Max Weiss's picture
October, 18th 2012

Name the Aquarium's Baby Sloth!

 

Remember when sloths were so low on the animal food chain, their very name connoted laziness and torpor?
No more!
Baby sloths are the new puppies, the cutest little buggers on the Internet.

Need proof that sloths are cute? Watch this!

Need proof that sloths are the hottest thing out there? Watch Kristen Bell adorkably freak out over them.

And now it's your chance to get in on the action. The National Aquarium has a new baby sloth (that's him, above) and they want you to name him!

Cute possible sloth names: Saul, Slothy, Sydney, Bud.

Not-so-cute possible sloth names: Slowpoke, Lazy-Boy, Sleepyhead, Lumpy (don't want to perpetuate any negative sloth stereotypes).

 

Anyway, knock...

Jess Blumberg's picture
October, 17th 2012

Argo's Orioles connection

I saw Ben Affleck's movie Argo last night (it was great—see Max's blog for a more elaborate review) and, while I realized the main character Tony Mendez (played by Affleck) still lived in Maryland, I just figured out that his son, Toby Mendez, is the sculptor of all the Orioles Legends sculptures from this past year.

I attended five of the six Orioles Legends ceremonies this year (sorry, Earl) and was in awe as they unveiled each of Medez's creations, each incredibly lifelike and detail-oriented. In fact, I wrote about Jim Palmer's sculpture unveiling when Eddie Murray observed that Palmer's statue was "about to throw a fastball—you can tell by his grip."

Toby was portrayed in the movie as a young kid very into Star Wars memorabilia. Turns out, he's grown up into a highly accomplished sculptor, who's produced...

1:14 pm Comment Count Tags: movies, orioles
Ron Cassie's picture
October, 17th 2012

Men’s Health mag: Phelps Fittest Ever; Baltimore Not So Much

Courtesy: Wikipedia

A recent Men’s Health magazine study ranking 100 U.S. cities for heart health places Baltimore at No. 96, ahead of only Philadelphia — the worst U.S. city for heart health — Birmingham, Ala. and Charleston, WVa.
 
Men’s Health reported that Baltimore has the highest rate of overweight of people in the country and took a personal shot, referring to the city as a “port town” home to “portly residents.”

On the other hand, Men's Health also ...

Ron Cassie's picture
October, 16th 2012

Wanna Vote? Registration Ends Tonight

Courtesy: Wikipedia

In case the presidential debate this evening isn’t enough of a reminder, here’s another: Today is the last day to register to vote.

You can register online until 9 p.m. on the Maryland State Board of Elections website here — or, in other words — until the debate begins. Otherwise, you’re out of luck and no one will want to listen to your complaining for the next four years. (You can also register at your local board of elections office until 9 p.m. and at some state agencies until the close of business today.)

You can also check and make sure that you’re registered to vote here, simply by plugging in your name, date of birth and zip code. After you check that you're registered, several handy links pop up, such as the location of your polling place and a link to a sample ballot.

However, the Maryland State Board of Elections site is not yet...

Ron Cassie's picture
October, 15th 2012

Ravens: Ray Lewis and Lardarius Webb Out for Season

Courtesy: Baltimore Ravens Facebook page

Can anybody play linebacker out there?

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh announced this afternoon that Ray Lewis has a full tear of his triceps and Lardarius Webb has a torn ACL, and both will miss the rest of the season.

Lewis’ injury, of course, comes on the heels of fellow All-Pro linebacker Terrell Suggs’ torn Achilles tendon this offseason. The Ravens’ defense has already been struggling this season, allowing 200-plus rushing yards in each of the last two games.

The question may be, will Lewis return to the field at all, or will the first ballot Hall of Famer decide to retire?

Former Ravens coach Brian Billick described the loss of Lewis to USA...

Ron Cassie's picture
October, 13th 2012

Video: Baltimore Marathon and the Eye of the Tiger

 

The 22nd mile is tough in any marathon. Grim, even. In Baltimore’s annual death march, err, marathon, it leads uphill to Guilford and 30th Street, which is why Nate Sweeney and Peggy O’Leary are standing on their car, in full-body tiger costumes, madly cheering and encouraging runners while blasting Survivor’s epic “Eye of the Tiger,” theme to Rocky III.

