UPS delivered paperback proofs of "In Another Life" yesterday, just before the most current "Storm of the Century" hit. I set my delivery aside and tuned the TV to the local channel to catch a glimpse of the end of the world and suddenly remembered why I never went into television.
Chicken Little has nothing on these characters. Ominous radar screens showed a cold front marching over the state, overtaking every little town and borough like an invading army. The artillery, in the form of rain, with thunder and lightning led the assault.
And then there was wind. Both inside the studio, from the manic cast of characters joyfully prepared to announce the pain and suffering of others and a boost in their ratings and outside, blowing the dust from the preceding drought-like conditions into dust devils, further darkening the skies.
In the end, a few trees lost their lives in the battle, taking power lines and a couple of vehicles with them in their fall to the ground. As a result several thousand people spent the night in the dark. A chimney was lost to a lightning strike and a few people took detours due to the branches blocking roads.
The sky fell. And we survived.
I picked up one of the proof books and scanned through, looking for problems, while the weather-casters picked at the carcass of their latest storms, having killed three hours of airtime, sufficiently terrorizing the locals and justifying their existence for another budget cycle. Luckily, the storm cooperated and exited the area just before the local stations had to go to national for the almighty nightly news feed.
Turning the TV off, I gave the book one last review as Margie trudged through the door, another hapless victim of the rain.
"I had to slow down to forty miles an hour! It was terrible!" she complained, dripping "Storm of the Century" all over the foyer.I commiserated with her about the tragedy of driving below the speed limit, happy to have her home and safe.
A half hour later, Margie, Miranda and Sunshine, along with Grandma, were sated from a meal fit for weary weather-watchers. A light mist fell over the yard as we enjoyed the front porch and its gliders. A cool breeze filtered past us and the sounds of a summer night filled the spaces between the raindrops. Talk turned to the proofs, books and sequels, while Damnit danced from person to person, looking for the perfect belly rub.
Sweet fleeting summer. We never noticed the memories being made.
The latest "Storm of the Century" was a bust. Armageddon has been put off for another day and Margie is off posting links to the paperback version of the book. What more could an author ask? Come to think of it, there is one more detail that rounds out the experience. Miranda and I made cookies earlier and I'm downing the evidence with a cup of coffee as I write.
All in all, a perfect night.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Revisiting the Past, Again and Again.
I've been on the job long enough now that the inevitable happened. I've walked into two domestics at two separate locations this week and found myself momentarily confused. I had the right addresses but the wrong people were there.
I felt the confusion because the rooms were the same, the arguments were the same but new people had moved into the apartments. I've been dealing with the original tenants for too long. I knew their issues and I had an idea of how the calls would go. I'm not a fan of complacency and I know to keep my guard up but seeing new faces with the same familiar arguments in the same surroundings was disconcerting.
I follow current events like a hawk. Incidents like the Aurora, CO shooting frustrate me because, to a large extent, these scenes have played out before and the responses are eerily the same. Cries for gun control and stricter sentencing for those who use guns in crimes. Absent in the media frenzy is the call for more and better mental health care, more funding for that care and training across the board to identify people who are in need of mental health care.
Then there's the refusal to accept that people need to be able to defend themselves when the wolf opens the door.
We all know people in our towns who are just "not right." You might have even told a friend, "if someone's going to go crazy, it'll be him." But when that person acts out, the police have very limited options for dealing with him. Employers and schools often identify the problem employee or student and simply get rid of him. That may be seem to be the right solution for the employer or the school but now the former employee or student becomes society's problem and we don't even know what that problem is, until that problem develops into a crisis.
When the individual acts out, we put him into the system and unless the incident is unusual, a couple of months later, the judge may order some type of counseling as a condition of release. There should be more options when we identify a person with a problem, solutions that help the individual and protect society at the same time.
I don't have a solution to the problem but I see people with mental health issues every day. My fellow officers and I are frustrated because we know we're not able to do enough. If a person isn't an immediate threat to themselves or others, we have little recourse for helping the mentally ill.
These days, instead of dealing with the problem, governmental cutbacks are reducing the services available to the mentally ill. If, as the founding fathers originally planned, government's first role is to protect its people, we are failing miserably.
