Friday Follies - Black Friday Edition...

And...we're OFF to the races...make than bargains (galore) at every single store that's been built.
NOW, we can say the holiday season is OFFICIALLY under way.
Your Hoosierland weather for this day will be cold, with temps again struggling to get above freezing (high of around 34 degrees), a slight breezy just so we can have a wind-chill, and mostly sunny skies.
A nice to day to avoid the crazies out there, stay home, watch some James Bond movies (on the SYFY channel ???) and take it slow.
And even though this year finds us with FEWER days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I'm sure all of us can shop a lot more WISELY.
So, top off that morning cup of java, or tea, or whatever you want, and let's get this show rolling.
*** First out the door today is our Thanksgiving dinner at the "Fortress"...a rather humble affair with just Wifey, me and our male cat, Rassie.
(and he was off someplace else when we ate, and not table-side, where his sister used to park)
We had roast duck (a la orange) with stuffing, potatoes, veggies, rolls and (for me) cherry pie for dessert.

It ain't "Rockwell", but it's close enough,

A rather simple dinner, and yes, a somewhat quieter dinner than in years past.
Haven't decided what to have for Christmas dinner yet...but we've plenty of time for that
And that was about it, even though it seemed a lot for just TWO people...it's worth it to me.
I'm a traditionalist when it comes to holiday meals..blame (or rather thank) my parents for that.
Moving on...
*** Yes, it IS Black Friday (soon to be followed by Cyber-Monday), and I have to admit that although some stores DO have some great buys., I'm practicing restraint, and not getting sucked in.

I don't "play well" with crowds these days...they all seem to be too self-absorbed.
One saving grace over the last 48 hours came this past Wednesday, when an older black woman came walking down our street,carrying a bag of stuff she just bought.
I was crossing our street from our mailbox, and she looked at me and said "Happy Thanksgiving", to which I replied "...And the same to you, dear."
Felt like a character in some Dickens novel.
THAT put a smile on my face, and even if I never see that woman again, just that small token of acknowledgment was enough to say (to me) that God is still around and doing well with us.

I've always believed in that Biblical passage about "entertaining strangers".
It works for me..
And usually such a happening begins with some sort of kindness directed at you...and you return that kindness.
After enough years pass by, you just KNOW what to do and how to react. I wouldn't expect any of our "neighbors" (excepting one) to say such a simple thing, but someone I have never seen before, and may never see again, is often a different story.
That's the main reason why crowds have less appeal to me.
*** In other news, we couldn't have a REAL Thanksgiving, or any OTHER holiday for that matter without some SE side "drama", and that means another SHOOTING in the ghettohood.

Here's the story link from the News-Sentinel:
http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20131129/NEWS/131129588/1005/PREPSPORTS
This took place in the 3600 block of Winter Street (yep, that's the ghettohood) around 2000 hrs last night.
One man was shot (at least twice) and was taken to hospital in serious condition.
Not much else is known at this time, other than a black 4 door vehicle leaving the scene, viewed by a witness that heard FIVE shots, with no motive, suspect or description of the shooter.

It's called  WHITE BALANCE and EXPOSURE settings for a reason.

(and New Year's Eve is right around the damn corner, too)
*** And speaking of CRIME, there's plenty of buzz about "promoting" current FWPD capo, Rusty York to the (exalted) position of PUBLIC SAFETY DIRECTOR.
Well, he does have years of police background, and is used to doing things HIS way (come hell or high water).

Thing is, do we REALLY need this position?
The city USED to have a person in such a position when I first moved here, and his name was Payne Brown.
Now, if some of what is being said about crime TODAY sounds all too familiar, let's go back a spell...(go set the WAY-BACK- machine, Sherman).
The time was the late 1990s, the place, Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Here's the story link:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=799&dat=19970501&id=KtI0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=vVEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5920,5036141

Now HERE was a man (the above-mentioned Payne Brown) in a "created" position (originally by Win Moses - a bigger government dumbocrat), who had NO law-enforcement experience, and yet oversaw police, fire and communications for the city.
And here's an article from TODAY'S paper that adds fuel to the fire:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20131129/EDIT07/311299997/1147/EDIT07
So, if HISTORY is any barometer of how well this particular job has fared, why would we revisit it?
If the job WAS so damn successful, the city would have NEVER have gotten rid of it (as former mayor, Graham Richard did), right?
And our crime would have remained at much LOWER levels...perhaps.

