Mobtown Shank

MD Legislators On The Wrong Side Of History

Recently, the Maryland State Legislature passed a bill allowing consenting adults of the same sex the same rights consenting adults of the opposite sex have - the right to marriage.

And as the bill heads to the Governor's desk for his signature and anti-equality forces attempt to turn this into a ballot initiative (one whose outcome will be the same as this bill), let's remember these Marylanders who came down on the wrong side of history. These are the Marylanders who voted against equality. These are the Marylanders who voted against marraige equality.

These Maryland State Senators voted against same sex marriage:
Sen. John C. Astle (D-Anne Arundel)
Sen. Joanne C. Benson (D-Prince George’s)
Sen. David R. Brinkley (R-Frederick)
Sen. Richard E. Colburn (R-Dorchester)
Sen. Ulysses Currie (D-Prince George’s)
Sen. James E. DeGrange Sr. (D-Anne Arundel)
Sen. Roy P. Dyson (D-St. Mary’s)
Sen. George C. Edwards (R-Garrett)
Sen. Joseph M. Getty (R-Carroll)
Sen. Barry Glassman (R-Harford)
Sen. Nancy Jacobs (R-Harford)
Sen. J.B. Jennings (R-Baltimore County)
Sen. James N. Mathias Jr. (D-Worcester)
Sen. Thomas M. Middleton (D-Charles)
Sen. Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert)
Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D-Prince George’s)
Sen. Douglas J.J. Peters (D-Prince George’s)
Sen. E.J. Pipkin (R-Queen Anne’s)
Sen. Edward R. Reilly (R-Anne Arundel)
Sen. Christopher B. Shank (R-Washington)
Sen. Bryan W. Simonaire (R-Anne Arundel)
Sen. Norman R. Stone Jr. (D-Baltimore County)

These Maryland State Delegates voted against same sex marriage:
Del. Kathy Afzali (R-Frederick)
Del. Susan Aumann (R-Baltimore County)
Del. Sam Arora (D-Montgomery)
Del. Gail Bates (R-Howard)
Del. Wendell Beitzel (R-Garrett)
Del. Joseph C. Boteler III (R-Baltimore County)
Del. Talmadge Branch (D-Baltimore City)
Del. Aisha Braveboy (D-Prince George's)
Del. Emmett C. Burns, Jr. (D-Baltimore County)
Del. Rudolph Cane (D-Wicomico)
Del. John Cluster (R-Anne Arundel)
Del. Norman Conway (D-Wicomico)
Del. Dereck Davis (D-Prince George's)
Del. Steven DeBoy (D-Baltimore County)
Del. John Donoghue (D-Washington)
Del. Donald Dwyer (R-Anne Arundel)
Del. Adelaide Eckardt (R-Dorchester)
Del. Donald Elliott (R-Carroll)
Del. Mark Fisher (R-Calvert)
Del. William Frank (R-Baltimore County)
Del. Ron George (R-Anne Arundel)
Del. Glen Glass (R-Harford)
Del. Cheryl Glenn (D-Baltimore City)
Del. Melony Griffith (D-Prince George's)
Del. Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio (R-Talbot)
Del. Stephen Hershey (R-Queen Anne's)
Del. Patrick Hogan (R-Frederick)
Del. Michael Hough (R-Frederick)
Del. Carolyn Howard (D-Prince George's)
Del. Richard Impallaria (R-Baltimore)
Del. Jay Jacobs (R-Kent)
Del. Mary-Dulany James (D-Harford)
Del. Sally Jameson (D-Charles)
Del. Kevin Kelly (D-Allegany)
Del. Nicholaus Kipke (R-Anne Arundel)
Del. Susan Krebs (R-Carroll)
Del. Susan McComas (R-Harford)
Del. Tony McConkey (R-Anne Arundel)
Del. Mike McDermott (R-Worcester)
Del. Patrick McDonough (R-Baltimore County)
Del. Herb McMillan (R-Anne Arundel)
Del. Warren Miller (R-Howard)
Del. Joseph Minnick (D-Baltimore County)
Del. LeRoy Myers (R-Washington)
Del. Wayne Norman (R-Harford)
Del. Anthony O'Donnell (R-Calvert)
Del. Charles Otto (R-Somerset)
Del. Neil Parrott (R-Washington)
Del. James Proctor (D-Prince George's)
Del. Justin Ready (R-Carroll)
Del. Steve Schuh (R-Anne Arundel)
Del. Kelly Schulz (R-Frederick)
Del. Andrew Serafini (R-Washington)
Del. Michael Smigiel (R-Cecil)
Del. Theodore Sophocleaus (D-Anne Arundel)
Del. Donna Stifler (R-Harford)
Del. Nancy Stocksdale (R-Caroll)
Del. Melvin Stukes, Melvin (D-Baltimore City)
Del. Kathy Szeliga (R-Baltimore County)
Del. Geraldine Valentino-Smith (D-Prince George's)
Del. Joseph Vallario (D-Prince George's)
Del. Michael Vaughn (D-Prince George's)
Del. Cathleen Vitale (R-Anne Arundel)
Del. Jay Walker (D-Prince George's)
Del. Michael Weir (D-Baltimore County)
Del. C.T. Wilson (D-Charles)
Del. John Wood (D-St. Mary's)
Del. Cathleen Vitale (R-Anne Arundel)

These names are a disgrace in the history of the state of Maryland.

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BDC Head Brodie Retires - But The BDC Does Not

M.J. "Jay" Brodie is stepping down as the head of the controversial Baltimore Development Corporation.

While some who have taken issue with the BDC in the past may be rejoicing, they are missing the bigger picture.

The problem hasn't been Jay Brodie. The problem is the BDC itself - a "quasi-governmental" development corporation (whatever the hell that means) that seems unaccountable to the public and seems more interested in developing for developers than residents.

