NOTE: Yes, you’re at the right page. We’re hosting the Ultimate Baltimore Bartender voting at the old site. Scroll down to cast your vote! When you’re done, click here to go back to the new site.

The time has come to crown the ULTIMATE BALTIMORE BARTENDER. We were blown away by all of the nominations. The poll is now live and will close at 5 p.m. Friday (March 19). Remember, you can only pick one. We put the nominees in alphabetical order, and you can vote after the jump. (And two final notes: This isn’t a scientific poll, and our polls allow one vote per IP address.)

Any bartenders uninterested in participating should e-mail contests@bthesite.com to have their name removed.

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Here is your astrological forecast for Monday, March 8, courtesy of your resident scopetress Jen Bem.
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thanks, stock.xchng

What is your No. 1 rule in dating?

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Newly minted Oscar winner Sandra Bullock {thanks, AP}

Lots of love for “The Hurt Locker.” A first-time female director win for Kathryn Bigelow. The dude abides. Sandra Bullock eked out the win. And “Precious” had a big night with hometown girl Mo’Nique picking up a lil’ gold man. Here’s the highs and lows of Sunday’s Oscar ceremony.

MOST UNEXPECTED COMEBACK: Good to know that Waldorf and Statler of the Muppets have been reincarnated in the form of host Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin doing their snarky show intro.

HOST DUTY: Split decision. Martin had a comfortable, worn-in feeling with his one-liners. Baldwin? Awkward and slightly wooden.

ACCEPTANCE SPEECH LINE WE PROMISE NOT TO USE ON DATES: “I love you more than rainbows” — Ryan Bingham, songwriter from “Crazy Heart”

WE’LL BE NICE: We’re still upset about Sandra Bullock winning compared to her competition, but clearly she’s a lovely, kind woman.

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Maryland’s Greivis Vasquez {thanks, AP}

1. ACC Tournament
(Thursday-Sunday on RAYCOM and ESPN): If you’re not hardcore enough to travel to Greensboro, N.C., to see if Gary Williams’ Terps can win their first ACC tourney since 2004, I guess you’ll have to tune in on TV. The downside: Duke players won’t be able to hear your boos. MATT VENSEL, B

2. ARTBus Tour
Six hours on a bus is rough, no matter your destination. But we make an exception for the annual Evergreen Museum and Library’s ARTBus, with artist/indie curator Jason Hughes leading an insidery look at the rising stars of Baltimore’s arts scene. Stops include AREA 405 and the H&H Arts Building, and feature artist and gallery owner meet-and-greets and chances to buy artwork. Originates Saturday from Evergreen (4545 N. Charles St., Charles Village) at 9:30 a.m., returns at 4 p.m. $80 (also includes box lunch, snacks and receptions). museums.jhu.edu or 410.516.0341. JORDAN BARTEL, B

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Sports fans love to talk about sports — especially here in Baltimore — so we’d like to give our readers with sports-savvy an opportunity to rant and rave about what’s going on in the world of sports, both locally and nationally. Each weekday, we’ll pose a new question for you to discuss at the water cooler. Here’s your chance to be an armchair quarterback. Now speak up, play nice and let us know what you think.

Today’s topic at the water cooler:
What’s the Ravens’ biggest need now?

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Finally, the Ravens have made the big move you’ve all been clamoring for.

According to Jamison Hensley of The Baltimore Sun, the Ravens are on the verge of trading for Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin. The Ravens will send a third-round pick and a fourth-round pick in this year’s draft to Arizona for Boldin and a fifth-round pick in next month’s draft. ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that the Ravens will sign Boldin to a four-year, $28-million deal.

So what are the Ravens getting in Boldin? Well, based on the physicality he brings to the football field, Boldin is like a younger, more explosive version of Steelers receiver Hines Ward (I know you hate Ward, but admit it, at least once you’ve thought that he wouldn’t look bad in purple). Boldin is a valuable possession receiver with a running-back mentality. He doesn’t shy away from contact, and he can turn routine catches underneath coverage into big plays. He also has the speed to get downfield, too, but he’s not a total burner.

There is one concern, though, now that a new contract already appears to have been hammered out. While Boldin reminds me a lot of Ward, he doesn’t possess that same sort of durability, which is worrisome considering the way Boldin plays the game. He’s missed nine games over the past three seasons. That’s not too alarming, but it’s something that probably gave the Ravens a little pause. Still, for the low cost at which he was required, Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome smartly overlooked the small amount of risk.

