Humpday Happenings...

End of the month and the middle of the week...crazy how that turns out, isn't it?
And, we're ending November on an "interesting" note here in the Summit City.
That mild weather we had yesterday wasn't bad either.
Our Hoosierland weather for today has us with partly sunny skies, some brisk winds out there, and a high of around 52 degrees. Got some more seasonal temps coming through tomorrow
While we get ourselves situated for the day, let's pour that morning drink as we see what's been going on elsewhere...
*** First out of the toaster is our WHO SAID THAT? quote of the week:
"To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society". 

This quote will play nicely into some of today's post, AND, will serve as a warning of sorts to which direction we might be headed as a society. Sounds good, right? 

So, WHO said that? 

The answer at the top of tomorrow's post. 

 Meanwhile, back at the Elk Horn Ranch... 

*** Next up, is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
NOVEMBER 30 -
---Today is National Package Protection Day

(who protects the packages from the USPS losing them, I wonder?)
---It's National Mousse Day

(gotta be the dessert and not the hair product)
---It's National Meth Awareness Day

(Oh, we're ALL aware of this insidious substance)
---It's Computer Security Day

(best way to secure your computer is to NOT use it)
---It's Stay Home Because You're Well Day

(and maybe the boss WON'T fire you)
---And, it's Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting Day

(yeah, it's an NYC sorta thing)
*** Next up, what say we get some of the STUPID out of the way, hmm?

I will say that we now have OFFICIALLY broke the previous homicide record in this city...
Here is the story about our latest shooting victim:
http://wane.com/2016/11/30/man-found-shot-at-gas-station-dies/

This took place around 0145 hrs at the Marathon station located at the intersection of Lafayette and Clinton (I like to call it a 5-points). Police were alerted to a 911 call about a man lying in the "road", and appeared to be shot. Police found the man near the front door of the convenient store there. The male was taken to hospital in critical condition and later died.
The man's vehicle was parked next to a gas pump and a bullet hole was found in a side window.
Investigators don't know if the shooting took place AT the gas station or someplace else (with the man driving himself to the station to get help).
Hopefully, the store video cameras will provide some answers here.
Should be an easy one for our coroner to figure out.
(( UPDATES: 1140 hrs - The Allen County Coroner identified the Holgate Drive victim as Romeo Kamale Cansler, 20 of Fort Wayne. Cause of death was a gunshot wound and is a homicide.
The homicide total for Allen County in 2016 stands at 45, tied with the all-time record.
The Allen County Coroner positively identified the Wayne Trace alley victim as that of Marcie Lynn Ward, 17, of Fort Wayne.
The coroner has yet to release the cause and manner of death. Those results are pending further investigation. ))
 Next stop...FIFTY homicides? We ARE trending in that direction, I hate to say.
*** In a related story, WANE had an interview with FWPD PIO Mike Joyner, and I was a little beside myself with the story.

I wish there was a link, but someone must have pulled the story.
He mentioned about the recession and how a spike in homicides was expected. He said we're NOW seeing the spike. I just gotta pop that balloon, because we had no recession back in 1997 (last spike). In 1998, the homicide rate dropped markedly.
Ditto for 2013, when we set a new record (45). In 2014, the number again dropped markedly, so THAT pattern still holds true. As for any "spike"? Sorry, Mike...it's more a gradual increase...been that way for the last 20 years, from what I've kept track of, anyway.
*** Next, Rod Hissong (WANE) provided some numbers about the homicides we've had (so far) in Fort Wayne this year.

Here's that story link:
http://wane.com/2016/06/22/by-the-numbers-2016-homicides/
Pretty revealing and comprehensive statistics, too.
Someone needs to do a year-by-year homicide stat/graph using the same criteria...bet you'd find out WHICH RACE is causing the most harm, and what is not being done about it.
*** Next, and to shift ourselves back to the realm of normalcy, there was a very good opinion piece in today's J-G about the whole issue of doing away with permits for carrying handguns in Indiana.

Here's the link to the page:
http://www.journalgazette.net/opinion/editorials/Handgun-permits-best-kept-intact-16571630
Now, remember that this is a left-leaning paper, and that the reason to KEEP the permit laws in place are being touted.
Still, state rep Jim Lucas makes a good (if not better) case for doing away with such permits for law-abiding citizens. My take is the bad guys don't bother to GET permits and it certainly doesn't stop them from doing harm to others...let's make the playing field level on BOTH sides.
The law-abiding among us should not be penalized for being who they are...simple as that.
FWPD chief Steve Reed also makes a good case, so who is right here? Well, both sides are to some extent.

When any firearm is purchased, there is a background check, and any "red flags" that come up deny purchase...easy, huh?
But the bad guys never legally purchase firearms (that's why we have black market guns and thefts), so they're already under any radar of any government agency that can enact or enforce any law. You can always repeal a law if it proves counter to what you envision as far as public safety goes.

If we are going to err, let's do it on the side of caution and safety for the law-abiding citizens out there. And it might cause criminals to beg off of people they would normally target, because they won't know IF they're carrying or not.
*** Next up, I've been mulling over how best to decorate the "Fortress" for the Christmas season.

I'm really not wanting to do all that much, in lieu of the last couple months, but I'm also not totally a Scrooge or Grinch in that matter.
With the "kids" around now, the best recourse would be to do a MINIMALIST approach...the fewer things for them to mess about with, the better.

Better for us, and better for them. We will have the blue candles in all the windows, but everything else will be toned down quite a bit. When the cats are older (next year), we can get back into the swing of things and maybe they won't be as willing to mess with the decorations.
*** Last back to the coffee maker...we live in a world that demands security for it's people.

And, as we get closer to Christmas, and it's TRUE meaning, we should pause to reflect on HOW much security we want...or need. Remember how I spoke on "needs versus wants"?

This can come back to bite us all on the ass if we're not careful and stop to weigh the consequences of our actions before we even take action.
Newtonian physics has a lot to say about such things (for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction),
Can't get around that easily, can we?
If, for example, we demand security above all else, we well might find ourselves with a lot LESS liberty and freedom.
Are we sure we want to go down THAT path?

Conversely, we can't have total freedom to do anything we want...that's where a level of security (laws) comes in. Think of it as a balancing act...over the Grand Canyon - something that the Flying Wallendas would cozy up to.
And, if we start leaning to either side, we could take a dangerous fall, as far as our society goes.
When we bypass our needs to chase after our wants, that will rarely if ever turn out well in the long run.

Such results are all around us, if you take the time to see them.
Our needs are few, actually, but they have to be in place and accessible to us, if we are to move forward as a species. To have our desires supplant our needs will cost us all dearly, especially when it comes to liberty and freedom. Such a choice should be relatively simple.

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