tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084Mon, 06 May 2013 16:51:20 +0000A visual journal of Howard County, Marylandhttp://hoco360.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)Blogger63125Hoco360http://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-3925744881668093969Sat, 27 Apr 2013 14:17:00 +00002013-04-27T10:19:41.177-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zd44cHJNfVQ/UXvearHgElI/AAAAAAAAJNQ/NUb9YShcN1I/s1600/LittlePatuxentWoods728px.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zd44cHJNfVQ/UXvearHgElI/AAAAAAAAJNQ/NUb9YShcN1I/s1600/LittlePatuxentWoods728px.jpg" /></a><br /> <br /> In 2013, an unseasonably cold early spring period has further compressed the spring bloom into an even shorter, more condensed process—the landscape is literally changing every day.<br /> <br /> With approximately 100 miles of verdant hiking paths in Columbia alone, a walk in the woods will rarely more rewarding than it is right now.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: 78%;">Tags: <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/sense-of-place-archives.html">Sense of Place</a> </span> <br /> <br /> <!-- SmartAddon BEGIN --> <script type="text/javascript"> (function() { var s=document.createElement('script');s.type='text/javascript';s.async = true; s.src='http://s1'+'.smartaddon.com/share_addon.js'; var j =document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];j.parentNode.insertBefore(s,j); })(); </script> <a href="http://www.smartaddon.com/?share" onclick="return sa_tellafriend('','bookmarks')" title="Share Button"><img alt="Share" border="0" src="http://s1.smartaddon.com/s7.png" /></a> <!-- SmartAddon END --> <br /> <div align="center"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2013/04/stink-bugs-for-dinner.html">Previous Entries</a></span></div> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/nlIszDpUX18" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/nlIszDpUX18/spring-in-full-swing.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2013/04/spring-in-full-swing.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-653184386915060490Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:51:00 +00002013-04-27T10:22:01.444-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-amJKlEEFBfY/UXWh0lHGmGI/AAAAAAAAI9s/hvY0tz_Uf4o/s1600/Bluebird728px.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-amJKlEEFBfY/UXWh0lHGmGI/AAAAAAAAI9s/hvY0tz_Uf4o/s1600/Bluebird728px.jpg" /></a><br /> <br /> A male Eastern Bluebird brings home a <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/09/year-of-stink-bug.html">brown marmorated stink bug</a> as dinner for his fledglings in the woods near the Little Patuxent River in Ellicott City. <br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JydK7EIOKKk/UXbkeb4ztDI/AAAAAAAAJCE/GZVIBBF7irI/s1600/DCH_1504-728px-border.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JydK7EIOKKk/UXbkeb4ztDI/AAAAAAAAJCE/GZVIBBF7irI/s1600/DCH_1504-728px-border.jpg" /></a><br /> <br /> As an invasive insect, this species of stink bug was thought to have no local predators. But indigenous birds apparently are starting to adapt to the plentiful source of easy protein. It's pretty safe to assume they'll get no complaints from local residents.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: 78%;">Tags: <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/sense-of-place-archives.html">Sense of Place</a> </span> <br /> <br /> <!-- SmartAddon BEGIN --> <script type="text/javascript"> (function() { var s=document.createElement('script');s.type='text/javascript';s.async = true; s.src='http://s1'+'.smartaddon.com/share_addon.js'; var j =document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];j.parentNode.insertBefore(s,j); })(); </script> <a href="http://www.smartaddon.com/?share" onclick="return sa_tellafriend('','bookmarks')" title="Share Button"><img alt="Share" border="0" src="http://s1.smartaddon.com/s7.png" /></a> <!-- SmartAddon END --> <br /> <div align="center"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2013/03/what-your-kids-eat.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2013/04/spring-in-full-swing.html">Next</a></span></div></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/EA8sxUpYM4M" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/EA8sxUpYM4M/stink-bugs-for-dinner.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2013/04/stink-bugs-for-dinner.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-6746389085343542888Mon, 25 Mar 2013 17:00:00 +00002013-04-22T16:53:42.055-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-46Cs8FtqvRM/UU1E3KhSAsI/AAAAAAAAH5Q/VhbLuIN7LHA/s1600/CF048120.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-46Cs8FtqvRM/UU1E3KhSAsI/AAAAAAAAH5Q/VhbLuIN7LHA/s1600/CF048120.jpg" /></a><br /> <br /> Or, more accurately, what they could <i>choose</i> to eat if they happen to attend a Howard County public school.<br /> <br /> A few months ago at a New Year's Eve gathering I happened to meet Judith Schardt-Shure, who is the cafeteria manager for Burleigh Manor Middle School in Ellicott City. Over the course of the next 30 minutes, Judith proceeded to dispel one myth after another that I held about the HCPSS school lunch program.<br /> <br /> Other people are noticing our school lunches, too. The Howard County Public School System’s Food &amp; Nutrition Service recently earned an "A+" grade from the <a href="http://www.pcrm.org/" target="_blank">Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine</a>. They also received, for all 73 schools, a <a href="http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/healthierus/awardwinners.html" target="_blank">HealthierUS Schools Bronze Award</a>, which includes a letter from First Lady (and fitness maven) Michelle Obama.<br /> <br /> The local media had reported on the two awards, but in a way that added no real information to the press releases. So through Judith I met Mary Klatko, who oversees food and nutrition for all Howard County public schools. We spent a recent morning together at Howard High School photographing lunch choices on offer to the students. Some of those choices are represented here. <br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Huu1ud1Iemg/UU1E8bLtJUI/AAAAAAAAH5Y/YOulnAyW9KE/s1600/CF048123.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Huu1ud1Iemg/UU1E8bLtJUI/AAAAAAAAH5Y/YOulnAyW9KE/s1600/CF048123.jpg" /></a><br /> <br /> In talking to Mary (along with area field rep Rosalie Edwards and, later, several students) I learned that school lunches in Howard County in 2013 are nothing like those I remember as a high school student in the early 1980s.<br /> <br /> For one thing, nutrition is a big deal. More so, I suspect, than when I was in school. They count calories, grams of fat (saturated and unsaturated) protein and carbs. Fiber matters, too. Judith noted that not only are whole-grain breads used, but at the middle school level the serving size is upped one day per week to submarine sandwiches to fulfill the weekly fiber goals. Some rolls are now baked onsite, and are noted as such on the menu.<br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UMe73me9Yo8/UU1FASVLKpI/AAAAAAAAH5g/_iswGFwSR8o/s1600/CF048124.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UMe73me9Yo8/UU1FASVLKpI/AAAAAAAAH5g/_iswGFwSR8o/s1600/CF048124.jpg" /></a><br /> <br /> You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. Similarly, and as every parent knows, just because nutritious food is on offer doesn't necessarily mean kids will eat it. So nutritional choices are for the HCPSS a balancing act. Which is to say that they try to strike a compromise between the healthiest foods and what will actually make it into kids' mouths.<br /> <br /> Stealth nutrition is introduced wherever possible. Those fries aren't fried, they're baked. And kids are required to take minimum amounts of fruit and vegetables. Whether they all get eaten is another battle, but the goal is to build healthy habits early.<br /> <br /> The number of food choices increases as the students progress from elementary age through middle school and into high school. As kids get older, their palettes broaden. And the school lunch menu expands to take advantage of that and introduce more options.<br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ISLoTJShP3M/UU1FHTbvHFI/AAAAAAAAH5o/yx7yg59T52s/s1600/CF048129.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ISLoTJShP3M/UU1FHTbvHFI/AAAAAAAAH5o/yx7yg59T52s/s1600/CF048129.jpg" /></a><br /> <br /> Certainly at the high school level, cafeteria food is getting more upscale. I don't remember shrimp poppers, seen above, being on offer back in 1981.