Winter canaries

Just a quick note about this photograph, texted to me from Alan Klotz in Garrett County. They are Evening Grosbeaks. I have not seen them in years, and Alan's photo takes me back to winters in a small Massachusetts town. These amazing birds, colorful as canaries, would show up in our backyard to feed on … Continue reading Winter canaries

Make nice with a dictator, scold our allies: Trump-Vance betrayal prompts a letter to Europe

In his first term as president, Trump went to France and passed on a visit to the U.S. military cemetery because of rain. A delegation lead by Chief of Staff John Kelly, the retired general, went instead. It was later reported that Trump rejected the idea of a cemetery visit because he didn't want to … Continue reading Make nice with a dictator, scold our allies: Trump-Vance betrayal prompts a letter to Europe

At the Walters in Baltimore: A break from vulgarities and lies for some beauty and truth

Children were making art in the bright and beautiful Sculpture Court of the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore on Saturday morning. They sat at tables or kneeled on chairs to lean over tables to make greeting cards as their parents watched. Adults were also sketching or cutting and glue-sticking colorful construction paper, creating art. As … Continue reading At the Walters in Baltimore: A break from vulgarities and lies for some beauty and truth

Deaths of vultures from avian flu in rural Maryland

Kurt Kolaja, a friend who lives in Queen Anne's County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, shared photographs of some of the dozens of dead vultures he’s found on his property and his neighbor’s since December. The state confirmed the cause of death as avian flu. For the full story, click here.

A constituent appeals to Republicans: Do you really agree with everything Trump has done?

Arnold "Skip" Isaacs, veteran journalist formerly of The Baltimore Sun, watched the Trump-Musk sabotage of government unfold in Washington, then decided to write to Republicans to ask if they agreed with Trump's draconian executive orders and Musk's unprecedented access to government data. I post this here today because I admired Skip's approach -- indeed, his … Continue reading A constituent appeals to Republicans: Do you really agree with everything Trump has done?

Who’s the most dangerous man in Washington?

Update from The New York Times: Employees of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau were instructed to cease “all supervision and examination activity” and “all stakeholder engagement,” effectively stopping the agency’s operations, in an email from the director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, on Saturday evening. Who's the most dangerous man in … Continue reading Who’s the most dangerous man in Washington?

Our winter of discontent: Damnable acts in Washington, disturbing and disappointing news about a Baltimore hero

A friend in South Carolina says she can't bear to read or follow the news from Washington and the Trump regime. Another told me he thinks he's been suffering from PTSD since the election; he can't wrap his head around 77 million Americans voting to make a criminal the president again. And now, with Trump … Continue reading Our winter of discontent: Damnable acts in Washington, disturbing and disappointing news about a Baltimore hero

Banners v Crush: Ice hockey for a good cause under the Mimi Dome in Baltimore’s Patterson Park

Starting in the late 1990s, the Baltimore Youth Hockey Club sponsored a weekend hockey experience for less fortunate children and high-risk teens in Baltimore. They were known as the Patterson Park Stars, and they skated for free in donated equipment at the “Mimi Dome,” the rink in Patterson Park named after the late City Councilman, Dominic … Continue reading Banners v Crush: Ice hockey for a good cause under the Mimi Dome in Baltimore’s Patterson Park

Trump gang wants to erase the spirit of John McCain, destroy public service

A purge at the FBI, the firing of 30 Jan. 6 prosecutors by the U.S. Attorney in D.C., the sleazy effort by Elon Musk to reduce the federal workforce — all of this comes from the authoritarian handbook: Get rid of honest public servants and replace them with loyalists who will let you get away … Continue reading Trump gang wants to erase the spirit of John McCain, destroy public service

Baltimore history: The Mayor of the 1960s meets the Mayor of the 1990s

Special thanks go to Richard Milner of Baltimore for a photograph for the ages: Mayor Theodore Roosevelt McKeldin meeting in City Hall nearly 60 years ago with a future mayor of Baltimore, Kurt L. Schmoke. Mr. Milner, a City College graduate, took this photo for the high school yearbook. "It was Thanksgiving 1966," he says, … Continue reading Baltimore history: The Mayor of the 1960s meets the Mayor of the 1990s