Rocky

Sam I AM! And I do NOT like GREEN EGGS and HAM! (so there!)

FIRST... I'm SURE there are plenty of NUTS that will advocate arming the entire neighborhood. I do NOT believe that will make you SAFER. You kill one of those kids and unless there are numerous witnesses who can truthfully attest to it being in self-defense or in addressing someone UNlawfully using lethal force, YOU RISK A LIFE IN PRISON. As to the underlying issue of community safety, THAT is a LOCAL issue. Which elected official(s) is/are responsible for your community safety? Probably the city council and the county board of supervisors (or whatever it's called in your state). You MUST effectively: ORGANIZE your neighbors FIRST. ESTABLISH communications/relationships with editors and reporters working for your local newspaper(s). Start with the ones who reach the largest portion of your community. THEN you have leverage to influence the city council and the executive management of the city government and police department. Some of these things can be done simultaneously, but I listed them in order of importance, and must emphasize that NONE of those first three keys can be left out. IF you have the ear of even a handful of your neighbors, and if they are stirred up as much as you, then it will grow. With journalists, you can both give them news items (such as events that illustrate the problems you are concerned with, who and why you have met to begin organizing your neighbors, what you believe needs to be done) AND ask them for their insights on contacts for organizing and advocacy (to the elected and hired city officials). You'd be surprised what these people know beyond what they've even been able to publish in their collective body of news articles published. All they do is RESEARCH things and write about them. And they learn more than they get to include in their published articles. AND do not cease to LEARN, LEARN, LEARN. Learn from books/websites. Learn from experienced advocates. Learn from your mistakes (which WILL happen some, but if you don't let your mistakes stop you, you WILL learn and become more effective advocates). A couple more keys to leverage with elected officials -- they ALL want to be re-elected/want supporters. So they WANT to demonstrate that they are tough on crime, for example. They want to be able to demonstrate that neighborhood activists support them. They only get that support by helping YOU. So, the first approach is to show THEM how your group can get them that support. It's called quid pro quo... or you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. Forget what Wierwille said about that concept. It is a fundamental principle in activism and in working with elected officials. THEN if the cooperative approach doesn't work (and you have to give it some time... do NOT issue threats, especially at the start of a relationship with a councilman), a committed group of naysayers can put the "fear of god" in a politician real quick. Anyway, you'll need to know and do more than I can provide you in this forum. Your best bet is to connect with other thoughtful, committed, smart people and tap their insights and resources too.

Okay, I'll bite. Here's my two cents worth... (it's actually worth substantially more, but what matters is what YOU do with it) Overworked and understaffed is a "PAT answer." It is BOTH true AND not true. All government functions/agencies have to fight for funding. What that means to you is: They are trying to get away with NOT responding to your group's demand for stepped up patrols. They are HOPING you buy their line (of crap), because for them, it is the path of least resistance IF you accept it. Frankly, they ARE (most likely) both overworked AND underfunded/understaffed. BUT it's up to whoever speaks for your group (the vocal leader) to effectively put the burden BACK on the police chief/department. That's done by making it clear that your group refuses to accept that they have too few resources to do their job. On the contrary, you tell them, IF they CANNOT do their job, then they get two choices: your group presses for changing in agency leadership/oversight (possible actions range from replacing a police chief to recalling the city council); OR they (the agency management) gets the city council to provide the resources. While my insight might seem overly simplistic, I'm only summarizing it for you. The fact is there is a plethora of publications available to give you specific guidance on HOW to effectively organize neighborhood groups for political action. And what you have described is a need for organized political action on the neighborhood level. Perhaps one good place to start would be your local library. Find a book entitled "Rules for Radicals" by Saul Alinsky. Read it. Do it. It WILL work. Time would fail me to expound on how I know.

Me too.

I'm pretty sure Dr Strangelove was intentionally (jokingly) making that particular juxtaposed suggestion. That's why I mentioned his "buddy Dirk N." (who happens to play basketball... for the Dallas Mavericks).

From Daily Catholic (dot) Org http://www.dailycatholic.org/issue/04Feb/feb29qds.htm The ashes are also a sign of our mortality. As the priest traces the ashes on our forehead in the sign of a cross, he says, Memento, homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris - that is, Remember, man, that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return (Gen. 3:19). Those were the terrible words spoken to Adam after his fall, and through him, to us. It is because of Adam's sin that we have need of an Ash Wednesday, which necessarily takes us to Good Friday's Passion, and ultimately leads us to Resurrection Sunday.

That's similar to my reaction to something ChattyKathy posted not too long ago on another thread! (though NOT for the same reasons)

How do you define NORMAL? :P ---------- What does this mean? ;)

Bbbbutttt MarkO! :blink: there are sooooooo many juicy stories in the news today!! Like.... we found out that the University of Minn is planning to award Al Gore an honorary doctorate for his work on climatology... and that the magazine Editor and Publisher disclosed the latest Gallup Poll claiming that more Americans would be willing to elect a woman (Hillary) or a Black (Barack) than a 72 year old (McCain), or a MORMON (MITT) or someone divorced twice and remarried to his third wife (Rudy G)... and that Drudge reports that: So much for "your" "slow bleed" notion... oh, yeah, that's a Bush administration idiot... er, idiom. (sorry).

