Baltimore21201.Com - The Blog

Icons. Both worked. Sort of.

(click to enlarge)

“We crave for new sensations but soon become indifferent to them. The wonders of yesterday are today common occurrences” 
― Nikola Tesla, My Inventions: The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla

Baltimore's Blue Moon Tonight - Look Up and Listen. Sing. A Video Compendium.

Photo courtesy, NASA - Mission: Apollo 11

 
Video courtesy, ScienceCast

 
Billie Holliday, Blue Moon

 
Ella Fitzgerald, Blue Moon 1957

 
Frank Sinatra, Blue Moon 

 
Dean Martin, Blue Moon

 
Bob Dylan, Blue Moon

Sometimes it's just nice to have a view of the event, and a tune to hear. And a classic cocktail is fine, also.

 

Coming Soon to Baltimore: David Cronenberg's 'A Dangerous Method'

 

Sigmund Freud: Tell me about the first time you can remember being beaten by your father.
Sabina Spielrein: It excited me!

A Dangerous Method, Synopsis:

On the eve of World War I, Zurich and Vienna are the setting for a dark tale of sexual and intellectual discovery. Drawn from true-life events, A DANGEROUS METHOD explores the turbulent relationships between fledgling psychiatrist Carl Jung, his mentor Sigmund Freud and Sabina Spielrein, the beautiful but disturbed young woman who comes between them.

Sensuality, ambition and deceit set the scene for the pivotal moment when Jung, Freud and Sabina come together and split apart, forever changing the face of modern thought.

A Dangerous Method was directed by David Cronenberg (Eastern Promises, A History of Violence, Crash) from a screenplay by Academy Award winning writer Christopher Hampton (Atonement, Dangerous Liaisons), who adapted his own stage play The Talking Cure for the screen.

Academy Award nominee Keira Knightley (Never Let Me Go, Atonement, Pride and Prejudice) stars as Sabina Spielrein opposite fast-rising star Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds, Fish Tank, Jane Eyre, X-Men: First Class and the upcoming Prometheus and Shame) as Carl Jung, with Academy Award nominee Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises, A History of Violence, Lord of the Rings trilogy) as Sigmund Freud. Vincent Cassel (Black Swan, Mesrine) plays Otto Gross, and Canadian newcomer Sarah Gadon plays Jung’s wife Emma.

A Dangerous Method, rated R, opens in New York and Los Angeles on November 23rd. The film's Baltimore opening is to be announced soon.

It's a BrockelGram!

                                  [Click Image to Enlarge]

Baltimore 21201. The Blog, The Swan Song

That's it for this blog. To quote my favorite broadcast journalist, Edward R Murrow, "Good night and good luck.

To my friends, Keep On Truckin'.

Baltimore's Shot Tower - Written in 1924, It's Yours to Download and Read

                  Student's Take on the Baltimore Shot Tower, 1924

Written in 1924, by Kenneth F Matthews (or Mathews), this is a wonderful essay by an engineering student studying in Baltimore.

This paper traces the history of the shot tower built in Baltimore in 1828. It describes its construction and includes information on the making of shot, the making of bricks, as well as diagrams and other illustrations.

This paper was prepared as part of Matthews' initiation into Phi Mu, an engineering honor society.

Pay special attention the the poem, The Shot Tower,in the front-piece written by Lizette Woodworth Reese. While I don't find it a great or even good poem, it does tell a story of a much different time. At time when Baltimoreans were facing much different issues than they are today, it illustrates the fretting over wars and conflict.

Here's the download link and here's the bacground sheet on Lizette Woodworth Reese.

Update: The Great Baltimore Quake.

     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:

RememberTheQuake.Com

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.

 

[UPDATE] Marbles: The Brain Store Coming to Maryland's Columbia Mall

Growing up, my best friend and I played WFF ‘N PROOF: The Game of Modern Logic for hours at a time. Much to my consternation, WFF ‘N PROOF is now known as the Granddaddy of Educational Games.

I've always had a fondness for critical thinking and memory games so I was thrilled to learn that Marbles: The Brain Store is opening Tuesday, August 9th.

 
                            Marbles: The Brain Store on MSNBC

One of my favorite things about Marbles: The Brain Store's website are the video explanations of their different games. Here's the demo for Instructables:

 

Marbles: The Brain Store
The Mall in Columbia, Zone B (lower level)
410-997-0023

{UPDATE: 8/8/2011}

Marbles: The Brain Store is also hiring for the new Columbia location. To learn more and see the unique application process head over to www.marblesthebrainstore.com and then go to the CAREERS section.