<br /> <br /> For the older kids salad bars are a big deal, too. You can eat as much salad (with veggies and beans) as you want. This is especially important to high school athletes, who are as a rule more nutrition-conscious and have metabolisms that require more fuel.<br /> <br /> Using some of the information supplied by the county office, I compiled the chart below. Some of the items surprised me, both in terms of nutrition and of the scale involved in feeding Howard County's students. (It is clickable for a larger version.) <br /> <br /> How many school lunches, for example, would you guess are served each year in Howard County? <br /> <br /> For more information (such as menus, allergy info, nutritional content, fitness and doctor's articles, etc.) visit the school lunch program's <a href="http://www.hcpss.org/foodservice" target="_blank">website</a>.<br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U3EJ2zn5GLs/UU1FREckGxI/AAAAAAAAH54/cVDdsg-pW6E/s1600/Chart1200pxWide.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5t2vV_g-7NI/UU1FM3JOQxI/AAAAAAAAH5w/lDf58HugqZg/s1600/Chart728pxWide.jpg" /></a><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: 78%;">Tags: <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/worth-weight.html">Worth the Weight</a>, <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/made-in-hoco.html">Made in HoCo</a> </span> <br /> <br /> <!-- SmartAddon BEGIN --> <script type="text/javascript"> (function() { var s=document.createElement('script');s.type='text/javascript';s.async = true; s.src='http://s1'+'.smartaddon.com/share_addon.js'; var j =document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];j.parentNode.insertBefore(s,j); })(); </script> <a href="http://www.smartaddon.com/?share" onclick="return sa_tellafriend('','bookmarks')" title="Share Button"><img alt="Share" border="0" src="http://s1.smartaddon.com/s7.png" /></a> <!-- SmartAddon END --> <br /> <div align="center"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2013/02/columbias-icons-in-transition.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2013/04/stink-bugs-for-dinner.html">Next</a></span></div></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/NtT_K9dyJCQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/NtT_K9dyJCQ/what-your-kids-eat.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2013/03/what-your-kids-eat.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-7704267374740480642Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:18:00 +00002013-04-23T20:16:57.826-04:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DdsBm6vwwqA/UWBz9KWdoJI/AAAAAAAAIgY/FCyfSOWXZyM/s1600/0+0+Dubai.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DdsBm6vwwqA/UWBz9KWdoJI/AAAAAAAAIgY/FCyfSOWXZyM/s1600/0+0+Dubai.jpg" /></a><br /> <br /> Hi, I'm David Hobby. I've been a photographer in Howard County for the last 25 years, but more recently my work takes me all over the world. Between jobs you'll find me happily shooting for HoCo360, and for a variety of Howard-based organizations.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q8Zmeh-TtVU/UWB0DdUKGKI/AAAAAAAAIgg/pGe7Mx9c2x4/s1600/0+me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q8Zmeh-TtVU/UWB0DdUKGKI/AAAAAAAAIgg/pGe7Mx9c2x4/s1600/0+me.jpg" /></a>To the extent possible, my photography centers on the intersection of people, art and technology. Locally, I have developed projects with the Howard County Arts Council, the Howard County Economic Development Authority and the Howard County Conservancy among others.<br /> <br /> If you have a Howard County-based project that might benefit from photography that strives to be both thoughtful and creative, please do not hesitate to <a href="mailto:hobbydavid@yahoo.com">contact me</a>.<br /> <br /> Budget is rarely the most important consideration for local projects. In fact, the more potential for interesting photos—and the more creative control—the less important is your budget. It's a strange model, granted. But that's how I work.<br /> <br /> So if you have an interesting HoCo-based project in mind, try me. If I can't help you, I'll suggest someone who is both local and will be a better fit.<br /> <br /> <center>______________________________</center><br /> <br /> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LyDnWlzcG04/UWB0M22L65I/AAAAAAAAIgo/MUQ6AUl5dlg/s1600/1+HOBBY_Fencers.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LyDnWlzcG04/UWB0M22L65I/AAAAAAAAIgo/MUQ6AUl5dlg/s1600/1+HOBBY_Fencers.jpg" /></a><br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k3OTtPEHYzQ/UWB0SJvBGaI/AAAAAAAAIgw/QBD89IZHJmk/s1600/2+Merkle_5196.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k3OTtPEHYzQ/UWB0SJvBGaI/AAAAAAAAIgw/QBD89IZHJmk/s1600/2+Merkle_5196.jpg" /></a><br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HxymqquFyYA/UWB0WDx3LcI/AAAAAAAAIg4/iAUUdfpT3ak/s1600/3+Caleb.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HxymqquFyYA/UWB0WDx3LcI/AAAAAAAAIg4/iAUUdfpT3ak/s1600/3+Caleb.jpg" /></a><br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gtstjpi3fIM/UWB0b_ub8QI/AAAAAAAAIhA/5mSjYtHyRAk/s1600/4+Alexandra.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gtstjpi3fIM/UWB0b_ub8QI/AAAAAAAAIhA/5mSjYtHyRAk/s1600/4+Alexandra.jpg" /></a><br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kgCcGRNsSng/UWB0gM0rVcI/AAAAAAAAIhI/QHSjUE62F30/s1600/5+Blacksmith_0473.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kgCcGRNsSng/UWB0gM0rVcI/AAAAAAAAIhI/QHSjUE62F30/s1600/5+Blacksmith_0473.jpg" /></a><br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wtmATvckaKc/UXckWfy5cHI/AAAAAAAAJEI/bqRLVYVFzpU/s1600/Cuba728.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wtmATvckaKc/UXckWfy5cHI/AAAAAAAAJEI/bqRLVYVFzpU/s1600/Cuba728.jpg" /></a><br /> <br /> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/0IHM5ej7kSg" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/0IHM5ej7kSg/about-photographer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2013/03/about-photographer.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-6654377128117272338Thu, 14 Feb 2013 22:35:00 +00002013-03-25T13:17:11.319-04:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/8473760785/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8386/8473760785_c046850d97_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br /> Columbia's downtown centerpiece, originally known as The Rouse Building, was designed by famed architect Frank Gehry in 1974. The building has since served as office space for General Growth Properties—and more recently, the Howard Hughes Corporation.<br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/8474847932/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8384/8474847932_e282ef9091_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br /> Soon, it will house a Whole Foods Market, an upscale gym and other tenants yet to be determined. Within the Rouse/GGP/Hughes building was The Spear Center:<br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/8473760725/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8242/8473760725_f2165e0f0c_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br /> Formerly known as the Kattamaqundi Room, it was renamed to honor Rouse Company President Michael T. Spear after he was killed in a plane crash in 1991 along with his wife and daughter. Spear had earlier served as general manager of The Columbia Project during the busiest phase of Columbia's construction.<br /> <br /> The future of this space, which for decades has been a focal point for social gatherings in Columbia, has not yet been determined.<br /> <br /> <center>______________________________</center><br /> <br /> <br /> <font size=3><center>The Rouse Home</center></font><br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/8474055357/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8104/8474055357_05a1e2368e_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br /> Columbia founder James Rouse passed away in 1996, and was followed by his wife Patty in 2012. Shortly after her passing I was asked to photograph the house for The Columbia Archives and the Rouse family.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/8473760675/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8365/8473760675_80e2b09dff_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br /> Shown above is their living room; below is the view of Wilde Lake from their deck.<br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/8474847976/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8387/8474847976_4fcc6cc77a_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: 78%;">Tags: <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/made-in-hoco.html">Made In HoCo</a>, <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/sense-of-place-archives.html">Sense of Place</a></span> <br /> <br /> <!