'First-World Problems' and the Orioles Try A New Job

After waiting more than a month to get cable and internet access at my home, I was furious to hear that workers for .

The juggernaut cable/internet/phone provider who coined the term, FIOS, experienced a massive work-stoppage, resulting in the indefinite stop to all order installations. That meant me.

For the early part of last week, I was pretty steamed. I don’t know who I was mad at specifically, I just knew I was mad. But just a few days later, I was humbled by the realization that many of my concerns are what my friends and I call, “first-world problems.”

The term usually represents issues we face as well-off Americans that are exclusive to first-world cultures, and therefore, probably not as pressing as we make them out to be. Yes is stunk to not have access to the outside world when I was home, but after seeing , it put things in perspective.

Michael Williams, 42, said his father, James L. Williams, lived in that home on Jones Road for about 60 years. As smoke billowed from its windows, .

I still don’t have internet or cable at my home. Boo hoo right? But I feel quite different about it and definitely less indignant.

After covering the fire and calming down about my Verizon woes, it was back to business. Fortunately, we had some lighter news later in the week.

Orioles Magic?

Pitching Ace isn’t really a term that works with the Baltimore Orioles, but if you had to pick one, it would be Jeremy Guthrie. Sure he has an awful record, but when it comes to his “stuff,” he might be the best we’ve got in Charm City.

It was Guthrie and youngster Jim Johnson who last week.

One commenter said it was a noble attempt to find something they were actually good at.

Ouch. Very ouch.  

Other News

In other news, Martin O’Malley spoke about through Maryland to better handle crises like the Discovery Channel hostage situation and a 6000 acre brush fire created an .