Fired Up In Florida

This Saturday, the leader of a small church in Gainesville, Florida is planning on torching several copies of the Quran. Reverend Terry Jones is doing this, he says, as a protest against radical Islam. Jones’ story was quickly exposed worldwide by the media. And as a result, not surprising, Muslims have went apeshit. They have promised violence to Americans if Rev. Jones goes through with his stunt.

Hey, I can understand Muslims being opposed to someone, especially a Westerner, burning their holy book. It’s incendiary. I feel the same way when I see some asshole burning the American flag. But like it or not, we have the freedom of expression in this country. By the way, why isn’t the ACLU rushing in to promote Reverend Jones’ First Amendment rights. Hmmm……

Personally, I couldn’t care less about what this reverend does. However, what bothers me is the potential repercussions of his act. I think that this will be used as propaganda for radical Muslims around the world. I mean, they hate us anyway. Do we really need to throw more fuel on the fire (so to speak)? I also think that it will incite additional violence against Americans, especially soldiers, by Muslims.

And this is the part that I have a problem with…..

It’s like we have to coddle these people because we’re afraid how they might react. If they feel offended, they feel that they’re totally justified in responding with violence. And the rest of us are supposed to be sympathetic and understand. Are we really supposed to accept this bullshit??

Another thing that really pisses me off is all of the talk about "insensitivity". Where are all the liberal outcries of insensitivity when Muslims are sawing off the heads of American journalists? Where’s all the talk of sensitivity when a Muslim with strap-on bomb explodes himself on a crowded bus of Jewish school kids? Speaking for myself, I get a little “insensitive” when radical Muslims hijack planes and fly them into office buildings. But maybe I just don’t understand……..

We’ll just have to wait and see if this crazy reverend in Florida goes through with his plan. Personally, I think it’s a waste of time. If nothing else, it’s in bad taste. Come to think of it, it’s kind of like building a mosque at Ground Zero…….


KW

The Harbor After Dark

Baltimore’s Inner Harbor can be a really nice place to spend the day. There are many sites to see and plenty of places to grab a bite to eat. It’s a short walk to a concert at Pier Six or a ballgame at Camden Yards. However, these days, when the lights go down, it can also be a dangerous place.

The other night after leaving a concert at the Inner Harbor’s Pier Six, we were treated to some of the nocturnal activities of the city. After having a bit of a chicken wings jones, I talked everyone into walking over to nearby Hooters (yep, I go there for the wings.). As we crossed the small footbridge near the Hard Rock Café, we noticed a group of young thugs hanging in the near the passageway under the World Trade Center. We wisely decided to avoid this route and walk around the Pratt Street side of the building.

As we approached the end the Light Street Pavilion of Harborplace, we noticed a group of what appeared to be young gang members. They were obviously up to no good. Fortunately, a couple of Baltimore cops were nearby and we were potentially spared of becoming Baltimore’s latest crime statistic.

After this, we decided to just go back to the car and get out of the city. There is no chicken wing good enough to risk your life! As we neared the parking garage on the other side of the harbor, we decided to stop off at a Subway to use the restroom. As we approached, once again, we noticed a group of unproductive youngsters hanging out in front. A few seconds later, a guy walks out of the front door and he's immediately decked by one of the punks standing out front.

If this wasn’t bad enough, another guy comes walking out of the 7-11 next door. From the looks of the towel he was holding up on his face, I assumed that he must have been on the receiving end of a punch as well.

Not surprising, we decided to head right over to the garage. We figured it was only a matter of time before someone started bustin’ caps.

Since we had to pay for the parking at an automated machine, we were relieved to see a city cop standing out in front of the lobby. We told him that everyone was Kung-Fu fighting around the corner. He said it was typical of a Saturday night down here. Later, someone explained to us that they sometimes had to temporarily close the 7-11 and Subway to clean up the blood from the fights. Not exactly a ringing endorsement for an eating establishment!

