Village Green/Town²

  I remember being fascinated in school when we learned about the theory of spontaneous generation. From  Biology Online:  People used to think that mice could form spontaneously from stored grain. Or, maggots could spontaneously appear in meat without the involvement of any biological precursor, like a parent. Something about adults believing something so patently ridiculous amused me.  But now certain events in Oakland Mills have given me pause. An empty lot, which has been nothing but an empty lot for as long as I’ve lived here, has suddenly given birth to vehicles. Multiple vehicles. Some of them are enormous trucks. Some come and go, some just sit there as if abandoned. Truly I thought nothing could make that forlorn lot look worse. I was wrong. What could have attracted them? It’s true that the lot was once the home of a gas station, but it’s never given rise to cars and trucks before. Something in the environment must have changed…(puts on scientific thinking ...

  It’s an indictment and not a conviction, but - - wow - - what an indictment. From the Baltimore Sun: Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s former top aide, Roy McGrath, faces dozens of federal and state criminal charges that he misled officials into paying him a six-figure severance, embezzled funds for personal purposes and illegally recorded phone calls with the governor and other members of Hogan’s staff. More from the Sun coverage: Former Hogan chief of staff indicted on charges of secretly recording governor on phone calls, embezzling funds , Pamela Wood, Justin Fenton Baltimore Sun This is one worth reading even if you’re trying to get by on five free articles per month. You may recall how it started. I sure do. From August, 2020: Responsibility   Village Green/Town²  McGrath used the transition from his job with the Maryland Environmental Service as an opportunity to fund his own personal nest egg. His response when caught showed a profound misunderstanding of how tax dol...

  I missed the deadline. I dithered around about it and then it got past me. Of course I mean the deadline to order chili for the Bridges to Housing Stability “ Chili & Challenge” event. This year’s event continues to be virtual, with chili meals provided by Barebones Grill. But even if you missed out on ordering your meal to support a good cause, you still have a chance to support Bridges.  You can learn more here .  Chili or no chili, you can get involved by bidding on their Silent Auction items (bidding starts today at 8 am) and by just plain making a monetary donation to support the mission of Bridges to Housing Stability.  From their description of the event: By participating in the Chili & Challenge, you'll help Bridges provide affordable housing & supportive services to prevent & end homelessness in Howard County. As you consider a donation, let me share some helpful information. In past years Bridges invited faith congregations to participate ...

  Some things I have learned over the past few days: 1. There are people who believe that books in school libraries reach out with claws of steel to ensnare unsuspecting passers-by. Not all books, though. Just the ones they don’t like. The other books just sit there on the shelf, minding their own business, until someone comes along to check them out. 2. Nothing could render a book more fascinating to teenagers who might never have even known it existed than the loud protestations of parents that the book must be hidden away from adolescent eyes. (Actually, I already knew this. This isn’t the first time this has happened. I wish it would be the last.) 3. I have been dumbfounded by the sad lack of understanding and empathy for LGBTQ kids in our schools.  4. It’s possible that the big divide comes down to this: some people believe that books are dangerous. Others see the people who want to ban books as dangerous. 5. The “I’m not a racist, but…” conversations feel awfully similar...

  The book: Gender Queer: A Memoir , by Maia Kobabe. 2019, Simon & Schuster. Format: Graphic Novel. 2020 ALA Alex Award Winner, 2020 Stonewall — Israel Fishman Non-fiction Award Honor Book. What School Library Journal says: A book to be savored rather than devoured, this memoir will resonate with teens, especially fans of Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home and Mason Deaver’s I Wish You All the Best. It’s also a great resource for those who identify as nonbinary or asexual as well as for those who know someone who identifies that way and wish to better understand. Also:  [Kobabe] describes common situations from the perspective of someone who is asexual and nonbinary: starting a new school, getting eir period, dating, attending college. The muted earth tones and calm blues match the hopeful tone and measured pacing. Matter-of-fact descriptions of gynecological exams and the use of sex toys will be enlightening for those who may not have access to this information elsewhere. What so...

  This just in! Yes, I am writing Part Two to yesterday’s post about parenting and banned books. No, I’m not done yet. Check back tomorrow and, in the meantime, read Part One if you missed it the first time around. A few things this morning: On the extremely local front, we have kids back in our neighborhood again. It has been quite a while. When I first moved here we often lamented that there would be no sleeping in on Saturdays due to the activities of what we jokingly called the Oakland Mills Auto Club - - a handful of young boys who sped up and down the sidewalks in those plastic Little Tykes cars at the crack of dawn on the weekends. Later their forces increased and we called them the “Stick ‘Em Up!” Club because their main activity appeared to be finding cool sticks and running up and down the grassy hills of the neighborhood with them, inventing games as they went. No one put an eye out but it was close. For a long time now we have had no kids and so their appearance of the...

  Let’s talk about being a parent.  When my daughter had just learned how to read I suddenly realized that the headlines of the tabloids were now accessible to her as we waited in line at the grocery store. I had a little talk with her about how those kinds of publications were different than newspapers like the Baltimore Sun, and that they sometimes twisted or stretched the truth, or downright made things up. So, I said, full of the wisdom of a young parent determined to raise a child with discerning critical thinking skills, “If you see anything on those papers that you don’t understand, I want you to feel comfortable asking me about it.” The very next time we were in the grocery store, on a day that was rather quiet in the checkout line, my daughter’s sweet young voice piped up with confidence. “Mom? What’s ‘kinky sex’?” Be careful what you wish for. My definition, an on-the-spot, off-the-top-of-my-head explanation for a six year old, went something like this: “You know how...