Karen Protests For Justice in San Marco, So Now We're Good

[I began writing this article BEFORE Mayor Lenny Curry participated in a march led by Leonard Fournette and decided to simultaneously begin dismantling Confederate monuments in Jax. More on that at the end.] 

I am in favor of being able to protest for something in which you believe. I don't tend to do it myself, but that doesn't mean I think it's wrong, unless someone tosses a Molotov Cocktail onto my car. Luckily, that's never happened to me. Anyhow, I saw that there was a squeaky clean protest in San Marco. Karen was there. Dougie E Doug Marrone was there. Probably OK Boomer and a several others. So it was mainstream and nice. Maybe like going to a farmers market. That's why I ask myself the following questions. Does this mean something is really going to change? Does it mean those with relative power expressed some empathy and now it's all good? Does it mean people are just really bored right now?

Just the Mobile Version of the Florida Coronavirus Covid-19 Map

Too many websites want you to read lots of content or click on newsy ad links before you use the Florida Coronavirus map of Florida Covid-19 cases. Or someone thought embedding the map on a website was a good idea using either mobile or desktop.

How to Get Your Nuisance Neighbors Out

I just found out that the neighbors that we like next door are moving out. That's good for them, as they get an opportunity to get a new home of their own. We are hoping it's good for us, too, but just in case it's not, I am prepared because of events that happened on our block about a year ago.

Advice From Your Driver: Lawyer Up

I was listening to a lady today as she described her recent car accident. She had a green left turn arrow, but she was hit by someone who seemed to have been disobeying the law. While I think she was being truthful, I also think that she's probably in some trouble if she doesn't lawyer up.

Guide to Running a Hurricane Newscast

Before I begin this article, I want to state that I am grateful that Hurricane Dorian missed Jacksonville, and I am also very aware that the storm's destruction was catastrophic for some. This article is not about trivializing a hurricane. It's more about trying to fill air time when the hurricane shows up and is just a wind storm in your area.

The only torture worse than waiting for a hurricane to hit is watching hours of news leading up to the event. And then hours of news people trying to make a small, off-shore hurricane seem like something else in order to keep viewers tuned in. The news channels know a lot of people are watching, so the show must go on, and on, and on. The stars are the weather people, but you need the anchors to provide words such as "devastating" to describe storm potential, as well as general assignment reporters stationed at important spots in order to monitor that which needs no actual monitoring.

I Hate to Disappoint Home Invaders, But...

A home invasion down in Eagle Landing (Oak Leaf Plantation) netted $140,000 that the owner had hidden in the attic. Three home invaders and a gun. Scary stuff.  I'm here to tell anyone planning a home invasion not to bother with my home. Apparently, the man whose home was invaded flaunted money on social media. Maybe he was one of those make money fast gurus. I'm not, so no money here, home invaders.

58 Gangs, 705 Members in Jax

The following article uses stats found online and opinion in order to address the crime and gang problem in Jacksonville. It is not meant to accuse gangs or police officers or Pacific Islanders of anything that offends your sensitivities. As it is, to an extent, satire, it should be protected by my 1st Amendment rights, yet someone out there flagged it for review, hiding it behind a warning. That's sad, as is the person who objected to the content.

Jacksonville has a crime problem. Most cities do. We also have some gangs in town. 58, apparently. With 705 gang members. I am not sure if this was discovered using census data or what. Maybe a Survey Monkey survey. But what do the numbers mean?

Roadside Knife Stand - Only in Florida

My wife was driving through central Florida when she got to see something that surprised her, even though she's now lived in Florida for a couple of years: a roadside knife stand. I have to admit, I was even a little taken aback. My first question for her was whether or not she took a photo of the stand, which she did not. I'd seen oranges and other edibles before. Nuts, watermelons, etc. Shrimp, even. And you'll see people set up yard sales right out to the street, maybe with antiques (or just old junk). There was a place along Locust in Milwaukee where you could pick up a used appliance right from the sidewalk, which was a little odd, but you can apparently get cutlery along a state highway in Florida.

Followed Home in Jacksonville

A neighbor was recently followed home by a white SUV, and the comments on Nextdoor were all over the place. I think there are several angles to consider here, even though most of the people commenting were fairly single-minded in how they saw the situation.

What Can You Get For $5 and Some Potato Chips in Jax?

