If you’re in Baltimore this week, head on over to some of our great city’s gigantic American flags – notably Federal Hill Park or Fort McHenry, and salute that mother out. Or, head on over to the Star Spangled Banner Flag House (844 East Pratt Street, Downtown) and see how Baltimore’s Mary Pickersgill created the Most Awesome Flag in Existence (unofficially), inspiring Francis Scott Key to write a poem that would become our national anthem. Show some love for the Stars and Bars, and everything they represent*!!

The Star Spangled Banner – The Diamond Four, 1898

SALUTE THIS MOTHER OUT

*the good stuff, at least

I normally don’t copy/paste PR like this but LOOK AT THIS DOLPHIN IT IS SMALL AND GAAAAAAAAH (PR after the jump)

Finding yourself bored this week with very little or nothing to do and entirely too much laundry to put off cleaning? Here are some events you might want to check out!

	BACON AND BEER HAPPY HOUR VII: ITALIAN EDITION When: Thursday, January 21st 2pm-2am Where: Bad Decisions (1928 Fleet St., Fells Point) More What: Facebook or this post will pretty much give you the gist.
	ROCK PAPER SCISSORS TOURNAMENT When: Friday, January 22nd 8pm Where: Sidebar Tavern (218 East Lexington Street, Downtown) More What: You ready to show your skills Baltimore? Can you beat a field of 32 Rock Paper Scissors contestants to win a cash prize? Pony up 5 bucks and enter in Baltimore’s only Rock Paper Scissors competition!

IT’S TIME FOR THE SPARKULATOR!! When: Saturday, January 23rd 2pm-???? Where: Frank and Nic’s West End Grille (511 West Pratt Street, Downtown) What: (Facebook) A bar crawl dedicated to riding a free bus in sparkly clothing? Yeah sure no problem! Get your sparkle, bus rides and booze on during this crazy ass event!

BE THERE!! AND BY THAT I MEAN SOMEWHERE!

Downtown Baltimore features a lot of people that you and I might refer to as “batshit crazy.” Back in the long long ago, the before time, I spent a few summers working on the Water Taxi where I became familiar with several of the inner harbor’s more special characters: Crazy Bob, who was undoubtedly schizophrenic and would yell into trash cans with great frequency, the “Punching Nun” guy, who would sit for hoooooours every day in Fells Point with a little punching nun toy, punching the air and panhandling forever and ever (sadly I have it on good authority that both of these folks have passed on, shine on you crazy diamonds).

But I digress. Currently, my favorite dude who hangs out around the city and seemingly does nothing is “Cardboard Guy.” He stands most frequently around the intersection of Pratt and St. Paul (Light), close to Water St. and sets up his wide array of cardboard …and just arranges it. Normally he sings while doing so. A friend caught this picture of him in the rain, protecting his cardboard with some plastic. I was pretty excited to finally get my hands on this picture, as every single time I pass Cardboard Guy I miss the chance to photograph him… until a week or two ago.

I was biking down Maryland Avenue, headed home when I spotted him in Mount Vernon. “CARDBOARD GUY.” I said to myself, nearly peeing at this new opportunity to observe Cardboard Guy without being in a car moving at high velocity. I had actually seen him a day or two before, standing around a bus stop on Baltimore St., stabbing a piece of cardboard with a screwdriver – a point at which I didn’t really feel like observing him much. Anyway there I was, trying to cross the street on my bike when CG just kind of walks right into me. “Scuse me.” I said, and scooted my bike up onto the sidewalk. Time to get a photo. Bear in mind, we’re literally the only people for a block or two on Maryland Avenue, and here I am snapping a shot of CG when he stops right in the middle of this intersection and looks at me and says “What, you want me to SMILE?? You takin’ pictures ain’t ya?” I suppose I should have just said “Hell yeah man! Let’s take a picture together!” …but instead I said something to the effect of “Oh nonono, I’m texting a friend. We’re meeting up.” *bikes off speedily* How embarrassing – God that was a bitch move.

And there he goes, him and his cardboard. I like Cardboard Guy. Hopefully in due time I’ll get his name, his story, whatever. Anybody out there know anything about him?