Another issue that is being ignored is the insanity of signs, such as the one outside the theater in Aurora, CO, that say, "No Weapons Allowed." First, if the signs were effective, instead of providing a false sense of security, there would be no need for police- just post a sign that says, "No weapons, assaults, robberies, murders, rapes, harassment, bullying, domestic abuse, animal abuse, spitting, swearing or public drunkenness." Obviously, the sign is just that- a feel-safe fluffy, mere words to all but the most gullible.
I use the word insanity because a spree killer looking to have a huge body count or just a wolf looking for victims need only look for a "No Weapons" sign to assure himself he will be the only armed person in the room. Except for the chance a LEO was in the audience and carrying, when that murderer opened the theater door in Aurora, he was assured he was the only one with guns. That sign, displayed to project the safety of the theater, was the opposite, an invitation for the wolf. Insanity.
As I dealt with my domestic, I talked to the male party, a young alcoholic who was on probation for a minor crime and I thought of the number of domestics I'd been to in the same apartment with the last tenants.
The male in the previous couple was also a parolee and an alcoholic, another example of rage in a bottle. I know I'll be back to this address repeatedly, dealing with this couple, as I had with the last, until either the couple moves or something bad happens. I will be back. Again and again.
Because only the players have changed.My only defense against the insanity is I don't expect a different outcome.
Albert Einstein said the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.Signs in the windows of businesses disarm patrons and guarantee the wolf a safe work environment. Like the problems caused by the alcoholic in my domestic, the problems caused by insanity of a disarmed crowd guarantees an incident such as Aurora, CO will happen again.And again.
My defense against the insanity is I don't expect a different outcome.
Einstein was right. Expecting a different result without changing what we do is insanity. Or, have we accepted the inevitability of the outcome?
Without doing more to deal with mental illness, by behaving as sheep and pretending the wolf does not stalk us, by refusing to recognize evil exists and taking steps to protect ourselves, we guarantee only one thing.
History will repeat itself. Another town, another place, another time, unless we make changes, to this point, we will be back. Again and again.
I felt the confusion because the rooms were the same, the arguments were the same but new people had moved into the apartments. I've been dealing with the original tenants for too long. I knew their issues and I had an idea of how the calls would go. I'm not a fan of complacency and I know to keep my guard up but seeing new faces with the same familiar arguments in the same surroundings was disconcerting.
I follow current events like a hawk. Incidents like the Aurora, CO shooting frustrate me because, to a large extent, these scenes have played out before and the responses are eerily the same. Cries for gun control and stricter sentencing for those who use guns in crimes. Absent in the media frenzy is the call for more and better mental health care, more funding for that care and training across the board to identify people who are in need of mental health care.
Then there's the refusal to accept that people need to be able to defend themselves when the wolf opens the door.
We all know people in our towns who are just "not right." You might have even told a friend, "if someone's going to go crazy, it'll be him." But when that person acts out, the police have very limited options for dealing with him. Employers and schools often identify the problem employee or student and simply get rid of him. That may be seem to be the right solution for the employer or the school but now the former employee or student becomes society's problem and we don't even know what that problem is, until that problem develops into a crisis.
When the individual acts out, we put him into the system and unless the incident is unusual, a couple of months later, the judge may order some type of counseling as a condition of release. There should be more options when we identify a person with a problem, solutions that help the individual and protect society at the same time.
I don't have a solution to the problem but I see people with mental health issues every day. My fellow officers and I are frustrated because we know we're not able to do enough. If a person isn't an immediate threat to themselves or others, we have little recourse for helping the mentally ill.
These days, instead of dealing with the problem, governmental cutbacks are reducing the services available to the mentally ill. If, as the founding fathers originally planned, government's first role is to protect its people, we are failing miserably.
Another issue that is being ignored is the insanity of signs, such as the one outside the theater in Aurora, CO, that say, "No Weapons Allowed." First, if the signs were effective, instead of providing a false sense of security, there would be no need for police- just post a sign that says, "No weapons, assaults, robberies, murders, rapes, harassment, bullying, domestic abuse, animal abuse, spitting, swearing or public drunkenness." Obviously, the sign is just that- a feel-safe fluffy, mere words to all but the most gullible.
