Blogtimore, Hon

Skywritings: The giving tapestry

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:00:05 +0000

Early on in college I bought a tapestry to hang on the walls of my dorm room. Since then it has been many things to me.

The Vertical Neighborhood: AccuWeather: New Snow Map. Intense.

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:41:47 +0000

From AccuWeather: This storm is going to be a pip. I'm not a forecaster, but I have a pretty good East Coast prediction record. The National Weather Service seems to, more often than not, err on the conservative side. Their...

Dining Dish: The tweets are in and the Super Bowl ad winner is-watch video

diningdish@hotmail.com (diningdish) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:27:00 +0000

SQUAWQ is an analytic engine for Twitter. It tracks and aggregates information about brands and trends. They tracked all the commercials presented during the Super Bowl and have broken the ads down to as cost per twitter versus the dollars spent on the ad. Below is the winner, the most tweeted brand from the Super Bowl and the video.

See who won the Twitter ratings and watch the video:
The tweets are in and the Super Bowl ad winner is-watch video

Posted using ShareThis

The New Glitterati: Snowpocalypse/Snowmageddon/Blizzard of 2010 Part I

noreply@blogger.com (The New Glitterati) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:37:03 +0000

So, it snowed.

It's amazing how everything becomes so still. Trees topple under the weight of the snow, blocking streets. Cars are useless. Plows have nowhere to put the mounds of snow, and so they sit until nature takes its course. Everyone is kept circumscribed to their neighborhoods, and I'm not convinced this is a bad thing. Neighbors wave to one another, they pet each others' dogs and ask if anyone needs anything. Stores that can be open stay open late to accommodate people who tramp snow in the front door, shaking it off of their boots and out of their faces, coming in to pick up something for dinner. People come out with their cameras and sketch pads. The streets are crowded with bodies as opposed to cars. It's what the city would be like if no one commuted, if we were truly a village.

These pictures are labeled Part I because, apparently, there is more snow on the way. I have been fortunate to be snowed in with kind friends and neighbors, and the luxury of being able to walk everywhere I need to go. My car is buried under a snowdrift somewhere on a side street and I'm pretty sure I won't see it again until sometime next week.

: Everyone loves me, though, right?

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:35:00 +0000

Dick Tracy, 2/8/10

Dick Tracy has been even more incomprehensible than usual lately, and what I have been able to understand has just irritated me, but I do read it diligently, in case any gems pop up that ought to be shared with my readership! And lo and behold, panel two is just such a gem. “…Not everyone loves you, and you must die.” Couldn’t this sinister, gnomic pronouncement be uttered about each and every one of us? None of us is so lovable as to earn the affections of all, and each of us is mortal! Of course, most of us won’t be terribly maimed by an exploding Stradivarius, with a square-jawed fascist saying something pithy over us as we die in agony, for which we can be thankful.

Luann, 2/8/10

Speaking of people nobody likes, it’s Luann! It actually took me a minute to get my head around the punchline here (i.e., everyone will finally know Luann DeGroot, who will be in disguise, as a Puerto Rican); I at first assumed that we were meant to laugh at Luann’s cheerfully proposed brownfacing. Still, I rather think that her classmates will remember her for her performance, if only as “that girl who got the school picketed by the National Council of La Raza.”

Popeye, 2/8/10

Speaking of incomprehensible and irritating, Popeye just ended one of its stories that I half paid attention to and is about to start another one in which I’ll probably be equally uninterested. Still, you have to admire this strip for showing that even a plot that is extremely grim and all too real for too many people today — a desperate attempt to hide the extent of your financial ruin from your family, who depends on you economically — can be made hilarious through ersatz dialect. “I yam out of monies!’” Ho ho ho!

Marmaduke, 2/8/10

Look, lady, if you keep marrying them, he’s going to keep killing and eating them. I’m not sure why this is such a hard concept for you to grasp.

: Contraband

noreply@blogger.com (iv1) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:28:19 +0000

Two Baltimore County corrections officers have been fired for bringing cell phones to work. Along with phones, a nice selection of bootleg DVDs were found on several COs.

Bel Air News & Views: Think Summer! Wilson's Farm Market is taking applications for its Community Supported Agriculture program

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey A) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:01:18 +0000

While you're snowbound staring out at the 21.5 inches of snow that fell in Bel Air, why not turn your thoughts to summer days spent picking up bags of sweet corn, cantaloupes and ripe tomatoes from Wilson's Farm Market? The Bel Air farm is already taking orders for the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program it started last year. CSAs are a European concept that Wilson's describes this way on its website:

"Community Supported Agriculture concept originated in Switzerland in the 1960s and quickly spread throughout Europe. It was introduced into the States in the mid 1980s. The idea is for members in the community to pledge support to the farm and farmer by purchasing shares for the upcoming growing season. In Europe, many people work on the farm for part of their share or volunteer to help with pick up day. In this country, most people prefer to pay the fee and pick up their weekly box of fruit and produce."

At Wilson's, local residents pay the farmer up front and Wilson's uses that money to pay its operating expenses for the season. Then, when the produce is ready for harvest, members who have paid into the CSA come to the farm weekly or every other week to collect a bag of the latest crop. The program runs for 16 weeks from July through October.

Click here to see the list of produce that will be available this coming season. Wilson's will also offer cut sunflowers and fresh herbs along with products from other area farms including fresh honey, eggs, beef and cheese.

The cost is $450 per full share. $225 per half share. A full share is weekly pick-up and a half share is every other week. A full share would be approx 2/3 of a brown grocery bag.

If you're interested in a full share, half the annual payment is due by April 30th. The rest is due by May 15th. Half shares must be paid in full by April 30th.

Click here to print an application. You can mail your application and payment to 2838 Forge Hill Road, Bel Air, MD 21015

If you have questions about our CSA, email: WilsonsFarmMarket@Verizon.net. Please put CSA in the subject line. Or call 410-836-8980.

For more information, visit Wilson's website at www.wilsonfarmmarket.net.

This post was sponsored by Wilson's Farm Market.

For more information on sponsored posts e-mail BANV at stacey@belairnewsandviews.com

Integrative Health Centers Acupuncture Blog: Hey, Acupuncture is Good for You!!!

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:10:50 +0000

A recent article in the journal Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practise (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20129402?dopt=Abstract) looked at outcomes for patients with chronic conditions who received traditional Chinese medicine/acupuncture over both a six week and six month period. The results showed a statistically and clinically significant improvement in physical and psychological health in all categories of disease and degrees of chronicity. This leads us to the tentative conclusion that acupuncture is good for you! Get some today!

: Speculoos

coconutlimeblog@gmail.com (Rachel) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:32:37 +0000

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup dark brown or dark Candi sugar
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon allspice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Whisk together the dry (except sugar) ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside. Cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the egg. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients until well combined. It will be rather thick. Roll out on a clean surface to a little less than 1/4 inch thick. Use speculoos molds to press into shapes, a speculoos pan, use cookie cutters or just cut into squares. Alternatively, press into a cookie sheet with shaped cavities. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cookies are browned but still slightly soft in the center. Cool on wire racks.

My thoughts:

When we were in Belgium, we knew we had to check out what is possibly Belgium's favorite cookie, speculoos. Speculoos is a crisp, spice cookie somewhat similar to gingerbread. When I mention speculoos to anyone locally I am normally met with a blank stare but they actually are available here under a different name; if you have ever had a packaged Biscoff cookie, they are actually speculoos packaged for the non Belgian population by a Belgian company.

Especially when we were in Bruges, speculoos cookies were at every bakery and some specialty baking shops that traditional speculoos molds to make the cookies at home. There was even speculoos spread (think Nutella but made with cookies!) in both chunky and smooth textures at every grocery store. We brought back a couple of cookie molds, a jar of the spread, some of the special sugar they use in the cookies and some speculoos from a bakery in Bruges so I could orally deduce the ingredients. A note about the sugar: you can use regular dark brown sugar but as we learned upon arriving home, Candi sugar is used in home beer making so it is actually fairly easy to locate online or in brew shops. It it is a little moister and darker than the brown sugars sold here in the US.

Traditionally, speculoos is more of a Christmas or St. Nicholas Day treat but well, we are trapped here in a blizzard in Baltimore and I think that is as good excuse as any. For these cookies, I used our speculoos molds and this Wilton 12 cavity cookie pan (which is the closest thing to a speculoos molded cookie sheet that I've seen here in the US) but you could simply cut them into squares, rounds or use a cookie cutter in any shape you'd like.

: 17

noreply@blogger.com (MJB) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:26:51 +0000

View Larger MapSnow be damned, another murder-- a man shot at 1226 W Bentalou

The Vertical Neighborhood: And, This From the Weather Channel...

