Part 1: Baltimore's Bromo-Seltzer Tower: What was the Product?

Richard, Rob, Jim and Tom in the tower

Recently, we toured the famous "Bromo Seltzer" clock tower in Baltimore with our friends Jim and Richard. This is part one of that visit, and this focuses on what Bromo-Seltzer was- we'll go inside the tower on tomorrow's blog.

Display case of the Bromo Seltzer blue bottles

OUR MEMORIES -  As a kid, I (Rob) remember my grandparents having a big blue bottle of Bromo Seltzer in Massachusetts. I didn't know it was made in Baltimore. Bromo-Seltzer was the precursor to Alka Seltzer, but it had some other ingredients in it that really needed to come out (as you'll learn here). The owner knew how to market, and he specifically had the blue bottles created to market his product. That's how we both remembered it. - Rob and Tom

Jim and Richard near an old marketing stand

WHAT IS BROMO SELTZER?  - Bromo-Seltzer (acetaminophen, sodium bicarbonate, and citric acid), was a brand of antacid used to relieve pain occurring together with heartburn, upset stomach, or acid indigestion. First produced by inventor Isaac E. Emerson's drug company of Baltimore, Maryland, in 1888, Bromo-Seltzer was sold in the United States in the form of effervescent granules which must be mixed with water before ingestion.

HAPPENED TO THE PRODUCT? - The product took its name from a component of the original formula, sodium bromide. Each dose contained 3.2 mEq/teaspoon of this active ingredient. Bromides are a class of tranquilizers that were withdrawn from the U.S. market in 1975 due to their toxicity. Their sedative effect probably accounted for Bromo-Seltzer's popularity as a remedy for hangovers. Early formulas also used, as the analgesic ingredient, acetanilide, now known as a poisonous substance.

Tom and Rob in the presentation room

Rob and Tom Touring the Art rooms

Bromo-Seltzer's main offices and main factory were located in downtown Baltimore, Maryland. The factory's most notable feature was the clock tower, built in 1911, which featured "BROMO SELTZER" in place of the numbers on all four clock faces.

HISTORY AND TOURS TODAY- When the product disappeared, the factory where Bromo Seltzer was made and bottled shuttered. The factory was torn down, but the tower that was a small part of it remains. The tower was recently opened to the public for tours and is the home of many artists who sell their artwork on the premises.  The tower is also open for public tours.

Jim and Richard

  Check it out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Emerson-Bromo-Seltzer-Tower

 NEXT: A Tour of the Bromo Seltzer Clock Tower!

Jim and Richard being goofy

3 Fundraisers for DC Area Weimaraner Rescue: Candles, Sheets, and a Wine Event!

DC Area Weimaraner Rescue has a LOT of dogs in foster care and more come into the rescue almost weekly. That means a lot of vet bills, a lot of food and other costs. To help out AND benefit from it, you can order great bed sheets for yourself, Candles (in time for Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc); OR Go to a really fun Wine Tasting event in Northern Virginia.   
 **You can even donate gently used shoes!**
Details to all of them are below. PLEASE help out!! 

1)  Yankee Candle Fundraiser runs through November 1!
http://www.yankeecandlefundraising.com/ Use our customer code YCC 990073907



2) Sheet set fundraiser! PayPal or Check. Email Karin at dcweimrescue@gmail.com to order.

3) Our semi-annual wine fundraiser at Barrel Oak November 1!  3623 Grove Lane, Delaplane, Virginia. 
12-4pm EDT  / Tickets $35 in advance, $40 at the door. Bring your dogs (all dogs are welcome - No retractable leashes, please) 
www.dcweimclub.org/rescue
We will be collecting shoes at the event so come see us and bring shoes!

TO FIND ADOPTABLE WEIMARANERS: http://www.dcweimclub.org/rescue/index.php 

 

 
ONE OF THE WEIMARANERS UP FOR ADOPTION:
 
Suki is a 3 year old spayed female. She has just finished her heartworm treatment and is ready for a home! Suki is from Japan but she only speaks English. She is house and crate trained and good with other dogs and cats. Suki knows some commands and walks well on a leash. Suki would do best in an adult only home where the adults are ALPHA. She needs strong leadership and will take advantage of the weaker family members. No kids please! 

