Village Green/Town²

Do you want to believe that you have The Power?  Do you want to shape opinion, mold the future, influence your part of the Free World? You must act quickly.You only have a certain number of days to make your mark.  Are you ready?  Good.  Now, vote . In past years I was nothing more than a Low Education Voter.  I didn't know how it all worked. I thought that nominees were vetted, selected, and voted upon by some august body.  I didn't know that my participation mattered.  I didn't know that some candidates were actually out there, beating the bushes for votes. Badgering, wheedling, shamelessly whining for votes. I was naive. I felt powerless. But now that I've joined the League of Extraordinary Mobsters , I'm ready.  I actually submitted a few nominees this year. And I'm going back, daily, to vote. Yes--daily!  If you love voting as much as I do, well, this is a dream come true.   The Mobbies, though largely dominated by ca...

Thursday morning I got in my car and the windows and mirrors were covered in rain splots and condensation.The windows were easily cleared by the wipers, but the side mirrors were not so easy.  I looked around for a paper towel, take-out napkin or tissue in the car, but there were none. Actually, it wasn't my car, it was my husband's car, and he isn't as concerned about always having paper goods as I am.  Why wasn't it my car? Well, that's a story about a Peter Gabriel concert, a road trip, and a lot of other stuff. Moving on.  I was in a rush, so I decided I'd be able to manage without the side mirror until I was able to pick up something to wipe it off.  I rolled down my window and prepared to wing it. It was a lovely Fall day, no problem. Until I got on Route 29 South.  I quickly discovered I was going to need to merge.  Merge left.  Yikes!  Couldn't do it.  "No problem!"  thought I.  "I'll just stay in this lane, get right o...

I don't have a Choose Civility bumper sticker on my car.  I used to, but I took it off.  Why?  If you must know, I took it off because I kept reading and hearing snarky comments about how it's the Choose Civility cars that cut you off, won't let you in, take your parking place and so on.  And I know that I am not a perfect driver.  I'm not a selfish driver, but every so often I might be stupid. So I took the bumper sticker off because I didn't want to make the Choose Civility movement look bad. There you have it--Self Suppression. Negative, cynical comments found a way to change my enthusiasm into fearfulness.  Brilliant marketing plan.  "You want people to be kind and respectful? Well, let me make you feel bad about yourself first!" People like me are the ones who were crushed when the teacher lectured the whole class about bad behavior.  We take it to heart. It didn't matter how many times I was consoled with--"She wasn't really talkin...

David Gertler, running for a seat on the HoCo Board of Education, has been doing something a little different to get the word out about his candidacy. He has been hosting homework help sessions in math and science, and next week he has coordinated a STEM Career Night. While the conventional wisdom leans towards planting yard signs and waving at traffic, Mr.Gertler is breaking the mold by doing some talent-sharing.  Why is this so important? Well, having spent a little time with him during the primaries, having followed his campaign since then, I have some insights to share. When You See:                        The Deeper Message Is: Technology                               I am excited to share knowledge. ...

                                                            I'm inviting you to a party. When?  Tomorrow, Saturday October 6, from 11 am to 4 pm, rain or shine. Where?  The Oakland Mills Village Center. Why?  It's the annual Oakland Mills Cultural Arts Festival . The Cultural Arts festival is one of the events that has helped me to bond with the notion of living in Columbia and participating in Village Life.  Readers of this blog know that it has taken me a long time to "get with the program", as it were, of the Columbia experience.  I didn't always feel that it was meant for me. I am extending a personal invitation to  Hocoblogger Matt Wilson, whose recent...