Organized

Baltimore is among the regions hardest-hit by organized retail crime, a growing national problem in which gangs steal and sell goods, a retail trade group reported Tuesday. A survey by the National Retail Federation shows that almost no retailer is immune, whether the outlets are department or big-box stores, discounters, drugstores, supermarkets, restaurants or specialty chains. The crimes have also become more violent, the survey noted. "Criminals have become more desperate and brazen in their efforts, stopping at nothing to get their hands on large quantities of merchandise," Rich Mellor, NRF vice president of loss prevention, said in a statement.

The Moonrise Festival, a new electronic dance concert that was expected to draw thousands to South Baltimore, has been canceled only weeks before the event, after organizers failed to obtain the necessary permits, city officials said. The festival had been promoted as a successor to the long-running Starscape Festival. After safety problems at last year's Starscape event, including overcrowding and drug overdoses, city officials said that event could not return to Fort Armistead Park.

"I've got to get organized!" How many times have you mumbled this to yourself as you clawed through the clutter on your desk -- or in your closet -- trying to find something that should be there, has to be there, but isn't? If you're like me, the answer is: at least twice a week.Some people seem to be naturally more organized than others, as if they have an organizer chromosome that the rest of us don't have. I try to avoid them altogether -- especially on days when my sheep dog seems more organized than I.L Here are traits these enviable folks seem to have in common:* They're selective.

The numbers alone say the 138th Preakness was a huge success. A crowd of 117,203, the fourth largest in Preakness history, was on hand to see long-shot Oxbow's shocking win and heavy-favorite Orb's disappointing run. And the total handle for the day was a healthy $81,940,233, sixth largest in history. But Maryland Jockey Club president Tom Chuckas still spent much of the day looking up at the skies and hoping the rain would stay away. It didn't, but it turned out he worried needlessly.

Marilyn Wells is one organized person. Want to borrow one of her 5,000 books? Within seconds she can tell you on which shelf it's kept in which room, how far it is from the right or left of the shelf and the color of the cover. You want to know the copyright date on it? No problem. She can tell you without touching the book itself.Want to hear Mozart's "Requiem" on CD performed on period instruments? Want to compare it with the LP-recorded version ++ played at John F. Kennedy's funeral? In a flash, she can pull each from among the hundreds of LPs, CDs and cassette tapes in her collection.

Traditional time-management methods make sense to only about 50 percent of the population. The other half finds filing, making lists and honoring the clock's dictates both mind-boggling and frustrating.These people are often labeled as unorganized procrastinators, while their "better halves" get a pat on the back for efficiency. But some time-management experts say it's time to ditch those judgments. They encourage viewing the two groups as operating from right-brain- and left-brain-dominant spheres.

Professional organizer Susan G. Romanic declutters closets, organizes garages and turns home offices into models of efficiency. But she specializes in cleaning up a particular kind of mess, the kind caused by people who hoard. One client, she said, was living out of his SUV because his house had become uninhabitable. Another had piled so much stuff on the dining room table - including 17 rolls of tape - that the table's feet were starting to split. "There are some deplorable situations, right here in pretty little Columbia," she said.

A grass-roots campaign to prevent violence in Carroll County took a major step yesterday when volunteers agreed to create a formal structure to achieve their goal.Calling themselves the Carroll County Partnership for Violence Prevention, more than 25 members attended a two-hour meeting at Carroll Community College. Another meeting was scheduled for Feb. 16 and will be devoted to organization. The site and time will be announced."This was a terrific turnout of loosely organized volunteers who are motivated to continue toward a more productive way to achieve a common goal," said state Del. Ellen Willis Miller, a 5th District Democrat, who was host for the event.

WASHINGTON -- In one of the most provocative moments of the campaign season so far, Republican presidential front-runner George W. Bush pronounced Jesus Christ the "political thinker" with whom he most identifies. The Texas governor peppers his speeches with evangelical phrases, talks of sharing his heart and defines himself in terms of his religious awakening at age 40. But Bush has refused to utter the less ethereal words that have long been the most persuasive to the GOP's base of Christian conservatives: that he would rule out anyone who supported abortion rights as a running mate.

Save it or toss it? It's a question we face whenever confronted with canceled checks, utility bills, ATM and credit card receipts, 401(k) statements — that mound of paper taking over our homes. If you're like many, you err on the side of caution and keep each piece, letting the stack of papers grow, throwing them in an overstuffed drawer or stowing them in a box that won't be reopened for months or years. Or you may be paper-averse, especially if you're Generation Y or younger, and save digitally instead.

