Monday Musings...

Welcome back to another "fun" filled week here in the Heartland of America.
Now, what's fun for some may not be fun for others, so bear that in mind.
I will say that today's post contains critters, a couple well-expressed opinions, a crash, an armored car, gunshots, a day trip, some joviality, and a particular painting (not in that particular order, mind you). So, if that doesn't get your curiosity aroused, better check your pulse.
Our Hoosierland weather for today will have us enjoying a rather fair day (clouds move in tonight for some rain),  and an expected high of close to 80 degrees (might have to crank on the A/C for this one). Winds will become gusty as the day progresses. Enjoy what you can while you can.
What say we all get that morning drink poured as we see what's been going on since last we met, hmm?
*** First off of the recently-mowed lawn is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
April 25 -
---Today is NATIONAL DNA DAY

(no doubt we ALL have some, too)
---It's also NATIONAL EAST MEETS WEST DAY

(geographically, that could be a might difficult)
---It's NATIONAL HUG A PLUMBER DAY

(yeah, I think I'll pass on this one - butt-cracks bother me)
---And, it's NATIONAL TELEPHONE DAY

(I expect this EXCLUDES anything that is "cell" related?)
---And, it's  NATIONAL ZUCCHINI BREAD DAY

(I can say I've never had this, but I'm willing to try it)
*** Next up, crime continues to flourish on the city's SE side (where else might one expect it to?) with this story:
http://wane.com/2016/04/24/police-respond-to-party-armed-block-off-surrounding-area/
This took place yesterday around 1140 hrs at a house located in the 3700 block of S. Warsaw St. (not that far from our "Fortress").

"...Okay, I'll say it - 'IT'S MILLER TIME'..."

Police responded to a domestic call that included a person with a weapon. After police arrived, all residents but one exited the house.
The Emergency Services Team and Crisis Response were called out and the man inside was eventually talked out around 1510 hrs.
---In a related story, an FWPD officer was seriously injured in her cruiser while responding to this call.

Here's that story:
http://wane.com/2016/04/24/emergency-crews-responded-to-person-pinned-after-crash/
The officer was running with lights flashing when she was struck by a red pickup as she was trying to make a turn onto W. Jefferson Blvd from Liberty Mills.

She had to be extricated from her cruiser and was taken to hospital in serious condition.
*** Next, a letter to the editor caught my eye today for TWO reasons.

1) It made a LOT of sense (don't find such things that often in lame-stream media)
2) It was penned by a blogger I know - Bill Larsen (hasn't posted since 2012)
(I've got his blog at left...down in the MIA group)
Here's the link. It's the second letter down the page:
http://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/letters/Letters-to-the-editor-12582263

"...and then, you MULTIPLY..."

Yes, the city government IS A VIRUS...if you take that to mean the definition provided by "Agent Smith" (Hugo Weaving) in the first movie of THE MATRIX trilogy.
That's a spot-on analogy (imho).
*** Next up, and wonderfully related was an op-ed column in Sunday's J-G entitled:
Growth or Greed - The Northeast Debate

It's like drugs - JUST SAY NO.

Here's the link to this:
http://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/sunday-centerpiece/Growth-or-greed--The-northeast-debate-12660072

Could be a HUGE "oops" moment.

There are some very cogent points to consider in all of this, and easy enough to be found in this story.
Whenever something like this raises it's ugly head, we always talk about those "unintended consequences". Usually AFTER the fact, too.
In THIS particular situation, there are INTENDED consequences, make no mistake about that.
It's a pretty good read, and worth your time, if you also think that annexation is another form of "eminent domain".
*** Next, something I've been a supporter of for a long while is getting it's due...just not HERE in Fort Wayne. Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/us/A-keener-sense-of-gunfire-s-big-scope-12722281

Now, this takes place NOWHERE in Indiana...but rather in CANTON, OHIO, where apparently, they have this problem with gunshots (we call them signal 113s here in Ft. Wayne).
And, they (in Canton) are doing SOMETHING about it, like installing what is called a SHOTSPOTTER.

