More to come at that new site.

For the last six days, I have had 4 different circulars left on my front steps.  Unfortunately, the offending business are getting more brazen in leaving their circulars as the weather gets better.  Either that or they desire to see me post more offending business to this blog.

Even more heartbreaking was discovering an illegal circular on my doorstep for a business I patronized in South Baltimore–Mikie’s Pizza and Subs.  Oh, Mikie’s, you broke my heart.

Date: 13 May 2010

Street Address: Scott Street, Baltimore, MD

Location: Circulars left in/on railing of front steps.

Number of Circulars: 1

Discovery of Circulars: See image below.

Offending Business: Brother’s Pizza & Subs, 409 West Saratoga Street

Date: 14 May 2010

Street Address: Scott Street, Baltimore, MD

Location: Circulars left wedged behind mailbox and front wall of home.

Number of Circulars: 1

Discovery of Circulars: See image below.

Offending Business: Mikie’s Pizza & Subs, 210 E. Fort Avenue

Date: 16 May 2010

Street Address: Scott Street, Baltimore, MD

Location: Circulars left in/on front steps railing.

Number of Circulars: 1

Discovery of Circulars: See image below.

Offending Business: Bella Roma Pizza, 1101 Washington Boulevard

For shame, offending businesses!  Here’s hoping my documentation here helps in getting you fined and learning your lesson.

Street Address: Scott Street, Baltimore, MD

Location: Circulars left on railing of front steps.

Number of Circulars: 2

Discovery of Circulars: See image below.

Circular 1

Business: Pizza Time,

Address: 2511 Washington Boulevard

Actual advertisement is photographed below.

Circular 2

Business: Wings Things “N” More

Address: 3170 Wilkens Avenue

Actual advertisement is photographed below.

The law was changed a few years ago to make this practice illegal.  Specifically, Article 19 of the Baltimore City Code addresses this.

§ 1-2. Placement prohibited without permission.
A person may not affix, place, or cause to be affixed or placed any advertising circular:
(1) in or on any vehicle in the City, except with the express permission of the owner or operator of the vehicle; or
(2) in or on any residential property in the City (whether in or on a fence, railing, door, porch, lawn, sidewalk, or otherwise), except:
(i) with the express permission of the owner or occupant of that property; or
(ii) by placing the advertising circular into a door slot or a nonlockable bin consistent with federal law.
(City Code, 1976/83, art. 19, §1A(b).) (Ord. 87-890; Ord. 06-205; Ord. 07-507.)

There are, however, multiple issues with its enforcement:

1. When an illegal advertising circular is found, it must be kept in its place, and, following a report to 311, the Service Request number must be affixed to the circular.
2. There is a gap from when the violation is reported to when a city official is able to investigate the violation.
3. Distribution of these advertising circulars varies from neighborhood to neighborhood in the city.  In other words, the more tony the neighborhood, the less likely such circulars are distributed.
4. Leaving the reported circulars out front does not guarantee they will still be present when the city official investigates.  Weather and other elements occasionally conspire against the circulars remaining on, say, a front railing.

Given these issues (and the rather cumbersome nature of the City’s 311 online reporting service), I am going to make an effort to report these violations on my blog.  I will include a photo of the violation, a photo of the advertising circular, and a closer photo of the business advertised in the circular.  I will also include in these reports the date of the violation, the approximate location, and the time the circular was discovered.

I hope that this is at least useful and potentially easier than the “preferred method,” and I hope it results in the action I would like to see.

• Hot Tub Time Machine
  • On Saturday night, we took in the showing of Hot Tub Time Machine at the Landmark Harbor East.  For a nostalgic and hilarious look-back on the 1980s that is highly entertaining, go see this movie.  Rob Corrdry was the scene stealer in this movie, but the squirrel comes in as a close second.
• Gertrude’s at the BMA
  • Brunch at Gertrude’s was tasty, and the menu had a delicious selection of good eats.  I had a cup of the Cream of Crab and had the Eggs Gertrude–a variation on Eggs Benedict with broiled crabcakes on the English muffin.  A delicious precursor to touring the museum.
• Cezanne and American Modernism
  • Following brunch, we took in the Cezanne exhibit at the BMA.  The exhibit shows some of his works alongside those American painters where his influence was quite profound.  Again, a very enjoyable afternoon, with the exception of the rather loud (and new) audio tour guides used by other patrons.  Still, I recommend seeing the exhibit and also viewing the other items in the rest of the museum’s collection.

On my way out of work, I had stopped off at Jos. Bank for some additional shirts.  After that, I headed home on my usual route, heading up Conway Street towards Camden Yards.  I was minding my own business, listening to one of my many podcasts I listen to on my iPod.

As I approached the intersection of Conway and Sharp Streets, right near Old Otterbein Church, I saw a woman who had just finished talking to two men.  It looked like she was asking for directions, and the two men did not know where to send the woman.  The woman was a senior citizen, and she reminded me of my grandmother.  I decided to approach her and offer her some help.

