I think about it all the time. I just read the headline on Fox News that Baltimore saw 45 homicides in July. It's a disaster. If you haven't seen The Wire, it's based in Baltimore, and it takes a very real and gritty look at the drug trade and how it involves everyone in the inner city. Every time I see Baltimore in the news, I think of The Wire.

It's definitely not for everyone. The Wire is as "real" as it gets - tons of swearing, lots of drugs, some sex, and pretty much everything else. But I can't stop thinking about it. It hit me harder than any TV show or movie ever has and changed the way I look at the "thugs" in the inner city forever.

Each season is focused on a different aspect of the drug trade in the city. My favorite season, and perhaps the hardest to watch, deals with the schools and the children. Homes are broken, parents are absent, nobody has money and every kid is out for themselves. The school system is broken and there are very few good guys out there to look after them. It's heartbreaking because it is just so real. The kids' chances of escaping that cycle are seriously stacked against them. Do you go find a real job for a few bucks an hour and work your tail off for an honest buck? Or do you do what everybody else around you is doing and sling dope?

I highly, highly recommend The Wire. If you're ok with watching stuff like that, and you haven't seen it, watch The Wire. Now. It's a modern masterpiece. I wish everybody could see it.