It's Always a Great Week When You Help the Chesapeake

                          From the Bay For the Bay 2011

From my friends at the Oyster Recovery Partnership:

From the Bay, For The Bay A Celebration of Maryland Seafood
October 2-9, 2011

For a week in October, participating restaurants from Philadelphia to Northern Virginia will be featuring fresh, locally caught Maryland Seafood for their guests.

This will be an excellent way to support our local watermen, while enjoying the best seafood the region has to offer.

October is an outstanding month for seafood with many species available including striped bass, crabmeat, oysters, flounder, dogfish, bluefish, lobster, and scallops being in season and on menus throughout the region.

Each of the participating restaurants is donating $1.00 for every Maryland seafood dinner that is sold during this week to the Oyster Recovery Partnership in Annapolis, MD, a non-profit organization that works to replenish the population of our native and treasured Chesapeake Bay oyster.

Over the last decade, the Oyster Recovery Partnership has replanted hundreds of millions of oysters in the bay. Oysters are a critical species to the Bay's long term recovery -- a healthy oyster reef not only filters the Bay's waters, but also provides a firm, elevated bed that supports a community and habitat for other marine wildlife, like blue crabs and striped bass. So while you are enjoying a great meal you will be supporting watermen and helping to restore this iconic Chesapeake species.

If you are interested in participating in this promotion feel free to contact Steve Vilnit and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (svilnit@dnr.state.md.us) for more information.

Lunar Eclipse Live Update

The Coca-Cola Space Science Center is online with beautiful resolution of the coming lunar eclipse.

CCSSC is webcasting in real-time.

2010 Lunar Eclipse Update for Baltimore

This is an update to my previous post about the December 21, 2010 Lunar Eclipse.

Photo Credit: Fred Espenak

AccuWeather is predicting partly cloudy skies over Baltimore tonight and that could make watching the lunar eclipse problematic. Frank Roylance at the Baltimore Sun says, "The forecast for Tuesday's early-morning lunar eclipse seems to be going sour."

Here are some links to locations that will be webcasting the total lunar eclipse from several locations around North America:

Rick Kelland
Eastern Canada (UT-5)
Equipment: 80mm telescope, Mallincam VSS camera

Francois van Heerden
Ottawa, Canada (UT-5)
Equipment: Celestron Nexstar 11" GPS, Mallincam Hyper-Colour Plus camera

Chris Appleton
Toronto, Canada (UT-5)
Equipment: TMB 80mm Apo refractor, Mallincam Xtreme camera

Jim Turner
Madison, North Carolina, USA (UT-5)
Equipment: Celestron 14" SCT, CGE PRO mount, Mallincam camera

Jack Huerkamp
Pearl River, Louisiana, USA (UT-6)
Equipment: Celestron 6SE, Mallincam Xtreme

Rob Lambert
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA (UT-8)
Equipment: Orion ST120 Short Tube achromatic refractor, Celestron EQ Mount, Mallincam VSS camera10-inch LX200GPS, Alt-Az fork mount, Mallincam VSS+

Gary Giddings
California, USA (UT-8)

Gregg Paris
California, USA (UT-8)
Equipment: Many telescopes from 2.6- to 10-inch and many different cameras

Enjoy the eclipse. Skies are going to be clear somewhere.

Update:
The eclipse will also be webcast by the Coca-Cola Space Science Center at Columbus State University, Columbus, GA and

there will be video coverage from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL beginning around 5PM EST

Christmas Gifts That Will Make a Difference in Baltimore - Part 5

Regardless of the city you live in, there are two constants that will make your city better: increased parental interaction with their children, family education, and shared family entertainment. In Baltimore we are fortunate to have several extraordinary venues that offer just that. One of my favorites is the Maryland Science Center. I've written about MSC several times right here.

Since its opening in 1976, the MSC has been an educational and entertaining cornerstone of Baltimore's Inner Harbor. With its IMAX Theatre and ever-evolving exhibits, the MSC is a favorite of Baltimore residents and visitors from all over the world. MSC was named one of the Top 10 Science Centers for Families by Parent's Magazine.

The Maryland Science Center traces its roots back to 1797 and the Maryland Academy of Sciences. The Maryland Academy of Sciences is Maryland's oldest scientific institution and one of the oldest such institutions in the United States.

