I decided to extract this blue coffee pot from a closet and give it a try again. It’s been a long time. I brew coffee by multiple methods but have avoided percolation primarily because it takes too long and, with a gas stovetop, too much energy. But the other day, Bastille Day, I thought the … Continue reading A little nostalgia with your coffee
The McGraw Mausoleum
McGraw John McGraw, Baseball Hall of Fame player and manager, resting here. . . . New Cathedral Cemetery, a sprawling, hilly burial ground on the southwestern side of Baltimore, has the distinction of being the final resting place of four Hall of Fame baseball players. This photo, taken in early spring, is of the mausoleum … Continue reading The McGraw Mausoleum
The Harbaughs visited Trump because they’re Trumpies
Until proven otherwise, there’s likely only one reason John and Jim Harbaugh visited Trump in the White House: They’re fans; they like the felon president. Otherwise, they’d have said no to the invitation. Trump is the most divisive president in history; he lies constantly, has policies that are either cruel or confusing; he’s clearly a … Continue reading The Harbaughs visited Trump because they’re Trumpies
A preference for beaver videos
On Monday, I listened to Nicole Wallace and guests on MSNBC try to make sense of Trump’s latest blurt about tariffs. It was the same mind-numbing discussion we’ve heard since “Liberation Day” in April. Nothing about Trump's tariff business makes sense in the modern global economy, but the talking heads keep talking as if the … Continue reading A preference for beaver videos
Tortellini: The aroma of things past
Ever had a Proustian memory? Clinically speaking, it’s the “involuntary memory” triggered by the senses: something you taste or smell or see for the briefest moment. Marcel Proust famously described it in a passage from his book, À la recherche du temps perdu (Remembrance of Things Past, or In Search of Lost Time), when he … Continue reading Tortellini: The aroma of things past
Van Hollen: The cruel end of USAID under Trump
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), the Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on State Department & USAID Management, International Operations, & Bilateral International Development, released the following statement on the Trump Administration’s shuttering of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID): “Today marks a dark day in U.S. foreign policy as the Trump … Continue reading Van Hollen: The cruel end of USAID under Trump
The lasting gratitude of a small French village for the sacrifice of an American soldier
Pvt. Kreiner Those who were in the audiences for my play, “Baltimore, You Have No Idea,” might recall the story of Private John Kreiner. I spoke of him from the stage: A young soldier from Baltimore who died in the U.S. Army’s liberation of a small French village that had been occupied by Nazi Germany … Continue reading The lasting gratitude of a small French village for the sacrifice of an American soldier
On days like this, the reality of Trump seems especially stark
“It goes without saying.” . . . People use that phrase when they’re about to state something everyone within earshot knows. Or they might start a sentence with, “Needless to say,” which bears the same meaning. Usually, one word will do: “Clearly,” for instance, is a common starter. “Obviously” is the most direct way of … Continue reading On days like this, the reality of Trump seems especially stark
July in Baltimore: One night, twelve plays
Rapid Lemon Productions will continue its 2025 season in July with Variations on Night, an evening of 12 short plays by local authors. Produced each year since 2005, The Variations Project is an annual highlight of the Baltimore theatrical calendar. Performances will be at Strand Theater, 5426 Harford Road, Baltimore, MD 21214. Tickets are general … Continue reading July in Baltimore: One night, twelve plays
Afishionado: The stubborn guy with a fly rod
The fly-fishing angler who won’t fish with nymph imitations is a stubborn fool. He will stand there, 20 feet downstream of a fishy-looking pool, and hope for a rise. He will hope for a trout to nose into the surface and give away both its position and its interest in devouring a fly on the … Continue reading Afishionado: The stubborn guy with a fly rod
Dan Rodricks 