We had a great conversation with the officer but it was quite obvious that he couldn’t care less about what was going on around the corner. I guess it was someone else’s responsibility. Just reading between the lines, my thought was that fighting crime in the city is viewed as a hopeless situation. The cops feel like they’re being looked at under a microscope while the thugs get all the protection. If the cops pursue them, they’re accused of harassment. (Just look at what recently happened to the 19-year veteran who was fired for “harassing” a disrespectful kid on a skateboard).

I’m sure there’s plenty of blame to go around, but I think it starts at the top. The guys who go out and put their lives on the line everyday need to have respect for their leadership. And from what I’ve seen and heard. it just isn’t there. The guys on the street have little respect for the mayor, city council nor their own commishioner. Politics have taken prescient over doing the right thing. The "leaders" seem to be more sympathetic the criminal element than protecting the actual cops who fight the crime. And as a result, morale is in the toilet.

It really is a shame to see to what’s going on at the Harbor. Aside from being a frequent stop for locals, it’s also a major tourist attraction for out-of-towners. If I were in charge, I would do everything I could to keep it safe. I would beef up the police presence in the entire area and have a very low tolerance for any shenanigans. If it means that a few thugs get “harassed” along the way, so be it. Are we forgetting who the bad guys are here???

KW

What's In A Hurricane Name?

As the east coast prepares for Hurricane Irene this weekend, I thought I'd take a moment to explain how these storms get their names.

In a nutshell, there are six name lists used by the World Meteorological Organization. The lists recycle every six years. The hurricanes are named at the start of each season beginning with the letter A. Boys and girls names are alternated every other year (this year might start with Alex and next year might start with Arlene). Each subsequent hurricane of the season is also alternated by gender in alphabetical order (ex. Alan, Bonnie, Charles, Diana, etc.). And if a hurricane happens to be an especially badass one, it's name is retired and replaced with a new one. For example, there will never be another hurricane named Katrina. It was renamed Katia.

Hey, are you guys in the back still awake?? Stay with me and I’ll try to keep things moving along…

Several years ago Rep. Shelia Jackson-Lee (a Texas Democrat) complained that hurricane names were too “lily white”. She thought we should incorporate more “African-American sounding” names in the list of hurricane names. To think that the taxpayers are paying this idiot’s salary is mind numbing.

I think Jackson-Lee’s complaint is asinine. However, the current naming convention does seem a bit boring to me. After all, a hurricane is a major event. So, shouldn’t we name it after something memorable? I think so.

So, I’ve come up with an idea. How about we name the hurricanes according to their personalities? Here are a few that come to mind:

Hurricane Britney – It comes through town and exposes itself. It appears to howl, but in reality, it’s only lip-syncing.

Hurricane Vick – This is actually two hurricanes. They fight it out in a remote backyard somewhere in Virginia.

Hurricane Lindsay – This one staggers into town in the late hours of the night. It also seems to mysteriously track out of control towards nightclubs.

Hurricane GaGa – Rolls through town, shows it's ass and everyone scratches their head and says, “What the hell was that??”

Hurricane Martin – This one is indigenous to Maryland. Although it has the potential to uproot trees, the only thing that seems to get “raised” is taxes.

Hurricane Jesse – Creating a tremendous amount of hot air, it claims that God is racist beacause of the black storm clouds. And although it tends to make a lot of noise, no one seems to take it seriously.

Hurricane Paris – This one is captured blowing by on videotape. And although it doesn’t really do anything, it becomes famous anyway.

Hurricane Sarah – Defying nature, this attractive storm starts all the way up in Alaska and ruffles feathers all across the country.

Hurricane Tiger – Slams everything in sight. The end result is about $100 million in damages.

Hurricane Angelina - This mother of all hurricanes drops in on third world countries and picks up kids and carries them all the way to the United States.

Hurricane Barrack – It rips through at breakneck speed and turns the country upside down. No one is sure where it originated, but when the dust finally settles in Martha's Vineyard, it blames all of the destruction on the previous hurricane.