NO regard to the BROKEN WINDOW THEORY.

Jim Sack, over at the Angry White Boy blog seems to mirror the sentiment, as found HERE:
http://www.angrywhiteboy.org/2013/11/27/little-lambs-eat-ivy/
Near the end of the post, Jim reminds us of how (in) efficient that DPS position once was.
Perhaps history IS still the better teacher?
*** In a related (and highly BIASED editorial), there is THIS in the J-G:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20131129/EDIT07/311299994/1021/EDIT
The editorial says York's new job "makes sense"...about as MUCH sense as a screen door in a damn submarine!
It's NOT "for safety sake"...it's for political gains...make NO mistake about this.
It's to keep the good old boy network intact.
It's to prevent COMPETENT people from ascending to the positions they are more highly qualified to hold.
It's ALL this, and SO damn much more (believe me, I know).

(King) Henry wants our city "...to be as safe as possible.", well does that mean ALL the city, because for the last DECADE, it's not been like that at ALL on the SE side, has it?
Maybe he means HIS part of the city...or perhaps that part of the city where everyone ELSE lives.

And sticking Garry Hamilton in the FWPD capo job MIGHT look good on paper (the city's FIRST BLACK POLICE CHIEF   - wow, how novel and diverse we are)., but to appoint someone who has less experience on the job than a beat officer with only FIVE years behind the shield smacks of cronie politics.
It's like hiring an openly gay fire chief (also not as qualified as one would prefer given the scope of the job and size of the city), isn't it?
Then again, "consider the source", as my late mother used to say...
Our mayor was elected (twice) and doesn't seem to have the qualifications for THAT job...sound familiar again? Thank the subordinates for making him look AS good as it seems he is.
(shades of democratic Washington, D.C.)
The mayor is in OVER his head, and grasping at straws isn't going to cut the muster here.
Creating a job where none is needed is folly, as is allowing incompetence to reign downtown.
At this point, I'd trust the deputy mayor to be better able to run the city and make better calls, instead of having "Hizzoner" showing up at ribbon-cuttings and ceremonial events, which is all our current mayor seems to do, but...he DOES do that VERY well.
Read the comments to articles about appointing York as DPS...they're overwhelmingly opposed to it, and for logical reasons.
It will NOT reduce crime.
Read the first story above about Payne Brown...hear the SAME words spoken all those years ago...and then read a recent newspaper.

Only if you want competent officials in office.

It's like Deja Vu...all over again.
Only this time, York gets to really rake in the bucks (including a pension from the first time he left the department)...and for what?
And stick an inexperienced person behind the police chief's desk for diversity's sake - ditto for the fire department...
More of the same in my part of the city?
That's not a good "return " on our "investment", is it?
*** Lastly today, it was once said that making bad choices leads to experience, and that experience leads to good choices.

Won't see THIS sign at City Hall.

It would seem that this city is headed in the opposite direction where that's concerned.
And it should not be.
Sure, on the surface, all seems right with the world, but you have to scratch that surface, dig a little deeper to see what's REALLY underneath it all.
Sometimes, what you may find might not be what you expected...or, it could be PRECISELY what you were expecting.
What you have to realize, is that there are powers at work behind the scenes that we, the people have little if any knowledge about..
And when you ask about something, you wind up with more questions than answers in this regard.
Those IN power...want to keep it, or get more, while those without power have to "get by", with little voice in the matter.
Watch all of these people...watch both of their hands, because what you forget to notice will affect you, sooner or later.
It's political sleight-of-hand, and you are a captive audience, like it or not.
Pay attention, do your homework, question everything that seems to need it, and demand answers when required, never settling for lip-service.
Therein lies the lesson for today.
Do have yourselves a great weekend, in keeping with the situation.

Be well, make a difference to someone today, and as always...
Stay SAFE out there, America.