“Risin' up, back on the street

Did my time, took my chances

Went the distance

Now I'm back on my feet

Just a man and his will to survive”

You got it!” “You look great!” “Ok, let’s go! “Start it up!,” Sweeney and O’Leary shout out to runners, who can’t help but break into smiles. A few, forced to walk up the end of the hill, begin jogging again.

Sometimes you laugh to avoid crying, right?

It started 10 years ago, in Milwaukee, actually, where Sweeney and some buddies went to cheer for a friend running in a marathon there. Sweeney brought his boom box, put in “Eye of the Tiger” and set it on repeat for six hours.

The...

Amy Mulvihill's picture
October, 12th 2012

Peter Griffin is an Orioles Fan, Apparently

As if there is anything else on the city's collective mind tonight?

There are a lot of these pastiche tributes floating around the Internet, but this one, from the lovely Tumblr Baltiamore, is my favorite. 

Ron Cassie's picture
October, 12th 2012

10 Reasons to Hate the Dallas Cowboys

Courtesy: Wikipedia

Did you know the Yankees and Dallas Cowboys formed a joint partnership to sell merchandise and concessions? Talk about conspiracy theories... The O’s are on our minds today, but let’s not forget the Dallas Cowboys come to M & T Bank Stadium this Sunday. And there are lots of good reasons why every football fan outside Texas — and some inside, like in Houston — should despise the Cowboys. The following list isn’t comprehensive, just quickly culled from the Internet. It doesn’t even include, for example, Jimmy Johnson's hair or Cowboy scandals involving Michael Irvin, steroids and cocaine. It’s a start, though. Feel free to chime in with your own reasons for hating Dallas.

1. New York Yankee partnership: Comparable to Darth Vader joining forces with the Klingons. Four years ago, Jerry Jones and the Steinbrenner clan formed Legends Hospitality Management, a concession and merchandise company that handles sales at the teams' new stadiums. Ultimately, they’d like to move into other stadiums and...

Ron Cassie's picture
October, 11th 2012

Poll: M & T Stadium Toughest Visit in the NFL

Hey Baltimore, stand up and give yourselves a round of applause. It’s not just Ray Lewis and Joe Flacco that deserve credit for the Ravens phenomenal success, but we — the hometown fans — do, too.

According to an ESPN poll of more than two dozen NFL players, general managers, scouts and football pundits, M & T Bank Stadium ranks as the toughest place to play in the NFL.

Does home field advantage really matter, you ask?

Darn straight it does.

From ESPN.com yesterday:

“The Ravens have the league's biggest differential between home and road winning percentage over the past decade: .771/.415/.356 difference. That home success is second only to the Patriots in that span. Baltimore also has the greatest point differential, home (plus-756) versus away (minus-77), in that time — a remarkable swing of 833.”

The Ravens themselves recognize the advantage, even if M & T has not been generally considered one of the league’s least hospitable destinations, like say, Green...

Ron Cassie's picture
October, 10th 2012

Video: Oriole Bird and Rawlings-Blake Unveil O’s Banner at City Hall

It’s not every day that the Oriole Bird is on the steps of City Hall, leading the Mayor, the City Council and several hundred downtown workers through a chant of “O-R-I-O-L-E-S,” but these are special days in Baltimore.

After making the playoffs for the first time in 15 seasons, knocking off the two-time defending American League champion Texas Rangers in the Wild Card playoff, and beating the hated New York Yankees in Game 2 of the Division Series Monday night at Camden Yards, the O’s head up I-95 tonight for a battle in the Bronx.

“How amazing has this month been?,” Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake asked the crowd, adding that the rally would send a message to the O’s players, letting them know that Baltimore stands behind them.

City Council President Jack Young said this year’s season reminded him of 1966, when the O’s swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. “I am looking forward to the World Series right here,” said Young to hoots and hollers.

Then,...