-- SmartAddon BEGIN --> <script type="text/javascript"> (function() { var s=document.createElement('script');s.type='text/javascript';s.async = true; s.src='http://s1'+'.smartaddon.com/share_addon.js'; var j =document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];j.parentNode.insertBefore(s,j); })(); </script> <a href="http://www.smartaddon.com/?share" title="Share Button" onclick="return sa_tellafriend('','bookmarks')"><img alt="Share" src="http://s1.smartaddon.com/s7.png" border="0" /></a> <!-- SmartAddon END --> <div align="center"><font size=2><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2012/11/dinner-companion.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2013/03/what-your-kids-eat.html">Next</a></font></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/e2ekQYHVtWk" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/e2ekQYHVtWk/columbias-icons-in-transition.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2013/02/columbias-icons-in-transition.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-6996193868072360619Mon, 12 Nov 2012 23:06:00 +00002013-02-14T17:38:07.525-05:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/8180323149/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8197/8180323149_2d393bb123_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br /> Nobu, a resident at <a href="http://www.marriottsvilleridge.com" target='_blank'>Marriottsville Ridge Farm</a>, is joined by a whitetail deer as he grazes at sunset. <br /> <br /> Set on 1600 acres of wooded farmland in northern Howard County, Marriottsville Ridge Farm boards horses and offers solo and group riding lessons for people of all skill levels. <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: 78%;">Tags: <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/play.html">Play</a>, <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/sense-of-place-archives.html">Sense of Place</a><br /> <br /> </span> <!-- SmartAddon BEGIN --> <script type="text/javascript"> (function() { var s=document.createElement('script');s.type='text/javascript';s.async = true; s.src='http://s1'+'.smartaddon.com/share_addon.js'; var j =document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];j.parentNode.insertBefore(s,j); })(); </script> <a href="http://www.smartaddon.com/?share" title="Share Button" onclick="return sa_tellafriend('','bookmarks')"><img alt="Share" src="http://s1.smartaddon.com/s7.png" border="0" /></a> <!-- SmartAddon END --> <div align="center"><font size=2><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2012/11/friday-night-lights.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2013/02/columbias-icons-in-transition.html">Next</a></font></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/Z-HzOJzJ4_Y" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/Z-HzOJzJ4_Y/dinner-companion.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2012/11/dinner-companion.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-5771315422457754050Sat, 03 Nov 2012 04:16:00 +00002012-11-12T18:08:00.227-05:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/8149583550/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8465/8149583550_5704dc2e54_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a> <br /> Thirty years ago, I began my career as a photojournalist shooting high school football games. Even after 20 years of shooting NFL and NCAA football on assignment for publications, prep football remains one of my favorite things to photograph.<br /> <br /> This year, after my daughter entered Wilde Lake High School as a freshmen, I started shooting prep football again—this time for the school itself. I was able to shoot five games this season. And no tight deadlines means I did not even have to leave each game in the second quarter, as was usual during my years as a newspaper photographer.<br /> <br /> It was great fun, even if I am a little rusty after a 5-year hiatus from shooting the sport.<br /> <br /> This was shot early in the season, when there was still a little daylight left during the first half of the games. It's actually a composite of six photos shot in quick succession, then stitched together to make one super-wide view.<br /> <br /> Wilde Lake ended their football season today with a 20-0 over Marriotts Ridge. Go Cats.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: 78%;">Tags: <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/play.html">Play</a>, <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/sense-of-place-archives.html">Sense of Place</a><br /> <br /> </span> <!-- SmartAddon BEGIN --> <script type="text/javascript"> (function() { var s=document.createElement('script');s.type='text/javascript';s.async = true; s.src='http://s1'+'.smartaddon.com/share_addon.js'; var j =document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];j.parentNode.insertBefore(s,j); })(); </script> <a href="http://www.smartaddon.com/?share" title="Share Button" onclick="return sa_tellafriend('','bookmarks')"><img alt="Share" src="http://s1.smartaddon.com/s7.png" border="0" /></a> <!-- SmartAddon END --> <div align="center"><font size=2><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2012/07/submariner.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2012/11/dinner-companion.html">Next</a></font></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/ZK9kgzmwS-4" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/ZK9kgzmwS-4/friday-night-lights.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2012/11/friday-night-lights.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-5693563504286183573Sat, 14 Jul 2012 16:39:00 +00002012-11-03T00:19:17.926-04:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/7568739690/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8018/7568739690_ddfb7c56bf_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br /> Jillian Fader glides underwater at the start of her 50-yard backstroke race, which she won. Fader, 18, swims for the Owen Brown Barracudas where she is also a coach. Neighborhood swim meets are a summer tradition in Howard County, with swimmers as young as four years old competing for ribbons and bragging rights. <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: 78%;">Tags: <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/play.html">Play</a> </span> <br /> <br /> <!-- SmartAddon BEGIN --> <script type="text/javascript"> (function() { var s=document.createElement('script');s.type='text/javascript';s.async = true; s.src='http://s1'+'.smartaddon.com/share_addon.js'; var j =document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];j.parentNode.insertBefore(s,j); })(); </script> <a href="http://www.smartaddon.com/?share" title="Share Button" onclick="return sa_tellafriend('','bookmarks')"><img alt="Share" src="http://s1.smartaddon.com/s7.png" border="0" /></a> <!-- SmartAddon END --> <div align="center"><font size=2><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2012/07/heat-wave-takes-its-toll.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2012/11/friday-night-lights.html">Next</a></font></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/_qPc5gxLTso" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/_qPc5gxLTso/submariner.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2012/07/submariner.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-7556223792599917366Sat, 07 Jul 2012 17:00:00 +00002012-07-14T12:42:02.775-04:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/7521393930/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7122/7521393930_0bbca6a773_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br /> Unable to withstand exposure to prolonged high temperatures, a female broad-tailed hummingbird succombs to a string of near 100-degree days in Howard County. Many residents are entering their second week without air conditioning during the heat wave after storms knocked out power for over 600,000 in the region.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: 78%;">Tags: <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/miscellaneous.html">Miscellaneous</a> </span> <br /> <br /> <!-- SmartAddon BEGIN --> <script type="text/javascript"> (function() { var s=document.createElement('script');s.type='text/javascript';s.async = true; s.src='http://s1'+'.smartaddon.com/share_addon.js'; var j =document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];j.parentNode.insertBefore(s,j); })(); </script> <a href="http://www.smartaddon.com/?share" title="Share Button" onclick="return sa_tellafriend('','bookmarks')"><img alt="Share" src="http://s1.smartaddon.com/s7.png" border="0" /></a> <!-- SmartAddon END --> <div align="center"><font size=2><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2012/05/soft-serve.