Reckons of Crass Construction

Penny, an army wife and my friend at I Could Be Fake, is running a Flashback Friday Bloghop, which I've decided to try. Why not? I was planning on blogging about Artscape anyway.

Here goes.

The last time I went to Baltimore's Artscape, one of the biggest free art shows in America, if not THE biggest, I wasn't expecting very much. A few outdoor exhibits, some local vendors, maybe some interactive play gardens, and of course, the usual free concert performances and indoor theater. Boy was I ever wrong.

De Charles Town ladies sing dis song, Doo-dah! doo-dah!
De Charles Town commercial done went wrong, Oh, doo-dah day!

Gwine to dance all night!
Gwine to dance like nuts!
I'll bet my money they had no idea,
Somebody said they sluts.

If pictures say a thousand words, then videos say a million.

Enjoy!





fireworks

On a spur of the moment, we decided to go downtown to see fireworks at Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Hadn't done that in years and decided it was worth checking out locations along Lancaster Street rather than try to horn in on the masses.

We found a free parking spot almost right away, somewhat of a tight fit, but didn't care. Proximity to an amazing vantage point for the fireworks far outweighed any possibility of being towed. Besides, so close to launch time, who was going to mind if my car jutted beyond a No Parking sign?

After a riveting experience on the waterfront, I'm all poop decked out. Needless to say, Part I of my downtown 4th of July celebration is a pictorial. More to come. Hang tight.

Oh no, Walt Disney Co., say it ain't so.

Another victim of the arrested economy, Baltimore's ESPN Zone is slated to close next Tuesday. That's not a whole lot of time to get your game on.

How absolutely awful. And here the ESPN Zone was supposed to be the designated venue for the annual Orioles Cook-Off. I attended the event last year, a benefit for the Maryland Food Bank, getting up close and personal with participants. Everyone genuinely had a good time. Can't imagine finding a comparable setting for this event.



First the Orioles break our hearts and now the ESPN Zone. Is there something in the water? Oh yeah, it's oil heading for the Chesapeake Bay.

Thanks a lot, Democratic majority.


sports

A Baltimore elementary school needed to raise test scores so badly, it bypassed tried and true methods such as hard work and motivation in favor of an easier technique. Cheating.

State assessment test booklets from students attending George Washington Elementary School  contained thousands of eraser marks changing wrong answers to right - a gigantic slap in the face to a namesake's reputation if ever there was. School administrators finally admitted the cheating scandal after the Maryland State Department of Education and Baltimore City Schools conducted a massive two-year investigation. Officials checked erasure patterns, the number of answers changed, and the direction of eraser marks to confirm initial suspicions.

The school is now in jeopardy of losing its status as a National Blue Ribbon School, an award bestowed by the U.S. Department of  Education in 2007. Baltimore City Schools CEO Andre Alonso also revoked the teaching certificate of the school's 2008 principal. Former Principal Susan Burgess was not assigned to a new school and no longer works for City Schools.

Golfers in Carroll Park Golf Course witnessed children beating a pit bull puppy and chased them away. The puppy, which was less than eight-weeks old, died en route to the vet.

This latest act of animal cruelty comes on the heels of a machete attack against an 18-month old shepherd- pit bull mix. The unfortunate animal survived the attack, but will lose an eye.

Baltimore. The City That Bleeds. Animal abuse is such a serious crime, I believe the perpetrators deserve far worse than your average run-of-the-mill punishment.

That or slather the little buggers' pointy heads in honey, then release the fire ants.

weblog

The world is overflowing with people who either intentionally or unknowingly piss other people off. There should be a tactful way of telling such people they are rude, arrogant, and beyond all human endurance. Sadly, I have yet to find it.

Like the clueless financial conglomerate trying to hawk another money-sucking product no one needs. Don't these people know that no matter how many times they interrupt an otherwise pleasant day, the person they want to speak with is never home? What is it about "please send your information in the mail because the person is unavailable" don't they understand?