Parallel Parking - Another Lost Tradition

Parallel parking has been the arch nemesis of young drivers for as long as I can remember. But, in Maryland, that's about to change. The decision has been made to phase out parallel parking from the driver's test. The big question is: Why?

The "official" answer from Maryland's MVA is that there's is no reason to test for parallel parking skills anymore because the "reverse two-point turn-round maneuver" essentially covers the same set of skills. I have to admit, although I've been driving for over 30 years, I had never heard of the reverse two-point turn-around maneuver until now. When I first heard the term, I assumed that it was a new basketball move.

Let's be honest here, hardly anyone looks forward to the parking portion of their driver's test. I can remember taking my driver's test at 16 years old. As I approached the ominous sticks with the triangular orange flags, I could feel the beads of sweat beginning to form. With a MVA rep sitting in the passenger seay with clipboard in hand, I backed my mom's large Ford LTD in and out of the "parking space". After a few minutes, I heard the words that I didn't want to hear: "Ok, put the car in park and change seats with me." It was humiliating to sit there while the MVA rep drove me off the course. It bruised my ego even more to have my Dad call me a dumbass. But you know what? It made me practice parallel parking over and over to the point where I could eventually put that 12 foot LTD into a 13 foot parking space. The next time I took my driver's test, I passed easily and my ego was restored.

According to a MVA spokesperson, during a period between July 2014 and April 2015, roughly 154,000 driving tests were administered in Maryland. Out of all those tests, roughly half of the applicants (47%) failed the parallel parking portion.

So, is the the real reason for dropping the parking test because half the people fail it? Is this just another example of "giving everyone a prize"? We've seen this before. If people can't pass it, we'll just "dumb things down" and eliminate it. The growing trend of giving our younger generation "the path of least resistance" continues. The next thing you know Maryland will probably want to give licenses to illegal immigrants. Oh wait a minute, they already do? My bad...

There's clearly a financial benefit for the state to license as many drivers as possible. New drivers generate revenue for the state in the form of licensing fees. registration fees, gas taxes, tolls, etc. All things usually boil down to money and this case is probably no different.

Bu while the state makes money, the insurance companies will likely be paying out more as new drivers inevitably learn their parking skills at the expense of other people's cars. Yeah, you might want to think twice about leaving that nice BMW parked curbside anymore....

kw

City On Fire - Blue Apathy

Well, the Baltimore riots have taken a rest (for now), but the gunfire sure hasn't. Since the "peaceful" protests ended a couple of weeks ago, the shootings in Baltimore have went up quicker than the gas prices on Memorial Day weekend. In that short time frame, there have been roughly 40 reported shootings. There were ten of them this past Sunday, six more shot yesterday and just this afternoon, four people were shot near Johns Hopkins!

Many of the anti-police protesters like to remind us that "black lives matter" (at least when the police are involved). But they seem to be alarmingly silent during this latest period of bloodshed where the overwhelming majority of the victims are young black men. Just curious if their lives matter too?

Maybe surprising to some, arrests are actually down during this period of escalating violence. But it's not surprising at all to me. The city cops have been portrayed by the media and local "leaders' as the bad guys. This, in turn, has emboldened the real bad guys (you know, the ones slinging drugs and bustin' caps in each others' ass). Now, with absolutely no fear nor respect for the police, the "disenfranchised youth" callously takes to the streets and fires at will.

The morale of the BCPD has been absolutely demolished. With virtually no support from the communities they patrol, cops are now left to fend for themselves. As a result, many now have the attitude of "f*ck 'em, let 'em kill one another". I heard a city cop on a local radio show yesterday explaining that the chances of proactive policing are very slim. Cops are now afraid to intervene in volatile situations for fear of having to defend themselves. If the situation goes south and the cop is forced to pull out his gun, he now has to potentially decide whether he wants to go to jail or go to the graveyard.

And I've heard more than one cop say that they will now assume the role of "report takers". After the shooting takes place, the cops will come out and write things up. Nothing more, nothing less. On the surface, this might sound like a pretty shitty attitude. But can you really blame these guys? Why would they would to protect a community that hurls bricks at their heads? And no, not everyone was throwing bricks. But there were a hell of lot of "non-throwers" who stood on the sidelines and cheered.

Today, when city cops respond to calls, they're greeted by a mob of aggressive "bystanders" who shove cell phone cameras in their faces. How would you like to work around these obstacles?

