The news of this event made smile; I hope it does the same for you.
Something fishy is going on at the Jewish Museum of Maryland!
We’re expanding the
Museum’s hours and adding new tours and programs!
Beginning October 21, the Museum will be open from 10am to 5pm,
Sunday through Thursday. Tours of the
historic Lloyd Street Synagogue, third oldest synagogue building in the US,
will now be available five times daily.
To hook you on JMM’s new hours, the Museum is proud to present
GefilteFest on October 21, 2012.
Join us
for a day of cooking, eating and storytelling for the whole family. Don’t miss the gefilte fish “throw-down,” as
teams vie for the honor of being crowned champion of this classic Jewish
delicacy. Meet the owners of Gefilteria,
a Brooklyn-based startup, making waves in the food world with their boutique
gefilte and other old world Jewish
foods.
We’ll be sharing fish tales throughout the day, with recipe swaps,
cookbook readings, music and more.
Get
in the swim at the JMM (but please note: no crabs allowed).
The Jewish Museum of Maryland at the Herbert Bearman Campus 15 Lloyd Street Baltimore, MD 21202
CENTERSTAGE offering Executive Fellowship Exposed to all aspects of the administrative side of the theater as well as the administrative interface with artistic and production
Good luck with your submissions and check back here often. It's looking like a very busy season is just beginning for folks looking to work in the arts in Baltimore.
About GBCA: GBCA was born out of a series of conversations between 1998 and 2001, when the cultural community identified a need for a more unified and connected arts and cultural sector. In December 2001, founder Nancy Haragan incorporated Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance. Nancy Haragan stepped down as director in December 2009. J. Buck Jabaily served as executive director from January 2010 to January 2012, when he was succeeded by Jeannie L. Howe.
Since its launch, GBCA has served as both a catalyst and an incubator for various programs and initiatives in the region. GBCA promotes within and for the cultural community with BatlimoreFunGuide.com, Weekly FunSaver Emails, JobsPlus, and our weekly community newsletter. GBCA has sponsored and co-sponsored bothy symposia and the annual Mayor’s Town Hall Meeting, and offered a number of community convenings. GBCA has helped coordinate sector-wide participation in ambitious citywide festivals, such as VIVAT! (2003), Tour de Clay (2005), Free Fall Baltimore (2006, 2007, 2008), and The Maps Festival (2008), and completed several important sector-wide studies, including a Collaborative Arts Marketing Study. Other significant initiatives were GBCA serving as licensee for the Maryland Cultural Data Project (2007-2011), hosting RadarRedux.com (2008-2011), the Wealth Analysis (2007), and since 2008, our ongoing administration of the Baker Artists Awards on behalf of the William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund. For more on current GBCA programs, click here.
Celebrate the season with a performance from the cast of On the Sunny Side of the Street at the Washington Monument Lighting this Thursday night at 6:30 PM!
About the Monument Lighting:
An Evening of Choir Performances, Strolling Entertainment, and More! Mount Vernon Place celebrates the holiday season with the 40th annual lighting of the Washington Monument.
A Monumental Occasion takes place Thursday, December 1, 2011 with pre-event festivities hosted by MIX 106.5 at 5:30pm in Mount Vernon. The official ceremony begins at 7pm with the official lighting at approximately 7:45pm.
The evening includes musical performers by area choirs and refreshments for purchase by local vendors. The event ends with a colorful fireworks and laser finale choreographed to music.
Mount Vernon Place is located in the 600-700 block of North Charles Street.
A Monumental Occasion is coordinated by Downtown Partnership of Baltimore in conjunction with the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts and the Department of Recreation and Parks.
A Tribute to Dorothy Fields - Everyman’s winter concerts have become a staple of the holiday season in Baltimore. Join Howard Breitbart and his dazzling lineup of top-notch singers in a concert you won’t want to miss.
This year we celebrate the music of Dorothy Fields, the lyricist whose decades-long career included over 400 songs for Broadway musicals and films. Join us for this festive concert and celebrate the season with Everyman.