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:40:22 +0000

The system organizing in the Central U.S. over the next couple of days will begin to bring snow into the Mid-Atlantic and Central Appalachians on Tuesday with the potential for heavy snow and gusty winds in the region on Wednesday,...

: The Worst Food

carl@carlclark.net (Carl Clark) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:07:47 +0000

Last week I had some of the worst food I’ve ever had. It was at the brunch of “Rocket to Venus." The food was so bad we couldn't eat it. I ordered scramble eggs with sausages and grits. The eggs had separated and tasted stale. The grits were not done and the sausage had no flavor other than salt. I sent it back. My granddaughter also could not eat her eggs. She said she never tasted worst eggs. Linda had black beans with polenta and a fried egg on top. The beans and polenta were absolutely bland and the egg was stale. The jerk chicken salad sandwich had no flavor except peppers. We love hot food but the food must also have some flavor. Even the pancakes were ruined. They tasted like cheap flour and water. The lamb curry was a one-note flavor with one note texture. Every dish was just not fit to be served.

B More Sweet: Making the Most of the Blizzard

noreply@blogger.com (Me) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:55:28 +0000

A pretty parfait glass, a mound of beautiful clean snow, and a jar of preserved cherries. It's either that, or the household pets are heading for the blender......

One Project Closer: Dremel Multi-Max Accessories Guide

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:53:48 +0000

You may have seen the post about my most recent tool addition- the Dremel Multi-Max. I’m really pleased with it so far and to use it for a big bathroom project coming up. It’s called the Multi-Max because it’s a multifunction tool. You can sand, scrape, cut, remove grout, and grind a variety of materials. Dremel was able to create this tool by providing about 14 different accessories. This post will walk you through the accessories available for your Multi-Max.

Where to Purchase Multi-Max Accessories

The price of a Multi-Max accessory ranges from about $5- $35. That means you can quickly spend a fair amount of money before you even get started. If you’re looking to purchase Multi-Max accessories and save money, you’re first stop should be a quick look online. After that, Home Depot beats out Lowes on most prices.
Here’s a quick comparison:

Accessory	Amazon	Lowes	Home Depot
3/4″ Wood/Metal Blade (MM422)	$10.63	$10.97	$13.97
1/16″ Carbide Grout Removal Blade (MM501)	$24.35	$24.97	$36.97
Flexible Scraper (MM610)	$9.51	$9.97	$9.98

The real savings occur when you purchase accessories as a pack. Online, Home Depot and Lowes don’t feature any accessory packs but Amazon has tons of them. Here’s the link:

Multi-Max Accessory Packs

Multi-Max Accessory Guide

Sanding
For sanding, you need to first attach the Hook & Look pad attachment. All the sanding pads attach to it. There’s sanding paper for wood features 60, 120, and 240 grit pads. There’s also sanding paper for removing paint and varnish. These pads come in 80, 120 and 240 grits.

Item numbers: Hook & Look- MM11, Wood sanding- MM70W, Paint sanding- MM70P

Cutting
There are 6 different cutting accessories. Depending on the blade, you can cut wood, metal, plastic and other soft materials. The longest blades can cut to 1-1/4″ depths. There is one saw blade style (semi-circle) while the rest are flush cut style. These blades are ideal for cutting dowels, door jambs, copper pipe, drywall cutouts and more.

Item numbers: 3/8″ wood- MM411, 3/4″ wood & metal- MM422, 3/4″ wood- MM440, 3″ saw blade- MM450, 1-1/8″ wood & metal- MM462, 1-1/8″wood- MM63

Grout Removal
There are two different carbide grout removal blades- 1/8″ and 1/16″. Pick up the blade appropriate for the width of your grout joints. These make it easy to work on floor tile, wall tile and kitchen back-splashes.

Item numbers: 1/8″ blade- MM500, 1/16″ blade- MM501

Scraping
There are two scraper attachments. The rigid scraper (1-9/16″ wide) is ideal for vinyl, varnish, paint and carpet. The flexible scraper is 1-3/16″ wide and great for removing caulk, peeling paint and adhesive.

Item numbers: Rigid scraper- MM600, Flexible scraper- MM610

Grinding
The diamond paper is 60 grit and also requires the hook & look pad attachment. It can be used for removing thinset, cement and mortar. The carbide rasp is a stand-alone attachment. It’s 24 grit and can be used on thinset, cement, plaster and wood.

Item numbers: Diamond paper- MM900, Carbide rasp- MM920

: Response to snow days... Losing spring break? Tests pushed back?

noreply@blogger.com (Epiphany in Baltimore) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:39:33 +0000

No school today, of course, and with none of the secondary roads plowed around my way and another 6-12" of snow coming on Tuesday, I don't see how we can have school this week. In previous snow experiences here in Baltimore, I was able to get up and around - I'm from Michigan, damn it, so I can take this stuff - but, this time, I'm a complete shut-in. I can walk around the block. No one has driven on our street yet and I'm not expecting to be able to get out of here anytime soon. In other words, it's bad.

I'm already pretty much banking on being out of school all week, though with an outside shot of being in school on Friday. So, where does that leave us? I currently have around 55 days of class left with the seniors, who take their first IB exam for my course on May 4th. I am not teaching an HSA course, but those tests start at the beginning of May as well. Will IB, or, at the very least, the state of Maryland, change testing requirements because of all the missed school days? Or might we be forced to attend school during our spring break instead? I'm really not sure what will happen, nor do I know what I would do if I were in charge (actually yes I do - I'd push back the exam dates for as many days as we've lost), but it will certainly be an issue for the rest of the school year.

Back to catching up on my reading.

A Strange Day: My Street

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:34:52 +0000

Bel Air News & Views: Help out your fellow Harford County residents and report a plowed road on Bel Air News & Views

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey A) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:14:30 +0000

I sent an e-mail to the county hoping they'll let me know how the plowing is going, but it occurred to me that we all probably have a more accurate view of which roads have been cleared. Let me know when you see a plowed road and I'll keep track of it here on Bel Air News & Views. Please leave a comment below or on my Bel Air News & Views Facebook page and I'll keep a running list. This is what Bel Air News & Views Facebook page fans have reported so far:

I've see the plow come down Tollgate (by Wheel Road) twice today. Feb. 6 at 11:46am

Accross from Fallston High School...a small front end loader made a pass through the neighborhood about 5pm...thank goodness. Don't know if this was an individual doing a good deed or hired by county

Feb. 6 at 11:17pm

Henderson rd saw a plow but none of the streets branching off of it. lillygate, beetlebrock, etc.

Feb. 7, 1:10 p.m.

We live in town in Homestead Village..we are looking pretty good! THANKS TOWN OF BEL AIR! Feb. 7, 1:10 p.m.

The other side of Henderson in Hampton Ridge is clear. Feb. 7, 1:30 p.m.

I just saw the National Guard fly over my neighborhood (Greenridge I) checking out the area. No snow plows here yet, but neighbors have all come together to help each other. Feb. 7, 2 p.m.

I heard they are not doing side roads until later. They are working on main roads and main streets in neighborhoods. There is a Front Loader in our neighborhood right now working on our main Road Mardic Drive. Feb. 7, 2 p.m.

Homestead Village is plowed and passable. The Town has done a great job with our neighborhood - throughout the entire store. Our tax dollars at work!!!! Feb. 7, 2 p.m.

Just got an automated message call on behalf of David Craig saying that they were working with subcontractors to get subdivisions plowed today - but that schools and government will be closed tomorrow! Feb. 7, 2 p.m.

West Riding Neighborhood has been plowed down the main strip. They are still working on the cul de sacs and have just now branched off and sort of plowed East Valley Oaks neighborhood.
(When I say plowed please take that with a grain of salt, I mean to say that A Utiliquest truck with a plow on the front has come through East Valley Oaks and left an opening one car width. ) Feb. 7, 2:30 p.m.

West Gate entrance off of Ring Factory Road has not been plowed, but for my understanding the neighborhoods around us have been. Feb. 7, 2:40 p.m.

Forest Lakes had a few plows come through. Feb. 7, 2:40 p.m.

in Fallston, Oakmont Rd is passable...can see the asphalt. not a full 2 lanes but if you share and go slow it's good. Feb. 7, 2:50 p.m.

Ridgecroft Community 2:55 (off Boggs Rd in Forest Hill ) just had one plow come through...thank you! :) Feb. 7, 2:55 p.m.