A weekend festival in Canton that promised classes on bondage, role play and other sexual techniques has been canceled after the new operators of the Clarence H. Du Burns Arena idecided the erotic exposition was not appropriate at a facility also used for children's sports practices. The organizers of the Touch of Flavor event sued the arena's managers this week, saying that their contract was breached. They also made an unsuccessful bid for a restraining order that would have let the festival go on. The two-day event was to have featured classes on the use of hot wax, sex-dungeon safety and "Rope Bondage You Can Actually Use. " "We feel like there's been a great interest due to books and things that have come out," said Cassie Fuller, one of the organizers.

Organizers of this year's Baltimore Pride celebration have chosen Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake to serve as grand marshal in recognition of her support for the gay community. The GLBT Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland is hosting the annual parade and block party in Mount Vernon and the festival at Druid Hill Park - the largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender gathering in the state - on June 15 and 16. "Mayor Rawlings-Blake's commitment to the LGBT community has been undoubtedly one of the best records in Maryland and for the City of Baltimore," the center said Tuesday in a statement.

Nate Weiner used to do most of his grocery shopping at the Wegmans in Hunt Valley and the Giant near his Hampden home. Now he orders most of his groceries online from Relay Foods and picks it up at designated spot on Sundays. "I get most of my produce from them," said Weiner, 26, a mechanical engineer and part-time student. "The local stuff is picked that morning. They're some of the best vegetables I've ever had. " While the aspect of fresh and local food is an attraction, the real selling point for him is convenience.

Veteran right-hander Freddy Garcia, who could have opted out of his minor league deal with the Orioles after his fifth start of the season Sunday, has told the organization he will stay until at least May 14. “Freddy is a qualified major leaguer and hopefully we can find a spot for him,” Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette said. Pitching for Triple-A Norfolk, the 36-year-old Garcia leads the International League in wins (four) and innings pitched (33 2/3). Garcia, who is 4-0 with a 2.67 ERA with 21 strikeouts and two walks on the season, was just named the International League pitcher of the week Monday after going 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA in a pair of eight inning starts this past week.

John Jenkins knows the heartache of losing a child. But he and six other families have learned firsthand that such tragic deaths needn't be in vain. Jenkins, 56, lost his 20-year-old son 18 years ago to a motorcycle accident. But when 21-year old Joshua L. Aversano died after being struck by a car last year, Jenkins was one of six people whose lives were dramatically changed by the tragedy. Jenkins had been waiting more than two years for a new heart. Doctors were able to harvest not just Aversano's heart, but his liver, kidneys, pancreas and a lung, which also went to waiting patients.

Actress Brittany Snow -- known for her roles in "Pitch Perfect" (2012) and "Hairspray" (2007) -- will speak at 7 p.m. April 23 at Towson University. The event is sold out. Snow will be discussing Love Is Louder, an anti-bullying organization that she co-founded. According to the organization's website, the Baltimore event is part of the Love Is Louder Road Trip . Get more information about the Love Is Louder campaign at loveislouder.com .

An icy wind was whistling across the Sea of Cortes, whipping up frothy whitecaps where I'd told my friends we'd find glassy-still, bathtub-warm water. As we huddled for warmth in the lee of a sand dune, I understood on some irrational yet unshakable level that it was all my fault.That's the problem with planning trips with your friends: If you're the instigator, as my wife, Jeri, and I were in this case, you feel responsible for everything. If your friends aren't having a good time, it's hard not to feel you led them astray.

Battered by aggressive investigators and weakened by incompetent leadership, most of America's traditional Mafia families appear to be fading out of existence, law-enforcement officials and independent experts say.The Mafia remains potent in the New York City area, where officials say it is hard to uproot because it has five separate and large crime families, and in the suburbs of Chicago.But in most other areas, where prosecutors have to contend with only a single family, the legendary mob that once controlled whole labor unions, city governments and criminal enterprises has clearly lost its grip.

Humans had their hands full at Sunday's 18th annual March for the Animals in Druid Hill Park. Adam Mittadam, 30, of Canton, held fast to the leashes of six French bulldogs - Mango, Kiwi, Coconut, Scooter, Vespa and Moped - all wearing colorful capes for the occasion on a nippy spring morning. "Oh my God, they're the cutest things," said Catherine Roberts, 27, also of Canton, stopping to take a photo with her cell phone. Mercy Hospital anesthesiologist Katie Amundson of Annapolis, who weighs 103 pounds, held on for dear life to her Newfoundlands - Simon, 125 pounds, and Maggie, 100 pounds.

The turning point for the Wham City Comedy Tour came at a gig in Buffalo, N.Y. And, in typical Wham City fashion, it took some unexpected chaos and quick improvisation to reach it. On Monday, the tour - which consists of six comedians from the city's experimental arts collective Wham City and a director, all traveling the Northeast and Midwest in a white van for about three weeks this month - played an arts gallery/performance space called the...