Bashing

BALTIMOREANS ARE a prideful lot. They love their city and have a tendency to brag about its unique culture, artistic venues, economic rebirth, close-knit neighborhoods, ethnic ties and yes, even its eccentricity and general funkiness. They don't call it Charm City for nothing. But with Mayor Martin O'Malley's official entry into Maryland's gubernatorial race yesterday, the long knives are out. The Baltimore-bashing season is now open. Politicians from Arbutus to Rockville are only too happy to make sweeping and ill-informed condemnations of a city that deserves better.

I thought that only Barack Obama could make me yearn for a Hillary Clinton presidency. Alas I was wrong, or at least not as inclusive as my progressive friends think I should be. If indeed Gov. Martin O'Malley runs for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, I can only hope that Hillary wraps up the nomination quickly enough that I won't have to endure months and months of Mr. O'Malley's bashing of President George W. Bush ("Session over, O'Malley...

THE BIGGEST Japanese-basher I've ever known -- even bigger than Lee Iacocca -- was Pfc. William Brinkerhoff who served with me in the Marine Corps on Enewitok during World War II.One night in 1944 during an air raid I hugged one side of the foxhole and he hugged the other."

I have to laugh when I read the letters defending Dr. Ben Carson for his viciously homophobic and bigoted comments comparing gay marriage to child abuse and bestiality ("Dr. Carson steps down as speaker at Hopkins graduation," April 11). I have to wonder how many of these same people would be stepping forward to defend the man if he had unleashed a tirade against anyone but homosexuals. Let's say, for example, that it was a famous white doctor who, before he came to address Hopkins graduates, had said something like, "The Bible defines marriage as only between people of the same race.

AMERICAN ''Japan Bashers,'' supposing Tokyo to be more vulnerable to Iraqi domination of OPEC than Washington, are demanding angrily that Japan should contribute many, many billions of dollars to cover a far greater share of the financial and military burdens bravely borne by Washington. Many bashers say that if a greedy Japan continues to be a free-riding beneficiary of the risk-taking sacrifices of others we should revoke our Alliance and impose prohibitive trade barriers.Meanwhile, careful Japanese analysts tell us privately -- we also read of it in the Times -- that the Liberal Democratic Party leadership incredulously digests this most recent Gulf-related cacophony of lamentation, self-pity and savage abuse of Japan voiced by Americans blind to Japan's present strategic benevolences.

DES MOINES, Iowa - The Democratic presidential candidates came away from Iowa after their big Jefferson-Jackson dinner last weekend fired up to beat President Bush, with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York the prime stoker of the coals. As the celebrity mistress of ceremonies, the former first lady was an oratorical match for any of the six White House hopefuls who spoke. She introduced each and challenged the crowd of faithful to spend the next 50 weeks organizing to remove Mr. Bush from the Oval Office and put one of the six in his place.

DUNDALK -- A meeting will be held tonight at Dundalk Community College to protest a radio disc jockey's "Dundalk bashing" comments and to discuss strategies for removing him from the air.Organizers of the 6 p.m. meeting, in the lecture hall of the college's classroom building, said they will discuss boycotting advertisers of the show and requesting a hearing with the Federal Communications Commission about disc jockey Brian Wilson of WOCT-FM (104.3)."We are weary of being asked our bowling scores," said Deb Golden, a spokeswoman for the Dundalk Image Group, which monitors and records Mr. Wilson's show and arranged tonight's meeting.

The North American Free-Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is a complex but vital . . .zzzzzzzzz.Whoops. Sorry. Dozed off.Actually, I don't know anything about NAFTA.I think it may have something to do with Canadians and Mexicans coming here to live in our houses, but I'm not going to worry about it until it actually happens.So instead of learning all about NAFTA today -- let's go to a movie!The first trick in going to a movie during working hours is getting out of the office.You can't just say to your boss: "Hey, I'm going to a movie!"

AH, THE Baltimore sports scene. We have pro football's Ravens, dem O's, the Maryland Terrapins in football and basketball. There's the Preakness and lacrosse and jousting, the state sport. And then, there's the newest addition: bashing Ed Norris. Remember Norris? From April 2000 until this past December he was Baltimore's police commissioner, praised by many for a sharp reduction in the crime rate. Others weren't as kind. Some held -- and no doubt continue to hold -- a grudge against Norris because of his gender and color, two things over which he had no control.

Washington -- This summer, as his health care reform plan struggles and critics have come out of the woodwork, President Clinton and his aides have concluded that there is something new, and qualitatively different, about the way this president is being bashed."

