Facebook gaming got a bit more sophisticated today with the much-anticipated launch of Sid Meier’s Civilization World (see screenshot above). It’s the latest incarnation of the famously addictive and extremely popular strategy game, and it figures to shake up the social media platform, which has been dominated by Zynga.

Local gaming company Firaxis developed Civ World for Facebook, and you can read more about the company, its legendary founder (Meier), and how the video game industry is changing in our current issue.

Here’s the skinny from Firaxis and its parent company 2K Games on the new venture…

New York, NY - July 7, 2011 - 2K Games today announced that Sid Meier's

Civilization World(tm) for Facebook, the newest entry from the

genre-defining strategy-based franchise, is now available. Civilization

World takes the series' famously addictive style of gameplay and makes

it easier than ever to play with...

On the Fourth of July, Coney Island always plays host to Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest and this year the winner was Joey Chestnut, eating a whopping 62 dogs in 10 minutes. Yikes.

But, three years ago, locals decided to get in on the fun. Duesenberg's Café and Grill in Cantonsville hosts their own hot dog eating contest, sponsored by Hebrew National. The contestants get the same amount of time as the Nathan's contest and the winner receives a trophy, a $100 gift certificate to Duesenberg's, and is featured in the Catonsville parade.

Yesterday, it was 37-year-old Steve from Owings Mills who took home the title, downing 15 hot dogs in 10 minutes. When asked how he felt after winning the competition, he said, quite succinctly, "Full." We bet.

Watch a video of the action...

The new Baltimore City Design School has named Joseph Freed as its first principal. Freed previously worked at the State Department of Education, where he helped design a development program for principals, and at Carver Center for the Arts and Technology, where he was principal and served on the school's founding team. In the press release announcing his hiring, the following statement caught my eye: "Freed’s philosophy on education is based on the Chinese proverb, `Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.'” At a time when standardized tests seem to rule the day, this sort of attitude is downright refreshing at a city public school. We could use more of it. 

Last Sunday, I was grooving to the retro soul of JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound at MASS MoCA—it was the last day of Wilco's Solid Sound Festival—when the band tore into an R&B rave-up called "Baltimore Is the New Brooklyn." No kidding. The crowd went nuts (at least, me and my wife and kids did), and the band certainly played it like they meant it. For proof of that, check out the video clip above, which was shot with my cheap camera, so the audio isn't so good.

If you can't make them out, here are the lyrics...

Baltimore is the new Brooklyn
It’s just a short train ride away from where you really want to be
...