Box Hill North doing well...we live off a secondary road on a cul-de-sac and we are all plowed out....we have bad backs and I was concerned about my elderly neighbors snowed in and neighbors and friends walked from other neighborhoods with shovels, plows, sno-blowers and shoveled us out like crazy! ....everyone happy here. I say Super Bowl bring it on...yee ha! Feb. 7, 3:10 p.m.

Folks say that Boggs Road in Forest Hill is plowed.Feb. 7, 4 p.m.

Laurel Bush Rd. is okay. WIsh our driveway was too! Feb. 7, 4 p.m.

Hall Street and Edinshall Trail are plowed. They were plowed several times over the last 3 days Feb. 7, 4:10 p.m.

Wakefield Meadows Community has one passable lane on each street and some salt would be nice before everything freezes. They are doing an awesome job considering the monumental task at hand Feb. 7, 4:30

Stone Ridge is plowed. And my cul de sac is finally clear :) Feb. 7, 4:30 pm

Stone Ridge is plowed. And my cul de sac is finally clear :) Feb. 7, 5 pm

Hepburn Lane and Brentwood Park Drive are looking good! Feb. 7, 5 pm

Parsons Ridge main road to the right is plowed but not to the left. None of the cul de sacs have been touched. Feb. 7, 5 pm

Plows just coming through Fox Bow neighborhood. We see pavement!!! Feb. 7, 5 pm

Fountain Glen Dr into Redfield has been plowed. I can't say much for the courts in Fountain Glen development. Feb. 7, 5 pm

Southampton, Cleaned real nice Big trucks and Front-end loaders, Spenceola Frams Nothing, Hunters Run Nothing as of 3 today, I was the first truck on and off Point to Point. Feb. 7, 6:30 p.m.

I live in Forest Lakes and have not seen a plow all storm. Only Osborne and other main roads being done, the rest of us are stuck. Feb. 7, 6:50 p.m.

Bynum Ridge Road has been plowed, looks like one lane..could see asphalt in some places. Heard Cannery Rd. in Spenceola was pretty clear. Feb. 7, 11 p.m.

East MacPhail...Snow packed in parts....and bare in other spots. Feb. 8, 9 a.m.

Aural States: Boogaloo Times: A Discourse on Funk and Soul – Lee Fields, and The Sound Stylistics

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:52:32 +0000

Production does a lot for the music we listen to. Just think about it for a moment–some sort of production must have, at one point or another, generated an effect upon every single vibration that has ever passed through any set of speakers worldwide. Period. Whether the result can be found in the artist’s instrument selection, microphones, choosing between analog or digital recording methods, editing, or in your speakers themselves–everything is produced somehow. I can even casually identify the names of a few prominent artforms that bank entirely on the ability to digitally interpret sound–electro, IDM, krautrock, chiptune, D&B/jungle–things like these would be nothing without audio editing. Furthermore, the manner in which an album is produced can occasionally transform otherwise inadequate sound into a critically lauded Pitchfork 8.7 (ahem, the xx?). Just sayin’.

Bringing it back to the Boogaloo though: I don’t think anyone would be particularly astonished to realize that funk and soul are not exempt from the presence of this phenomenon. Although both genres are traditionally analog-based, and, for that matter, stuck in the past, there are still ways to tastefully produce both using modern techniques that do not alter the aim or consequence of either. To illustrate this, I’ll examine the impact modern production displays on two of 2009’s most qualitatively dissimilar releases in funk and soul–Lee Fields & The Expressions’ My World, and Greasin’ The Wheels by The Sound Stylistics.

My World, released on Truth and Soul Records, blew the shit out of this twenty-year-old-middle-classer’s mind. Fields’ vocals–tender, crackly yet vivacious–sound better today than they ever have before. But that’s not where My World really shines. The heart of the record belongs not to its charismatic frontman, but to The Expressions. Their instrumental tracks, each one of them, are spectacularly affectionate; “Expressions Theme,” “These Moments,” and “Last Ride” are all, for their funky chops alone, more entertaining than any lone voice. Naturally, there are also tracks (namely “My World Is Empty Without You”) that would flop outright if not for Fields’ soulful contribution. As it stands, however, soul is practically marinating in the midst of all its voices; what’s really valuable is a backing band talented enough to construct soul without a throat. The Expressions may well be musicians of this caliber, but there’s still no question that they benefited from an upgrade in production.

If you compare The Expressions to say, Sharon Jones’ Dap-Kings, a markedly different aesthetic becomes perceptible to most anyone. The Dap-Kings, part of Sharon Jones’ chaste revival-funk outfit, strictly choose to utilize only those production methods that would have been available to artists in funk’s heyday. Judging by the way My World sounds, this probably isn’t exactly how things work in the studio with Lee Fields’ Expressions. Contrasted with the Dap-Kings’ faithful approach, the Expressions appear crisp, clean, limber, and at times, even unrealistic. The Dap-Kings, in turn, are top-notch troubadours of classic chunky-funk style–plagued with analog fuzz, and lacking dimension. These shortsightedly insignificant distinctions become more pronounced with every subsequent listen; eventually the connection and mutual influence between these two groups (which are quite strong) obscures considerably.

As a brief aside, however, I’d like to quickly resolve an innocent misconception that this last bit may have induced. Although according to my previous depiction classic funk production might seem less alluring in comparison to the new stuff, there’s still never been anything more funky than heedlessly overlooking production values in the pursuit of groovy gold. Funk’s just as much an attitude as it is a sound; Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings have both in spades.

Contemporary funk production isn’t all sunshine and dandelions, though. 2009 alone yielded a handful of releases that seemed to do their very best in showcasing modern techniques at their most tawdry: the dilution of respectable sound down to watery faux-funk. Greasin’ The Wheels by The Sound Stylistics (from the first-rate Freestyle Records), for instance, might have delivered to its listener a prime kick in the rumpus if its production values hadn’t defected. The record is chock full of ineffective rhythm sections alongside leads that sound like they were recorded to accompany Starbucks coffee. Frankly, it’s boring. Now, that’s all somewhat to the fault of the musicians themselves, but their production still would have done some good to trash the sterile mix and throw in a little grit. The bulk of what has relatively recently become labeled Neo-Soul has likewise found its way into coffeeshop-cool production extravagance. There are plenty of singles coming out these days (some of which I will discuss in the next Boogaloo Times) that plainly betray their implicit vow to soulful authenticity by senselessly lathering on layers of glossy shit in an attempt to make their work more smooth. That just ain’t right.

[Note: Greasin' The Wheels does occasionally contain spectacular funk music; "The Taking Of Peckham 343" is a superb example. Listen in for a hearty dose of star-gazing space-funk.]

Funk’s relationship with modern production has, at last, also been a major player in the discovery of several other rhythm-based genres. A few of the digitally dependent styles I listed earlier are of just this heritage. That being the case, I intend to provide an ample survey of these funky offshoots for Boogaloo Times’ third installment. When initially apprising genres such as funk and soul, most people usually lack any sort of real comprehension about how supremely rich the field is. In reality, these grooves require deeper examination than most. My hope is that the Boogaloo Times column improves awareness for all those who read it. And, although this post only included two examples of funk and soul in all their diametric modernity, my current plan is to employ a much greater number of releases in the discussion for the next Boogaloo Times. For now, lets all just take a listen to some cuts and, you know. Get Funky.

The Oriole Post: Bedard Probably Not Coming to the Orioles; Other Stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Maryland Orioles' Fan) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:34:33 +0000

It looks like Erik Bedard will be indeed staying in Seattle. He confirmed as much yesterday if the reports are correct...

From the Seattle Times: Free-agent pitcher Erik Bedard confirmed to a Canadian newspaper that he has agreed to terms with the Mariners on a one-year contract for 2010.

Bedard, who turns 31 on March 5, was in Seattle undergoing a physical examination on Friday. The Mariners' medical staff was believed to be still evaluating test results on Friday, but an announcement of the deal could come as soon as Saturday, barring unforeseen issues.

According to Le Droit, a Canadian French-language newspaper in Ottawa — Bedard is from Navan, Ontario — the left-hander said he accepted a one-year deal with a base salary of $1.5 million. He can earn considerably more with incentives, likely based on how much he pitches and time spent on the active roster.

The paper quoted Bedard saying he "hopefully" could make "roughly the same" as the $7.5 million he earned last year if he hit all his incentives.

"I am truly happy. It was my first choice to return to Seattle," he told the newspaper in French. "I think the team will be really good this season. I very much like the direction the team is going."

Bedard underwent shoulder surgery in Los Angeles on Aug. 14, during which Dr. Lewis Yocum repaired a torn labrum, an injury that typically has a 10- to 12-month recovery period.

