The Daily Breather

Movember Day 14: Ned Flanders Porn Stach

2011-11-14T07:46:00.001-05:00

Man, this month is getting ugly. At least this is for a good cause because the brostache is starting to take on a life of its own. I'm not sure just how much longer I will be able to control it. Not only is it making it harder for me to smooch pretty ladies but it is also making me feel like I want to fix things around the house. Other times it makes me feel like that cop who pulls you over and searches your car just to be a dick. And to make matters even worse it's coming in ginger! Who knows what evil it has in store for mankind.
Please help me. Donate to the Movember mustache fund before it's too late.
So far my team has raised nearly $1,500 for Livestrong and the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Go team Bohvember! You too can help out. Just g'head and click on the link below to make a simple donation today. Please! Help me feed the mustache. I'm not sure how much longer I can control it.
Mobro-Jamie Schott
Big thanks to those who have already contributed. Your donation means a lot and if the stache does decide to attack then you will probably be spared. I can't make any promises though.

Cheers

Jamie

Support the Stache! Donate to Movember Today

2011-11-09T11:51:00.000-05:00

Aw man! Day 9 and the pedo bear mustache is growing in like like a facial weed.
Here's a glimpse of Day 6.
Sorry, I have a rare gene that's passed on the x chromosome in my family that prevents me from taking a normal picture. I always look like a jackass. Now I'm a jackass with a snazzy mustache coming in.

So hey! If you haven't done it yet please consider making a small donation to the Movember Foundation. Proceeds benefit Livestrong and the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

The Movember Foundation uses the money raised to fund two programs: an awareness and education program that significantly increases the understanding and reduces the stigmas of the health risks that men face, and Movember’s Global Action Plan that accelerates key outcomes in prostate cancer research by facilitating global research collaboration projects.

Here's how you can support this particular brostache and help me live with the fact that I'm looking more and more like a child molester for every day that I have this porn-stache growing under my schnoz.
Mobro- Jamie Schott

Hon is Free for You and Me!

2011-11-08T09:30:00.002-05:00

Hey Hon! Have ya heard? Hon is a free word again! Woopie! We can say Hon as much as we want and not have to worry about weather or not we're making a mockery of the Hon lady.
So word on the street is that Gordon Ramsey brought his cameras to Cafe Hon for a PR blitz. No? He was filming a tv show? Oh. Maybe that happened too. The only time I passed by was late at night and all the windows were blacked out in the cafe and there was what looked like a tv producer's lackey standing out front with a wire in his ear like he was the lookout guy. Add some black Escalades and you'd think Sheila Dixon was up in there.
     So what happened? Was there an episode being made? Was her kitchen a nightmare? No, Whiting was the nightmare. In fact Ramsey went on the praise the loyal staff and only made minor tweaks to the menu and actually admired many of the comfort foods even if they had become a bit stale.
Was this all a PR stunt? Meh. Probably. Whatever it was it needed to happen and I, for one, am glad that somebody stepped in to talk some sense into this whole matter.
     Sure, it was easy to hate on Whiting for trademarking our Hon. And it was easy for her to detract the protesters and naysayers and tell the world that they just don't understand what she is trying to do. She was trying to save Hon but just went about it the wrong way. It's too bad that she saw a 25% drop in her business over the last year and too bad that she didn't realize sooner that this really does matter to us. Nobody owns Hon. Now everybody owns Hon again and we know it.
   What started out as controversy may end in a stronger and more celebrated Hon. A Hon that we will protect and cherish. I think that is what Whiting wanted all along but her business practices may have sent this in the wrong direction.
   Ya know, folks. It takes courage to tell the world that you are sorry and that you are responsible for the problems that have been caused. It also takes courage to relinquish the vision which you worked so hard to make good and to realize that you were hurting people when all you really wanted to do was help them.
   When Denise Whiting gave up the trademark for Hon she took that courageous step in apologizing to Baltimore and as good people in this fine city when someone apologizes we forgive them.

Movember Day 7: Dear Gawd! It's Fuzzy

2011-11-07T10:56:00.001-05:00

Well today started off on the right foot. I was waiting at the bus stop on Eastern and Dundalk Ave. and listening to the local eastbound Raven's fans heckling the westbound Steeler fans at the bus stop. Lotta people have an extra pep in their step on the day after a win over the Steelers. I'm sure a few folks in the Pitts have a case of the Mondays today.
But back to matters at hand. It's Day 7 of Movember and this here brostache is taking shape. The good the bad and the ugly is all coming together here.
The Good: Raising awareness of men's health issues and raising money to help fight prostate and testicular cancer.
The Bad: I now have to pucker my lips extra tight so that I don't scrape and stache on Opti's kisser. She's making me smooch her delicately as to not scrape too much manliness on her. She's still not diggin the whiskers.
The Ugly: Dude. I'm growing a mustache. 'Nuff said.

I know by the end of this I'll have a full Ron Burgundy rockin out right under my nose.

Movember: Day 4. She's Not Diggin' the Idea

2011-11-04T08:49:00.001-04:00

Movember is underway and the stache is set in motion but there is one thing that I didn't think about in the planning of this: the mustache itself and what Opti will think about it. Sure it sounded like a fun way to raise awareness in a playful kinda way but when I told her that I'm all in she had one response. NO!!!!!
She hates mustaches and can't even picture me with one. Everything about a stache is creepy and uncomfortable to her. It's like kissing a caterpillar. But it's for a good cause. Manly men grow a mustache in the month of November to raise awareness of men's health issues such as prostate and testicular cancer. This is where she is tortured even more. She can't just deny me and ask me to shave it because it's for charity. It's for a good cause. Consider the cajones. You like testicles, don't you? And a handsome man ass? "Damn you!" she says. "It's not fair! I'm gonn have to live with pedo bear for a month". A mustache does have a certain porn star/child molester creepy feel to it. And herein lies the love/hate duality on Movember.
Ya know, when I went all in on the brostache I didn't realize the many opportunities I would have to taunt and tease Opti. Now she is looking for a support group to help cope with the trauma that a mustache may create in our world. It's for a good cause though. Sport the stache for nut sacks and butt cracks.

Sportin' a Brostache For Movember

2011-11-03T11:37:00.000-04:00

Ladies and gentleman. Bros and sistas. Movember is now upon us.
"Hey, DB, what's this Movember you speak of?"
I'm glad you asked, random second person.
Movember (a neologism that is a portmanteau of the slang word "mo" for mustache and "November") -Wikipedia
'Er, uh, thanks for nothing wiki-mush-mouth.
Movember is an annual, month-long event involving the growing of mustaches during the month of November. The event was conceived in 1999 by a group of mustached mates in Australia to raise awareness of men's health issues such as prostate and testicular cancer. The event has since scraggled it's way around the world and last year alone the US Movember stached away more than $80M for the cause.
Over here at Daily Breather central we've (I've) thrown our razor down and decided to jump on the stache-coach and ride this manly hair lip into December. DB here is not afraid to sport a flavor saver and if I can grow pubes on my face to raise awareness of cancerous nut sacks then I'm all for it.

And I'm not the only one putting my lip on the line for a donated dime. Check around your community and you may see a few more handlebars and Rollie Fingers lurking in your neighborhood. Head on over to one of my more favorite blogs and see a few posts already whisked up for Movember: The City That Breeds
This is where I first caught onto the idea and it's been growing ever since.
Need more info? Check out US Movember for Movember in the US action.
Hell, if I learn how to use that new fangled smart-ass phone of mine I might even be able to upload a progress report on the stache. There has to be a camera feature on that thing somewhere.

Mobbie Awards

2011-10-28T10:19:00.000-04:00

So, I've noticed that many of my blogs begin with the word "so". So what? It's my blog and I'll so if I want to.
But yea. It's been a coon's age since I did anything with this bloggy thing but I recently stepped into the smart phone age and yesterday the Twitter age. While on Twitter I was checking all these folks to follow and saw all these blogs that I used to read religiously back when Blogtimore was up and running. Thanks to Twitter I can see a lot of them in one place again and my how they've grown. Some new faces too.
Add in some good timing and I come across a list of blogs up for Mobbie Awards. It's like a one stop shop for hooking up all the cool Bmore blogs.
So in alpha order (because that's how my bookmarks work) here are the blogs that I've snatched up to read when I should be doing more trivial things like work. Curse of the drinking class.

Beer in Baltimore- It's beer! Hooray beer!
baltimore21201- Hey, I like culture. And I've even been to the Meyerhoff once. Don't you judge me.
thebaltimorechop- Dude, it's stuff that I like. Hooray for stuff that I like.
thecoolestkidsintown- this is a new one that I'm just getting in to.
baltimorecrime- 171 as of yesterday.
acharmedcity- another new one that I'm checking into. Dig the pics
audaciousideas- I can only dream to be this educated and effective in my fair city. Keep it up, folks.
baltimoreisawesome- Yes it is. And I saw a post for Beer and Bacon Happy Hour at Bad Decisions. Bump!
slumlordwatch- We need this blog! Someone's gotta keep an eye on the vacants. But if you come around
asking me about Snoop and Chris I didn't see shit.
homelesscide- This is where life gets real. This is a new one that I'm paying attention to. Good luck, Dave.
baltimorebrew- Don't let the name fool ya. More than just brew here. There's some fine indy journalism here
on some tough local issues.
mobtownshank- Been following this one for a while now. Tried and true Baltimore blog.

And there ya have it. Good luck on the Mobbies and have a super fantastic Friday.

Like OMG. I'm on Twitter! Now What?

2011-10-27T09:37:00.000-04:00

I believe that I'm one of those people who, for my age and education, are the last ones to pick up on new technology. Not only did I just dip my stinky big toe into the waters of the smart phone but just this morning I created one of those Tweeter accounts. What? Twitter? Yea, that too. So, I guess now I can twit little snippets of whatever I want. What? It's tweet? Ugh. This is why I don't take on new technology. You will be proud of me though. I just threw out about 25 lbs of old phone books last week. Seems I just don't have a use for them anymore. This here Internet and Google search thing pretty much has put phone books on the out. What's that? You haven't owned a phone book in years? Hey shut up. I'm new here.

I'm So About Yelp!

2010-10-22T12:38:00.000-04:00

I've been tossing up reviews on Yelp for the past few weeks now and have been perusing the forums. Why? Well, it's one of the few websighte that my employer has not blocked yet. But as far as finding a review on something Yelp has been pretty reliable. Except for my reviews. They all suck.

ATTENTION! RIOTERS OF OAKLAND!

2010-07-09T08:16:00.000-04:00

Rioters take the the streets of Oakland.

ATTENTION! Rioters of Oakland. Stop your destructive ways or we will shoot you in the face.

I repeat. Stop your destructive ways, return to your homes or the Oakland City Police will shoot you in the face.

Only kidding. But we will taser you in the face.

Fed Invents Most Accurate Clock in the World

2010-06-30T11:42:00.000-04:00

Federal News Radio

If you are a sticker for time then your in luck.

A young scientist at NIST has invented the world's most precise clock. It's based on quantum computing research and made out of aluminum.
Till Rosenband is a physicist in NIST's Time and Frequency Division.

He has also been nominate for a Service to America (Sammies) medal, which are awards that are given out annually by the Partnership for Public Service that honor the exceptional work of federal employees.

He explains that the current, standard model is made out of cesium.

"So, to give you an idea, if these things could run for billions of years, they would lose one second in about three billion years. . . . That's about 30 times better than the cesium clock."

Yes, he did say billions.

The project, in essence, is not new, either. Rosenband credits his boss with a lot of the ideas for this new clock, and says many scientists have been working on how to develop a new, more accurate one for about the past 30 years.
"All these ideas have been coming together, and I just feel lucky that I could take a lot of the new developments and put them together in the lab and build this really accurate clock."

Now that the project has been successful, he says there are all sorts of applications for it. His office, for instance, can measure the shape of the earth more accurately which, in turn, means technologies like radar could potentially benefit.
"As your continental plate rises or falls a little bit due to geophysics, this will shift the rate of your clock slightly. So, with a more accurate clock, you could really make new kinds of measurements. In the future, there may be new navigation applications and things like that."

Though it might seem complicated to most people, Rosenband says the relationship between time and physics is actually pretty simple if you think about it long enough.
"Time sort of drives everything in life and in nature. Everything changes with time, and so you can use these changes to see how time was running -- and that's basically what a clock does. It's one of the most basic quantities in nature, and physics is really operating at that level. Physical laws all deal with time."
Speaking of time, Rosenband admits he is young for his accomplishments. At 31 years old, he explains that federal service just seemed natural to him.

"I think in science, in particular, if you're not working for the government directly, you're probably working at a university that gets a lot of government funding. I think the government really has kind of the long term view that science has -- that it is a long-term investment that the government should be making just to make our lives better. There is so much technology and so many new inventions and they require this kind of long term investment. . . . If you just wanted to deliver profits every quarter, you probably wouldn't be working on this, but if you want precise navigation 20 years down the road, then this is the kind of project you would be working on."

That's great!. But I'll still be late for work.

I Was Told There Would be Cake at This Job.

2010-05-25T10:00:00.000-04:00

I walked into the break room this morning to find a large white bakery box sitting on the center table. There was nothing in the break room but me at a large rectangular white bakery box. It was taped closed in 6 different places so I could not sneak a peek to see what may be in store for me later in the day.
A few people came into the break room to see me dancing around the table like one of those experiments where a scientist introduces a new and foreign object to a group of chimps. I was trying to see how this could be opened, how I could use it to my advantage, if it would have tasty snacks inside.

Until this box is opened I will be hovering around the break room periodically throughout the day to see if it has been opened yet.

And when it finally is?...MWUAHAHAHA!!!

Update! There is a Giant bag full of paper plates and napkins next to the box now.
The day is already looking up!

Universal Truths

2010-04-26T16:46:00.001-04:00

UNIVERSAL TRUTHS

1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How in the world are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on #5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this - ever.

15. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello?), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voice mail. What did you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

16. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

17. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

18. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

19. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.

20. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

21. Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.

22. I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

23. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.

24. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

25. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

26. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent an idiot from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

27. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

28. Is it just me or do high school kids get dumber & dumber every year?

29. There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

30. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

31. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my ass everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!

Google Sets Up Quemoy-Matsu Battle for Cyber WWIII

2010-03-23T08:43:00.000-04:00

China Accuses Google of Violating Promises

Google and China are at it again.

A few months ago Google pulled its search engine operations out of China in retaliation to high level cyber hacking that Google claims could only be the work of the Chinese government. The Chinese government claims that it had no involvement in the cyber espionage but did not go so far as to search out the culprits. The Chinese government stated that Google had broken its written contract with the government and had ceased its censorship of certain material on its Chinese search engine.

Now Google is back in China but they have set up shop in Hong Kong which allows for looser control of business and capital. Both sides know what is about to happen next: Google will continue to allow uncensored searches to Google.cn and the Chinese government, or several unnamed hackers, will continue to force its way in and disrupt Google’s operations.

On one side I can’t see how the Chinese government intends to allow even the slightest use of the internet without expecting a flood of citizen organization and sharing of knowledge and ideas. And on the other hand I can’t see how Google would be allowed to operate in the country if it had broken such a sensitive rule in their contract.

People are people and will congregate and organize. And business is business where a breach of contract can lead to serious consequences.
If we start to see large ships anchored off the coast of Quemoy and Matsu
with the Google logo on the side ya might wanna start stocking up on the canned goods and dig the bomb shelter a bit deeper. We’re in for a long cyber cold war.

Potholes! Potholes Everywhere!!

2010-02-24T12:14:00.000-05:00

Man, I'll tell you what. I'm already tired of these Monday-Friday potholes in this Monday-Friday town!
With all the snow and snow plowing from the storm of the century (of the month) Baltimore streets have been left looking like the surface of the moon.
Potholes everywhere.
When we had walls of snow on the streets we had to manuver carefully because the streets were so narrow and side-swiping someone was possible. Now when we drive we're swerving all over the place because of the crater slolem that we play on our daily commute. Someone's gonna get smashed by someone else who's trying to dodge the upcoming potholes in the street.

Last week my commute took me up out of Hampden up Roland Ave and it was pretty nasty. This week I've been deployed to Essex and my eastwardly evacuation is much longer with potholes everywhere. And I mean er'war!

Ironic? My only smooth sailing is down Erdman Ave. because it was recently repaved last year. What used to be one of the worst spots on my drive is now smooth sailing. But the rest of the way is like playing Moon Patrol.

Watch out if your driving eastbound on 33rd between Guilford and Barclay. There's a T-shaped canyon that takes up nearly 2 lanes. I found that out the hard way.

Where else are you seeing massive pock marks in the city?

Clifton Park cut through at 33rd and Harford has always been bad but now it's worse.
The Avenue eastbound in Hampden has a deep one right before you get to Cafe Hon. Ouch.

Hold on to the wheel. folks. Baltimore's in for a bumpy ride.
I can just hear the city now. Throwing a fit come springtime over all the potholes.
Where's our Fed. disaster relief $$? Hope we get it in time to dump that cash into those holes. And why not? Aren't we just gonna dump it into some black hole anyway?

Snowed In In Hampden

2010-02-10T17:01:00.000-05:00

This is my car under the snow of last night. I was driving it just last night.

Not going anywhere for a while? Naw, me neither. Good thing there are 5 bars still withing walking distance. I think I'll take advantage of the 1/2 price drafts at 13.5% today.

This was our back yard at the 22" mark on Saturday. Good thing I don't have to shovel out my yard. BUt having a full city block yard does have its disadvantages. I have 2 sidewalks to shovel out.

This was last Saturday on Roland Ave. while one of the news crews was talking to some of Hampden's finest.

I wonder if this was a photo op? We got out of 13.5% to see the mayor at the 7-11 on Falls and 36th talking to camera crews. 3 city plow trucks past by her while they were filming. OK, so trucks are out and working. So why didn't any of them drop their plow and plow out the Avenue?

