Baltimore | Dirty World News

Yo in Baltimore

Language nerds everywhere are going crazy over the supposed emergence of the elusive gender-neutral pronoun among black students in Baltimore city schools:

Yo was tuckin' in his shirt!
Yo threw a thumbtack at me.
Yo been runnin' the halls.
Yo put his foot up.
Yo wearin' a jacket. A coat!
You acting like I said what yo said.
She ain't really go with yo.
Yo look like a sack ass gump.
Yo is a clown.
Yo sucks at magic tricks.
Yo needs to pull his pants down.
Yo looks like a freak.
Yo is a straight clown.
Yo goin to put that chicken in his mouth.
Yo, looka that dude pants. Yo is a clown.

I seem to recall hearing instances of this well before 2004, but I haven't lived in Baltimore in a decade so I could be wrong.

Posted by Doug at 11:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We Now Conclude Our Broadcast Day

I've been having a blast digging through the dozens of videos on YouTube depicting TV sign-off messages throughout the years, back before most stations broadcasted on a 24-hour programming schedule.

It's interesting to see how many there are from the mid-1980s, presumably when adoption of VHS players took off.

WCBS, New York, NY (1960s)
WKYC, Cleveland, OH (1976)
CHCH, Hamilton, ON (1979)
WJZ, Baltimore, MD (1981)
WUAB, Cleveland, OH (1981)
WCBS, New York, NY (1981)
KOAP, Oregon (1981)

Continue reading "We Now Conclude Our Broadcast Day" »

Posted by Doug at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Descendants of the Mayflower

What's this? A Marylander excusing Robert Irsay for moving the Colts out of Baltimore? It can't be. The sun didn't rise in the West this morning. Hell didn't freeze over. And I didn't win the lottery.

This exhaustive piece from Indianapolis Colts fan Mike Devitt about the history of football in Baltimore and the Colts' untimely departure from the city is long (and slightly painful), but worth it.

(Irsay still sucks)

Posted by Doug at 11:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

How To Solve a Murder

A detective does his job in the only possible way. He follows the requirements of the law to the letter -- or close enough so as not to jeopardize his case. Just as carefully, he ignores that law's spirit and intent. He becomes a salesman, a huckster as thieving and silver-tongued as any man who ever moved used cars or aluminum siding -- more so, in fact, when you consider that he's selling long prison terms to customers who have no genuine need for the product.

A legal examination of the creative circumvention of Miranda rights in Baltimore as presented by David Simon in Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets.

Posted by Doug at 01:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Where Baltimore Gets Engaged

If you've ever lived in the Mid-Atlantic states, then you'll probably think this billboard of the Natty Boh guy proposing to the Utz girl is a real hoot.

Biggie size up at the National Bohemian blog.

Posted by Doug at 05:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Backyard in Baltimore, circa 1981 or 1982

My father emailed me this photo of the backyard of the house in Baltimore where I grew up. He thinks it's from 1981 or '82, but it looks pretty much the same as it did when we moved out in 1994.

My dad is a stonemason, and he cut and arranged the bricks and stones by hand (and chisel, of course). It looks pretty cool from above, particularly the way the grass lines up symmetrically with the brick walkway and patio.

I wish I still had that Big Wheel.