The MSC's Crosby Ramsey Memorial Observatory and the Davis Planetarium are Baltimore treasures. Stargazing Fridays and Sungazing Saturdays are outstanding events. A up-close and personal view of the stars and planets through their historic -- and now computer controlled -- Alvan Clark & Sons 8" refracting telescope creates oohs and ahs from visitors of all ages.

A day or two ago I wrote about the total lunar eclipse that will be visible in Baltimore on December 21, 2010. Here's an invitation from MSC for that special night:

Families, Members, Adults -
Join us for a viewing of the Total Lunar Eclipse
Tuesday, December 21: 1:30am-5:00am,
Weather Permitting
Come to our roof-top Observatory to view this year's only total Lunar Eclipse. Our Observatory staff will be here beginning at 1:30am with telescopes ready to view this night sky event. Phone 410-545-2999 after 9:00pm on December 20 to verify if the Observatory will be open as this event is weather permitting.

Make a family's 2011 a full year of wonder and learning. The Gift of Science via the Maryland Science Center is an extraordinary and affordable gift that will promote the work of MSC and entertain and educate an entire family for a year.

Another gift option is Camp MSC - Sensational Summer Science! For those very special children in your life, choose from week-long full day and half day summer camp programs.

There's another gift that will help families, Baltimore, the Maryland Science Center, and you. It's simpler, easier, and won't cost you a dime. Give the gift of a few hours of your time. Volunteer at MSC.

MSC:
Volunteers help in every area of the Maryland Science Center whether it's on the floor or behind the scenes. In exchange, we offer an opportunity to be a part of one of Maryland's premier destinations for children and families, as well as adults interested in the sciences. You'll quickly learn that every day is completely different when you volunteer at the Maryland Science Center.

Maryland Science Center
601 Light Street
Inner Harbor
Baltimore, Maryland 21230
410-685-5225

A Total Lunar Eclipse is Coming to Baltimore

There's a lunar eclipse update here.

Look up, Baltimore People. Given a clear sky, on December 21, 2010 Baltimore will get a special treat: a total lunar eclipse. The folks at NASA say this will be the best viewing opportunity for us until 2014.

Photo credit: Brian Karczewski

Joe Rao, an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planatarium, writes:

December's total lunar eclipse is the only total eclipse of the moon of this year. For the Western Hemisphere, the eclipse will "officially" begin on Dec. 21 at 12:29 a.m. EST (9:29 p.m. PST on Dec. 20) as the moon begins to enter Earth's outer, or penumbral, shadow.
 
But even in clear weather, skywatchers will not notice any changes in the moon's appearance until about 45 minutes later when a slight "smudge" or shading begins to become evident on the upper left portion of the moon's disk.
 
This NASA lunar eclipse chart shows the visibility of the eclipse from different regions around the world. While it can be seen in its entirety from North and Central America, parts of the eclipse can also be seen from Europe, northwestern Africa and parts of Australia. It will not be visible from southern and eastern Africa and India.

Unlike an eclipse of the sun, an eclipse of the moon presents no hazards to the observer. No precautions to protect the eyes are needed.

Photo Credit: Dylan O'Donnell

AccuWeather predicts a partly cloudy night for 12/21, but that's a long range forecast at this point.

I enjoy total lunar eclipses. Unlike a solar eclipse which lasts just minutes, a lunar eclipse will last for hours. The total phase of our December 21201 eclipse will last about 72 minutes. During the total phase, unlike the sun which goes black, the moon turns a beautiful rusty-red.

Let's hope for a clear sky on the 21st... and if the sky isn't clear, I'll be hoping for snow. Just so you know.

Fred Espenak at MrEclipse.Com has a wonderful tutorial on lunar eclipse photography here. Enjoy the show and let's try to capture it.

Baltimore Sun: What the Hell Are You People Doing?

You'd think that a venerable publisher like The Baltimore Sun would be careful about syndicated ad placement above the fold, top right, page one. Oh, that's right, the Sun is a Tribune paper. Maybe that explains it.

This afternoon I went to the Sun's website to check on info about today's Ravens - Bears game and the local TV Listings.

What did I find? A misleading ad block that overpowered every headline on page one.

And, what was the big ad selling?

Maryland "Style" Crab Cakes.

