Checklist for Success: using social media for parties

A fan am I of The Checklist Manifesto. It motivated me to write down the activities I’ve been doing for a (sorta) monthly party I co-host. And the information, I do believe, is helpful for individuals, orgs and businesses as they plan events in today’s option-rich communication environment. Here is the checklist I follow for [...]

Pho real.

Zagat’s latest edition is out. And on its list of fab places in #theHoCo are three places that, pho real, are quite a delight. An Loi Pho Dat Than, and Pho Nam. Pho sure, hot soup in the summer time isn’t always my thing, but give me a rainy, chilly day, and I can think [...]

Hocobloggers: we rock!

I’m a big believer in social capital and the power we each wield as bloggers in helping those in our network be more connected and relevant. Take a look at the amazing work we did — individually and together — as a community of bloggers. The document I link to is a wrap-up of the Pure [...]

Hocoblogs BlogTail party at Pure Wine Cafe

Come on by Pure Wine Cafe on Wednesday, June 2, for another friendly and fun Hocoblogs Blogtail party. There you’ll meet other local bloggers, and perhaps a reader or two … maybe even a — gasp — fan of your blog. The parties are usually mostly local bloggers who live in Howard County and a [...]

Dipping into the melting pot

I’ve never been much of one for politics. Or, for that matter, this thing called “politicians.” At one point in my younger adulthood life I fancied myself a Democrat because, well, of course, that was the sane and compassionate party, right? But then one day, when I was in my late 20s, someone with whom [...]

Posting rights

I started writing for the Washington Examiner dot com a few weeks back. James Dellinger, who works there and is a web content and content marketing guy, has been on a mission to add a local blogging component to The Examiner online. The new section is called the Local Opinion Zone. James told  me that [...]

How I met one of the most interesting of men

Back in my early days of blogging, I aimed to have a local blog; hence, the url my blog still has today: hometown-columbia.com. In those early days, I wrote much of local issues as I saw and framed them, and many people — those I knew and those I didn’t — commented and engaged in [...]

Helping an old lady across the street

For the lovely people in The Hoco. Today, after posting two back-to-back posts about the lack of walkability in the “downtown Columbia,” I was headed  from the East Branch Library back to The Bucks to meet a few friends. Driving on Dobbin Road I spotted an unnerving sight: an older woman, struggling with a not-so-well-made [...]

Mortified. Horrified. And feeling righteous.

For my people in TheHoco. Driving, was I, down a road I travel often, Dobbin Road, when I spotted the umpteenth version of the same problem I’ve witnessed for years. This one was the straw that broke the camel’s back. What I saw was a BABY IN A STROLLER being pushed along the treacherous, sidewalk-less [...]

Forget, “build it and they will come.” How about just looking where they already are?

For my hoco peeps. An 8-minute-ish, unedited video of a walk and conversation between @spiraleyes and I, during our treacherous attempt to actually walk from one retail center to another right across the street in (the real) downtown Columbia. Oh, and get your Dramamine out because not only is this a choppy, bouncy unedited, taped-while-walking [...]

Achooooo!

For years, right around April 1st, I’d develop the most overwhelming allergies. And, if you’ve ever heard me sneeze, you’re likely not to forget. I’m one of those insanely loud sneezers. I’m thinking this comes from a dinner conversation one evening when I was in elementary school. I remember asking my mom, an R.N., why [...]

Mr. Rouse as Daddy

Cleaning up my blog and categories, I found an unpublished post re Mr. Rouse as a Hero, in generational dynamics that is. The full piece isn’t written. I might not ever finish it. But, here’s some bits and perspectives for those wondering about the history of Columbia and how it was impacted by generational dynamics. [...]

Mr. Rouse was a Hero

In cleaning out and organizing some of my blog posts tonight, I came across this draft I never published. I have spent some time thinking into and understanding where and how the original vision for Columbia came to be, through the lens of generational theory, that is. ************* James W. Rouse, in the archetypal language [...]

Bowen. Made me smile.

I had my first-ever Bowen treatment this evening. The therapy had been recommended to me a few years back, but I couldn’t find a local practitioner. Then my path crossed with BodyWise Physical Therapy, off BrokenLand Pkwy in Columbia. Ariana, the key gal there, offers Bowen. So, I scheduled an appointment. Now, for as much [...]

It was an awkward moment.

It was an awkard moment. But it opened to new possibilities, I believe. See, I was at the Columbia Foundation’s annual dinner last night, introducing a friend to our library’s exec director, Valerie. Valerie and I go back a few years, particularly when I co-worked with my BFF at the branch hosting the library’s administrative [...]

Azul 17, my new local fave

Finally. That pretty much sums it up for me: Finally. Finally, in Columbia, there is an upscale place with a vibe and decor to match, music that makes the place  feel much more urban than suburban, great (as in absolutely awesome) drinks and an in an intimate space, to boot. I’m talking about Azul 17. [...]

At 3 mos., she’s a natch with the iphone

This was fun. At this evening’s Hoco BlogTail party, @annathema showed up with her sweet baby Linnea and handsome husband, Roger. Anne/@annathema recently blogged about iphone apps a new mom needs. And her blog garnered her an interview in an article about moms and tech. Tonight, Linnea was a natch when presented with the iphone. [...]

Tapulanga: Close to home and far away

A reader of the hocoblogs? Kindly, if you would, consider a donation to Tapulanga Foundation. Robin Abello, one of the founders of hocoblogs, works diligently with his sister, who is in The Philippines and running a school there, to raise funds for a school scholarship program, a micro-credit program and a health-care program. In addition [...]

The Photography of Michael Oberman

Local folk. Howard Co peeps, if you’re in town, around and available on Sept. 13th, come to the opening reception of Michael Oberman’s “The Nature of Wilde Lake … and More” photography exihibit. You might just be amazed by the critters in and around Wilde Lake. I know you’ll love his work. To get a [...]

Social media sizzle in the burbs

For all my moaning and groaning about the burbs (and, yes, there’s plenty to moan about), I do believe social media is the magic bit that can liven life in the ‘burbs up a bit. These past 48 hours have been testament to this elusive vision I’ve believed in for several years. Yesterday morning, I [...]