Month: June 2015

Doubleheader Well Worth The Wait

ERIE, PA — After two consecutive rainouts, the Baysox went to work, sweeping a doubleheader in Erie on Monday evening at Jerry Uht Park. Bowie grabbed the opener after trailing early 6-3 before hanging onto a 2-1 win in the night cap.

In game one, Erie scored three runs on four hits in the first inning. Bowie then went to work. In the third inning with two on and two down, SS Ozzie Martinez grounded a double inside the first base bag down the line to score two runs. Then in the fourth inning it was LF Quincy Latimore. He lined a 1-0 fastball for a two-run double with two down to give Bowie the lead. The Baysox added two unearned runs in the seventh to lead 6-3.

Starter Elih Villanueva did not allow a hit after the rocky first inning. His complete game win was his third complete game in his last four starts.

In Game Two, the Baysox grabbed the lead early and hung on. In the second inning, 1B Brandon Snyder homered over the yellow line off of the hockey arena in left field. It was for Snyder his third home run in six games and his seventh of the year.

Bowie added a big insurance run in the third inning when 2B Corban Joseph doubled home LF Tucker Nathans. The Baysox would have a runner in scoring position in each of the last four innings but failed to score.

Starter Ashur Tolliver worked two scoreless innings before giving way to Richard Rodriguez who made his Orioles organizational debut. He allowed a run in two innings but left with the lead intact. Mychal Givens (4-1) gave Bowie two shutout frames before closer Andrew Triggs worked through a leadoff walk to put a close on a 2-1 win.

Bowie now heads to Akron with a 2.5 game lead in the division Tuesday, June 30th at 7:05 p.m. Coverage will begin 20-minutes prior on 1430wnav.com and the Tune-In Radio App by searching Bowie Baysox. LHP Tim Berry gets the series opening start.

The Baysox return home for a Fireworks Extravaganza on Saturday, July 4th as the Erie SeaWolves come to Prince George’s Stadium. Be a part of the best Fireworks Show of the Season! Get tickets via phone at 301-805-6000 or online at baysox.com.

BET Awards: What you may have missed

The past was a present at Sunday night’s BET Awards.

From Janet Jackson to Smokey Robinson, it was throwback time Sunday in Los Angeles at one of R&B and hip-hop’s biggest nights. And of course, the memes from the evening were out of control.

Here’s what you may have missed.

Bad Boy reunites

Through all of his iterations from Puff Daddy to Diddy, producer/rapper/entrepreneur Sean Combs always did know how to make great music. And he reminded us of that Sunday night when he took to the stage with some of his Bad Boy artists past and present to remind us of why we miss the late ’90s.

Diddy was joined by 112, Lil’ Kim, Faith Evans, Ma$e, Pharrell Williams and French Montana for a medley of hits.

While we question why girl group Total wasn’t in the house, we can’t be too mad at Diddy, given his unfortunate fall through the stage, which sent the Internet into a creative frenzy.

At least Diddy had a sense of humor about it, taking to social media to say, “I was getting so loose I fell! LOL, but really though I busted my a!”

Janet Jackson honored

Take note, ladies: You can cover up and still look flawless.

That’s what Ms. Jackson (if you’re nasty) did when she showed up to receive the Ultimate Icon Award. The 49-year-old superstar was looking ridiculously gorgeous in a white pantsuit.

She took to the stage after singers Tinashe, Jason Derulo and Ciara paid tribute in dance to some of Jackson’s most beloved music videos.

The singer — who is back on the scene with an upcoming album and concert tour — thanked her parents and her longtime collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who presented her with the award.

“Twenty-five years ago, we created Rhythm Nation hoping the world would be a better place, but today there is even more to be done,” Jackson said. “Last but not least to my loving husband and to all the fans, I’ve missed you so much, and I love you so much. Thank you! Thank you, BET.”

Smokey Robinson’s words of wisdom

The legendary singer-songwriter was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award after singers Tori Kelly, Ne-Yo and Robin Thicke paid tribute with some of his songs. Robinson, 75, used his speech as an opportunity to let the youngsters in the industry know that a little humility goes a long way.