Maybe... that is IF you are expecting your buddy Dirk N. to hit 72 home runs this season!

http://mlb.mlb.com/content/printer_friendl...16/c1804407.jsp Playing Rules Committee implements changes for 2007 season02/16/2007 4:22 PM ET MLB.com • Official rule changes • Summary of official scoring rule changes A substantial number of changes made to the Official Baseball Rules by the Playing Rules Committee will be in effect at the Major League level during the 2007 season, it was announced today. Under Major League Rule 25©, the Playing Rules Committee is charged with voting to amend the Official Baseball Rules. The Playing Rules Committee addressed a number of areas where existing Rules could be clarified, harmonized with other Rules or amended to be consistent with accepted practices at the professional level. The Rules amendments primarily address those areas and do not make any major changes in the way the game is played. This marks the first time that the Rules have been changed since 1996, when the Strike Zone was redefined. Among the changes is a modification to the Rule regarding regulation tie games. The Rules had provided that a game that is called with the score tied in the bottom of the fifth inning or later is a tie game, to be replayed in its entirety, though player statistics count. In accordance with a unanimous recommendation from the Major League General Managers at their 2005 meetings, the Rule has been changed so that a tied regulation game that is stopped now will be suspended and resumed before the next scheduled game between the same two clubs on the same grounds (or, before the next scheduled game at the visiting club's grounds, if no more games remain at the original club's home park); only if no scheduled games remain between the two clubs would the game be a called, tie game, in which case it would be replayed in its entirety only if necessary to affect a playoff spot. Many of the changes that the Playing Rules Committee made went into effect in Minor League Baseball play in 2006. After discussions with the Major League Baseball Players Association, several of the amendments passed after the 2005 season and additional ones passed after the 2006 season will be in effect for Major League play in 2007. The Major League Baseball Umpiring Department is explaining these changes to the field staff of the Major League Clubs in visits to each Club's Spring Training facility. The Playing Rules Committee also extensively revised Official Baseball Rule 10, which concerns official scorers and scoring rules, acting upon recommendations of an ad hoc advisory committee comprised of official scorers, Club personnel and Major League Baseball staff. Among the changes relating to official scoring are: • a new definition of "ordinary effort" to guide scorers in making determinations on hits, errors and other rulings; • the addition of many casebook comments to guide official scorers; • the codification of an appeal process of official scorer decisions; and • a reorganization of certain scoring rules. The Official Playing Rules Committee consists of the Chief Executive Officer of the San Diego Padres, Sandy Alderson, who serves as Chair of the Committee; Bob Beban, the President and General Manager of the Eugene Emeralds of the Northwest League; Hall of Famer Rod Carew, a 19-year Major League veteran; John McHale, Jr., MLB's Executive Vice President of Administration; Terry Ryan, the Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Minnesota Twins; John Schuerholz, the Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Atlanta Braves; Jimmie Lee Solomon, MLB's Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations; Bill Stoneman, the Vice President and General Manager of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim; and Umpire Larry Young, who has over 22 years of experience at the Major League level. "A number of issues about the playing rules, some more technical in nature than others, had accumulated among umpires, Clubs, players and Major League Baseball for some time," Alderson said. "The Playing Rules Committee hopes that these amendments will serve to clarify these issues and, by doing so, benefit all who play and umpire the game at all levels." Summaries of the Official Baseball Rules changes are appended, one explaining changes to Rules 1 through 9 and the other explaining changes to the Rules governing official scoring. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. ----------------- The two links above will take you to .pdf files with the official releases.

Do you mean that yer gonna ask niKa to dance (with you)? And the 5mp digital camera make pics easier to share here anyway!!

I figured... much easier to get there from the Florida Keys, eh? Take your camera?

Likewise, I have no compelling need to be removed from their roles... my dad's final (earthly) resting place is in a Catholic cemetery in New York (not NYC)... and while I'm automatically qualified to have space reserved in a Veterans' Cemetery, there may come a time when I'd want to decide to rest in that same cemetery as my dad, which is in the city I where i was born... I would imagine that if I renounced my membership in the Catholic Church, I'd probably make it so I could not be buried in the same place as my dad...

indeed! :)

Heh heh heh... trying to make us jealous Dr. StrangeLove? Not working on me! I get to dress like that nearly year round. Pitchers and catchers report. Many teams that's today! Spring training games start in two weeks...

Is that some sort of Double Entendre?

Good to see you Jonny! :D Love that drama, eh! We'll be here when ya wanna visit.

Kathy DOESN'T like being on top? That's a shocker for someone who has so much to say! :P

Well, he HAS gotten plenty of positive feedback from posting them on several occassions... it would be (is, IMO) a reasonable inference. I enjoy the playful banter too :P

Of course, if one couldn't take it, one shouldn't give it. :) Well, I do NOT drive a Hummer, Corvette or any other car that generally is understood to be a compensation for such issues. :P ;)

Hard jabs? I don't think so. Besides, Jonny knows his "romantic" story telling is one of his strong points. And he could take it and give it with the best of them in the politics forum.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/diamondbac...cnames0212.html Working hard for the dream Look beyond the stars for great stories when spring training gets under way Joseph A. Reaves The Arizona Republic Feb. 12, 2007 12:00 AM Pitchers and catchers report. Four of the more beautiful words in the English language. This Thursday, nine of Major League Baseball's 30 teams open spring training with pitchers and catchers reporting for duty. (continued) -------------------------- Last night I also heard Keith Olbermann say essentially the same thing.

Oh come on! No one has been "mean" to or about Jonny Lingo on this thread. Gimme a break. He's a big boy. He can take some teasing or a gentle jab in the ribs from time to time...

Of course it does!!! Especially since you put some heat on it!