Some of Dorothy Fields’ most memorable hits include:
Renaissance Ensemble Image courtesy, Peabody Institute
Mark Cudek will direct two performances by the Peabody Renaissance Ensemble of Godly and Spiritual Songs, a program of Christmas music from the British Isles, on Thursday, Dec. 1, and Friday, Dec. 2, in Peabody's Leith Symington Griswold Hall.
Thursday night's concert will begin at approximately 8:00 pm, following the 40th Annual Lighting of the Washington Monument, which will feature a short performance by a Peabody brass group—the Bonehedz Trombone Quartet—around 7:15. Friday night's Renaissance Ensemble concert will begin at 7:30 pm.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, and $5 for students with ID. To purchase tickets, call the Peabody Box Office at 410-234-4800.
About the Early Music Program at the Peabody Institute: The Peabody Conservatory of Music continues to expand its offerings in the historical performance of music before 1800. The Early Music Program provides instruction and performance opportunities in Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, and early Classical music.
Students play on period instruments and develop vocal techniques compatible with early performance practices. Our accomplished faculty brings a wealth of performing and teaching experience to developing artists.
Graduates of Peabody's Early Music Program have gone on to win prizes at international competitions, earn Fulbright and Beebe scholarships, and graduate from European conservatories with high honors. Peabody graduates have performed with Apollo's Fire, the Baltimore Consort, Hesperus, Les Arts Florissants, the New York Collegium, and the Waverly Consort.
I'm going out on a limb here. This movie, J Edgar, will either be a huge bang, or a silent bust. I'm going with award winning, although I don't see it as a big money maker.
J. Edgar, movie poster, 2011
I've only read small segments of the script and while it's well written, the outcome of the box-office projections tend to fall on the shoulders of a single actor and a single department. DiCaprop and makeup, in that order. That's a dicey proposition for a big star, a big director, and Warner Bros.
Leonardo DiCaprio has to be J. Edgar and the supporting cast must believe that he is.
I'm not sure that director, Clint Eastwood, is on track with the homosexuality aspect of the relationship between J. Edgar Hoover and Clyde Tolson.
However, Dame Judy Dench and Ken Howard are in the movie. That's good enough for me.
J. Edgar opens in Baltimore at Landmark Theatres, Harbor East
Friday, November 11th
645 S. President Street Baltimore, MD 21202 (410) 244-6636
Be there, or be investigated...
By the way, I'll give J. Edgar my vote for best movie poster of the year.
I like a good caper movie. I love a heist comedy. A clever script and dim-witted repartee are a joy. Eddie Murphy makes me laugh out-loud, and Matthew Broderick's acting amazes me. Movies completely shot in New York City are bigger than life. And, all these elements come together in a new film from Imagine Entertainment.
I have a feeling that I'm going to laugh all the way through Universal Pictures' new release, Tower Heist.
The cast includes: Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Casey Affleck, Alan Alda, Matthew Broderick, Téa Leoni, Michael Peña, Gabourey Sidibe (as the plus-sized maid gone rogue), and Judd Hirsch.
Here are a few stills to whet your appetite:
Images Courtesy Universal Pictures Compilation, Stephen Brockelman
Here's the set-up from Imagine Entertainment:
Queens native Josh Kovacs (Stiller) has managed one of the most luxurious and well-secured residences in New York City for more than a decade. Under his watchful eye, nothing goes undetected. In the swankiest unit atop Josh's building, Wall Street titan Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda) is under house arrest after being caught stealing two billion from his investors.
The hardest hit among those he defrauded? The tower staffers whose pensions he was entrusted to manage. With only days before Arthur gets away with the perfect crime, Josh's crew turns to petty crook Slide (Murphy) to plan the nearly impossible—to steal what they are sure is hidden in Arthur's guarded condo. Though amateurs, these rookie thieves know the building better than anyone—turns out they've been casing the place for years, they just didn't know it.
Tower Heist opens in Baltimore on November 4th at Landmark Theatres in Harbor East.
Baltimore Police Officer, Otis Carroll, and Partner 1920s
Did you know that The Baltimore Police Department's Mounted Unit is the oldest, continuous Unit of its kind in the United States? Founded in 1888, the Mounted Unit is still going strong. And, the Mounted Unit can use your help.