Interesting: Plastic Bags: Where to Recycle, Biodegradable Dog Poop Bags

We have a large number of cloth bags that we take around with us whenever we go shopping, and try not to take plastic bags. In fact, we also buy biodegradable dog poop bags to reduce the plastic footprint. Plastic takes a LONG time to degrade, and there's way too much of it that is not being recycled.
  Some places have already OUTLAWED plastic bags, while others charge fees. 

WHERE TO RECYCLE? Most grocers and large retailers such as Target and Walmart now accept plastic bags, wrap and film for recycling. Look for a bin near the front of the store or check for local recycling options nearest you.  NOTE: Please recycle only clean, dry plastic bags and film. Remove receipts or any other items from bags.
(NO Degradable/compostable film or bags, prewashed salad mix bags, or frozen food bags.)

 FIND A DROP OFF NEAR YOU: http://www.plasticfilmrecycling.org/s01/s01dropoff.html

BIODEGRADABLE DOG POOP BAGS - These are made from several manufacturers and can be found:
1)  earthrated.com. 2) http://biobagusa.com/ 3) http://www.flushdoggy.com/ 4) http://poopbags.com/ 

SHOCKING FACT- According to TIME Magazine, the country of Bangldesh became the first country to BAN plastic bags completely in 2002 after some of the 9 million bags tossed out DAILY were found to have blocked sewers, causing floods that killed people.


WHO HAS BANNED THEM, WHO HAS SURCHARGES FOR THEM? 

Landfill full of plastic bags

1) California Becomes First State to Ban Plastic Bags

By Katy Steinmetz  Sep 30, 2014

The ban will go into effect in 2015 for some businesses and 2016 for others

 

2) In 2009, the District of Columbia enacted a law to ban the distribution of disposable, non-recyclable plastic carry-out bags and set a fee of 5 cents for distribution of all other disposable bags. In 2009, North Carolina banned plastic bags for the Outer Banks region, a chain of barrier islands off its coast.

 

3) Delware, Maine, North Carolina, New York  and Rhode Island all have recycling programs or laws about plastic bags. You can find them all here: http://www.ncsl.org/research/environment-and-natural-resources/plastic-bag-legislation.aspx

Elvina Means Fun!

Rob and Elvina

There are certain people in your life who just make life special. One is our friend Elvina who lives around the corner from us. She's retired, but she's always up to something!  She takes care of another neighbor who is confined to a wheelchair and can only move her arm. When her neighbor's husband goes to work Elvina goes over to visit, help out and help care for their dog. That's pretty special.

Max, Dolly, Franklin and Tyler love Aunt Elvina!

  We love to go to dinner with Elvina. She's got great stories has a great sense of humor and loves dogs (and we walk our kids by from time to time for some "tweaking.")  Elvina's also a huge tennis fan and tells us what's happening in the world of tennis around the world. Of course, she loves a lot of British TV shows, so she and Tom talk about a lot of those.   
  Getting together is always a fun thing and a simple pleasure we always enjoy. THAT'S what life is about. 
  Of course, Tom and Elvina will tell you that there's nothing like a good Margarita and Pina Colada to discuss Downton Abbey or Poldark!

Fun at Dachtoberfest! (Photo fun)

Max in the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile!

Rob and Max

A Doxie Pirate!

Dachtoberfest, a festival organized and managed by Coast-to-Coast Dachshund Rescue was held this past Sunday, October 11th in Middleburg, Pennsylvania. It was so much fun and full of Dachshunds of all shapes and sizes. I (Rob) brought our foster dog, Max up for the event and he met some pretty wonderful people. 


The event was in central Pennsylvania, east of Harrisburg (so it took 2 1/2 hours to drive there), and Max was the perfect traveling companion. Max is our 11 1/2 year old long-haired foster Dachshund. Max enjoyed his time there and posed for a photo in the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile (Thanks to rescue volunteer Manuela Fields for a great photo).  Max is adoptable (like many other dachshunds) at www.c2cdr.org.

the 2nd Super Mario Bros. brother

Baltimore Ravens dog and Minnie Mouse

COSTUME EVENT - Many dogs had great outfits in the costume contest. There are many pictured on today's blog.

A Wtich and M and Ms dog!

There were a lot of vendors there informing people about Dachshunds, selling dog-related items, sketch artists, food vendors and groups like Dodgerslist, which offers education for owners and dogs suffering with back problems due to disc disease (ruptured, herniated, slipped disc, IVDD). 

One of the Super Mario Bros.

Of course, since this was a weiner dog event, I had to have a hot dog for lunch- it seemed appropriate. :) 

It took this muscular guy to handle 4 dachshunds!

