In CA When you park alongside a curb the front and back wheels must be parallel with the curb and within inches of the curb?

Not necessarily. In California your tires shouldn't be more than 18 inches from the curb or you could get a ticket. You can park as crooked as you want as long as both of your tires aren't more than 18 inches from the curb or edge of the road.

If I remember correctly, that was the length of their baton so it was pretty easy for a law enforcement officer to check the distance.

When parking on a hill, the goal in turning your front tires is to make the car roll OFF of the street and out of traffic if it starts rolling by itself.