Author: Dan Rodricks

The quote in the headline of this post appears in my weekend column in The Baltimore Sun. It is how Heather Mizeur, the Democratic candidate for Maryland’s 1st District congressional seat, characterizes the record of her Republican opponent, Andy Harris. The post office mentioned is in Salisbury, and Mizeur is correct: It was a bill … Continue reading “For 12 years, we’ve paid him $2 million in taxpayer salaries and he’s passed one law, to rename a post office.”

Eleven months ago, I declared Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson as one of the few earthly beings with duende. Defined by the playwright and poet Federico Garcia Lorca, duende means star power, charisma, a kind of ghostly spirit that gets into the blood of artists — dancers, singers, writers of verse — and takes over. It … Continue reading Duende works both ways — this time against the Baltimore Ravens

Republicans of the #MAGA Cult were amused and downright giddy after Florida’s horrible governor tried to out-Trump Trump by flying 50 unsuspecting immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard to “own the libs.” It was a cruel act, and yet the #MAGA thinks the Ron DeSantis Airlift made a damning point about the Biden administration’s immigration and border … Continue reading Republicans again back immigrant cruelty even as the U.S. faces a severe worker shortage

David Tufaro, a Baltimore attorney and developer who once ran as a Republican for mayor, says he doesn’t see or hear hate expressed for the city as I do, a subject I addressed in Sunday’s column. How ironic. While not hateful, Mr. Tufaro’s recent letter to the editor of The Sun certainly qualifies as a … Continue reading About Baltimore: No, Mr. Tufaro, the city is not dying

In the past three weeks, I’ve been to a family reunion and a high school class reunion. We said all the usual things: Great to see you. . . Nice to see you. . .  Happy to see you. . . Are you still managing the Lobster Hut?  . . . Are you still teaching?  … Continue reading Reunions, and the part that goes without saying

The centennial of Crain Highway prompts a celebration in Prince George's County Press notice: “We are excited and proud to bring people together to re-create the photo that was taken 100 years ago,” said Upper Marlboro Town Clerk John Hoatson, who is organizing the Oct. 1 festivities. (The photo session is scheduled for 11 am.) … Continue reading Upper Marlboro wants to draw a crowd to update this 1922 photo

At midday, while hiking along the river, I saw trout rising in a bubble line flowing below a fallen white pine. It is always exciting to see rising trout, but, ambivalent about fishing for trout on a summer day, I did not have my fly rod or waders with me. Still, overcome with temptation, I … Continue reading Air show: A squadron of cedar waxwings caught a lot more than I did

I am a fan of Baltimore Community Lending, a federally certified Community Development Financial Institution that has made loans in parts of Baltimore where the big banks refuse to invest. BCL's involvement in the project described below -- to train and prepare new food growers and other food and beverage entrepreneurs for the post-pandemic world … Continue reading How to run a food or farming business after the pandemic: Free course offered

I hear the voices of children, the summer voices of children. They bounce across the lake from the beach, squealing giggles and dog-paddle splashes, the chatter of a childhood fading away with summer, fading away from us all. In the week leading to Labor Day, we reach the Sunday night of the year, the long … Continue reading Summer’s end: A reverie

Here's your annual reminder that, while Labor Day was never identified with a particular food item -- in the way Thanksgiving demands roasted turkey, St. Patrick's Day requires corned beef and cabbage, or the Fourth of July comes ringed in hot dogs -- the peppers-and-eggs sandwich has been the official sandwich of the first Monday … Continue reading The peppers-and-eggs sandwich is the official meal of Labor Day