Tuesday Tidbits...

Sure feels like winter outside NOW...doesn't it?
Always bracing to have that FIFTEEN degree air smack you in the kisser when you go to retrieve the morning paper.
Talk about a "wake up call:".
Welcome to the New Year's Eve EVE edition of the final days of 2014.
Our Hoosierland weather will be "brisk" to start with, but temps WILL rise to around 27 degrees today.
(not even going above freezing, folks.)
And we can expect partly cloudy skies to come along for the ride, increasing as the day progresses.
(maybe a touch of precip?)
Now, with that done, let's get the ball rolling by kicking back with a hot cup of our favorite morning drink, as we see what else has transpired in the last 24 hours...
*** First our of the supply room is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
December 30 - 
---Today is (in following with ALL those sweet treats we've seen this month) NATIONAL BICARBONATE OF SODA DAY, and for some folks, it probably can't come TOO soon, either.

It's in Alka-Seltzer, too.

---It's also (and real men everywhere will LOVE this one)...BACON DAY...!!!.

YUMMMmmmmmmm

Sounds like a breakfast to ME, but I have to draw the line with such items as bacon-flavored ice cream or candy and bacon-scented pillows. That's just not right there.
I love bacon, but moderation DOES make it taste all the better.
---And, it's FALLING NEEDLES FAMILY FEST DAY...(wha...???)

Somehow, pine needles, bare or stocking feet and "fest" doesn't quite work for me.
But, since our tree is artificial, no worries, hmm?
*** Next, we bring you the weekly "report" as to ALL the "shots fired" calls that the media never reports in the Summit City:

SHOTS FIRED CALLS - 12/19 - 12/28 
DECEMBER 19 
14F163188 00:34:07 113 SHOTS FIRED 5900 TURTLE CREEK DR 
14F163194 01:02:35 113 SHOTS FIRED 2900 INWOOD DR 
14F163534 21:19:57 113 SHOTS FIRED 1500 FLETCHER AVE 
DECEMBER 20 
 14F163621 01:07:24 113 SHOTS FIRED 1000 FAYETTE DR 
14F163637 01:39:36 113 SHOTS FIRED 3000 SIMCOE DR & ALVAREZ DR 
14F163818 13:31:53 113 SHOTS FIRED 2800 PENNSYLVANIA ST
 DECEMBER 21 
 14F164080 00:57:21 113 SHOTS FIRED 4700 WINTER ST 
14F164123 02:57:35 113 SHOTS FIRED 3200 FELICIAN ST 
14F164337 18:06:46 113 SHOTS FIRED 5700 WINTER ST & PAULDING RD E 
14F164455 23:41:24 113 SHOTS FIRED 4100 WINTER ST 
(plus 3 armed robberies) 
DECEMBER 22 
14F164705 17:56:16 113 SHOTS FIRED 2400 PAULDING RD E & RADCLIFFE DR 
14F164795 22:54:42 113 SHOTS FIRED 1200 RUDISILL BLVD E 
14F164805 22:57:59 113 SHOTS FIRED 4100 BOWSER AVe 
14F164715 18:23:22 58 SHOOTING 2100 EDEN ST 
(plus 1 armed robbery) 
DECEMBER 23 
 14F164819 00:31:07 113 SHOTS FIRED 3200 CALHOUN ST S 
14F164824 00:41:28 113 SHOTS FIRED 4900 MIDLOTHIAN DR 
(plis 1 armed robbery) 
DECEMBER 24 
 14F165590 22:41:56 113 SHOTS FIRED 8300 BRIDGEWAY DR 
14F165593 23:07:31 113 SHOTS FIRED 2900 WEISSER PARK AVE 
14F165596 23:27:10 113 SHOTS FIRED 5700 ARBOR AVE 
14F165604 23:47:07 113 SHOTS FIRED 2700 WASHINGTON CENTER RD W 
(plus 2 armed robberies) 
DECEMBER 25 
14F165749 16:08:04 113 SHOTS FIRED 900 HERMAN ST 
(plus 2 armed robberies)  - "Murr-Crimmus"
DECEMBER 26 
14F165881 01:06:36 113 SHOTS FIRED 300 PAULDING RD E & LAFAYETTE ST S 
14F165890 01:18:03 113 SHOTS FIRED 2900 GOSHEN RD 
14F165903 03:13:42 113 SHOTS FIRED 1100 HUESTIS AVE & BROADWAY 
14F165988 11:50:18 113 SHOTS FIRED 4300 WEISSER PARK AVE 
14F166101 17:02:55 113 SHOTS FIRED 2200 BUTLER RD 
(plus 1 armed robbery) 
DECEMBER 27 
14F166273 00:43:09 113 SHOTS FIRED 1500 HIGH ST 
14F166280 01:05:27 113 SHOTS FIRED 900 RUDISILL BLVD E & GAYWOOD DR 
14F166299 02:10:05 113 SHOTS FIRED 7200 LAKERIDGE DR 
14F166302 02:23:12 113 SHOTS FIRED 1100 LIBERTY ST 
14F166311 02:52:48 113 SHOTS FIRED 2500 GLENWOOD AVE 
14F166460 15:13:58 113 SHOTS FIRED 100 PETTIT AVE E & CALHOUN ST S 
14F166493 17:00:45 113 SHOTS FIRED 1600 GRISWOLD DR & TENNESSEE AVE 
14F166542 18:54:30 113 SHOTS FIRED 100 CONCORD LN E 
14F166573 20:29:08 113 SHOTS FIRED 2700 KINGSLAND CT 
14F166589 21:08:45 113 SHOTS FIRED 4100 WINTER ST 
DECEMBER 28 
14F166666 00:35:16 113 SHOTS FIRED 4400 CALHOUN ST S 
14F166697 02:38:24 113 SHOTS FIRED 600 MAIN ST W 
14F166959 19:56:05 113 SHOTS FIRED 2600 INDIANA AVE 
14F166993 21:51:51 113 SHOTS FIRED 2400 ABBEY DR
===============================
Sure looks like the MAJORITY of calls went out on the SE side - where the majority of minorities are living...as usual.
*** Next up...yes friends, ANOTHER shooting on the (where the hell else?) SE side of Ft. Wayne.

