tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084Thu, 23 Feb 2012 05:59:16 +0000A visual journal of Howard County, Marylandhttp://hoco360.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)Blogger50125Hoco360http://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-5472936720212991759Thu, 23 Feb 2012 05:36:00 +00002012-02-22T21:59:16.107-08:00<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 Entries</a></font></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2768441073298552084-5472936720212991759?l=hoco360.blogspot.com' alt='' /></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 +00002012-02-22T21:47:58.554-08:00<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"><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/2011/11/gas-station-tacos-go-hollywood.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2012/02/smells-like-spring.html">Next</a></font></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2768441073298552084-1134822641325563211?l=hoco360.blogspot.com' alt='' /></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 +00002011-12-16T11:54:57.070-08:00<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><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2768441073298552084-9149457923751633654?l=hoco360.blogspot.com' alt='' /></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 +00002011-11-08T11:33:28.995-08:00<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><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2768441073298552084-5845265792331848189?l=hoco360.blogspot.com' alt='' /></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 +00002011-08-11T12:28:01.675-07:00<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><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2768441073298552084-5591339115497988929?l=hoco360.blogspot.com' alt='' /></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 +00002011-07-14T19:51:44.998-07:00<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><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2768441073298552084-5128281003903914903?l=hoco360.blogspot.com' alt='' /></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 +00002011-05-18T16:05:23.380-07:00<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><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2768441073298552084-8289981682519576391?l=hoco360.blogspot.com' alt='' /></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 +00002011-05-17T12:42:55.838-07:00<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><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2768441073298552084-6901642195187266041?l=hoco360.blogspot.com' alt='' /></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 +00002011-04-27T19:28:50.276-07:00<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><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2768441073298552084-8097755715790090421?l=hoco360.blogspot.com' alt='' /></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 +00002011-03-07T18:34:57.586-08:00<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><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2768441073298552084-6987982548812160217?l=hoco360.blogspot.com' alt='' /></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.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-6073921814199050411Thu, 06 Jan 2011 22:06:00 +00002011-02-25T22:51:03.168-08:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/5256564345/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5048/5256564345_ab92fd56b1_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br />If you happen to be around the intersection of Rt. 32 and Guilford Road and someone challenges you to a sword fight, politely decline. And speaking of that, don't call them swords either. <br /><br />Foils, épées and sabres, yes. But not swords. <br /><br />Inside of a nondescript building labelled BFCC (for Baltimore Fencing Center Columbia) they battle near endlessly, tethered by wires that signal when the tip of the weapon has found its mark.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/5246874115/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5087/5246874115_27350d226a.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br />Coaches, including (from left) Larbi Soufiane, Gabrielle Galvez, Bin Lu, and David Griffin, teach people ranging from rank beginners to competitive fencers in the center's warehouse-sized back room. (At top, Jonathan Cohen, left, attacks Galvez with an épée.)<br /><br />The pace is fast, and the battles can sometimes be over very quickly. And many of the swordfights in the movies do not measure up, at least to the purists at BFCC. <br /><br />There is one notable exception: <i>The Princess Bride</i> gets universally high marks for authenticity.<br /><br />More more info, visit their <a href="http://www.baltimorefencing.com/" target='_blank'>web page</a>. And if you go, just make sure they do not know that you are not left-handed.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 78%;">Tag(s): <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/play.html">Play</a></span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/01/blade-runners.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/2010/12/bees-beekeepers-fight-setbacks-in.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/02/athar-khan-aka-columbia-bike-guy.html">Next</a></font></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2768441073298552084-6073921814199050411?l=hoco360.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/ORAeM8qasMo" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/ORAeM8qasMo/blade-runners.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/01/blade-runners.