Random car on Chestnut St. Sat night. Maybe it's a van. Who knows? We'll find out in the spring thaw.

Hey David Horrowitz!

2010-02-08T21:59:00.000-05:00

Hey, David Horowitz!
What kind of cowardly twat picks a fight with a man in his own obituary?
Just that act alone would discredit any opinion or research by the jackass just on account that I think he's a dick!

Mr.�NOAM CHOMSKY (Former Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology): He studied what he called the countless small actions of unknown people that lead to the great moments that enter the historical record. That's a shift in perspective and understanding which is quite profound and quite significant.

Mr.�DAVID HOROWITZ (Author): There is absolutely nothing in Howard Zinn's intellectual output that is worthy of any kind of respect.

KEYES: Conservative pundit and author David Horowitz is among critics who fiercely disagree with Zinn's politics. Horowitz calls "A People's History of the United States" a travesty.

Mr.�HOROWITZ: Zinn represents a fringe mentality which has unfortunately seduced millions of people at this point in time. So he did certainly alter the consciousness of millions of younger people for the worse.

KEYES: But Zinn's supporters say the former Boston University professor has a powerful legacy, and Zinn himself told the online think tank bigthink.com in 2008:

Mr.�ZINN: I want to be remembered as somebody who gave people a feeling of hope and power they didn't have before.

KEYES: Howard Zinn died yesterday of a heart attack. He was 87 years old. Allison Keyes, NPR News.

In Honor of Dr. King. All of Them.

2010-01-18T15:29:00.000-05:00

In honor of Dr King on this day of his I thought I would extend the honor to all Dr. Kings in the world.
A quick google check shows that we have a skilled and honorable Dr. King in our fair charmed city.

In Honor of Dr. King in this day

Dr. Yao-king Hsu, or better known to his patients as "Dr. King", practices Obstetrics & Gynecology in Baltimore, Maryland.

Address & Contact Information:

200 East 33rd Street Suite 466
Baltimore, MD, 21218

Phone Number

Specialties:

Obstetrics & Gynecology

Here's to you Dr. King for keeping the dream alive and our ladies clean and helthy.

Florida QB Tim Tebow Should Have Been Aborted.

2010-01-16T15:24:00.000-05:00

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=ap-tebow-superbowlad&prov=ap&type=lgns

University of Florida quarterback and Lou Holtz wannabe pep talk yakkin', td rushing champ and all around #1 son should have been an aborted fetus that may have killed his mother in child birth. But moms ignored the request of pleading doctors and soldiered on to give birth to the best gol-darned ath-a-lete a mother could ever wish for. Hoo-rah!

Check out the Super Bowl commercial about Tebow and mamma Tebow and their anti-abortion implied life sponsored by Focus on teh Family right-ta-lifers. Awesome.

Spam Blogger Compliment...Uh...thanks?

2010-01-04T19:02:00.000-05:00

"Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!"

WTF?

I recently received this comment on an old post (that was neither creative nor original).
It would not have been so big of a deal if I hadn't read the same exact comment on another blogger's post yesterday. Funny thing is this...ya ready? The comment on the unrelated post was left right after a comment that I had left months ago.

Is there a corrolation in this spammer's pattern? Am I harboring some stupid blogger spam queen bee? Spitting out baby spam comments in the blog-y-comb? We're making blog-honey in here. Not so much.

Yea, whatever...
Has anyone else gotten these spammer geurilla kudos?

21 Inches of Snow Seperates the Good Neighbors From the Bad.

2009-12-22T14:34:00.000-05:00

In times like these when everyone is in the same situation you really get to see who your good neighbors are.

Many of us live in neighborhoods where we know some of our neighbors and some of us live in neighborhoods where we know all of our neighbors.

But if you want to know who the good ones are, and by default know who the bad ones are, just wait for a blizzard like this.

Sunday morning met my street with the saem problems that the rest of the city had. Damn near 2 feet of snow and nothing but a shovel and a few good neighbors to remove it all. So we got to work. Six of so able bodied menfolk outside taking to the street like we do this for a living. Luckily my car and my Suesue's car were parked together so it made digging easier. It would have been nice to have them parked in front of our house but hoopty van up the street decided to take my spot the night before.

Meanwhile, I parked my car across the street and there was an empty space behind hoopty van that we designated as the snow pile. It had to go somewhere so I sacrificed another space in front of our house for a snow pile.

Did hoopty van dude come out to help dig out? No. Did he get out to shovel off his sidewalk so people could walk up the street? No. Did he let the kindness of good neighbors dig him out so he could get his hoopty van ass out of my spot? Yes.

Fortunately, on Monday I didn't have to go into work so I did some shopping. Hoopty van was gone but in his spot (my spot, really. It's in front of my house, he has his own damn space) he put an orange cone and piece of plywood down in the space to indicate that this was his reserved spot.

DUDE!!
Did you dig this spot out? NO.
Is this your parking space? NO.
Do you have any right to this space on any other day? NO.
Are you a bad neighbor who doesn't shovel anything or clear his walkway? YES (I had to give him one).

I could only hope to get back home before he returned but no good. He returned to the same spot that he "reserved" for his own velvet Elvis seat covered, ugly ass gas guzzling Ro-Fo coffe cup littered, pain in my ass 'cause he don'e shovel shit, hoopty van.

Get some salt on your sidewalk, asshole! And clean up the shit in the front sidewalk area from your yappy-ass dog too. The snow's not gonna bury it forever.

Dear Baltimore City Road Crew: Thanks For Nothin'!

2009-12-22T14:24:00.000-05:00

How 'bout that blizzard 'eh?
Did you see all the snow that we got?

Of course you saw all the snow we got! It was steady rockin' all night long.
Oh, and did you finally get your car dug out of the street? Yea? Well good for you.

Sunday morning there were about 6 able bodied menfolk neighbors out shoveling out our 1 block street in Hampden. We were all responsable for digging out multiple cars on the street: our car and our spouse/girlfriend/old lady/grama/ etc.
So we got to work. Shovel shovel shovel and a snow blower ta boot (thanks neighbor dude down the street).
Fortunately nobody dropped dead from a heart attack and we had a laugh here and there as the day went by. We are the good neighbors. Dug out our cars, dug out nice neighbor ladies who have no menfolk and dug out the sidewalk. Good for us.

What do we get for this? We get help.
Just when our 1/2 of the street was clear a white BCPW pickup truck turns onto the street to plow.
He drops his blade 6 houses away, scrapes the street untill he gets to the back seat door of my car. He's stuck. So, in the spirit of helping and scoring holiday OT pay what does he do?
He backs up, raises the plow about 6 inches and drives over the snow bank that he just created next to my car. He then drives up the street that we just shovelled (shovelled, mind you, down to the pavement, no snow or ice) he drives over the newly created snow bank and spreades whatever his 6" high plow can spread up the street. BCPW just buried 3 hours of back breaking shoveling.
STOP HELPING!!

So like any good ant colony, we get back to work. Who else is going to do it? We live at the top of a One-Way street and this is how everyone is going to get out. So we shovel.

Michigan’s Economic Darwin Award

2009-11-17T15:50:00.000-05:00

Michigan’s Economic Darwin Award
Silverdome Sells for a half-mil

From the WSJ:

Pontiac, Mich., reached a deal to sell the 80,000-seat Pontiac Silverdome to an unidentified Canadian buyer for $583,000, about 1% of what it cost to build, the city said Monday.

The city said the buyer planned to convert the former home of the National Football League's Detroit Lions into a soccer facility. A city official declined to release further information until the deal was finalized.

Even though the price was low, getting the stadium into private hands was important for Pontiac's financial health, according to Fred Leeb, the city's emergency manager. "Even I have to admit that the number is lower than I would like," Mr. Leeb said. "But I'm happy that we made the decision. Procrastination was literally costing us millions of dollars."

The Silverdome stadium cost about $55.7 million to build in 1975. The Detroit Lions played there until the 2001 season after which the team left for a new stadium in downtown Detroit.

Pontiac, which has attempted to sell the Silverdome for years, put it on the auction block and offered it for sale to the highest bidder, with no minimum price. As recently as last year, developers offered $17.5 million for the property, which includes the stadium and the surrounding 127 acres. The stadium costs an estimated $1.5 million a year to maintain.
Potential buyers initially submitted bids Thursday. The city chose to invite those bidders to a live auction held Monday.

Did I get this article straight? Last year Pontiac had a bid of over $17Mil and sold it this week for $583,000?

Water Found on Moon, Scientists Say. No Shit?!

2009-11-13T14:56:00.000-05:00

Water Found on Moon, Scientists Say

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/14/science/14moon.html
“The confirmation of scientists’ suspicions is welcome news both to future explorers who might set up home on the lunar surface and to scientists who hope that the water, in the form of ice accumulated over billions of years, could hold a record of the solar system’s history.”
Now how long has that moon been up there?
And how long have we been exploring space?
And we’re just now discovering what could be water on the moon?

Is there a scientific award category called “Better Late Than Never “ Award?

I Know You’re Out There Somewhere.

2009-11-06T08:58:00.000-05:00

11/6/05.
I was living in Port Deposit, MD at this time. You were living in Madison, WI. It had been 3 years since I saw you last. You came to visit for a while when I moved to Waldorf, MD with my then girlfriend.

Before I moved out to MD we were the duo. Inseparable.

Maybe I made some bad decisions along the way. Maybe I followed the wrong person and ended up leaving my family and friends for a new life. The silver lining from all of that was that I am now in Maryland and the rest of my family is as well and doing better for it.

But even in my bad decisions you supported me. It seemed that you were the only one and that’s why you got the invite to visit me in Maryland.

At the time I wish you hadn’t come out. Since moving to Maryland I had become a shell of the man that you once knew. I had given up on pursuing life for myself and was resigned to live in what was to be my new family life.

You had an open invitation to stay as long as you wanted but did not last three weeks. You had to get out and desperately tried to take me with you but I couldn’t get up. Later you would move to Madison with your mother.

I thought you would shine in your new environment. A chemistry wiz without a college degree, you taught PhD candidates how to do their jobs and for that they took your notes and fired you.

Everyone wanted to know what you knew. Everyone wanted to stand next to you and call you their friend. All you wanted was a few true souls and someone who you could share a life with. When I finally broke from my slump and got out on my own I wanted to contact you and tell you the good news. I was free. Alive and well. I wrote you a birthday card in June that never got sent. That's a regret that I will always hold close to me.

When I got the call on November 6th and learned that you had taken your own life I didn’t want to believe it. I wanted to believe it was a prank call. It was real. You took your life away from all of us and moved on to the world that would better suit you.

You had one of the most beautiful minds ever created but it was made for the wrong world. I hope you have found that world that you were looking for. You deserve it. You always have.
You nearly killed many of us and I know that we are not the same now that you are gone. But I could never be mad at you and never will. I forgive you. Rest in Peace, my friend.

Love Always,

Jamie

Fells Point Becomes Vector for Swine Flu

2009-11-02T10:12:00.000-05:00

Like every Halloween in Baltimore, Fells Point was ripe for adventure and this year was no different.

Sure there were costumes galore, people galore, police presence double galore and Yankee fans interspersed throughout the night dressed as a constant reminder that the Yankees suck. Especially when they win.
So what is an avid Yankee hater to do? Why, give them swine flu, of course.
Fear not, wary citizens. It was not the real H1N1 but a replica of the virus spread throughout Fells Point in sticker form.

I had over 300 stickers of the H1N1 virus and passed out nearly all of them on a trail from Hampden to Fells Point.

Once we hit Broadway and Thames and entered the 98Rock tent we were at ground zero for infection. I say “we” because my Suesue was dressed as the flu vaccine. But by the time I got to the party it was too late for a vaccine so she was just there to add an empty promise of relief and a needle in the ass. Both of which were fun to watch.

Balloon Boy got infected. I’m sure many of you will be pleased to hear that. You’re welcome!

Obama’s Health Care Death Panel also became incubators for the H1N1 virus. What better way to speed up the death process than to contract swine flu at your first meeting with the Death Panel. OK, so maybe Republicans were right. This panel IS going to kill a lot of people. Sorry about that.

Even Soap and Scrubbie got a virus to take home and spread to the family. This just goes to show that you can wash your hands all you want. Hell, you can even BE soap and you’re not safe from the virus.

And as a smart virus I even managed to infect the helpful ladies who were selling me drinks all night. What better way to spread the virus then to infect those who will be handling your food and drink? (hey, the flu has been outsmarting you complex humans for years).

Sorry Baltimore but even your two biggest heroes were infected this weekend. As for the rest of the O’s, I have no reason why they were sick all season. I had nothing to do with that.

This girl, however, I couldn’t seem to get rid of. She’ll always be around whenever I’m looking to have a good time. Get outta the way!! Don’t you have anything better to do?! You ever wonder what's taking so long for the flu vaccine to get out? Blame this bitch.

By 2am we had successfully passed out enough swine flu to put this city down for the count.
From notable figures like Albert Einstien and John Lennon to 1/2 of the Ravens defensive line to even inaanimate objects like Soap and Water this town could be the next sight for a flu epidemic.
Hope you have your sick leave built up.

Happy Halloween! Love, Swine Flu

2009-10-30T09:10:00.000-04:00

Swine flu Wishes Everyone a Happy Halloween.

This year I’m going as swine flu for Halloween. Why not? It’s topical. It’s all in the news and it’s scaring America more than any devilish creature from this world or the next.
But what if I really am a human incubator for the dreaded H1N1?
How many people would I come in contact with on an average Halloween night?
How quickly could I spread this agent of terror throughout the land?
Well, lets see.

Tomorrow I will be swine flu and I have 300 viruses on hand to spread.
Actually this virus is a 3x5 sticker of the H1N1 virus. Anyone I come in contact with for more than a few seconds gets a sticker. A handshake gets a sticker.
A hug gets a sticker.
A smooch definitely gets a sticker.
And if I go bobbing for apples at the local elementary school and the whole place gets a sticker.

The possibilities of spreading the virus are endless.
This is one of the joys of being a vector.
So if you’re out on Halloween and you see a sick pig handing out H1N1 you just may get infected.
But there’s no need to panic. My girlfriend will be dressed as the H1N1 vaccine. So just talk to her and you could get the antidote. But probably not. She’s not a people person. She’s just in it for the money.

Senate Passes Fagot-Ass Anti-Hate Crime Bill: Keeps War Rolling On.

2009-10-23T15:00:00.000-04:00

The Senate's 68-29 vote in favor of Pentagon defense spending bill, which includes the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, came after the House approved the bill earlier this month.
The measure was approved with a majority of Republicans voting against it. The House passed the same bill Oct. 8, also with most Republicans opposed.

The measure would extend the current definition of federal hate crimes -- which covers attacks motivated by race, color, religion or national origin -- to include those based on sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. It also would make it a federal crime to attack U.S. military personnel because of their service.

Republicans contend that an expansion of the hate crimes definition should not be included in a defense spending bill. The bill allocates $130 billion for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq for the fiscal year 2010, which began Oct. 1.

Now here is one of the few times that I can totally agree with Republicans on this matter.

A hate crimes bill should not be passed along with a bill which would allow the Pentagon to spend $130 billion to kill Iraqis and Afghans. That’s a hate crime in itself. In fact the Pentagon should not get $1 to wage war on any sovereign nation.

Here’s what one Rep. Senator has to say on the matter:

"Democrats have done a great disservice to the brave men and women of our Armed Forces today by using them as leverage to pass radical social policy," said House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio after the House passed the bill.

Did he miss the part of the hate crime bill that said it also would make it a federal crime to attack U.S. military personnel because of their service? Radical social policy?

"They engineered this abuse of the legislative process because they had no other way to pass legislation that is unconstitutional and just plain wrong," he said. "Our troops, and their families, deserve better."

But our troops and their families don’t deserve to have the rest of the military discriminate against them.
Can someone help me explain this one?

Town Hall Meeting on Health Care Reform: OBAMACARE!

2009-08-11T16:25:00.000-04:00

So last night there was a town hall meeting on health care reform with Sen. Ben Cardin. The meeting was at 7pm at the Towson University Center for the Arts Kaplin Concert Hall but the circus began around 5pm outside the hall on Osler drive as the street (and the world!!) was divided with Pro-Obamacare freaks on the west side of the street and Anti- Obamacare nut jobs on the east.

I parked my car a few blocks away from the hall and walked down the hill to Osler Dr. As I came to the corner another man was crossing the street and we came together as I turned the corner. I didn’t know who this person was but he looked like he could be my father or anyone’s father. Since we were side by side and heading in the same direction I figured it would be rude (yet totally typical) to ignore his presence since we were walking in tandem up the sidewalk. I greeted him and made a comment on the hot day and other social banter. As we came up over the hill we were met with throngs of people on either side of Osler St. in what looked like a pitched battle waiting to break out. Signs waving, megaphones chanting, car horns honking and 2 opposing crowds a good 15 feet from tearing each others throats out.
Now I just love playing the rube and this gave me a chance to find out more about my new travel companion. So I asked, surprisingly, “Wow, what’s going on here?” The man answered in a bitterly resigned voice: “The end of the world”
“The end of the world? Really? And it’s happening right here?”
“It’s happening all over this country”
“What is?”
And that’s when I heard the term that would be the buzz word for the rest of the evening:
“Obamacare!”
“Obamacare?” I asked.
“Yea, Obama wants to take our health care away, give it to everyone and water it down for everyone. Ya see, we’re gonna lose what we have now because there’s not enough to go around, and you know who’s gonna pay for it don’t ya?”.

This would be the first of an endless stream of rapid fire opinions and rants that I would encounter the rest of the evening.

At this point we had reached the beginning of the sign-holding, flag-waving crazies on the street. The first sign I came to said “No Gov. Run Health Care!”
I looked at it with my head cocked and said, “My dad has gov. health care. But he’s 65 too. I guess you get a free ride if you can make it in this country and survive to be 65. But he’s a veteran too so he’s always been covered….So is that wrong now?”