“You didn’t start this,” he said. “You were not the first in line. The line started way, way, way, way, way before your great, great, great-grandparents were born. Also, you are not the end of the line. So don’t be so full of yourselves.”

Preach, Smokey!

And lest they forget, Robinson got the crowd jamming by singing a few of his hits just to remind them that he still has it.

Ummm, hello, Nicki Minaj?

It’s hard to keep up when you’re performing, winning awards and snuggling with your rapper boo, Meek Mill.

Nicki Minaj apparently came onstage to receive an award without knowing which award it was and had to ask when she got to the microphone.

“I’m sorry. Oh! Viewers Choice! Oh, my God, y’all, thank you,” the rapstress said. “I was in the back! Oh, y’all. My fans. You all know how much I need and want you.”

Of course Twitter had some fun with the flub.

Rihanna’s antics

Early on in the show, Rihanna was sitting front and center with a roll of silver duct tape, so we knew it was going to be an interesting evening for her.

The camera panned over a few times to show her getting her party on (including during a performance of her now notoriously former boyfriend Chris Brown) but it was what she did backstage that had fans scratching their heads.

Cameras “caught her” seconds before coming on stage asking “But why?” and throwing a stack of money in BET executive Stephen Hill’s face.

Fear not, as it all appears to have been pre-arranged. After all, Rihanna does have a single called “Bch Better Have My Money.” She Instagrammed a pic of her kissing Hill on the cheek afterward.

Remove Confederate flag now

(NNPA) — The savage act of racial terrorism at Emanuel A.M.E. Church – Mother Emanuel – in Charleston, S.C., has been met with extraordinary expressions of faith in that community. Last Thursday, the victims’ relatives offered the terrorist their forgiveness. On Sunday, Mother Emanuel’s doors opened for regular services. Hatred and violence would not break the congregation’s spirit.

photo

Jesse Jackson, Sr.

The murderer, Dylann Roof, said his intent was to trigger a race war. He spat on and burned the American flag, but waved the Confederate flag. Naturally, this has revived the demand that the Confederate flag be taken down at the South Carolina state capitol. The flag is a symbol. It stands for secession, sedition, slavery, segregation and suppression of rights. That it flies at the state capitol expresses the failure to address racial division. Germany does not fly a Nazi flag. South Africa does not fly the flag of apartheid.

The flag is a symbol, but the agenda of the flag is very real. The flag agenda is to preserve states’ rights over constitutional rights, racial divide over liberty and justice for all. The flag agenda demands that states, not the federal government, establish rules around voting. When the Supreme Court’s conservative gang of five disemboweled the Voting Rights Act, a flood of measures designed to make voting harder for minorities, the poor and the elderly ensued.

The flag agenda asserts states’ rights over national reform. The Supreme Court’s conservative justices decided that states could refuse the expansion of Medicaid that was part of health care reform. Only one state of the former confederacy then accepted billions from the federal government that would expand health care for their citizens, boost their economy and aid their hospitals.

The flag agenda sustains our systemic system of criminal injustice, where African Americans are more likely to be stopped, more likely to be charged, more likely to be detained, more likely to be jailed and – as we have seen again and again – more likely to be at risk from the police that are supposed to protect them.

The flag agenda suppresses the right of workers to organize, the right to a living wage, a safe workplace, a healthy environment. The flag agenda impoverishes poor White workers by pitting them against poor Black workers.

Today, everyone is outraged at the killings, but there is not the same outrage that African Americans have the highest rates of infant mortality, unemployment, imprisonment, segregated housing and home foreclosures, segregated and underfunded public schools, poverty, heart disease, liver disease, diabetes, mental health issues, HIV/AIDS, denial of access to capital and more. The flag is a symbol, but the flag agenda is this institutionalized state of terror.

There was an urgency to identify and arrest Roof before he hurt anyone else, but there is not the same urgency to identify and arrest the current economic and political conditions – the institutional racism and structural injustices – before another generation is lost.

The flag should come down. It is deeply offensive that politicians who aspire to lead this nation as president are too cowardly to call for its removal, hiding behind states’ rights, the poisonous doctrine that is the heart of the flag agenda.

