In the background I can hear the moaning sirens of Conowingo, warning down-streamers of the arrival of a significant spring freshet.
Seldom in my recall of vernal pool options, have the diverse breeding playgrounds been so varied in choices.
The spotted salamanders left their subterranean tunnels to once again swirl in a mass of yellow and black designs and attach the distinctive three-inch cloudy mass on sunken twigs. American toads, wood frogs and the popular peepers will signal the equinox with distinctive marsh sounds beckoning reproduction. They will choose temporary wetlands with adequate leaf detritus, no fish and plentiful algae for the juveniles to feed and camouflage. The spotted turtles will smell the easy meals and respond from their mudnaps as well as snappers and northern water snakes.
With the water table on the surface throughout Mid-Atlantic piedmont, it should be a high yield of tadpoles, toadlets, and hatchling painted turtles. During ...Continue Reading
From the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission:
BALTIMORE – Administaff, Inc., a nationwide company which provides full-service human resources to small and medium-size businesses will pay $115,000 and furnish substantial remedial relief to settle a harassment lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.
According to EEOC’s suit (Case No. 1:09-cv-02881-BEL) filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, Northern Division, Kingwood, Texas-based Administaff and Conn-X, LLC, a Florida-based cable service provider, violated federal law by engaging in religious discrimination against employees at Conn-X’s Edgewood, Md., office.
The EEOC said that Scott Jacobson and Joey Jacobson, who are brothers, were called “dirty Jew,” “dumb Jew,” and other anti-Semitic slurs by managers and coworkers because of their religion, Judaism. The harassment began in September 2005 and continued for a couple of years and included the defacing of Scott Jacobson’s work vehicle with a swastika symbol, ...Continue Reading
The Stab: Funnier than you might think with potentially good intentions and a duo of charming leads, but the humor is furiously forced and misses more than it hits, before the narrative concludes in complete disarray.
The film opens on a scrawny, squirmy guy speaking directly into the camera. He presents a silver heart-shaped box to an unknown party in a lame attempt to convey his affection. His plea is pathetic, his image slimy and sleazy, and the overall effect is uncomfortably repulsive. Sure, we feel sorry for him, but God save whoever is on the receiving end of this display. This is Kirk, our protagonist and the one whose causes we’re supposed to champion in this film. Thankfully, Kirk redeems himself on the nerdy charms of his awkwardness and good-natured demeanor, ...Continue Reading
Spoiler alert! There were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq! Believe it or not, this bit of knowledge immediately dispels more than half of the intrigue found in Green Zone, a severely misguided excursion that ultimately delivers on none of its expected fronts.
Matt Damon plays Roy Miller, a U.S. Army officer on the hunt for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq in the wake of the U.S. invasion. After following verified intelligence to abandoned toilet factories and empty warehouses, he begins to suspect that something is not right—that our intelligence sources are, perhaps, not all they’re cracked out to be. Miller begins his own investigation of sorts, ignoring orders from his superiors and cooperating with competing intelligence officials on his quest for the truth.
But the “truth” he is searching for comes as no surprise ...Continue Reading
Working as a photo-journalist during the turbulent 60’s and 70’s had it’s moments of terror and fear, as bombings and fires raged with anger of blacks and whites confronting each other. One such night of fear and anxiety came in Harford County as the H. Rap Brown trial was to open in a few days.
The trial never happened,….in Bel Air…after a car with two black men inside exploded along Route 1 and Toll Gate road, while the town was under ‘lock down’ because of threats the police received from supporters of Mr. Brown.
The story I wrote and the photographs taken were shared with Time-Life magazine in New York….
From Time magazine comes this account of what happened next:
“Two black militants were killed when their car was blasted to bits while they were riding on a highway south of Bel Air, Md. The dead were Ralph Featherstone, 30, and ...Continue Reading
Whenever I have to use the telephone, and a recording comes on asking do I want to continue this Conversation in English or Spanish it really gets my gall!
We are being pushed from every direction by business and the government to speak and read Spanish.
This is an English-speaking nation!
Now the blame does not lie with the Spanish-speaking people.
The blame lies with big business and our congress. Big business because of the greed they share with Congress. Big business for the money and votes they want to tap from any and all sources, without any interest in our National Pride. Congress, because they won’t take a stand on the illegal immigration problem that faces our nation.
