Chris Core's Core Values

It’s that time of the year. The summer season means we’ll start hearing it again. It being really loud, sometimes inappropriate “music” played by drivers of cars who feel the necessity to share their favorite tunes with the rest of humanity.

You know what I’m talking about. You can hear them coming from a block away. By the time the offending jukebox-­‐on-­‐wheels pulls up next to you, you can feel the music as well as hear it. And the nastier the lyrics, the louder they’re being played.

Sometimes I comment to the mobile boom box, “Say, could you turn that up, there’s somebody in Boston who can’t quite hear it.”

Of course, I say this under my breath because the driver is always much younger and stronger than I and, given the nature of the lyrics he so enjoys, my guess is he’s not opposed to violence. (As an aside, have you noticed that it’s not we older drivers who can’t hear so well anymore who drive with the radio turned up too high? I mean, when was the last time you heard Tony Bennett blaring from a car?)

I was recently in the Tampa area. The city council has just approved an ordinance giving police the authority to ticket drivers whose stereos are plainly audible 50 feet away. First offense: $250, second offense: $450, third offense: jail time. I know there are many noise ordinances in our area. I don’t know if we have any specifically targeting inconsiderate mobile music-­‐sharers but we should have. There’s nothing like driving with a couple of kids in the back seat and having one of these characters pull up next to you at a red light with “#@%&**@!” flying into your car and into the ears of your young passengers.

Anyway, driving around here is frustrating enough as it is. We don’t need any more reasons to get our blood pressure elevated. So, if you’d be so kind as to turn the dang stereo down 40 to 50 decibels, it would be a much appreciated Core Value.

The WTOP website was attacked last week by a person or persons unknown.  The attack likely infected thousands of computers that reach WTOP.com via Internet Explorer.  As a result, WTOP was forced to block access to the website from Internet Explorer for several days.

We don’t know who attacked us and we don’t know why.  Our web manager tells me we will probably never know.  All we can do is try to fix the damage and apologize to our audience members who were inconvenienced by the malicious internet assault.

In New York, thieves hacked dozens of ATMs in a stunning and complex cyber attack that netted them some $45 million.

The above two stories should be enough to scare any of us with common sense from using the internet for personal or financial tasks.  And yet, we have no choice.  Even as these cyber crooks continue to ramp up their skills, more and more companies and even the U.S. government now force us to do online what we used to do by mail, phone or in person.  Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?

Recently the Social Security Administration announced it would no longer send out checks to new beneficiaries; all payments will be done electronically.  If you want to buy an airplane ticket or book a hotel room, companies offer monetary incentives to get you to do it online.  I recently went into a furniture store, saw the piece I wanted, tried to purchase it and was told I could only order it on the internet.  This meant typing my credit card information onto a website knowing that there are technically-gifted bad guys out there always trying to steal my card number.   And yours.

If I come off as some kind of Luddite, please know that I’m not.  I love that we are living in the golden age of communication.  The internet has made all of our lives easier in more ways than I can list.  But what happened at WTOP and in New York City last week is, I think, a forewarning of things to come.

Technology continues to improve.  So, too, do criminals intending to use it against us. Awareness of our cyber vulnerability is a Core Value.

My wife is in the early stages of looking for a new car.  We have been spending part of our weekends on test drives.  She’s not only not sure of what kind of car she wants next, but whether she even wants a new car.  Dealers refer to our type as tire-kickers.

A couple of weekends ago we drove out to a dealer to take a look at one of the cars on her “maybe” list.  Nice little car.  Good mileage.  We decided to take a spin.  When got back to the dealer we asked a few questions, took a brochure, thanked everybody for their time and told them we’d let them know.

The next day the salesman called and left a message.  A courtesy follow-up.  The day after that the sales manager called.   Next day I came home to find another message from the salesman.  After four days the count stood at five phone calls.

There was a reprieve during the weekend, so I figured we were out of harm’s way.  I was wrong.  The onslaught began again the following Monday.  One day it was the salesman, one day the manager.  Same message: “If there are any questions I can answer, if there is anything I can do, if you are still interested, give me a call.”

A few days later the count was up to eight phone messages in ten days.  On the 11^th day, I happened to be home when the call came.  The exchange was not pleasant.  After he identified himself as the sales manager, I couldn’t contain myself.

“You have to be kidding,” I said. “This is the ninth time you guys have called in 11 days.”

“Well, you never had the courtesy to return our calls,” he responded.

“That’s because I have no questions to ask you and need no more assistance.  It’s a nice car.  We have not decided…geeesh.”

The truth is we have decided.  Not this car.  Not this dealer.

Just for the record, the car in question lists for $22,000.  How much profit is in it to warrant nine phone calls in 11 days?

Polite persistence is a Core Value.  Outright badgering is not.

In last week’s column I asked a question.  We saw during the chaos in Boston a couple of weeks ago that some bystanders ran toward the blasts to try to offer help, while others did the intuitive thing and ran away from danger.  I asked you readers what you thought you would do.  Your responses were amazing. Here are just a couple.

