The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/558338
The Press-Dispatch Opinion Wednesday, August 19, 2015 C- 5 The Weekly by Alden Heuring Court Report Back in the collar again My cat Diamond has lost her no- collar privileges. As some of you may know, Dia- mond is a somewhat stereotypical fat housecat. However, she fancies her- self to be a jungle predator, and can often be found pouncing on stalks of grass in our front yard. Recent- ly, though, she's become a little too brave. I let her outside while pack- ing for our anniversary trip, and she snuck out into the woods next to our yard for some Real-Feel Jungle Ac- tion. We searched around for a while, and eventually decided to split up: I went over towards our neighbor's house to see if she'd been torment- ing (and/or was being eaten by) his dogs, and Jill put some treats out on our porch and waited for Diamond to get hun- gry and follow the scent home. (It doesn't take long for her to get hun- gry. We buy Meow Mix in bulk.) As it turned out, she had been tormenting the dogs, but from a safe dis- tance, and she did indeed get bored and come back for the free treats. I heard Jill call- ing, and I came back down the drive- way just in time to watch woman and cat reunite in a dramatic movie-style hug—quickly followed by a screech of pain as Diamond expressed her displeasure at being hugged. Once Jill was calmed down and band-aid- ed up, Diamond got a stern lecture. We're back on the plan of taking her for leashed walks outside instead of letting her roam. I now know from personal experience that there are way too many spiderwebs per square foot in our woods to make any kind of search operation feasible, so why let her get lost in the first place? However, even though she's in the doghouse, our cat has been enjoying some new toys. We got her a laser pointer, a couple of "kitty wands" that light up and flounce around when you shake them for maximum mauling fun, and a scratching pedestal that doubles as a good napping spot. Diamond has also started to find live toys in our basement—you might know them as mice. We got our first glimpse of her mousing skills around midnight one night when we awoke to thumping sounds, followed by a squeak. She trotted into the living room carrying a mouse in her jaws, and when I stooped down to sweep up the thing and throw it outside, it got up and ran for cover. What followed was probably the most sav- agely violent spectacle I've ever seen in real life (T V and the Internet do not count as real life, a good princi- ple to live by), and I won't recount it here—this is a family newspaper, af- ter all. Suffice it to say that Diamond's mouse-catching and mouse-wreck- ing abilities exceed expectations. However, her attention span leaves a lot to be desired. A fter inflicting a few moments of abject horror up- on the mouse, she (I can't make this up) got bored and lay down to groom herself while the mouse gathered its pieces into a sack and hobbled away into the basement. My only hope is that it warned all its friends and loved ones and struck out for the border. I have no qualms about killing mice, but I don't wish what happened that night on anyone or anything. Of course, having just typed all that, I took a short break to rub Dia- mond's head, because she is just the cutest chubby lil' murderer there could ever be. Having seen her dark side, I feel like we understand each other better now. I'm just not sure if having a wounded mouse plotting vengeance in my basement makes that worth it. JEEP SMART DEBATE PAST Continued from page 4 Continued from page 4 Continued from page 4 Continued from page 4 son since before he could hold up his own head. So when I saw that Little Tikes had come out with a toddler Jeep bed, owning it became my obsession. And by own- ing it, I mean my owning it. Let's be clear; this bed would be for me under the guise of being for my son. For nearly a year, I fanta- sized about that Jeep bed, about turning on the bed's headlights and dome light - - which actually work! - - as I read my son his bedtime sto- ries. Naturally, my son would feel a little scared his first few nights out of the crib. I would tell him, No worries, son. I'm happy to sleep in bed with you. I would say, Just for tonight. But I wouldn't mean it. In preparation for the new arrival, I decorated my son's room so the Jeep bed would feel at home. Stars were placed on the ceiling. Dead batteries in the moon night- light were replaced. A