Unfortunately, city and business leaders don't expect any fundamental change in the way the BDC operates - if anything, they sound like they expect a Jay Brodie-style BDC on Steroids.

David Corish of Cordish Cos. outlines his expectations:
“The person must have a deep resume in actually running a major [city’s or cities’] development offices comparable to BDC,” Cordish said in an email. “It would be a horrible mistake to go outside the box and have a learning curve. ...”

And the Baltimore Business Journal is reporting Robert A. Manekin, the managing director of Colliers International, a commercial brokerage firm, said the city should broaden the BDC’s role.

What seems to be absent from the conversation about what Baltimore would like to see from a new BDC head is community leaders. You know, the Baltimore side of the Baltimore Development Corp.

In fact, the real converastion we should be having is if we should still have a BDC at all.

Meanwhile, Brodie will stay on as BDC head until a replacement is found.

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Tonight: Derek Hess Signing

Friday, February 24, 2012.

Atomic Books. Hampden, Baltimore.
3620 Falls Rd.

Artist Derek Hess has a much-anticipated new book of his artwork called Black Line White Lie. He'll be signing copies at Atomic.

Internationally-known artist Derek Hess has spent the past twenty years creating fine art & rock poster art that has not only made him a household name, but has also caught the attention of both the Louvre and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame where his work is featured in both institutions permanent collections. In addition to numerous CD covers he has been featured on TLC, MTV, Fuse, VH1, Alternative Press, Spin, Juxtapoz Magazine and many others. After years of creating art for well-known bands such as Deftones, Thursday, Every Time I Die and Taking Back Sunday, and working on his own fine art, Hess has finally compiled a book of his high demand Black and White drawings.

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GodWatch: Santorum Denies The Possibility of Liberal Christians

If you are a liberal and a Christian, Republican presidetial candidate Rick Santorum believes you can't be both.

When asked if he believed Obama is a "sincere liberal Christian," the former Pennsylvania senator said he didn't believe that sort of ideology exists, and that Obama's church, United Church of Christ in Chicago, had "abandoned Christendom" and used a non-literal interpretation of the Bible.

"I don't think there is such a thing," he said of Obama as a liberal Christian.

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Said What?: All Noise Is Not The Same

overheard by Benn Ray
drawn by Jordan Jeffries

(click on strip to see larger version)
Look for a new Said What? comic in Wednesday's B: The Paper. Available free around town.
You can also follow this strip and others at MutantFunnies.com.
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Overhear something amazing? Post them in the comments section (with your email address) or email your overheards (using this format) to: MobtownshankATatomicbooksDOTcom. It could end up as a comic strip.

Order a copy of The Shank's book I Keee You!!: A Collection Of Overheards

Madam 8-ball's Horoscope: Santorum Christ Test

by Madam 8-Ball

ARE YOU CHRISTIAN ENOUGH FOR RICK SANTORUM?

AQUARIUS: Reply hazy, try again.
PISCES: Ask again later.
ARIES: Without a doubt.
TAURUS: Without a doubt.
GEMINI: Don't count on it.
CANCER: Don't count on it.
LEO: As I see it, yes.
VIRGO: Outlook good.
LIBRA: Signs point to yes.
SCORPIO: Concentrate and ask again.
SAGITTARIUS: Reply hazy, try again.
CAPRICORN: Yes.

Specialty Bonus Sign
OPHIUCHUS: Outlook not so good.

GodWatch: God Sends A Clear "No Guns In Chruch" Message

Now, if you are the sort of person who looks for signs and signals from some kind of almighty superior being, there really is only one way to interpret the horribly tragic tale of Hannah Kelley, the daughter of a Florida Pastor.

Hannah's father Pastor Tim Kelley was showing a gun he was looking to sell to Hannah's fiance in a church closet when the gun went off, shot through the wall and hit Hannah in the head.

Hannah died on Saturday.

Some may take this story as a clear indicator that the god they worship maybe doesn't want guns in his house of worship.

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Steve Jobs On How To Think Different...

Deceased Apple founder/CEO Steve Jobs endorsed acid:
"Doing LSD was one of the two or three most important things I have done in my life."

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Baltimore City Continues To Dump Money Into Grand Prix Pit

Remember how last year's Baltimore Grand Prix turned out?

In case you forgot, here's a reminder:
The beleaguered organizers of the Baltimore Grand Prix are facing more than $12 million in debt and have less than $100,000 in cash on hand, according to internal documents obtained by The Baltimore Sun.

More than $5 million of the debt — including taxes owed to Baltimore and payments to vendors — is past due, the documents show.

Based on that, you'd think racing organizers would have an uphill battle trying to convince city leaders to allow the race again. But then, that's not the way Baltimore city politics work.

You fuck up the first grand prix? Baltimore city will cut you an even better deal the next year.

The city has dropped more than $4 million in fees that it demanded from Baltimore Racing Development, while not requiring the new promoter to pay back any of the terminated group’s debts to the city.

In effect, the city has given Downforce Racing LLC a clean financial slate, even though two of its three partners were involved in BRD, which owes the city $1.7 million.

Wow. So Baltimore must be in pretty good fiscal shape to afford this nonsense then.

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$3 Billion In Taxpayer Funds Go To Catholic Charities?

In light of the recent hub-bub Catholic bishops have been making over a clause in the healthcare plan that requires employers, even religious ones, provide healthcare plans which cover contraception, perhaps it's finally time we consider statistics like this:

Catholic Charities affiliates received a total of nearly$2.9 billion a year from the government in 2010, about 62 percent of its annual revenue.

That's nearly $3 billion in taxpayer money annually going to Catholic charities.

Why?

Source.