The leadership of Baltimore drew a line in the sand when they decided to lock arms with the police-hating protesters. And now, those inner city communities are paying for it with spontaneous bursts of gunfire on any given day. Baltimore has been a violent city for years, But I believe things are about to get a helluva lot worse. Traditionally, the warm summer nights usher in Baltimore's mass shooting season. If things are this bad now, what do you think will happen in July and August?

It must really suck having to go into a work environment where you're asked to put your life on the line for a community that hates you. It must suck even more to know that when your life is in danger, you have to make a split-second decision whether you have the right to defend yourself.

The incompetent leadership in Baltimore City has created an inevitable powder keg. When it eventually ignites is anyone's guess. But until that time, expect the escalating violence to continue. It's pretty sad when the daily shootings are actually the calm before the storm.....

kw

The Pains of Turning 50

Birthdays were never really a big deal for me. Time marches on and I realize that there's nothing I, nor anyone else, can do about it. So, why should I worry about getting another year older?

But this year is a little different. You see, today I turned 50. And I have to admit, I'm a little upset about it. When I turned 30, it was no big deal. When I turned 40, I thought about it for about a couple of minutes and then moved on. But turning 50 has my head spinning. Folks, I'm serious. I received an AARP card in the mail this week! That's not something that I can just simply ignore....

I'm sure I'll get the inevitable question, "So, what's it feel like to be 50?" Well, literally speaking, it hurts. Ten years ago, I could work out in the gym for a couple of hours, play 3 hours of tennis and then come home and do a couple more hours of yard work. Afterward, I'd be a little tired, but otherwise I felt great. Now, sometimes a brisk walk to the end of the driveway leaves me feeling like I've been hit by a bus. Last year, I was carrying a suitcase into the house and I tweaked something in my knee. Up until then, I had never had any issues with my knees. But the suitcase incident was more painful than sitting through a Woody Allen movie! Fortunately, it only lasted a day.

Another side effect of getting old is the insatiable urge to take a nap. Some days, even after sleeping a solid eight hours the night before, I still feel like a zombie. The only thing that keeps me going is thought of plopping down in my recliner when I get home. And every now and then, after taking a nap, I'll wake up with an awful pain in my back or neck. I have no idea what that's all about. But I'm starting to feel like the girl who was afraid to go to sleep from "Nightmare on Elm Street".

I have a Corvette that collects dust in my garage. People are always asking me why I never drive it. The truth of the matter is that it's just too painful. Squeezing my oversize ass into the driver's seat is one thing. But getting out of it, especially after a long ride, is something else. Sometimes, I'll open up the door and extend my hand like a quarterback who just got sacked and wait for someone to pull me out.

And my eyesight sure isn't what it used to be. A few years ago, the eye doctor discovered high pressure in my eyeballs. So, since my mother has glaucoma, the doctors wanted to keep an eye it (no pun intended). So, now I get tested every 6 months. So far, all looks good but I can't ignore the fact that I'm one blown eye test away from legally being able to buy marijuana.

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As my milestone birthday approached, several family members wanted to throw me a big party. They told me, "You only turn 50 once." Yeah, yeah, I know, don't remind me. But I really didn't want a big ado. I explained that my life is already one big party. In fact, I've partied so much that's it's a small miracle that I've even made it to 50!

With that being said, at this stage of my life, I have everything that I've ever wanted. I've learned that while material things can certainly be nice, they pale in comparison to the people in your life. In my 50 years, I have met countless people who have, in some way, helped mold me into the person that I am today. While I'm far from perfect, I'm satisfied where I am right now. To all of those people who ever took the time to chat with me, teach me something, make me laugh or put me in my place when I was out of line, I'd like to say thank you. On the flip side, through the years, I hope that I've touched at least a few people in a positive way.

I look forward to many more years of good times and classic moments with my family and friends. My first 50 years have been an absolute blast. I'm not quite sure if I'll make it another 50 years. But I promise you that if I don't, I'll at least die trying.

Cheers!

kw

City On Fire - The Curfew SNAFU

In the latest episode of "Who's On First", we're now learning that charges will be dropped against those who were arrested for violating Baltimore's curfew*. The reason given by the deputy city public defender is that Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake overstepped her authority by issuing the 10 pm curfew. Apparently, only the Governor could have issued the curfew. Another reason given for the dropped charges is that there is no corresponding criminal code to enter in the computer system.