That means Bedard won't be ready for the start of the season, but could be a dynamic midseason addition to the rotation if his shoulder responds. Torn labrums, however, are notorious for being a problematic injury for a pitcher to come back from.

Who could blame him for wanting to stay in Seattle? With the team they have on paper so far, they look like a contender and if Bedard's healthy, he'll be part of probably one of the strongest starting rotations in the game.

>>> Read More

Bemused Musings from Baltimore: Letters from Islamorada - Day .5

RevBrandy@aol.com (Rev. Brandy) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:33:42 +0000

A SeriesThe difference in temperature was felt the moment I stepped from the plane to the ramp; my sweater and scarf were incompatible with the humidity. Baggage claim, rental car - air conditioning. So strange considering four short hours before, I was standing in Washington DC unable to stay warm.The drive from Miami to Islamorada clocked in at about two hours, mostly because of the

The Oriole Post: 10 days to Spring Training

noreply@blogger.com (Maryland Orioles' Fan) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:33:18 +0000

For the love of God, let Spring be around the corner. Having survived Snowpocalypse II it appears that Baltimore is in store for Snowpocalypse III: The Quickening Tuesday into Wednesday. Seriously, another 12 inches of snow with local amounts approaching 20?! The Hell nature? Seriously.

Baltimore City officials have stated that they may not "...get to some [sidestreets] for many days..." one of those streets is most certainly my street with four foot snow drifts blocking all cars. The city has actually asked that people start digging out themselves, as some Baltimore neighborhoods have very tiny streets that no plow can get through. Now more snow?

Only ten days until spring training. God I can't wait for Spring at this point. The Super Bowl is over, congrats to the Saints by the way you made me look smart; I should have taken all those bets, so now it is time to think baseball again.

My potential opening day lineup and rotation:

Lineup

Roberts

Jones

Markakis

Reimold

Wieters

Scott

Tejada

Atkins

Izturis

Rotation

Millwood

Guthrie

Bergesen

Matusz

Tillman

>>> Read More

: Netflix Diary

noreply@blogger.com (Al) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:31:00 +0000

a) District 9
Like most people, I got pretty geeked out about the trailer for this, and while it was good and had some cool visuals and novel elements, I don't know, there was a lot that left a bad taste in my mouth. I knew the director had said that it was more of an action movie than a pure apartheid analogue or political statement, but it was still kind of jarring how quickly it moved from the thinly veiled metaphors to a completely ridiculous plot full of cheesy action movie beats, and I wasn't ready for how the middle of it reminded me more of Mad Max or Cronenberg's The Fly than anything else (and weirdly enough the grossout/body horror stuff that I usually enjoy squirming at seemed just kind of over the top and unwelcome here). Also the jumping between the mockumentary and the omniscient POV the whole time, with both looking exactly the same through the camera, really frustrated me, as did the lack of realistic details in the overall story (by which I mean, the lack of explanation about, say, the aliens' language or how they and the humans came to understand each other). It was still really good and original on a lot of levels, but it just drove me nuts on a lot of other levels.

b) Zack And Miri Make A Porno
Seth Rogen seemed like a really good fit as far as a currently bankable star that could possibly want to star in a Kevin Smith movie, so I went into this somewhat optimistic (Smith's incapable of greatness but Clerks 2 aside pretty much all his movies have at least something that makes me laugh consistently). This is kind of a slog, though, combining all of Smith and Rogen's weaknesses and few of their strengths. Getting kind of tired of Seth Rogen subverting his innate wiseass teddy bear appeal by being prickly and prickish in pretty much every movie he's in, especially the ones where he's supposed to be the rooting interest.

c) "Sons Of Anarchy," Season 1
Had heard good things about it, still easing myself into it and not yet hooked, but following it with interest. It feels weird to watch such a show so clearly indebted to "The Sopranos" since I decided at some point that there's way too many things that irritate me about "The Sopranos" to really get into it, but this mostly doesn't share those qualities. So far Katey Sagal's character is the one really interesting, unpredictable element that's driving it forward for me, some of the other plot points and character dynamics feel a bit predictable, but I like it.

d) "Burn Notice," Season 1
I wasn't sure if I expected more than a middle tier cable drama but this is somehow more flat, less fun than I thought it would be. Sometimes it's clever, but not nearly as clever as a spy show really should be. Bruce Campbell's entertaining as always but the rest of the supporting cast is kind of a drag, not sure if I should stick with this.

Dining Dish: The gauntlet – the chocolate avocado cake - RECIPE

diningdish@hotmail.com (diningdish) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:26:00 +0000

My friend, co-conspirator in all things food, Jeff Spear of Studio Spear threw down the baking gauntlet. The e-mail went like this “Here’s an interesting recipe. Thought you might like to give it a whirl. Not me – I’ll stick to my tried and true.” There was also a phone call in reference to this recipe teasing and chiding me to make the cake.

Read the whole story and get the recipe: The gauntlet – the chocolate avocado cake - RECIPE

Posted using ShareThis

noreply@blogger.com (Al) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:58:00 +0000

Here's Ace's latest video, "Real Niggas / Dippin' Out" from the Minority Report album. The comments section here was rough on his last video I posted, "Story To Tell," but Ace keeps sending me more so I guess he can take it.

Adventures in Baltimore Restaurants: Valentine's Day at Baltimore City restaurants- part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:43:00 +0000

Valentine's Day at Baltimore City restaurants- part 1

B&O American Brasserie offers sweetheart deal for Valentine's Day

Free tickets to the movie "Valentine's Day" with purchase of dessert at B&O American Brasserie

Things HEAT UP at RA Sushi for Valentine's Day- French Kiss recipe

Share the love with 'RA'spberry Romance

Looking for a "Hot Spot" to wine and dine your date for Valentine's Day? Then check out some of these local Baltimore specials:

La Tavola (Italian)- Saint Valentine’s Day 3-course dinner menu
Milan (Italian)- 4-course Valentine's menu available all weekend. Complimentary flower for the ladies & champagne toast!
Milton Inn (Contemporary American)- Saturday & Sunday, 3-course prix-fixe dinner in one of Baltimore Counties most romantic settings ($85/person)
Morton's The Steakhouse (Steakhouse)- Celebrate Valentine's with its Signature Steak & Seafood 3-course menu ($99.99/couple). Morton's full dinner menu also available. Extended hours on Sunday.
Pazo (Mediterranean)- celebrate Valentine's Day on February 13th & 14th. Several prix-fixe menus for 2 will be offered at $59, $69 & $79, as well as a $39/person prix-fixe menu.
Petit Louis Bistro (French)- special Valentine's Day brunch & prix-fixe menu for lunch & dinner ($59/person; or $89/person w. wine pairings)
Restaurant Sabor (Continental)- 3-course menu plus an amuse-bouche ($58/person)
Rusty Scupper (seafood)- Jazz Brunch 11am-2pm $38.95. Dinner 3pm-11pm: special a la carte menu
Sullivan's Steakhouse (Steakhouse)- Available all Valentine's Day Weekend: 3-course Sweetheart prix-fixe menu ($79/couple). Also featuring regular dinner menu.
The Wine Market (Contemporary American)- Sunday night it will offer a special 4-course menu for only $49/person. An optional wine pairing will be available for an additional $20
Check out part 1 and the $32 Valentine's Dinner at the Admiral Fell Inn ($65 Value)

For more info: you can subscribe to email notices, email me at AIBR.Blog@gmail.com, find me on Facebook or follow me on twitter @BmoreRestaurant- check out my review map or my review list

Adventures in Baltimore Restaurants: $32 Valentine's dinner at the Admiral Fell Inn ($65 value)

noreply@blogger.com (Jessica) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:39:00 +0000

Valentine's Day at Baltimore City restaurants- part 1

B&O American Brasserie offers sweetheart deal for Valentine's Day

Things HEAT UP at RA Sushi for Valentine's Day- French Kiss recipe

Free tickets to the movie "Valentine's Day" with purchase of dessert at B&O American Brasserie

Share the love with 'RA'spberry Romance

Want a romantic Valentine's night out but on a tight budget then here is a great deal...

For $32, you get one five-course prix fixe Valentine's dinner at the historic Admiral Fell Inn in Fell's Point ($65 value). This Groupon is per person, so pick up two to cover yourself and another. Once you get your Groupon, call ahead to save a spot. Space is limited, so quickly reserve your ideal seating. Your choices are:

Friday, February 12, at 7 p.m. (lounge opens at 4 p.m.)
Saturday, February 13, at 6 p.m. (lounge opens at 3 p.m.)
Saturday, February 13, at 8:30 p.m. (lounge opens at 3 p.m.)
Sunday, February 14, at 7 p.m. (lounge opens at 3 p.m.)