Lawrence wrote: “Those of us with EM backgrounds, would probably move forward to assist.  That’s why I recommend to you and your readers the following  government program: CERT, which stands for Community Emergency Response Team.  CERT started at the local level and moved up.  It’s designed to give the immediate responders, those who just happen to be in the area, the skills and confidence enough to help the most in the least amount of time before the professionals arrive.  The training is free and will cost you only a few evenings of your time.”

Steven works for the Department of Homeland Security.  He wrote: “A man never knows what he will do until the situation presents itself.  Recently I was on assignment in Iraq. There, I discovered an opportunity to run forward.  I visited a local orphanage where I discovered that the children there were truly orphans in every way.  They literally had no one.  If not for the wonderful caregivers in these orphanages, these children would be totally alone in the world.  So I made a choice. I would participate on every orphanage mission I could.  I and my fellow volunteers knew there were threats of IEDs and snipers, but the risk was not enough to scare any of us off.  During one visit a seasoned sergeant turned to me to say, ‘Sir, I have been on over a hundred missions on my tour and these are the best and most important I have ever participated in’”. Wow.

Many thanks to all of you who wrote.  Almost everybody who responded said they felt they would be drawn to try to help even if it meant running toward danger.  As Steven said, none of us knows for sure what we would do until the moment arrives, but your notes to me were an inspiring Core Value.

Boston suffered a horrible terrorist attack last week.  The next one could very well happen here.  In fact, considering the symbolic importance of hitting the U.S. capital, it’s likely the next time will be here.  Or the time after that.

I was discussing this with a friend of mine the other day when he asked me a question.  “Which way would you run?”

He started talking about the decision made by some of the bystanders at the Boston Marathon to run toward the first explosion to offer aid instead of running away from the blast, which would seem the logical reaction.

As we pondered the question, some things were sorted out.   Obviously, if people we knew and loved were in harm’s way, we would run toward them to try to save them.  Conversely, if we were watching an event like the Marathon with children, we would shield them and run away as fast as possible.

But what if we were alone?  If there were no extenuating circumstances.  The bomb goes off, which way would you run?

I’ve thought about this question for the past week, and the truth is, I have no idea. I am not sure there is even a right choice.  While putting myself in danger for the sake of others would be noble, leaving my wife without a husband and my daughter without a father would not.

Most law enforcement officials would advise that bystanders get out of the way and let the professionals handle the situation.  That’s probably good advice, and yet the people who ran toward the explosion unquestionably saved lives.

Acts of courage and heroism happen every day.  In car wrecks, fires, on unsafe streets.  What occurred in Boston last week only magnified the stage.  Ordinary Americans put in an extraordinary situation.  Some ran away from danger, some ran toward it.  Who was right?  What would you do?

If this column has you thinking, please share those thoughts with me at cccore@aol.com.  I’ll print them next week.

Meanwhile ,amazed admiration for those who ran toward danger for the sake of complete strangers is a Core Value.

Vacation season is right around the corner. If your summer plans include the beaches of Delaware, DO bring lots of sunscreen. Don’t bring your smokes.

Dewey Beach is moving to join the other resort towns of the First State in banning smoking on the beaches. The ban is already in place in Bethany, Lewes, Rehoboth and Fenwick Island.

I’ll admit that the ban on smoking in most indoor locations, including restaurants, has made life more pleasant for those of us who don’t smoke. I still think the marketplace could have sorted that out without government intervention. Nonsmokers would flock to businesses that banned lighting up, while smokers would have looked for friendlier venues. But that fight is over.

Now, smoking in the great outdoors is the target. I’ll be the first to admit that when I am at the beach and somebody upwind lights up, I get annoyed. I then do one of three things: wait for the wind to shift, ignore the offending smoke or move my beach chair to another spot. I’ve managed to handle the problem on my own for years without seeking redress from the government or causing a fuss with the smokers. As far as I’m concerned, the beach is for all of us to enjoy.

I wonder where this anti-smoking crusade will end. Will it become illegal for a person to sit on his porch and enjoy a cigar, for example, if his next door neighbor can smell the smoke? How about in his car if the driver in the next vehicle over is able to catch a whiff? Will all smoking eventually have to be done in hermetically sealed rooms complete with sophisticated venting systems that purify the air before it’s released?

Nothing in this column is meant to encourage smoking. It does stink and it’s bad for your health. But we live in a nation built on the concept of personal freedom which allows us to make bad choices as well as good. There is a temptation by some in government to try to make those choices for us. But the Nanny State is not a Core Value.

Ours is a famously tough town.  Harry Truman said if you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.  Ouch.

But once a year, our collective heart melts when, for a few  precious days, the famous cherry blossoms hit their peak. So beautiful.  So delicate.  So Washington.

The most famous blossoms are, of course, around the Tidal Basin.  They bloom on trees that were a gift from Japan to first lady Helen Taft 101 years ago as a symbol of friendship between our two countries. Ironic, perhaps, because that friendship cooled quite a bit over the next thirty years.