tent was set up in the corner of the room. The room took the shape of the great outdoors as I waited patiently for my son to outgrow his crib. And then it happened. My son climbed out of his crib for the first time. That very thing that had terrified me for so long - - the broken bones, the concussions! - - was now greeted with un- adulterated glee. He climbed out! The crib is no longer safe! Hurray! We can transi- tion him to a big-boy bed! A big-boy Jeep bed! His first night, the bed- time routine went exactly how I had envisioned over the past year. My son and I snuggled under the covers as I read him bedtime stories by the light of the Jeep bed's headlights. The star stickers shone above us. The pitter- patter of rainfall came from the sound machine. When the stories were finished, I said, "You probably want me to sleep here because it's your first night in a new bed, huh." "Nope! " my son an- nounced proudly. "Leave, Mommy. Good night! " But, but, but... Crestfallen. Like Katiedid Langrock on Facebook, at http://www. facebook.com/katiedidhu- mor. the contradictions between Christ and modern warfare. He wrote many years later, "The enemy of me and the enemy of my nation is not an enemy of God. Rather my en- emy and my nation's enemy is a child of God who is loved by God and who, therefore, is to be loved (and not to be killed) by me as a follower of a loving God." Likewise, Reverend Wil- liam Downey, the Luther- an chaplain for the 509th, later denounced all killing, whether by a single bullet or by weapons of mass de- struction. In his conclusion, Dr. Kohls reminds the reader of the long-term effects of P TSD, which can bring per- manent damage to the mind, body, brain, and spirit, and resists a "cure"– but is total- ly preventable. Faith itself becomes a ca- sualty of war. A [post-Viet- nam War] Veteran's Admin- istration study found that sol- diers who were active mem- bers of churches before they went off to war, if they came home with P TSD, nearly all did not return to their faith community. Let us not lose sight that the conscripts are at the bot- tom of a long and anonymous chain of command. Sadly, much derision and self-loath- ing originates among the rank-and-file trying to mor- ally decide why they killed the "enemy." I have mentioned in the past columns that my father was a walking casualty of World War Two. My mother said after they were first married, dad would from time-to-time wake up screaming from night terrors; we would call this P TSD today. He would wax sanguine at times approved of any- thing to stop the war. Then he would get quiet, and muse that it wasn't the "moral thing to do." As a child, I realized ear- ly that my dad was anti-war. To me, he seemed never to be at peace with himself and the world around him. I doubt that he was alone. He tried to reach out and grasp the hand of Christ as he grew older, but I cannot say equivocally he succeed- ed. World War Two is over, but its effects linger. The early church em- braced life: Maybe they saw in the prophecy of Isaiah, "They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore," would require as much ef- fort in living in peaceful co- existence as does engaging in war. Think about it! CRIMINAL DOCKET Pike Circuit Court Jason A. Schmitt charged with count I dealing in methamphet- amine, a level 5 felony; count II pos- session of chemical reagents or precursors with intent to manufac- ture a controlled substance; count III dumping controlled substance waste; count IV maintaining a com- mon nuisance; and count V posses- sion of a controlled substance. Ralph N. Kirby charged with per- forming sexual conduct in the pres- ence of a minor, a level 6 felony. Jarred Richard Newport charged with count I intimidation, a level 6 fel- ony; count II domestic battery; count III battery resulting in bodily injury; and count IV operating a motor vehi- cle without ever receiving a license. Teea R. Jenkins charged with two counts of theft, a level 6 felony. In re: search warrant. TRAFFIC AND MISDEMEANOR Pike Circuit Court Shaunta K. Gish charged with driving while suspended. Herschel W. Gish charged with an- imals running at large. Heaven M. Berry charged with count I possession of a controlled substance and count II operating a vehicle with a schedule I or II con- trolled substance or its metabolite in the body. CIVIL DOCKET Pike Circuit Court Deaconess Hospital, Inc. sues Da- vid K. Krock on complaint. Marsha L. Moretz sues Darrell T. Moretz