Who is watching the meter maids (or better yet, the Meter Nazis) when they are out giving tickets?

Today I caught a Meter Nazi double-parked on Elm Street in Bethesda, next to the PNC Bank branch on Wisconsin Avenue, who had parked in TWO metered spots, not leaving enough room for any car to fill either space.

When I asked the Meter Nazi if he would be so kind as to move his car up some so that I may park, he said "No." No?!?!?!?! "N-O," as in a "I will not move my car, and you may park on the other side of the street [illegally, so that I can get another parking citation]" NO?

Well, that just set me off! And I turned on the camcorder on my cell phone and captured this video:


PLEASE SHARE THIS VIDEO WITH EVERYONE YOU KNOW!

I want to do whatever I can to bring the hypocrisy of parking officials (Meter Nazis) to the attention of the citizenry, local officials and the media. Why should Meter Nazis not be held to the same standard as the ones who are paying HEFTY property taxes to pay his salary?

After the Meter Nazi moved his car (I had to raise my voice some to get his attention. Or perhaps he didn't understand my English!**), another car tried to slip into the newly open spot on the street -- the very one I was waiting 10 minutes for. Thankfully, that nice gentleman waited until I got out of the bank and he took my spot which had 18 minutes remaining on the meter!

(In case you wanted to know the license plate number of the Meter Nazi, it's "HZG-691")

**NOTE: I recently received a comment via E-mail (9/2/07). I want to make sure it is posted here in its entirety: "I found your comments about the parking officials lack of english rather racial. It would be like me saying that your voice in the video sounded rather gay. Your photography site is linked to this and on it you say you treat everyone equally. I feel that your video comments say the exact opposite of your professional website. I won't be using you for my wedding to a beautiful lady I met who is from India. Have a nice day. "

MY RESPONSE: First off, I don't care if my voice sounds gay. I am gay. It's not an insult. In fact, I think that probably makes me a better judge of style than you. (Granted, I have no idea who you are, nor would I attempt to make assumptions.) In this blog I did make a comment about whether the parking officer was able to understand the words that came out of my mouth. This was due more to the fact that he was willfully ignoring me when I kindly asked him to move his car. I know plenty of blond-haired, blue-eyed "Americans" who have an even more tenuous grasp of the English language. See, what this video does NOT show the viewer is that for almost 5 minutes prior to activating the camcorder feature, I was (honestly) kindly asking if he would move his county-issued vehicle forward. After several refusals, and his suggestion that I park on the other side of the one-way street (where there are "NO PARKING" SIGNS!!!), that is the moment the camera came on. I did this in hoping that he would feel compelled to move or I would turn the video in to a supervisor.

NOWHERE in the video do I make racially-motivated comments. Nor did I EVER make them off camera. This is NOT how I was raised to be a loving respectful human, and it goes against everything I believe. I'm sorry that you feel that I was rude, wrong, ignorant or all of the above.

So to you, ANONYMOUS COMMENTER, I wish you many happy years of marriage, and hope that your photographer does a splendid job.

Labels: bethesda, Bethesda Urban Partnership, Blog, Government, Justin Schuck, Maryland, Meter Maid, Montgomery County, Parking, Photo, photography, Street Parking, Video, washington dc

Okay, so the diet didn't work. I was exhausted and nearly starving. The urge to cheat was too great. The urge to eat healthy and smart, not so much. So I stopped this nonsense. Besides, friends came in from out of town, so there were lots of drinks, brunches and movie nachos.

Bottom line: drastically cutting calories doesn't work.

Weight loss: Zero.

Stay tuned, because I'm working on something else.

Labels: Blog, Diet, Justin Schuck

1. Natures Valley Sweet & Salty Nut Granola Bar - (170 cal)

I totally forgot to pack my lunch, so I ended up having an early-ish dinner. And it was delicious.

Day 4: Mid-Afternoon Snack

1. 9 tbsp Kirkland Signature Trail Mix - (480 cal)

So no boneless breast of chicken tonight! I had a DELICIOUS onion bagel hot dog from Bagel City in Rockville. Yum! It brought back many fond memories from my childhood. (I even remember when Bagel City was half its current size.)

1. Onion Bagel - (Approx 360 cal)
2. Kosher all-beef hot dog - (Approx 217 cal)
3. Dill pickle spear - (5 cal)
4. 20 ounce Coca-Cola Classic - (240 cal)
   

1. Two Hershey's Special Dark Miniatures - (90 cal)
2. 3 Coors Light - (360 cal)
3. 4 shots Ketel One Citron - (420 cal)
4. 2 lime 1/4's - (10 cal)
5. 3 Hershey's Extra-Dark with Cranberries, Blueberries and Almonds - (No Data, Approx 180 cal)
6. 2 Swedish Fish - (35 cal)
7. 1 slice Domino's cheese pizza - (210 cal)
8. 1 slice Domino's pepperoni pizza - (250 cal)
   

Labels: Blog, Diet, Justin Schuck

A day filled with laundry, work and computer work. Let's see if I did any better today than in days past.