My new companero had nothing to say in response but that’s OK, I was entering the jungle and could find blasting conversation anywhere I looked. All I had to do was walk up to someone and they would desperately throw their beliefs of health care on me as if their voice alone was the one that would change the course of the entire debate. It was such a blast.

Now, let me come out and say that I was informed about this event by an email I got from a local MoveOn.org member and, coming up the hill, my support was on the side of change. But after I found myself in the thick of the event I knew that change was the farthest thing from anyone in this maelstrom of media hype.

I became a neutral figure in the debate and chose the role of the observer over that of the warrior.
At one point I got out on the median of the street and took a short video that panned back and forth at both sides of the crowd. You really couldn’t tell who was who if you couldn’t read the signs. Everyone was ugly and intolerant. But some ugly in the name of smaller government and saving their broken health care system while others were ugly in the name of health care reform and president Obama. It really was a great time to be a neutral observer. Sure I side with health care reform but voicing any opinion on this day was only going to raise my stress level and make me lose my voice. I’d still be going home none the wiser in the end. So I let everyone else guckin fonuts.

Unfortunately though, I got tied up in the shit storm for longer than I should have and by the time I got in line for the actual town hall event at 6:10. The line was too long to get in and we were shut out. But I think I would not have gotten in anyway. When I got there at 5:15 the line was half the size it was when I got in it but it wasn’t going anywhere.
Emails and press notes said that the event starts at 7 but never said when the doors opened. By 6pm no one was moving in line.
Oh but the line provided for just as much jack assery. I was standing behind a older lady with a big sign that cited a few lines from Obama’s health reform. It stated that “The gov. will require access to your personal banking information for electronic funds transfer”. NO!! This is the largest breach in private security that I have ever….Wait a minute. Don’t I voluntarily give the gov my bank routing info every year for electronic funds transfer so that they can directly deposit my income tax return into my bank account? Uh, yea. And if big brother were half as menacing as we’d like to believe they would keep my bank info so I wouldn’t have to provide it every year. But are they really that competent? Not hardly. Trust me, I work for the gov. We could care less about you and your personal information. Now Choicepoint, on the other hand. They are the folks who have hundreds of pages on my daily activities and every bank account I ever had. They are the ones who are stockpiling my data for the corporate big brother. That’s the real threat (and also the main funder of the Anti-Obamacare scare and bully tactics…but this is no time to get into actual factual details. Truth has no place in a protest).

And not 30 seconds after reading this sign and chuckling to myself a casual conversation between a solo 19 yr old Towson student and a group of 4 middle age people took some turn for the worse when the young guy, knowing the ways of the world, told a lady “you don’t know what you’re talking about!” and her husband got into the argument and oratorically tore the kid a new one. Without stating his position or any identifiable information about himself the middle age man reversed every argument the kid had and exposed it as rookie assumptions. The kid just got more furious because he was seeing that he was not right. But to his credit he was seeing just that.
I thought the kid was brave. Better to put yourself out there and make your mistakes when you are still young and learn a thing or two from them. And nobody went away in anger. The kid was frustrated and rightly so. Nobody likes to be wrong but it’s a big man to admit when he is. He’ll do just fine. But not today.

Now here’s something interesting. There were 2 police men guarding the line to prevent protesters from aggravating those waiting in line. At 6:40 I saw these police leaving the scene. I assume that they were told that no one else is getting in the building and they assumed their job was over. Not 5 minutes later a wave of people from the Anti-Obamacare mob swarmed up the hill and encircled the line creating a big battle arena. Imagine an after school fight where hundreds of kids gathering around to see a bunch of other kids duke it out. But you never see more then some finger pointing and name calling.
I, however, used this opportunity to walk up past all the swarm and get right to the front of the line only to find out that no one was getting in.
Oh well. I had seen enough already.

Now here's a sight. Ebony and Ivory coming together to disagree and cause a clusterfuck of our democratic system in perfect harmony

This was priceless. Uncle Jesse had real dedication. Sentence structure is not the best but it's not like he sacrificed his pick 'em up truck to make the statement...Oh wait.

Of course FAUX News was there to cover it all and spin it the way you would expect. They didn't need to go far though. This was a FAUX report from heaven. This evening was perfect for a crazy news report.

But after all of this protest I sat there on the hill and shook my head and thought, "I can't believe I'm supporting the government in a public protest! What the hell is happening here!"
That's when I knew that this health care reform was only a dream.

The Freaks Come Out At (the) Right

2009-08-10T15:28:00.000-04:00

Sen. Cardin - Town Hall meeting / Rally
Towson University Center for the Arts
Cross Campus Drive and Osler Drive
Towson, MD 21204
Monday, 10 Aug 2009, 5:30 PM

The Freaks Come Out at (the) Right.

Tonight I’m going to a Town Hall meeting that Senator Ben Cardin is hosting at Towson University.
This will be one of those Town hall meetings that you have been seeing on the news and hearing about on NPR. You know the ones. Those health care reform meetings where Right wing nut sacks have been flooding the hall and disrupting the meeting so that nothing can be accomplished.
In the news we see articles like: Huffington Post:
Right Wing S**T Storm Tries to Stop Health Care Reform

Salon.com: Obama wants to kill your grandma

The list goes on and on.
So I am going tonight to see the circus that is the Amerikan political system in action. I hope to see just how crazy it can get. Because there’s a lot at stake here. If we’re not careful we could all lose our health care (that we only have if our employer chooses to help us pay for it) and it could all be given to illegal aliens, our loved ones could be forced on the next midnight train to Middle America where they will be euthanized with cattle prods and the Medicare budget will be diverted into mandatory abortions for all single women without a parent’s or the Pope’s consent. What the hell is going on here? All of this is true! Haven’t you been paying attention?
Nah, me neither.
Only in Amerika are we afraid of health care for all. Even the thought of giving everyone access to health care scares the bejezus out of me. I mean, really. What will come of this nation if everyone had access to the fundamental human right that is quality medical attention?
What next?
Giving citizens a license to drive a car on our streets?
Giving citizens the ability to go into business for themselves?
Allowing citizens to represent themselves in court?

If health care is granted to every citizen in this great nation then the rest of the world may look at this as a sign of weakness. The United States is a mighty and fearless enemy to anyone who may disagree with it. After all, if this country won’t even offer medical attention to its own citizens just imagine how easily it would be for it to bomb the hell out of you! Watch out, world.

Wanted: Good Auto Mechanic

2009-08-04T10:37:00.000-04:00

Wanted: Good Auto Mechanic.

I hate auto repairs. That’s why I leave all of them till the last minute. Well, the last minute is nigh and I need some brake work done.
I’ve gotten two estimates; one from my Saturn dealership and another from Precision tune. I don’t want to go with either one.

First off, a dealership is usually the most expensive place to get auto work done. They were thorough in finding many things wrong with my car but only went halfway in fixing the problem that brought me to them in the first place.

Second, I went to Precision Tune for a “free brake check” and “$14.99 oil change” that they had on their road sign. Well, they checked my brakes and found half of what Saturn did and when they charged me $26 for the $14.99 oil change they stated on the itemized inspection sheet that they checked the gaskets. They dais they were fine. Apparently the pool of oil coming out of one of the spark plug covers does not tip them to the fact that I have a bad gasket. And for the half-ass brake check they did they still quoted me more then the dealership to fix half of the problem.

Argh! So now I’m on my third search for a decent brake job from someone who’s not going to jack me. I’m on my last leg as far as brakes go (how’s that for a mixed metaphor?). But I don’t want to pay more for maintenance than I did for the whole damn car.

Sure, I got a ’98 Saturn and it only cost me $2K but it’s the best money spent for a car. It’s usually trouble free and dependable as all get out. It’s not like I got a lemon, it’s brake work and that is always needed no matter what you drive.

So if anyone can recommend me a decent auto mechanic in the Baltimore area I’d go and check them out. Even better, if you have a brother-in-law who’s a mechanic and does bonus “family” work on the side I’d slide him some cash for some decent side work.

Why the Search Engine Bing Sucks

2009-07-29T08:08:00.000-04:00

I've noticed on my Internet Explorer here at work that the Bing search engine has been updated and stuck on my toolbar. Being a pod drone I don't have the admin authority to remove this eyesore. So if ya can't beat 'em join 'em. That is, if you can find them. Bing sucks.
Now that it is forefront on my screen I am compelled to use it rather than opening a new Google search (I don't have a Google toolbar or search engine on the work brain).
OK, maybe I shuoldn't use the word compelled. That makes it look like Bing has some power of persuasion. No, it just has the ability and Microsoct pirate muscle to be the easiest and shortest means of a search. But it is not the fastest. Half of all Bing searches have resulted in opening a Google search to find exactly what I am looking for on the first page. Fancy that.
If Bing is taking over the search world then it's doing it the only way Microsoft knows how: by dumping its product on every machine it can and strangling better working products.

Here's an example. Do an Bing search for the word: Walnart

What happens? Bing does the thinking for you and corrects your spelling and searches for "Walmart"
19,300,000 results for Walmart. Wow, that's a lot! But it's not what I'm looking for. Useless.
Oh but there's a feature to search for just for results for Walnart.
Results? 538 results for Walmart.

Now do a Google search for Walnart? What do you get?

Pretty cool 'eh?

Palin's Resignation: The Edited Version: vanityfair.com

2009-07-27T21:16:00.001-04:00

Like, OMG! I'm almost speachless. I wish Palin was too.

Palin's Resignation: The Edited Version: vanityfair.com

Shared via AddThis

Baseball Has Been Berry Goot to Me.

2009-07-15T13:37:00.000-04:00

So last night was the All-Star game. That’s major League Baseball All-Star for those sports fans who only know All-Star as NFL and NBA.

I believe last night was the first time I sat and watched the All-Star game since I was in elementary school. I think I remember Mike Schmidt , Wade Boggs and George Brett as being my favorite All-Stars of the last game I sat all the way through. Oh and Lance Parrish because I was a die hard 7 yr old Tigers fan.

Well last night was the first time ever that I rooted more for the National League than the American. I’m a Tiger fan by birth and an Oriole fan by inheritance so why Nat League?

You can credit my Suesue for that. She is a St. Louis native and long time Cardinals fan and baseball fan in general. She still feels that childhood excitement whenever she walks through the coliseum-like entrance of a major league ball park. It’s something that takes her back. Being with her at a game brings it back for me as well. That kind of exuberance is electric.

She credits St. Louis and the Cardinal fans for this spirit. She has said it many times before and last night’s All-Star game at Busch Stadium illustrated it: St. Louis is a baseball town. The fans are loyal to their team through and through but are also true baseball fans at heart. Even the announcers stated that the fans were giving their hearts to all of the players and the game itself. Of course their beloved Cards All-Stars received almost as much of an ovation as our -cool as a cucumber- president who not only threw out the first pitch but was bold enough to do it in a White Sox jacket.

The crowd loved him. The crowd loved baseball. And I was there until the final out.

Hampden Barricade: Worst Local News Story Ever.

2009-06-29T08:26:00.000-04:00

Worst local news story ever. I had to hear a police chopper hoover over my house all day for this?
Man locked in own home...has a knife...no hostages...And?
I too was 3 blocks away...locked in my home...actual guns in the house...no hostages...Nobody bothered me. Now I feel lonely. What's a guy gotta do to make some news?
Maybe I should announce to the neighborhood that I've locked myself in my house...Maybe that will cause drama.
Whatevs.

http://wjz.com/local/barricade.situation.Baltimore.2.1063467.html

My Intro to the Power of Michael Jackson: A 1st Grader's Tale.

2009-06-26T11:42:00.001-04:00

Do you remember when you first got into Michael Jackson?

I ask this because I believe MJ is going to be our generation’s Elvis especially now that he is gone. Like generations before who knew where they were when they heard JFK was shot or even now when we remember where we were when we heard about 9-11. Yesterday may be one of those days.

I know I’ve been listening to Michael Jackson since I first started hearing the radio. My first memory; though, of when he became a musical force in my life was way back in the 1st grade.

My sister and I would go grocery shopping once a week with my mom and we were able to get 1 small toy each. Usually it was a Hot Wheels car for me and something small and girlie for my sister. When I started school and had to get up early on a regular basis I was given a clock radio to wake up to. That’s when my musical listening days started. I had it tuned to Foxy 101 coming out of Saginaw, MI in 1980. My grocery shopping toy selections would take a turn after this. Now I wanted records.
This was a time when you could still buy 7” singles for about .99 cents. My sister’s and my record collection would start to flourish with one 7” single per week.

Fast forward three years. I just got the Billie Jean 7” from the grocery store when it came out. Sure, some people were waiting in line at Record Town or some local Mall music shop for this record to drop. I got mine from Meijer music section (Meijer Thrifty Acres represent!).

The next day was show and tell at school. Kids usually brought in their favorite toy or something their family brought back for them from some trip. We usually didn’t pay much attention to what the other kids had, especially if we were waiting to show our stuff.

When it was my turn I didn’t say a word. No intro to my toy and no explanation needed. I walked over to the small classroom record player, turned it on and slid the record out of the jacket and on the turntable. After I turned it up and the music started I just turned around and went back to me seat. But I didn’t just take my seat. I walked tall with a certain strut in my step that no 6 yr old should even know how to do. The madness in the music got to me, you could say.
All eyes were on me as I took my seat. The music played and the classroom was enthralled.
This show and tell was all mine and I was king of all 6 yr olds for a day. This was the first time I felt just how powerful music could be. For a few minutes I was transformed and everyone took notice of the sound.
After that other kids started bringing their favorite records to show and tell and it turned into a small music corner for a short while.
That’s what Michael Jackson did for me and that’s when I became a fan.

Commuter Biking Reimbursements: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

2009-05-04T10:31:00.000-04:00

Commuter Biking Reimbursements: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/121927.pdf

Page 24 lists possible bike commuter reimbursement possibly equal to that of parking fees.

“…Up to $120 (for 2009) per month of employer provided
transit and vanpool benefits was excludable from gross income. The Senate-passed bill
(Sec. 1251) proposed to increase the monthly exclusion for employer-provided transit, vanpool,
and bicycle commuting benefits to the same level as the exclusion for employer-provided
parking. There was no similar provision in the House bill. ARRA (§1151) includes the text of the
Senate proposal, increasing the benefit for transit, vanpools, and bicycle commuting to $230 per
month. The provision is scheduled to expire at the end of 2010. JCT estimates the cost at $192
million over 10 years.”

I'm Just Happy to be Drunk in Public

2009-04-07T01:08:00.000-04:00

O's Opening Day at Pickles.
I could be working right now. Shhhh...

MICHIGAN STATE!!

2009-04-05T00:28:00.000-04:00

WHAT UP NOW?
CRIAG SOPO: BMORE-ELECTRO GIVES IT UP FOR MSU.

SPARTY ON!

Final Four: Where Are the MSU Fans At?

2009-04-03T08:02:00.000-04:00

MICHIGAN STATE vs. U CONN
Saturday April 4, 2009 6:07 PM

Being a Michigander in MD is not as uncommon as one might think.
My home state has been fueling the economic boom of the 90's and 2K because we've been fleeing the state like we just broke out of Jackson. So here we are better than ever.
It is no surprise to meet fellow MI expats in Baltimore.

So my question here is: Where are we all going to be to see the Michigan State Final Four game?

How could this year be any better? MSU in the Final Four to be played at
Ford Field in Dee-troit.

Gametime is 6:07PM

It would be fun to see where all the UCONN fans found hotel rooms near Ford Field. They better choose wisely, hide their Husky wear and tuck their gold. We're all aiming for them.

Everybody now!

On the banks of the Red Cedar
There's a school that's known to all
Its specialty is winning
And those Spartans play good ball
Spartan teams are never beaten,
All through the game they'll fight
Fight for the only colors
Green and White.

I love how school songs have nothing to do with academics.
Sparty On!

Petition: Please Help Hampden Score New Tattoo Shop and Art Gallery.

2009-04-02T16:03:00.000-04:00

My friend Stacey, who lives in Hampden, has found a space to move her long time running tattoo shop to. Only problem is she is getting heat from petitions to keep her business out of Hampden.
Why?
I figure a female artist who's been pro for nearly 20 years would be welcomed in the Hampden business and arts community. Not only is she proposing a tattoo parlor but also a local art gallery.

Oh yea, it's also in the "Obey Your Noodle Master, Hon" building on Falls Rd.
Apparently, that building was featured in a John waters movie as well. Yet it remains empty. Pulp history growing cobwebs. The vacant space should be used.

Well...Read on and see why it's not so easy to get a "competing" shop opened in Hampden.
This is a letter written by my fiend, Ken asking for assistance in signing a petition to allow his girlfriend to move her job from Glen Burnie home to Hampden . I wish I could work 4 blocks from my home. ...

Hey Ya'll,
As most of you know, my girlfriend Stacey is trying to move her tattoo shop from Glen Burnie to 3853 Falls Road, Baltimore City, 21211. This will give her room to establish Tattoo Tux's Fine Art Gallery and continue to tattoo in a small studio in the rear of the storefront.
Unfortunately another tattoo shop in the neighborhood has organized a petition to oppose this move and has already collected hundreds of signatures. Now we must do the same.
PLEASE TAKE ONE MINUTE TO SIGN THE BELOW PETITION
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/tux/
Also please FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO ANYONE you know who lives in Funkytown, ESPECIALLY HAMPDEN!
Thanks, Love and Peace,
Ken

Is Rep. Cummings Serious? I Can't Ask Him. Can You?

2009-03-31T12:11:00.000-04:00

Did anyone get an email from Rep Elijah Cummings office this morning? Did anyone try to respond? Did you get the same results I did? Apparently political discussion is only meant to flow one way and does not require my input…

I find it funny that Congressman Cummings wants to contact me but will not receive emails in return…Here's my attempt at appreciation for his office's new embracing of email technology. Yes, the future is here. Soon everyone will be communicating via email. Hard to believe? Well, yea. Here's why...