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2012/07/submariner.html">Next</a></font></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/16a4d7VFpGY" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/16a4d7VFpGY/heat-wave-takes-its-toll.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2012/07/heat-wave-takes-its-toll.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-1178465212129713668Wed, 09 May 2012 03:07:00 +00002012-07-07T13:01:58.683-04:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/7162331514/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7089/7162331514_56289d71cf_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br /> Families queue up for frozen treats at Rita's Italian Ice on a rainy spring evening in Ellicott City.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: 78%;">Tags: <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/worth-weight.html">Worth the Weight</a>, <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/sense-of-place-archives.html">Sense of Place</a> </span> <br /> <br /> <!-- SmartAddon BEGIN --> <script type="text/javascript"> (function() { var s=document.createElement('script');s.type='text/javascript';s.async = true; s.src='http://s1'+'.smartaddon.com/share_addon.js'; var j =document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];j.parentNode.insertBefore(s,j); })(); </script> <a href="http://www.smartaddon.com/?share" title="Share Button" onclick="return sa_tellafriend('','bookmarks')"><img alt="Share" src="http://s1.smartaddon.com/s7.png" border="0" /></a> <!-- SmartAddon END --> <br /> <br /> <div align="center"><font size=2><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2012/05/creek-behind-dunloggin-middle-school.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2012/07/heat-wave-takes-its-toll.html">Next</a></font></div><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/cxXNpmgKlb4" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/cxXNpmgKlb4/soft-serve.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2012/05/soft-serve.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-5213359826191845161Wed, 02 May 2012 20:07:00 +00002012-05-08T23:08:25.221-04:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/7136585815/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7193/7136585815_c68bdca14f_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br /> <span style="font-size: 78%;">Tags: <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/sense-of-place-archives.html">Sense of Place</a><br /> </span><!-- SmartAddon BEGIN --><br /> <script type="text/javascript"> (function() { var s=document.createElement('script');s.type='text/javascript';s.async = true; s.src='http://s1'+'.smartaddon.com/share_addon.js'; var j =document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];j.parentNode.insertBefore(s,j); })(); </script><br /> <a href="http://www.smartaddon.com/?share" title="Share Button" onclick="return sa_tellafriend('','bookmarks')"><img alt="Share" src="http://s1.smartaddon.com/s7.png" border="0" /></a><br /> <!-- SmartAddon END --><br /> <div align="center"><font size=2><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2012/03/2012-howard-county-arts-council-rising.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2012/05/soft-serve.html">Next</a></font></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/ShPVnqrPpIM" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/ShPVnqrPpIM/creek-behind-dunloggin-middle-school.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2012/05/creek-behind-dunloggin-middle-school.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-1378657708648583195Fri, 23 Mar 2012 04:42:00 +00002012-05-02T16:11:49.496-04:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/7007649465/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7055/7007649465_c2b332ca48_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br /> Mezzo soprano Alexandra Rodrick is one of ten "Rising Stars" finalists chosen by the Howard County Arts Council for 2012. She'll be competing against nine others for thousands of dollars in prizes in the Celebration of the Arts in Howard County Gala. <br /> <br /> The gala, this year held on March 24th at the James Rouse Theatre at Wilde Lake High School, is the highlight of the arts calendar in Howard County. It raises money to fund grants and art education programs throughout the county. <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: 78%;">Tags: <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/made-in-hoco.html">Made in HoCo</a>, <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/create.html">Create</a></span><br /> <br /> <br /> <!-- SmartAddon BEGIN --><script type="text/javascript">(function() {var s=document.createElement('script');s.type='text/javascript';s.async = true;s.src='http://s1'+'.smartaddon.com/share_addon.js';var j =document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];j.parentNode.insertBefore(s,j);})();</script><a href="http://www.smartaddon.com/?share" title="Share Button" onclick="return sa_tellafriend('','bookmarks')"><img alt="Share" src="http://s1.smartaddon.com/s7.png" border="0" /></a><!-- SmartAddon END --><br /> <br /> <div align="center"><font size=2><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2012/03/world-lunch-real-pizzeria.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2012/05/creek-behind-dunloggin-middle-school.html">Next</a></font></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/UQM9Q29xtz4" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/UQM9Q29xtz4/2012-howard-county-arts-council-rising.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2012/03/2012-howard-county-arts-council-rising.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-4463178471911801874Thu, 22 Mar 2012 15:33:00 +00002012-05-04T02:05:45.236-04:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/6860032350/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6227/6860032350_f803b30776_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br /> You have to eat lunch every day. But why spend your daily opportunity on yet more fast food when HoCo is home to a healthy number of restaurants which offer a genuine taste of international cuisine? <br /> <br /> In today's (very first) <i>World Lunch</i>, we start out at the absolute entry level on the international scale -- pizza and lunchtime Italian fare. Rather than settle for overpriced mall crap that is more suitable to captive audiences on the Jersey Turnpike, you can spend less and get real Italian.<br /> <br /> Shown above are brothers Gianni (left) and Carlo Morra having lunch at their Dorsey's Search location, <a href="http://www.columbiavillagecenters.com/scripts/villagepublic.pl?center_id=13&function=store">Trattoria Amore</a>. (There are two other restaurants, in King's Contrivance and Waverly.) Gianni and Carlo grew up in Italy, where their father worked in an Italian restaurant before heading out on his own as a baker at the ripe old age of 17. <br /> <br /> Here are Gianni and Carlo back in the day, in Italy, after their first communion. The after party was of course held at their local Italian restaurant.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/7006150585/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6031/7006150585_e03a7b1923_z.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br /> Suffice to say these guys know about good crust, among other things Italian. And, unlike Dominos or Pizza Hut, they don't have to stuff their crust with cheese for it to be delicious. In fact, if you buy a single slice (which you can do at all three locations) they will finish it off in the oven before serving it to you. <br /> <br /> Whether or not the pizza is warm has nothing to do with it. It's because they do not fully pre-cook the slice pizza, leaving a thin strip of uncooked dough in the center which gets finished off right before you eat it. <br /> <br /> And if you are going to make it a lunch, I suggest adding a salad and drink for their economically priced $5 "crazy lunch." (Pizza, they know. But they are not exactly Madison Avenue when it comes to branding a special...)<br /> <br /> If you are so inclined, I highly recommend trying the sausage pizza. The suppliers are chosen very carefully -- this is not a commodity operation. In fact, many equate the pizza here to the Brooklyn variety, which is high praise indeed.<br /> <br /> But as good as the pizza is, there is one problem. It will likely stop you from venturing further into the menu, which is a shame. When you are ready, try the Ravioli Aurora with it's cream rosé sauce. Better yet, go off-menu and try the gnocchi with the aurora sauce, pictured below.