Hurricane Snooky - Congregates with other loser hurricanes along the New Jersey shore.

Hurricane Simon - A straight forward hurricane that insults the structures just before it knocks them down.

Hurricane Cee-Lo - This one sees other hurricanes with the girl it loves and says, "F*ck you and f*ck them too."

Hey, if the meteorologists need any more suggestions, I'll be here all week….

KW

Dying For A Laugh

In the latest episode of The City That Bleeds, a fourteen year old girl is at the forefront. The girl, named Arteesha, allegedly walked up to two men sitting on their front steps near Patterson Park. Then, little ol’ Teesha whipped out a handgun and demanded that they hand over some cash. The sight of the young girl trying to strong-arm them really tickled their funny bone. So, naturally, they laughed at her. Somewhere along the line, Arteesha must have felt a bit “disrespected” and responded by busting a cap in both of the men. Sadly, one of the men died.

Oh, did I mention that both men were Hispanic. And even though there’s been a recent rash of assaults on Hispanics in the area, this one’s not being treated as a hate crime. Hmmm.....

Not surprising, the excuses have already started rolling in. Even though the girl was supposed to be in juvenile custody, she was able to walk around unsupervised with a freggin’ handgun. How does that happen? From the articles I’ve read (the links are at the bottom), the family is blaming everyone except poor Arteesha. (I like to refer to it as the "not my baby" syndrome).

One of the local news stations reported that the girls mother said, “Yeah, she’s got anger management issues and drug problems, but I didn’t think she’d hurt anybody.” There should be a law against idiots breeding! (By the way, lil’ Annie Oakley didn’t even live with her mother. She lived with her aunt.)

The aunt quickly jumped on the excuse bandwagon by saying that the girl “didn’t hate anyone”. Really? She didn’t seem to be too fond of the two Hispanic guys sitting on the front steps!

Adding to the impressive line of defenses, another aunt said, "She just gets real violent in school and throws chairs around every now and then, She don't deserve to be in no juvenile justice!". So, where does she deserve to be, in the next WWF title match?

And a cousin of the shooter said, “She’s not a murderer. She’s fourteen.” Ummm, I'll at least meet you half way on that one that one, cuz. Yes, she's fourteen, but she is indeed a murderer.

Another brillaint cousin chimed in with, "I don't know where she would get a gun. We don't allow our children to have guns." First off, the girl lives in Baltimore, where guns are about as plentiful as guys who "will work for food". And secondly, saying that "my children aren't allowed to have guns" is kind of like saying "I don't let my kids play in the middle of the 695."

With "parents" like this, maybe it really wasn't the fourteen year old's fault. If all of these people are so readily willing to defend her now, where were they before she blasted the two guys off of the steps?

Hey, I don't mean to make light of the situation. The whole thing actually pisses me off. A man is dead and a young girl is going to spend a long time in prison. It really is sad. And, once again, it didn't need to happen. At what point will parents start taking some responsibility? If you choose to have kids, you owe it to them at least to give them a chance in life. Anyone can be a mother or a father. But it takes some dedication and effort to be a parent! If you expect the community to raise your child, prepare to be disappointed.

Another senseless tragedy that shouldn't have happened........

http://www.foxbaltimore.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wbff_vid_4997.shtml

http://wjz.com/local/beating.death.hispanics.2.1877944.html

http://www.wbaltv.com/news/24754954/detail.html

KW

Wood Shampoo

In a time of lame excuses and frivolous lawsuits, it’s not surprising that police are too often accused of using excessive force. Sure, we hear the occasional stories of a criminal getting “thumped”. But we seldom hear about what led up to the thumping.

We’ve all seen the video clips. Does everyone remember Rodney King? No doubt, he’s the poster child of the wood shampoo. Sure, the police kicked his ass. But maybe, just maybe, he had it coming. After all, he led the police on a high speed chase through city streets and then fought the cops when they finally stopped his vehicle. This was conveniently left out of the video. And when the dust settled, Rodney became an urban folk hero and the police were once again cast as the villains.