On Tue, Mar 31, 2009 at 8:31 AM, Congressman Elijah Cummings wrote:

Congressman Elijah Cummings would like to periodically email you information about legislative issues in Congress vital to you and your family.

Receiving this information by email is a fast and efficient way to learn more about what is going on during these significant times, and will provide you with timely information about news important to you and your family.

Email is part of an ongoing effort to keep voters informed about the latest news and how upcoming issues will affect you. If you would prefer not to receive these email messages, please follow the instructions at the bottom of this message.

Thank you for your time.

Congressman Elijah Cummings, 7th District of Maryland
2235 Rayburn HOB
Washington DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4741
Fax: (202) 225-3178
________________________________________________________________________

My email response

Congressman Elijah Cummings;

Thank you for contacting me directly regarding Congressional legislative issues. Often I receive email notifications on certain issues that are dear to me but they always come from an outside party, a PAC or any of the many grassroots organizations in my community who take it upon themselves to be the middlemen in relaying information to me.

I am pleased to be able to receive information directly from the Congressman's office on issues that really are important to me.
As a constituent and loyal supporter of Rep. Cummings I am happy to be able to be treated as such with these emails.

Your message is absolutely correct in that email is the fastest way to keep voters informed.
Welcome to the year 2000. Organizers have been using mass email for years. What took you so long to find your supporters? With any more organization I would begin to think that you are now a Libertarian. I certainly would not hold that against you.

Thank you for the email,

Jamie Schott
Baltimore residant and proud member of Baltimore County Department of Social Services.
Please remember our most at-risk citizens when the resources are being handed out.

Now here is the response to my appreciation.

This is an automatically generated Delivery Status Notification

Delivery to the following recipient failed permanently:

Rep.Cummings@mail.house.gov

Technical details of permanent failure:
Google tried to deliver your message, but it was rejected by the recipient domain. We recommend contacting the other email provider for further information about the cause of this error. The error that the other server returned was: 550 550 5.7.1 Unable to deliver to (state 14).

ATTN: Indy Minded Baltimore Residents: City From Below

2009-03-19T10:00:00.000-04:00

A group of activists and organizers, including Red Emma's, the Indypendent Reader, The Baltimore Development Cooperative, campbaltimore, and the Campaign for a Better Baltimore are calling for a conference called The City From Below, to take place in Baltimore during the weekend of March 27th-29th, 2009 at 2640, a grassroots community center and events venue.

Our intention to focus on the city first and foremost stems from our own organizing experience, and a recognition that the city is very often the terrain on which we fight, and which we should be fighting for. To take a particularly salient example in Baltimore, it is increasingly the case that labor struggles, especially in the service sector, need to confront not just unfair employers, but structurally disastrous municipal development policies. While the financial crisis plays out in the national news and in the spectacle of legislative action, it is at the level of the urban community where foreclosures can be directly challenged and the right to a non-capitalist relation to housing can be fought for. Our right to an autonomous culture, to our freedom to dissent, to public spaces and to public education all hinge increasingly on our relation to the cities in which we live and to the people and forces in control of them. And our cities offer some truly inspiring and creative examples of resistance - from the community garden to the neighborhood assembly.

Baltimore: City From Below. Workshops/Lectures

2009-03-18T12:10:00.000-04:00

The City From Below
March 27th-29th, 2009
Baltimore

The city has emerged in recent years as an indispensable concept for many of the struggles for social justice we are all engaged in - it's a place where theory meets practice, where the neighborhood organizes against global capitalism, where unequal divisions based on race and class can be mapped out block by block and contested, where the micropolitics of gender and sexual orientation are subject to metropolitan rearticulation, where every corner is a potential site of resistance and every vacant lot a commons to be reclaimed, and, most importantly, a place where all our diverse struggles and strategies have a chance of coming together into something greater. In cities everywhere, new social movements are coming into being, hidden histories and herstories are being uncovered, and unanticipated futures are being imagined and built - but so much of this knowledge remains, so to speak, at street-level. We need a space to gather and share our stories, our ideas and analysis, a space to come together and rethink the city from below.To that end, a group of activists and organizers, including Red Emma's, the Indypendent Reader, The Baltimore Development Cooperative, campbaltimore, and the Campaign for a Better Baltimore are calling for a conference called The City From Below, to take place in Baltimore during the weekend of March 27th-29th, 2009 at 2640, a grassroots community center and events venue.

Our intention to focus on the city first and foremost stems from our own organizing experience, and a recognition that the city is very often the terrain on which we fight, and which we should be fighting for. To take a particularly salient example from Baltimore, it is increasingly the case that labor struggles, especially in the service sector, need to confront not just unfair employers, but structurally disastrous municipal development policies. While the financial crisis plays out in the national news and in the spectacle of legislative action, it is at the level of the urban community where foreclosures can be directly challenged and the right to a non-capitalist relation to housing can be fought for. Our right to an autonomous culture, to our freedom to dissent, to public spaces and to public education all hinge increasingly on our relation to the cities in which we live and to the people and forces in control of them. And our cities offer some truly inspiring and creative examples of resistance - from the community garden to the neighborhood assembly.

We are committed in organizing this conference to a horizontal framework of participation, one which allows us to concretely engage with and support ongoing social justice struggles. What we envision is a conference which isn't just about academics and other researchers talking to each other and at a passive audience, but one where some of the most inspiring campaigns and projects on the frontlines of the fight for the right to the city (community anti-gentrification groups, transit rights activists, tenant unions, alternative development advocates, sex worker's rights advocates, prison reform groups) will not just be represented, but will concretely benefit from the alliances they build and the knowledge they gain by attending.At the same time, we also want to productively engage those within the academic system, as well as artists, journalists, and other researchers. It is a mistake to think that people who spend their lives working on urban geography and sociology, in urban planning, or on the history of cities have nothing to offer to our struggles. At the same time, we recognize that too often the way in which academics engage activists, if they do so at all, is to talk at them. We are envisioning something much different, closer to the notion of "accompaniment". We want academics and activists to talk to each other, to listen to each other, and to offer what they each are best able to. Concretely, we're hoping to facilitate this kind of dynamic by planning as much of the conference as possible as panels involving both scholars and organizers.

THEMES TO BE CONSIDERED
Gentrification/uneven development
Policing and incarceration
Tenants rights/housing as a right
Public transit
Urban worker's rights
Foreclosures/financial crisis
Public education
Slots/casinos/regressive taxation
Cultural gentrification
Underground economies
Reclaiming public space
The right to the city
Squatting/Contesting Property Rights
Urban sustainability
PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS

Please share with us your proposal for workshops or presentations. We hope to host 15-25 sessions with a mixture of formats and welcome proposals from groups and individuals. The conference is geared towards discussion and participation. People are welcome to bring papers andother resources with them, but this conference is not oriented to the presentation of papers. There will be 50 and 110 minute sessions. We welcome self-organized workshops but will also work to incorporate individual proposals into panels with others. In your proposal please indicate how your proposal relates to the themes of the conference, expected participants, organizing partners and session format (training, panel, open discussion, video, etc.) and how long the session will be. We are especially interested in proposals which combine critique of the urban environment with discussions of new strategies for its reclamation.Please get proposals to us no later than the 30th of January, but preferably before January 1st.

Please send proposals to:

cityfrombelow -at- redemmas.org

Email is preferred, but you can also send a proposal to:

City from Belowc/o Red Emma's800 St Paul St.Baltimore MD 21202

Vacation Pic: From Here to Eternity Beach- Hawaii

2009-02-22T17:40:00.000-05:00

Cockroach Cove. Ouahu, Hawaii. This is where the beach scene was filmed in From Here to Eternity. Day 3 of my Hawai'an Expedition.

Aural States Fest Day 2.

2009-02-02T17:18:00.000-05:00

With all the accolades given to Day 1 of the Aural States Fest it was actually Day 2 that I was waiting for. It was only at the last hour that I decided to go to the first night out of respect for Alex Mudge and the rest of Aural States for tacking on a second night and allowing another fine example of why Aural States is the City Paper’s best music blog of 2008. (http://auralstates.com/2008/10/thanks-city-paper-baltimore.html ) Not only do they cover some of the best local talent but now they bring it all together.

Day 2 was something old and something new but entirely fresh.

First off was the space. The 3^rd floor of the Whole Gallery was the very best space I have been to for an all night party in this city (Paradox is not included because it is out of this world). The space was a huge industrial era floor turned into loft space with the majority of the area a great open area with excellent wood floors for dancing. But this was also someone’s home that we were partying in so they deserve a big thanks for inviting us in and sharing their awesome space. Big shouts to Edward, Jessie and the 3^rd floor family for opening their home to us. It was the best decorated space I’ve been to in a while. The revolving mirror monolith in the middle of the floor was a great touch.

Another great touch was more free coffee from Zekes. Whoever thought of giving party goers coffee in the wee hours is a genius! (just don’t spill it on yourself) This kept people moving a bit longer into the evening without the need for any greater stimulants.

The Music: Garret McIndoe, product of B-more but hailing now from Brooklyn, opened the night around 10pm. Doors opened at 9ish and the place was already in party mode when he went on. I heard some fun B-more club and some classicks from way back…and then lost a contact lens and had to swerve 25 blocks home to grab another eye. When I returned he had just finished. Sorry Garret. Come back and do it again sometime?

Next up was Craig Sopo of the Bmore-Electro crew with a nice long 2 ½ hour set of techno, acid, Detroit classicks and whatever else he wanted to throw down. It’s always nice to see vinyl still being used in DJ sets these days and even though he was using a laptop with Serrato, Sopo is one of those wax taxin’ DJ’s who keeps one foot firmly planted in the music’s roots. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a techno bill of Detroit and NYC Dj’s with Sopo’s name somewhere in the middle.

Now, I grew up in a time and place before set lists were posted up on music forums and anyone could Google or do a discoggs search for anything and find it. When I was coming up the only place you heard these tunes was at the party and if you didn’t know the record you’d ask someone next to you. If they didn’t know then you were out of luck for the time. You just go with the flow and remember the sound because you’ll likely hear it again next week. Good records don’t go away and I appreciate a DJ who’s kept theirs.

So that was the old as far as music technology goes and the new in terms of talent in this area.

Another old/new example of the night was CEX- Ryan Kidwell. Baltimore may consider him old since he put out his first album in 1998. I have to admit, being a Baltimore resident only 2 years I have read the name before but have never seen him perform. So this was new for me.

A little Wiki search told me that this guy formed Tigerbeat6 with Miguel Depedro of Kid606. Although I’ve not heard anything from either of these two I do remember reading and hearing rants about GirlTalk and people saying that these were the groups who came way before him and what they did 10 years ago still holds up better than his work. So yea, I’ve got my own homework to do here now. Ryan, that was you? I never knew. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cex) Thank you Aural States.

So there he was with trusty laptop and soundboard cranking out sounds for the next 2 plus hours. Now, I always have trouble with laptop sets because I can’t tell if someone’s really mixing and making or if they’re just pushing play. But there was a look and feel of sounds being born and decaying, melding together and totally standing alone. I can’t get into production and arrangement because that’s not my thing. I’m a final product guy and CEX pushed his product for a good 2 plus hours. The sounds and scenes changed with the time of the evening as I noticed slower interludes to give wary dancers a minute to stop and catch their breath before something completely different came up and moved their feet again. But the theme I got from the set was a continual push of sounds. Not too fast to wear you out but just enough to keep one going for it.

Big thanks to Cex for what seemed like a long overdue set. Now that my ears are open I hope to hear more from him in the future.

On a closing note I was a bit disappointed that the 2^nd night of Aural States Fest was not mentioned in 2 different radio interviews (WYPR) with both Greg Szeto and Alex Mudge. And when I say not mentioned it is no fault of Aural States but either timing or "editing" from the station. Metromix pumped Day 1 on their Friday things to do front page but was using way outdated info for day 2 and even got the venue wrong. It just seemed like Day 2 got buried, censored or both.

But once I got to the place, saw the awesome venue and the people already starting to fill it I was made aware that what was happening was, in essence, the true spirit of the underground. The advertisement wasn’t there but the people were, the flashy camera men and scene hogs were not there but those who knew or wanted to know were. Day 2 (or the party as we called it) has been going on for years without the support from major or even minor media outlets. Support comes from where it is needed. When you get the Deep Sugar crew to come out to your event, in numbers mind you, then you know you're reaching the right people. For some of us that was like having the godfather walk through your party. There were, however, many new faces that I don’t normally see out at these events and was pleased to meet so many diverse folks who came for the same thing: to dance and holler at a DJ who’s crankin’ it out!

Thank You Arual States Pt. 1

2009-02-02T09:13:00.000-05:00

I need to send out a big public thank you to fellow Blogtimore mates Arual States for putting on their first annual (and I hope there's a second) Aural states Fest.
Evening 1 was at Sonar and Talking Head Club this past Friday night and the place was packed by 8pm. I thought I was getting there early to score some rad door prizes but the gear was gone even by then and the Talking Head was already standing room only.

This was one of those evenings that very well could have been everything to everyone. There was something for all. Acoustic and electronic, heartbreak and hardcore.

If Aural States' mission was to bring the same local talent from the far reaching corners of the mind as well as the city together for 2 nights then they nailed it.
In doing this they also brought people from these various places and "scenes" together to create one big party and one big scene.

One of the all encompassing highlights of the two evenings was this diversity coming together and hearing each other's favorite music and digging it.
I think of every person I talked to that night each one was there to hear an entirely different band but stuck around to hear other bands who kept their interest and energy as well if not more.

Although I've been reading about these bands for the past 8 months through the Aural States blog I just haven't been out to hear them. Not only did I get the chance to hear them all (for the first time, mind you) but every single band I did see looked as if they were having the performance of a lifetime. The energy on stage was mirrored by the energy in the audience and every band was really going for it. I have a deep respect for anyone who can get on stage, play their music and pour themselves fully into it...and not have it suck.

Of the first night let me personally shout out those who I saw in the Talking Head:
Imperial China
Caverns
Can not Be Stopped.

These folks poured it out and rocked the house. If there was more room I'm sure the place woulda been a mad house!

At the Sonar stage (unfortunately, set changes took a long time here and I spent most time in TH because that's where the sound was)
Sri Aurobindo
Wye Oak

2 completely different sounds that I would not expect on the same bill but so happy I heard them. Special thanks to Wye Oak for taking me from the Talking Head where I just finished rocking out to what seemed like high school angst of 15 years gone to standing alone and trying to hide tears of the pain of real life that I've endured since...but believing in the hope of tomorrow.

Oh and btw, there's already a dowlnoad of the Wye Oak set out on the Aural States blog. They even take care of me after the party. Thanks guys and girls at Aural Sates. I hear that there are more downloads on the way.

And that was just Day 1.

More on Day 2 Later.

Sorry, this is not a review of the individual bands or an assesment of their sounds and talent but a recollection of the spirit that they all brought out in me. I hope others felt the same. I know a lot of them were showing it.

Let me also say that i am in no way affiliated with Aural States. I just like to promote what I love.

Hey Jackass! Use the Salt Boxes on Your Street.

2009-01-30T17:22:00.000-05:00

I'm not a native of this city so when I did move into Baltimore city I was surprised with the yellow salt boxes in on neighborhood streets. It's there for me and my neighborhood, yea? At least that's what I'm assuming.
Well this week was the only time in my 2 years that I was thinking of hitting up the salt boxes.
I've had a bag of rock salt in the basement. I think I've had 25 lbs of it for about 4 years. But it got hit the first ice this year. So I grabbed a good 5 gallon bucket, small spade shovel and hit up about 4 lbs out in Mt. Washington when I was at the tavern on Tues. Next night closer to home in Hampden on Hickory street next to the Super(not-so)Fresh.
Tonight when I go out to Aural States Fest at Sonar (plug)I'll pick another bucket.

You can really tell who your good neighbors are...and conversely, your other neighbors. Let's all be good neighbors. Go get some salt if your area is still got ice. We did need a lot to get rid of all of it this time.

Did You Get Any Takers On Your Obama Inauguration Housing Offer?

2009-01-23T22:05:00.000-05:00

I'd love to hear from anyone who listed their home or room for rent and actually had a renter...Anyone?

A Question On Unions For Anyone Who May Know

2009-01-23T21:47:00.000-05:00

How does a union assists me in my career other than to be on my side if I lose my job over an illegitimate reason?
A job that nets me $29,000 a year. I'm paying how much money to insure this salary?
What else do you do? Health care?
An otherwise human right in any other western nation is sparingly doled out to us at an exorbitant rate. I'm paying for crumbs wrapped in honor. The pride of keeping a job which I struggle so hard not to identify myself with.
If I got fired from this job I'd collect 27 weeks of freedom and still bring home 75% of my net earnings. 80% if I drop my union dues.

I'm as anti-big business and pro worker as I can be for a cushy 30-something with a dead end job but when I look realistically at it all...Someone help me here.

Am I wrong?

Inauguration Home Rental Prices Are Killing the "Yes We Can" Spirit!

2009-01-07T12:58:00.000-05:00

Man! I too am looking to rent a room in my house. Not the whole house but a room. But c'mon people! $50,000 for your home? Even $10,000 for a home in Baltimore? What happened to the camaradarie of the campaign and the election? You folks are already tarnishing the event with your greed. My room goes for $125/night. $500 for the whole 4 day deal.(no I won't charge for your Wed morning departure)

Sure this is Amerika and people can charge whatever they want...and kill the spirit in the process.

This reminds me of the March on Washington in '63 (not like I was there)when MLK gave his speach. Tens of thousands of people came from all over the nation to witness that. Ever wonder how many black folk were allowed to stay in hotels in the DC/VA area? Probably none. They had to rely on the kindness of family and usually strangers to give them a safe place to stay. Kindness that was freely given in a time of struggle. I guess that struggle is over now 'eh?

