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We love DC hearts the Baltimore Rock Opera Society

We Love DC Tuesday, September 28, 2010

There's no fat lady belting out tunes here. Baltimore Rock Opera Society is spreading its gospel through local festivals and word of mouth.

Here's an excerpt:

"On Saturday, the H Street Festival introduced me to, as a friend put it, "the greatest thing since things became good." What is this wonder of awesomeness you ask? The Baltimore Rock Opera Society, my friends."

Here's the entire article.

Canton's green carwash leading the nation

CNN Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Washing your car. Everybody does, but few think about its impact on the environment. A local entrepreneur is on the cutting edge of the carwash industry with his green carwash in Canton.

Watch the video:

College Park earns top honors among corporate recruiters

Wall Street Journal Tuesday, September 21, 2010

We know there's a lot of cachet attached to an Ivy League degree. So Princeton and Yale must be where the company scouts pick their freshly minted grads, right?

Actually, many state universities earn the top grades, including the University of Maryland, College Park , according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. The school came in No. 8 in its list of 25 top schools that recruiters prefer.

The newspaper teamed up with Seattle's PayScale.com and Boston's Cambria Consulting to survey recruiting executives in nearly 30 industries.

You can see the rankings here.

LA Times takes note of Baltimore's Frank Zappa day

Los Angeles Times Tuesday, September 21, 2010

OK fine, fer sure, fer sure.

Seventeen years after his death, Frank Zappa is making headlines in Baltimore and beyond. Baltimore, where the rocker was born, celebrated Frank Zappa Day Sept. 19 in a ceremony in Highlandtown, the Los Angeles times notes. The festivities included music from Zappa tribute band Zappa Plays Zappa, featuring the late musician's son Dweezil.

The city erected a bust honoring Zappa, known for songs like "Valley Girl," which embodied the Southern California teen spirit during the early 1980s. The ceremony included Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Zappa's widow Gail.

Area universities make the grade on Newsweek/Kaplan "25 Most" lists

Newsweek Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Newsweek/Kaplan has released their annual lists of the nation's top ranked schools. Several universities in the Baltimore area were cited in the "25 Best" categories. The US Naval Academy took the No. 9 spot in the "25 Most Desirable Schools" category. Johns Hopkins University came in at No. 18 in the "25 Most Desirable Urban Schools."

Here's an excerpt:

"At the United States Naval Academy, the government foots the tuition bill. That could be part of the reason why the public school holds the No. 9 spot on Newsweek's list of most desirable colleges and the No. 3 spot on its roundup of most desirable suburban schools. "Annapolis is said to be the sailing capital of the world," writes one student on CollegeProwler.com. "During the summer it lives up to its billing."

Read the entire article here.
Check out the full list of cateogories here.

Baltimore couple turns home into "alternative" venue for jazz lovers

Jazz Times Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Baltimore's no longer known as a hotbed for jazz musicians, but one couple is doing what they can to showcase local talent.

Here's an excerpt:

"Jazzway 6004 rests in a tiny enclave dotted with mansion-esque dwellings just past the Baltimore city limits. A renovation in 2005 trimmed the original six bedrooms to four and created a performance space that seats 65 and houses a 6-foot Baldwin grand piano and a sound system. Matheny-Katz recalls how the couple didn't initially intend to hold concerts, but their desire to showcase local talent moved them to open their home to the public. The first concert in June 2007 sold out. "People started calling us and asking, 'When is your next concert?'" says Matheny-Katz, a vocalist who was prepping for a Billie Holiday tribute show in mid-July."

Read the entire article here.

Baltimore's Marlin Factory example of small biz that's essential to US

the Atlantic Tuesday, September 21, 2010

The Marlin Steel Wire Products factory in Baltimore is part of a network of small businesses that are vital to the U.S. and it's economy.

Here's an excerpt:

"Small businesses have become a bellwether for the condition of the American economy. Indeed, to hear politicians talk, small business is�pick your favorite clich�the lifeblood, the backbone, the thunderously beating heart of the American economy.

Like most clich�s, these have some truth. America could truly not survive without operations like Marlin Steel Wire Products. Among other things, they produce specialized parts like that stand, in small production runs that would be uneconomical on the scale of an airplane or automobile plant. Even mighty industrial machines cannot survive without tiny cogs."

Read the entire article here.