Sometimes, police officers must have a hard time believing the stories they hear, even if the admission is so ridiculous that it must be true. This is one of those stories. A woman was shot at a gas station by a man who fled on foot. Those are both fairly typical events in greater Jacksonville. The assumption would be that she'd been mugged. Or targeted for some reason. Uh, not exactly. Actually, the woman had been paid $5 and some Pringles to provide a service for the man. He then shot her and took the $5 back. No word on the chips.

No More High Speed Police Chases

I don't know how many police chases there are each year in Jacksonville, but one that recently led to the death of a kidnapping victim will open the JSO policies up to scrutiny. About five years ago, this debate was a big deal in Milwaukee, after a few high speed chases resulted in innocent bystanders getting hurt. Back then, I sat in a bar with a police officer friend and created an invention in my head. He said it would never work. Less than a year later, Milwaukee was using this invention (which someone else sold them) on their police vehicles. Maybe Jacksonville needs to look into similar technology.

Just Have a Fist Fight, And May The Best Man Win

A woman was being interviewed about a shooting near her house, and I liked her comments. I am sure it's not going to change anything, since words rarely do, but her idea that people ought to put the guns down resonates with me. The problem is that putting the guns away and having a fist fight would mean the best man with his fists would win, and that's not always what everyone wants.

Tipsy Tow and Tow to Go New Years and Beyond

I thought I remember seeing that the bus was free last year on New Year's Eve in Jacksonville. This year (2018), that seems to have been replaced by a free tow system. Makes sense, really. The bus is so ineffective in getting anyone home in Jacksonville, since everything tends to be so spread out. Since everyone has a vehicle, the tow service gets your sleigh home with you, too, instead of having to bum a ride back to wherever the party was.

Can Safe Touch Help Me Be Safe?

Technically, I'm not looking for a security system right this minute. Maybe in a bit, once and if I get a job where I'm away from home. No, I need to find a way for my family to be safe with the currently unused alarm. Basically, we still can't test our smoke detectors because the realtor who lives one block away has not made it a priority to get the passcode for the alarm system from the previous owner. That means that I have to have an unhooked alarm that screams at me if I give it a current. Problem is that if I test the smoke alarms, then those also bother me until I plug the house alarm back in.

Seven JSO Employees Arrested In 2018

The news ran a story about the seventh JSO employee arrested this year. Maybe it was the 7th officer, not just employee. With 2000 police officers, 1000 corrections officers, and nearly 1000 civilian employees, JSO employs about 4,000 people. Assuming seven arrests is a normal year, I wonder how that rates.

100mph = Dangerous

I saw on the news tonight that 300-some people have been caught speeding at over 100mph in the past year or two. I wonder how many people regularly travel at speeds of over 100mph. Probably more than 300, since speed traps aren't everywhere. Anyhow, it's wrong to speed, even if I think speeding in certain situations is worse than others.

$700,000 Missing From St. Johns Sheriff's Office And Neighbors Didn't Notice

A naughty employee has been accused of stealing $700,000 from the St. Johns Sheriff's Office. And her neighbors didn't notice any crazy spending. What gives? If you stole $700,000, wouldn't all your neighbors know about it? Mine sure would.

FBI Most Wanted in Jacksonville

It's not all that surprising that a man on FBI's Top 10 Most Wanted has been through Jacksonville. We're on I-95, and that makes our city a pit stop for criminals traveling up and down the East Coast. Even though there's no definitive evidence the man in the photo is in Jacksonville right now, it's probably a good idea to get his photo out there because he's been here before.

Sheriffs Live On-Site At Local Synagogues?

The news was discussing the synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh and how it relates to Jacksonville when I thought I heard that two of the three main synagogues in Jax have JSO officers who live on-site. Maybe I heard it wrong, or maybe the news meant there's a house right next to these places of worship that's rented out to JSO.

Helicopters In The Air

Here's a good one to be filed under we should be told more by authorities. I was out for a walk with my daughter when we saw a couple of strange occurrences: a police squad car parked along the street that leads into our subdivision and a helicopter flying overhead with a search light. I told my daughter that the police seemed to be looking for someone. Not too long after that, some kid decided to climb up his fence right next to us and scare the living daylights out of both of us. Apparently, the six year-old wanted to escape his back yard, but we thought it might be this person of interest. Problem is, when I checked my neighborhood app later on, there's all kinds of accounts, making it all confusing. In this time, when communication is king, I wonder how someone could know so little about what's happening down the block.