Latest word from the V Festival

I signed up for emails from the Virgin Festival. Here is what they had to say today:

We wanted you to be the first to know about the dates and confirmed bands for this year's Virgin Festival by Virgin Mobile.

Our music and cultural extravaganza returns to Baltimore's Pimlico Race Course and has expanded to two days, August 4-5. This year's incredible line-up features The Police, The Smashing Pumpkins and Beastie Boys!

This year's festival will truly be a one-of-a-kind event. Virgin Festival is The Police's only appearance in the D.C./Baltimore area. The Smashing Pumpkins return to the stage for their first U.S. date since going on hiatus in 2000. And Beastie Boys will be making their first East Coast appearance in two years.

Click on www.virginfestival.com for more info. And stay tuned for advanced ticket sale details!

Police Presence

I.M.P. has made their initial announcement regarding the 2007 Virgin Festival at Pimlico. The headlining act will the the Police.

Concert dates are August 4th and 5th.

This will pose an additional challenge over last year's one-day concert. In meetings with I.M.P., they have indicated that they really want the neighborhood to be happy with the event and say they will work hard to make it so.

Last year they promised us that the show would end at 10pm. It ran over and that generated some unhappiness in the neighborhood. The MWIA is going to ask for financial penalties should the concert run beyond the agreed time this year. The end time may be negotiated to 11pm on Sunday night.

In addition, we are going to request very good police (not Police) coverage especially in the neighborhood after the concert, as well as a greater effort to do neighborhood clean-up following the event.

The website for the festival is HERE.

21209.org Goes Gutter

OK, so my last post was PG-13. And now this quote, from a disgraced Maryland State Senator on his relationship with Maryland Jockey Club chief Joe DeFrancis:

"The guy I just told to [expletives]. I said, look, I'm your [expletive] whore in Maryland, in the Senate side, and you turn around and you [expletive] me like this, [expletives) you. I'm going to see him tomorrow night. He's going to be licking my [expletive] boots."

You can read the whole sordid tale in the Sun HERE. Suffice it to say that the more you get to know the Maryland gambling lobby, the more disgusting it gets.

For those who aren't aware, Senator Tommy Bromwell is in deep trouble for accepting gifts in exchange for his williningness to exert influence in Annapolis. It appears that this kind of unethical behavior attracts people like DeFrancis.

Gulfstream Park Casino Brings, um, Amenities

Patrons at Gulfstream Park in Florida are getting everything that gambling promises.

Check it local newscast video HERE. PG-13 at best.

Emma Call at the Intel Science Talent Search

The Meisners went to Washington today to see the ultimate science fair: The Intel Science Talent Search. Mt. Washingtonian (and 12-year City School student) Emma Call presented her work on Self Assembling Microcontainers. To reach this level is an amazing accomplishment. The presentations were fantastic. One young scientist was working on a way to customize the chemotherapy treatment to specific cancer patients. Another had developed a way to purify water of contaminants created by teflon production. I am lucky that they were explaining these things to my ten year old son--otherwise I couldn't even follow the conversation. Wow.

Proof That Stupid People Vandalize Parks

Like I needed more proof, but this picture says it all. They are either dumb or really worried.