Yes, times have changed and anyone can stay in a hotel now and be safe. But people are coming in droves only to find themselves hampered by outrageous lodging costs.
I suppose I should feel niave for thinking that the spirit of unity had any chance of survival when we saw how much money we could make.
I hope you and the other 27 pages of homes for rent in the Baltimore area alone get what you want.

Inauguration Housing and Baltimore Deep House Party

2009-01-05T18:28:00.000-05:00

Time is running out on accommodations for the Inaugural weekend. Do you have your plans made yet? Are you looking for something a bit off the beaten path? Do you like house music?

Come to Baltimore for the Obama Inauguration and celebrate MLK Day with a Deep House party with Deep Sugar at Paradox on Sunday 1/18/09.

http://www.myspace.com/sugarbaltimore

http://www.sugarparty.org/home.html

http://www.thedox.com/site/

This party will be from 10:00pm to 6:00am (or until we drag your ass out of the club).

Your hosts will be there until the sun comes up so if you take the room and you come to party you will be expected to stick around…or deal with Baltimore cabs.

Baltimore City Paper named Deep Sugar Best Dance Night 2008.

When you see the event you’d be hard pressed to find a better monthly event.

http://www.citypaper.com/bob/story.asp?id=16645

But enough about the party. Here is what the rest of the package includes:

1 room for rent with 1 twin bed and cot/floor space if needed.

Room is $100/day Sat-Wed morning. Meals and any side trip transportation are not included but a proper host would treat a proper guest with certain amenities.

Travel planning to and from DC including Metro rail and car trip to Metro including up to date travel tips and changes. There will be changes made weekly. Expect it.

Also included is Commemorative Obama/ DC Metro Smart Trip subway pass.

Deep Sugar MIL/Obama Party Sun night 10pm-6am. Experience one of the most legendary house clubs on the east coast. Tour busses from Shelter in NYC come to Baltimore monthly exclusively for this rare club night. Bring your dancing shoes.

Pick up tours of Baltimore and kitschy Hampden http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampden,_Baltimore

Stay out of the fray until you need to be there.

If you are flying you can take the Baltimore light rail from BWI airport to within block of the house. Arriving and leaving will be a snap.

Plenty of street parking if you are driving.

WHAT TO BRING:

* Binoculars

*Warm outdoor gear

* Backpack

* Dancing shoes

* Historic smiles

Your “Yes We Can” Attitude, not your “I’m not close enough to see anything, this sucks and I’m cold” attitude. That attitude is so 2008.

Your love for dogs, we have 2 standard poodles.

More about your hosts: Lovely couple in their late 30’s with 2 standard poodles and 1 guest room for you. A friendly and engaging neighborhood where pub crawls are within walking distance (2 pubs within actual crawling distance for the veterans).

Payment will be made in full upon arrival.

Come enjoy our home/city/house party.Time is running out on accommodations for the Inaugural weekend. Do you have your plans made yet? Are you looking for something a bit off the beaten path? Do you like house music?

Christmas 08 and James Brown

2008-12-24T15:08:00.000-05:00

If all of our money is taken from us then the only thing we'll have left is each other. We will either side with desperation or with inspiration. I hope the latter prevails and many of us can find each other this holiday season and remember that we still have one other.

As a small gift to one and all I leave you with my all-time favorite song:

James Brown's Funky Christmas-Santa Claus is Definitely Here to Stay

For those of you who may have less money this year than you had last year this one is for you.
For those with small children, struggling to keep Christmas joyous for them, this one is for you.
For all the stresses we go through just to keep it all together for others, this one is for you.

Merry Christmas

Need anything from walnart?

2008-12-11T22:41:00.000-05:00

Have you ever sent a text message about going to walnart?
-Need anything from walnart?
-Y dog food.

In my T9 function on my cellphone spells "walnart" when I mean Walmart.
Not only has it done this once but it refuses to learn my history of correcting it and typing walmart. Why does my phone refuse to type the word walmart?
I no longer question it. It is walnart to me now. Need anything form walnart? Yea, Pepto Bismol, socks and a tire iron. Got it.

Try it. Does your T9 function know "walmart" or walnart?

Baltimore Mayor's Christmas Parade and Pics

2008-12-07T16:46:00.000-05:00

Here's some pics of some of my favorite parade folks of the Christmas parade. The Mayor, the Raven's bus, the Lone Ranger and other various visual You know there are tons if you just stand on a corner for a few minutes.

This is only my second year as a Baltimore resident with as many parade visits.
Since my parade perch is only 2 blocks from the house I've been able to score the same spot for the past two years. And I always snap shots of the same parade entries.

We were all the way at the end of the Ave. at Chestnut and we heard the pipe organ as soon as it turned onto the Avenue from Falls Rd. This seems to be the lead entry and rolls down the street to let the town know that the parade is about to start. Does this happen every year? I liked the idea of a parade cryer.

Creepy sounding circus music belched out of this pipe organ. If there were 5 or 6 clowns throwing out candy it would have been creeptastic.

Oh I loved this guy with the pretzels. They were larger than my head. We walked up to Squidfire before coming back to our spot and on our way back this guy was walking down the Avenue selling these huge hot pretzels. I took 7 photos of this guy because he was always around.

I have about as many photos of the Lone Ranger here. I don't know why but I always make sure I got shots of the masked one. His buddy didn't know that he had to provide his own horse. But he doesn't look like one to miss a parade. The show must go on.

Suzanne and Kingfish holding down the perch at the Flower Mart. Of course that's only coffee. Hey don't think about taking our spot next year. She's not above shooing you off the step. Scram.

See y'all next year.

Hampden's First Fridays Checklist

2008-12-05T12:22:00.000-05:00

TGIF Mofos!

Hampden's usually a pretty cool place to be for First Fridays. This monthly event is a relatively new idea in my life and I'm not sure how long or how widespread the event is.

Basically on the first Friday of the month various local shops (in this case Hampden) have a sort of open house which is usually, but not always, catered with wines and cheeses and beers and wraps and coffee and other food and drink. Many shops and have sale specials and such to lure shoppers in while giving everyone a little thank you for supporting them throughout the year (basically guys can crack a beer while holding their lady's purse while she shops).

This month in Hampden I've been told that local artists have banded together to display their works throughout the Avenue. But you'll have to keep your head up to see them.

If you will be walking up the Ave tonight take a look at the street lamps. Every here and there a lamppost will have some sort of art displayed on top. I've also been told that the artist will be hanging around to talk about it. Kinda like a troubadour of the arts, if ya will.

Ooh Ooh! I also saw that the Wine Source will be having free tastings of Baily's Coffee cocktails. So head on in there and get your swill on too.

So here's my First Friday's Checklist for this month:
-Ma Petit Shoes
-Sugar
-Wine Source
-Squidfire
-Red Tree
-Mud and Metal
-Double Dutch
-Atomic Books.

And then after my crew and I are finished plundering the Ave we're heading out to DC the the Gallery in Silver Spring to catch Kevin Saunderson at LODA. who is Kevin Saunderson? Only the greatest techno DJ in the land.
For those who can't make it out to DC here's a little teaser for ya.
http://rapidshare.com/files/104007700/01-kevin_saunderson-the_dj_zone-sat-03-29-2008.mp3

Cheers!

Yep, I'm Getting Furloughed :(

2008-12-05T10:16:00.000-05:00

The Gov's taking 2 days from us. It was leaked in the Sun yesterday and confirmed in the Examiner this morning.
Rumor has it that we will have the day after Christmas off and the day after New Years off without pay. More rumor has it that the 2 days pay will be stretched out over 6 mo so it will only be like losing $1.60/day. We'll see about that.

Anyone else getting fired for a few days?
I mean, "furloughed"?

Big 3 Bailout. Business as Usual?

2008-12-04T08:29:00.000-05:00

I haven't been following the big 3 bailout news very intently but I don't really have to. I'm pretty sure that whoever lines up and asks for billions from the gov is going to get it. Sure there will be debates and scrutiny but everyone's getting paid.
As far as the Big 3 bailout goes (and every other bailout for that matter) it just seems like business as usual but more cash can be handed out now because the bank is being broke wide open.

I grew up in Flint, MI. When I was in high school Flint had 145,000 people and 7 GM plants in Genesee County. We could tell that Grand Blanc was the wealthy part of town because it had the Cadillac plant. Everyone worked for GM or an offshoot of the auto industry. My grandfather moved his family to MI during WWII to work in Flint for Fischer Body, my father worked there at night while going to college to be a GM engineer.

Everybody drove GM cars. Our idea of a foreign car was a Chrysler. It wasn't until I went away to college (MSU, not far away) that I saw many more foreign cars. College girls driving gold Lexus SUV's and many Hondas and Toyotas. many of these kids were from Detroit suburbs. Why weren't they driving GM? Ford? even Chrysler? Did they know something I didn't? Were their minds not owned by the Big 3? This really was confusing, even at 18 yrs old.

That got me to thinking about company towns and the grip they have on the people who live there. A combination of nationalism, pride and wanting to buy what we made kept us buying American cars. My family bought a new or like new car every 4 years. As soon as one was nearly paid off another one was bought.

But it's also these same people who are being put out of work. How are they going to buy GM cars now? Or any cars for that matter.

And now GM has a plan to make themselves better. One of the measures they will take if they get the billions of dollars is to lay off 20,000 workers. That's part of their solution? They've being consistently laying off workers for 25 years and still driving their company into the ground. If anyone looks deeper they will find that GM is not even worth $10 Billion.

But it doesn't matter really. business will continue as planned and there will be no money in the coffers for the people when the real depression hits. Oh it's coming. Why wouldn't it? People are just taking money and that's all that is happening. We are witnessing the largest movement of public money to Private hands that I've ever known. Isn't this what board members do right before their companies go under?

A Dogs Life

2008-11-16T08:33:00.000-05:00

This is Bonzo in his backyard. He's one of the luckiest dogs in Hampden in that he and his brother, Kingfish, have a full yard to run in and play in and holler at all the other dogs passing by. Many other dogs in Hampden have to walk their humans because they don't have yards of their own but these two are like the Stadler and Waldorf of the neighborhood. They give hell to every dog that walks by. I'm sure they tell them about their great yard and that their owners are afforded the luxury of being some of the laziest dog owners in town.

Photo of My Dead Dog

2008-11-11T19:57:00.000-05:00

This was Kingfish. He served us well. At 4 yrs old this black standard poodle was a pretty good guy. A bit of a meathead but a great companion and loyal to the end.
We did make a pact, you know. We would care for eachother until the end and whoever survived got to eat the other.
So we'll be having hot dogs for the next few weeks. His spirit will do me well.

Ok, OK. He's not really dead, but he might as well be. Lazy varmit.

Yea, I Still Love Obama. But MoveOn?

2008-11-11T12:08:00.000-05:00

OK, so the last entry I wrote about Obama and cash strapped DNC should have been seperated. I was caught up in the idea of reimbursting a campaign. MoveOn is a powerful machine for democratic change and very good at raising money. I'm sure they did well for Obama and I'm sure many of them will land prized seats on the change bus. Good for them. But I'd like to say "mission accomplished" to them if they are going to keep hawking me for $$. It's change I want and we have enough $$ to make that change. Oh wait. Do we? Have the banks and insurance companies swallowed up all our $$ yet? If so why is MoveOn asking ME for $$? Don't they know who has already taken my savings?

Anyway...in a "new president makes good" effort I see on CNN.com that Obama has set up a websight for the country to communicate with the new admin. A transparency that we've never seen before? Check it out for yourself. It's a fairly small site for now but I'm sure it will grow with leaps and bounds. change.gov
Just in time for Veterans Day. Have a look see.

Uh...Wait. Do I Still Love Obama?

2008-11-11T00:12:00.000-05:00

Below is an Email I just got from Moveon.org.
If you are on the mailing list then you probably got the same email.
In the past week I've gotten invitations to buy Victory bumper stickers, Posters and now T-shirts...To help repay the DNC. Repay the DNC? For what? For doing their job and running a candidate we would vote for? Wait a min. We donate before the election to support the candidate. We don't pay after to reimburse those who put more in. Who are we paying back? Is someone getting back their investment at our expense?? Does this sound all too familiar or am I already hating our new president? Someone, please tell me I'm wrong!

I've never dealt with MoveOn when they were actually loving a president. This could get ugly.
Here's their letter...

Friend -- In the months and years ahead, we're going to accomplish amazing things together. No president has ever had the support of such a powerful grassroots movement, and Barack and Joe will need you to continue fighting alongside them. But before we take the next step, we need to get our house in order. The Democratic National Committee poured all of its resources into building our successful 50-state field program. And they played a crucial role in helping Barack win in unlikely states like North Carolina and Indiana. We even picked up an electoral vote in Nebraska. The DNC took on considerable debt to make this happen. Make a donation of $30 or more now to help the DNC pay for these efforts, and you'll get a commemorative 2008 Victory T-shirt.
The DNC began building a 50-state organization in 2005. The infrastructure they put in place over the last four years opened up a new batch of battleground states where a Democratic nominee hadn't been competitive for a generation. In the final few months, the DNC went above and beyond to expand our ground efforts and ensure victory. We couldn't have won this election without their support. As we start laying the groundwork for real change, we need to help the DNC recover the resources it took to win. Please make a donation today and get your 2008 Victory T-shirt: http://my.barackobama.com/page/m2/55c13974/506d20f9/9e59ff1/11884a3f/3588423768/VEsF/ This movement for change is just getting started, and we look forward to working with you to bring the change this country needs. Thanks for everything you did to elect Barack and Joe, Obama for America

Makin' Wagins'

2008-11-08T21:00:00.000-05:00

Where do wagons come from?

Port Deposit, MD 2007

Why My Thanksgiving is Going to Suck

2008-11-07T12:28:00.000-05:00

Well, it's going to slurp more than suck.
So my mother and sister had the great idea of having an alternative meal for TG this year. They're tired of slaving in the kitchen and, really, I can't blame them. So we're doing away with the turkey and all the trim this year. Instead, we're having soup. Fuggin' soup! 3 different types of soup of which I can't remember because, hey, it's fuggin' soup!
I'm going to have to go out for some real food after TG this year. It's on a Thursday so maybe I can give thanks for 1/2 priced burgers at Fraziers.
Does anybody know of any good Thursday dinner specials around town? I feel like I'm going to need some options.

Maryland Correctional Enterprises.

2008-11-05T18:44:00.000-05:00

We got some new desks in at work. They all had this in the top drawers.

Breaking Racial Boundries: A White Perspective

2008-11-05T10:37:00.000-05:00

Throughout much of this election process I’ve rarely noticed that I will be voting to put an African-American into the White House. It just hasn’t affected me for most of this election. Is it because Obama is not a very black acting person? Is he pandering to the white vote? Or is he genuinely trying to bring many sections of this country together in unity? I am hoping for the latter. But now that the election is over and we do have a Negro; a colored; a black; an afro-American; an African American, an American president-elect I have been starting to see the color line again.
This is not the same line that I may have seen in the past though. No, this is a new line. Maybe the word “line” is not even relevant anymore. Or at least a line made of chalk rather than razor wire. I am hoping this is true.
Maybe we are all getting the chance to cross that line. Many of us are straddling it and want to cross but not sure what to do next. But now we have something to help us that we may have never even though of before. A black president will show us the way.

Speaking from years of white liberal guilt, I have seen myself mature from living in a learned racial fear as a child growing up where work was scarce to going to more integrated colleges and jobs now to a new rung in my journey of self. And now I have seen the highest position in the known universe opened to an African American. This is one example of history NOT repeating itself. This is a new course. A new day for you and I.

For many years I have thought that if racial equality were to be met then it would have to be white people opening up and accepting everyone into the entire process that is America. Did that just happen? It is white folk, after all who are the center of power in racial issues, right?
Well, my paradigm may have just shifted overnight. I welcome this shift though. I know it won’t be easy but I personally have been waiting for something like this to happen. I think many of us white folks have been waiting for more.

I guess I really like the idea of giving up ownership of this racial separation in America. If it was white people who created it I’m not sure white people can stop it or at least not white people alone. We need help. It may be just around the corner.

This thought of mine here is a work in progress. Comments and criticism is warmly welcomed. I hope to touch back on this again and develop it further.

Yea I Voted. I Killed the Slots

2008-11-04T10:45:00.001-05:00

I was a bit apprehensive about the long lines and all but my election day has turned out pretty good. First off I have the day off. Bonus. Secondly the polling location is 1 block from my house and thirdly it only took 20 minutes to vote and that's including the leisurely stroll up the street.
Now I have the rest of the day to be lazy. I'm going back to sleep. It's bedtime for democracy

Gamer's Radical Realization: I Prefer Playing With Myself

2008-11-03T08:39:00.000-05:00

Ugh...I don't think I'll ever truly understand the world that capable and mostly sane human beings put themselves in when they enter the World of Warcraft or any other online RPG world. I can't be totally niave though as I spent 2 solid years locked in my parents basement playing AD&D only to surface around 3am for the nightly Taco Bell run. But I was in the midst of real life friends and throughout the course of intense dungeon bashing or mindless capers involving halflings and orcs we would break out into story and "hey did you know?" conversations. How else would I know that my 10th grade English teacher had arieola the size of pepperonis.

Anyway, so yea, I was there. But online gaming that takes up this much time with no one around is different...to me. I had a buddy who I had lost for 4 years to Everquest. It was like watching him insert the cable line into his vein. He was totally sucked in. Too far gone. He's back now so that's cool. But when he was in he would talk about...well, I really don't know what he would talk about because he totally lost me. I do think it was clever for him to play a girl and have all these jockos or pimply faces hitting on him throughout the game. Such an online Boys Don't Cry charade that was. But he did make friends across the country and has kept contact with many of them long after he returned to this plane of existence. I guess that's something he can show.

