Village Green/Town²

Dear Senator Alsobrooks: I want my vote back. I didn’t expect to wake up to this news as I scanned Bluesky this morning, but: there it was.  Here are the 28 Dem Senators who voted to advance the first federal ban on trans athletes & a federal definition of sex that would make trans & intersex people non-existent: Angela Alsobrooks (MD), Tammy Baldwin (WI), Richard Blumenthal (CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE), Chris Coons (DE)… I noticed a comment: Angela Alsobrooks, grand marshal of the 50th baltimore pride parade Really?  Really??? Yup. Image from Angela Alsobrooks social media accounts The photo above was accompanied by these words: I was so honored to lead Baltimore's 50th Pride Parade as Grand Marshal and celebrate with our community in love and appreciation for our LGBTQ neighbors. We must never lose sight that everyone deserves the freedom to be who they are and love who they love. I am livid.  When did Ms. Alsobrooks “lose sight that everyone deserves th...

I woke up to the news about Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer. On any day of the year this would be tragic news. After the past few days it feels catastrophic. I've been rereading old blog posts looking for direction.  Two sentences are running through my head. What evil lurks in the hearts of men? It’s the guns. I’m sharing an old post from 2018 today because I’m horrified by how relevant it still feels and I’m almost embarrassed by my naïveté. There’s no mention here about the massive concentration of money which was always a key player in this process. When so much of what might be an agent for good is purchased and neutralized, my exhortation to vote feels…hollow.  The Dealers of Darkness , October 28, 2018 In order to take the country in a direction that any reasonable person would recognize to be wrong, it is necessary to take away their ability to see the truth. Our vision relies heavily on an access to light. And so light is what is systematically being taken awa...

 “Stop trying to make ‘fetch’ happen” is a sentence I learned purely from being on the internet. It was quite a while before I learned its context.  To give you an idea how pervasive it is, I present here a Google search which I performed just moments ago:  Search: stop try Google Suggestions stop try stop trying to make fetch happen stop trying to be god stop trying to be god lyrics stop trying to make fetch happen meme stop trying to make fetch happen gif stop trying to make fetch happen meme generator stop trying stop trying to make fetch happen meme template stop trying to make fetch happen quote Not quite sure how God got in there but that’s another story altogether. I found myself contemplating this meme-able moment when I read a recent request on social media. Here are the relevant words: …live closer to that area but willing to travel to Columbia/HoCo… “Columbia/HoCo.” An actual sighting in the wild and I didn’t say it.  At some point on the blog I took to us...

  Friends, there is an emergency. A Santa emergency. It says so right here. Payne Christmas Trees, Levering Avenue in Elkridge Apparently Santa is experiencing an emergency. I’ve done some research on the HoCoLocal scene and I think it may be because he is overworked. Or, possibly, overfed. Only a small sampling… Santa has been spreading good cheer all over town and twice on Sundays. But one can only hope he’ll have the good sense to steer clear of this mêlée. FREE SHOW featuring Radio Hero Band LIVE on stage! & The Biggest Christmas Party in Town — Again. And Yes, It's Still Absolute Chaos. Mark your calendars, because SantaCon 2025 at The Reckless Shepherd is coming in hot. This is the holiday throwdown where all the jolly maniacs, boozy elves, and unhinged Santas unite. Festive? Yes. Classy? Absolutely not. Fun? Hell yes. Now, there’s a quick way to get on the Naughty List!  Still, Santa is well known for getting along with everyone. Event at My Pet Store & More, ...

Places you expect to see an extremely tall bird: Sesame Street. Places you do not expect to see an extremely tall bird: the doctor’s office. I kid you not: this sculpture/statue is in the office of my ob/gyn group. I had stopped by with a question about the patient portal. Yes, I’m the crazy lady who asked for permission to photograph this. “Do you mind if I take a picture of your bird?” If you must know, my first thought upon encountering this unexpected creature was something like this. By now I’m convinced that I was put on this earth to see oddball connections.  But what I didn’t know what what kind of bird it was. Considering its location it seemed likely that it was a stork. After scrutinizing a number of photographs of storks I was not convinced.  So I asked a friend who I know to be knowledgeable about birds. The response I got did not solve my problem. Her answer? "Greater Skullpiercer" Wow. What a name. I went off to do some research. After quite some time I texted ...

  A high quality N95 mask can discourage the spread of airborne illnesses and filter particulates such as dust and environmental mold. Of course, universal vaccination against COVID, for instance, and eradication of mold from structures - - such as homes, schools, and workplaces - - are better.  A high quality N95 mask cannot protect you from breathing in CO2. It doesn’t work that way. You can’t even reduce the risk in any way. I think it goes without saying that there’s no vaccination to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, either. You pretty much have two choices: eradicate the carbon monoxide or avoid the place where it is. Period. I was alarmed and upset when I learned that employees at the Savage library branch had been sickened seriously enough at work that they had to go to the emergency room for treatment. Carbon monoxide poisoning is no joke. People should not have to fear coming to their place of employment. And we want to think of libraries as safe spaces, right?...