I use the word insanity because a spree killer looking to have a huge body count or just a wolf looking for victims need only look for a "No Weapons" sign to assure himself he will be the only armed person in the room. Except for the chance a LEO was in the audience and carrying, when that murderer opened the theater door in Aurora, he was assured he was the only one with guns. That sign, displayed to project the safety of the theater, was the opposite, an invitation for the wolf. Insanity.
As I dealt with my domestic, I talked to the male party, a young alcoholic who was on probation for a minor crime and I thought of the number of domestics I'd been to in the same apartment with the last tenants.
The male in the previous couple was also a parolee and an alcoholic, another example of rage in a bottle. I know I'll be back to this address repeatedly, dealing with this couple, as I had with the last, until either the couple moves or something bad happens. I will be back. Again and again.
Because only the players have changed.My only defense against the insanity is I don't expect a different outcome.
Albert Einstein said the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.Signs in the windows of businesses disarm patrons and guarantee the wolf a safe work environment. Like the problems caused by the alcoholic in my domestic, the problems caused by insanity of a disarmed crowd guarantees an incident such as Aurora, CO will happen again.And again.
My defense against the insanity is I don't expect a different outcome.
Einstein was right. Expecting a different result without changing what we do is insanity. Or, have we accepted the inevitability of the outcome?
Without doing more to deal with mental illness, by behaving as sheep and pretending the wolf does not stalk us, by refusing to recognize evil exists and taking steps to protect ourselves, we guarantee only one thing.
History will repeat itself. Another town, another place, another time, unless we make changes, to this point, we will be back. Again and again.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
As I posted my condolences to the family and friends of those murdered and wishes for quick recovery for those injured in the spree killing in Aurora, CO, today, I found myself thinking about what happened in that movie theater. The door reportedly flew open and the gunman stepped through, shooting.
As a police officer, when I enter a building, I am probably much more concerned about the details, such as the location of exits and where I am in relation to them, than most people. I worry about things happening. Bad things. It comes with the job. I also have a weapon with me at all times, because I see things that most people don't in my line of work. As a result, I take precautions that most people don't.
Cops don't generally sit with their backs to a door. They generally don't sit in places with limited egress and cops generally scan the area around them for threats. If you see two cops talking, they will be facing each other, each looking over the other's shoulder, protecting their brother or sister's sixes. It's who we are.
As the news broke of the killings, the inevitable cry of "Gun Control" was heard throughout the land, even as the dead still were being removed from the theatre. I was reminded of a woman, Jeanne Assam, who was faced with a similar situation on December 9, 2007. Assam, a former police officer, killed a gunman intent on killing people at the New Life Church. The gunman had killed two people the day before and killed two more before Assam stopped him.
Assam stopped a gunman in a church. If you thought it couldn't happen to you where you live, that should make you reconsider your safety.
The individual who committed the crime in Aurora, CO, allegedly boobytrapped his apartment. If he didn't go in shooting, he could have done any number of other equally deadly actions that may have had even deadlier consequences. The shooter was intent on a body count. He happened to use a gun in this instance. The boobytrapping of his home was a move to kill and injure the responders tasked with checking the shooter's home. It's a way of increasing the body count and no gun would have been used there.
I mention Assam, gun control and the Aurora incident together for this reason: Assam stopped a spree murderer by herself. One trained person in any situation can stop the action. Without a weapon against an armed gunman, stopping an active shooter is a suicide assignment.
School buses in Israel have armed guards because Israelis understand bad things happen. I'm not suggesting we need armed guards in all public places. I'm suggesting a different attitude towards guns. That guy or girl you call a "nut case" because they carry concealed everywhere may just save your life.
People need to be prepared. I don't expect the average person to note where the exits are, scan the crowds for danger or sit facing the door. But those who can should be ready. Not everyone but those who have the courage and ability to handle a weapon in an emergency need to be able to have that weapon available to them.
Taking that weapon away allows people like this murderer to operate without the fear of being interrupted.
