Twitter Truthiness

Yesterday I broke down and subscribed to the Sun's online digital news service. I had to face facts that, although I talk the talk of how important journalism is, I haven't been willing to pay for it. That's just wrong.

So why am I still scouring Twitter for local news? Well...

@Corebear_: Howard County is like the shy boring cousin of the Maryland County family

@StevenMHines: The fact that there isn't a Chipotle in Clarksville is the worst part about Howard County.

It's fun. It's wacky. It is extremely local. Sometimes it provides a better close-up of what is happening than the Sun could ever have. On the other hand, much of what people say is completely subjective, unverified, incomplete. Often it feels like watching people passing notes in class--remember that? Before there was texting? Little snippets of communication.

In that way tweets are like primary sources. I remember being granted permission to visit the library at the Maryland Historical Society (for a graduate course) to read letters about Baltimore's connection with Liberia. It's quite a serious business. You must go through security, bring nothing in with you. You must hold the documents while wearing special cotton gloves so that the oil and perspiration from your hands will not damage them.

Twitter? Not so serious. But sifting, resifting all the shreds of information for something relevant is still the stuff of the basic research class. You have to know what to look for. You have to know how to look. Some days I feel like the Yukon Cornelius of Twitter, prospecting for Columbia and Howard County gold.

I bumped into this a minute ago. Not sure how I feel about it.

@ShipleysGrant: Start living the village life. Right in Howard County. #Shipleys Grant http://t.co/Zk5d7XJS4D http://t.co/NejDhlTti5

Um, the "village life"? Wouldn't that be Columbia? Not sure if I feel a rant coming on or just another blog post.

Posted with Blogsy

Comments

Teacher Gifts

Today is the last day of school before the Winter Break. It’s a good time to remember the far-reaching nature of our public school system. You may not have children. You may have sent your children to independent schools. It matters not. You will be impacted one way or another. Yesterday I read a long thread on Facebook about several waves of illness in the schools right now. There’s influenza A and norovirus, I believe. And of course there’s COVID. Apparently in some individual schools the rate of illness is high enough for school admin to notify parents. When I was little the acceptable holiday gift for a teacher was one of those lovely floral handkerchief squares. (I don’t know what it was for male teachers. They were rare in my elementary years.) These days the range of teacher gifts is wider and I have fond memories of Target gift cards which I have written about before. I think it’s safe to say that giving one’s teacher Influenza, norovirus, or COVID is not the ideal holiday...

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else. Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday. Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018. 2018 . But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest. In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...

Village Green/Town²

Search This Blog