But what about single player games where it's you and nobody...for hours. I came across an article on Wired about these games. They have a certain plus because now gamers don't have to worry about the human interaction and the unpredictability of these lesser humans. Hmm. Complaining about the human factor in humans? Maybe it's best for you to stay plugged in then. Here's a quote from the article that equates the situation to the Stanford Prison Experiment. Exxageration? Maybe. Absurd? You betcha.

"Because really, who needs people? People suck. I'm joking, of course — but only a bit. The truth is that, in online multiplayer worlds, dealing with the delightfully unpredictable behavior of "real" people can be an absolute chore. Teammates fail to show up for a raid, or they leave everyone waiting for an hour, or they log out in the middle of battle and leave you gored by a howling mob. Have you ever actually tried to play Age of Conan? It's like the Stanford Prison Experiment in there, my friend."

Imagine that. Having to depend on other humans for your entertainment. It's nice to see we have found away around that. Now if we can just convince them to plug this blue wire into their hearts so we can harness their body's energy while they sit there it won't be such a waste of humanity.
http://www.wired.com/gaming/gamingreviews/commentary/games/2008/11/gamesfrontiers_1103

I (Heart) Nina Simone.

2008-11-02T20:02:00.001-05:00

I've been ripping quite a few CD's to my new computer in the past few weeks so I've had the joy of sifting through and organizing many CD's that have been in unorganized stacks and various musical graveyards all over my house and some even to be found in between the cracks of never ending run-on sentences.

In all of this I am currently ripping my Nina Simone library.
It was in my junior year of college that I came in contact with this lady that would forever make an impact on my musical life. I was returning home from visiting my friend James at Northern Michigan University. He was taking a jazz appreciation class at school the same semester that I was at Michigan State. He gave me a Verve classic CD of Nina Simone

Well, the directions were to give the CD to our friend, Josh, back home. Sorry Josh. You never got that CD. Instead I was introduced to this jazz/blues/soul legend.

Now people ask me what she sang as if she had some radio hit at sometime. I couldn't tell them. I rarely hear her music on the radio. So I did a Google search of her at Billboard Top 40 and they say how many she had. One.

"Raised in a family of eight children, she originally harbored hopes of becoming a classical pianist, studying at New York's prestigious Juilliard School of Music -- a rare position for an African-American woman in the 1950s. Needing to support herself while she studied, she generated income by working as an accompanist and giving piano lessons. Auditioning for a job as a pianist in an Atlantic City nightclub, she was told she had the spot if she would sing as well as play. Almost by accident, she began to carve a reputation as a singer of secular material, though her skills at the piano would serve her well throughout her career. In the late '50s, Simone began recording for the small Bethlehem label (a subsidiary of the vastly important early R&B/rock & roll King label).

In 1959, her version of George Gershwin's "I Loves You Porgy" gave her a Top 20 hit -- which would, amazingly, prove to be the only Top 40 entry of her career. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/bio/index.jsp?pid=3625

What I have noticed the most about Nina Simone's music is the belief that every person's work that she touched she made better. A majority of her recorded work consisted of standards and covers. Every one better than the original from Gershwin to Dylan. Yes, she does Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen better then they do. Strong words? Of course they are. But hey, listen for yourself in Nina's versions of:

Bob Dylan- The Ballad of Hollis Brown

Leonard Cohen- Suzanne

So there. A legend with nearly 40 years of recordings and only 1 Billboard hit.

Wow. Ralph Nader Was in Baltimore? Really?

2008-10-27T10:16:00.000-04:00

http://indyreader.org/content/ralph-nader-speaks-2640-space-charles-village-%E2%80%94-eric-imhof-october-9th-2008-audio-tech-erich

So I guess Ralph Nader was in Baltimore at the 2640 Space in St. Paul St.
On Oct. 1st. Damn, Not only did I not hear anything about it but I didn't even know until almost a month later.
Too bad. I've been a Nader supporter (not so much for president though) for a while now.
Where was the news that this event was happening? Did you know? Did you care?
It's nice to hear a voice come out every election cycle to tell us the same thing and always correct in it: No matter who wins this election (2 party election) the people still lose.
In the future can we get some more notice when events like this take place? Please?

Allergies: Dr's Fight Peanuts with...Peanuts!

2008-10-23T19:02:00.000-04:00

Like OMFG! You guys! Check this out.
So, I was like watching the news tonight, right?
Yea, really, Me? Watch the news? No but really, I was.

So there was this news story about allergies in children being on the rise. Like, they're up 18% in 10 or 20 years. Or something like that, right?

And there's like nothing Dr's can do about it. This is totally unfair. These kids can't eat peanuts. No peanut butter. Nuttin'. Haha, get it?

But check it out. This is where the science part comes in. And health is science too, yea?

Right so now doctors are giving kids a small small dose of peanut so that their immune systems can, like get used to it. Like 1/100th of a peanut.

So they're thinking that soon kids will become less allergic to stuff like this.

This science stuff is cool. I'm so happy I watched the news tonight of all nights. Just imagine. I could've turned on the news any other night and just saw stuff on the war or poor rich people on Wall St. or the 187th murder in the city. OMFG, that reminds me of that Dr. Dre song where Snoop Dogg says "It's like a 187 wit ma dick in yo mouf, bi-otch!". Dude, you know that one. Yea bud.

So anyway. Check the link. Dr's are actually subjecting kids to their allergies. This is news. It's like on the brink of some serious shit.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Allergy/story?id=6097888&page=1"

Imagine if we could subect a small dose of allergin to kids and their immune system would build up a tolerance

Adlai Stevenson. Meet Barak Obama:

2008-10-22T15:58:00.000-04:00

1952 Journal photographer William M. Gallagher's picture of Democratic presidential candidate Adlai E. Stevenson (right) and Michigan Gov. G. Mennen Williams would have been just one more picture of a politician until Stevenson crossed his legs, displaying a hole in the sole of his shoe. The flawed shoe was totally out of character for the aristocratic, intellectual Stevenson, who was having difficulty establishing himself as a candidate of the people in his race against Dwight D. Eisenhower. Gallagher’s shot — taken with camera held at arm's length so Stevenson wouldn't realize what was happening — became one of the great political photos of all time and winner of a Pulitzer Prize in 1953. Gallagher was a Journal photographer from 1941 until his death in 1975, at age 52.THE FLINT JOURNAL FILES / WILLIAM M. GALLAGHER

I believe this photo is for the baby boomers. Great savvy photo.

To Pleat or Not to Pleat?

2008-10-21T09:46:00.000-04:00

So over here at Daily Breather central there has been discussion about weather it is still OK the wear men's dress slacks with pleats?
What's the problem? Really. DB here is not a slave to fashion so this question is not one to be pondered with any great brain power. But that's just the sort of idea that I like to waste my morning with. So here's the run down on why I don't mind wearing pleated slacks.

1. Hey, they're just as comfortable as any other pants, right?
2. They're cheap as hell! So what if 90% of my work attire comes from various Goodwills around the city and county? Have you seen the huge selection of Jos A. Banks gear at the Goodwill in Fallston? Or the selection in Owings Mills? Score.
3. Sewing pleats in pants show that my tailor took extra time and effort to put them there. There has to be some sort of functionality for that, right? (No, I don't have a tailor but that's not the point here)
4. My mom still buys me slacks with pleats in them. (after writing that I don't feel like this is so much of a good thing)
5. They're still around. Hey, it wasn't a passing fad. I can still find them easily. So pleats are a classic, yea?
6. Nobody laughs at my pants at work. Actually, no one ever comments on my pants. Hmmm.

Here's the reasons why I should not wear pleated pants:
1. My Suesue tells me that I am "woefully out of style" and laughs at me.
2. I'm out of reasons not to wear pleated pants.

So it's 6 of one and 1/6 of a dozen of the other. What's the difference? None here. Pleats win!

JD's Smokehouse Pt. III. Make it Stop!

2008-10-20T08:07:00.000-04:00

Apparently this has been the week of JD's Smokehouse. I've gone from never being there to being there 3 times in one week. I gotta say, though, that my visit went from great to grumpy.
So Lady and I went to JD's on Sat night to watch the Texas vs. Missouri game and to check the place out on a Sat. night. Sure, why not. I had just spent the afternoon at home watching my alma mattar, Michigan State, get crushed by Ohio State. Let's go out and watch SueSue's alma mattar get crushed by #1 Texas. That would only be fitting.
So here's the run down of the place for Sat. night:

-No room at the bar. We shoulda expected that. Not even upstairs which was fine because they were watching Nascar up there and I don't have the strength to listen to jocko bicker about Nascar. Hell, I thought Sox fans were dipshits.

-No drink specials after 6pm. WTF? Whatever. $2 Natty Bohs then. I can tolerate that. They still didn't have any Hoegardens so it didn't matter. Why does a bartender always try and sell me Magic Hat products when I ask for Belgian Whites? If I wanted to drink Fruit Loop milk I'd go home and eat come Froot Loops and save $5.

-The game was on the big plasma above the bar which was in great view of us but there was barely any sound. Thanks for nothing. It probably wouldn't have mattered though because they had so many people packed in there I couldn't hear anything anyway.

-The DB factor was pretty high but that's what I first heard about this place so I shouldn't expect anything different for a Sat. night. Right?

-On the food tip I tried the original JD Smokehoue brisket sammich. It was decent, not overpriced ($8) and their wings were as good as I remembered. I still haven't tried the mac-n-cheeze wedges though. i hear they're known for that too.

So, in retrospect, after visiting this place 3 times in one week I have decided that Monday nights are the only night worth venturing out to JD's Smokehouse. That's the day with the best specials ($2 drafts and 20 wings for $6 as opposed to 10 wings for $8 on Sat.). And Monday has the fewest people. I'll drink (at the bar) to that.

Contractor's Grout Job: Paltry and Pathetic

2008-10-18T19:13:00.000-04:00

So hey! Check it out. I just got a new computer and a new camera so I can capture and instantly blog this photo and email it to my landlord to show how their contractor is robbing them. This is the grout job that I had to wait 5 mo for. Nice.

B-More Electro Is Bringin' It!

2008-10-18T13:56:00.000-04:00

Drew Pompa (Blank Artists-Detroit)
More or Less Monthly Techno Party at the Hexagon

I've been living in MD for 7 years now after leaving Michigan like a guy making a jail break. I've been mostly satisfied with my new are and have been able to call Baltimore home for the last 2 of these years. I think I'm going to stay. I like it here.

But one thing that has been hard for me to find out here is quality techno on a semi-reoccuring basis. Coming from MI and spending my college days in undisclosed warehouses in Detroit and Lansing I've been finding it difficult to find similar events in this area.

That's why I've been delighted to find the B-More Electro crew throwing monthly More or Less (M/L) parties in the area.

Now don't get me wrong. Baltimore has a rich electronic music scene (It's no Berlin or Detroit but it's home now) and I could find DJ's spinning every night of the week if I wanted (thank you Shorty's http://www.shortysbaltimore.com/home.html). But like all other music categories "techno" is but one of many genres in the electronic family. And techno is what I am looking for.

Enter B-More Electro (http://www.bmore-electro.com/) These cats have been throwing relatively small monthly events in Baltimore for over a year now and they're growing. They started in the Depot in Station North, had a travelling road show for a few gigs in DC and Talking Head and have found a new home at the Hexagon (http://www.myspace.com/lofisocialclub) which has proved to be the best place yet. The space is just the right size for smaller shows (50-150 people) which is perfect for this event. And it's a BYO! Which means that 6 pack of Natty Boh that you got at home is all you need for the night. Save your loot and bring it with you. This also invokes the spirit of sharing as many bring a few extras for new friends made along the way. Instant kharma

I really enjoy these events for two reasons:

1. The crowd is made up of a loose alliance of local techno Dj's, producers, afficianados and just about anyone who hears the thump pourng out of the Hexagon. The audience is not restricted to those in the know but at it's base is a collection of people who love good techno music. Nothing fancy, no glowsticks, relatively little name dropping, big smiles and people dancing. People are dancing again. And being on the Station North circuit I get a chance to see waves of people come and go throughout the night. Many are impressed with the waves of sound pounding them. Many are dancing, yet some are confused. Yes, this is techno and it's happening here. The crowds are not massive, they're not even at capacity but what the crowd IS is a ground up approach to a real techno music scene on the horizon. If I know Baltimore bandwagons then this may be one on the way. But weather it takes over Artscape or not is not the point. It's techno music at a quality level. That's what I love. It hasn't attracted everyone but what it has done is contact many people who have been hiding in the city and brought them back out into the light. I'm sure they've been here all along but as an outsider to this city it sure has been hard to find them. (Big shouts here to the number of folks I've met who are bringing the sound. You have my support.)

2. The crowd makes a DJ want to come back and play again. Case in point: At the most recent MoL event Drew Pompa returned to Baltimore for a second MoL event and came ready to party. The house was not as packed as the first time he came out but that did nothing to diminish his spirit and enthusiasm. The man came to party and party he did. Fun to watch, great to hear and he kept the energy up all night with a very dense batch of records. Yes! Vinyl. I've seen many DJ's just show up, grab their paycheck and play some half-assed set and leave. But a punk like that would get called out for that in this setting. We know what we want and know when we're not getting it. Bring it!

So Bmore-Electro has another event at the Hexagon on 10/24/08. If you miss it you can probably catch a rewview from Alex over at Auralstates (http://auralstates.com/). You can catch up on older events here as well.

OK, I thnk I've done enough name dropping here. I'm gonna go call famous Dj's now and text other famous people on my blackberry. Catch y'all later.

JD's Smokehouse II: What a Difference a Day Makes

2008-10-18T13:17:00.000-04:00

OK OK, so maybe I was a bit overzealous with my praise for JD Smokehouse or maybe I just needed to collect some more data points.
So lady and I went back to JD on Friday for happy hour. This was a bad decision but how was I to know? I was expecting fatty wings and Hoegardens but was met with:
1. No room at the bar
2. No food specials meaning 10 wings for $8. No deal
3. No Hoegarden on tap. With 4 clusters of taps in the bar they had no Hoes. Disappointing.

What a difference a few days makes.
Oh well. I guess I just learned not to waste a Friday happy hour at this place. Nothing ventured nothing gained, 'eh?

JD's Smokehouse. What Took Me So Long?

2008-10-17T11:01:00.000-04:00

So this past Monday ladyfriend and I went on a small Canton Square pub crawl. We've not spent much time on this block because it always look overcrowded and douchebagged out when we are there. But we beat the crowd on Mon. thanks to the gov. holiday (I already forget which one it was. Who cares!)
The square was pretty much dead. We went to about 3-4 places before entering JD's Smokehouse.
Now I've stayed away from this place because of the "meat market" and "douche nozzle" stories that I've read. I've also been finding that their reviews are not always in keeping with my own (here's to free will).
Holy Shit! I was wrong about this place.
OK OK, so yes, there was a good deal of douchey looking people there but nothing was out of hand. Hey there was a Red Sox game on. You can't keep douchebags away from that. It just doesn't work.
Anyway they had $2 draft specials. On ALL draft beers. So I was sluggin' back $2 Hoegardens, by far the best deal in town on white hoes. One of my fav beers for $2 a pound. SCORE!
And we got 20 wings for $6. Not just wings but big ass wings. Meaty wings. Not the breaded Tyson bullshit you get from the corner bar (that has a fryer in the back).
Damn good wings. And when I say damn good wings I pretty much mean damn good wings. I would slap my mother with one of them if she were there. (Mother dear, if you are reading this please know that I would never slap you with a chicken wing. It's just an expression. I love you)
Maybe it was the suprise of beer and wings being so good in spite of what I've read about the "clientel" or maybe I was already drunk and looking for some life after 3 stops of entertaining the lonely bartender and waiting to leave his dead zone.
Anyway. Why the hell did it take me so long to step into this place? I'd go back fa shao.

Did Your Rep Vote to Pass the Bailout? Probably

2008-09-30T16:34:00.000-04:00

You think your representatives are voting against this Wall Street bailout?
Look who has voted for and against it.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/trailhead/archive/2008/09/29/the-house-vote-roll-call.aspx

Someone’s not hitting the phones hard enough.

Wayne Gilchrest (R)
Yes
Maryland - 1
Rep. Favored*

Dutch Ruppersberger (D)
Yes
Maryland - 2
Safe Dem.

John Sarbanes (D)
Yes
Maryland - 3
Safe Dem.

Donna Edwards (D)
Yes
Maryland - 4
Safe Dem.

Steny Hoyer (D)
Yes
Maryland - 5
Safe Dem.

Roscoe Bartlett (R)
No
Maryland - 6
Safe Rep.

Elijah Cummings (D)
No
Maryland - 7
Safe Dem.

Chris Van Hollen (D)
Yes
Maryland - 8
Safe Dem.

Iraq Veteran PTSD. Or Maybe He's Just Fine.

2008-09-20T17:20:00.000-04:00

Anonymous in MD. ...

I watched Jarhead today, its a movie about a marine sniper in the first gulf war. After watching it I realized my hands were aching for the soft curves of a rifle, the weight of a 9mm pistol wasn't at my side. A part of me wants to go back to Iraq to... to be alive again. In the war I was as close to God as anybody could be and I hated every minute of it when I was there, now I wish I were back there. In that dusty dessert I became a beast, a being of hate and power, I could have been death incarnate, I was for some people. In the first three months I was in Iraq I killed and committed atrocities that you only see in movies. After I saw what I had done I told myself I would never take another life again, and I've done good so far. but I carry around a knife everywhere I go and sometimes I pray someone will start something so that I can let the beast out again. I fear that I will hurt people I love, that's why I don't go out and spend alot of time around people, I don't want to hurt anyone anymore. I think I need help in controlling this. They trained me, institutionalized me and now I am partly reprogrammed. The nightmares are starting up again and this time I don't fear them but look forward to them.