If your commute takes you past the Jefferson Memorial, you get to enjoy the splendid pink trees as a bonus to your drive.  For the rest of us, those 3,700 trees require some heavy navigating.  Between the traffic and security regulations, it’s become harder and harder to drive, park and walk to the blossoms.

Fortunately, Mother Nature has spawned thousands of other Cherry Blossoms throughout the D.C. area.  My favorite place to appreciate their beauty is in the Kenwood section of Chevy Chase.

While the Kenwood blossoms are certainly not a well-kept secret, it’s still pretty easy to drive through the streets of this ritzy neighborhood and enjoy the pink canopy formed where the trees meet some 20 feet above the roadway.  In fact, aside from lacking the famous monuments as a background, I would argue the Kenwood trees might be even prettier than those at the Tidal Basin.

I suggest entering Kenwood from River Road.  From the city, turn right on Little Falls, then left on Dorset.  In about a block, you’ll take a right on Brookside and find yourself in a pink paradise.   You can usually find places to park if you want to stroll and take pictures, and the young neighborhood entrepreneurs set up lemonade stands to quench your thirst.

I’m sure there are other neighborhoods in the area with equally beautiful trees, but Kenwood has been my personal favorite for years, so I wanted to share it with you.  Appreciation of the glories of Washington’s magnificent Spring is a Core Value.

Hi.  I always enjoy your Core Values.  One point to make, though.  Arguably social security is not an entitlement in the pure sense, since many of paid into the program.  But other than that, I’m onboard!  Entitlements are a runaway freight train.  And I always enjoy your Core Values!

Best regards,
Graham L.

The Washington Nationals play their second game of the year tonight.  Major League Baseball is a 162-game marathon.  Each season is filled with ups and downs for all teams.

But for the Nats this year, it’s different.

For the first six of their eight seasons, our team was the doormat of the league.  They showed promise in 2011 and became downright good last year.

Now, Sports Illustrated has picked them to win the World Series this season.

That kind of thing can go to a fan’s head.

This is not normally a sports column, I leave that to the great ones like Thom Loverro and Rick Snyder.  But if I may offer my humble opinion, here’s how I see the 2013 baseball season playing out.

The American League division champions will be Tampa Bay, Detroit and the L.A. Angels.

The National League division winners will be the L.A. Dodgers, Cincinnati, and, yes, the Nationals.

I expect big seasons from both Zimmerman(n)s, Ryan and Jordan, Bryce Harper and Steve Strasburg.  The Nats will be a compelling team to follow.  But will they bring home the trophy this year?

The last game of the team’s play-off run in 2012 is a reminder of how lucky and how hot a team has to get to succeed in the post season. Remember the Nats were twice one strike away from advancing toward the World Series. But they couldn’t get it done.  All playoff teams are good or they wouldn’t be involved in October baseball.

With the exception of the success of D.C. United, Washington has not had a national champion here since the Terps won the NCAA Tournament in 2002.  And no professional team has brought home the top prize since the Redskins did it 21 years ago. To say we are hungry for a big-time winner is understatement.

The Nats know this season is Manager Davey Johnson’s swan song so “World Series or Bust” is their unofficial clubhouse slogan.  That sounds good to this Nationals fan. In fact, it sounds like a Core Value.

Chris is vacationing in Florida. This column originally ran in the Examiner on February 27, 2011.

Legend has it that America was once a country made up of people willing to sacrifice for the common good.  My parents often talked of the World War Two days when women gave up nylons, chocolate went to the soldiers, folks planted “victory gardens” to save money and scavenged for scrap metal to donate to the cause.  Whatever happened to that America?

Recently, when I commented on WTOP that no meaningful budget reform could happen until we dig into Social Security and Medicare benefits that account for nearly a third of the budget, I received many angry e-mails.  Bob C. wrote: “Why should taxpayers have to accept cuts on Social Security?  How dare Congress make threats against seniors!” Bob’s reaction is  typical.  Voters want spending brought under control as long as nothing  to which they feel entitled  gets cut.  However, the reality that is we all have to be willing to sacrifice some things for the good of our country’s future.

Look at what is happening in Wisconsin.  My old college stomping grounds look like the 60s again with massive protests.  This time, however, they are not about ending a war, they are about the audacity of the governor to ask state workers to pay more of their health insurance and retirement benefits.

Most of us scoffed when we heard about protests in Greece when the government suggested raising the retirement age from 55. (55!) Similar sentiments were expressed about France with the suggestion that French workers take less vacation.  But are we any different?  The reality is that the USA has had a good long run living off the national credit card.  Today the bills are coming due and this time there is no ducking the bill-collector. We all got ourselves into this mess by turning a blind eye to the irresponsible budgetary practices of both parties charged with running our country.  Now, we have to ease our way out of the quagmire as a team.  We owe that much to our forefathers who sacrificed for us, and our grandchildren, who deserve a shot at the American dream.  Pulling together without all the belly-aching is a Core Value.