Jess Blumberg's picture
July, 31st 2012

NBAC making a splash at the Olympics

There have been a few ups and downs so far in the London 2012 Olympics, but one thing is for sure: The North Baltimore Aquatic Club has a lot to celebrate. 

Not only is there hometown boy Michael Phelps, who won a gold in the 4x200-meter free relay and two silvers in the 4x100-meter free relay and the 200-meter butterfly. The gold brought his total medal count to 19, surpassing the Olympic medal record held by Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina. 

But rising star Allison Schmitt, who trained at NBAC with coach Bob Bowman, has had...

Ron Cassie's picture
July, 31st 2012

New Study: My Desk is Making Me Dumb

It’s established that long periods of sitting (like the kind writers and editors do) adversely affects metabolic health and increases risk for cardiovascular problems, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic health concerns, like breast and colon cancer.

Recent science shows that even vigorous exercise doesn’t completely offset long periods of sitting. Marc Hamilton, an inactivity researcher, told the New York Times that sitting causes electrical activity in the muscles to “go as silent as those of a dead horse.”

And now comes evidence that sitting is making us dumber, too. Or, at least, less smart.

The headline finding of a recent study was that the “working memory performance” improved when participants were allowed to walk at their own speed compared to when they were...

Max Weiss's picture
July, 30th 2012

Call Me Lochte?

So this overzealous Ryan Lochte fan clearly has a little too much time on his hands. (But it is kinda funny.) Team Phelps 4Eva, needless to say.

Amy Mulvihill's picture
July, 27th 2012

Maryland Massacre Thwarted

As if the world wasn't a scary enough place already, word comes today that a Crofton man was planning an Aurora-style shooting spree here in Maryland. 

ABC News has this report:

"The suspect, identified as Neil Edwin Prescott . . . was being dismissed from his job [at Pitney Bowes]. He made threatening statements to his supervisor at least twice on Monday, police said. Prescott had an arsenal of about 25 firearms at his residence, including semi-automatic rifles, shotguns and handguns, according to a police affidavit. Police said he also had high powered scopes and magazines and thousands of rounds of ammunition in '40 large steel boxes.' He was quoted as telling his employer, 'I am a joker, I'm going to load my guns and blow everybody up,' police said."

Prescott is currently under psychiatric evaluation at Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis. 

 

Amy Mulvihill's picture
July, 27th 2012

Goucher President Writes Article Detailing Hiring and Firing of Alleged War Criminal

Earlier this week, New York Magazine published a lengthy article by Goucher College president Sanford Ungar detailing how the college hired, subsequently discovered the charges against, and fired an alleged war criminal. [Full disclosure: I am a Goucher grad, class of 2003.]

The professor in question, Leopold Munyakazi, is accused of participating in—and perhaps helping to organize—atrocities against fellow Rwandans during the country's 1994 civil war, in which the majority ethnic group (Hutus) systematically killed the minority (Tutsi) population. Munyakazi denies the charges. and, at least according Ungar's research, the situation is indeed murky. Munyakazi is Hutu, but points out he is married to a Tutsi woman and claims that he was with his family in his hometown when he was alleged to have committed the attrocities. Seemingly anticipating an eventual controvery, Manyakazi even carried with him affadavits from five witnesses attesting to his “'...

Ron Cassie's picture
July, 26th 2012

Towson’s Loss: Mount Vernon’s Iggies Pizza Staying Put

It’s not often that a pizza shop’s departure from Baltimore City to Towson creates media buzz and a public outcry. But when talk of Iggies (818 N. Calvert St.) planned move from Mount Vernon to the Riderwood Station shopping center leaked, a bit of an uproar ensued.

Here’s the breaking news: Iggies tweeted yesterday that they’re staying put. Peter Wood, who runs the 65-seat BYOB restaurant with wife Lisa Henkman, told Baltimore today that a zoning decision — not enough parking spaces at the shopping center (intersection of Bellona Avenue and W. Joppa Road) — as well as the local media and customer reaction drove the couple to rethink the relocation.

Online reviews have described the restaurant as “laid-back” and “oddball but endearing.” Iggies’ secret, though, isn’t just a vibe. It makes pizza that doesn’t sink to the lowest common denominator, fast and cheap; rather it goes in for fresh, high-quality ingredients.

City Paper “Mr. Wrong” columnist Joe MacLeod surely spoke for a lot of...

Amy Mulvihill's picture
July, 20th 2012

Robert McClintock vs. Artscape

Baltimore artist Robert McClintock—most famous for his portraits of dogs and local landmarks—won’t be at Artscape this weekend, and he’s encouraging others to skip the event, too. Through Twitter and e-mail blasts, the artist has suggested locals “opt out” of the art and music festival.

McClintock said the idea comes from his inability to pass the event’s juried application process last year, despite his participation from 2001 to 2010.

“Yes, I’m bitter that I didn’t get into Artscape,” said McClintock in a phone interview. “I’m a local artist promoting the city, and people look for me there.”

Artscape’s organizers aren’t worried about McClintock’s suggestion to skip the event. “The point of Artscape is to foster artists, and if that [campaign] helps him as an artist to sell art, then at the end of the day we wish him all the best,” said Tracy Baskerville, communications director at Baltimore Office of Promotion of the Arts.

McClintock didn’t apply this year, instead choosing to opt out of the festival. He feels...

Ron Cassie's picture
July, 20th 2012

Terps Hoops Coach Hoping For Twins

Maryland basketball Head Coach Mark Turgeon is hoping for, perhaps even expecting, twins. Soon. Just not soon enough to help this upcoming season.

Aaron and Andrew Harrison, each top 10-rated recruits and rising senior guards from Texas, were in Baltimore earlier this week with their AAU team for a contest at Baltimore City Community College. But the dynamic duo’s connection to Baltimore and Turgeon, specifically, go much deeper.

Aaron Harris, Sr., the twins’ father and AAU coach, grew up in Baltimore and played high school ball at Patterson High School (...

Ron Cassie's picture
July, 19th 2012

Will Ray Rice Give Us Two Good Years?

 
First off, I love Ray Rice. I became enamored of the little guy with the big heart at the outset of his collegiate career with the Scarlett Knights of Rutgers, also known as the state university of New Jersey, where I was born.
 
Rutgers doesn’t draw a lot T.V. games, but when they’re on, I watch. I’ve got serious family obligations when it comes to rooting for Rutgers. My middle brother went to law school at Rutgers-Camden and my cousin Dave graduated from Rutgers-Newark. (Yes, as you can imagine, college life in Camden and Newark is much different, than say, Ithaca, N.Y. or Asheville, N.C., which I’ve also visited over the years. Fewer drum circles for one thing. I remember visiting my cousin in Newark in the early-80s and noticing that the cars parked on...
Jess Blumberg's picture
July, 19th 2012

What's missing in your neighborhood?

That is the very question posed by website Neighborland, which just recently added Baltimore to its roster of cities. The social media site asks users to fill in the blank of what they want in a specific neighborhood. Locals have already posted: "I want a bicycle lane in Bolton Hill," "I want an art gallery in Charles Village," and "I want a coffee shop/cafe north of Patterson Park."

The site aims to connect people through these requests (you can click "me too" if you agree with a suggestion) to, eventually, incite change in each city. Launched in New Orleans last year, Neighborland has already generated events and collaborations between residents, neighborhood organizations, and development groups.

So, the question is simple: What's missing in your neighborhood?

[Image: courtesy of Neighborland]

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