But putting the flag in a museum is not enough. Dylann Roof is 21 years old. He was not alive when Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) existed or when South Africa was under apartheid. He was taught his hatreds; he wasn’t born with them. His hatreds found deadly expression, but so too do the institutionalized injustices that are not limited to South Carolina.

Racism requires a remedy. We need a White House conference on racial justice and urban policy to offer a vision and a policy to deal with our structural injustice. Remove the flag, of course. But we need the president and the Congress to challenge the flag agenda.

Why Baltimore won’t get justice from police

BALTIMORE,Md. — It is well documented that the system is unfair. White communities with money receive different city services than poor communities of color do. From police to trash pick up, things are different. The fight to address police harassment and brutality as well as the fight to get adequate protection in poor communities will always be overshadowed by the larger structural issues at play between police and oppressed communities.

In order to think about solutions to the system, we need a deeper understanding of the problems. Police are trained to address violent crime, despite the fact that the majority of the calls for service that they receive are nonviolent in nature. A parent calls because her son has stayed out late again, an elderly neighbor calls because kids are being loud outside, the same couple struggling with domestic violence keeps calling, etc. Police find themselves ill-equipped to handle the deeper issues at play and citizens don’t know what to do in a moment of crisis so they call police. Police bring a gun, a badge and an enforcement and obedience mentality to a battle that requires teachers, social workers or other caring advocates.

Alternately, low-income communities that have been poorly served by their schools, families and other systems are left feeling frustrated and powerless to change the inequities they see. Young people have often not had authority figures that they respect in their lives and have essentially raised themselves. Police are called to poor communities and then put in the position of setting limits on angry behavior. Communities need equity but instead get enforcement. This is a recipe for tension. No matter how well officers are trained, the tension of oppressed and oppressor are embedded in the culture and role of each group.

New Lens, a social justice, youth-driven, art and media program that I direct, has done work on justice issues for the past 10 years. We’ve made videos about youth and police and ultimately used our videos and a series of discussions and activities to train police officers as a part of a mandatory training program, which took place in 2009/10. After pretty successfully training two-thirds of patrol officers in Baltimore City, New Lens emerged with some key insights: training and relationship building aren’t enough to combat the structural issues that exist, and although race is important it is not the defining factor in what makes for a compassionate officer. What we learned is that the most effective way to reduce police/community tensions is to create alternative structures that reduce the contact that police and community have. What if we created a call center and a unit that responded to nonviolent calls? What if the staff was made up of social workers and those trained to care, support, teach, resolve conflict and get to the bottom of the issues that people are facing? We already have restorative justice models that are highly effective in diverting juvenile crime from going to court that we could build on.

There are lots of other costly but important prevention strategies we need: more recreation centers and things for young people to do, more jobs that are accessible to ex-offenders and more drug treatment. We also need to take the profit out of drug dealing (i.e. legalize marijuana and medicalize the harder stuff). These solutions are essential but tough because they do not address immediate tensions and fears people feel and they cost money and/or require significant policy and priority shifts.

To make some of these things happen we would need to reallocate money from the police department. Many would say this is impossible because the police department is grossly under resourced as it is. It is important to note that currently the Baltimore City Police Department makes up about half of Baltimore City’s budget. That is larger than any other thing that the city invests in. At that price shouldn’t we be happy with the services received? And if we’re not happy, shouldn’t we have a say in changing those services?

The kinds of solutions mentioned here do have to be considered if we expect deep change. If our interventions or reforms focus on the moment of interaction between police and citizen, we are intervening too late. Body cameras, better training and better selection of officers all focus on how to make the police/community interaction better but miss the key point: the relationship is designed to fail. We need a reorganizing of the system that minimizes this interaction. While we likely do need an improved entity that addresses violent crime, the calls for service show we don’t need this to be as large as it is. Instead we need strategies that address the community’s primary need for caring—not enforcement.

Originally posted on www.osi-baltimore.org

Passenger Car Hits Light Rail Vehicle and Local Bus

BALTIMORE,Md. — A passenger car collided with an MTA Light Rail vehicle and a stopped MTA bus this morning on N. Howard Street briefly disrupting service in the early afternoon. No serious injuries were reported.

