Friday Follies...

It's the end to another adventure-filled and oft time banal week here in the Midwest.
Well, that depends on what you call adventure, but the banal part is welcome in my neck of the woods (not that we ever have much of that going on).
Our Hoosierland weather will have us with increasing clouds (sorry, no sunrise) with some rain showers throughout the day (perhaps heavy at times)  into tonight and early tomorrow, so you won't have to water the lawn or plants.
Highs will again be in he low-80s.
Talk about a great work-saving device aka Mother Nature.
So. let's jump right into this as we all get our morning drinks poured and parked nearby...we're gonna need them.
Now, shall we take a look at what been on my mind of late?..
*** First out of the ghettohood is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
September 18 -
---Today is NATIONAL CHEESEBURGER DAY

(the "double" day was earlier this week if you recall)
---It's also NATIONAL HIV/AIDS AND AGING AWARENESS DAY

(Is the AGING thing separate - people MY age want to know?)
---And, it's NATIONAL TRADESMAN DAY – Third Friday in September

(and it's these people that keep stuff going here)
---It's also NATIONAL POW/MIA RECOGNITION DAY – Third Friday in September

(always remember those who did not come home, too)
*** And since it's weeksd end, let's take a look at what transpires over the next 72 hours:
September 19 -
---Saturday is NATIONAL BUTTERSCOTCH PUDDING DAY

I hear it goes good with "fish fingers".

(the rest are NOT "national" days...just plain observance ones)
---It's also Talk Like A Pirate Day

"Arrrghhhh" - (parrot sold separately)

---And it's Big Whopper Liar Day – Third Saturday in September
(is this ONLY a Washington D.C. observance?)
---It's Boys’ and Girls’ Club Day for Kids – Third Saturday in September
---And, it's also Puppy Mill Awareness Day – Third Saturday in September
---It's Responsible Dog Ownership Day – Third Saturday in September

"Hes a GOOOOODDDDD boy"

(we know Chris and Momma Fargo ARE responsible)
September 20 -
---Sunday is NATIONAL PUNCH DAY

(they just HAVE to be talking about the DRINK here)
---And, it's Wife Appreciation Day – Third Sunday in September

Uh, that's not my wife...

(all you BACHELORS catch a break with THIS one...HA!)
And there you have it...lots of things to take note of.
--- Oh, and in Fort Wayne, we're also celebrating our annual JOHNNY APPLESEED FESTIVAL

Well that works out well enough.

(check local listings for location, time and channel...lol)
*** Next up, BBC America continues with it's "Doctor Who Takeover" all day today and into tomorrow when the new season begins at 9PM.

And you'll miss all the episodes, too.

And on Sunday, they are even showing some of the Tom Baker episodes, which look as good now as they did back in the mid-1970s.
More Baker episodes will air next week.
I started watching the Doctor when our local PBS station aired it weeknights (it was in a more episodic form then).
They didn't show the ENTIRE story at one time as they do these days.
Still  it was a fun-filled escapist jaunt.
And it still IS.
I'm proud to be an America...AND a "Whovian", because as the 4th doctor one said

I rest my case...lol
Moving on...
*** You know, it's just so much "fun" to live down in the part of Fort Wayne that is all but ignored by City Hall.

Yep...!

Personally, I could do with a LOT LESS of that fun, because I am speaking as sarcastically as possible here.
And this will lead us to a very good story that was on the news yesterday (and the papers today).
We'll get to that in a minute...
Now, one of the hallmarks of this blog is to demonstrate and chronicle AS MUCH of the "goings-on" down here as possible, in order to have all of you understand what living in the ghettohood is like. You've heard me mention that it's not for the faint of heart, nor the timid.
Over the years, you've been privy what I have seen (and heard) regarding what is passing for "neighbors" around here, the lack of businesses, the CRIME (always never at a loss for that) and all the aberrations that a regular neighborhood would never see nor even believe.

Way too many of THESE.