CALORIC INTAKE GOAL, DAY 3: 1200 calories

Day 3: Breakfast

1. Nature Valley Sweet & Salty Nut Granola Bar - (170 cal)

Day 3: Lunch

1. One large, hard-boiled egg with salt and pepper - (70 cal)
2. 10 Tostitos Restaurant-style white corn tortilla chips - (200 cal)
   

Day 3: Afternoon Snack

1. 6 Tostitos Restaurant-style white corn tortilla chips - (60 cal)
2. One Carrot, whole - (50 cal)
   

Day 3: Dinner

1. Broiled boneless chicken breast (Purdue Perfect Portions) spiced with garlic, oregano, pepper and balsamic vinegar - (Approx 190 cal)
2. 2 oz Barilla brand Bucatini Rigati - (200 cal)
3. 1/4 cup Barilla Roasted Garlic with Olive Oil pasta sauce - (35 cal)

Day 3: Late Evening Snack

1. Two Hershey's Special Dark Miniatures - (90 cal)

TOTAL CALORIC INTAKE, DAY 1: 1065
Difference from Goal: -135

I thought I would go running earlier in the day, however, sporadic rainfall made scheduling a jog more difficult. I decided I would go for a run tomorrow. Besides, I still have laundry to do.

I also think it would be a good idea if I went grocery shopping tomorrow so at least I can have more nutrient diversity. I should stock-up on veggies for salads and snacking. (I love me some carrots! -- And did you know, carrots weren't always orange. You have the dutch to thank for that one!)

Labels: Blog, Diet, Justin Schuck

Yeah... Cutting calories isn't as easy as it sounds.

I started day one enthused and ready for a new, healthier me. I made the decision that I wasn't going to eat ANYTHING that I didn't know the exact caloric content, at least for the first two or three weeks. Let's see how I did...

CALORIC INTAKE GOAL, DAY 1: 1000 calories

Day 1: Breakfast

1. Nature Valley Sweet & Salty Peanut Butter Granola Bar - (170 cal)

Day 1: Lunch

1. Lean Cuisine Beef Pot Roast - (190 cal)
2. Slice of store brand Country White bread - (90 cal)
   

Day 1: Afternoon Snack

1. Snack-sized bag of Cheetos (YUM!) - (160 cal)

Day 1: Dinner

1. Pan-seared boneless chicken breast (Purdue Perfect Portions) with salt, pepper, and olive oil - (Approx 210 cal)
2. Slice of Vermont Bread Company brand 10 grain bread - (90 cal)
   

Day 1: Unscheduled After-Dinner Snack
(I first want to point out that I had NO CLUE as to the specific calorie content of the following goodies prior to their consumption.)

1. One Hershey's Special Dark Miniature with Peanuts - (140 cal)
2. One Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, Snack Size - (210 cal)
3. One Kit-Kat Bar, Snack Size (two sticks) - (73 cal)

Day 1: REALLY Unscheduled drinks with friend on his 21st birthday

1. One pint of Yuengling Lager - (135 cal)
2. One 1.5 oz shot of Jägermeister - (103 cal)

TOTAL CALORIC INTAKE, DAY 1: 1571
Difference from Goal: +571

---

CALORIC INTAKE GOAL, DAY 2: 1000 calories

Day 2: Breakfast

1. Nature Valley Sweet & Salty Peanut Butter Granola Bar - (170 cal)

Day 2: Lunch

1. Nature Valley Sweet & Salty Peanut Butter Granola Bar - (170 cal)

Day 2: Afternoon Snack

1. Nine Utz brand pretzel sticks - (22 calories each, 198 cal total)

Day 2: Dinner

1. Baked boneless chicken breast (Purdue Perfect Portions) with garlic, cumin, pepper, and mustard - (Approx 190 cal)
2. Slice of Vermont Bread Company brand 10 grain bread - (90 cal)
3. Nancy's brand Petite Quiche, bite-sized spinach quiche - (70 cal)

TOTAL CALORIC INTAKE, DAY 1: 908
Difference from Goal: -92

I actually found a few websites that have made calculating the caloric content of foods much easier. I'm a huge fan of CalorieKing.com and their Calorie Counter. Also, ShapeFit.com's beer index is amazing. They have cataloged every major beer in America. The USDA has a good "pyramid tracker" that helps you calculate the healthiness of your meals. This is especially important, because just cutting calories and not eating healthy can actually cause more damage than maintaining your current diet.

Perhaps tomorrow I'll do some exercise, and up my caloric intake goal to reflect that change. And I think I need to throw some more fruits and veggies in there too.

Labels: Blog, Diet, Justin Schuck

I've started a new diet. (Today's actually day three.) And I've started a new blog:

http://justinsdietblog.blogger.com

Check it out! Follow my progress and learn ways to monitor your eating habits, and find healthy new recipes for successful healthy living!

UPDATED: December 27, 2008

Justin's Diet Blog has been deleted and its posts have been transferred to JustinSchuck.com/blog for reference.

Labels: bethesda, Blog, Diet, Exercise, Food, Health, Healthy Living, Justin Schuck