At 11:25 a.m., the driver side of the car made contact with the northbound Light Rail train in the center lane of the street. The MTA Local Bus was stopped at a red light in the right lane and was struck by the car as well. MTA Police and Baltimore City Police were on the scene shortly after the crash.

The driver and passenger of the passenger vehicle were taken to University Shock Trauma with non-life threatening injuries. One passenger on the Light Rail car and 11 passengers on the Local Bus all claimed injuries.

By 1 p.m., Light Rail service had been restored.

Though the accident is under investigation, MTA Police said it appeared the driver of the passenger vehicle attempted to get around the stopped bus by moving into the center lane and ran into the Light Rail vehicle while also hitting the Local Bus.

Car Review: 2015 Lexus NX 300h

DETROIT (NNPA) — In the Lexus alphanumeric lexicon, any vehicle nameplate ending with a small “h” is a hybrid. Such was the case with the 2015 Lexus NX 300h. It looks like a rocket. The NX was Lexus’ small 5-door crossover and it had very aggressive styling. Beginning with the brand’s spindle grille, the exterior was comprised of sharply angled edges and creases.

The NX had a raked windshield as well as a raked tailgate. It had Lexus’ signature L shaped DRL signature lighting in the front, ground spoilers on the side and a tailgate design in the rear that echoed the spindle grille in the front. Overall, the 2015 Lexus NX looked like it was slicing through air while standing still and we’re sure that is exactly the look Lexus designers were trying to achieve.

Under the hood was a 2.5 liter four cylinder engine and two electric motors that made a combined 194 horsepower and 152 foot-pounds of torque. The engine was mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

The Lexus NX 300h is not going to blow anybody away off the starting line. But our test vehicle was capable. It wasn’t overwhelmed on the expressways here. And though it was a small crossover, it was not outsized by other vehicles or traffic, either. Acceleration wasn’t explosive but the NX handled well, cornering was good and there were three drive modes. Normal of course was the default setting; it also had an Eco-setting and a Sport setting. We pretty much left it in the default setting.

Our test vehicle had an all-wheel-drive system that was designed for the NX hybrid. It used an electric motor to drive the rear wheels. The front axle was powered by the gasoline engine or second electric motor or a combination of both.

This system operated in front-wheel-drive mode and only sent power to the rear wheels when needed on slippery surfaces. The rear electric motor also acted as a generator when the NX was in regenerative braking mode, increasing the amount of kinetic energy recovered. Since it was dry here doing our test drive we did not get the chance to experience the system at work.

The interior of the NX was special. It was meant to evoke a feel of a sports car and did so pretty well. It was dominated by a center console. Above it, a fixed information-navigation screen was indented into the dash creating a shelf. The vents, analogue clock and climate controls were embedded on a pier-like ledge that gently sloped down from the dash. The audio controls were beneath.

Cup holders and the drive mode selector were in the center console. It was a different but clean layout. We thought the way Lexus handled the TFT instrument panel was thoughtful, too. Two rings, one for the speedometer and the other for the tachometer, where there. The analogue numbers digitally projected looked permanent. But turn the NX off and they disappeared except the rings.

The back seats were spacious; there was plenty of head room and two people could be very comfortable. The floor was almost flat. Thus, if a third person had to sit in the back seat, it would not be that bad – for a short trip.

The passenger cabin was swathed in black and cream leather with linear black shadow wood trim. Our test vehicle had the luxury option package. It was comprised of heated and cooled front seats, a heated steering wheel, 18-inch alloy wheels, a navigation system, a premium sound system and rearview camera.

It had automatic dimming sideview mirrors that tilted when the NX was put in reverse, blind side alert, parking assist, a pre-collision warning system and adaptive cruise control. In other words, our test vehicle was chocked full of creature comforts.

Using a compatible smartphone, Lexus said the voice-enabled apps on the Entune system let you search the Internet through Bing™, make restaurant reservations using OpenTable®, get movie tickets via MovieTickets.com™, listen to Internet radio, (including Pandora®, iHeartRadio™ and Slacker), search business reviews on Yelp® and check in on Facebook Places™.

