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The grand experiment continues. The entirety of b, the paper, available without a schlep to the bright orange box.

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From today’s b the paper…

Matthew Sercombe has been training for more than two decades for an opportunity like this. He’s battled through intense heat, grueling 12-hour-plus days and high-pressure situations to become one of the best among his peers. So when he was asked to represent the United States at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China, the 39-year-old Charles Village resident jumped at the chance.

Sercombe, the food production manager at Greater Baltimore Medical Center, is one of 125 chefs nationwide to be selected by his employer, Aramark, to join 7,000 total Aramark staff members who will be charged with the task of feeding up to 6,000 athletes, coaches, staff and media at a time at the Olympics.

“When I found out, I was stunned. I was really excited,” said Sercombe. “Then it set in that I was going to China and I was like ‘Oh Lord.’” Read the rest of this entry »

While it was steaming hot outside yesterday, 10 of your b staff and friends played kickball for sports4kids. We sweated our butts off, and we had a perfect record: 0-4. But it was for charity, and at least we’re consistent. Sports4kids.org Read the rest of this entry »

From today’s b, the paper

It could be considered blasphemous to imagine “Sex and the City” sans New York, with the city being the fifth lady and all.

But suppose for a second that Carrie and crew pulled up stakes and landed in Baltimore. Why? Perhaps there’s some freak global warming flood — don’t say Al Gore/ “The Day After Tomorrow” didn’t warn us. Or perhaps the girls wanted to be in a place where “having crabs” doesn’t necessarily mean they need medical attention (looking at you, Charlotte).

Either way, we think they’d want to “get in on it.” We can see a weekly ladies’ lunch at City Cafe or Gertrude’s, corporate lawyer Miranda representing a Legg Mason bigwig or perhaps a night of signature cosmos at — where else? — Cosmopolitan in Canton, the perfect locale for a Samantha trademark “Dirty martini? Dirty bastard!” quip. And wouldn’t it be sweet for Carrie and her Baltimore Big to go on a flirty dragon-boat date (as long as she leaves the fur coat at home)?

Here’s how they could acclimate nicely to “Sex in Another City.” Absof—inlutely!
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From Thursday’s b the paper:

Things got testy in the Bronx Tuesday night — maybe not Ravens’ training camp testy, but it was close. A nine-run deficit after two innings will do that to you.

After the O’s jumped out to a big lead on the Yankees, Baltimore pitcher Daniel Cabrera ran a fastball in on the hands of Derek Jeter, drilling the New York superstar on the left hand and knocking him out of the baseball game. It seemed innocent enough, just a pitcher attempting to back a batter off of the plate. The Yankees obviously didn’t see it that way. Read the rest of this entry »

Mother’s Day is fast approaching (have your gift, yet?) and we want to hear about your mom. No, not like that.

Write a short paragraph about the moment you first fully appreciated what your mother has done for you. Make sure to include your first and last name, age and town. It doesn’t have to be sappy, just make it your own. This can also include someone you see as a mother figure.

Along with your paragraph, send in pictures of you with your mom (either when you were younger or from now or both!) to features@bthesite.com no later than 5 p.m May 6th.

We’ll be picking the best and printing them in a future issue of b, the paper. The rest will be featured online.

From today’s b, the paper

So the draft is over, and if you’re a Ravens fan like me, the weekend all comes down to one thing: Can Joe Flacco be a franchise quarterback for the next decade for the purple birds?

Will there be a parade and another presentation of the Lombardi Trophy to Baltimore because of Ozzie Newsome’s crafty dealing on Saturday? Or will Flacco be the “next” failed quarterback/scapegoat of the post-Brian Billick era?

Sure, the Ravens have always managed to score major coups in later picks and Ray Rice, Tavares Goodwin, Tom Zbikowski, Oniel Cousins, Marcus Smith, David Hale and all of the others will be held accountable.
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From today’s b, the paper

There’s little doubt that Tina Fey has evolved into a cultural force: From “Saturday Night Live” head writer, to writer/co-star in the Lindsay Lohan vehicle “Mean Girls,” to creator/star of the Emmy-winning comedy “30 Rock,” to, this weekend, starring in her own buddy comedy, “Baby Mama,” the latest gamble of a film from an “SNL” alum. (See: “A Night at the Roxbury.”)

Yet, as forces go, she’s a likeable, benevolent one: Fey is a funny, pretty brainiac, the kind smart boys fantasize about and girls relate to, one who collaborates more than competes. That’s certainly the case with “Baby Mama” and her work with co-star Amy Poehler.

In the film, opening Friday, Fey is Kate, aching to have a baby but saddled with what her gynecologist laments is a “T-shaped uterus.” Enter Angie (Poehler), a gum-chomping, working-class girl whom Kate enlists as the surrogate “baby mama” to carry her child to term.
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From today’s b, the paper

With a checkered flag waving as she crossed the finish line Sunday at the Japan Indy 300, Danica Patrick became the first woman to ever win an IndyCar race. As the polls closed last night in Pennsylvania, presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton was trying to win a different kind of race, one with a bit more significance.

These women are grabbing headlines for breaking into traditionally male-dominated areas. Clearly, over the past 40-plus years, women have made public inroads in a number of male-dominated fields. But as doors swing open, other obstacles remain.

Patrick had to battle intense media pressure and 17 other drivers — some of them her biggest critics — before she was handed her first trophy in 50 attempts.
Some may dismiss her victory as nothing more than a meaningless car race, but Karen Dugger, chair of the women’s studies department at Towson University, said that such female firsts can have an impact on gender equality in the U.S.

“The more fields in which women excel, the greater the impact on people’s perceptions,” she said.
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From today’s b, the paper

Right now, flanking rowhomes and resting high above busy city streets, 200 new trees are growing strong in Baltimore.

The trees speak in words, bright colors and brighter imagery. “Remember Your Roots,” they say; “Trees Help Baltimore Breathe” they urge. Some of the trees take different forms: floating umbrellas, sky-high power lines, a green apple marked as “Artifact No. 34569.”

The trees are actually banners, part of Baltimore: The Urban Forest Project, an outdoor art installation promoting environmental sustainability in the city. On view through June 28 and promoted through various city events, the banners, made by students, artists and businesses, will soon evolve. They’ll be made into tote bags and T-shirts, with all proceeds benefiting TreeBaltimore, Mayor Sheila Dixon’s Greener Baltimore initiative that seeks to double Baltimore’s tree canopy within 30 years as well as promote environmental education initiatives.

Baltimore’s not quite the urban forest many want it to be. But with programs like this, it may be on its way.
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