Here's the story link:
http://wane.com/2014/12/29/man-critical-after-mckinnie-shooting/

A man was critically injured due to gunfire last evening in the 600 block of McKinnie Ave..
This took place around 2030 hrs. when a passing motorist saw two men fighting. When the person dialed 911 and went to turn around, police say the driver saw one of the men lying on the ground.
The victim was transported to hospital in critical condition.
(( Editor's Update - 1100 hrs - Call this victim HOMICIDE NUMBER 16 for the year. ))
A limited description of the shooter was provided but it seems there is NO suspect at this time, NO motive, and NO other witnesses, although police are checking the area and questioning residents.
Starting to become a bit of a "pattern" these days on the SE side, isn't it?
Sure would be nice to have the police SCANNER back online...can't help the police if one is rendered deaf, dumb and blind, can one?
Plus, encrypting the scanner frequencies does NOT seem to be halting CRIME down here in any way, at least not by the looks of the daily blotter. Gotta love the ruling oligarchy in this city...
*** Next, Kevin Leininger of the News-Sentinel had TWO really good columns over the week.

The FIRST article deals with (King Henry) the mayor  having a one-on-one with Leininger, and expressing "his" wishes for the city of Fort Wayne.
Here's the link:
http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20141225/NEWS/141229827/1041/LEININGER
The second column deals with the fallout from the recent "protests" over the police action shooting and deaths of suspects, and the rhetoric from the left that has fomented such behavior by some of the unwashed masses.
Here's that link:
http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20141227/NEWS/141229780/1041/LEININGER
Both are really good reads, and worth a few minutes of your time.
*** And speaking of police shootings, there has been a rising amount of attacks ON police around the nation, in the wake of the two NYPD officers assassinated in their patrol cruiser the other week.

Here's the link to an article from The Daily Caller:
http://dailycaller.com/2014/12/29/police-officers-targeted-across-the-country/
You know, I really hope and pray this is NOT a pattern that will continue to be repeated in this nation.
We, as a country SHOULD be better than this...

Don't want to see THIS...

I certainly support all those in every facet in law-enforcement...and maybe that's why I have never been arrested in over 62 years on this planet.
It's called RESPECT for the damn law...and those who we entrust to ENFORCE it.
And, I'm getting damn sick and tired of seeing brave men and women placed unnecessarily (more) at risk because some f$cking morons out there are too stupid to understand WHY these officers are ON our damn streets in the first place.

The whole reason we even HAVE laws...is FOR...THE...LAWLESS among us.
Simple as that.
And if any LEO gets called out by ANY group because they're just DOING THEIR JOB (that we, the people hired them for), then we need to take that group to task and call THEM out for obstructing the dispensing of the enforcement of those laws.

If an officer acts in an improper manner, then fine, deal with that officer, but to randomly target those protecting the innocent and serving the public is tantamount to anarchy, and that is something NONE of us should permit or allow.
*** Last back to the broom closet...we are living in a time when the culture of AMERICA is at stake.

In some respects, we're allowing the redefinition OF our culture - that which made this country unique among all other nations in the world.
And it's sad to watch it happen.
It's even sadder to be thwarted when attempting to do something about it.
We, as a country, used to stand for some pretty important stuff in the past, but we're fast losing that.
We used to be THE go-to nation when it came to democracy (via a democratic republic)...today, not so much, especially when you see what goes on in our streets, such as these protests and other behaviors that promotes chaos, rather than unity.
What the hell ever happened to those times when getting along was a LOT easier, and WHAT was so damn wrong with that, that we had to shove such things under the bed and chase after idiocy instead?

It seems that every question we ask, only creates MORE questions, but at least we keep getting closer to the REASONING behind such things. That is where the seeds of debate can be found...by questioning.
We are becoming a nation more steeped in CONTRASTS than anything else, and those contrasts are becoming more EXTREME in the process.

Getting harder to FIND the wheat these days, rather than trying to separate it from all the chaff around us.
Perhaps beating a few swords (not all of them) back into some plowshares might be what this nation needs at this time.
We'll never know until we try, right?

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