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-82064946342262536Thu, 16 Dec 2010 16:43:00 +00002011-01-06T14:20:30.597-08:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/5243432742/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5086/5243432742_31a0179f2c_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br />Columbia resident and beekeeper "Jim," who asked that his last name not be used, examines a cluster of bees from his backyard hive, seen at left. <br /><br />To vague threats such as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), and more specific ones like varroa mites, the bees can now add the Howard County government -- if they do not choose to reclassify bees into a category other than general livestock. As of two years ago, to legally keep bees in Howard County you need to live on 3.5 acres of land and observe the same setback requirements as those required for barns. <br /><br />Now, as much as I enjoy saddling up a bee for a day of riding out on the south forty, bees are slightly different than horses. And for people who eat plants (or, who eat <i>anything that eats plants</i>) bees are a critically important link in the food chain.<br /><br />Fresh honey is nice, but we can live without it. Pollination however, is another story. And farmers who rely on bees to pollinate their crops are seeing significant pressure on the bee population. In the winter of 2006/2007 alone, more than a quarter of the nation's 2.4 million bee colonies were lost to CCD^{<a href="http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/silence-of-the-bees/impact-of-ccd-on-us-agriculture/37/" target='_blank'>1</a>}.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/5243432800/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5129/5243432800_406404e4e3_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br />The reasons for the disorder are not completely understood. But there are also other threats, such as the varroa mites that were identified by Janice Asato of the Howard County Beekeepers Association in this closeup photo of some of Jim's bees.<br /><br />In short, bees are critical to our food supply and are getting stung from several different directions at once. If you would like to help, you can attend the Howard County zoning hearing which will determine whether or not to reclassify bees and amend setback provisions. It will be held at 7:30pm on Monday, December 20th in the Banneker Room in the George Howard Building at 3430 Courthouse Drive in Ellicott City.<br /><br />Or, you can visit <a href="http://www.dontsqueezethebees.org/" target='_blank'>Don't Squeeze the Bees</a> for more information on helping to preserve the bee population in Howard County.<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/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/2010/12/bees-beekeepers-fight-setbacks-in.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/2010/12/ill-take-some-of-what-hes-smoking.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/01/blade-runners.html">Next</a></font></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2768441073298552084-82064946342262536?l=hoco360.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/eofuNE11ZKE" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/eofuNE11ZKE/bees-beekeepers-fight-setbacks-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/12/bees-beekeepers-fight-setbacks-in.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-565123592925800453Thu, 02 Dec 2010 04:23:00 +00002010-12-16T08:53:35.006-08:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/5225069203/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5042/5225069203_4a79e7dba1_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br />Steve Klobosits, of <a href="http://www.klobysbbq.com/" target='_blank'>Kloby's Smokehouse</a> in Fulton (<a href="http://bit.ly/klobys" target='_blank'>map</a>) has two warnings for anyone considering trying out a new BBQ joint:<br /><br /><i>"If they start out by talking about their sauces, walk away,"</i> he says. <i>"And if you don't see the smoke ring, walk away."</i><br /><br />The smoke ring is the telltale sign that the meat has been done up proper, having spent hours in a wood-fired smoker. Kloby's particular smoker is from Mesquite, Texas and runs solely on a mixture of oak and cherry.<br /><br />The selection shown above is a typical mix for the smoker. The whole chickens and wings are ready to eat. The baby back ribs are 30 minutes into their 4 1/2-hour tour.<br /><br />My recommendation? Try any of them, naked, with a selection of sauces on the side. That way you can see which combo works for you. The slow smoking and careful attention yields a taste that cannot be otherwise duplicated.<br /><br />Chicken and ribs aren't the only offerings, either. The pulled pork is also a standout. Figure on getting two meals out of one huge sandwich. I've yet to sample the brisket, smoked turkey, sausage, sirloin or beef ribs, but that will soon be rectified. <br /><br />Slow-smoked meat is its own reward, and Kloby's Smokehouse is Howard County's antidote to chain BBQ.<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></span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/12/ill-take-some-of-what-hes-smoking.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/2010/11/walking-with-whitetails.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/12/bees-beekeepers-fight-setbacks-in.html">Next</a></font></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2768441073298552084-565123592925800453?l=hoco360.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/nLGeF4sqLHY" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/nLGeF4sqLHY/ill-take-some-of-what-hes-smoking.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/12/ill-take-some-of-what-hes-smoking.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-6028142283599599499Tue, 23 Nov 2010 06:57:00 +00002010-12-01T20:34:47.180-08:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/4900013855/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4100/4900013855_9370f0c085_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br /><i>An eight-point whitetail buck rests in the woods near the little Patuxent River in Dorsey Hall.