Wouldn't you think that the Mayor would know the limitations of her authority? If she was unsure, perhaps she should have checked before issuing what now appears to be an unlawful curfew? And how is there not a "code" in the system for curfew violations? While the Mayor is still trying shake the egg off of her face after giving the protesters "space to destroy", this latest snafu is certainly not going to do a whole lot to rebuild her image.

So, after shutting the city down early for nearly a week, it now seems like it was all done in vain. Countless dollars were lost as businesses were forced to close up early. And various other events were cancelled and/or postponed. Even the Orioles were forced to play a home game in front of an empty Camden Yards while playing another "home" series in Florida. Think about the lost revenue there!

Aside form the lost money, we can't ignore the wasted resources that were involved in enforcing the curfew. Cops were once again set up to fail. They were the ones who were put on the front lines to enforce the curfew. Not only was it dangerous but, with the help of the news media, the cops were actually made to look like the aggressors. The already fragile reputation of Baltimore City Police Department is, yet again, recklessly compromised by impulsive and incompetent decision-making. As a result, the anti-police crowd puts another feather in their hat while the morale of the BCPD continues to sink lower than whale shit.

Upon dropping the charges against the curfew violators, the Baltimore City's State's Attorney's Office explained that the arrests were "punishment enough"**. In my opinion, this gives the impression of trying to coddle the protesters. There is already a major lack of respect for cops in the Baltimore City. This latest development will only serve to embolden this mindset. The "leadership" of Baltimore appears to have drawn a line in the sand and the cops are standing on the other side wondering what the hell is happening.......

kw

* http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-ci-mayor-curfew-authority-20150511-story.html

** http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2015/05/11/baltimore-mayors-curfew-authority-challenged-in-court-case/

City On Fire - Dodging A Bullet

An erroneous police-shooting claim almost set off another round of rioting in Baltimore earlier today. After police spotted a man with a gun, they approached him. Almost to be expected anymore, the guy ran. The police pursued him and during the subsequent foot chase, the guy dropped his gun and it discharged. The police caught up with the guy a short time later and arrested him.

Even though there were no reported injuries, the man requested medical attention. This also seems like something we can expect on every arrest. Maybe paramedics should start doing ride-alongs with the cops to streamline the process?

Anyway, it didn't take long before word started to spread that the police had shot the guy. The angry mob quickly grew as people shouted things like, "The cops shot that mutha-f*cker!" In Baltimore, this is the equivalent of yelling fire in a crowded theater.

To make matters worse, a Fox News reporter interviewed an "eyewitness" to the alleged shooting. The animated young woman described how the police just happened to roll up on some young men who were hanging out on the front steps. The police jumped out of their car and began to "chase that boy". The woman then said, "The officer got in the middle of the street and shot that boy in the back in my face!"

She went on and on and actually seemed to believe the bullshit that she was feeding to the national television audience. That's right. It turned out that she was making the whole story up! Fortunately, the police quickly conveyed to the crowd that the guy was not injured and most importantly, had not been shot. Baltimore had literally dodged a bullet....

I wonder if this stupid bitch has a clue how close she came to setting off a powder keg? I'm sure she doesn't care. I think she should be charged with attempting to incite a riot (if there is such a charge).

Fox News is getting a black eye for broadcasting this. I guess they did screw the pooch on this one. But in their defense, what are they supposed to do? The bullshit in Baltimore has been breaking news for over a week. If something goes down and you've got an "eyewitness", you almost have to interview them. If anyone deserves a beat-down on this one, it's the lying bitch who made the story up. Fox News anchorman Shepherd Smith acknowledged the screw-up and apologized on behalf of the reporter and the entire network.

It's ironic that the protesters, rioters and disenfranchised youth are always accusing the police of lying. It kind of sounds like the pot calling the kettle black, huh?

                                                                 (to be continued)

kw

City On Fire - Reasons and Demands

When the protests began in Baltimore a week ago, the reason for the protest seemed pretty straight-forward. The crowd had gathered to seek justice for Freddie Gray. They wanted the six police officers involved with the Gray arrest criminally charged for his death. Obviously, there were differing opinions on all of this, but at least the basic reason for the protest seemed pretty clear.