Pigtown Pooch Pageant Winner '07

2008-09-05T13:47:00.000-04:00

OK, for those of you entering the Pigtown Pooch pageant this year here's a look at last year's winner. Meet Kingfish: a 3 yr old standard poodle/pig crossbreed.

Notice the nipples? Judges love nipples. And really, who doesn't. But noses are another thing. Babydogs refused to keep the little nose on but tried to use his tongue instead. What a meathead
And moms was really pleased to received the grand champion trophy and small bag of doggie treats. And there was much rejoycing (yea!)

Good luck to this years contestants. Woof!

Where is B-More's Bloody Squirrel?

2008-07-28T09:35:00.000-04:00

So this is not really new news but I've noticed that the bloody squirrel on Mt.Royal is gone. A few weeks before Artscape I noticed that the squirrel on Mt. Royal near the light rail stop was removed. Or maybe it is at large? Will someone let me know if they have a bloody squirell sighting? I always thought that was the best art piece in the city.

Baltimore builds Arena to Nowhere.

2008-07-26T02:42:00.000-04:00

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-arena0724,0,1841047.story

OK, so most, or some, of you know that the city is going to tear down 1st Mariner Arena in 2010 and build a new one on the sight. But they have no commitment from anyone to use it.
They would like to lure a NBA/NHL team to the arena but isn't this area saturated enough in sports?
Can Baltimore even afford an NBA team? An NHL team? I'd love to see it but don't think it will happen.

But they're gonna have their stadium. Yes sir-ee.

From the Sun:.." Previous state policy called for attracting a franchise before building a sports venue, but city officials said this project would thrive even without a team."

Do you hear the great sucking sound?

Oh but it gets better. Ever hear of the Maryland Stadium Authority?

This coincides with a report I read on city development and Baltimore. Dudes on the board of the MSA have been known to buy up run down railway land or warehouse land and then suggest that the new stadium be built near this old warehouse near the railway.
Then their construction firm gets a contract to rehab the warehouse around the new stadium.

Enough of the pancake pontificating. Back to...oh, where was I?

Oh yes! MSA and $$ and the great sucking sound of publicly funded/privately profitable.
The legend of the upper tier, puppeteer untouchable. (I didn't pen that. )

..."It is impossible to build a building of that size that is privately financed. The state and city have to pick it up," said John Moag, a former chairman of the Maryland Stadium Authority who now runs a company that provides consulting to sports leagues and teams."

The sucking continues. As stated above, it's impossible to stop. (If I'm going to get rich than it's impossible for this deal to stop).

I guess I won't be griping, though, when I'm watching WWE Smackdown in a new badass arena. But I'll bitch about it's birth to who ever will listen. Maybe I'll take a sign that reads "RIP 1st Mariner". Or whatever.

O's Turn Back the Clock to 1983

2008-07-24T12:10:00.000-04:00

O’s turn Back the Clock to 1983

Aw man! I’ve never seen the O’s upper deck so packed as last night. With upper deck tix rolled back to the price they were in 1983 ($5) people came out in droves to see the 1983 World Series champs take the field again.
Being an invasive species, I was not native to Baltimore during the 83 series but I could see how important this night was to many of the longtime fans who were around to bask in the glory days. This was their opportunity to remember. And remember they did.
There were several times during the night that I saw men my dad’s age shedding a tear for their O’s heroes. These men only shed a tear or two during their entire lives and this night was one of those times. They probably let a tear go for Cal’s record breaking game, his induction into the Hall of Fame and at the 83 world series victory. And that’s it!

Cal waving to a stadium standing ovation

It’s times like these that make us all feel like kids again. My girlfriend and I were just talking about the nervous energy that we feel when we walk into a major league baseball stadium and how the atmosphere can be larger than life. It’s a feeling that takes one back to their childhood.

If Cheers was filmed in Baltimore you know this guy would have the lead role. Look at that hair!

Camden Yards is not my childhood baseball stadium (mine was the old Tiger Stadium in Detroit) but I do remember the 83 O’s. They won the series then and my Tigers won in ’84. I was in 3rd grade and baseball was in my blood. And I remember Eddie Murray and how he was such a thorn in the side of my Tigers. That man could swing a bat. I remember being at a Tigers game and when Eddie came up to bat the old Tiger fans would just be angry. They knew he was gonna do something to put our Tigers in a tight spot. They were usually right. Much respect to the O’s and the legacy.

Eddie Murray and Dan Morogiello reliving the dream

So back to the Turn Back the Clock night. I wonder if anyone there realized that all the music played last night was all tunes from 1983? It took me until the 2nd inning to catch on. Madonna: Lucky Star, The Cars: It’s Magic! (Oh! Oh! It’s magic!), Simple Minds: Don’t You Forget About Me, and many more. It was a nice touch and a name-that-tune event.

Oh! Speaking of Oh! The O’s were playing the Blue Jays (who were also in those awesome 80’s powder blue uniforms) so there was a singing of O Canada, right? I never realized how many opportunities a surly O’s fan could have and screaming “OH!!!” during O, Canada. Our national anthem only gives us one big burst but Canada could provide for some sore throats.

What a great game and great night. The rain didn’t dampen our spirits although the game was called. We just bonded further while waiting for the light rail in gail force wind and rain. That truly was a team effort as well.

Comment on Dick Chaney and Global Warming

2008-07-21T08:34:00.000-04:00

Report Links Cheney Office, Oil Giant to Global Warming Policy Shift

Here's an interesting comment to the article that I lifted from Truthout.org reader. I thought it was comical enough to be repeated but true enough to be worried over.

"One might consider Cheneys connections to the oil industry a conflict of interest. Not so, he never had any interest whatsoever in governing. His only interest is in raping and pillaging the world for profit. "

Overheard at Chipotle

2008-07-19T12:50:00.000-04:00

I overheard this at Chipotle in Towson

Customer: ...and I'll have a side of corn salsa.

Blond Hon behind the counter: A what?

Customer: A side-a-corn salsa.

Blond Hon: Sorry Hon, I ain't Mexican, I don't understand that.

B-More Dog Friendly

2008-07-17T15:00:00.000-04:00

I consider myself a pretty lucky dog owner. In my years of living with man’s best friend (but not man’s best cook, that’s why I loves me some SueSue) I’ve been fortunate enough to live near dog parks. I used to have access to a football field sized caged in area with grass,sand and trees for dogs to run unleashed and play.

Last night I was watching the news and heard about Baltimore’s lack of dog parks. There’s one in Canton…Uh…are there anymore? If not then that’s too bad. To bad for our dogs. I have one just down the street from me. Actually it’s the Hopkins lacrosse practice field but it unofficially doubles as a dog park as long as we keep it clean.

Dog parks can be multi-purpose in that they give dogs their much needed exercise, they allow dogs to socialize with other dogs and they let dog owners in the community get together.
Sometimes people can be anti-social but dog parks can often act as a good ice breaker. Dog owners already have one thing in common: they have dogs. It is not unusual to frequent a dog park and know the dogs’names but not their owners but that’s ok because basically it’s the dogs who are bringing their owners out. We become the pets for the duration of the park visit.

Another big perk that a dog park offers is that it allows dogs to reestablish the pack.
There could be 2-20 dogs at a park and if you allow them enough time and freedom they will establish their pack order. Unless they’re trained to fight they rarely do. They do, however, mount eachother if they want to challenge or establish the order and this drives some owners nuts. I say leave the dogs alone. They are establishing the pecking order and don’t care if they embarrass you. They didn’t grow up catholic so get off their backs.
And you could learn something new about your dog if you let them play for a while and see how they interact with other dogs without you humans telling them what to do.

I remember being at a cookout where everyone brought their dogs. About every 30 minutes a new dog would show up (like a doggy Royal Rumble) and the pack order was reestablished. All the dog owners at the party knew about pack animals and pecking order and knew that after the order is established everyone is cool and playtime can continue.

So consider the dogs. Build more dog parks, Baltimore. We should at least have ones in Patterson, Druid Hill and Gwynns Falls. But that would only be a start. The city already has the space.

Ms. Venezuela Now Ms. Universe: Friend to All Woodland Creatures.

2008-07-14T08:05:00.000-04:00

An elated Dayana Mendoza received the crown from her predecessor, Riyo Mori of Japan, and then prepared to meet a gaggle of reporters. Miss Venezuela, 22, was once kidnapped in her homeland and says the experience taught her to remain poised under pressure. It also taught her animal mimicry.

Pictured above, Mendoza shows the audience, one more time, her famous raccoon impression. It was this furry woodland mimicry that won her the Ms. Venezuela crown and ultimately the top honor of Ms. Universe. Mendoza will return to Venezuela to continue her work on public awareness of deforestation and fuzzy little forest creatures. Her voice will be the voice of universal tree huggers and non-animal tested cosmetics.

Budweiser to Become America's Wife Beater.

2008-07-14T07:53:00.000-04:00

http://uk.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUKN1337955120080714

Yes, it's official. After a few unsuccesful attempts, InBev Corp. has purchased Anhueser-Busch for $52 Billion Dollars!!! (insert Dr. Evil voice here).
InBev is the Belgan maker of Stella Artois and Becks and is now the largest brewer in the world making 25% of the planet's swill. It's just fitting that Anhuseur-Busch be bought out by a company who makes a beer (Stella) that is refereed by Europeans as "Wife Beater" Business folks are pleased by the conglomeration. I'd hate to be in St.Louis right now. Talk about losing your hometown pride. Well, at least you can expect to find a lot more Becks on tap. And I guess you can get more Stella too. I just like calling it wife beater.

Obama Sucks and So Do You! Wake UP!

2008-07-11T12:47:00.000-04:00

I don’t care if the FISA debate is a week old and no longer relevant (you wish), I can’t stop talking about this one. By now you may have heard (unless your news agency is owed by big telecom) that congress has voted to extend the FISA wiretapping “law” and make it legal for telecom to spy on “terrorists” (have a closer look at the term “terrorist” and you will find yourself in there somewhere) without impunity as well as making it impossible for citizens to sue telecom for invasion of privacy as well as retroactively hold the president not accountable for any wrongdoing in previous wairetappings.
Does this sound legit? Did this really happen? Did Obama vote to pass it? You bet. And not only did the “change we can believe in” vote to pass this bill in a 69-28 Senate vote creating legislation that the American Civil Liberties Union describes as "a Constitutional nightmare," Obama voted to silence debate on the FISA bill. Yes, shortly after they voted to pass the bill they also voted to end debate on the issue. HE VOTED TO KILL DEBATE ON THE ISSUE!

What issue is that? Well, much of it is classified. Then how can we properly vote on it? Uh…uh… Now I’m not versed in congressional voting and whatnot but wouldn’t it be easier to vote on a matter if you knew what it was really about?
No, wait, it would actually be harder because you would have to be burdened with the time it takes to read a bill. Yea, what was I thinking?

But one person who does know about the classified sections of the FISA program is big Wis senator Russ Feingold. Check out what he has to say about it.

Feingold: "I sit on the Intelligence and Judiciary Committees, and I am one of the few members of this body who has been fully briefed on the warrantless wiretapping program. And, based on what I know, I can promise that if more information is declassified about the program in the future, as is likely to happen either due to the inspector general report, the election of a new president or simply the passage of time, members of this body will regret that we passed this legislation. I am also familiar with the collection activities that have been conducted under the Protect America Act and will continue under this bill. I invite any of my colleagues who wish to know more about those activities to come speak to me in a classified setting. Publicly, all I can say is that I have serious concerns about how those activities may have impacted the civil liberties of Americans. If we grant these new powers to the government and the effects become known to the American people, we will realize what a mistake it was, of that I am sure."

Classified information? Congress is voting to extend the FISA program but much of the program information is off limits to them. And not only are they voting to pass the bill but they are voting against further discussion of the bill. Obama voted for silencing debate while McCain did not vote at all and Clinton voted to continue debate.
Unfortunately, while Obama once promised to work with Feingold, he wasn't listening when the Wisconsin senator explained to his colleagues that granting retroactive immunity to the telecommunications corporations would effectively block the ability of Congress and the courts to address not just massive corporate wrongdoing but attacks on the privacy rights of Americans (that's you and I).

And if you were listening to NPR this morning in your groggy 6:30am state you would have heard that …”Since Sept. 11, the number of spying warrants approved by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court has more than doubled, according to statistics the Justice Department releases each year.
At the same time, the number of criminal indictments against people associated with Islamist extremist groups has dropped by more than half, according to a recent study by the group Human Rights First.” http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91968094

So what does this mean? It means that they’re just gathering information. That’s probably what they will continue to do for a long time. And what are you gonna do about it? Legally you can do nothing. You just lost those freedoms to protest your information being gathered and potentially used against you. Oh, but if you’re not a terrorist then you have nothing to fear. Define terrorist. Do you like recycling? Do you like animals? Do you shop online? Have you ever traveled outside the US? If you answered yes to any of these than you might be defined as a “terrorist”. But you’ll never know until it’s too late.

Watermelon: Nature's Viagra?

2008-07-07T13:43:00.000-04:00

Yea, scientists in Texas (we can probably disregard this already. Nothing good comes from Texas) have "discovered" that there is more of the amino acid called citrulline in watermelon then previousley thought. This is some thimgamajig that relaxes and dialates blood vessels like Viagra does. (insert watermelon sex joke here).

Now this is fun. Watermelon season is almost upon us so that must mean that (insert Barry White voice here) "Love is in the air..." Actually, it's in the melons...hehe, that's what she said.

See? Watermelons and sex are fun...kinda sexy too...hehe...melons.

Juggs

Big ole jiggly...well, let's not get off topic here. I was talking about watermelons and sex. Actually, not really. Since I said that the research was done in Texas, where the fuzzy math comes from.

Scientists have already proved that although sex and watermelons can be tons-of-fun it's unproven.

On hearing about the Texas finding, Irwin Goldstein, MD, editor-in-chief of The Journal of Sexual Medicine, was underwhelmed: "Suggesting a man feast on watermelon to boost performance, he says, "would be the equivalent of someone dropping a beer bottle in Minneapolis, where the Mississippi River starts, and hoping to see it make an impact on someone in New Orleans. " -Editor's note (that's me). First of all, I hate to judge but the name Irwin Goldstein and Journal of Sexual Medicine just sounds like some nerdy brainiac went into sexual medicine to "study" the effects. I'm sure there's a Woody Allen movie that parallels this somewhere. Wait, there's probably a dozen. And secondly, the Mississippi river does not start in Minneapolis but quite a bit further north. But what do I know? I'm not a doctor.

Oh well. At least we can have a little humor from it all. And hey, at least they didn't say that watermelon was bad for us. That's a good thing. Because there's nothing I like more in summa-time then a nice big watermelon.

Tip** Jab a bottle of Skyy vodka in the end of the watermelon for a few hours and then watch the sex drive increase. Any volunteers for the research?

http://www.webmd.com/erectile-dysfunction/news/20080701/watermelon-a-natural-viagra

Why I Love Shoplifting

2008-07-07T10:09:00.000-04:00

Why I Love Shoplifting.

This is a nice article I lifted from the Crimethinc Ex-Workers' Collective http://www.crimethinc.com It pretty much says what I think without making me write it all out.
How many of us have shoplifted an item that we believed to be too much to pay or just out of sheer protest? And really, what’s wrong with that? Absolutely nothing! Read on…http://www.crimethinc.com/texts/days/shoplifting.php

Now before I make myself out to be a total outlaw let me say that I love to Shoplift from larger corporations because, hey, it serves as a protest against the "high cost of low wages" and there is a separate thrill of it all that many can relate to.

I do not condone shoplifting from smaller local shops or mom & pop stores. It is the mass production widget producers that have cornered the market on our daily lives that I tend to engage in economic sabotage. And think about parking lots. If you could "steal time" and park in a lot or meter and get away before being caught would you really consider that stealing? I have a personal gripe about paying to drive and paying to park. My taxes and speeding tickets pay my way to drive so I hate paying tools. And paying to park? Another rant completely. Sure, I'll do it. But if I can get away without paying to park? You better believe I will.

Is Baltimore City Going to be Bottled Water-Free?

2008-06-26T09:29:00.000-04:00

Is Baltimore City Going to Be Bottled Water-Free?

If you had told me 20 years ago that the bottled water industry in America would become a multi billion dollar industry I would have laughed at you. I would have said something like “Sell water? Are you crazy? It comes out of the tap for free? Why would I pay a buck for water?” Of course, my voice would have been a bit higher and may have cracked because I would have been 13. But that’s not the point here.
The point here is that cities across the country are rethinking their bottled water contracts and pushing for more dependence on tap water.

The concept of paying for bottled water for city employees with taxpayer money when 99 percent of Americans have access to safe water is another reason mayors are beginning to rethink their water contracts.

Several cities are already on board. Cities like San Francisco (who seems to be leading the charge), San Jose, Miami, Orlando and about 60 other metro areas are kicking the bottle in efforts to save money and reduce the plastic waste that bottled water leaves in its wake (pun!). Even larger cities like NYC, Chicago, Philly and Boston are supporting resolutions to stop buying bottled water for city workers.

It’s about time, I say. I have always had a shaky feeling about buying bottled water. What’s wrong with my tap water? I think it’s fine. But the mass marketing of the bottled water industry has hooked us into believing that bottled water is the answer, and we bought into it. Anyone remember the comic about the PR campaign who successfully sold toxic sludge to America and had them falling in love with it? That’s bottled water.

It’s water! It comes from the tap! It’s OK. Ya don’t believe me? Really now, why should you). The website Tappening has included a list of a few other good reasons to make the switch:

• Water systems that provide tap water have to test for water pathogens that can cause intestinal problems; bottled water companies don't do this.

• City tap water can have no confirmed E. coli or fecal coliform bacteria. FDA bottled water rules include no such prohibition (a certain amount of any type of coliform bacteria is allowed in bottled water).