Here's information from Peter Merles at the Midtown Community Benefits District:
The Baltimore City Police Department Mounted Unit is in need of two horses.
The Mount Vernon Belvedere Association is once again stepping up to the plate to help raise $5,000 for the purchase of Vernon (nickname Vern), a horse that is currently in training with BPD.
The MVBA Board is offering a match up to $2,500 to help raise the $5,000 needed. MVBA will match any contribution made by an existing member and MVBA will match any contribution of $100 or more by a non-member, up to $2,500.
Early Baltimore Mounted Police Officer and Partner
Vernon would love to live in Baltimore just as much as you and I do, but he can't afford to live here without our help. Please contribute today.
All we need is 100 people to contribute $25 each! It's just that simple.
Visit and click the "donate" button to the left of your screen today to help us achieve our goal and to keep Vernon with the fine men and women who are currently training him. We'd greatly appreciate it.
Baltimore Mounted Unit, St. Patrick's Day Parade
If you can't afford to donate today, please share this with your friends, business associates, put the information on your Blog, Tweet about it, and mention it on Facebook. Vernon will thank you; I already thank you.
August 23rd was a shaky day; this Commemorative is solid
When the Great Baltimore Quake of 2011 struck, social media went crazy with the stories of the shaking. I went to work.
I created a reminder of that Shaky Day in August. And knowing that memories of that day are still harsh and nerves are still raw, I've waited a respectful 30 days to release my masterpiece.
You may read all about my stunning creation, my reminder of that hot Baltimore Summer Afternoon when the ground shook under our feet, and you also may purchase an Earthquake Commemorative of your very own, right here:
An Important Note: Your purchase will help support a copywriter who is on long-term jury duty. Come on, when I play the pity card, you know I'm serious. Check out the link above; buy one today. Oh, and when you check the link, be aware that high satire, humor, is involved. The Commemorative, though, is real. So get on with it, buy one!
UPDATE 9/26/2011 -
The National Park Service has released security camera footage of the shaking inside of the Washington Monument. Yep, it was that big, that intense.
It's a busy month for Alex Cooper as downtown Baltimore properties continure to go on the block, under theeir auctioneer's gavel.
October 3rd 2011 - Brookshire Suites with all furnishings. Here are the details:
ALL THAT fee-simple LOT OF GROUND AND THE IMPROVEMENTS THEREON, if any, situated in Baltimore City, MD known as Tax ID #04-11-0661-008 and more fully described in the Indemnity Deed of Trust and Security Agreement.
REAL PROPERTY
The real property contains approximately 84,591 sq. ft. and is believed to be improved by a 13-story hotel property containing 97 guest rooms, lobby workstation, breakfast dining area, exercise room, guest laundry room and approx. 1,250 sq. ft. of meeting space.
The building also includes laundry facility, administrative offices and fully equipped kitchen.
HOTEL FURNITURE, FIXTURES & EQUIPMENT
Pursuant to that certain Financing Statement by and between MJ Baltimore Hotel Associates Limited Partnership, Debtor and MSCI 2006-HQ10 Brookshire Lodging, LLC, Secured Creditor, recorded among the Financing Statement Records of the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation on August 23, 2006 in ID No. 1000361993585896, Liber U00473, folio 1841, work order #0001281820, original file number 181279624, default having occurred thereunder, the undersigned Secured Creditor will sell at public auction the following:
All that certain tangible and intangible business property & equipment of any nature or description of the hotel business and including, without limitation, any and all furniture, fixtures, equipment, etc. (except for the leased items).
The property and improvements, if any, will be sold in an "AS IS" condition and subject to all conditions, restrictions, existing building and/or environmental violations, covenants, agreements, whether or not of record, affecting or benefitting the same, if any, and with no warranty either expressed or implied as to the description of the condition of the property or improvements. The property will be sold subject to any violation notices and subject to all conditions, restrictions, covenants, encumbrances, rights-of-way, agreements and other matters, whether or not of record, affecting or benefitting the same, if any. Note: The real estate, furniture, fixtures and equipment will be sold as entirety.
