Welcome to the Carnival of Maryland 5
April 23rd, 2007
Welcome to the Carnival of Maryland 5 or what I have come to perhaps understand as the bi-weekly Maryland Blogger Alliance magazine of the mind.
All the articles are great and we’re sure that you will enjoy the variety and talent in each piece.
Table of Contents:
Article No. 1: “Delmarva Shorebirds 2007 home opener,” by Michael Swartz writing on “Monoblogue,” Saturday, April 14th, 2007
Article No. 2: “Three gentleman ducks” by The Ridger writing on “The Greenbelt,” Sunday, April 8th, 2007.
And a bonus feature, a sequel from The Ridger’s article on Carnival Of Maryland 4 hosted by W. Crodhil on “Politics, Hon,” on April 8th, 2007: “The Redwings in the Park,” on April 2nd, 2007. The sequel is titled, “Nature Red in ... Beak and Shoulder?” which is dated April 11th, 2007.
Article No. 3: “Baltimore's inner harbor” by Soccer Dad, writing on the web site, “Soccer Dad,” on Wednesday, April 18th, 2007.
Article No. 4: “Guns guns guns…” by Robert C. Carter writing on the web site, “Escape from Pianosa,” on Saturday, April 21st, 2007.
Article No. 5: “Maryland Voters Officially Irrelevant” by W. Crodhil, E.I.C. writing on “Politics, Hon,” on Wednesday, April 11, 2007.
Article No. 6: “20070422 Media Smackdown” by Kevin Dayhoff writing on “Kevin Dayhoff – Soundtrack Division of Old Silent Movies,” on Sunday, April 22nd, 2007.
Sports Section:
Article No. 1: “Delmarva Shorebirds 2007 home opener,” by Michael Swartz writing on “Monoblogue,” Saturday, April 14th, 2007
Mr. Swartz introduces the article by saying; “Just a slice of life on the Eastern Shore. Politics gets sort of boring after awhile, and I'm a big fan of my adopted hometown team!”
“… I had a good time watching the opener and getting back to baseball again. I also rectified an oversight from last year, now I’m a paid member of the Shorebirds Fan Club…”
Read the entire article here: Delmarva Shorebirds 2007 home opener. Enjoy the pictures and the enjoyable commentary…
Nature Section:
Article No. 2: “Three gentleman ducks” by The Ridger writing on “The Greenbelt,” Sunday, April 8th, 2007.
And a bonus feature, a sequel from The Ridger’s article on Carnival Of Maryland 4 hosted by W. Crodhil on “Politics, Hon,” on April 8th, 2007: “The Redwings in the Park,” on April 2nd, 2007. The sequel is titled, “Nature Red in ... Beak and Shoulder?” which is dated April 11th, 2007.
In the “Three gentleman ducks,” we’re introduced to three gentleman mallards, who are possible named Ping, Pong, and Po? “So here they are, Three Gentleman Mallards who hang out together in the park.”
One can only imagine what they were discussing?
See the pictures here: “Three gentleman ducks”
On April 2, we learned that “Last year there was a pair of redwings nesting in the cattails. This year - this past week - I've seen three males, chasing each other at times. Today, two of them were sitting in trees next to each other calling loudly, and the females were there…” In “Nature Red in ... Beak and Shoulder?” we learn that “the redwings have a winner ... he got the prime real estate ...”
The Ridger then introduces us to “a duel between cardinals.”
Catch the great pics here: “Nature Red in ... Beak and Shoulder?”
Travel Section:
Article No. 3: “Baltimore's inner harbor” by Soccer Dad, (“With something like a 10-60 record as coach of my children's soccer teams why do I do it? Because I'm Soccer Dad!” – He can coach my nieces and nephews anytime – Winning may or not be everything but values are forever…) writing on the web site, “Soccer Dad,” on Wednesday, April 18th, 2007.
In his article he has posted a number of pics “of Baltimore's Inner Harbor” from a “recent trip to the Maryland Science Center…”
And for a bonus Soccer Dad threw in a Westminster image, in a Brechtian mode of ironic distance, which is of “Ansel Adams meets Rainer Werner Fassbinder” quality. It is a must see photo (scroll to the bottom of the post…) – although it may take a few sessions with the GEICO Cavemen’s therapist to understand it.
[My favorite recent post by Soccer Dad is here: “My blog as refrigerator.”]
Political Commentary section:
Article No. 4: “Guns guns guns…” by Robert C. Carter writing on the web site, “Escape from Pianosa,” on Saturday, April 21st, 2007.