As a sheepdog who has run into danger, I, as well as undoubtedly many of my fellow sheepdogs, found myself wishing I could have been in that theater, wishing I had the chance to protect the sheep. But there are far too few police officers to be everywhere a gunman could be. That's why I support trained individuals who conceal-carry. People like Assam. Trained civilians who can act when the sheep are threatened.
The Second Amendment protects our right to carry a weapon. Knowing that an incident like this will happen again will make people consider taking their personal safety into their own hands, taking advantage of that right. Gun control would remove that right, remove that advantage and put their safety into the hands of the criminals.
When that door slams open and a gunman aims at you, will your answer be to say baaaah and die at his hands or will you try to stop him before he kills you and your family? The answer to that question is where you stand on gun control. The actions you take to arm yourself and defend yourself will help determine whether you survive an incident like Aurora, CO.
This person had one thought, one goal- to kill people, as many people as possible. Until we understand that kind of mentality exists- that monsters exist, we will continue to deny the only way to be safe is to be prepared. This type of personality would use whatever method he had available to him to achieve his goal of killing as many people as possible.
Just as banning fertilizer would not have stopped the massacre at the Murrah building, a gun ban would not have stopped this spree. There are wolves out there. We have to be ready to stop them before they stop us.
As a police officer, when I enter a building, I am probably much more concerned about the details, such as the location of exits and where I am in relation to them, than most people. I worry about things happening. Bad things. It comes with the job. I also have a weapon with me at all times, because I see things that most people don't in my line of work. As a result, I take precautions that most people don't.
Cops don't generally sit with their backs to a door. They generally don't sit in places with limited egress and cops generally scan the area around them for threats. If you see two cops talking, they will be facing each other, each looking over the other's shoulder, protecting their brother or sister's sixes. It's who we are.
As the news broke of the killings, the inevitable cry of "Gun Control" was heard throughout the land, even as the dead still were being removed from the theatre. I was reminded of a woman, Jeanne Assam, who was faced with a similar situation on December 9, 2007. Assam, a former police officer, killed a gunman intent on killing people at the New Life Church. The gunman had killed two people the day before and killed two more before Assam stopped him.
Assam stopped a gunman in a church. If you thought it couldn't happen to you where you live, that should make you reconsider your safety.
The individual who committed the crime in Aurora, CO, allegedly boobytrapped his apartment. If he didn't go in shooting, he could have done any number of other equally deadly actions that may have had even deadlier consequences. The shooter was intent on a body count. He happened to use a gun in this instance. The boobytrapping of his home was a move to kill and injure the responders tasked with checking the shooter's home. It's a way of increasing the body count and no gun would have been used there.
I mention Assam, gun control and the Aurora incident together for this reason: Assam stopped a spree murderer by herself. One trained person in any situation can stop the action. Without a weapon against an armed gunman, stopping an active shooter is a suicide assignment.
School buses in Israel have armed guards because Israelis understand bad things happen. I'm not suggesting we need armed guards in all public places. I'm suggesting a different attitude towards guns. That guy or girl you call a "nut case" because they carry concealed everywhere may just save your life.
People need to be prepared. I don't expect the average person to note where the exits are, scan the crowds for danger or sit facing the door. But those who can should be ready. Not everyone but those who have the courage and ability to handle a weapon in an emergency need to be able to have that weapon available to them.
Taking that weapon away allows people like this murderer to operate without the fear of being interrupted.
As a sheepdog who has run into danger, I, as well as undoubtedly many of my fellow sheepdogs, found myself wishing I could have been in that theater, wishing I had the chance to protect the sheep. But there are far too few police officers to be everywhere a gunman could be. That's why I support trained individuals who conceal-carry. People like Assam. Trained civilians who can act when the sheep are threatened.
The Second Amendment protects our right to carry a weapon. Knowing that an incident like this will happen again will make people consider taking their personal safety into their own hands, taking advantage of that right. Gun control would remove that right, remove that advantage and put their safety into the hands of the criminals.
When that door slams open and a gunman aims at you, will your answer be to say baaaah and die at his hands or will you try to stop him before he kills you and your family? The answer to that question is where you stand on gun control. The actions you take to arm yourself and defend yourself will help determine whether you survive an incident like Aurora, CO.