<br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/7006150561/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7128/7006150561_51e7fc5fdd_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br /> Each of the three locations is a little different. For instance, I prefer the salad (actually, the dressing) at King's Contrivance. But one thing you will find at all three places is soccer. Columbia is a soccer town and the Morras are soccer people.<br /> <br /> There is usually a game on the TV mounted over the counter. And for a full taste of soccer this place is a must-visit when the FIFA World Cup is being played. They start out with flags from every country entered, and slowly remove them until but one remains. <br /> <br /> When Italy won the World Cup in 2006, it is hard to describe the joy that permeated the place. And equally, the agony of 2010 when Italy was ousted in a back-and-forth heartbreaker of a game. It was almost unbearable to be there. <br /> <br /> Oh, and if Italy is playing in the cup, don't expect their full, 100% attention as restaurateurs. But again, that's just one more thing that makes it closer to the real European experience.<br /> __________<br /> <br /> <br /> <i>World Lunch is an occasional series featuring authentic international food available in Howard County</i><br /> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: 78%;">Tags: <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/worth-weight.html">Worth the Weight</a>, <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/world-influence.html">World Influence</a>, <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/made-in-hoco.html">Made in HoCo</a></span><br /> <br /> <!-- SmartAddon BEGIN --><script type="text/javascript">(function() {var s=document.createElement('script');s.type='text/javascript';s.async = true;s.src='http://s1'+'.smartaddon.com/share_addon.js';var j =document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];j.parentNode.insertBefore(s,j);})();</script><a href="http://www.smartaddon.com/?share" title="Share Button" onclick="return sa_tellafriend('','bookmarks')"><img alt="Share" src="http://s1.smartaddon.com/s7.png" border="0" /></a><!-- SmartAddon END --><br /> <br /> <div align="center"><font size=2><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2012/02/smells-like-spring.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2012/03/2012-howard-county-arts-council-rising.html">Next</a></font></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/3LxYjsQbfZY" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/3LxYjsQbfZY/world-lunch-real-pizzeria.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2012/03/world-lunch-real-pizzeria.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-5472936720212991759Thu, 23 Feb 2012 05:36:00 +00002012-03-22T13:00:03.954-04:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/6922498791/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7060/6922498791_2d13667067_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br />A garter snake sniffs the air with his tongue as it emerges to sun itself on a 60-degree February afternoon. He was nestled in a crack of the sidewalk on Gray Rock Dr. in Ellicott City, giving him easy access to both the sun-warmed concrete and his underground winter residence. <br /><br /><span style="font-size: 78%;">Tags: <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/sense-of-place-archives.html">Sense of Place</a><br /></span><br /><!-- SmartAddon BEGIN --><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />(function() {<br />var s=document.createElement('script');s.type='text/javascript';s.async = true;<br />s.src='http://s1'+'.smartaddon.com/share_addon.js';<br />var j =document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];j.parentNode.insertBefore(s,j);<br />})();<br /></script><br /><br /><a href="http://www.smartaddon.com/?share" title="Share Button" onclick="return sa_tellafriend('','bookmarks')"><img alt="Share" src="http://s1.smartaddon.com/s7.png" border="0" /></a><br /><!-- SmartAddon END --><br /><div align="center"><font size=2><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/12/tree-hunting.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2012/03/world-lunch-real-pizzeria.html">Next</a></font></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/tgFdDPt3DPA" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/tgFdDPt3DPA/smells-like-spring.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2012/02/smells-like-spring.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-1134822641325563211Fri, 16 Dec 2011 19:34:00 +00002012-07-07T17:30:11.074-04:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/6522205327/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6522205327_d27ed8d1c9_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br /> We returned this year to <a href="http://greenwaytrees.net/">Greenway Farms</a> in Woodbine to cut our own Christmas tree. As in years past, Mike Healey did the honors with my camera to grab our holiday family photo.<br /> <br /> Greenway Farms, with 15,000 trees on 16 acres, is one of just <a href="http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-12-15/news/bs-ho-neighbors-tree-farm-1218-20111215_1_marianne-healey-tree-farm-perfect-tree">two active</a> cut-your-own tree farms in Howard County.<br /> <br /> We went to Costco for our tree last year. The tree was fine, but it just wasn't the same. With only a few remaining Christmases before the kids are off to college, it is hard to imagine passing up any more of these opportunities. The light was amazing as we were getting ready to leave, so I made this frame.<br /> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: 78%;">Tags: <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/sense-of-place-archives.html">Sense of Place</a>, <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/made-in-hoco.html">Made in HoCo</a><br /> </span><br /> <!-- SmartAddon BEGIN --><br /> <script type="text/javascript"> (function() { var s=document.createElement('script');s.type='text/javascript';s.async = true; s.src='http://s1'+'.smartaddon.com/share_addon.js'; var j =document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];j.parentNode.insertBefore(s,j); })(); </script><br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.smartaddon.com/?share" title="Share Button" onclick="return sa_tellafriend('','bookmarks')"><img alt="Share" src="http://s1.smartaddon.com/s7.png" border="0" /></a><br /> <!-- SmartAddon END --><br /> <div align="center"><font size=2><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/08/fairgoers-ride-wellenflug-at-twilight.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2012/02/smells-like-spring.html">Next</a></font></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/-0aBdL8_q_g" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/-0aBdL8_q_g/tree-hunting.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/12/tree-hunting.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-9149457923751633654Tue, 08 Nov 2011 19:02:00 +00002011-12-16T14:54:57.070-05:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/6326067927/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6042/6326067927_d0b42ff5cb_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br />Food Network host Guy Fieri takes a break during filming for an episode of <i>Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives</i>. The show was doing a segment on <a href="http://www.rrtaqueria.com/">R & R Taqueria</a>, which operates out of the corner of a Shell Station in Jessup -- and is about to become much more crowded.<br /><br />Owner Rodrigo Albarran originally moved to the US from Mexico City to work as a commercial pilot. When he was furloughed, he shifted gears and opened what has quickly become one of the most popular authentic Mexican restaurants in Howard County.<br /><br />If you want to be able to say you knew about R & R before they were famous, you'd better get over there before the segment airs in mid-December. After that, it'll be too late.<br /><br />Highly recommend: The <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/04/ten-gallons-of-regular-unleaded-quart.html">Carnitas tacos</a>.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 78%;">Tags: <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/worth-weight.html">Worth the Weight</a>, <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/made-in-hoco.html">Made in HoCo</a><br /></span><br /><!-- SmartAddon BEGIN --><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />(function() {<br />var s=document.createElement('script');s.type='text/javascript';s.async = true;<br />s.src='http://s1'+'.smartaddon.com/share_addon.js';<br />var j =document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];j.parentNode.insertBefore(s,j);<br />})();<br /></script><br /><br /><a href="http://www.smartaddon.com/?share" title="Share Button" onclick="return sa_tellafriend('','bookmarks')"><img alt="Share" src="http://s1.smartaddon.com/s7.png" border="0" /></a><br /><!