It's a device that can determine the location / direction of where the gunfire originated, to better assist police in getting to the scene sooner.
It's not unlike that BOOMERANG I mentioned here (check my archive post from 23 June 2011). Yeah, it was that long ago.
The Boomerang is a countermeasure device and it's proven well enough in combat scenarios.
The ShotSpotter is the name of what looks like a civilian application for the original Boomerang.
Here's the website:
http://www.shotspotter.com/
There are some interesting STATS in the article, and goes to show that the Broken Window Theory still means something, because, like the old saying goes "If there's smoke, there's fire", or in THIS case "If there's gunshots, there MIGHT be a homicide or serious injury".
(Note to FWPD: GET SOME OF THESE DOWN HERE ASAP!)
*** Next up, Saturday was one of those marvelous events, and Chris Martin did an exemplary job of posting the specifics of our trek to Foster Park (I've never been there). He's got a good eye for getting nice photos.

Foster Park is NOT a bad place at all. I was pleasantly surprised. They've got LOADS of posies, it's well landscaped, got a nice river flowing through it, some ducks and geese to watch, a pavilion for activities, and farther down, a proper playground for the kids (I so wanted to get on the swings...lol). The down side is they DO have a golf (hit it and go git it) course next to it...lol.

I think THEY were watching US even more.

They even have a very nice gazebo, and a working water fountain (the working ones are always better) and the water was COLD. That's refreshing.
There's even a replica of a "Lincoln Cabin" (locked to the public of course), but I don't believe that a MASTER LOCK was used in Lincoln's day.
Plenty of table and benches to rest one's bones, too.

...and watch some geese with their goslings.

Add to that a nice walking path and a bicycle path, and you can see that this is something our city needs to be proud of.
But, there was a preamble to all of this.

I love this little guy.

Chris and Laurie stopped down earlier and enjoyed a midday repast of pizza and chocolate cake - we DO feed everyone well down here.
My mother used to say "If you leave our table hungry, it's your OWN fault".
We also exchanged some gifts (we're weird and like to do that sorta stuff).
I was given a beautiful PAINTING of a squirrel, brushed by one Trish Ward, who (I'm told) did this after visiting NYC's Central Park (never been there either, although I've been to NYC enough times in the past).
And, I said to Chris that I had a "specific" location for it...and yesterday, I kept my word and placed it on our wall.
This is right over my chair in the living room.

The "Wall of Fame" for critters, sorta kinda.

My thanks to Chris, and especially to Trish, who has a wonderful eye for both color and content.
(I was a high school art major - I know this stuff). I wish her ALL the best in her future endeavors.
T'was one of our better Saturdays, for sure.
*** Last back to the  tool shed...we again see the plain evidence that our world is made up of people with completely different (and sometimes opposing) views on life.

And while diversity CAN be a good thing (in moderation, as Franklin told us), having more people like Trish Ward and Chris & Laurie are FAR more desirable than those who cause domestic disputes, or seek to advance an agenda of grabbing some land.
We don't have to be of different ethnicities or religions to be DIVERSE...we just have to have different PERSPECTIVES to all that life has to offer (and not what we can simply take FROM life). And I think this is one place where being overly liberal comes up short (again).
They only seem to push the VISIBLE aspect to diversity, but it has always gone much deeper than that with our species.
What makes an artist want to capture (and preserve) moments in life should be no different that a musician seeking to create that "magnum opus", or a scholar who seeks that doctorate, or the researcher looking for that elusive cure for disease.
These are all diversities in action, and yet, for many, the "same old" works for them, and the easier they can pursue that, the better (for them).
"Why settle for mediocrity, when you can aspire for more?" would seem to be the question for this millennium. I would counter with another question:

"Why are some of you not even TRYING?"
I believe that when that question is answered and not dodged, we will have a better understanding of who we can all become, instead of who we're not supposed to be. I think we're capable of doing such things, and with less angst than we realize.

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