Weekend at Random

I wouldn’t call it a protest.

You couldn’t exactly characterize it as gang activity.

Loitering, maybe?

You may think you want to shop at Ross Dress for Less in the Columbia Crossing shopping center. The Canada geese have other ideas.

Move along, human. We live here now.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen that portion of the parking lot filled to capacity. Perhaps we should retrofit it as a bird sanctuary? All that pavement can’t be good for their feet.

*****

The good folks at Comics to Astonish were the victims of the kind of astonishment that nobody wants yesterday.

Somehow they still managed to get it all cleaned up, open for business, and even host their usual Friday night gaming group.

I’m not a gamer, but I’ve had a soft spot in my heart for this place ever since they posted a lost and found for this sweet little guy in 2021.

If you’re into comics or gaming cards (is that proper terminology?) now would be a very good time to visit Comics to Astonish:

9400 Snowden River Pkwy #112 Columbia, MD 21045
Phone: 410-381-2732
Hours: Monday 12-5 pm Tuesday Closed. Wednesday through Friday: 12-7 pm, Saturday 11-7 pm Sunday: 12-5 pm

*****

Today is the annual Lunar New Year celebration at the Mall beginning at 1:00 pm. This event is presented through the Office of the County Executive and the AAPI Commission. (Visit the event page on FB for more information.)

The celebration will feature live performances and interactive activities for all ages. We look forward to coming together to celebrate as we ring in a year of energy, change, and strength—the Year of the Fire Horse!

*****

The weather predictions for today are grim. If you don’t want to brave the cold temperatures and high winds perhaps today would be a good day to stay in and see if you have any extras you could donate to local nonprofit Home of Our Own Howard. Here’s the current list of needs for February.

It strikes me that today would be a very good day to be grateful for having a home of one’s own. And if you’re looking for a good deal on home items to feather your own nest - - go to Facebook Marketplace and search Home Of Our Own. All proceeds from these sales support their mission.

Keep warm.

Village Green/Town² Comments

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...

F ³: We Are Not Entitled

A college student went missing. His family and friends were distraught. The community was encouraged to be on the lookout and spread the word. Days passed. They must have been agonizing days for those who cared about the missing student. Thoughts that foul play had been involved cannot have been far from their thoughts. Then, at last, the student was found. Alive. The news was shared with the public. So. Much. Relief. A family had been reunited with their child. Even though we know that life is complicated, I think it is okay to accept this as a happy ending and leave it at that. But the world of social media says no. For every expression of joy at the news came questions and even judgement. It became clear to me that some folks felt entitled to an explanation. They wanted the backstory. It’s as though they felt that, by enlisting the help of the public on social media, the authorities now owed them all the details. Television dramas often weave curr...

Separate and Unequal

Remember “Separate but equal”? Remember how that really meant that Black schools languished in broken-down buildings without adequate heat or toilet facilities, with cast-off, ragged learning materials, underfunded and largely ignored? The Supreme Court struck that down in 1954. The evidence was clear that separate was not equal. Plessy v Ferguson had led to - - no, endorsed - - deeply unequal schooling and opportunities. We tend to think of Brown v Board as being purely about racial integration. It was not. It was about the logical consequences of segregation. And they were not, not, not equal. The ruling in 1954 didn’t transform public education for non-whites into a land of milk and honey by any means. But it articulated some essential truths in a way that made including everyone a legal precedent which could be relied upon and built upon. It was better than what came before it but it rested upon unsteady ground. It did not necessarily change the hearts or minds ...

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