The menu includes a wine pairing (additional drinks are extra). Your meal is held inside the Inn's romantic Stone Room, which is an intimate alcove.

Click here to see the menu

B More Sweet: The Fabulous Bean Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Me) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:25:00 +0000

In honor of Black History Month, I'm kicking off my blog postings for February with the bean pie.

Several years ago, my law partner decided to celebrate my February birthday by bringing me a bean pie. He doesn't bake, and didn't want to attempt baking something for someone who bakes passionately and often, so he thought he'd bring me a dessert that I might not have had previously. And he was right: I ate my first bean pie on my birthday several years ago in Baltimore. Until that time, I had never even heard of bean pie. But as soon as I tucked into it, I was hooked. And have yearned for a bean pie ever since.

So, first, the basics: bean pie is actually made from beans. Most likely from Navy beans, though I suppose you could use any of a number of different kind of beans for the pie's base. But traditionally bean pie is made using Navy beans. Here's what Wikipedia says about bean pie: "A bean pie is a sweet custard pie whose filling consists of mashed beans—usually navy beans—sugar, butter, milk, and spices. Bean pies are commonly associated with soul food cuisine. Additionally, they are associated with the Nation of Islam movement: its leader, Elijah Muhammad, encouraged their consumption in lieu of richer foods associated with African American cuisine, and the followers of his community commonly sell bean pies as part of their fund-raising efforts."

My law partner had bought that bean pie of long ago on the street from a Nation of Islam vendor, but when in subsequent years I'd request another bean pie for my birthday, my partner would say he couldn't find the sellers anymore. I was pretty sure there were bean pies to be had in my hometown, so I asked some of my African-American friends if they knew where I might find some sellers. Sure, they told me; you can always find the bean pie guys in two places - one, on Cold Spring Lane near Morgan, and, two, on North Avenue near the JFX. So I set forth.

I never did find the guys on Cold Spring Lane, but I probably had just missed them. I did locate a bean pie man on North Avenue at the JFX, near MICA. He told me he's there every weekday until 6 PM. From him you can get two bean pies for $5 or four for $10; these are the individual-serving-size bean pies, baked in disposable aluminum pans and wrapped in cellophane. They are exactly the bean pie of my memory - sweet, buttery, and a close cousin to the pumpkin or sweet potato pie.

Does the pie taste like beans, you ask? Not at all. In fact, I'd venture to say that if you didn't know you were eating a bean pie, you'd have no thoughts of beans. You'd probably think you were eating a sweet potato or pumpkin pie. The texture is creamy like that, and spiced with nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla; this fragrant combination puts you in mind of pumpkin pie for sure. It bakes to a beautiful golden/mahogany color that invites you to climb right inside it and be comforted.

The street version of bean pie was so good that I just had to try my hand at making my own. Again, I asked my African-American lady friends (they who knew where I could find the street vendors) if they'd ever made their own bean pies. They hadn't; but my friend Cathy, who is an outstanding cook, said she could envision making it just like a custard pie, and she'd puree the beans rather than mashing them, just to be sure she got the texture as creamy as it should be.

I decided to make mine in the food processor and I further decided to use a frozen pie crust rather than make my own. I made that crust decision because the joy of a bean pie is in the filling; the crust is rather an afterthought. I think you could make a slammin' bean pie from scratch, however, if you were to make your own crust. For my foray into bean pie-making, I used a Mrs. Smith's deep dish frozen pie crust, and it worked just great.

There's a wonderful website called Sister Nadine's, which bills itself as the home of the world famous bean pie, and I consulted her recipe for sweet potato pie as a guide for my bean pie. (Her recipe for bean pie doesn't appear to be on her website.) I have a cookbook called Sweety Pies, which contains a bean pie recipe, and I consulted that as well; and the glorious Cakespy did a tribute to bean pie a while back, and included an online recipe for bean pie. And if you really want a shortcut, you can even order bean pie mix online here! For my spice combination, I relied on a couple of pinches of "sweet rub" that I had just bought at the Fresh Market in Quarry Lake; this was a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, clove, allspice, and vanilla.

These spices were so fresh and glorious that as soon as I opened them, I wanted to bake all day. They were the perfect addition to my bean pie - which, BTW, I made using canned Navy beans, as I didn't really want to spend a night soaking dried beans in water.

Why do we associate bean pie with "soul food" or African-American culture? Probably at least in part because it continues to be sold as street food by members of the Nation of Islam. Also, I suspect, because beans are a good source of protein and traditionally cost less than meat, historically people of more modest economic means learned how to feed themselves with beans. The author of Sweety Pies says that her mother always advised her to keep a stock of beans in case times became hard, because beans were filling and had a long shelf-life.

Here's my recipe for bean pie, made in my food processor. You could make your own pie crust, and you could use dried beans that had been soaked overnight; I used a frozen crust and canned beans, and the pie turned out to be velvety and delicious, though not quite as dark as the pies I bought from the authentic source. I don't know whether the commercially-made pies used different beans, or why their pies turned out to be a deeper color than mine. You can order commercially-made bean pies from Sister Nadine by clicking here, or you could catch the pie man at North Avenue and the JFX on any given weekday. My recipe would be better doubled, because it uses half a stick of butter and half a can of condensed milk, but this is the recipe I used for one single large pie:

Bean Pie

1 frozen pie crust

1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 +1/2 c. canned Navy Beans (this is probably all the beans in one can)

3/4 c. granulated sugar

1/2 c. evaporated milk

1/2 tsp. Baldwin's vanilla

3 eggs

2 pinches sweet spice rub from Fresh Market, or cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

Defrost the pie crust for 15 minutes, prick it with a fork, and bake it for about 12-15 minutes more in a 375-degree oven. While the crust is baking, drain the beans in a colander to remove most of the liquid.

Place the beans in the bowl of a food processor and process them to a paste, continuing to process them until no visible beans appear in the bowl. Add the eggs, sugar, and vanilla, and continue processing. Add the milk and spices. Taste the mixture for seasoning and adjust it to suit your own taste. Pour the mixture into the pre-baked pie shell and lower your oven's temperature to 350. Bake the pie for 50-60 minutes, according to your oven, making sure that the crust doesn't burn before the custard has set. If the crust is getting too brown during the final minutes of baking, cover it with aluminum foil. Bake the pie until it sets in the middle, then allow it to cool thoroughly before serving.

Foma*: Snowpocalypse

noreply@blogger.com (yellojkt) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 05:02:50 +0000

I survived the 2010 Blizzard but it was a lot of work. My yard already had a base on it of nearly a foot. The snow started about noon but nothing stuck until I got home from work shortly after 4 p.m.

I decided to take a photo out my front door every hour, or as close as I could get to it. The snow started slowly but built steadily. Just before midnight I decided to go out and give the drive a quick shovel so there would be less to do the next day. As soon as I got in the gale force winds kicked in. At about 3 a.m. I turned in for a few hours sleep.

When I awoke the next morning, it was as if I had never shoveled at all. The snow had drifted and blown to create a perfectly level surface across my entire yard. So I changed strategies. I decided to wait out the storm. About 3 p.m. things were tapering down so I give it my first try. I dug a path to the curb and cut some markers side to side so I could find the edges of the driveway.

Sunday morning the shoveling went faster than I expected and I had the driveway clear to the curb within about an hour. Some neighbors were digging a walking path to the garage door of our local elderly lady, so I helped out there. The single mom next door to us threw in the towel and got a guy to come over with a snowblower.

Next up was digging my SUV out of the parking lot. It was nearly completely buried. Once I got in unburied, it was time for a nap. My strategy all weekend was to not shovel anything in the street in hopes that a snowplow would come through and clear the ice dam at the bottom of the drive. At 3 p.m. I gave up and cleared enough of the slushy goop to get my car into the driveway.

Within a half hour of finishing that, a snowplow did come by and iced me in. I guess I have to pick up the shovel again tomorrow.

So here is a bonus video of a Bobcat clearing snow from my street.

neglected beauty: Blizzard beauty

clangrall@gmail.com (I.F.S.) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 04:28:40 +0000

Horse farm, Ellicott City, MD

The following are scenes from two snow storms in Baltimore-- the first December 20, 2009, and the second from the record breaking blizzard, February 6, 2010. Once again, I found my neglected beauty hiding right in front of me.