The police, especially in the inner cities of America, have an extremely tough job. Being overwhelmingly outnumbered by the criminals, all the cops can do is to react to the crimes. Prevention is virtually impossible. But still, cops go out and do the best they can to make our streets a little safer.

And what do they get for their efforts? Opposition from the very communities they try to protect! City cops will tell you that when a crime is committed in a bad neighborhood, it’s almost impossible to get anyone to come forward with information. For one, most of the people would rather “protect their own” rather than cooperate with “the man”. This stems from generations of underachievement and lack of education. They are taught from an early age that the cops are the bad guys. But it’s really just a lame excuse for their bad decisions in life.

Still, police go out every day in our cities and put their lives on the line. Everything they encounter will prove to be unpredictable. So, when someone defiantly disobeys a direct order, the cop has to respond. If he has to use force, so be it. And if things continue to escalate, the cop may be required to thump a head or two with his nightstick (aka Wood Shampoo). If only the poor thugs would listen!

Aside from all this, police sometimes have to stand their ground and send a message. If they don’t take control of things, the word will spread that the cop is a punk. This has the potential to put the cop, as well as the community, in an extremely dangerous position. So, like it or not, a thumping is sometimes a necessity.

Years ago, my father had an issue with break-ins. Although the bulk of them involved his garage, there was at least one break-in of his home. One night, a burglar was caught in the act of cleaning out my dad’s garage. As luck would have it (not for the thief!), a cop happened to be nearby. Let’s just say “a message” was delivered loud and clear to the intruder. Instead of selling off my dad’s tools for some crack money, the dumbass got to spend the evening with some nice people at the ER.

Even though, at the time, I had mixed feelings about “the message”, I can tell you this: The word must have gotten out. After roughly twenty years, my dad never had another break-in. Funny how that works!

So, as sort of a public service announcement, let me try to save any potential dumbasses out there from getting their heads peppered by a nightstick:

• Don’t break into people’s homes (garages are bad too)
• Don’t lead cops on high speed chases, especially near the end of a shift.
• Don’t mouth off to cops. Instead of unleashing a barrage of profanity, try saying things like “Yes sir”, “No sir” or "Nice gun"
• Never, ever put your hands on a cop. This will ultimately result in a wood grain tattoo across your forehead. It will be even more humiliating when you have to explain it to the homies back in the cell block..

If I helped at least one loser, I consider my job done.......

KW

NY Construction Workers Take A Stand

In the ever changing drama of the Ground Zero mosque, we now have a new twist. Many of the potential construction workers are saying that they won’t build a mosque on the controversial site. They give various reasons but the most compelling has got to be the personal attachments. Many of their friends and coworkers were murdered here nearly nine years ago. And many of today’s workers still feel the pain and heartache of having to help dig through the smoldering rubble in search of their fallen comrades.

I heard a story about a young construction worker who reported for his first day of work on September 11, 2001. He never got to tell his family about his first day at work at the Twin Towers because he never made it home.

When you hear things like this, it’s not hard to understand the opposition to working on the mosque. How can they be expected to build a place of worship to Allah when so many of their friends were killed in his name at this very site?

I’ve got a lot of respect for these guys. In a time when work is not so plentiful, they rather forgo a paycheck than compromise their principles. We need more of that New York attitude across the country!

Aside from all this, construction workers will probably face pressure from their unions, who will likely side with President Obama’s appeasing stance on the issue. Of course, Obama made some predictable “freedom of religion” comments at a Ramadan dinner last week in front of a group of Muslims (how convenient!). Yeah, we all know about the First Amendment, you silly President. However, this has nothing to do with freedom of religion. It has everything to do with common sense.

No one has said that Muslims don’t have the right to build their mosque. Of course, they have the right. But the wounds haven’t healed from that fateful September day. And they probably never will. Building a mosque will only pour salt on the wound. And let's stop pretending that Muslims aren't aware of this.

