Monday Musings...

Welcome to the month of JUNE - the halfway point in our rolling year.
And with this month comes more warmer weather.
Speaking of which, the Hoosierland weather today will see mostly cloudy skies, with a high in the low 80s (again) and a very good chance of rain later this afternoon into tonight. And yes, that's humidity you're feeling out there this day...comes with the territory, folks.
So, let's get that morning beverage poured or topped off as we get busy with what all else is going on since last we convened.
*** First off of the roller-coaster today are all the things associated with the month of JUNE, which are as follows:
--It's Caribbean-American heritage month (great, another hyphenated sect of the population)
--June 5th is World Environment Day 
(take a coal miner to lunch, he may be out of work sooner than you think)
--June 6th is the commemoration of D-Day (1944)
--June 12th is Philippine Independence Day
--June 14th is FLAG DAY in the USofA

--June 15th is Father's Day (always the most confusing day of the year in OUR part of town...lol)
--June 18th is International Picnic Day
-- The Summer solstice is June 20th-21st
--June is also black music month
( I will take that to mean REAL black music..like classic JAZZ and R&B)
--June 21st is Go Skateboarding Day 
(just not along I-469)
--June is LBGT pride month
--June is also audiobook month.

--Oh, and June 28th is Paul Bunyan Day 
(find a blue ox to hug)
It is also the month that the Lovely Mrs. Bobby G. has her birthday and when we celebrate our anniversary.
(she planned that "two-fer"...I didn't)
Meanwhile, back at the gift shop...
*** Well how about THAT...ANOTHER shooting at Foster's Sports Bar, on the (where else?) SOUTHEAST SIDE of Fort Wayne.

Here's the story link:
http://wane.com/2014/06/02/man-critical-after-monday-morning-shooting/
Cripes, it wasn't that long ago that we had something VERY similar happen at that same place, wasn't it?
Check my archive post of 13 May this year...not even a MONTH ago, folks.
Good way to patrol the SE side hot-spots, FWPD Chief Garry Hamilton.
(told you he didn't know what he was doing)
This happened this morning around 0130 hrs at good old Fosters Sports Bar (guess we know WHAT sport goes on there...shooting sports?), located in the 4300 block of Clinton at McKinnie.

We oughta turn this into a POLICE bar, Sarge.

One person was shot multiple times, and has been downgraded from serious to critical condition.
Investigators state that some sort of "disturbance" occurred prior to the shooting.
Naturally, NO suspect description is forthcoming, and no one is in custody, even after speaking to several witnesses who were IN THE AREA.
What about the bar patrons? No one saw nothing (again)?

Gotta love the IGNORANCE that spews forth from City Hall when it comes to OUR section of the city.
Moving on...
*** Sunday's paper had a very good story about crime stats, but in INDY.
Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140601/LOCAL06/306019955/0/SEARCH
Yes, friends, Indy is on pace to hit an 8-year HIGH in homicides...sound familiar?

Well, it should, because they are following the trend set HERE in Fort Wayne in 2013.
And the really interesting part to this, is that when Indy hit it's record number of homicides, it was in 1998 - the year AFTER Fort Wayne had it's previous high number of homicides (1997). Who says imitation isn't the most sincere form of "flattery", hmm?

Like DEJA VU - all over again.

Didn't see anyone ELSE make this connection, either.
Indy is ALREADY ranked on the FBI's list of deadliest cities at #22...that can't be good.
So far this year, Indy has had 62 homicides.

Who thinks black police chiefs make crime go DOWN?

The police chief there, Rick Hite states: "We have a threat, and it's clear to me that we just don't quite get it yet."
(Gee...'ya think?)
Well, there ARE ways to deal with "threats"...all depends on having the COURAGE to make the tough calls. The mayor of Indy, Greg Ballard has proposed about $29 MILLION a year in TAX INCREASES to add nearly 300 officers to the police force by 2018.
(well, that's one way, but not popular with those paying those taxes)
What bothers me is that the mayor has MET with gang members, and a citizen's group, the Ten Point Coalition held a church DINNER for gang members.

You think you can buy these thugs off with food and talk?
Think again.
One city pastor, Derek Jefferson said it very well: "Police are stuck in their cars. They are stuck in their offices...they need to get out of their cars and walk the streets."
All well and good, until someone starts shooting at you ON those streets, which can happen there as it has in other cities with similar gang-related problems.
You've allowed things to get THAT out of hand now.

HERE'S the disease....plain as day!

Other people believe that JOBS are the answer, to which I would say that many of these gangstas don't WANT a (real) job...not when they suck on the gov't teat provided to all the females they shack up with.
Gangs are a DISEASE in our society, and the best way to deal with a disease is to REMOVE it, by any means necessary.
Sometimes you might even have to EXCISE it completely, when medicinal treatments fail.
Those in Indy do have their work cut out for them, and it's a good barometer to measure how well OUR city might fare in the future.
(look to Indy)
*** A recent farm report says that the prices of beef and corn are rising....NO SH*T, Sherlock!
Maybe that's why more people are eating CHICKEN.
Can't wait until someone introduces a new AVIAN FLU into that mix...
That'll cause a real culinary clusterf$ck.
And...have you seen the price of BACON lately?

Mmmmmm.....bacon.

It's jumped well over a dollar (more) at Krogers.
The CHEAP brand is $3.99 and that's barely a pound.
I really don't BUY bacon these days...I stop by the meat department for a bloody ESTIMATE...LOL.
All pork prices have been on the rise...like someone wants us all to become (heaven forbid)...VEGANS!

Welcome to Waynedale - they're not ghetto yet!

At least if you hit one of those breakfast buffets (like down in Waynedale at AZAR'S), that $7.99 deal can get you ALL the bacon you can put away, and I plan to eat that $7.99 share of it when Wifey and I decide to stop there after school lets out...heh.
And, to those of you who do like coffee, even if it's ICED, you saw he commercial and managed to swing past a McD's this weekend for one of their McCafes, like Wifey and I did this past Saturday.

Damn good freebie!

We got one each for FREE (nice promotion) and since Wifey doesn't drink coffee, that made it TWO freebies for me.
I got the hazelnut, and for the "price", it wasn't bad at all.
I'd consider paying for one ...someday.
*** Last back to the merry-go-round today...school will soon be out for the summer, the parents will be taking trips (with or without them), and crime WILL be on the rise (once again).
No getting around ANY of those.
It's human nature.
-- Gas prices will be up and down more often than a $2 prostitute.
-- Food prices will bounce all over the place, and our nation's leader will continue to fundamentally change America.
He's done a lot in 6 years - none of it has been one damn bit of good for this nation, if you ask me.
He's diminished the middle class in ways that will take a generation or two to reverse.
He's rewarded the unworthy, and punished the taxpayers.
He's wasted more money in his presidency that all other presidents before him...COMBINED.
Not much fun (for us) there, is it?
Suffice it to say that this can be an important summer, as we have to make many decisions...decisions we didn't have to worry about in times past.
Summer USED to be a time to have fun...well, if you think we're doing just fine and your head is firmly in the and, you probably will have fun.

But everything in life comes with a cost, and that includes "fun".
Just check the admission to Disney World ($96 per person - per day).
Still, we can effect the change we all need to get things set back to rights for everyone.
It all depends on how we should define FUN...for some such things have become problems, and that's certainly NO fun at all.
Have a good week.

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