-- SmartAddon END --><br /><div align="center"><font size=2><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/08/fairgoers-ride-wellenflug-at-twilight.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/12/tree-hunting.html">Next</a></font></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/47DGlscbwF4" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/47DGlscbwF4/gas-station-tacos-go-hollywood.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/11/gas-station-tacos-go-hollywood.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-7106175735449874890Thu, 11 Aug 2011 19:31:00 +00002012-07-07T17:30:57.240-04:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/6032687983/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6087/6032687983_192151fb70_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a>Amy Monteith (AKA <i>Jefita, Maker of Things varied and wonderful</i>) creates hand-made plushies from her studio in a row home in Savage, MD. Roughly two inches in height, they are much taller in personality. In fact, some could be called quirky -- if not downright malevolent at times. <br /><br />Monteith sells them all over the world via her <a href="http://jefita.com/">web site</a>, and her cast of characters is always changing. When she is not sewing felt-and-polyfill creatures, Monteith also works as an artist and illustrator.<br /><br />She's seen below, being interviewed about her work in 2010 at Fan Expo Canada, in Toronto, Ontario:<br /><br /><br /><iframe width="728" height="444" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lO8bXZiUVc8?start=16" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />Monteith also blogs at the <i><a href="http://jefita.com/blog/about/">Chronicles of Jefita</a></i>.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 78%;">Tags: <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/create.html">Create</a>, <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/made-in-hoco.html">Made in HoCo</a></span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/08/amy-monteith-aka-jefita-maker-of-things.html&amp;layout=standard&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=35" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:35px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe><div align="center"><font size=2><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/07/spaces-recycling-room-at-e-structors.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/08/fairgoers-ride-wellenflug-at-twilight.html">Next</a></font></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/yY8-OkLKsiw" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/yY8-OkLKsiw/amy-monteith-aka-jefita-maker-of-things.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/08/amy-monteith-aka-jefita-maker-of-things.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-5591339115497988929Thu, 14 Jul 2011 22:13:00 +00002011-08-11T15:28:01.675-04:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/5937848995/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6014/5937848995_5ac4a3e2bc_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a> <br />Until you walk into the ~200,000 square foot electronics recycling facility at <a href="http://www.e-structors.com/" target='_blank'>E-Structors</a>, it is difficult to imagine the scale. Picture a Wal-Mart superstore -- one of the really big ones -- and you won't be far off. It's easier to think of it in acres (nearly five). <br /> <br />Suffice to say if you have properly disposed of an aging gadget recently, it has probably ended up here. <br /> <br />Provided they are not too far out of date, working items are returned to service. Many higher value nonworking items (such as laptops and Pentium-or-newer desktops) are repaired using the supply of cannibalized parts. They are sold to wholesalers or donated to charitable organizations. <br /> <br />Otherwise, they are broken down by hand and/or machine into recyclable components -- steel, copper, plastics, glass, etc. A steady stream of trucks arrive with electronic waste and leave with recyclable aggregate all day. <br /> <br />The room above is but one of two cavernous spaces at E-Structors' Elkridge facility. It is actually full of workers, but at this scale they are difficult to see. For a larger version of the photo, click <a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6014/5938432148_04fc137087_o.jpg" target='_blank'>here</a>. <br /> <br /> <br /><span style="font-size: 78%;">Tags: <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/sustain.html">Sustain</a>, <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/sense-of-place-archives.html">Sense of Place</a></span> <br /> <br /><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/07/spaces-recycling-room-at-e-structors.html&amp;layout=standard&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=35" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:35px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe><div align="center"><font size=2><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/05/fresh-picked-asparagus-howard-county.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/08/amy-monteith-aka-jefita-maker-of-things.html">Next</a></font></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/W4rGtf0lAfc" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/W4rGtf0lAfc/spaces-recycling-room-at-e-structors.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/07/spaces-recycling-room-at-e-structors.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-8715681049386975105Fri, 27 May 2011 22:49:00 +00002011-07-14T22:51:44.998-04:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/5731314302/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2266/5731314302_a95942b86e_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br />Goalkeepers train during technicals at Northrup Fields at Covenant Park. The Soccer Association of Columbia, one of several such clubs in Howard County, has over 6,000 members.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 78%;">Tags: <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/play.html">Play</a>, <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/world-influence.html">World Influence</a></span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/05/soccer-town.html&amp;layout=standard&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=35" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:35px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe><div align="center"><font size=2><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/05/worth-weight-flan-at-rotisserie-chickn.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/05/fresh-picked-asparagus-howard-county.html">Next</a></font></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/nAHHCKP0uBQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/nAHHCKP0uBQ/soccer-town.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/05/soccer-town.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-8289981682519576391Fri, 06 May 2011 19:10:00 +00002011-05-18T19:05:23.380-04:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/5694046860/in/photostream/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5062/5694046860_210478229a_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br />Says Rotisserie Chick'n A la Brasa's Iris Alfaro, of the Peruvian restaurant's flan, "We use three kinds of milk -- evaporated, condensed and regular. And the caramel is homemade, too."<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 78%;">Tags: <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/worth-weight.html">Worth the Weight</a>, <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/world-influence.html">World Influence</a></span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fhoco360.blogspot.com/2011/05/worth-weight-flan-at-rotisserie-chickn.html&amp;layout=standard&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=35" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:35px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe><div align="center"><font size=2><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/04/hocos-digital-divide.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/05/soccer-town.html">Next</a></font></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/Tz7R3SMonsg" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/Tz7R3SMonsg/worth-weight-flan-at-rotisserie-chickn.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/05/worth-weight-flan-at-rotisserie-chickn.