The base price of our 2015 Lexus NX 300h was $41,310. Add a pretty long list of options and a $925 freight charge and the total as tested came to $52,013.

Frank S. Washington is editor of AboutThatCar.com.

“Dope” movie earning raves as it opens nationwide

Rick Famuyiwa never doubted that he had a special movie project on his hands with the new film, “Dope.”

Armed with the knowledge of how Hollywood can sometimes divert from a filmmaker’s plot, Famuyiwa made sure to protect his precious story line.

Diddy, Pharrell Williams and Forest Whitaker at the premier of the indie film “Dope” at the LA Film Festival recently.

(Photo: Eric Charbonneau)

Diddy, Pharrell Williams and Forest Whitaker at the premier of the indie film “Dope” at the LA Film Festival recently.

“It was important for my vision of the film to stay in tact,” he said in a statement through his publicist. “[My vision] is something I don’t think could have been accomplished in a major studio.”

The Hollywood-centric publication Variety, called the film a buoyant teen caper comedy that’s one of this year’s brighter Sundance commercial prospects.

The film contains so much playful energy and wit to Famuyiwa’s indie-est project since his 1999 movie, “The Wood” that few viewers will mind, Variety reviewers said.

A soundtrack featuring new songs by Pharrell Williams is an added plus for a film that should play well to wide audiences.

The Hollywood Reporter, another industry trade publication, was among the many to publish good reviews for the film. The publication’s review noted that the movie’s overall energy, which is reinforced by dynamic camera and cutting from Lee Haugen, and performances that are spunky enough to almost always temporarily suspend disbelief when required.

Onscreen in practically every frame, Shameik Moore in his first lead role is clearly the star of the show, shouldering that burden with enviable ease. His character, Malcolm, a high school senior and the son of a single mother portrayed by Kimberly Elise, is an energetic young man full of contradictions who’s believable as a straight-A student who can outsmart gangsters as well as someone who’s intimidated by class bullies or any girl with any interest in him.

The film centers on Malcolm and his friends Jib (portrayed by Tony Revolori) and Diggy (played by Kiersey Clemons) who bond over 1990s hip-hop culture, their studies and playing music in their own punk band.

A chance encounter with a drug dealer named Dom lands Malcolm and his friends at the dealer’s nightclub birthday party. When the scene turns violent, they flee with the Ecstasy that Dom secretly hid in Malcolm’s backpack. A wild adventure ensues as the youths try to evade armed thugs who want the stash.

“Dope is an indie film with a compelling story,” Famuyiwa said. “The story line truly connects the audience with its characters.”

The film, which is currently playing at several Baltimore theaters, is written and directed by Famuyiwa and produced and executive produced by Forest Whitaker, Pharrell Williams and Sean “P. Diddy” Combs. The cast also includes A$AP Rocky, Tyga, Chanel Iman, Zoe Kravitz and Rick Fox.

“It’s more than just a black film,” Famuyiwa said. “It is a film for everyone.”

Ask Alma: Wife’s spending out of control

(NNPA) — Dear Alma,

I love my wife and we have a great marriage. She’s beautiful, funny, spontaneous and easy to get along with. I can handle her good and her bad except for one thing. She spends like crazy! Her clothes fill up two closets in our home and extends to the basement, depending on the season. She has shoes she’s never worn and clothes that still have the tags on them. At some point we need to save towards our retirement and other obligations. I’m tired of living paycheck to paycheck to vacation back to paycheck. I’ve talked to her about it and she promised she’d stop her outrageous spending, but lately I’ve found bags of clothes in the guest room closet and the trunk of her car. Obviously, she’s still spending. I can also see the charges that continue to pop up on our credit card statement. I can’t believe she’s trying to hide what she’s buying now. How can I insist that she stop spending short of threatening a divorce? I love my wife and I don’t want a divorce, be we can’t go on this way. Any suggestions?