1 E Lexington Street, Baltimore, MD - Up for Auction
Well, the Alex Cooper signs have finally been posted. The buildings on the corner of North Charles and Lexington Street are up for auction. These buildings are our neighbors, we think they are handsome, and we think their facades are an important part of city center, Charles Center.
The key property, a handsome piece of 1890 architecture, is the former Central Savings Bank Building.
The auction package includes: 113 N Charles Street, 1 E Lexington Street, and 5 E Lexington Street.
Here are the listing details from Alex Cooper:
Property Description
1 E. Lexington Street (2nd & 3rd Floors connect with 5 E. Lexington) 25,439 +/- SF 5 story building 22,000+/- SF leasable area the building currently has rental income with flexible leases Lot size is 0.11+/- acres 1st Floor offers 4,000 +/- SF of prime retail space, ideal for a Restaurant/Bar. One of the most unique spaces in Baltimore. Formerly the flagship location of Central Savings Bank. Interior features marble walls, 20 +/- foot ceilings and original walk-in safe.
5 E. Lexington Street (2nd & 3rd Floors connect with 1 E. Lexington) 5,900 +/- SF 3 story building. Building currently is vacant on 1st floor with office tenant on 2nd floor (connected to 3rd floor of 1 E. Lexington)Lot size is 0.06 +/- acres. Building features early 1900's architecture. Potential for building to be free-standing. Lease pending for 1st floor of building.
113 N. Charles Street 5,544 +/- SF 4 story building. Building is currently leased by Baltimore Gold. Lot size is 0.03 acres.
Jacob and I live on N Charles Street, we are committed urban dwellers, and we like "living above the store." However, over the past 6 years or so the vibrancy of Baltimore's North Charles Street corridor has tragically declined. The Historic Charles Street Association has gone through two Executive Directors since 2006 and is looking for its third.
Empty buildings and storefronts abound on Charles Street and no amount of street-scape vinyl stickers will hide that fact. No amount of promises, in print or in display visuals, will hide the fact that nothing has happened with the Morris Mechanic Theatre building since it ceased operation in 2004. As buildings such as John M. Johansen's Brutalist Mechanic Theatre remain vacant for what will soon be a decade, Baltimore becomes a less interesting, less attractive, less architectural city.
The mid-rise building at 301 North Charles Street has been vacant for, I believe, over 5 years.
301 N Charles is beginning to look like a building portrayed in the History Channel's series, Life After People.
301 N Charles Street, vacant and in disrepair
Some of the window glass in the 301 building is broken out, casements are corroding, plants that were left behind by former tenants have rooted deeply, are growing, and weakening the masonry. Rain, wind, and snow inundate the building.
The magnificent Fidelity Trust Company building, just across the corner from the Central Savings Bank building, has been empty for years. Walking up Charles Street from the Inner Harbor toward North Avenue is getting downright depressing. Panhandlers are on the increase and foot-traffic, evenings and weekends, is almost nonexistent.
Traffic Advisory from the City of Baltimore, Adrienne Barnes and Kathy Chopper:
Downtown Roadways Begin to Reopen after the Baltimore Grand Prix The Baltimore City Department of Transportation would like to advise motorists that roadways in the downtown area are beginning to reopen after the 2011 Inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix race.
At this time, northbound Russell Street has been opened to motorists from Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard to Pratt Street. In addition, southbound Light Street between Pratt Street and Key Highway is also open for travel.
Light Street commuters are advised to use Key Highway to reach Interstate 95. All roadways that were affected by the Grand Prix race are expected to be reopened to traffic by 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 06, 2011.
Commuters will continue to see race walls in the downtown area in the days ahead, but these will only have minimal impacts on downtown traffic. For additional information visit www.gptraffic.com.
[UPDATE 9/5/11 9:40 PM]
Downtown Roadways Ready for Morning Commute
The Baltimore City Department of Transportation would like to advise motorists that roadways in the downtown area are ready for the morning commute.
After the completion of the 2011 Inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix race, crews have been steadily working to reopen the roadways for Tuesday morning’s commute. At this time, all major roadways that were affected by the Grand Prix race are now open for motorists.