Flour factory, Ellicott City, MD

Sunken light, Ellicott City, MD

Icicles and branches, Catonsville, MD

Snow urn, Catonsville, MD

Morning doves watching the snow, Catonsville, MD

Erica, the Snow-angel, Catonsville, MD

After the storm, Catonsville, MD

All photos by: The Flower Spy

East Coast Bias: We Won't Be Fooled Again

noreply@blogger.com (J-Red) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 04:22:00 +0000

On behalf of anyone who ever lived in New Orleans, this is special. I'm not a Saints fan, but I am a New Orleans fan. I feel like my three years in the Crescent City created a connection between me and its people.

charm city confidential: blizzard of 2010

noreply@blogger.com (aunihusted) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 04:06:27 +0000

i hope everyone is safe and sound after this weekend's blizzard. here are a few shots to capture the craziness:

a video by 3sonsproductions via b'more connected:

Snowpocalypse in Baltimore (Timelapse) from Yianni Mathioudakis on Vimeo.

Well, we knew the storm was coming, and it sure did come. A total of 25 inches of snowfall in Baltimore. This time-lapse video started on Friday, 3:38pm (2/4/2010) and ended on Saturday, 5:30pm (2/5/2010). The street is S. Bouldin in Canton.

Camera: Nikon D90
Music: Shapes of My Heart by 3 Sons Productions
http://soundcloud.com/3sonsproductions/shapes-of-my-heart

www.3sonsproductions.com

some shots from around remington (which i haven't left since thursday):

The Great Walls of Baltimore: An Excess Of Snow

greatwallsofbaltimore@yahoo.com (Kayris) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 03:18:21 +0000

The people on the news said the average snowfall for a winter in Baltimore is 18 inches. So far, we've gotten 60+ this winter.

Blizzard 2010 dumped something like 24-27 inches on us over the weekend, with drifts over my head. We got plowed, but that also means both vehicles had to be dug out from underneath 3 feet of solid packed snow. Where on earth is is all supposed to go?

The photo at the top was taken Sunday, Johnny having conquered the ice castle. The following photos were taken two storms ago.

Skywritings: Snowmageddon – 2010

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 02:59:24 +0000

Before During After

The Dagger: Snow Stories: The Great Super Bowl Sunday Shovel-Out

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 02:28:46 +0000

More than two feet of snow fell on much of Harford County Friday night and into Saturday, burying cars and weekend plans, and forcing begrudging shovelers into the cold on a day when most look forward to never having to leave the sofa.

Schools, courts, local governments, and most everything else announced by mid-day Sunday that they would be closed Monday – leaving those snowed-in to contemplate spending their Super Bowl Sunday chipping away at their icy prisons, or watching the endless hours of pre-game festivities. I chose the former.

By the time the final flakes fell on Saturday, I had roughly 26 inches of snow fall in my area (Jarrettsville) and a monumental clean-up effort ahead of me.

I shoveled for three hours on Saturday evening. Long enough for the beautiful sun set to reveal just how much trouble I was in.

Doing some rough calculations in my head, I reckoned I had about seven hours worth of shoveling ahead of me on Sunday. Knowing the sun sets at about 5:30 p.m., I figured I had better start shoveling by 10:30 a.m. if I wanted to stand a chance of finishing before the weekend was over.

I was up and shoveling by 9:45 a.m. Sunday, but it didn’t take long, about noon or so, before the cavalry arrived (my dad) to help me finish up the job. Even with twice the manpower, we didn’t finish until after 3 p.m.

Afterward, my driveway and parking area resembled a canyon with four-foot embankments. Down by the street, where road crews had plowed in my driveway, the snow ended up more than six feet high on either side after I cut my way through.

Wind-burned, wet-toed, and aching, I retired early (without watching much of the football game). Once I set my shovel down, I didn’t set another foot outside the rest of the day/evening/weekend.

One of the last things I saw before turning off the television Sunday night was a weather report. Six to 12 more inches of snow are expected on Wednesday. Good thing I didn’t put away my shovel.

Other items of note from a snowy weekend:

- I have two satellite dishes on my roof and both were completely covered in snow. Inexplicably, my DirecTV dish never went out and I had television service all weekend. Unsurprisingly, my HughesNet dish remained frozen and useless, leaving me without Internet service until Sunday evening (hence this late report).

- I lost the limb of a mighty red cedar, which cracked under the weight of the snow and ice, but never lost power as the cables and wires proved more resilient than the branch of the old tree.

- None were happier to see me break out the shovel than my dogs – none of which are taller than 26 inches when standing on all fours. They’re enjoying the backyard labyrinth and the relief that came with it.

Anyone else want to share their harrowing tales of surviving an historic winter storm?

The Dagger: No Pass, No Play. No Problem? Do School Activity Eligibility Requirements Help Students?

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 01:43:06 +0000

The school rule known as “No Pass/No Play” is designed to motivate high school students to pass every class, or be barred from school-sponsored extracurricular activities. “No pass” means no football, no drama, no nothing, for students with failing grades.

The rule sends some powerful messages:

Academics come first.

Failure has consequences.

Don’t mess with Texas. No kidding.

Texas was the first state to enact No Pass/No Play into law, based on recommendations from a 1984 commission on school reform led by Dallas businessman H. Ross Perot.

Texas later amended their rule, exempting some high level classes from “no pass”, and cutting the “no play” period to 3 weeks – just in time to get a player back on the field during football season.

But No Pass/No Play spread like wildfire from Texas to the rest of the nation. Sixteen states have No pass/No play rules and by 2007, a total of 32 states had some type of conditional eligibility for extracurricular activities. In Maryland, local school boards decide eligibility based on students’ academic progress toward graduation.

Students in Harford County Public Schools can fail up to 6 classes in four years of high school and still earn a Maryland diploma. But the local school board voted to adopt the more stringent No Pass/No Play rule, by gradually limiting the number of classes a student could fail and still participate in extracurricular activities. First, it was two classes, then one, then none, beginning with results from the fourth quarter of the 2005- 06 school year.

Eligibility in Harford County is determined each quarter for the subsequent quarter. So, one failing grade on a quarterly report card means that a student is ineligible for the next quarter, and for as long as the student is failing at least one class. Students can get back on track by passing all of their classes, becoming eligible again in the following quarter.

Some exceptions are made for students who go through an appeals process. But in Harford County, as in much of the nation, No Pass/No Play has endured as a “get tough” policy. Has it also been good for kids?

There’s plenty of research linking participation in extracurricular activities to positive outcomes for students. By contrast, research on the effects of No Pass/No Play is remarkably sparse, especially given the policy’s popularity.

A 1994 follow-up study of Texas students showed that No Pass/No Play had what researchers called a “slightly positive effect”. The problem is that No Pass/No Play was implemented along with a series of other school reforms, so the study concludes that the results can’t be linked to No Pass/No Play alone.

A 1992 Arizona study also notes some success, but raises concerns about a disproportionate impact on African American, Hispanic and Native American students:

“The data suggests that the rule was at best a very modest short term success; however, this success was at the cost of having a disproportional impact on minorities, possibly having negative long term consequences, and costing school personnel a great deal of time and effort to monitor and report. These initial results indicate that the costs of this rule may not outweigh the benefits.”

Efforts to evaluate the policy in Harford County have been hampered by incomplete information.

After No Pass/No Play was implemented, the school board monitored the percentage of students who were failing one or more classes each quarter. The hope was that the new rule would motivate more students to pass all of their classes and the percentage of ineligible students would decline over time.

Although the policy was approved in December of 2004 and didn’t fully kick in until the spring of 2006, the reports given to the school board didn’t include baseline data, so the opportunity to compare pre- and post-policy ineligibility rates may have been lost, unless that data can somehow be recaptured.

But once No Pass/No Play was in force, data was collected and reported each quarter. The first set of data reported after the policy was implemented in the fourth quarter of 2006 showed that 38% of ninth through eleventh graders were ineligible for extracurricular activities. (Fourth quarter figures do not include seniors, because seniors will have graduated by the following quarter when eligibility takes effect).

Four years later, the ineligibility rate had dropped to 36%, in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Keeping in mind that failure rates tend to fluctuate throughout the school year, the bottom line is that for much of the life of the policy, about one-third of all high school students were ineligible for extracurricular activities.

But the figures are all averages. At times, some high schools had ineligibility rates less than 20%. At other schools, over half the student body was ineligible.

Still, the average 2% drop over the life of the policy is good news. As are reports that the overall number of ‘E’s’ (failing grades) have been in decline. It’s just that the good news can’t be attributed to the policy, without controlling for other variables. Plus, the data represent all students, including those who have no interest in extracurricular activities. Changes in the failure rates for these students can’t be attributed to No Pass/No Play, but their results aren’t separated out, so we have no idea if they skewed the overall ineligibility rate up or down.