The ad head reads, "Dinner Without the Prep" -- ad subhead, "Choose a Meal for Home Delivery" -- first product listed was, yep, you guessed it: Maryland "Style" Crab Cakes. Here's the ad link photo for the crab cakes.

But wait... Does the above look like any kind of Maryland Crab Cake that you've ever seen? To me, it doesn't look like any kind of crab cake that I've ever seen. It doesn't even look like the cart vendor crab cakes at the Maryland State Fair or from the vendors at ArtScape. That's the package the Sun is selling though. Yum, yum.

Perhaps the crab cakes, offered via the Sun, look strange because they truly are. They're a mail-order thing from the institutional food seller, Schwan's.

On closer inspection of the offering, the crab in these cakes is Blue Swimmer Crab also called a Flower Crab, or Portunus Pelagicus. They are mud crabs from the Pacific, heavily harvested in China and India.

Portunus Pelagicus, is harvested in the regions tagged in red, above. Yep, those puppies will make a true Maryland style crab cake.

When a newspaper is fighting for its very life, perhaps some due diligence is in order. Or, perhaps before adding food ads to page one, the paper should ask their food editor about the rotation.

I'm thinking that Elizabeth Large could have spotted this mess.

I try to protect the reputation of my favorite city... perhaps the Baltimore Sun should, also.

The Sky's the Limit. Not.

Thursday, November 19th at 7:30pm -- Join WYPR’s SkyWatch hosts Jim O’Leary and Dr. Carol Christian as they reveal and discuss images from the latest Hubble Space Telescope Mission. Their lecture, Gifts from the Sky—Hubble’s Latest Images is free with RSVP.

Mr. O’Leary is the resident space expert at the Maryland Science Center and director of the IMAX Theater and Davis Planetarium. Dr. Christian is a scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute here in Baltimore. Their show airs every Thursday on local NPR affiliate WYPR.

On September 9, 2009, scientists got their first glimpse of images from the nearly new Hubble Space Telescope, refurbished by the hugely ambitious servicing mission in May. With two new instruments and two successfully repaired cameras, Hubble resumed scientific research with more capability than ever.

Enjoy stories of the servicing mission, and explore the latest Hubble Space Telescope images of giant star clusters, new star-forming regions, exploding stars and colliding galaxies. Hear about Hubble’s quest for understanding Dark Matter and Dark Energy along with Hubble’s other contributions to our new understanding of the universe.

This lecture is free with an RSVP by phoning 410-545-5943.

Hubble Photos: Top, Giant Disk of Cold Gas and Dust Fuels Possible Black Hole at the Core of NGC 4261. Above: Detail of Saturn's Rings, Disk and Shadow.

New Flu Shot Clinic News for Baltimore 21201

I received a note from the Enoch Pratt Library, Central Branch, on Cathedral Street. Apparently it had been in my inbox for a couple of days. Pass along the information.

Stay Healthy! Free Flu Clinics. Free Flu Shots at the Central Library. Regular and H1N1 vaccines available.

The Enoch Pratt Free Library in partnership with the Baltimore City Health Department and ACE Coalition will be holding free flu clinics at the Central Library.

Regular flu shots only: Friday, November 6, 10am - 2 pm

Regular flu and H1N1 shots: Friday, December 11, 10am – 2pm and Friday, January 8, 10am – 2pm

Doctors and nurses will be available to answer flu, pneumonia and other health questions.

The flu clinic is provided by the ACE Coalition Flu Clinic.

For more information on the free flu clinics at the Central Library, visit our website at www.prattlibrary.org. Also look for the Pratt Library on Facebook, Twitter and MySpace.

Remember at the Enoch Pratt Free Library:  “Your journey starts here.”

How much do Jacob and I love the Enoch Pratt Library? Spread your arms wide, and say, "More than THIS much!"

Midnight Will Arrive at Noon in Baltimore

When will such a thing happen? Why and how come? Details from the Maryland Science Center:

 

"Does the ball drop after your bedtime?

"Not this year! Join the Maryland Science Center in its New Year's Eve celebration at Noon–Midnight Noon.

"Get here early and make your own party hat and noisemaker, get your face painted, and get ready to party down to the sound of popular kids band Milkshake as they kick off our celebration at 11:30 and help us announce the New Year at Noon.

"Following the concert, join the Blue Sky Puppet Theater in the MSC Theater as they embark on an adventure with Ralph the Jester to find laughter for King NAFFETMHL–the king who never found anything funny.