• City tap water, from surface water, must be filtered and disinfected. In contrast, there are no federal filtration or disinfection requirements for bottled water.

• In one publicized taste test in New York City, conducted by Showtime television, researchers found that 75 percent of participants actually preferred the taste of tap water to bottled water.

• City tap water must meet standards for certain important toxic or cancer-causing chemicals, such as phthalate (a chemical that can leach from plastic, including plastic bottles); some in the industry persuaded the FDA to exempt bottled water from the regulations regarding these chemicals.

• City water systems must issue annual "right to know" reports, telling consumers what is in their water. Bottlers successfully killed a "right to know" requirement for bottled water.

I can’t wait till I don’t have to feel the need to buy water anymore. I will have felt a tiny sense of freedom from bottled water.

http://www.alternet.org/water/89148/?page=1

My Views of Universal Healthcare in the US: From a Social Services Perspective

2008-06-25T17:38:00.000-04:00

I work for the state of MD Social Services and handle the portion of American healthcare that IS socialized already.
Medicaid.
How is this not socialized? Everyone is covered (who qualify).

My larger point is this:
What if US decided to take a universal approach to healthcare and just expanded the Medicaid program to cover every US citizen.
Have you ever spent an entire day at DSS waiting to be served? Ever been to Social Security?
I'm afraid that this is what universal health care would actually look like in this country. We already can't administer our healthcare properly.
Now add everyone?
That being said, I firmly support the idea of covering every citizen 100%. Now how are we going to do it?

Your Service Provider is No More Your Friend Than Your President Is

2008-06-23T11:20:00.000-04:00

http://www.truthout.org/article/democrats-legalize-bushs-crimes

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi claims that a key positive feature of the new wiretap "compromise" is that the bill reaffirms that the President must follow the law, even though the same bill virtually assures that no one will be held accountable for George W. Bush's violation of the earlier spying law.

So you heard about the new wiretap law passed by congress, right? Basically it lets the Bush administration get away with all the taps that they have already made, allows them to do more in the future, and does not hold internet/telecom service providers accountable for complying with wire taps
Beyond the breathtaking scope of this new authority, the Bush administration also snuck in a clause that granted forward-looking immunity from lawsuits to communications service providers that assisted the spying.
That removed one of the few safeguards against Bush's warrantless wiretaps: the concern among service providers that they might be sued by customers for handing over constitutionally protected information without a warrant.
So basically it’s gov. AND telecom/internet providers teaming up against our freedoms.

In short, the "Protect America Act" made warrantless surveillance legally cost free for a collaborating service provider, tilting the scales even further in favor of the government's spying powers.
And we let it happen. I am among this “we” as I received 3 different emails from public outcry organizations and I just let them go. But now that I see the aftermath I am almost shocked. This was a great erosion of our freedoms of both privacy and ability to air grievances in court.
I wonder how the service providers will act now that they know they have a green light for spying and the protection of the government. Now they too are above the law and we are at the mercy.
You think this doesn’t include you? This law applies not just to terror suspects abroad who might communicate with Americans, but to anyone who is "reasonably believed to be outside the United States" and who might possess "foreign intelligence information," defined as anything that could be useful to U.S. foreign policy.
That means that almost any American engaged in international commerce or dealing with foreign issues - say, a businessman in touch with a foreign subsidiary or a U.S. reporter sending an overseas story back to his newspaper - is vulnerable to warrantless intercepts approved on the say-so of two Bush subordinates, the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence. Will this include overseas internet transactions? EBay? Chat lines and message boards? Where do you fit in all of this?
We lost something here. Sadly, we won’t really know what we lost until it is personally used against us. I may have to reconsider that anti-Israeli post I was going to blog about. It may be read by someone in Damascus. If you don’t hear from me for a while you’ll know why. Don’t ask any questions though or you’ll be joining me, wherever I happen to be held.

My Crialgslist/Blogger Wish List

2008-06-20T09:30:00.000-04:00

Wish list…Not really.

So I was updating my profile on Blogger and came across my “wish list”. What is this? I guess I can just pop in a link of something that I want and you can go to the site a see what it is right? So I thought about what I wanted and decided on this. http://baltimore.craigslist.org/cas/713149986.html
Yea, it’s a Craigslist add for some hot steamy action. Yee-haw!
No there are so many Cl adds out there to chose from. How did I come to this one? Simple. I just entered: Crazy Bitch into the search field and took the first thing that popped up.

But I didn’t think it would be right to put this add up without the poster’s knowledge so I sent her a msg telling her that her add is in my blog. And that’s when the conversation with the bimbo bot began. See for yourself in this exchange of emails.

Your CL Add is on My Blog.
Now now..don't worry, I can explain. It may be intriguing.First of all this is not an answer to your add (which was pretty goodbtw, but sounds too much like a call girl..unless that's what you are,in that case it's perfect)But an explaination of the title of the msg. I was updating my Blog today on Blogger and wanted to update my wish list. I thought of going to CL to put an add on it.HAHA! How did I find you? I searched for "CRAZY BITCH" in the Casual Encounters search and you were #! Woo-Ho!So you're on my wish list now. I don't think any one's ever looked at my wishlist and I didn't even know I had one so hardly anyone will read it...Unless you want them to :) Here's the link to the blog. Find the wishlist in the profile and there you are. Lemmie know if ya want me to take it off and I'll do it. You're pretty anonymous and I think it's cool. Really though. Who are you trying to please here anyway? 'Eh?
N'Joy
http://www.blogger.com/profile/15794608040920777600
Cheers Daily Breather

OK…So I thought it was classy. Here’s her response.

Hey, I just got your email, sorry for the delay getting back to you. I just took some new snap shots and added them to my home page if you want to check it out: http://www.singlecutegirls.com/kelly I have more info about myself there as well. If you like what you see then email me back. If not, no hard feelings :-( i'll let you off the hook.Do you have any pictures of yourself? Please send so I can see what you look like too :-) Hope we can chat soon,
Kelly

…Whatever…So either she’s dumb as…well, something dumber than a typical blond joke, or she’s an automated response. OK, not the first time I’ve flirted with something without a pulse. Let’s see what happens now?

Check me reply…

Bitch please! did you even read my message? I guess you don;t care if I have you on my blog. OK then. It will remain untill I hear otherwise.
Cheers

(note from the editor…Human ladies do not get called “bitch” by the Breather unless they are either being roughed up in a sexually permissive way or they are his current girlfriend who most usually calls the Breather by her pet name for him, “Bitch please!”)

You would think this would be offensive to any lady (even one of the night) but not so much. She must be stunned by my charm because I think I’m winning her over. Check it out…

Ahh, cool so you must have liked my page ;-) I just saw your email in my inbox and got a little exicted I must admit *blush*. I wanted to reply right back to let you know I got your email and I'm online right now if you wanna chat:yahoo messenger or AIM--> nicegirl7820 When you im me make sure you tell me your name incase I don't recognize your screen name. I get a lot of strange people contacting me :-( and if you have a cam have it ready cuz I'd love to see you!Thanks
xoxo
Kelly

Now I'm just seeing how far I can get with the bimbo-bot here. How much dumber can this get?
Stay tuned.

Dear Dad.

2008-06-11T14:33:00.000-04:00

Dear Dad

Father’s Day has never been then celebratory event that it should be in our family. I think if I had kids of my own I would expect more from Father’s Day. Sorry dad. So this year I plan to make it up to you. Before I do, however, let me take a minute while I have the floor (or desk chair as it may be) and properly thank you for the job that you have done over the years. Yes it has been quite a few years. You have been a father for 35 years and 33 of them have included me.
You have been the sole provider for your family during the entire run through your career as a designing engineer. As you chased your career through the ever shrinking automotive designing world in Flint and Detroit you always found a way to take care of us. You raised us through some of the toughest times in America for the working class, the Reagan and Bush years and you did it with dignity. You were always first to work and last one home because you knew that overtime made the difference between hot dogs and Pizza Hut.
Holy shit, dad! You even took a night job as an unarmed security guard in Flint at the Little Ceasers on Clio and Pearson Rd. in Beecher. I was in 5th grade and didn’t realize at the time that you were defending a useless cause in a war zone. I could not even fathom taking on such a role. Later you would lay awake at night knowing that your youngest son was doing the same thing but he was surviving in Falluja. Just like you made it through Vietnam, your youngest son survived Iraq and has been reunited with his family. I hope that one of these days soon he will open up to you and treat you with the respect that you deserve. You know that he has a lot of pain in his heart that he can not share yet. I don’t understand as much as you do.
Throughout your life you did things by yourself. As an adult you had individual hobbies such as gardening and race walking. We used to gather in poking fun at you while you walked but you persevered. You had to stop accepting 1st place trophies from races because you had no more room for them. Good luck with the Baltimore Marathon this fall. It will be nice to see how many runners you beat. I know it will be a lot.
As alone as you may have felt in your life you were always a family man first and always there for us. Weather you were at work or at school plays it was for us. Through whatever life threw at you there was always a way through it and back to your family. When you had to leave Michigan and take work in Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania it was the first time that you had been away from mom since Vietnam. How did you get your soup heated up?
I’m glad that you made the trip and discovered this area for yourself. Your decision to retire out here has been a benefit for me in so many ways. Like you I don’t want to be far from my family. In 3 years after your move to MD we have the entire family living out here and we are all doing better. Your children don’t have to be stressed with no real jobs in MI as MD looks like the fertile crescent of jobs compared to what we grew up around.

So this year is on me. Come on out to the house, relax, we’ll put some flesh on the grill and SueSue is making her chicken-bacon sammiches. We can just hang out. In fact I’ve created a neighborhood festival in your honor. OK, so everyone else calls it Honfest but they chose this weekend because it’s Father’s Day and they knew you would enjoy it. So come on down, bring the little woman if ya want ( I love you, Mommy) and just relax for the day. We’ll head up to Zissmos and score the cheap beers while people outside are paying $5 a pop. You can live it up and eat more dead flesh on a stick. Then we’ll walk back to the house and laugh the rest of the day away because you know family stories aren’t far away. Mom still has a few stories to embarrass me with.

And next month when your birthday rolls around we’ll take the light rail down to Camden Yard because the Tigers are in town. You’ll like that one even better.
Happy Father’s Day dad. I love you.

Starscape '08 Assfact Wrap-Up

2008-06-09T12:52:00.000-04:00

Starscape ‘08

This was the 10th anniversary of Starscape, Baltimore’s 16 hour outdoor electronic party held at Ft. Armistead Park in Baltimore. I think that this event is one of those things where you either know about it or you don’t. Some will get while others will just go about their everyday. And that’s OK.
First of all, this was my very first Starscape so I was interested to see how it all played out. I’m not going to Wikki the history or anything to give you a brief history because I wasn’t there for the past so I’ll just give my outsider’s thoughts. This way I can Assfact my way through this post and no one will mind…right?
One observation I can make right off the bat is that for Starscape to be running strong for 10 years now means that someone was doing something right because events like these, long electronic events, rarely have longevity of 10 years anymore. So, to whoever you all are who are keeping this event alive I salute you.
Ft. Armistead Park: I’ve never been to this park but can see it on the map and it looks like the best place in the city to throw a fat party. It’s practically under the Key Bridge on the water and has great views. And really, a party under the bridge, any bridge, is a nice party spot. However, I thought that more of the park would be used but the event was crammed onto a point of the park and 5 stages were overlapping each other so bad that you had to be inside a tent and in front of speakers to prevent bass from other stages from creating a horrible -shoes in the dryer- effect. I thought the space was overused and the sound overlapping was a nightmare.
The Main Stage: Are you fucking kidding me?! This was the only stage that was not overlapped by other sounds but it should have been. I was scratching my head all day wondering why all the talent was in the Buzz tent but all the lame shit was on the main stage. I thought is was a waste of space but later was thankful for the main stage for one reason: It kept everyone who didn’t know much about Baltimore underground out of the Buzz stage and corralled somewhere else. The main stage was a big holding area for people who looked bored or confused. They were probably both.
The Drum and Bass Tent: Being from MI and spending my musical youth in Detroit my like has been techno and house music with almost no other electronic influences. Hey when you have Detroit you don’t need many other electronic influences. So Drum and Bass was never big to me. But in Baltimore the tent was packed all night and people in it seemed to know what they were doing. I give them credit for that. I never went into that tent but could see it very well from my perch that I picked out for the evening. I give those folks credit. They were into what they were into. I can’t hate on that.
The Beach Stage: This was the area with all the great views of the bay and bridge but horrible for sound overlapping. There were 2 stages there actually and I could only hear the music well from the left side of the DJ speakers because the right side blended too much into the live band’s bass drum from the other stage. Other than that it was a good stage with some pretty good DJ’s. It did look a bit wobbly but I only saw one person fall off it. Ouch. I saw some old friends from the older defunct Mosaic club (not the new douche bag hangout that it is today)
http://baltimore.metromix.com/bars-and-clubs/dance_club/mosaic-lounge-harbor/120878/content (yes those are my reviews on the metromix link) and even saw some of Baltimore’s finest bobbing their heads as they walked through. Not bad OT if you’re a Bmore cop.
Buzz Tent: Now this is mostly what I came to hear. This seemed to have the lineup of what the Baltimore in-the-know wanted to hear. This tent had the best sound, best setup and had the best crowd (but that’s biased, the DnB crowd looked legit too). The DJ’s that played this stage brought their A game for sure. I have to shout out Proxxy and Lantern here for an awesome set. They brought the thunder. Literally, the sound got shut down for about 30 min because of an intense lightning storm. But after the rain the duo finished up their set and proved that they could call down the thunder and also blast it away. Thanks guys. They even made the day cooler and a bit more breezy (my girlfriend seems to think she’s a meteorologist now and says that it’s due to the storm blowing the heat away. Don’t listen to her. I know the power of music better than she does). I’m still kicking myself, though, for missing the Krafty Kutz set. I only caught the last 10 min of it which really made me mad that I missed it. I wished I would have missed the entire set because that last 10 min was such a tease. I would pay $$ to hear that again. But I didn’t miss the Charles Feelgood set. I hadn’t heard this cat in a long time and wanted to know if he was still bringin’ it. Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever heard him in Baltimore. Hearing a DJ when they’re on the road is one thing but to catch them in their own house should be something different, and it was. He brought back a lot of classics and some records that I’ve never heard of but the local crew was going apeshit so I thought it was more of a Baltimore thing. I’m glad people had their ears on because he was fun to listen to.
It was also nice that the main stage went home after the Disco Biscuits were done “playing”. That just made traffic easier in the end.
So I was walking with my SueSue back to the car after sunrise and we walked back through the beach stage to see the sights one last time before making the 12 min drive back to Hampden (I love not driving an hour to party!). There was another party in progress that I didn’t know about. Where did this come from? The Beach DJ booth was being attacked and there was an all out assault in full swing. What was that? It was Joe Nice! Who is this guy? I don’t know but I want to hear more. NOW! www.myspace.com/joenice This is the way I remember partying. This guy was a showman, a character and one badass DJ. It was a dirty ass grimy house party and I loved it! Have you ever been to a show and heard someone you’ve never heard of before and never expected to hear but were just floored when you heard them? This is the best way to discover new music and in a way that ingrains it in your mind because you instantly love it. Free of hype or any build up because you were not even looking for it in the first place. That’s what this was.
I look back to the imagery of the DJ booth and imagine one of those old cartoon bombs. You know the ones, the big black ball that reads TNT with a lit fuse racing to ignition. Well this DJ booth had that bomb but rather than saying TNT the black shirt read in big white letters, like a warning sign on a bomb, “JOE NICE”. There was no fuse though. The explosion was already in progress! That’s what Joe Nice did for me. Thanks Joe. I hope to hear more from you in the future. Bring it back!
So yea, Starscape was better than I anticipated…musically. In other ways it should have changed its name to Irresponsibility ’08. What a mess of people. I couldn’t tell how many were there for the music and how many were there because they’ve been going there every year to get wasted. Usually, I have no problem with that but if you’re getting in the way of me and the music then you have to move or be moved.

** Here's a bio I scored on Joe Nice for anyone else who wants to be in the know.

JOE NICE
AFFILIATIONS:
DubWar NYC ; GourmetBeats
BALTIMORE, MD - www.myspace.com/joenice

BIO:

Representing Baltimore, JoeNice is universally recognized as the ambassador
of the dubstep sound in North America and one of the purveyors of the sound
worldwide with his upfront selection and skillful mixing. Joe's show on
GourmetBeats.com was the first to feature dubstep in the states and this
platform has spread the dubstep sound on the airwaves, across America and
around the world. JoeNice is the first American-based DJ to play on London
pirate radio, RinseFM. A member of GourmetBeats, resident at a monthly party
in New York City called DubWar, recognized as one of URB's NEXT 100 for
2007, JoeNice is looking to make a difference. Be ready.

Sample Patron at WIne Source Today!

2008-06-06T16:38:00.000-04:00

I just got an email from the Wine Source on Elm St. in Hampden. They have wine tastings every weekend but this Friday, that's today, they're sampling Patron Citronage. Yea!! Get on out there and get your free Patron samples. Really now. This blog sells itself. If you're in Hampden from 4-7 tonight get there and get your free swill on. And then go pick yourself up a nice Belgian White because there's really nothing better on a summer day. Oh wait. A nice farmhouse Saisson would be better. See you there
Cheers!

President Select Barak Obama

2008-06-04T14:57:00.000-04:00

So you know we just selected our next president last night, right?
Barak Obama has all but cinched the nominee for Democratic candidate for president. How many out there believe me when I say that the president will be decided at the primary? All the rest is a dog and pony show. Correct that: a $500 million dollar dog and pony show. The showboaters will certainly clean up with that.
But really. We could save a boat load of $$ campaigning now if we just aceptd this widely opinionated fact. Facts as I present them here.

Cheers