In the days ahead, commuters will continue to see race walls in the downtown area, but these will have only minimal effects on area traffic.
The Baltimore Grand Prix is pegging the Brockelmeter in every good way. Jacob and I are loving the sights and the sounds and the crowds. And attendees seem to have more than a few bucks in their jeans and they're spending.
Sure, there were hiccups getting Baltimore ready for it's first big race on city streets. And, most every city that has designed a course for a similar racing event on urban streets has had issues the first year. The logistics aren't easy.
We raise our glasses to the Baltimore Grand Prix. Cheers!
When I lived in Naples, Florida I was an announcer at WNOG (Bright and chipper: "This is Stephen B. and you're tuned the 'Nogger. News and weather next, then Major League Baseball live from...") and WCVU-FM (Slow, deliberate, warm: "This is W-C-V-U, Sea-view, covering Naples, Ft. Meyers, and Marco Island. And, now the Wall Street Journal Report...")
I rode out several hurricane near-hits during my time there. The radio stations were owned by Palmer Broadcasting and were in a building that also housed the cable tv operations for much of the south Gulf Coast of Florida.
The building was as built to be as hurricane proof as was possible at the time. There were emergency generators worthy of a major city hospital. There were few windows and they were only 12 or 14 inches wide and 3 feet tall. No huge sheets of glass. It had a kitchen and a number of rooms that could be turned into dormitories. Twice in two years I went home after my shift, packed a suitcase, and moved into the station for the duration.
The building was about 2 blocks from the Gulf of Mexico; the transmitter towers were situated miles inland. The radio signals were also carried on the cable tv system. It was a pretty slick package. I was young and bunking with fellow workers was fun.
Now, living in Baltimore, with Hurricane Irene approaching things are a tad bit different. I live on the top floor of a high rise. We have windows that are 50x27 inches. We have 15 of them facing South, East, and, North. That's 1687.5 square-feet of glass in just a few rooms. The pantry, our safe room, and the liquor closet are, as always, are fully stocked.
Park Charles, We're on the top floor with lots and lots of windows
I'll keep you posted right here from our perch in the cat bird's seat.
And, I'll put all of the Baltimore 21201 Hurricane Irene updates in this post - check back as the weekend and the big woman approach..
First of all--and this is important--I'm not a weatherman and I'm not giving advice or providing breaking news on this blog. I won't be updating on a regular basis. This ongoing post will document the hurricane as Jacob and I witness it. I will attempt to add links to other trusted sources. Please use local and national media for immediate updates, conditions and advisories. Be prepared and be safe.
NOAA, NHC 5PM tracking update - Hazardous conditions can occur outside of the cone
And a reminder, for all Hurricane Info for Annapolis, follow @eyeonannapolis on Twitter and Eye on Annapolis online.
Stay tuned.
UPDATE 8/27/11-0730 EST
Hurricane Irene, Saturday 6300 EST
ODE TO A STORM, OLD IRENE
Old Irene, she ain't what she used to be, Ain't what she used to be, Ain't what she used to be, Old Irene, she ain't what she used to be, Many short hours ago.
Downgraded to a Category 1 Hurricane overnight, the old girl still packs a kick or two.
2011.08.27 1054 UTC Temperature 79.0 F (26.1 C) Dew Point 73.0 F (22.8 C) Relative Humidity 82% Pressure (altimeter) 29.81 in. Hg (1009 hPa) ob KDMH 271054Z AUTO 26/23 A2981 RMK AO2 SLP095 T02610228 PWINO TSNO
A little sultry outside? Oh yeah. Stay tuned, I'll have much more later.
UPDATE 8/27/11-1130 EST
Fascinating video from NASA and the International Space Station.
NASA/ISS, 8/26/11
Video Details from NASA:
Cameras mounted on the International Space Station captured new views of Hurricane Irene at 4:27 p.m. EDT on August 26, 2011 as the storm bore down on the east coast of the United States.