I am for all people who want to immigrate to this country as long as the do it according to our laws.
In 1907 President Theodore Roosevelt said in a speech, “In the first ...Continue Reading
One of the things I like about the state of Texas is they often claim that they are not a part of the United States. It is interesting to note that a good portion of what is now Texas was part of Mexico until we annexed it on February 2, 1848 in a treaty following the end of the Mexican War. Apparently, there are a few of our neighbors to the South who, to put it delicately, have yet to read the treaty and subsequently, cross the post-1848 border and give Delegate Pat McDonough a migraine.
There are native Texans who take a positive view on the Lone Star State wanting to be the Lone Star in their own little country. Comedian Bill Hicks, who spent a good portion of his childhood in Houston, said once in an interview, “I’m not from the States, I’m from Texas.” Make fun ...Continue Reading
It was a night fit for getting out and about and listening to the world-famous Charlie Zahm bring his unique brand of Celtic music to Harford County Saturday evening at the Amoss Center on Thomas Run road.
Zahm is one of the most popular soloists performing incredible Irish, Scottish and Australian music in America and abroad.
The famed singer with his baritone voice that’s been described as ‘a resonant sounding trill’ totally compliments the Celtic tunes he sings and plays accompanied by his acoustic guitar. His performance Saturday has been long awaited, by throngs of contains who follow this gifted and talented performer.
Word has it for the fans in this area, Zahm will appear sometime in April at the historic Jerusalem Mills.
Throughout the evening Charlie along with the versatile fiddler Tad Marks and internationally famed percussionist Cheryl Prashker performed two sets to the total delight ...Continue Reading
The Susquehanna Symphony Orchestra will perform an American Music concert Saturday, March 6, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. at Bel Air High School, 100 Heighe Streeet, Bel Air, MD 21014.
Sheldon Bair is the Founder and Music Director of the SSO.
The concert will include the following:
*John Philip Sousa- “The Fairest of the Fair”
*William Grant Still- Symphony No. 1 “Afro-American Symphony”
*Patrick Burns- “Remembrance”
*Benny Russell- “The Little Gift” from “The Darfur Chronicles”- Conductor: Brian Folus
*Tracey Rush- “Spirit of Freedom”
*Sheldon Bair- Variation on “Be Thou My Vision”
*Stacey Zyriek- “I Choose the Mountain” Soprano: Emma Zyriek
Tickets available on TicketLeap at www.ssorchestra.org
The Young Democrats of Harford County have issued the following announcement:
“Congress Must Listen to Us, Not the Insurance Companies”
Protest: March 9th, Washington DC.
On March 9th, thousands of activists will hit the streets in Washington, DC to protest big insurance and demand that Congress give America the health care reform we voted for.
The Young Democrats of Harford County in concert with the Health Care for America NOW coalition is sponsoring a bus to the “Congress Must Listen to Us, Not the Insurance Companies” protest on Tuesday, March 9th. The bus along with a box lunch will be provided at no cost, leaving the Aberdeen area around 8am on Tuesday the 9th. All Health Insurance Reform advocates from Cecil and Harford Counties (and the surrounding area) are encouraged to attend! Contact Russ Kovach at Russell.Kovach@gmail.com or confirm attendance on Facebook at or see us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=332513251089 to ...Continue Reading
WASHINGTON – In this week’s address, President Barack Obama reiterated his call for comprehensive reforms to the financial system including commonsense rules of the road and a Consumer Fin. […]
WASHINGTON – In this week’s address, President Barack Obama reiterated his call for comprehensive reforms to the financial system including commonsense rules of the road and a Consumer Fin. […]
download Persian translation | download Arabic translation Today, I want to extend my best wishes to all who are celebrating Nowruz in the United States and around the world. On this New Year’s. […]
download Persian translation | download Arabic translation Today, I want to extend my best wishes to all who are celebrating Nowruz in the United States and around the world. On this New Year’s. […]
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today paid tribute to Nepal's former prime minister and head of the Nepali Congress party Girija Prasad Koirala, calling his death a “huge loss” both for the. […]
MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY SUBJECT: Deferred Enforced Departure for Liberians Since 1991, the United States has provided safe haven for Liberians who were forced to flee their c. […]
