MD's Finest--- by Sam

Hey y'all,

So, this has been on my mind recently: whenever I'm abroad, and someone asks me where I'm from, or when I explain where the band is based, my response of "Maryland" usually draws blank stares and apathetic comments. I'm convinced that's because on the surface, MD is a fairly neutral, boring state. I mean, what do we really have to offer the rest of the world? We're best known for crabs. An oceanic bug. So... here's my list of what i personally consider to be Maryland's finest offerings, trying to be as local as possible. I realize that i haven't seen all of the Old Line State, but i have lived here all of my life. And that counts as something i guess. Here goes, in no particular order:

1. Maryland Blue Crabs--- okay, so i was kinda knockin them before, but i have to admit, these gnarly crustaceans are damn fine. I sometimes go to other parts of the country where restaurants serve "crab"... and i just laugh. Once you've had the real thing, once you've had the best, there's no goin back. Maryland Crab Cakes are God's gift to us.

2. Nils Lofgren--- E-street Band member, great guitarist, solo artist, piano player on "After the Gold Rush," etc etc etc. He comes from the DC area, and gets his hair cut at the same place that i do (no, i've never seen him there).

3. Neat history--- Maryland, and indeed my hometown of Poolesville, have really incredible histories. This mostly stems from our position between what is commonly held as the North and the South (although technically we're in the South). The state had an incredible position during the Civil War, and Poolesville was described by one Union general as "the most treasonous town in the South."

4. Our song--- "Maryland, My Maryland," our state song, has the same tune as "O Christmas Tree." How cool is that?

5. Washington DC--- let's face it, it's ours. Virginia may have delusions of grandeur about owning DC, but c'mon they're separated by a river. We surround it. We gave up our land so it could be built. It's ours. Thus, the Capitol of the most powerful nation on earth is in MD.

6. Questionable Content--- perhaps the coolest webcomic around. Sure, it may be based in Easthampton, Mass., but Jeph Jacques (it's author) was born and raised in Rockville, MD.

7. The Chesapeake Bay--- We envelope it, pollute it, and exploit it. Still, it's ours.

8. Jerry's Subs and Pizzas--- yep, started here.

9. Ledo Pizza--- same thing.

10. Our flag--- so ugly, it's cool. Looks like a cross between a Nascar banner and a medieval coat of arms.

11. The land and environment--- We have several different landscapes, from wetlands to mountains. Also, we have a bunch of preserved farmland. Our climate is pretty nice, with the full range of seasons and temperatures. As i write this, there are 4 inches of snow on the ground outside my window. Next week, it may be 70 degrees. Weird.

12. Baltimore--- the strangest fuckin city i've ever been to. It is beautiful, dank, inspiring, scary, STRANGE. It's an unlikely artists' haven.

13. Bioengineering--- BIG export. The guys who decoded the human genome work in "Genome Alley," which is in Gaithersburg, MD.

14. The snakehead fish--- that whole thing started here. Feel the fear!

15. White's Ferry--- just down the road from Poolesville, it's the only privately-owned Ferry still in operation on the Potomac.

16. John Waters--- Baltimore's favorite son. Amazing films. What more can I say?


I think that's all for now. Maybe i'll keep adding as i keep thinking up things.
~SAM