</i><br />__________<br /><br />One of the advantages of not having a traditional 9-to-5 job is the ability to take off on a moment's notice for a head-clearing walk in the woods. My favorite path in Howard County is the one that follows the Little Patuxent River in Dorsey Hall. One of the reasons I like it is the very high likelihood that a hiker will come upon at least one deer along the mile or so of path northwest of Columbia road.<br /><br />I walk it nearly every day, and have gotten to the point where I am almost surprised when I <i>do not</i> see a deer. They are regular visitors to our neighborhood, which is nearby. My kids even name the new fawns that show up each summer. And trying to grow hostas in our yard is a fool's errand.<br /><br />A former hunter, I now get much the same thrill out of walking (unarmed) up on deer in the woods and interacting with them. It is fun to experiment with the limits of their perceived zone of safety, and the woodsmanship learned as a hunter is definitely a help.<br /><br />My wife is convinced that they will allow her to come closer if she licks her lips and mimics the motions their mouths make while they are eating -- sort of a secret handshake. I have tried this (when no one is watching) to mixed result.<br /><br />For an excellent chance at seeing deer in Howard County, walk the trail next to the Little Patuxent River in Dorsey Hall from late afternoon to evening. To reach it, follow Columbia Road until you see an orange-topped post on the left-hand side about 1/4 mile north of the village center (<a href="http://bit.ly/dQTUw1" target='_blank'>map</a>). The trailhead is on the left, directly across from Ram's Horn Row. Park your car on the side of the road and follow the trail into the woods.<br /><br />Walk quietly and look for horizontal lines about waist high. It's an old hunter's trick to spot a well-camouflaged deer, as there are very few naturally occurring horizontal lines in a forest.<br /><br />If you see one deer, there are probably more nearby. They may be bedded down, or even much closer to you than the first deer you spotted. They have an acute sense of smell and great hearing. But their vision is another story altogether, and mostly relies on catching movement. If you stay perfectly still they may well be willing to share their space with you for a few minutes. <br /><br />And if no one else is around, try the chewing and licking thing and let me know what happens.<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></span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/11/walking-with-whitetails.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/2010/11/barnstorm.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/12/ill-take-some-of-what-hes-smoking.html">Next</a></font></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2768441073298552084-6028142283599599499?l=hoco360.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/jHncKKW4ofE" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/jHncKKW4ofE/walking-with-whitetails.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/11/walking-with-whitetails.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-5431659386355179212Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:35:00 +00002010-11-22T23:05:43.392-08:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/5143560967/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4006/5143560967_39a2f8ddde_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><i><font size=1>Photo by David Hobby</font></i><br /><br />One of the county's crown jewels, the Howard County Conservancy in Woodstock is 232 preserved acres in a county that sees near constant pressure for residential development.<br /><br />That the conservancy is of great value is beyond question. It's mission -- preservation, education and ecological study -- helps it to attract over 6,000 schoolchildren every year. The local history on display is a window that reaches back to 1692, when the farmhouse was originally built. In addition to educational programs, the grounds host meetings, weddings and public events. And the conservancy's <a href="http://www.hcconservancy.org/documents/HCCTrails_2PageHR.pdf" target='_blank'>network of trails</a> offer a publicly accessible escape from suburbia into quiet fields and woodlands.<br /><br />On November 2nd, a group of 15 local photographers volunteered to create an photographic archive to donate to the conservancy. The primary goal was to give the caretakers the visual materials to aid in their $500,000.00 capital development program, the funds from which will be used to secure the institution's future.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/5144166708/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1423/5144166708_356c233f9b_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><i><font size=1>Photo by Chris Brown</font></i><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/5143561305/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1334/5143561305_ddacd12391_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><i><font size=1>Photo by Lisa Dierolf</font></i><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/5144166254/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1058/5144166254_39cddc5699_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><i><font size=1>Photo by Theano Nikitas</font></i><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/5143561085/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1328/5143561085_699bb926d4_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><i><font size=1>Photo by Erik Couse</font></i><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/5143561645/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1196/5143561645_487690e44d_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><i><font size=1>Photo by John Milleker</font></i><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/5144167150/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4090/5144167150_2ef1cbe7f0_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><i><font