But as things progressed over the past week, several other so-called reasons for the unrest have been introduced. We're now hearing about things like disenfranchised youth, white privilege, inadequate school funding, lack of community centers and the war on drugs (just to name a few). It's starting to remind of the pork-barrel spending that goes on in Congress. This is where someone introduces a bill. But in order to get the bill passed, every other Congressman has to get a piece of the "pork". In the case of the protests, the indictment of the six BCPD officers was the original goal. Mission accomplished. However, while the national spotlight remains on Baltimore, the protesters are now using it as a platform to make other demands.

While I'm not opposed to a sensible, civil dialogue on the concerns, I don't like the reckless way that it's being introduced. I get the sense of a "give us what we want or else" mentality. The protesters and rioters already believe (and rightly so) that they had a huge impact on the quick decision to indict the six BCPD cops. Will there be additional riots if a new community center isn't constructed? And what if these tactics do indeed work?  Will the community center then be torched if the next set of demands aren't met? You see where this could go?

Before any positive change comes about, there's needs to be some effort from the actual people who want it. It's relatively easy for the rebel-rousers to come into town and make random demands. But at some point, the people who live in these Baltimore neighborhoods need to participate in the process. And burning down buildings isn't part of it.

I'm hearing so much talk about the disenfranchised youth and the lack of education in Baltimore. While I agree that it is a big problem, we need to look at why it's been a problem for so long. Although funding for education always seems to be a source of contention, in Baltimore's case, I don't see the point. Baltimore City Schools are number four in the US (behind only NY, Boston and Wash DC) in school funding. Over $15,000 is spent on each student. Should we increase it to $30,000 or even $50,000 per student? What difference does it make if half of the "students" are absent from the classroom? This is something that should be addressed. But instead, rioters will threaten to break shit until someone else magically fixes it.

If we're going to fix any of these problems, we need to have open, honest discussions about the real causes. Until we start with that, we're just pissing in the wind....

                                                               (to be continued)

kw

City On Fire - The Thug Controversy

There's been plenty of side stories in the whole Freddie Gray incident. But, somewhat surprising, one of the things that seems to have people really up in arms is the use of the word "thug". When the Mayor of Baltimore used it during her press conference after the Monday night riots, she was heavily criticized for referring to the rioters as "thugs". Immediately caving in to the pressure, she issued apology after apology. It was quite pathetic to see the leader of a city apologizing for "insulting" the very people who tried to burn it down. (Is it still ok to use the term "people"?)

Even President Obama called the rioters "thugs". This almost caused the liberals heads to explode. I was listening to an interview on one of the national networks where someone accused Obama of a "black on black" crime because he used "the t word". I actually laughed out loud when I heard that one. To Obama's credit, he has not backtracked. Yet.....

From listening to uproar, my understanding is that "thug" is now a racist term. Many have said that it's actually a "code word" for the n-word. So, now we have n-words, t-words, code-words.....I need a f*cking score-sheet to keep track of all this!

I've heard the word "thug" used for as long as I can remember to describe people of all colors and nationalities. My earliest recollections of the word was when it was used to describe mobsters. I'm not really sure why it suddenly became a derogatory "racist slur" against black folks.

So, where did the word "thug" originate? After a quick Google search, it appears that it was a name originally used centuries ago to describe Thuggies, who happened to a religious cult of Hindu and Muslim Indians. Murder and robbery were considered the "religious duty" of the the Thuggies. Hmm, sounds kinda of like the regular "duties" that occur in west Baltimore on any given day.

I find the whole thing to be mind boggling. We've got hooligans (I want to throw that term out there before it becomes racist) running around burning the city down and throwing bricks at the police. But instead of calling these idiots exactly what they are, we're expected to water things down by referring to them as "disenfranchised youths".  That's right folks....remember those guys who just smashed your windshield and cracked your head with a brick? They're not thugs, they're victims. Can you believe this bullshit?

So, unless you happen to be a rapper, expect a beat-down from the sensitivity police if you happen to utter the "t-word". I can hardly wait to hear what the next offensive word will be...

                                                             (to be continued)


kw

City On Fire - The Indictments

As most of you probably already know, earlier today State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced that all six cops involved in the Freddie Gray incident will be formally charged. The quick decision took most people by surprise since the investigative documents were just released yesterday. Nonetheless, upon the reading of the charges, the group of protesters outside City Hall vocally approved.

All of the charges are serious but none more than the 2nd degree murder charge that is being leveled against the van driver. I think many people were surprised at this one. If anything, negligent manslaughter seemed more likely.