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-6901642195187266041Thu, 28 Apr 2011 02:09:00 +00002011-05-17T15:42:55.838-04:00<i>ED. NOTE: Normally, HoCo360 is more of a visually-themed site. Please pardon today's divergence.</i><br />__________<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/5662695097/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5310/5662695097_a50bc5169a_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br />I had lunch at The Red Pearl down at the lakefront today. I went to have some of the delicious traditional-style kung-pao chicken that I had read about in <a href="http://www.howchow.blogspot.com">HowChow</a>, my go-to source for anything food in HoCo.<br /><br />I had sampled it before -- it's delicious. It is dry and spicy and nothing like the garden variety, westernized kung pao that you can get anywhere. In fact, Brent over at HowChow <a href="http://howchow.blogspot.com/2010/07/red-pearl-in-columbia.html">writes</a> that, after eating it, "<i>I can't go back to normal glop again.</i>"<br /><br />Turns out there are actually <i>two</i> versions of kung pao on the menu at Red Pearl: the delicious kind, and The Glop. I did not know this.<br /><br />I was served The Glop. <br /><br />(Yeesh. I can get that stuff at the mall.)<br /><br />Why am I telling you this? Because when I mentioned to them why I had come to Red Pearl at all (to get the real kung pao) and where I had read about it, <i>no one there even knew about HowChow.</i> I blinked in disbelief.<br /><br />Really, Red Pearl? <i>Really</i>? You do not even know about the person more people turn to than any other for dining advice in HoCo. How can you not know about HowChow? Your customers sure do.<br /><br />Do you know you are in a cursed location? Yeah, I'll bet you know that.<br /><br />It has bested every restauranteur who has ever made a go at the seemingly prime spot at the lakefront. Brazilian steak, anyone? Hell, it even claimed the legendary Jesse Wong, whose <i>Hong Kong</i> restaurant was a recent victim.<br /><br />You'd think that if someone was going to make a go of it there, they'd want to make the odds as good as possible for success. Like, maybe actually knowing about the best info source for all things food in HoCo. How do you think people decide where to go out in 2011, if not by using social media such as blogs, Urban Spoon, Yelp and others?<br /><br />No offense, local newspapers, but if I were a restaurant in HoCo, I'd be looking to maximize my footprint in local social media. And that would even include pointing advertising dollars at a specifically targeted site like HowChow.<br /><br />Take the screenshot at the top of this post, which was grabbed from the scope function of the Urban Spoon app on my iPhone right after lunch. I simply aimed the phone at Red Pearl, and it figures out where I am and tells me that at 19 out of every 20 people who voted on this restaurant like it.<br /><br />Kudos, to be sure. But I'll bet a plate of authentic kung pao that the owners there have no idea this augmented reality app (and all of the fine Red Pearl reviews therein) even exists. Or that they could have had images of their menu uploaded to the app from Day One. For free.<br /><br />Question: How, in 2011, can you be a local business and not be aware of, much less using to the fullest extent, social media? Do you really prefer spending money on ads in traditional media that people will simply glaze over -- assuming they still read a newspaper at all?<br /><br /><br /><font size=4>Some People Get It</font><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://twitter.com/#!/VictoriaGPub"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 153px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lbDn7w5P444/TbjOIDj8T9I/AAAAAAAACF8/vOyRGBT0OmY/s400/vgpTW.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600452774425546706" /></a>On the other hand take Victoria Gastro Pub, one of the most successful restaurants to hit HoCo in years. Victoria Gastro Pub gets social media. In fact, their <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/VictoriaGPub">Twitter account</a> has as of this writing over 1,200 followers.<br /><br />That's over a thousand loyal customers who Victoria (probably not her real name) can reach <i>for free</i> any time she wants. And that's not counting the "retweets" generated by their followers. All for free, and all with more credibility than advertising because the readers are socially connected, and "opt-in." And their reach grows every single day.<br /><br />HoCo is full of examples of people who understand the power of connecting with customers directly, often for free, and in a much more personal way than with metered advertising. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.britishamericanauto.com/"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 153px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lLDofN5zEjQ/TbjOeDoQYvI/AAAAAAAACGE/gdDt-WgixcY/s400/BrianEngland240p.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600453152400761586" /></a>Brian England, of <a href="http://www.britishamericanauto.com/">British American Auto Care</a>, gets it. I photographed him a few months ago for a BizMonthly story on small business. We ended up spending much of our time talking about how social media (and sites like Groupon) have been major drivers of new and repeat business for British American. <br /><br />Even I was surprised at how successful their online campaigns had been. Brian is no dummy, and it is not by accident that British American has been successful as a HoCo small business for over a quarter century.<br /><br />HoCo Exec Ken Ulman gets it, too. With nearly <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/kenulman">2,500 followers</a> on Twitter, he can reach his constituents for free -- including many, many people who then go on to retweet important news. He does not need as newspaper to act as his channel (and information gatekeeper) which is something that became very important during last year's blizzard. Twitter account @KenUlman became the source for local, minute-to-minute news as the snow and tension piled up.<br /><br />If he decides to run for some other office after serving his second term as exec (smart money says he will) you can bet he'll take those followers with him. Bam. Instant base.<br /><br />Locally-owned businesses need to be building their own free, instantly accessible bases of customers, starting yesterday. If you are not taking advantage of the power of that reach (and of the built-in structure of word-of-mouth recommendations) you are passing up a huge opportunity. <br /><br />Otherwise, succeeding as a locally owned business could well be as difficult as getting a good table at Victoria Gastro Pub on a Friday night.<br /><br /><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/04/hocos-digital-divide.html&amp;layout=standard&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=35" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:35px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe><div align="center"><font size=2><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/03/rising-stars-2011.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/05/worth-weight-flan-at-rotisserie-chickn.html">Next</a></font></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/SssAIFwIzdc" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/SssAIFwIzdc/hocos-digital-divide.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/04/hocos-digital-divide.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-8097755715790090421Tue, 08 Mar 2011 01:30:00 +00002011-04-27T22:28:50.276-04:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/5499004493/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5292/5499004493_f4420fd966_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br />Every year I have the distinct pleasure of photographing the performers selected to be Rising Stars Finalists for the <a href="http://www.hocoarts.org/">Howard County Arts Council</a>. And from what I have seen of this year's group, the 2011 Celebration of The Arts is going to be a night to remember.<br /><br />If you have never been to one of these events, I cannot recommend it enough. The talent level of the performers is outstanding. And the fact that they are battling for thousands of dollars in prizes -- by audience vote -- amps it up even more.<br /><br />Pictured above is soprano Jillian Finnamore. And while I am sure you may <i>think</i> you sound good in the shower, I can assure you that listening to Jillian sing within the echoing marble is an experience not easily forgotten. It still gives me goosebumps to think about it.<br /><br />Suffice to say no one at the hotel complained about the noise.