Make no mistake, acquiring Boldin is a home run.

In seven seasons, Boldin has made 586 catches for 7,520 yards and 44 touchdowns. He’s the go-to guy the offense sorely lacked (no offense to Derrick Mason). Joe Flacco should be doing cartwheels right now. With the trade for Boldin and the signing of Donte’ Stallworth, his weapons have been considerably upgraded. Now the pressure is on Flacco, as Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti suggested a few weeks ago, to take the team to the next level.

I’ve got a lot of thoughts running through my head right now, which I will scribble down and convert into a print column early next week, but I wanted to get the news out there. What do you all think of the deal?

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Of course Greivis Vasquez won his last game at Comcast Center {thanks, AP}

A lot went down the past few days, with the O’s starting the spring season and the Ravens getting tender with players, but let’s be honest: This week was all about Greivis and the Terps.

[1] The Terps secured their signature win of the season Wednesday night, beating Duke to pull in a first-place tie with the Blue Devils in the ACC. The Terps are red-hot at the right time, but don’t worry about brackets and seeding and selection committees just yet. Take a few days to celebrate this win — though not like what went down in College Park (but hey, if you want to set the family sofa on fire, go nuts.) I’m all for a good sports-related riot, but I’ll admit, I was surprised by this one. Did they really think there was any way Greivis Vasquez would lose his last game at Comcast Center?

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The happy ‘Bachelor’ couple {thanks, ABC}

Still coming down from the unexpectedly riveting Winter Olympics? We’ve got you covered. Here’s our pop culture week in review — with a bit of Olympics chaser to go down smoothly.

VIENNA WINS ‘THE BACHELOR’: Apparently, not just for sausages anymore.

ASTRO-NUT: Oh, Buzz Aldrin. You can either talk scientifically about bringing man to Mars or you can join the cast of “Dancing With the Stars.” But not both.

LINDSAY LOHAN TO PEN MEMOIR: Stop trying to make “respectability” happen, Lindsay. It’s not going to happen.

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Will “Avatar” win Best Picture Sunday night at the Oscars? {thanks, 20TH CENTURY FOX}

So, who really votes for the Oscars? Members of the Academy — actors, directors, writers, cinematographers. Even PR people. We’re none of those, but it doesn’t mean we can’t pretend. For b’s second Oscar Panel of Greatness (trademark pending), we enlisted the help of four local movie buffs to pick who’d they vote for in six major categories if they had an official ballot in their movie-loving hands. Love was spread around, even for people who weren’t nominated — though there was one consensus pick. As we get ready for Sunday’s Oscar ceremony, here’s a look at our Oscar faves this year.

(But first, meet our panel.)

Michelle Early (29, Bowie). Occupation: writer/editor, U.S. Department of Transportation. Favorite film of 2009: “Not Easily Broken”

Kevin Walling (24, Mount Vernon). Occupation: director of development and communications, Equality Maryland. Favorite film of 2009: “Creation”

Kristen Anchor (36, Waverly). Occupation: director, Creative Alliance MovieMakers (CAmm). Favorite film of 2009: “Stingray Sam”

Carlin Cook (28, Abingdon). Occupation: research analyst by day, filmmaker by night. Favorite film of 2009: “Trick ‘r Treat”

Jordan Bartel (28, Mount Vernon). Occupation: assistant editor, b. Favorite film of 2009: “Inglourious Basterds”

Best Picture:

MICHELLE: “Inglourious Basterds.” The movie was a great combination of funny and somber, fiction and fact. It was a really great cast — Brad Pitt was absolutely hilarious — and I was amazed at how quickly the 2 ½ hours went by.
CARLIN: “The Hurt Locker.” One of the most original stories for a 2009 film, it successfully tread through serious new territory while keeping the viewer fully engaged. Numerous scenes take the viewer for a nail-biting ride while making important cinematic points.
KEVIN: “Avatar.” Again, what Cameron has done has changed filmmaking forever. Obviously the plot needed a lot of work and it was fairly campy at moments, but in the end, “Avatar” is nearly impossible to beat.
KRISTEN: “Precious.” The underdog for sure, but I loved this film. As a professional champion for local, indie films, I would love to see an indie win best picture again.
JORDAN: I’d be happy if “The Hurt Locker” won, but my vote has got to be for “Inglourious Basterds.” It was innovative, awesomely violent, turn-the-war-film-on-its-head magic. Who says history can’t be rewritten?
YOUR PICK FROM BTHESITE.COM POLL: “Avatar” — 38%

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