At 70, Maryland’s longest-serving Senate President isn’t stepping aside anytime soon.
Reality set in during the 11th hour of the final day of the General Assembly last April at the State House in Annapolis. The last day of session—known as sine die, which in Latin means to adjourn without assigning a further date to return—often goes late into the night, with the state Senate and House of Delegates working overtime to pass hundreds of last-minute bills. When the clock strikes...
A Laurel native wins the World Series of Poker.
Did you play cards as a young boy?I played poker for the first time when I was 16 and I went full-time when I was about 19. I basically went to college for my parents, but was spending all my time getting better at poker.
Talk to me about how you practiced and honed your skills.I was playing 95 percent of my hours online and I was playing with a fake ID sometimes. I played pretty much all poker...
Our extended interview with Dave Heumann of Arbouretum.
What do you think of Thrill Jockey signing all these Baltimore bands, including Arbouretum, over the past few years? It's fine with me. We've always had good bands here, but I think it took the situation reaching a certain critical mass in order to interest Thrill Jockey. They’ve been branching out more and more from the kinds of bands they started with in the 90's. From a vantage point a little...
We speak with Steve Hanke, professor of applied economics at The Johns Hopkins University.
What is the Hanke-Henry Permanent Calendar?The Hanke-Henry Permanent Calendar (HHPC) would be the same year after year. For example, July 4 would always fall on a Wednesday; Tax Day—April 15—would always fall on a Sunday, and so forth. The HHPC is made up of four 91-day quarters, each comprised of three months – for a total of 364 days every year. But, the number of days in a full orbit of the...
What unusual holiday tradition does your family have?
Sarah Pardus, 20, student at Goucher College: We always play a little turkey bowl before we eat!
Kristine Wilson, 24, marketing director at WebMechanix: We hide a pickle ornament in the tree and the finder gets a prize, but we always forget to buy the prize. Whoops!
Jimmy Lindsey, 30, project engineer at Clark Construction: Dyeing all of the food at the holiday table a different color. Most...
A local man has an unusual way of getting his message out.
It was a Sunday night in September at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens were taking on the dreaded New England Patriots, and it was just two minutes before halftime—but no eyes were on the players. Instead, everyone’s attention was focused on the lunatic running all over the football field in a cape and Batman underwear. He scampered around for a few minutes before being apprehended by the police...
Louis C.K. spends New Year’s Eve here, and gives fans a discount.
If your idea of ringing in the New Year consists of belly laughing to crass comedy, then Louis C.K. is your man. The stand-up comedian will be performing two shows at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall on New Year’s Eve at 7 and 10 p.m. But, with this tour, he’s trying something new—exclusively selling tickets on his website for a flat rate of $45 to avoid exorbitant fees from agencies. “Making...
Firsthand accounts of what's happening in Baltimore.
History and Heavy Metal
OCTOBER 6, 2012 - Eastern Avenue, Highlandtown
The third number starts with a mean, classic-rock guitar riff, and then pounding drums jump in as theatrical lights flash and the smoke machine blasts on. Suddenly, in full British redcoat regalia, Rear Admiral George Cockburn (played by Robert Bradley) leaps to the stage at the Creative Alliance, letting loose a high-pitched...
The folks at Greenmount Loan & Jewelry put cash in hands and smiles on faces.
The mood inside 3118 Greenmount Avenue is downright festive on a recent Monday afternoon. A steady stream of regular customers comes through the door to chat up the proprietor about yesterday’s Ravens victory. “How about that game?” says a guy in a Flacco jersey. Others join in—“It was a nail-biter.” “You see that onside kick?” “I couldn’t believe he dropped that pass on the conversion.” They...
Peter Beilenson, co-author, Tapping into The Wire: The Real Urban Crisis.
What do you say to people who believe The Wire harmed Baltimore’s reputation?I say that The Wire is about only a part of Baltimore, but an important part. And, I say that until we are willing to face a problem or issue(s), no progress will be made on solving them. The Wire shines a light on major issues affecting all urban areas, attention which is necessary in order to address these problems....