Name withheld

For the Love of Money ~ you know I’m pattin’ my feet humming the O’Jays, right! It’s helping me get my mind fixed and ready to answer your question, LOL. Some say it’s the root of all evil, money that is, I’m not sure if I agree. I think people are the root of all evil and money is an accessory. What I also know foshow is, couples have a hard time collaborating when it comes to money…. and sex….sex and money, Honey, the more you get the more you want, that’s what a preacher once told me. But I digress, LMBO.

An addiction to spending is a tough place to be. If she’s hiding bags as you say, I see it safe to assume, she’s lost control or she thinks you really don’t mind her spending.

The two of you obviously need to start a household budget. You also need to discuss who will oversee it and how it will be determined. Will you put everything in one account, or will you opt for a mine-yours and ours bundle? There is no right or wrong way to do it. As long as you’re in agreement on what’s best for the two of you. Also agree to allow for spending money and you both have to stay within those allocated funds. That part requires a commitment, a bond of trust that can’t be broken.

It won’t be easy, you two need a serious sit down. Lay all your facts and concerns on the table. This is not a scolding regarding her spending, but a joint discussion about your future. Figure out and be honest where she lands between overspending and compulsion. If she’s a shopaholic, please, seek professional help. If she’s overspending because she thinks you guys have money to burn, it’s time to come up with a financial strategy.

There’s an amazingly thorough money management column, written by Rodney Brooks for USA Today. He also has a book on Amazon titled, Is a Million Dollars Enough? It would benefit you guys to check it out. Again, agree to write down your financial goals and commit to them. I love that you stressed the love you have for your wife. Take a lesson from Rodney and learn new ways and methods, together, on how to manage your money. Good luck!

Alma

Alma Gill’s newsroom experience spans more than 25 years, including various roles at USA Today, Newsday and the Washington Post. Email questions to: alwaysaskalma@gmail.com. Follow her on Facebook at “Ask Alma” and twitter @almaaskalma.

Meatless Monday’s: Vegan Meatball Subs

Meatballs, made from vegan ground-beef-flavor Gimme Lean, taste even better the next day, after they have soaked in your homemade marinara sauce overnight. When the meatballs are added to a toasted hoagie roll and topped with warm vegan mozzarella, you’ll forget all about that spaghetti you ate them with last night and appreciate their new-found form in all its messy glory.

8 Trader Joe’s vegan meatballs

1/4 cup marinara sauce

2 hoagie rolls, sliced in half lengthwise

1/4 cup grated vegan mozzarella

Preheat the broiler to low.

Heat the meatballs and the sauce in the microwave or on the stove-top until warm.

Place four meatballs on each hoagie roll, top with half of the marinara and grated soy cheese, and place on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.

Place under the broiler until the bread is toasted and the soy cheese has started to melt, about 3 minutes.

Servings: 2 Subs

This classic deli sub is so satisfying that you’ll probably be tempted to whip up a whole new batch of soy meatballs, so be prepared. Enjoy!

Waterfront partnership thaws out summer socials

BALTIMORE,Md. — The Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore’s Summer Social Series offers FREE entertainment on the Waterfront. The series continues on Friday, June 19 and will continue through August with one event each month.

Attendees will enjoy live music performed by local bands, cold beverages, food trucks, a Waterfront Kids Zone presented by Playworks Maryland and the Walter Sondheim Interactive Fountain.

This month’s event is a part of a “Wonderful Waterfront Weekend,” which will feature numerous FREE events taking place along Baltimore’s Waterfront. Other events include the Friday Night Live concert series at Power Plant Live; open volleyball play at Rash Field and much more. For more information on a “Wonderful Waterfront Weekend,” visit www.waterfrontpartnership.org .

Waterfront Partnership’s Summer Socials are sponsored by Constellation, Chesapeake Beverage, Ripley’s Believe it or Not and title sponsor TD Bank.

WHEN: 5:00-8:00 p.m. one Friday a month from now until August.

Remaining Schedule:

Friday, July 24, Kelly Bell Band

Friday, August 21, New Romance

WHERE: West Shore Park – weather permitting (In between the Science Center and the Visitors Center)

COST: FREE to attend

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit www.waterfrontpartnership.org