One of the big questions is whether or not Mosby rushed to judgement. And did the recent riots have any influence? With planned protests throughout the weekend, it seems like the timing (and the results) of the announcement could help calm emotions in Baltimore. At least for now......

Regarding Baltimore's top prosecutor, she comes from a long line of police officers. So that would almost make you believe that she might be biased in favor of the cops. However, on the other hand, she's married to Baltimore City Councilman, Nick Mosby. The outcome of all this could have a big impact on his political future.

Adding to conflict of interest, Marilyn Mosby received $5000 in campaign funds last year from Billy Murphy Jr., the Gray family's lawyer. Murphy also served on the young State Attorney's transition committee. For these reasons, the police union is now asking Mosby to step back and appoint a Special Prosecutor to the case.

I really don't see any way that Mosby hands this one off. This case has been a non-stop national news story for the past week. Baltimore's future is literally hinged on the direction and outcome of this trial. If these cops are acquitted, I have little doubt that Monday's mayhem will look like a small campfire compared to what will come next. And leads to the question...Is it possible for these cops to get a fair trial without any influence from the looming protesters? And even if a change of venue was somehow granted, would it really make any difference? The protesters are popping up in cities all over the country.

No doubt, the morale of the city police took a major blow today. After what's transpired during the past week, I can't imagine any one of them looking forward to going to work anytime soon. Expect to see a mass exodus from the BCPD very soon. The only bright side is that when the next round of riots begin, there won't be quite as many defenseless targets to pelt with bricks.....

kw

City On Fire - The Media Coverage

Since the protests began in Baltimore, I've been catching the coverage on mostly the national news networks. Whenever there's a major news story, I like to switch between Fox News and MSNBC. I'm always amazed at the contrast in the way the two networks report the story. And this holds true in the coverage of the Baltimore protests and riots.

One thing that seems pretty obvious is that the protesters aren't showing a whole lot of love to the Fox News crews. One of their camera men was physically assaulted on Monday while he was covering the brick throwing incident at Mondawmin Mall. He was taken to the hospital for his injuries.

And Geraldo Riveria seems to have some type of death wish. He has already had several skirmishes with angry protesters. I'll give the guy credit, even at 71 years old, he's still full of piss and vinegar. However, I'm not sure it's wise to antagonize the protesters in this situation. If one of these guys decides to throw a punch, there will likely be at least ten more that will jump in on the beat-down. Just cover the news, Geraldo. Leave the fighting to Mayweather and Pacquiao!

And Fox News isn't getting a warm reception in the City of Brotherly Love either. One of the reporters (who happened to be black) covering the Philadelphia protests was met by a hostile crowd. They called him an "Uncle Tom sell-out" while throwing things at him. Meanwhile, the reporter's got Sean Hannity barking crazy stuff into his earpiece like, "Hey, ask them why they're idiots!"

Fox, who is clearly pro-police, has been running hard with the "stand down" order which was allegedly given by the Mayor. While on her way to some type of NAACP yesterday, the Mayor was ambushed by a Fox reporter who asked her something like "What would you like to say to all of those businesses that were destroyed because of your stand-down order?" The mayor shot the Fox reporter a stare that was cold enough to freeze the Chesapeake Bay!

Now, switching over to MSNBC, I get the feeling that they're not overly fond of the police. They seem to be on the same page of the protesters. They appear to be skeptical of anything that favors the police in the Freddie Gray case. Anytime they discuss something, they lead with questions like, "The police say that Gray's injuries were likely self-inflicted. That sounds a bit ridiculous, don't you think?"

I sometimes can't keep track of who said what between MSNBC and CNN. I was watching a reporter on one of these channels (I think it was CNN) who was all bent out of shape because some people (including President Obama) were referring to the rioters as "thugs". She was going on and on about how using the term "thug" is racist, unfair and disrespectful. Wow! And I thought that torching a CVS store was disrespectful. But would do I know?

I saw an interview with Billy Murphy Jr. (the lead attorney for the Gray family) on the Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC) last night. Before the interview even began, Murphy said, "It's a pleasure to be on your show." With the heavy emphasis on the word "your", it was pretty obvious that this was a jab at Fox News who Murphy has sparred with a few times.

And as I was just watching the coverage of the state's attorney's announcement to charge the six cops. I thought the CNN reporter was going start jumping up and down like a kid at Chuck E. Cheese. Meanwhile, the bewildered Fox guys were all asking, "What the hell just happened here?"

                                                              (to be continued)

kw