Accompanied by narration from Expedition 28 Flight Engineer Mike Fossum of NASA, the video showed the massive system moving north at 14 miles an hour packing winds of 100 miles an hour some 300 miles south-southwest of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Irene is expected to track to the northeast along the mid-Atlantic states, the metropolitan New York-New Jersey region and New England this weekend before heading out over the north Atlantic.
National Hurricane Center: AT 1100 AM EDT...1500 UTC...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IRENE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 35.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 76.4 WEST. IRENE IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST NEAR 15 MPH...24 KM/H...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF IRENE WILL MOVE ACROSS NORTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON. THE HURRICANE IS FORECAST TO MOVE NEAR OR OVER THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST TONIGHT AND MOVE OVER SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND ON SUNDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 85 MPH...140 KM/H...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
IRENE IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. SLIGHT WEAKENING IS FORECAST AS IRENE CROSSES EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA...BUT IRENE IS FORECAST TO REMAIN NEAR HURRICANE STRENGTH AS IT MOVES NEAR OR OVER THE MID-ATLANTIC STATE SAND APPROACHES NEW ENGLAND.
IRENE IS A LARGE TROPICAL CYCLONE. HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 90 MILES...150 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 260 MILES...415 KM. A WIND GUST TO 87 MPH WAS RECENTLY MEASURED AT CAPE HATTERAS NORTH CAROLINA. NORFOLK NAVAL AIR STATION RECENTLY REPORTED A WIND GUST TO 63 MPH.
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 952 MB...28.11 INCHES.
More to come later. Stay tuned.
UPDATE 8/27/11-1900 EST
Hurricane Irene, 1800 EST
Back in the Saddle Again (and yet another reason Why I Hate Microsoft).
Around 11 AM I started to capture a time lapse video of the clouds preceding Hurricane Irene blowing into town. I'd planned for the video to cover the span from morning until well after dark.
Anticipating a long night, I crawled into bed about 3 PM to take a nap and what did I find on the screen of the laptop just now:
"Windows installed new updates - Windows restarted your computer..."
You can take it from there.
No great harm done, except for the Hurricane Irene lyrics that I'd written to the tune of Sinatra's "Summer Wind." The lyrics were on notepad for easy blog posting; they're gone.
Since the Irene Affair is developing more as a wind and rain event than a full-fledged hurricane, more than a full-fledged storm, I'll take a slightly different approach to this messy night. Catch you all in a few...
Stay tuned.
UPDATE 8/27/11-2045 EST
So far, and using Steve Kilar's word, it's a "moist" night and that's about all it is. In Baltimore, we haven't even had a decent gust of wind.
I'm entertaining myself with the Tweets of my social media friends. They are just the best. Here's a peek at the posts:
@JohnMilleker: Dear #HurricaneIrene, if you must damage ANYTHING in @OCMaryland, you can take Dippin' Dots. Love, me.
@RyanE1984: PLUS, if my usual blow out is ruined, there better be a damn good reason. This itty bitty rain is not a good excuse to ruin my hair. #oy
@JohnMilleker: Time for a inner perimeter/basement spot check, if I'm not back in ten minutes I probably stopped off at the beer fridge. #Irene
@thomasbeller: Was lovely wandering Broadway today. "It's like wartime," said play-write David Ives. "Everyone knows it's coming but it's not here yet."
@stevekilar: #MDHurricane Irene has breached the Hilton ocean city -- the carpet around my sliding glass balcony door is moist!
@TonyDeFranco: The weather conditions in Federal Hill are currently fratty.
@kellycollect: Rare and retired Precious Moments figurines bit.ly/9P0lkL
@make_lemons: Set your alarms RT @andersoncooper Planning to go live at 6am Sunday from NYC covering #Irene.
@CharmCityBarfly: Hi everyone. You LOSE power. Your mama is LOOSE. See the difference? For the love of God. Use the proper word.
@BriHoffman: im bored so far... #hurricane #Irene
@Seth_Fried: If your apartment is hit by a dolphin, DO NOT GO OUT TO SEE IF THE DOLPHIN IS OKAY. That's how the hurricane tricks you into coming outside.
@insidecharmcity: Jayne Miller of WBAL having a bunch of drunks photobombing her live shot from Fells Point #mdhurricane
I love you people. I love you all.