for dissolution of marriage. Malinda K. Cato sues Zachary R. Cato for dissolution of marriage. Tina Kay Risley sues Wesley Del- lo Risley for dissolution of marriage. SMALL CLAIMS Pike Circuit Court Nathan Evans sues Chris Hatt on complaint. Elmer Buchta Trucking, LLC sues Preston R. and Jamie White on com- plaint. Elmer Buchta Trucking, LLC sues Allen N. Raven and Carol Brown on complaint. Elmer Buchta Trucking, LLC sues Joshua R. Moore and Krystal Hell- man on complaint. Elmer Buchta Trucking, LLC sues Magan B. and Angela M. Smithhart on complaint. Elmer Buchta Trucking, LLC sues Christopher J. McKinney and Sally McKinney-Jackson on complaint. Elmer Buchta Trucking, LLC sues Gregory K. Elenbaas and Timothy Glosser on complaint. Elmer Buchta Trucking, LLC sues Gregory A. Braun and Donna Boyd on complaint. Elmer Buchta Trucking, LLC sues Benjamin M. Tuell and Arnold Tuell on complaint. Elmer Buchta Trucking, LLC sues Kyle C. Truelove and Amber Begle on complaint. Elmer Buchta Trucking, LLC sues Jarius D. Allen and Ryan Allen on complaint. Elmer Buchta Trucking, LLC sues Angela M. Smithhart and Magan Smithhart on complaint. INFRACTIONS Pike Circuit Court Davonte Dillard charged with speeding, 90 mph in a 70 zone. Jonathan Drew charged with speeding, 84 mph in a 70 zone. Jacob Jones charged with speed- ing, 99 mph in a 70 zone. James Koch, Jr. charged with un- safe lane movement. Jenna Reinitz charged with speed- ing, 84 mph in a 70 zone. Rebecca Coulter charged with dis- regarding an official traffic control device. Mary Englert charged with disre- garding an official traffic control de- vice. Heather McCandless charged with speeding, 39 mph in a 25 zone. James Allen charged with speed- ing, 86 mph in a 70 zone. John Benton, Jr. charged with seat- belt violation. Matthew Knops charged with speeding, 89 mph in a 70 zone. John Trent charged with speeding, 84 mph in a 70 zone. April Harvey charged with expired plates. Joe Jones charged with count I fail- ure to yield right of way crossing rd and count II operating an off road ve- hicle on public highway without a val- id motor vehicle driver's license. people who are fine in their own programs. But cast in this new role as moderators, their reliance on the usual media practices was a great disservice to the country at a time when there are very serious - - and potentially catastrophic - - issues in the balance. Is this country's fate not as important as Donald Trump's antics? Then why would the first of these "de- bates" open with a question about Donald Trump, who was not even present? There is plenty of blame to go around, and neither the media, the candidates, nor the public should be ex- empted from their share. Thomas Sowell is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institu- tion, Stanford University. deficits as far as the eye can see, some 15 million illegals, and same-sex marriage. Planned Parenthood con- tinues to siphon off $500 mil- lion a year in taxpayer funds, despite the latest round of videos showing the com- merce they do in the flesh of murdered fetuses. Our only real ally in the Middle East, Israel, gets dissed and it seems likely that the U.S. will conclude a nuclear agreement with a nation – the world's number one supporter of terrorism – that hates Israel and us. Around half of American households now get some form of government assis- tance. By some estimates, combined unfunded liabil- ities of Social Security and Medicare are as large as $100 trillion – yet polls do not show that Americans want major reform of these bankrupt entitlement mon- strosities. Projections indicate that the percentage of the Amer- ican electorate in 2016 that is white will be down to 70 per- cent, a historic low. And of the total American elector- ate, 53 percent are women. How much clearer can it be that it will be impossible to elect a conservative Re- publican in 2016 if that can- didate does not have the skill and persona to attract some voters who don't traditional- ly vote Republican? The last time a Republi- can presidential candidate won the women's vote was 25 years ago when George H.W. Bush squeaked by Mi- chael Dukakis with 51 per- cent. The women's vote will be a particular challenge in an election in which Democrats run the first woman candi- date for president. So Megyn Kelly's ques- tion to Trump was smart, on target and very fair. The real question is how could Trump – whose big selling point is being a smart businessman – call this "unfair"? It certainly won't be fair to American voters if he gets nominated and is defeated and then calls the tens of mil- lions who didn't vote for him a bunch of losers. Star Parker is an author and president of CURE, the Center for Urban Renewal and Education. Contact her at www.urbancure.org. Technology Solutions by Scott Hartley Knowing just enough to be dangerous It could have been a very bad day for Jim (not his real name) and his company. When he called me early one morning last week, I could tell he was panicking and desperately need- ed help. Jim's company recently added a new wing to their building. They ran their own network cables, installed new switches, and even a new wire- less access point so employees could connect to the Internet with their phones and tablets. Now Jim is fairly knowledgeable about computers. It's not his main job at his company, but since he's the one who knows the most, he's tasked with handling all the technology. But when some of his office comput- ers couldn't communicate with their server while others could, he was stumped. As the problem progressed, more of his employees couldn't do their jobs – costing his business time and money. When I arrived on-site, I discovered Jim had missed one small, but VERY important box that needed to be un- checked when he installed the soft- ware controlling the wireless access point. This minor detail completely disrupted his business operations for nearly three hours – and cost him the fee for an emergency service call. Jim thought he was saving the com- pany money by doing the work him- self. But in the long run, it cost the company a lot more than it would have if he would have let us install it. Unfortunately, I see this all the time with both business and home users. Someone will call describing a prob- lem, and then throw in, "And I had my grandson look at. He knows a lot about comput- ers. He tried a few things, but he couldn't fix it." By the time we look at the computer, the orig- inal problem has been made worse. Repairs now cost more than what they would have before the "tech savvy" relative had tried their fix. Are you guilty of this? I used to be. I would try to save mon- ey by fixing broken things around the house on my own. I'd call a friend or family member who knew more about whatever was broken than I to see if they could do it cheaper than a pro- fessional. Most every time, I ended up hav- ing to call an expert anyway – and pay more than what I would have if I would have called them first. Not only was I ticked that neither I nor my friend/relative couldn't fix it and that we had wasted hours, but now I was mad at having to spend more money. Eventually I learned this truth from business coach and mentor Darren Hardy: "If it's not your specialty, you shouldn't be doing it. Hire someone who is." Friends and family are excellent supporters to help in times of need. If they specialize in something you need help with and are willing to as- sist for free or reduced cost, absolute- ly take advantage of it! But if they happen to know just a little more than you, but it's not their field of exper- tise (i.e. what they went to school for or what they do every single day in their job), save yourself the frus- tration and the extra ex- pense – call an expert to do the job right. • • • I was saddened and sur- prised to learn earlier this month that Adam's Computers in Princeton will be going out of busi- ness at the end of this month. Adam Hudson opened his business three months prior to Calibre in 2004. Adam and his team have been wor- thy competitors these nearly 11 years. I know it had to be a very difficult de- cision for him to make. I wish Adam the best in his new career. If you have been a customer of Ad- am's Computers, Mark, Will and I here at Calibre Computer Solutions can continue to provide you excellent LOCAL computer service and sup- port – both home users and business clients. No need to waste time trav- eling to Evansville and experiencing long service times. Feel free to give us a call at 812-386 -8919. We'll wel- come you with open arms. Scott Hartley is the President/CEO of Calibre Computer Solutions in Princ- eton. For computer tips, information, and free software tools, check out our website at http://www.calibreforhome. com. Diamond ponders the injus- tices of the universe, such as the bell-and-bowtie collar that's now around her neck. Alden Heuring photo SOMETHING NEWSWORTHY? Let us know at 812-354-8500!