She was heading to Highlandtown looking to catch a bus from downtown.  I admitted that I did not know what buses ran where, but I suggested some possible routes the buses could take–Pratt Street or Eastern Avenue came to mind.  She mentioned she was doing a favor for a friend, and she had accompanied another friend downtown to play bingo. I pointed out where Pratt Street was located, but I noticed she did not seem too confident about where it was. I offered to walk with her over to Pratt Street, so we made our way.

She mentioned she used to live downtown on Charles Street, but she was a little lost given where she was.  I offered that the area near Camden Yards has changed a lot in the last few years, and it has probably changed even more from her time living downtown.

We made our way to Pratt Street.  There was now a new problem: where to catch a bus.  The best thing I could think of was to get her to a covered bus stop, where more information on where the buses head would be.  Again, though, that was a four block walk from the intersection of Pratt and Sharp Streets. There was also the problem of bus fare, as she was checking her change, and I was not too confident that bus fare was that inexpensive.  I mentioned hailing a taxicab, but she was not too keen to the idea.

While waiting on Pratt Street, we missed one bus, and a Charm City Circulator came by to the stop we were at.  The Circulator was not going to get this lady to where she was headed.  I decided to hail a taxicab, checking my wallet and seeing that I had $20 in cash.  She offered me some money for helping her–three dollars.  I politely declined.

The woman said that was not necessary, but I opened the door to the taxicab.  I handed the driver my $20, mentioning that she was headed to Highlandtown, making sure the lady mentioned her final destination.  She thanked me and said I did not need to do this, and I replied “It was my pleasure.  Get home safe.”

The most important thing to me was to get her to where she was going safely.  She is someone’s grandmother, and I thought it important she get to where she was going safe.  With that thought, money was no object: I just wanted to make sure this grandmother got home safe, and I was happy to do it.

I have been virtually enjoying it via Twitter, Facebook, and text messages.  Still, the best forecast I have seen, summing up how I feel about our rash of weekend snowstorms, comes from Jim Kosek at Accuweather.com.

"And the snow beast continueth."

Surprisingly, though, the one thing that I expected from her never took place.  She never made that one terrible gaffe while in office.  Granted, I never found her to be a erudite speaker in public or on the airwaves.  Still, she did not “screw up” as I had expected.

There were some policy changes that I still disagree with.  While the tree-huggers who inhabit my fair city have been brainwashed into thinking that the change to trash pickup in this city was a good idea, I still despise it.  I need not look much further than my neighborhood to see the rigorous enforcement of the various laws around trash that has clearly taken place.

Now, we await the assumption of the power by current City Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.  Never have I been more dismayed over this turn of events.  From the stories I have heard from her time in the Baltimore Office of the Public Defender to my personal experience attending social events where she has been present.  In all of my dealings, she has always seem to me to be detached and somewhat annoyed to be where she is.  To me, she offers nothing more than the cachet of her father’s last name.

Maybe Rawlings-Blake will be a surprise in office.  I can only hope.

Forwarded by a friend from Baltimore Craigslist:

On FRIDAY, December 18th, Pickles, a brown pitbull with a white muzzle and white chest, escaped at the intersection of Ostend & Scott Streets in South Baltimore (Pigtown). He may have been spotted on Sharp Street in Federal Hill on Friday afternoon.   He is 8 months old, weighs 35 pounds, and was wearing a BLACK HOODED SWEATSHIRT when he ran away. He also has a blue collar with tags with his name, our phone number, rabies vaccination and MICROCHIP ID number. He is a bit shy around new people, but is really a very nice little dog. He also has a large MD SPCA tattoo on his right inner thigh and is microchipped.   If you see Pickles or catch him, please contact Peter at 570-762-1838 or Monica at 410-599-4958.   WE ARE OFFERING A $500 REWARD TO THE PERSON WHO CAN GET OUR DOG BACK TO US.   Thank you,   Peter

Fellow Pigtowners, please be on the lookout for Pickles, a lost pitbull whose owners desperately want his return.  If you find him, please contact Monica and Peter at the numbers above.

MOVEMBER* is the month formerly known as November, when men commit to growing a Mo’ to raise funds for prostate cancer research and to raise awareness for men‘s health! That’s right, we’re bringing back the Moustache this November with a bar crawl the likes of which SoBo HAS NEVER SEEN. If you’re mo’ enough to join a global movement changing the face of men’s health, come join us on Movember 21st!
– MovemberBaltimore.com

Essentially, I will be grooming a moustache in an effort to raise funds for prostate cancer research and for the LIVESTRONG Foundation. Yes, I assure you, there will be photos of the moustache I groom.

As part of the local team, Boh Knows Movember, there will be a bar crawl on 21 November 2009.  Mark the date in your calendars, as the proceeds benefit an excellent cause.  Donations to the Boh Knows Movember team can be made here.

Contribute to the cause as my teammates and I sport the ‘stache for men’s health!