To fairly evaluate the impact of No Pass/No Play, we’d have to know more:

1. What percentage of the students in extracurricular activities became ineligible each quarter?

2. Among these ineligible students, what percent later pulled up their grades and became eligible, and what percent did not?

3. How do the two groups compare in terms of size, drop-out rate and graduation rate?

4. What is the demographic breakdown of each of the two groups?

Absent this information and probably more, it’s difficult to understand the impact of No Pass/No Play. That lack of understanding alone may be reason to rethink the policy. If we don’t know the policy is doing any good, we also can’t be assured it’s doing no harm.

What if it turns out that the majority of ineligible students are living in poverty?

What if at-risk students who become ineligible are more likely to drop out, than get back to eligibility?

What if ineligible students with special needs or limited English proficiency are struggling because they are in need of services?

Similar to the Arizona study, we might find that the policy has had unintended consequences that outweigh the intended benefits. But that’s a discussion for another time.

For now, here is the latest eligibility data for the ten public high schools in Harford County. The school board no longer requests that these reports be presented at public meetings. The following was provided by HCPS to The Dagger upon request:

The Loss Column: Colts-Saints Super Bowl Open Thread

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 21:36:31 +0000

I don’t get the sense that there’s much Super Bowl enthusiasm around these parts, but here’s a place to talk about the game just in case. That includes the best parts like the ads, the entertainment, and the Puppy Bowl.

My guess: Saints pull the upset.

eXtraheavyblog: Snowpocalypse!

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:09:03 +0000

Kill me. Kill me now.

Your Neighborhood Librarian: SNOWPOCALYPSE 2010

noreply@blogger.com (YNL) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 15:31:00 +0000

I set up my tripod in the dining room and took pictures of the snow as it fell, though eventually I had to pull back - the entire frame was white! Music is "Hotel Incidental Music" by Usha Khanna.

: Extreme measures

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 14:47:12 +0000

Mary Worth, 2/7/10

Uh oh — it looks like Dawn isn’t going to sit back just acquiesce to losing her father’s affections to some scam artist! It seems that she is going to try shock therapy by finding the one person who can be guaranteed to terrify Wilbur back to his senses: erstwhile romantic rival Martin Clark. Sure, he’s been dead for years, but that will make the ultimate confrontation all the more harrowing, as Dawn rigs up the rich man’s corpse to move and speak like a marionette. “Look at me, Wilbur!” Martin will say, thanks to the ventriloquist lessons Dawn’s been taking on the sly. “I’m a charred, reassembled cadaver, and yet Abby would still choose me over you!”

Blondie, 2/7/10

This right here is seven panels of Superbowl Sunday inanity punctuated by one glorious moment of complete madness. I suppose that longtime readers of Blondie are supposed to know that spinning around on one’s head is an indicator of extreme, uncontrollable emotion of some kind, but to the casual viewer, it would just appear that Dagwood, Herb, and Daisy have chosen to express their football-related outrage with a stunning display of eerily synchronized breakdancing. Which I for one am totally in favor of.

Rex Morgan, M.D., 2/7/10

You know who I just realized that I totally don’t get at all? Berna! She’s Rex and June’s receptionist and she runs a successful salon of some sort and she uses Yugoslav generalissimo Tito’s recipes to dominate the local restaurant scene? Why would such a power broker need a relatively menial job behind a clinic’s front desk? Perhaps she uses it to drum up business for her salon. “Honey, trust me, Western medicine can’t do a thing about those split ends. Here’s my number.”

Meanwhile, I look forward to seeing how this strip attempts to make a guy named “Toots” who has a stripey rugby shirt, a goofy little beard, and a lot of hair gel into some kind of threat against Rex and June’s carefully constructed bourgeois order.

Marvin, 2/7/10

Since we only get a single glimpse of Marvin’s dad in this strip, in which he appears to be a good 15 or 20 feet away from his terrible little son and not getting any closer, I’m guessing this is less “father/son bonding” and more “let’s bring the hateful monster outside and leave him there until he ‘accidentally’ freezes to death.”

noreply@blogger.com (Al) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 12:59:00 +0000

DJ Big L - The Paradox Vol #1 (Club Kingz Records)

I've written about a couple previous mixtapes by Supa DJ Big L, this one's the latest being sold at the Club Kingz store and the Sound Garden. Not sure if the name of the CD is kind of a tribute to the Paradox or if the music on it is stuff Big L spins at the Paradox or what. Really good mix that kinda sums up Baltimore club in '09 pretty well, I was listening to it a lot when I wrote my list of top 10 club tracks of the year, so a few songs from here are on that. Good lineup of producers, big names like Rod Lee, DJ Class, Say Wut and K.W. Griff along with some lesser known ones like J Roc and Da Yo Boyz.

DJ B-Eazy - "Beazy Horns"(mp3)
DJ B-Eazy is a really good, kinda underrated producer I think, always good to hear some new music from him.

(photo by Josh Sisk)

The Great Walls of Baltimore: Why Dads Have Back Pain

greatwallsofbaltimore@yahoo.com (Kayris) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 11:00:04 +0000

Insane Baltimore: Notes by Someone Who'll Never Leave the House Again

orenmil@gmail.com (OM) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 06:48:10 +0000

Went to Superfresh on Friday night. They ran out of bananas. No refried beans either. I hope you're all enjoying your banana tacos, Baltimore.

My neighbor shoveled the roof above her porch. It's a rowhouse. Couldn't she shovel mine too? I hope my roof collapses, so I can give her the stink-eye.

I shoveled a path for the dogs in the back. Almost fell down the steps. My wife would have found me frozen like Jack Nicholson in The Shining. Only with a shovel instead of an axe.

I'll give you five big ones if you dig out my car. (here's a picture of one big one. Imagine five of those!)

Walk Tall, Kick Ass: ummm, it wasn't like you didn't know the snow was coming... [Flickr]

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 04:22:15 +0000

Matthew J Targarona posted a photo:

East Coast Bias: Russ Grimm, Hogs, Don't Belong In the Hall

noreply@blogger.com (J-Red) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 03:44:00 +0000

Russ Grimm has just been elected to Pro Football's Hall of Fame. He'll stand beside Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice.

Russ Grimm=Emmitt Smith=Jerry Rice?

Hell no. He never did.

The Hall was faced with a problem. The Redskins' "Hogs" deserve to be enshrined, but no one of them earned it. The Ravens have a "Colts" entry in their Ring of Honor. It includes, if I remember correctly, eight numbers.

That was the correct resolution for the Hogs. The problem is that the HOF voting is very well defined. There is no room for cutesy picks. The selectors were tasked with picking none (the correct choice) or one (Grimm was not the best player, but he was also a head coach).

They chose to shit the bed and pick the dude who had two jobs.

So for two years in a row, un-derserving Redskins will be "enshrined" while better players languish.

The Loss Column: Snow Days/Daze

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 02:32:20 +0000

Apologies for the radio silence the past few days. I was occupied first with preparing for the giant blizzard, subsequently with handling its presence and aftermath. This isn’t a weather blog but I can’t let the moment pass without saying: holy shit.

This is nothing like it was back in December, and it’s worse even than the smack we got in ‘03. There was a thunderstorm — lightning and all — at about 3:30 this morning while the snow fell and swirled at a rate of about three inches per hour. Depending on the drifts there’s anywhere from two to three feet on the ground. More in some places. Click that picture for a larger version to get a sense of what I mean.

Maybe they’re laughing at us up in, say, Buffalo. Fair enough. This is still epic.

Luckily no significant Baltimore sports stories broke during that time. Erik Bedard returned to the Mariners but we knew that was coming. As much as I like the guy I’m glad he didn’t return just now. The most optimistic estimate of when he’ll be available is May, and even if that proves true there’s no way to know how much he’ll have. Not a great fit for the Orioles.

I’ve been working off and on since Thursday on a post that’s somewhat sports-related, somewhat not. It’s fairly in-depth so I need some dedicated time to make it right. I couldn’t fit it in with the snow, but hopefully it will go live tomorrow or Monday. I’ll also go ahead and provide a Super Bowl thread Sunday with my guess (prediction wouldn’t be the right word) on the winner.

Finally, I’d love to talk some more Terps basketball in the run-up to March. I like this year’s team quite a bit and I was quite impressed with their road win the other night at Florida State. If there’s an interest I’ll try to give them some more attention.

If you’re local, stay safe out there. If you’re not local, be glad.

Technology & MSG: PSA: Please Don’t Shovel the Snow into the Street

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 02:13:00 +0000

It’s just snowed. Maybe still snowing. You’re about to shovel your driveway. But where to put all of it?