Stay tuned. We may get a breeze later. I'll report.
UPDATE 8/27/11-2245 EST
The empirical end to this long and uneventful post comes from my dear friend, Andrea Snyder. This performance says it all, and says it better than I ever could.
Good Night, Irene
Video description via YouTube:
Steve Dawson is here visiting me in Baltimore for some co-writing and music making. Brave enough to fly AT a hurricane instead of away from it, we had some fun with Irene. Enjoy!
That's all folks. G'night all. And, G'night Irene.
I was working on my first project for Baltimore's Historic Charles Street Association in 2006 and I went online to round up and bookmark some source material. I ran across Groeninger's New Baltimore and downloaded a copy. It's in the public domain.
Furst Bros Company in Sharp-Leadenhall is a long-time client of mine and I was excited to find one of their ads in the little book. (A half-page ad, thank you very much.) I created a cover and burned the book to a few CDs as a little gift for them.
A Preview of Groeninger's New Baltimore 1906
Jones & Groeninger was a photography and publishing house located at 404 N Paca in Baltimore. They were apparently hired by the City and a group of business-men to create a promotional marketing piece to show the world that Baltimore had been rebuilt after the Great Fire, was once again open-for-business, flourishing, bigger, better, and a grander center of commerce than ever before.
The photos, before-and-after the Great Fire of 1904, are wonderful. The photographer was Wm J Groeninger, a partner in the firm.This afternoon I didn't have time to find the reference CD that I'd made over 5-years ago. I went online and found that people are trying to sell this out-of-copyright book from anywhere between 99-cents and $14.96. Well, that just seems silly. I've paid for public domain material before, but only when value was added by way of research, citations, redirects, and the like.
You may download a PDF by clicking on the preview above or by clicking here to go directly to my page on ISSUU.
Jones & Groeninger published their own quarter-page ad in the book.
Jones & Groeninger - About This Book
For more information about the Great Fire of 1904, the Maryland Digital Cultural Heritage Program is the best place to start: The Maryland Digital Cultural Heritage Program is a collaborative, statewide digitization program headquartered at the Central Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library / State Library Resource Center in downtown Baltimore.
In June the Downtown Partnership posted a vid on YouTube to promote Dine Downtown. I totally support the Downtown Partnership and its good work.
Jacob and I go out to eat in downtown Baltimore more often than we do at any other location in the city. We love the downtown restaurants and it's rare that we have a off experience.
Dining downtown seldom dissapoints; the video does.
The video isn't terrible, but it's severely lacking in beauty shots, food porn. Oddly, it feels like it was shot as a documentary (perhaps by a vegan) rather than as a lick-your-lips marketing piece. For example, Baltimore has a lot of prime steakhouses downtown, but there's not a shot of beautiful, red meat or a steaming-hot, baked potato anywhere to be seen.
The production suffers from some trendy and jerky in-out-zooms that seem way too clinical and newsy for the subject matter.
Talking heads don't sell food and certainly don't sell the dining experience. Lush, rich food shots do. Happy, enthusiastic, patrons do. The food footage should look like the food is steaming hot and smells really good. A three-second shot of someone getting a whiff of a spectacular dish can seal the deal.
With the exception of Ezra Tilaye's 1.5 second appearance on behalf of Creme, the restaurateur's stories and comments are wonderful. However, they should be heard as more voice-over-food-shots than on-camera. Chef face-time doesn't mean much to an audience that doesn't already know the restaurant. Even then, face-time doesn't mean much to anyone but the chef's family and friends.
And on the Ezra Tilaye front, if you have someone on camera for such a short period that the viewer can't read their title, cut it. The second and a half could be put to much better use.
[Note to DPOB: I care about downtown Baltimore. I'm a resident. I'm right across the street from your offices. I write and I consult. Hey, I even know Mike Evitts! Give a call.]
Mark Cudek will direct two performances by the Peabody Renaissance Ensemble of Godly and Spiritual Songs, a program of Christmas music from the British Isles, on Thursday, Dec. 1, and Friday, Dec. 2, in Peabody's Leith Symington Griswold Hall.