Let me break it down as simple as I can to the Muslim community. For sensitivity and tolerance to actually work, it has to be a two way street. Let's remember that you only make up roughly one percent of the US population. So, is respecting the wishes of the majority of America really too much to ask? If you’re truly serious about mending fences and building a mutual respect, you’ll build your mosque away from Ground Zero. It’s the only sensible thing to do. And if none of this resonates with you, let’s try this: You can build a mosque at Ground Zero when we can build a synagogue in Mecca.

I heard a great idea from one of the NY construction workers earlier today on one of the news channels. He basically said, “How about if we move the site of the mosque one yard for every life that was lost here on September 11?”

You gotta love New York!

KW

The JetBlue Drama Queen

Ok, by now I'm sure almost everyone has heard about the infamous hissy fit by the JetBlue flight attendant. The star of all this drama, Steven Slater, has milked much more than the traditional fifteen minutes of fame. And it seems there are still “new developments” every time I open up one of the news sites.

For anyone who may have slept through this one, I'll give the quick version to bring you up to date.......

Mr. Slater was a flight attendant for JetBlue Airlines. On Monday, he was apparently having a bad day. At some point, he got into an pissing contest with a passenger over a piece of overhead luggage. During the exchange, Mr. Slater was allegedly thumped in the head with the luggage. He traded some words with the passenger, a few f-bombs were dropped and then they parted ways. Shortly afterward, while waiting for approval to exit the plane, Slater decided to take the stage. He turned on the plane's microphone and proceeded with a profanity laced tirade directed at the passengers, especially the one with whom he had the altercation.

Immediately afterward, Slater basically said “I've had enough of this bullshit. I'm out of here!” Then, he grabbed a couple of beers, deployed the planes emergency chute and proceeded to slide out of the plane and into infamy. Woo hoo!

I have to admit, I love the image of a guy who's reached the breaking point, sliding out into the sunset with a cold beer. The whole thing is kind of like Office Space on an airplane.

But then, the story gets even more strange. Slater left the airport and drove home. When the police came to his house to arrest him a short time later, he was apparently in the middle of a compromising position with his gay partner. I guess he was deploying his own chute??

I can't understand this. If I were this guy, instead of rushing into a sexual tryst, I would have been calling all of my friends, saying, “Hey Dude, you're not gonna beleive this! Guess what I did at work today!!” You have to admit, he had a hell of story to share!

As strange and funny as it seemed, somehow Slater was labeled a hero. Proving once again, that anything is possible in America. He was mad as hell and wasn't going to take it anymore! He was standing up for the little guy! At least, that was the portrayal from various media sources.

However, as the story continues to unfold, it appears that Slater may be a bigger jerk than some of the passengers who drove him to this. It's been reported that he was rude, obnoxious and possible even drunk. Who knows what to believe anymore?

And now, Slater is saying that he is interested in coming back to work! Is he serious? Can he really expect JetBlue or any airline to welcome him back as if nothing happened? If he does, this guy is even more warped than we think! I think he should stay away from airports for a little while.

Aside from all of this, there are some other things that are a bit concerning. For instance, don't you think a flight attendant sliding down the emergency chute with beer in hand should generate at least a little investigation? After all, the rest of us us would be manhandled and strip searched for trying to smuggle a pair of nail clippers onboard. But Steven the flaming flight attendant can make his dramatic exit without any follow up? Come on!

And how was he allowed to leave the airport so effortlessly? At the very least, you would think that someone from JetBlue would have stopped him. From what I understand, every time the emergency chute is deployed, it costs that airline $25,000. I would think that Slater's supervisors would have an issue with him over that alone. And, of course, there's that little issue of cursing out the passengers over the intercom. That type of thing is usually frowned upon.

There's no telling where this story will end up. But, at least for now, Steven Slater will remain the envy of disgruntled employees everywhere.....

KW