Children's birthday parties at home with cake and games will never go out of style. But if you or your child want to try something different this year, there's no shortage of specialty sites in the Baltimore area eager to host your celebration. It doesn't matter if your child is an artist, an athlete, an outdoor enthusiast or all three - there is a specialty party designed just for him or her. Here is a sampling of sites to check out: BALTIMORE COUNTY Abrakadoodle Art Studio 9606 Deereco Road, Timonium 443-841-7171 abrakadoodle.com Bring out the artist in your party guests with themes like Party Pirates, Monet Water Lilies or Castles and Dragons.

Children's birthday parties at home with cake and games will never go out of style. But if you or your child would like to try something different this year, there's no shortage of specialty sites in the Baltimore area eager to host your celebration. It doesn't matter if your child is an artist, an athlete, an outdoor enthusiast or all three -- there is a specialty party designed just for him or her. Here is a sampling of sites to check out: BALTIMORE COUNTY Abrakadoodle Art Studio 9606 Deereco Road, Timonium 443-841-7171 abrakadoodle.com Bring out the artist in your party guests with themes like Party Pirates, Monet Water Lilies or Castles and Dragons.

Navy football Four seniors invited to All-Star games Navy seniors Brandon Turner , Gee Gee Greene , Tra'ves Bush and Keegan Wetzel have been invited to postseason All-Star games. Turner was invited to both the Casino Del Sol All-Star game on Jan. 11 in Tucson, Ariz., and the East-West Shrine Game on Jan. 19 in St. Petersburg, Fla. Turner will play in the East-West Shrine Game. Greene was invited to the Raycom All-Star Football Classic, which will be played Jan. 19 in Montgomery, Ala., and to the inaugural South Carolina College All-Star Game, which will be played March 23 in Greenville.

Don't forget, the annual Mobbies Awards Bash is Wednesday at the Creative Alliance. Now in its fourth year, the Mobbies are the Baltimore Sun's awards for Maryland's best blogs and social media accounts. Voting was conducted in 23 categories, including best politics blog, pro sports blog, personal Twitter account, Instagram account. There's a food and dining category, too. The winners will be announced on Wednesday at an election-themed happy hour sponsored by Flying Dog Brewery and Clementine at Creative Alliance.  There's more information on the Mobbies Facebook page.

For 15 years, the Slaughter Across the Water cast shame on Annapolis. The city regularly lost the annual tug-of-war match over the harbor to its Eastport rivals. The Annapolis team has had to recruit last-minute tuggers from bar stools and bathrooms. Worse, apathy has forced the team to rely on volunteers from the opposing Maritime Republic of Eastport, the same rascals who have stolen the flag from City Hall and "kidnapped" its mayor. "From what I heard, they had to bribe people with beer to come to the Annapolis side last year," said Marie Dall'Acqua, an organizer with the city's Take-Back-The-Tug campaign.

Gov. Martin O'Malley returned to the national stage Sunday after a Democratic National Convention speech that received tepid reviews, facing off with Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt over job creation and women's issues on CNN. Questioned by CNN's Candy Crowley, O'Malley defended President Obama's handling of the U.S. economy, asserting that employment is now greater than it was when the president took office. He said job creation could have been more robust if Republicans hadn't blocked Obama's jobs creation legislation in Congress.

The Greater Baltimore Committee's new chairman called yesterday for an end to "Baltimore bashing," for a new Baltimore theater in the next four years and for better appreciation for regional business contributions."

THERE ARE bowed heads and sympathy over the death of Matthew Shepard, most of it genuine, some of it hypocritical.The University of Wyoming student, who was gay, died Monday after a horrible beating. His skull was smashed, he suffered cuts about his head and face, he had been burned. He was found tied to a fence in temperatures in the low 30s.Police have charged two young men, one who says Mr. Shepard flirted with him in a bar, and their girlfriends in connection with the crime; the two young women are accused of being accessories.

So many times we have seen a late-season game between the Orioles and the Boston Red Soxend in a bloodbath. The sides couldn't be more flipped this year. On the one-year anniversary of Boston falling out of playoff contention thanks to Robert Andino and company, the playoff-chasing Orioles hammered Boston, 9-1. They outhit them 12-1. The Red Sox, for once, were the team that looked like it was counting down the days. At least one New Englander showed up. Ryan Flaherty, the Maine native who grew up a Red Sox fan, had a career night.

Children's birthday parties at home with cake and games will never go out of style. But if you or your child would like to try something different this year, there's no shortage of specialty sites in Howard County eager to host your celebration. It doesn't matter if your child is an artist, an athlete, an outdoor enthusiast or all three -- there is a specialty party designed just for him or her. Here is a sampling of sites to check out in Howard County: Build-A-Bear Workshop The Mall in Columbia 10300 Little Patuxent Parkway Columbia 410-997-3505 www.buildabear.com Talk about a great party favor!