Mr. Carter writes, in part: “…in the wake of the horror at Virginia Tech this past week, I’ve been reading a lot about what people have to say about guns… A no-guns allowed policy doesn’t guarantee a killing spree, but it certainly makes it easier…”
Mr. Carter, a “a student, writer, satirist, webTV creator, photographer, athlete, thinker, traveler, blogger and improv comedian,” obviously put some time in his commentary…
Read his entire thought-provoking essay here: “Guns guns guns…”
Article No. 5: “Maryland Voters Officially Irrelevant” by W. Crodhil, E.I.C. writing on “Politics, Hon,” on Wednesday, April 11, 2007.
Mr. Crodhil laments “With the signing of the so-called "popular vote" bill this week, MD Governor Martin O’Malley has in essence, deemed the votes of every single Marylander completely, and totally, irrelevant on the national level.”
Read his thought-provoking explanation here: “Maryland Voters Officially Irrelevant” (And he calls to our attention that Pillage Idiot and Pubcrawler also have thoughts on this matter…)
Media Commentary section:
Article No. 6: “20070422 Media Smackdown” by Kevin Dayhoff writing on “Kevin Dayhoff – Soundtrack Division of Old Silent Movies,” on Sunday, April 22nd, 2007.
Last week was a long and hard week for our nation and by the end of the week I had “had it” with the media coverage of the tragedy at Virginian Tech and I had been reduced to a NJ Turnpike toll collector stare.
As an uncle, I already have a Doctorate in Modern Anxiety with a minor in ennui… when it comes to being concerned for the next generation. I have three members of my family in college, two that just graduated, and two that will enter college shortly – all nieces and nephews.
I love talking with them as they are arguably some of the neatest folks on the planet. But the idea of some of the slobbering, feckless, pandering media-types interviewing the students at Virginia through the cracked mirror by which much of the media views its navel, got burdensome.
I was impressed that the Virginia Tech students consistently presented with poise and outclassed the media hacks.
Another thing for certain, in today’s obsessive media, last week proved once again, that the media certainly have been well trained to bark on cue…
The other day, I had but only minutes to stop for a moment and catch-up with the news and all I got were psychologically violent images of “the killer” and the media “interviewing the ghost.” Unhappy, I made, what turned out to be, one too many cups of coffee and turned to my local newspaper…
I opened the paper – “and lost it.”
“Why anyone would want to trivialize the tragedy at Virginia Tech by taking the opportunity to promote a political agenda is beyond comprehension.
Right now I have no time for folks who wish to ride their favorite political hobbyhorse on the back of what is otherwise an enormous human tragedy.
What we need right now is the steady glow of a prudent and human response and not a series of blinking lights.
Read the rest of my “media commentary” (rant) here: “20070422 Media Smackdown.”
Oh yes, I’m feeling a little better today. Thank you for asking.
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Thank you for joining us for Carnival of Maryland 5 – the Maryland Blogger Alliance bi-weekly magazine of the mind. It’s been a pleasure hosting this great event. For more information on the CoM, click here.
If you’re a MD blogger, and you’d like to join the Maryland Blogger Alliance (MBA), you can contact the Pillage Idiot’s Attlia at- pillageidiot -at- hotmail -dot- com.
If you have not had a chance to read our previous four Carnivals, please take this opportunity to review some of the best that the Maryland blogosphere has to offer:
Carnival of Maryland #1 - 2/25/2007 was hosted by Bruce Godfrey on “Crablaw Maryland Weekly” on February 25, 2007.
Carnival of Maryland - second edition hosted by Attila of the Pillage Idiot on March 11, 2007.
Carnival of Maryland #3 was hosted by The Ridger on “The Greenbelt” on March 26th, 2007
Carnival Of Maryland 4 hosted by W. Crodhil on “Politics, Hon,” on April 8th, 2007.
For more simply great reading, click on any of the following web sites that belong to the mid-Atlantic’s premier blogger collective:
Members of the Maryland Blogger Alliance are:
Pillage Idiot (Rockville)
Soccer Dad (Baltimore)
Maryland Conservatarian (Baltimore)
The Baltimore Reporter (Baltimore)
The Sun Lies (Baltimore Area)
The Not So Free State (Woodlawn)
monoblogue (Salisbury)
Crablaw (Reisterstown)
Kevin Dayhoff (Westminster)
Politics, Hon (Baltimore)
blogger1947 (Gwynn Oak)
Jousting for Justice (Owings Mills)
The Voltage Gate (Frostburg)
Howard County Md. Blog (Ellicott City)
The Hedgehog Report (Columbia)
Rockin' Catoctin (Frederick)
The Pubcrawler (Gaithersburg)
C. Dowd's Blog (Lansdowne)
Oriole Post (Silver Spring)
Escape from Pianosa (Baltimore)
Maryland Politics Today (Laurel)
The Greenbelt (Laurel)
Snail's Tales (Germantown)
Leviathan Montgomery (Silver Spring)
Going to the Mat (Frederick)
The AT Wire (Cumberland)
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The Last Train to 