"The entire Science Center will be open and ready to ring in the New Year!

"All activites are free with paid admission: adults $14.50, youth (3-12) $10.00, children under 3 are free. Tickets can be purchased upon arrival. For questions, please call 410-545-5960."

Is this part of the MSC's approach to creating a new generation of smarter, more inquisitive, goal oriented Baltimore children? Ones that will tend to be better students and finer more productive adults? You can bet your boots that it is.

Our 170,000 square-foot Maryland Science Center has been creating better kids (and better parents) since they opened their doors. Read their history here. If you're not tempted to click on the link, read this from the MSC History Statement...

"The Maryland Academy of Sciences is Maryland's oldest scientific institution and one of the oldest such institutions in the entire nation.

"At its inception in 1797, the Academy was an amateur scientific society—members met to discuss papers on astronomy, botany, zoology, and other subjects then known as the "natural sciences." Rembrandt and Raphael Peale, sons of painter and scientist Charles Wilson Peale, were among the distinguished early members..."

Think again about clicking that history link.

Art to Dine For - With Dr. Giraud & Carolyn Foster in Their Roland Park Home

Baltimore's Creative Alliance says that there are a couple of spots left for what may be their most impressive art and dinner combination that we've seen in a long, long time.

Dr. Giraud Foster has traveled the world as a private physician (formerly to the King of Yemen), photographer, archaeologist, and ethnographer. He's created a massive collection of art works, many have been displayed in Baltimore's Walters Art Museum, and other great museums. His wife, Carolyn, is a scholar of indigenous myths and oral traditions.

 

Join them at their home for a tour of their private collection which includes Ancient Alabasters from Yemen, 18th Century English Furniture, 19th Century Indian Textiles, and more. Much more.

You'll be treated to an exceptional Indian Buffet and listen to over 50 years of tales about travels and tastes in India and South Asia.

Jacob and I would be there if we didn't have a dinner invitation on the evening of the 15th. If you go, please let us know all of the details. And, send photos.

Holiday Shopping? Maryland Science Center Has You Covered

Remember that old song, All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth?

I was remined by way of an email from the Maryland Science Center that a present for me, as a kid, was never quite that simple. I wanted chemistry sets, telescopes, test tubes & and stuff to fill them with, oh yes... and books and more books. Sets of books.

Having a father that worked for Raytheon, a mother that adored books and knowledge, and a grandmother working for doctors, I usually got exactly what I asked for (plus extra test tubes). But in my wildest dreams I couldn't have come up with a present this perfect:

Popular Science Magazine says, "This is the device amateur stargazers have been waiting for since, well, Galileo." Everyone is talking about the Celestron Sky Scout Personal Planetarium.

Point it at a star, planet, comet, any one of 6,000 sky objects and it tells you what you're looking at; check it out here in detail. Then visit the Maryland Science Center's store for this and other great gifts. And make certain you buy from our Science Center, named by Parent's Magazine as one of the Top 10 Science Centers in the United States.

What did my parents get for their investment in all those microscopes, petri dishes, prisms and coils of wire? The basement smelled like burning sulfur, my mother's yellow daffodils bloomed green one year, and I went into advertising.

Take Note - Los Angeles Police Chief, WJ Bratton is Coming to Baltimore

Really he is. And October 23rd will be a great day for learning. Truly great. Chief William J Bratton, LAPD has been fighting crime for over 30 years. I'm looking forward to his take on fighting city crime.

Chief WJ Bratton is the best-of-the-best to address the issues involved in Policing Cities in the 21st Century. And, he will do that in Baltimore. As LAPD Chief Bratton has, in many ways, bigger issues than we have here in Baltimore. In many ways we, in Baltimore, have bigger and more selective issues than he has in Los Angeles. And all cities have individual & specific issues that no other city can address alone. Cities, large or small, need to adress crime in this ecomony more than ever before. Let's see what he has to say. Let's see if we can learn.

 

Bratton's presentaion, "Policing in the 21st Century" is presented by Johns Hopkins Universtiy, Johns Hopkins Institute for Policy Studies, WTMD 89.7, WYPR 88.1, and EverGreen House & Museum.

Let's all be there and listen and ask questions. It's a free event. Attendance is limited and pre-registration is required. Call 410-516-0341 or send an email to urbanlecture@jhu.edu. Also, there's free onsite parking.

Need more, take a look at the official LAPD website.