BECOME A FOSTER PARENT OR ADOPT A DOG - Save a Life! 

There are many dogs that need forever homes, and many that need FOSTER homes. PLEASE consider becoming a foster parent if you can't adopt. It will save a dog's life and take them out of kill shelters. You just provide food, shelter, and take them to the vet (and the rescue covers the vet bills). Learn more at  www.c2cdr.org.

The Queen of Halloween had her own wagon!@

Great 1st in the Dixie Hemingway mystery series: "Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter" by Blaize Clement

I just read the 2nd in one of the best pet mysteries I've ever read: Curiosity Killed the Cat

Sitter by Blaize Clement - Rob


  Back on Sept. 14th, we posted a blog about the book "Duplicity Dogged the Dachshund," which I thoroughly enjoyed. That was the 2nd in the "Dixie Hemingway mystery series" by Blaize Clement. I went back and bought the first in the series called "Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter" and it was ALSO fantastic.   
    Dixie is a 32 year old former Sheriff's deputy, widower and now pet sitter with a vivid personality. The supporting characters of her gay brother and partner as a fireman and undercover cop really added to the story and you could picture Dixie talking with them and dining with them. In addition to a murder or two that will keep you guessing, I also enjoyed reading about a young gay character that Dixie met. He lived in a house with two hateful, bigoted parents, and he tried keeping his secret until an accident. - Although a minor part of the fast-paced main storyline, the author did a great job explaining the stress and horror teenagers deal with, who grow up in a home with unaccepting and even hostile, bigoted parents. Again, that was a fringe storyline.
   There were funny parts, serious parts, intrigue, mystery, murders, and of course cats and dogs. 
I will be ordering ALL of Blaize Clements "Dixie Hemingway" novels. You should read them, too! - Rob 

Visited Jason Hisley's La Cakerie! (A MUST)

Tom, Jason and Rob

Jason Hisley is a world-class baker and owns La Cakerie in Towson, Maryland (north of Baltimore) and in downtown Baltimore. We met Jason through our nephew Kenny. They make amazing gourmet cupcakes, muffins, cakes (and amazing wedding and event cakes).  pretzels, scones, cinnamon rolls, sticky buns, mini pies, cheesecake, donuts and croissants. All of them are delicious.
    When there, we saw a cake that looked like 2 heads for a Halloween party!
  We bought one of each cupcake and they were ALL amazing. Tom loved the Pumpkin and I've enjoyed every chocolate combination he makes (about 5) . 
   Btw- Jason is a tall guy, about 6 feet tall, and has a "Sweet" tattoo on his chest (he didn't show it to us, we saw him reveal it on the Food Network competition). :)

The Cake Van

ABOUT LA CAKERIE - After graduating from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI with a Bachelors degree in Baking & Pastry Arts, Jason traveled to Europe and received a pastry certification from the Restaurant School in Vitznau, Switzerland. This opportunity allowed him to explore other cultures in Europe and practice my art of baking with a global perspective. This fundamental pastry training was his springboard into the culinary world and even allowed him the opportunity to compete on Food Network pastry competitions.

Everything looked awesome!

http://lacakerie.com/our-story/

NOW ON TELEVISION - "Halloween Baking Championship" 
YOU may know Jason as he has appeared on the Food Network and is currently on the "Halloween Baking Championship" on Monday nights at 9pm EDT  during October.
  STORY: http://blog.foodnetwork.com/fn-dish/2015/09/halloween-baking-championship/
   JASON WON THE FIRST CUPCAKE CHALLENGE LAST WEEK AND THE CAKE CHALLENGE THIS WEEK!  (No surprise) 
SHOW HIGHLIGHTS: http://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/halloween-baking-championship.html

The Towson, MD  Store

STORE LOCATIONS:

1) Mount Vernon 1216 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, (443) 449-6699, Monday - Saturday: 11AM - 9PM, Sunday: Closed

2) 11 W Allegheny Ave, Towson, MD 21204, (443) 275-4050, Monday - Saturday: 7AM - 7PM, Sunday: 9AM - 5PM

CateringDownload our Catering Menu

Cakes  Call us to order a cake: (443) 275-6253

2 Items Worth Knowing in the News Today

A couple of interesting things in the news this afternoon. One was about the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, and the other about the ridiculous Benghazi committee continuing to fall apart.  These are things that people should know about, regardless of whom you're interested in, politically. Knowledge makes for better decisions.