This person had one thought, one goal- to kill people, as many people as possible. Until we understand that kind of mentality exists- that monsters exist, we will continue to deny the only way to be safe is to be prepared. This type of personality would use whatever method he had available to him to achieve his goal of killing as many people as possible.
Just as banning fertilizer would not have stopped the massacre at the Murrah building, a gun ban would not have stopped this spree. There are wolves out there. We have to be ready to stop them before they stop us.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
I spent last night watching traffic. Sheepdogs know traffic is the backbone of police work. Sheepdogs also know watching traffic is boring.
I thought about my last DUI stop. A simple headlight out but the driver owned both lanes of the road in the short time between when I hit my lights and got him to stop. Luckily, no one was in the oncoming lane A few minutes later, the driver was on his way for a blood test. And so it is with traffic stops. Every one is different, every on is an experience, every one a new bit of energy for my writing
I write some of my stories based on my experiences as a sheepdog. Others, I conjure up from bits and pieces of experiences I've had, building until I have a story to tell. Some of my best stories come from the most inane calls I've taken and others have their roots in my life as a business person.
Others come from experiences I've had with neighborhood groups and even things I've done to make my neighborhood safer. For example, I noticed a pile of trash in a secluded spot in the neighborhood. Kids pulled their cars in and left their garbage behind.
I grabbed my weed whacker, a clipper and a garbage bag. I cleaned the garbage, trimmed the bushes and cleared the weeds. Now, the neighbors have a clear view of the spot and can call the police when there's suspicious activity there.
But what bothered me about the cleanup was the contents of the garbage. Tiny bags used for marijuana, wrappers for cigars that are commonly hollowed out and filled with marijuana and the requisite fast food wrappers filled the bag but there were other items, paraphernalia of more serious drug use.
This is my neighborhood, where my kids play and my neighbors' kids play. My simple cleanup took on a more ominous role- instead of cleaning garbage, I found myself fixing a broken window of sorts. In other words, I was making it uncomfortable for the wolves to hang around our meadow.
Wolves like signs of weakness. In neighborhoods, broken windows, weeds, neglect, garbage are all signs to wolves that people don't care. When people don't care, they don't call for help and wolves can roam at will.
Not on my watch.
I feel better knowing that problem is resolved. Somehow, that incident will make it into an upcoming story. I'm sure Detective Mackay can relate to my problems. We're both sheepdogs and our meadow is our domain. No sheep shall be harmed if we can help it.
Be safe. There are wolves out there.
I thought about my last DUI stop. A simple headlight out but the driver owned both lanes of the road in the short time between when I hit my lights and got him to stop. Luckily, no one was in the oncoming lane A few minutes later, the driver was on his way for a blood test. And so it is with traffic stops. Every one is different, every on is an experience, every one a new bit of energy for my writing
I write some of my stories based on my experiences as a sheepdog. Others, I conjure up from bits and pieces of experiences I've had, building until I have a story to tell. Some of my best stories come from the most inane calls I've taken and others have their roots in my life as a business person.
Others come from experiences I've had with neighborhood groups and even things I've done to make my neighborhood safer. For example, I noticed a pile of trash in a secluded spot in the neighborhood. Kids pulled their cars in and left their garbage behind.
I grabbed my weed whacker, a clipper and a garbage bag. I cleaned the garbage, trimmed the bushes and cleared the weeds. Now, the neighbors have a clear view of the spot and can call the police when there's suspicious activity there.
But what bothered me about the cleanup was the contents of the garbage. Tiny bags used for marijuana, wrappers for cigars that are commonly hollowed out and filled with marijuana and the requisite fast food wrappers filled the bag but there were other items, paraphernalia of more serious drug use.
This is my neighborhood, where my kids play and my neighbors' kids play. My simple cleanup took on a more ominous role- instead of cleaning garbage, I found myself fixing a broken window of sorts. In other words, I was making it uncomfortable for the wolves to hang around our meadow.
Wolves like signs of weakness. In neighborhoods, broken windows, weeds, neglect, garbage are all signs to wolves that people don't care. When people don't care, they don't call for help and wolves can roam at will.
Not on my watch.
I feel better knowing that problem is resolved. Somehow, that incident will make it into an upcoming story. I'm sure Detective Mackay can relate to my problems. We're both sheepdogs and our meadow is our domain. No sheep shall be harmed if we can help it.
