[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by Two Bills

Surveillance drones, suspicious people spotters, Mossad experts from Israel to spot terrorists.....
You make the place sound as dangerous as Downtown Beirut!

I think in real life, Court Gentry, Mitch Rapp and Pike Logan are probably good guys. That said, I think Gabriel Allon would probably be a better fit for TV.

[Altavia]

///

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by Two Bills

Your posts are probably the biggest threat to house sales in The Villages.
Surveillance drones, suspicious people spotters, Mossad experts from Israel to spot terrorists.....
You make the place sound as dangerous as Downtown Beirut!

Hey! Leave the Mossad out of this.They're too busy controlling the weather to have tine to monitor The Villages...

Wait, what? I wasn't supposed to tell?

[Two Bills]

Originally Posted by JMintzer

Hey! Leave the Mossad out of this.They're too busy controlling the weather to have tine to monitor The Villages...

Wait, what? I wasn't supposed to tell?

Evidently Mossad are busy with the Jewish Space Lasers at the moment.
Trying to shoot down Santa according to a very reliable source of information!

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Aces4

I think you should quit while you’re ahead, well maybe not ahead…

BTW, those 8 drones you proposed in your other post, you’re willing to pay the freight for 8 skilled drone operators? Think!

OK, I'll be glad to think as you so nicely put it. I do not know what the ABSOLUTE cutting-edge capabilities of drones are. I can imagine a time (maybe now, maybe in the future) that there are helium-filled drones or just large helium-filled balloons with cameras and several retaining wires - that basically act as a portable tall tower with say 10 cameras pointing in 360 degrees of view. This would be a more practical use of helium balloons than iust trailing ads for beer brands. Observing crime and encouraging safety by just the mere presence of such equipment. you could have physical towers with cameras. I was just "spitballing" out suggestions. Anyone is free to make better suggestions than me, but knocking down my suggestions without having one of their own is basically juvenile ! Corporate psychologists agree with the method of GROUP "spitballing" suggestions (and NEVER dismissing ANY suggestion OUTRIGHT as unacceptable. Then later they arrive at the best SOLUTION to a problem. Obviously, we are in the "spitballing" phase about how to prevent a neighborhood from gradually deteriorating. Many, many residents that I have talked to that have lived in The Villages for a long time (like 10 years) will invariably say that there has been a deterioration in friendliness and safety in the last 3 years or so.

Personally, I do not care about white crosses or such "ticky-tacky stuff. If volunteer residents are driving around the streets with clipboards........I don't care .......it is ALL good as long as they are concentrating on a level of problems ABOVE the low-level "ticky tacky" variety. That would probably be a duplication of effort because that is what (I assume) the Community Service people are doing.

And since I just thought of another suggestion.........the Community Service people could have 360 degree cameras mounted on their vehicles that send video signals back to trained monitors - because the drivers of the Community Service vehicles at concentrating on driving and looking forward. And the vireo could be recorded if needed in a legal case.

[Aces4]

Originally Posted by jimjamuser

OK, I'll be glad to think as you so nicely put it. I do not know what the ABSOLUTE cutting-edge capabilities of drones are. I can imagine a time (maybe now, maybe in the future) that there are helium-filled drones or just large helium-filled balloons with cameras and several retaining wires - that basically act as a portable tall tower with say 10 cameras pointing in 360 degrees of view. This would be a more practical use of helium balloons than iust trailing ads for beer brands. Observing crime and encouraging safety by just the mere presence of such equipment. you could have physical towers with cameras. I was just "spitballing" out suggestions. Anyone is free to make better suggestions than me, but knocking down my suggestions without having one of their own is basically juvenile ! Corporate psychologists agree with the method of GROUP "spitballing" suggestions (and NEVER dismissing ANY suggestion OUTRIGHT as unacceptable. Then later they arrive at the best SOLUTION to a problem. Obviously, we are in the "spitballing" phase about how to prevent a neighborhood from gradually deteriorating. Many, many residents that I have talked to that have lived in The Villages for a long time (like 10 years) will invariably say that there has been a deterioration in friendliness and safety in the last 3 years or so.

Personally, I do not care about white crosses or such "ticky-tacky stuff. If volunteer residents are driving around the streets with clipboards........I don't care .......it is ALL good as long as they are concentrating on a level of problems ABOVE the low-level "ticky tacky" variety. That would probably be a duplication of effort because that is what (I assume) the Community Service people are doing.

And since I just thought of another suggestion.........the Community Service people could have 360 degree cameras mounted on their vehicles that send video signals back to trained monitors - because the drivers of the Community Service vehicles at concentrating on driving and looking forward. And the vireo could be recorded if needed in a legal case.

Ah, memories of the KGB…

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Aces4

I think you should quit while you’re ahead, well maybe not ahead…

BTW, those 8 drones you proposed in your other post, you’re willing to pay the freight for 8 skilled drone operators? Think!

Note.......I have not really been "ahead" since 1961.

