Superior Court 6 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided 35-42-2-1.3(a)/MA: Domestic Battery
02D04-1212-CM-006468 WARD, PAUL W, III 12/03/2012
Allen Superior Court 4 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Pending 35-47-2-1(a)/MA: Carrying a Handgun Without a License
35-48-4-11/MA: Possession Marijuana/Hash Oil/Hashish/Salvia/Synthetic Cannabinoid
=====ADDRESS=====
3924 South Park Drive
Fort Wayne, IN 46806
=================
Least he didn't die far from "home".
Again, you can see that this guy was headed for the wrong side of the tracks.
(as is too often the case with people such as this)
The name of the other shooting victim has not been released yet.
Moving on...
*** The Valero gas station at Ardmore and Engle Rds was targeted by two hooded robbers early this morning around 0015 hrs.
Here's the story link:
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/crime/armed-robbers-hit-valero-station

It doesn't surprise me that the station was robbed...it's also been the target of more than a few "drive-offs" at the pumps (failure to pay), and police were "supposed" to be watching the place for such things...but that was over a YEAR ago, and I guess the chief "forgot"...?
Or perhaps the station has done what EVERY station has done on the SOUTH side of the city - made the move to those PAY FIRST pumps.
I mean, with such an "entitlement" society abounding down here, THAT makes sense, (along with ballistic glass to protect the employees) AFTER DARK. Guess the Valero station hasn't gotten THAT far yet...but they WILL, trust me.
*** Guess they grow 'em TOUGHER in nearby Whitley County, right?
Well, according to THIS story, it sure seems that way:
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/crime/driver-shot-in-attempted-carjacking

Imagine stopping a carjacking when the perp (a recent escapee to boot) was in your BACKSEAT...wrestling him for his gun, getting SHOT, but managing to get the gun away from him, and then HOLDING him AT BAY with his OWN WEAPON until police arrive (as they usually do)...
I suppose Bob Costas could LEARN something from THIS man, couldn't he?
-- Here's an update:
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/crime/carjacker-charged-with-attempted-murder

After the (SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD) perp was arrested (and NOW facing attempted MURDER charges...huzzah!), the driver was transported to hospital in serious condition.
He's now recovering at home, because luckily, the gun used was a small caliber, and struck no vital organs.
And it's stories like these that brings me to our next bit of commentary...
*** Holiday season is that time of year when thieves and muggers (...and carjackers, oh my!) have a FIELD DAY.
Let's face it, we're busy thinking about the holidays...got our minds on too many things and often, we have a brain fart...a "momentary lapse of reason", as Pink Floyd might put it (good album, too).
Whenever you're out and park your vehicle, you MUST take certain precautions.

A) Make sure you TAKE YOUR KEYS with you - too many times, police are called to "slim-jim" an owner back into their vehicle when the keys were left behind. Thieves LOVE these people...makes it TOO easy to abscond with a nice car or SUV.
DON'T give them that chance...period.
B) Become SITUATIONALLY-AWARE...make it part of every outing experience.
The FIRST thing I do upon exiting our car is look AROUND us...see what or who is nearby. Someone sitting in a running car "could" be a thief waiting for the right opportunity. See if anyone is wandering about the parking lot or street, looking around for the next "victim".
Keep that head on a swivel, people.

C) When returning with packages TO your vehicle, again, LOOK AROUND YOU. If someone is following you, you can either attempt to return to the store or just get on the cell and call the police. Don't wait until you feel something shoved in your back and hear "get in the car and don't make a sound".
By then, it's a bit on the late side, but not impossible to extricate yourself, should you have to.
D) Keep any and all packages LOCKED in the TRUNK or some place that is OUT OF SIGHT from "prying eyes".
Remember that wandering guy in the parking area? He's scoping out cars with "stuff" in them, and then checking to see if the door is LOCKED.
And many times, we're too busy with other things, that we forget the most BASIC rule of holiday shopping - LOCK YOUR VEHICLE.
(taking those keys WITH you, right?)
If need be, get yourself a duplicate DOOR key made, in the event you lock the primary set inside.
Saves you a wait, and gets you where YOU belong...not the robber.