New York Times raises a glass to Maryland wineries

New York Times Tuesday, September 14, 2010

It's not often that Maryland wineries get national attention. But a Sept. 2 New York Times article toasts the area's 39 wineries, including Boordy, Elk Run and Black Ankle Vineyards,

The article says Marylnad vintages are "worthy of national recognition, and a chance for some first-class vineyard-hopping."

Visiting one of these destinations is as "much about having a good time as as it is about having a good sip." The story sheds a spotlight on music and other festivities besides wine tasting that the vineyards offer.

Read the story here.

Oh the horror: BBC News examines U. of Baltimore zombies studies class

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

BBC News calls it a "class to die for."

A University of Baltimore class that invites students to write horror scripts and watch zombie films has generated a lot of media buzz.
"We're going to be dealing with some of the truly disgusting stuff that's been done in horror over the years," said Arnold Blumberg, author of Zombiemania, who teaches the course.

You can read the entire article here.

Institute names Baltimore 6th best college town

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

If you're a college student, Baltimore is a pretty good place to be.

That's according to the American Institute for Economic Research, which ranked Baltimore No. 6 in its top college towns. Washington, D.C., ranked No. 3.

The nonprofit research group took a look at the city's student population, arts and leisure activities, cost of living, entrepreneurial activity and other factors to come up with its findings.

San Francisco and New York garnered the No. 1 and No. 2 spots. Boston and Seattle rounded out the top five.

You can read the report here.

Watch as Ray Lewis puts a Ravens' spin as latest Old Spice spokesperson

YouTube Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Move over Isaiah Mustafa, the Raven's Ray Lewis takes a fantastical turn as the latest pitchman for Old Spice.

Watch the video here:

Loyola students author new book chronicling Baltimore's forgotten jazz history

NorthJersey.com Tuesday, September 14, 2010

New book from eight Loyola University students, including Cathleen Carris of Hasbrouck Heights, NJ, uncovers Baltimore's jazz history.

Here's an excerpt:

"Much of the book centers on four iconic Baltimoreans. There's Eubie Blake, the ragtime composer whose 1921 "Shuffle Along" was the first African-American Broadway hit. There's Chick Webb, the diminutive drummer whose hot licks turned the Savoy Ballroom into Harlem's jitterbug central. There's Cab Calloway, the hi-de-ho man who ruled The Cotton Club. And there's Billie Holiday, who rose from the Baltimore slums to become the most memorable voice in jazz history.

But what Carris primarily ended up researching was a much more obscure � and intriguing � bit of local history."

Read the entire article here.

The best cities in Maryland for young professionals

Helium.com Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Wondering where the top locations are in Maryland for young people just starting their professional careers? There're Glen Burnie, Towson and, of course, Baltimore, according to Helium.com

Here's an excerpt:

"Maryland has so many different options available to every class of people that live in the state. Young professionals seem to be on the increase in Maryland and therefore, there must be some areas that are more suitable than others for this group of people to live. There are several cities that are good areas for young professionals to live in Maryland."

Read the entire article here.

Baltimore named "Most Underrated City" for travelers

Shermans Travel via The Huffington Post Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Finally! We know our city is top-notch, but it often takes a backseat with travelers who head to D.C. instead. Well, the truth is out that Baltimore is the No. 1 underrated city for travelers.

Here's an excerpt:

"Native blue crabs seasoned with Old Bay are reason enough to visit Baltimore, but there's much more to experience in this waterfront town. Take, for example, this underrated city's revitalized Inner Harbor area, where you'll find Kimpton's Hotel Monaco; the upscale neighborhood of Mount Vernon, home to the nation's first large-scale Washington Monument and the..."

See the slideshow here.

Like the B&O American Brasserie? So does Bon Appetit

Bon Appetit Tuesday, August 31, 2010

If you've been to the B&O American Brasserie at the Klimpton's Hotel Monaco, then you know how good the eating is there. You're in good company it seems, as Bon Appetit magazine has included one of the restaurant's flatbreads in it's September 2010 "Restaurant Issue."

Here's an excerpt:

" B&O's menu offers everything from juicy steaks to local seafood, but our money's on the brick-oven pizzas (or flatbreads, as they're called at the restaurant). Savor the arugula, asparagus, and fried egg version while taking in the scene at the restaurant's downstairs bar."

Check out the recipe here.