[Aces4]

Originally Posted by jimjamuser

Note.......I have not really been "ahead" since 1961.

We’ve noticed.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by asianthree

You are forgetting the 20% rule of under 55. We have 6 homes that owners are in their 30’s.

Yes, that is true. I am aware of that, but I did not want to write about it in my post. Personally, I am NOT overjoyed about that rule even existing. I don't remember voting on that rule. And I said that just to make a point. So, no one needs to bother telling me that I don't get a vote because The Villages is a privately owned organization. I AM aware of that. I know one 40-year-old couple that lives here and they are wonderful people. And I understand why they live here.........mainly for the safety, but other advantages. But, I also know of young children that have prison records and have difficulty getting jobs, so they "sponge" off their elderly parents or parent.

Most likely the vast majority of the plus 30 group are wonderful citizens and good neighbors. It is just a situation that I don't understand or see a need to exist. Now, some will say that workers need homes too. To that. I would say that the commuting distances from outside The Village bubble are NOT so great as to deter workers. That is just my opinion.......nothing more.

[ThirdOfFive]

Originally Posted by jimjamuser

OK, I'll be glad to think as you so nicely put it. I do not know what the ABSOLUTE cutting-edge capabilities of drones are. I can imagine a time (maybe now, maybe in the future) that there are helium-filled drones or just large helium-filled balloons with cameras and several retaining wires - that basically act as a portable tall tower with say 10 cameras pointing in 360 degrees of view. This would be a more practical use of helium balloons than iust trailing ads for beer brands. Observing crime and encouraging safety by just the mere presence of such equipment. you could have physical towers with cameras. I was just "spitballing" out suggestions. Anyone is free to make better suggestions than me, but knocking down my suggestions without having one of their own is basically juvenile ! Corporate psychologists agree with the method of GROUP "spitballing" suggestions (and NEVER dismissing ANY suggestion OUTRIGHT as unacceptable. Then later they arrive at the best SOLUTION to a problem. Obviously, we are in the "spitballing" phase about how to prevent a neighborhood from gradually deteriorating. Many, many residents that I have talked to that have lived in The Villages for a long time (like 10 years) will invariably say that there has been a deterioration in friendliness and safety in the last 3 years or so.

Personally, I do not care about white crosses or such "ticky-tacky stuff. If volunteer residents are driving around the streets with clipboards........I don't care .......it is ALL good as long as they are concentrating on a level of problems ABOVE the low-level "ticky tacky" variety. That would probably be a duplication of effort because that is what (I assume) the Community Service people are doing.

And since I just thought of another suggestion.........the Community Service people could have 360 degree cameras mounted on their vehicles that send video signals back to trained monitors - because the drivers of the Community Service vehicles at concentrating on driving and looking forward. And the vireo could be recorded if needed in a legal case.

Bingo!

Any golf-car ride in any village will probably reveal several dozen "infractions" of the hair-splitting variety. One eight-block stretch that we travel routinely reveals two statues of the Buddha, about ten of those white crosses, a couple of those BVM statues (as my brother calls them "Our Lady of the Bathtub" shrines), a more-or-less permanent dog statue doing his business against a tree, etc. etc. They've been there for years. Any attempt to do a wholesale clean-up of minor infractions that may have easily been there before the current owners bought their houses has about as much chance of succeeding as an attack of flatulence in mid-Katrina. I'm pretty sure the powers-that-be know this, and also know very well the amount of time (and money, not just in person-hours but legal fees as well) it would take to even make a dent in those. Such "ticky-tacky" things may offend someone's taste or sense of decorum but they don't negatively impact an entire community, such as a lawn overgrown with weeds, an RV parked in a driveway for weeks on end, windows patched with duct tape, houses with gross amounts of mold on them, houses missing siding for interminable amounts of time, etc.

Go after the big stuff first. Then start fixing the little stuff. Unfortunately the "little stuff" has been allowed to get out of hand by the powers-that-be for years. It will undoubtedly take an equal number of years, probably more, to get things back in compliance.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by jimjamuser

OK, I'll be glad to think as you so nicely put it. I do not know what the ABSOLUTE cutting-edge capabilities of drones are. I can imagine a time (maybe now, maybe in the future) that there are helium-filled drones or just large helium-filled balloons with cameras and several retaining wires - that basically act as a portable tall tower with say 10 cameras pointing in 360 degrees of view. This would be a more practical use of helium balloons than iust trailing ads for beer brands. Observing crime and encouraging safety by just the mere presence of such equipment. you could have physical towers with cameras. I was just "spitballing" out suggestions. Anyone is free to make better suggestions than me, but knocking down my suggestions without having one of their own is basically juvenile ! Corporate psychologists agree with the method of GROUP "spitballing" suggestions (and NEVER dismissing ANY suggestion OUTRIGHT as unacceptable. Then later they arrive at the best SOLUTION to a problem. Obviously, we are in the "spitballing" phase about how to prevent a neighborhood from gradually deteriorating. Many, many residents that I have talked to that have lived in The Villages for a long time (like 10 years) will invariably say that there has been a deterioration in friendliness and safety in the last 3 years or so.