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/5499598476/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5174/5499598476_7fb0eff275_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br />Photographing pianist Thomas Hunter also meant being treated to a one-on-one performance at the Gildenhorn Recital Hall in the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland. Hard to go back to my iPod after that.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/5499004529/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5099/5499004529_bd012f6067_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br />Likewise for the photo of Robin Massie-Jean, which included viola music (traditional tunes, along with some Bach) floating through the woods in Dorsey Hall. Nice work if you can get it.<br /><br />If you can get a seat, don't miss the <a href="http://www.hocoarts.org/celebration_of_the_arts.php#2">2011 Celebration of the Arts</a>, where these and seven other performers will certainly thrill you, too.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 78%;">Tags: <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/made-in-hoco.html">Made in HoCo</a>, <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/create.html">Create</a></span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fhoco360.blogspot.com/2011/03/rising-stars-2011.html&amp;layout=standard&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=35" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:35px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe><div align="center"><font size=2><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/02/athar-khan-aka-columbia-bike-guy.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/04/hocos-digital-divide.html">Next</a></font></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/MNHfpsyqCDg" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/MNHfpsyqCDg/rising-stars-2011.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/03/rising-stars-2011.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-6987982548812160217Sat, 26 Feb 2011 06:34:00 +00002011-03-07T21:34:57.586-05:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/5477787015/" target="_new"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5139/5477787015_d4cc293ae4_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br />Athar Khan may be the most recognized person in Howard County. I would bet that more people could recognize him than could recognize the president of the Columbia Association. Maybe even more than Ken Ulman.<br /><br />If you regularly drive in Howard County, you've seen him on his bike -- perhaps even wearing his trademark mohawk hat, or the Uncle Sam hat pictured above.<br /><br />In an earth-toned suburb that can sometimes feel bland and homogenous, people tend to notice Athar. They honk. He waves, usually with a big smile. There's a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2214386345" target="_blank">Facebook fan page</a> for him. It's approaching 5,000 members.<br /><br />Maybe there is hope for Howard County's "interestingness" level yet.<br /><br />This site seeks to spread the word about interesting people and things in HoCo. And Athar (pronounced, "a-TAR") is nothing if not interesting. Here are some things you might not know about him:<br /><br /><br />1. Sure, he bikes. But any idea how much? He is approaching an estimated 60,000 miles to date. He has dreams of getting into the Guinness Book of World Records. He is already on their radar.<br /><br />2. He was diagnosed as OCD nearly 20 years ago, a condition with which he struggles -- to some measure of success.<br /><br />3. He has, at one time or another, been on many medications. But he says that biking is more therapeutic than his doctors or the pills. So he bikes.<br /><br />4. Athar is one of the most well-read people I know.<br /><br />5. He has an incredible memory. He does not think he has a photographic memory, but it is pretty amazing nonetheless.<br /><br />6. He was born in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faisalabad">Faisalabad, Pakistan</a> in 1972. Here he is at age one:<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/5477789569/" target="_new"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5258/5477789569_7330955526_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br />7. He is nonviolent to a fault. In fact, he avoids even saying violent words. For instance, he refers to firefighters instead as "fire stoppers". He worries about the insects he steps on unintentionally, and would never step on a bug on purpose.<br /><br />8. Sundays, you will find him at <a href="http://howchow.blogspot.com/2009/05/maiwand-kabob-in-columbia-and-elsewhere.html" target='_blank'>Maiwand Kabob</a> in his home village of Harper's Choice, eating their delicious Afghan food.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/5477787033/" target="_new"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5171/5477787033_7f08c5abdc_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br />9. He recognizes how hard he has to work at his life, compared to people whose brains are wired more normally. This sometimes makes him angry, and that anger can manifest itself as cursing. I have cursed at my own problems, which are of far less magnitude than Athar's.<br /><br />10. Because of this, Athar reports that he has been banned from The Mall in Columbia for an entire year. He still has 11+ months to go on his sentence. He can tell you to the number of months and days until he is allowed to return. Athar's banishment is part of a <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/17/AR2011021706896.html?hpid=newswell">disturbing trend</a> of removal from the mall for Howard County's less mainstream people. The people at the mall claim this is strictly behavior-related. But a reporter for the Washington Post was removed from the mall for even trying to talk to someone about the issue. I find that very worrisome -- and decidedly <i>un</i>Columbian.<br /><br />11. On the other hand, Athar is welcomed at the various branches of the Howard County Public Library. You can often find him at the Central or East Columbia branches.<br /><br />12. Athar gets his bikes serviced at Princeton Sports, on Little Patuxent Pkwy. I do not know if there could be a better endorsement for a bike store in Columbia. <i>(Sixty. Thousand. Miles.)</i><br /><br />13. He dreams of watching a space shuttle launch. He knows there are not many left, and this is a concern.<br /><br />14. He rides his bike in the worst days of winter, too. He is committed to its healing effects.<br /><br />15. I did a photo package about him for The Baltimore Sun in 2005. Upon publication, I was concerned about the flippancy that was edited into my captions by the people on the copydesk. I felt I should avoid him out of embarrassment after it ran. I needn't have felt that way -- Athar did not mind. You can see the package <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/5477787081/sizes/l/">here</a>.<br /><br />16. In 2007, Shayne Weyker did a three-minute documentary on Athar. It's pretty cool:<br /><br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="728" height="576" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Cp-PoXl-U4E?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /><br /><br />So now you know Athar Khan.<br /><br />Next time you see him, roll down the window. Tap the horn. Say 'hi'. If you run into him in the library (or, at the mall after a year from now) introduce yourself and shake his hand. He always shakes hands twice, repeating the gesture from him to you.<br /><br />He's a good guy. And interesting, I think you'll agree. We're lucky to have him as a neighbor.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 78%;">Tags: <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/miscellaneous.html">Miscellaneous</a>, <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/day-in-life.html">DITLO</a></span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/02/athar-khan-aka-columbia-bike-guy.html&amp;layout=standard&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=35" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:35px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe><div align="center"><font size=2><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/01/blade-runners.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/03/rising-stars-2011.html">Next</a></font></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/LR_U3bcKhSs" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/LR_U3bcKhSs/athar-khan-aka-columbia-bike-guy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/02/athar-khan-aka-columbia-bike-guy.html