Sure, we're not perfect, but we CAN become better aware of the simple things - things that will save us from calling home for a ride, because there's an EMPTY SPOT where our car used to be at the local mall.
NO system is ever 100% foolproof, but most thieves will pass you by IF you make it the least bit difficult for THEM.
And by following the guidelines I've mentioned, you'll come out the other side of the holidays none the worse for wear, kapesh?
*** And speaking of the holidays...we've finally got the tree up and decorated, and I've got our BLUE candles in the windows. All I have to do today is hook up the extension cords and fire them up at sunset (because I tested them all beforehand, and yes,  they ALL work...for once...LOL)

We've got the Christmas bears out (definitely need a larger sofa...or living room...LOL), the Santa collection is out, the plushies and Christmas Beanie Babies are out, and all the other assorted holiday bric-a-brac are up and out...a nicely "festive" atmosphere resides in our humble "Fortress" now.

There used to be a company that made an aerosol PINE scent...haven't seen that around for a few years, but they DO still make that cinnamon scent for the holidays.
Tea lights help with the smells of the season, too, and I think we ALL need that sensory input to get our minds "in gear" for Christmas.
Lord knows we NEED this kind of thing to get our minds off of all the OTHER (nasty) crap that is happening around us faily, and even though the holidays are ever-fleeting, it's a welcome diversion from being "diverted elsewhere" the other 11 months of the rolling year, hmm?
*** It's HANUKKAH time, too, and a very blessed Hanukkah to all those celebrating.

Yeah, it's EARLIER this year than usual, but I'm sure no less meaningful or festive.
The Festival of Lights is a wonderful time of year for the Jewish and the WIKI can be found HERE:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah
We "gentiles" have our Christmas on a TUESDAY this year...really odd, if you ask me, but hey, Christmas is Christmas.

*** And it wouldn't BE Christmas without some shows on TV to watch.

Last night on ABC, they showed BOTH of the Disney "PREP and LANDING" specials with Lanny and Wayne (and coal-elf Noel)...

I've loved this from the start and I highly recommend these for you kids of every age.

It sure helps take the "edge" off of the holiday hustle and bustle.

WHen they were over, if you knew which channel to surf to AFTER those Disney specials, you wound up where I went - to FOX NEWS where Neil Cavuto aired his special entitled: "FLY ME TO THE MOON", all about our space program up to our LAST visit to the moon.

Interviews with former astronauts who went to the moon, as well as some great archival footage were featured, and it was a riveting 60 minutes...best damn show about the space program that I've seen in quite some time.

Now, you're probably asking yourself "What relevance does the space program have with Christmas, Bob?", and rightly so.

Well, it was on Christmas Eve, back on 24 December 1968, that the crew of Apollo 8 spoke to all of us on Earth from lunar orbit, with crew members Anders, Borman, and Lovell reading from the Book of Genesis...that was pretty powerful stuff back then, and it should be as powerful today.

Although the first landing would be assigned to Apollo 11, it was still amazing to see video transmissions and hear voices from across such an expanse...an expanse that JFK challenged us to traverse, to which we did LAND on the moon less than a year later.

This fulfilled our late President's challenge that we COULD send a man to the moon and return him safely...three times over on each mission.

I think this country has forgotten such things, and certainly our current president isn't concerned with such "nonsense", and that's too bad.

It was a challenge issued to ALL Americans...not just those in the space program.

And we, as Americans answered that challenge, even if it was in our hearts and through our indomitable spirit.

We need to recapture such things...we need to embrace the virtues that make us strong, hold to the principles that make us knowledgeable, and espouse the wisdom that makes us capable of making the right call when needed.

In that, I think we all still DO possess"The Right Stuff".

Have yourselves a great week.

Be well, make a difference to someone, and...

Stay SAFE out there, America.