Personally, I do not care about white crosses or such "ticky-tacky stuff. If volunteer residents are driving around the streets with clipboards........I don't care .......it is ALL good as long as they are concentrating on a level of problems ABOVE the low-level "ticky tacky" variety. That would probably be a duplication of effort because that is what (I assume) the Community Service people are doing.

And since I just thought of another suggestion.........the Community Service people could have 360 degree cameras mounted on their vehicles that send video signals back to trained monitors - because the drivers of the Community Service vehicles at concentrating on driving and looking forward. And the vireo could be recorded if needed in a legal case.

Aside from the obvious Orwellian implications of that suggestion, let's focus on the part in bold:

The powers that be did not want to get involved in which lawn ornaments are acceptable and which aren't, which is a matter of taste, so they banned them all. People like to think a little white cross is acceptable---what if someone displayed it upside down because their religion is a bit darker? What if the bird was a large pink flamingo instead of a tasteful brass heron? How about a statue of their favorite political figure? The problem is that there is no universal agreement as to what constitutes "the low-level "ticky tacky" variety".

As I see it, the main problem is the vast differences in deed restrictions between different Villages, and even different units within a village. Some standardization would have been helpful.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Heh - there's a guy on our side of the Villages who wears mostly goth clothes. Black stovepipe jeans, a black jacket, has piercings and inks and funky hair. Looks to be somewhere in his mid-20's. I just assume he's living with family here. I see him walking down Paradise often. Never heard any trouble with him at all. Since I recognize him from the neighborhood I'd probably offer to give him a ride home, if I ever saw him heading in that direction while I was out in my golf cart.

Then again, I also gave a ride to a bum walking from Walmart toward Aldi's, because it was an incredibly hot day, he looked miserable, and was trying to hide an open can of chili with a plastic spoon from me, like he was ashamed. I felt horrible and told him I could take him as far as WaWa if he wanted. He only needed to go just past Aldi's to the corner there though, so that's where I let him out.

That is a good story and you are a good humanitarian. I look at the bigger picture and say that the US in general should be ashamed of the way they turn "bums" and people with mental illness out on the street. Some people in National Government are aware of this problem and may EVEN SOMEDAY do something about it.

To me, as I have mentioned before, I had a burglary while I was out of town and had $5,000 worth of equipment stolen. And I know of a man that had his corvette stolen. when that happens to a person, they tend to HARDEN their views toward SAFETY in a community. I do not see how having 30-year-old residents in a 55-and-over community can INCREASE resident safety or well-being. It seems (to me) just the opposite. I can see how others may think that having 30-year-old residents is wonderful. I am just stating MY particular opinion. It means nothing more.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

"Profiling" is illegal by statue in Florida. Stereotyping may not be illegal, but surely not very charitable.

That may be, but I believe that the Police are always PROFILING. And so do almost ALL people as they walk by others.........they JUDGE. I believe that it is embedded in human DNA due to thousands of years of TRIBAL life and tribal wars. Modern humans have that alertness subconsciously, but today they consciously control it in order to smoothly interact in modern society.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

By lots, how many are we talking? By young, how young are you thinking here? And by undesirable, who are they undesirable to?

I've seen exactly two people under 40 on the Historic side of the villages whose "appearance" would definitely cause some random old geezer to need a pacemaker battery change. I haven't seen either of them in the papers for any crimes committed, so I'll just assume that either a) they're not committing any or b) they haven't been caught. In either case, there aren't any reports of rampant crime in our area either - which leads me to believe these two kids just enjoy looking freaky.

I did too back in the day, I was into the bell-bottom jeans with the YES logo written all over them in magic marker, tye-dye shirts and gauze blouses and a bandana tied over my hair. Each generation has its wardrobe quirks, its group of "non-conformists" who create their own conformity.

That's a good comment and I will try to remember to take a spare pacemaker battery with me as I walk around the neighborhoods.

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by jimjamuser

Yes, that is true. I am aware of that, but I did not want to write about it in my post. Personally, I am NOT overjoyed about that rule even existing. I don't remember voting on that rule. And I said that just to make a point. So, no one needs to bother telling me that I don't get a vote because The Villages is a privately owned organization. I AM aware of that. I know one 40-year-old couple that lives here and they are wonderful people. And I understand why they live here.........mainly for the safety, but other advantages. But, I also know of young children that have prison records and have difficulty getting jobs, so they "sponge" off their elderly parents or parent.

Most likely the vast majority of the plus 30 group are wonderful citizens and good neighbors. It is just a situation that I don't understand or see a need to exist. Now, some will say that workers need homes too. To that. I would say that the commuting distances from outside The Village bubble are NOT so great as to deter workers. That is just my opinion.......nothing more.

There is no "Villages Rule" regarding the 80% must be over 55...

It's a FEDERAL LAW...

Per HUD:

The Fair Housing Act: Housing for Older Persons | HUD.gov / U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)