Be safe. There are wolves out there.
Monday, July 09, 2012
I was enjoying my morning coffee and thinking about a new chapter or two when I realized I hadn't checked the status of the book. A quick check told me the numbers look good but then I noticed there were no reviews posted by readers. I wondered out loud about whether this was a good thing. Margie, always the voice of reason, asked me when I last reviewed a book after I read it.
Good point Margie.
That got me to thinking about how I look for reviews when I purchase a book. I realized the vast majority of people who buy books don't leave reviews. As an author, I look for the reviews, both good and bad, to help me understand how my book is enjoyed (or not) by my readers.
I think I'll take a few minutes and give a couple of books I just finished feedback. Then I'll feel a little better about begging my readers for reviews.
Margie and her logic. At least I have someone to blame for my writing procrastination today. Look out, Damnit- it's your turn tomorrow. At least when I blame the dog, she doesn't hide the coffee.
Good point Margie.
That got me to thinking about how I look for reviews when I purchase a book. I realized the vast majority of people who buy books don't leave reviews. As an author, I look for the reviews, both good and bad, to help me understand how my book is enjoyed (or not) by my readers.
I think I'll take a few minutes and give a couple of books I just finished feedback. Then I'll feel a little better about begging my readers for reviews.
Margie and her logic. At least I have someone to blame for my writing procrastination today. Look out, Damnit- it's your turn tomorrow. At least when I blame the dog, she doesn't hide the coffee.
Saturday, July 07, 2012
I've been working on the sequel to In Another Life. Seems simple enough, check in with the characters, tell their story. But, as I expected, being an author doesn't get me out of the daily chores of life. I could be in the middle of a case, with the suspect ready to give up his part in a crime, when the dogs go crazy.
Rog, the suspect and the investigation suddenly take a back seat to the postman and the package of flea meds. Then the dogs get their own interrogation in the bathtub, followed by a half hour of cleaning the bathroom. Then there's the daily chores and an author still has to eat.
Did I mention having a 1976 Ford Maverick requires a certain amount of upkeep? Hungry 250 engines like oil and damn, the turn signals aren't working again. Then it's time to meet Margie at the airport and file the claim for lost luggage, soothing a very frustrated editor/graphic designer in the process.
Finally, I'm back at the computer, reacquainting myself with the current action. My plans for a couple thousand words cut to a couple hundred.
Then the texts start. Miranda wants to know if it's ok to talk to an eighteen year-old (no, he's a pervert) and Sunshine wants to know if she can have "the cutest little pup in the world" (are you kidd.NOOOOO! This question was asked as Damnit licked my toes in apology for eating my password cheat sheet).
And then I get a few words on screen and the thunderstorm hits. End of the night for me. Grand total: one hundred words. A novel averages seventy thousand words. It's going to be a long summer.
I've got to admit, a hundred words still beats saying, "I'm gonna write a book some day." Don't tell Margie I said that.
Rog, the suspect and the investigation suddenly take a back seat to the postman and the package of flea meds. Then the dogs get their own interrogation in the bathtub, followed by a half hour of cleaning the bathroom. Then there's the daily chores and an author still has to eat.
Did I mention having a 1976 Ford Maverick requires a certain amount of upkeep? Hungry 250 engines like oil and damn, the turn signals aren't working again. Then it's time to meet Margie at the airport and file the claim for lost luggage, soothing a very frustrated editor/graphic designer in the process.
Finally, I'm back at the computer, reacquainting myself with the current action. My plans for a couple thousand words cut to a couple hundred.
Then the texts start. Miranda wants to know if it's ok to talk to an eighteen year-old (no, he's a pervert) and Sunshine wants to know if she can have "the cutest little pup in the world" (are you kidd.NOOOOO! This question was asked as Damnit licked my toes in apology for eating my password cheat sheet).
And then I get a few words on screen and the thunderstorm hits. End of the night for me. Grand total: one hundred words. A novel averages seventy thousand words. It's going to be a long summer.
I've got to admit, a hundred words still beats saying, "I'm gonna write a book some day." Don't tell Margie I said that.
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