1)   Hillary Clinton was Never Going to Support TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal)

For labor unions and the base of the Democratic Party, TPP is not just one issue among many. It is the issue. Very few Democrats in Congress support the deal, or any free trade deal for that matter. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, asked if he would support TPP, said, “The answer is not only no, but hell no.” There was no way Hillary Clinton could ever support it.She cited two specific objections: It doesn’t have language dealing with currency manipulation, and it has provisions that favor big drug companies over patients.
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/hillary-clinton-was-never-going-support-tpp?cid=eml_mra_20151013

2)  GOP’s Benghazi Committee starts to unravel
The House Republicans’ Benghazi Committee has seen better days. The New York Times included an interesting tidbit in a report yesterday on the panel’s shift away from its stated purpose:

Senior Republican officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were discussing confidential conversations, said that [House Speaker John Boehner] had long been suspicious of the administration’s handling of the attacks and that Mrs. Clinton’s emails gave him a way to keep the issue alive and to cause political problems for her campaign.

Is that so. MORE:

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/gops-benghazi-committee-starts-unravel?cid=eml_mra_20151013

Our favorite Celebrity Dachshund, Crusoe is going on a book tour!

Our favorite Celebrity Dachshund, Crusoe is going on a book tour!  (Sadly not near us - but may be near YOU).

 This is Crusoe's book debut, and he's so excited to share it with all of his adoring fans. Now everyone can stare lovingly into his big brown eyes and admire his wit and many costumes any time they choose. Crusoe is certain that his book, featuring hundreds of photos, will make the perfect gift for dog-lovers of all ages.

WE SUBSCRIBE TO HIS BLOG UPDATES AND VIDEOS. You should, too. He's adorable: http://www.celebritydachshund.com/ 


 CITIES ON THE TOUR:New York, San Francisco, Dallas, Atlanta, Ottowa
 http://www.celebritydachshund.com/2015/10/02/crusoe-book-tour-cities-bookstore-signings/

BTW- MANY friends have posted Crusoe videos on our facebook pages (at Least 100 times). Just know that we subscribe to his page and get all his videos when they come out- like the Minions video... :)   

Meet the Spectre! - Great collection and Short Cartoon!

The Spectre is a ghostly superhero and one of my all time favorites. I recently enjoyed reading a 500+ page collection of

The Spectre in Adventure Comics: Cr: DC Comics

classic Spectre stories including my favorites from the 1970s where the Spectre took out his vengeance in some pretty chilling ways!  SO, if you can still get it, I highly recommend DC Showcase: The Spectre. 
  **SPECIAL CARTOON! This Complete 15 minute Cartoon I found on-line, too, of a story that appeared in Adventure Comics 432 (Pictured here). 

WHO IS THE SPECTRE?  -  The Spectre debuted in More Fun Comics #52 (Feb. 1940) when hard-boiled cop Jim Corrigan, on his way with Clarice to his engagement party, was murdered by being stuffed into a barrel filled with cement and then drowned. His spirit was refused entry into the afterlife however, instead being sent back to Earth by an entity referred to only as "The Voice" to eliminate evil. He saw his body when he appeared at the bottom of the waterfront.
The Spectre begins by seeking bloody vengeance against Corrigan's murderers in a grim, supernatural fashion. One of them turned to a skeleton upon touching him. Jim Corrigan soon creates his signature costume, breaks off his romance with Clarice, and continues to be Jim Corrigan, assuming the secret identity of the Spectre whenever he is needed. He eventually turns down an offer to relinquish his mission to destroy all evil.

A SUPERNATURAL REVAMP - The character came back with a vengeance in the late 1970s, and in my opinion became the BEST version. But he quickly became a cause of controversy. The stories emphasized the gruesome fates of criminals who ran afoul of the Spectre. Evildoers were into inanimate objects and then thoroughly demolishing them. Criminals were being transformed into everything from broken glass to melting candles.

A SPECTRE CARTOON !  While I was looking up the synopsis for the book I found an 11 minute cartoon of the character! So, now you can get a feel for who the Spectre is by watching it.

Short Cartoon: The Spectre 

SUMMARY:  As Detective Jim Corrigan investigates a murder, The Spectre delivers horrific justice to the perpetrators.

Director: Joaquim Dos Santos \Writer: Steve Niles

VIDEO: 
https://vimeo.com/111945105