Hell, there's some stuff I wouldn't even believe unless I SAW IT and managed to take some pictures of it.
Now, all this is nothing new...it's been coming for some time, and I had said to the former captain of our quadrant that it was like "a rising tide" (referring to the crime) and it was moving SOUTH from areas directly to the north.
She did what she could, based on information I could provide, but these days, it's a whole new ballgame...AND I WAS RIGHT.
Decent citizens have no REAL liaison with the FWPD, and what is supposed to be our Neighborhood Association is practically non-existent.
Add in no access to police scanners and we're totally blind.
The police themselves are no longer doing active patrols as they would in the past. Instead, they go from call to call to call - totally a REACTIVE department down here, and that produces NO progress (imho).

What houses that WERE once owned by responsible people have been turned over to the Section 8'ers and various rental flotsam...and not regular renters (like Wifey and I were when we had the apartment SW).
People roam about ALL day - people who are perfectly ABLE to hold down a job, but why bother with that when the FEDS will "pay their way" and at a higher "wage" than earning it through something called a JOB, right?
The litter never ceases to magically appear all over the place, and the loud music is practically non-stop from around 11AM to after midnight...DAILY!
Like I say...living down here has it's own "unique" series of challenges and problems.
Now...I said all THAT, to say THIS:
---There was a press conference held by mayoral candidate Mitch Harper, and he spelled out his plan for public safety in the city, which to me, looks to be a REAL plan, and not just some lip-service to the unwashed masses. Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/Harper-calls-for-more-city-officers-8848655
Now Mitch as a plan - a MUCH netter plan than the current STATUS QUO (not to be confused with the rock group of the same name).
And, I have to applaud Harper's desire to make Fort Wayne a SAFE city, especially after the several WANE stories by Adam Widener (who has since moved on) were aired.
But there are those that believe we ALREADY are a safe city (compared to what...DETROIT or CHICAGO?)
Our reigning king,  (mayor Tom) Henry states that Harper's facts are flawed, and that Fort Wayne has seen a drop in crime over the last couple years.
Hell, I've stated here that the FWPD has told us that crime has dropped approximately 13% PER YEAR over the last decade...which (mathematically) would mean that we have ZERO CRIME...but such is NOT the case.
VIOLENT crime is increasing, unless you consider some TEENS gunning down a person in broad daylight on the SE side NON-violent (one of the teens is still at-large per yesterday post).
Not to mention, so much of the small shit is being ignored, and that always escalates into the BIG shit, like shootings and homicides.
The number of rapes and assaults is ALSO on the INCREASE, so I don't know WHERE Henry is getting HIS information, because he's NOT reading the damn POLICE BLOTTER to see the calls.
And that's another thing - if crime IS going DOWN (as he states) wouldn't the NUMBER OF CALLS placed into dispatch go down proportionally???
Such is not the case...calls are also on the INCREASE.
Harper's plan is to put MORE officers ON THE STREETS (and out from behind some desks), reinstate the "reserve officer" program, and do away with the office of "Public Safety Director". He also wants to replace the FWPD chief (Garry Hamilton) probably with someone in the department who has something called EXPERIENCE, rather than for diversity's sake...another good move.
Will this stop crime on the SE side?
Probably not, but it WILL impact it significantly, and get things on the right course to have crime LOWERED.
If anything, the black community should want to run with Harper's plans, but they won't because he's not a democrat, and we know dems LOVE to kiss black ass (and keep the blacks under THEIR control).
I think this will be one spirited mayoral race, and if this city wants to move forward and not just "blow the wad" to have a nice downtown and riverfront (only), to the exclusion of entire quadrants of the city that are going to hell in several hand-baskets, then the choice should be obvious.
*** Last back to the barrio...there has to come a time when you have to take responsibility...for something.

Every person has to face this in their life, and that's okay. It's what we're supposed to do.
If our moral compass is pointed in the right direction, and if we are striving to embrace ethical behavior, this becomes a non-issue.

We are not afraid of, or shun being responsible family members and citizens.
But, if we were brought up to NEVER know or understand what taking responsibility for something is, then we're asking for trouble. And it will find us sooner or later.
People cannot go through life "passing the buck", because it DOES catch up to them, and such ignorance DOES have it's share of consequences.

You see, all of this is interrelated - responsibility, consequences, ethics, morality...ALL of it.
You simply cannot escape any of them, although many will try to do so, with the predictable results.
Life can be like that on most days...predictably unpredictable.
And that's okay as well, right?
Have yourselves a good weekend.

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