Carnival of Maryland #1 - 2/25/2007 Click HERE to Bring Up Full Post

Many thanks to all who submitted. I have included every submission I received; if you did submitted a post to this Carnival and it does not appear above, I apologize but I did not get it. Due to work pressures and time away from my own email, I did not say many "thank yous" along the way last week to those who emailed submissions for inclusion.

Without further ado...

You owe it to yourself to enjoy the beautiful photography of Western Maryland's Swallow Falls at Jeremy Bruno's science blog The Voltage Gate.

From his home on the Lower Eastern Shore, Michael Swartz provides a detailed critique of Governor O'Malley's State of the State Address in "So let's get to work." (Then we'll pick your pocket.). From Michael's post:

Well, Governor O’Malley, what I chose was to have a fiscally responsible governor who didn’t find every excuse in the book to balloon the size of government. Unfortunately, I was in the minority in the last election. However, I don’t plan on being in the minority in 2010, nor it is likely you’ll earn my vote by advocating the programs you advocate.

Unfortunately, the GOP’s response left me wanting as well. It did a brief job of comparing and contrasting the Ehrlich record with O’Malley’s proposals, but I wanted to see some alternatives given to the people of Maryland as well.

Soccer Dad provides a concrete, focused critique of the effectiveness of Baltimore City's poor response to a water main rupture in Believe the road is fixed.

Public policy graduate student Isaac Smith of The Old Line provides a brief but well-linked analysis of current state-level emissions control proposals in State Solutions for Global Warming?.

At Soundtrack Division of Old Silent Movies, Kevin Dayhoff summons the history of the Salem Witchcraft Trials in his critical review of the de facto termination of Public Service Commission chairman Kenneth Schisler in 20070218 The Opera of the Maryland Witchcraft Trial of Ken Schisler. From Kevin's post:

... Well hardly. Many of us who understand the 1999 electric deregulation legislation, economics and market forces are dumbstruck. There is very little either the governor or the Public Service Commission can do. And that goes for any chair, no matter whether they are a “professional regulator” or rabidly pro-business or anti-business.

The Public Service Commission cannot constitutionally require an electric utility to sell electricity at a rate lower than its cost. Electricity will not be cheaper than the 1993 rates in the foreseeable future.

Anne Arundel County Republican activist Brian Griffiths raises multiple issues regarding newly elected County Executive John Leopold, ranging from payments made to out-going County Executive Janet Owens' senior staffers to building permit procedural issues, in The John Leopold Show. Brian, welcome; I don't believe that you are a member of the Maryland Blogger Alliance and would encourage you to contact Attila to join the Alliance.

Maryland Conservatarian provides a measured and effective critique of the comments of the Washington Post and of Governor O'Malley regarding the death penalty in Situational Ethics.

Robert Carter of "Baltimore life, real estate and the universe" blog Carter's Adventure presents a small post on a very big issue for Baltimoreans - ground rents - in First Step Towards Banning New Ground Rents. Robert, welcome; please consider joining the Maryland Blogger Alliance by contacting Attila of Pillage Idiot.

From our neighbors in Virginia, I was pleased to receive a piece from a partner in the conservative political consulting firm Reasoned Audacity. Jack Yoest challenges recent claims of greater child safety in "blue" vs "red" states in Are Children at Risk in Red States?, using his household's insurance expenses in his Maryland home compared with those in his new Virginia residence. I was extremely impressed with the gracious style and professional quality and layout of the entire website; liberals like myself should be concerned or, better, motivated to match the quality. While I was not previously aware of Reasoned Audacity, the blogosphere has been much better informed of its existence and work, resulting in multiple nominations for Weblog Awards of late. While I don't know whether a "former Marylander" would qualify as a "Maryland blogger" for purposes of the Maryland Blogger Alliance, thank you very much, Jack, for your post.

Finally, to leave on a high note of culture and taste, our fearless leader and Hun Attila brings our Carnival home to a subject of his core competence: fake animal testicles swinging off of a trailer hitch, in Holy Flopping Fake Bull Genitals.

Thanks again to all who contributed; you have given me a much more satisfying Sunday night than would have been available from the chatter behind me from the Oscars. Attila his some ideas for the next Blog Carnival which I think are solid. He suggested a two-week interval for the Carnival, which I would tend to support.

Please be safe in the hazardous weather and road conditions.