Maybe you have room to shovel it to the side of the driveway. Super. Maybe you’re going to pile it into the bed of your truck. Great. Maybe you’re going to say “to hell with county ordinance” and shovel it onto the sidewalk. Works for me. Maybe you’re going to dump it on top of the bushes, which you suspect are dead already. Okay, though I feel for the bushes. Maybe it’ll be a combination of all three. But whatever you’re thinking, here’s the really important part…

Do not shovel it into the street.

Don’t even think about it, especially if there’s more than an inch on the ground. I know you’re thinking that the snow plow will just push it all away when it comes by, but that’s not how it ends up working.

Despite their magical presence and ability to clear large swaths of ice and snow from the pavement, snow plows don’t fare too well against large piles of snow in the middle of the road. Most drivers won’t even attempt it if they don’t think they’ll be able to clear at least part of the street. If you and your friends have created a maze of seven foot snow piles on opposing sides of the street, realize that you’re responsible for your street not being plowed. The driver isn’t going to attempt to navigate a slalom course. If there isn’t a straight shot, it isn’t going to happen; why do you think that most counties and HOAs recommend that cars park on one side of the road during winter months?

Don’t get me wrong, it’s great that your driveway is clear by noon, but now you’ve got nowhere to go. And neither do your neighbors up the street. Perhaps for days, until the removal contractors can get the Bobcat teams dispatched.

Next time (and every time), please refrain from shoveling the snow from your driveway into the street. A plow might be able to do something. Your neighbors will appreciate it.

Note: This public service announcement has been brought to you by choice neighbors who unknowingly screw over their fellow neighbors every snowfall with their idiocy.

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Baltimore Snacker: Baltimore Restaurant Week: The Capital Grille

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 22:14:00 +0000

The Capital Grille is one of those restaurants I've never really bothered to visit. It always looked so expensive, so I never went in. And, well, yeah - it is expensive. Even at lunch. So when I called a friend of mine to suggest we do lunch for Restaurant Week, he suggested a place that was normally expensive. That way, we'd be getting a really good bargain. So Scott mentioned The Capital Grille and I figured it was time.

The Capital Grille is a national steakhouse chain - a very posh chain (that is: this ain't Sizzler). This much I knew, though I had few other expectations, except the hopes for a good lunch. Scott has eaten here before and has raved about it. One recommendation: the steak sandwich, which runs $18 - almost as much as the entire Baltimore Restaurant Week lunch menu. Not one for $20 sandwiches, I insisted on the Restaurant Week menu.

Scott and I were led through the rich wood-grained interior, past bright plate glass windows and massive portraits of famous Marylanders (NB: I had not known that famous Civil War figure Clara Barton was a Marylander, but the Massachusetts native spent the last 15 years of her life in Glen Echo). We were brought to a cozy table with a crisp white tablecloth, where we talked about family, friends and finances over freshly baked bread and butter. I ordered an iced tea (about $3) and Scott got a cocktail. I don't drink many cocktails, so I admit the $10 price tag on that one surprised me a bit.

Like most Restaurant Week spots, the Capital Grille offered a soup-or-salad course, an entrée and a dessert. Since we were in such a classy place, I didn't ask to try anything that Scott had.

I really need a new camera.

Scott got the clam chowder, which he seemed to really enjoy. I got the Capital Grille Garden Salad: a mixture of field greens and tomatoes in a balsamic vinaigrette with chunks of bleu cheese. I have grown tired of bleu cheese, so imagine my delight when I tried this cheese. It was perhaps the best bleu cheese I have eaten in several years: tangy and sharp but not too sharp ("wince-worthy" is the word I'm looking for). This bleu cheese was just mellow and even buttery enough to make me really savor it.

Each of us ordered the 8 oz. filet mignon with mashed potatoes for our main course. I ordered my filet mignon rare, and I got rare. Soft, tender and rare. I couldn't exactly cut it with my fork, but I was able to make a rather permanent dent with it. The filet mignon was beautifully juicy with a flavor that reminded me what quality beef is supposed to taste like. I also found out that day that 8 oz. of meat is a bit too much for me to handle all at once. And if that wasn't enough, Scott railed me about the meat selection at Fogo de Chão, the Brazilian churrascaria restaurant next door. So much meat as much of your meal is served on a skewer. And there is no vegetarian or seafood option. It's all meat. At least they have a wide selection of that. Fogo de Chão ain't cheap neither.

I have to rave about the potatoes. Rarely does a side dish stand up to a main entrée and not make a scene. No prima donna is this bowl of mashed potatoes. These were thick, buttery and moist. No lumps, which I often like a little bit of in my mashed potatoes. If I could just go to The Capital Grille and order the potatoes, I would in fact do that. They were a beautiful accompaniment to the filet mignon but also notable in and of themselves.

I liked my dessert, the chocolate espresso cake. But as good as it was, I can easily say it was not the highlight of my lunch. But something has to take that mantle, and the espresso cake is it. Thick, chocolaty and moist, it was SO dense that I truly had trouble finishing it at all. It was tasty, please don't misunderstand me. But it was the least memorable of my three dishes. This says more about how good the salad was and less about the cake, since I am not a salad person.

So for about $20 for me (before tea, tax and generous tip), I had a remarkably delicious and inexpensive lunch at one of the loveliest "business lunch" places in town - with, I might add, excellent service (kudos to our waiter and the staff). But with the generous amount of meat I got at The Capital Grille, could my system really tolerate a possible trip to Fogo de Chão?

Technology & MSG: Locked In by Snow

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 20:39:40 +0000

The last big snow, we all bitched about how we couldn’t get out. In retrospect, that was nothing. We could have gotten out. This time around — with over three feet of snow in less than 24 hours — no one is going anywhere without a plow, although I just got a report about some neighbors that trekked to the store on foot and found it open.

Mind you, this is Maryland. Not New York.

I spent about two hours shoveling out the driveway this morning. There was a solid 24-28″ all around, with drifts up to my waist. Once I reached the street, I stopped. While we saw a plow trying to clear our feeder, it hasn’t been up my street since 7:30 last night. There was no point in clearing more until the road is clear. Looking back at the driveway it was definitely a case of diminishing returns, since it continues to snow. Despite all appearances, my efforts weren’t in vain; shoveling a foot or two tomorrow will be much easier than shoveling four or five, though I’m wondering if I should be clearing off my deck as the neighbors seem to have been doing.

As has become my little tradition when it snows I’ve been cranking the tunes (The Postal Service and MGMT, today), watching movies (Almost Famous), sipping hot chocolate, documenting the winter wonderland that is my landlockedness, and watching my neighbors make their attempts towards freedom.

In other important news, I saw a freaking DeLorean parked at one of the local service stations. How slick is that?

Gloves dry, it’s time to head out again. Nothing else to do, really.

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Dave Corun: La Javanaise

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 19:58:22 +0000

All the Things You Are - jazzy take

La Javanaise 1
La Javanaise 2
La Javanaise 3
La Javanaise 4
La Javanaise 5
La Javanaise 6
La Javanaise 7
La Javanaise 8

swore that i'd be always true, to my love
before the day i met you, my love
measure for measure
as we dance the javanaise

we, were, in love
till the end of, that, song

why can't they teach a man in school, about love
you treated me just like a fool, in love
measure for measure
as we dance the javanaise

we, were, in love
till the end of, that, song

in springtime i gave all my heart, to love
i wanted so, that you'd be part, of this love
measure for measure
as we dance the javanaise

we, were, in love
till the end of, that, song

life's no longer worth the fight, without love
you didn't want the dizzy heights, of love
measure for measure
as we dance the javanaise

we, were, in love
till the end of, that, song
- Serge Gainsbourg (rough translation)

L'hotel Particulier 1
L'hotel Particulier 2

At 56-7-8-9...It doesn't matter
Of a well-known secret street, if you knock on the door
First once then three more knocks, you're let inside
Alone and sometimes even not alone

A maid, without saying a word, walk in front of you
With stairs, endless hallways, come one after another
Decorated with baroque bronzes, golden angels
Aphrodites and Salomés

If it's not already occupied, say that you want the 44
It's the room that here they call 'Cleopatra's'
On the columns of its bed, standing watch, rococo-style
Statues holding torches gaze below

And between these slaves, naked, carved with ebony
Who will be the silent witness of the scene
While above a mirror reflects us
Slowly I embrace Melody

Melody
Melody
- Serge Gainsbourg (rough translation)

// Dave

Walk Tall, Kick Ass: SNOMG

noreply@blogger.com (Mer) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 18:14:53 +0000

Looks like our hon lady bird-feeder has an extra high beehive today!

That is my car to the left of the tree!