size=1>Photo by Eric Vance</font></i><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/5144167196/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/5144167196_9b282eb349_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><i><font size=1>Photo by David Moss</font></i><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/5144167084/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1319/5144167084_e34ea2a2df_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><i><font size=1>Photo by Jeff Snyder</font></i><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/5143561557/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4085/5143561557_77c96a136d_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><i><font size=1>Photo by Chris Brown</font></i><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/5144166498/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4027/5144166498_9295f4490e_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><i><font size=1>Photo by Dave Kile</font></i><br /><br />More than ten thousand photos that were taken during the day. They were edited down to an archive of 250 images, which will serve as a stock photography library for the conservancy's visual needs. A very small selection is shown above.<br /><br />The majority of the photographers were amateurs. As the project picture editor, I was amazed at what came back at the end of the day. <br /><br />Seriously, a bluebird arriving at lunch? And is it me, or are the frog and the goat smiling? And the landscapes seemed almost magical.<br /><br />This project is a example of advocacy journalism, in which HoCo360 is an enthusiastic participant. The purpose is twofold -- to educate people about their community while providing something of value for the target organization.<br /><br />For more information, visit <a href="http://www.hcconservancy.org/">their website</a> for information on public programs, how to donate or to download a map of public trails.<br />__________<br /><br /><br />HoCo Conservancy Archive contributing photographers:<br /><br /><i>Rehan Bashir, Chris Brown, Erik Couse, Lisa Dierolf, Madeleine Gray, David Hobby, John Kim, Dave Kile, John Milleker, Tali Mindek, Dave Moss, Theano Nikitas, Ben Sledge, Jeff Snyder and Eric Vance</i> <br /><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>, <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/day-in-life.html">Day in the Life</a>, <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/sustain.html">Sustain</a></span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/11/barnstorm.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/2010/10/ellen-kennedy-reads-in-corner-of-her.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/11/walking-with-whitetails.html">Next</a></font></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2768441073298552084-5431659386355179212?l=hoco360.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/p5NUrX2svuQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/p5NUrX2svuQ/barnstorm.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/11/barnstorm.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-4075356831406590843Wed, 20 Oct 2010 19:14:00 +00002010-11-03T18:25:50.178-07:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/5077016940/" target='_blank'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4039/5077016940_4c90b44c2b_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br />Ellen Kennedy reads in a corner of her home office, which for many years was the headquarters for <a href="http://www.hocopolitso.org/" target='_blank'>HoCoPoLitSo</a>. Kennedy founded the Howard County Poetry and Literature Society, and served for many years as its President and Executive Director.<br /><br />It is hard to imagine a room more stuffed with literary memorabilia. HoCoPoLitSo has for decades worked to further the appreciation of literature and poetry in Howard County and beyond. And that history fills this room. <br /><br />Since its founding in 1974, the organization has hosted countless readings and literary events. HoCoPoLitSo also produces the local-access TV show <i>The Writing Life.</i> <br /><br />(Think <i>Wayne's World</i> meets <i>Masterpiece Theater</i>.)<br /><br />HoCoPoLitSo's administrative headquarters have been moved to Howard Community College. But the contents of Ms. Kennedy's home office are being transferred to the Columbia Archives for preservation.<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/create.html">Create</a>, <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/think.html">Think</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/2010/10/ellen-kennedy-reads-in-corner-of-her.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/2010/10/standing-behind-their-work.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/11/barnstorm.html">Next</a></font></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2768441073298552084-4075356831406590843?l=hoco360.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/tAspPjAY5w4" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/tAspPjAY5w4/ellen-kennedy-reads-in-corner-of-her.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/10/ellen-kennedy-reads-in-corner-of-her.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-1561305967357113074Sun, 10 Oct 2010 23:48:00 +00002010-10-20T12:52:46.930-07:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/5069842834/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4130/5069842834_291e88680e_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br />I love tooling around in the industrial parks of Howard County -- you never know what kind of cool stuff is going on inside those nondescript buildings. Especially some of those commercial parks just across 295 from the NSA. <br /><br />An assignment for The Business Monthly last month took me to this very eastern edge of HoCo to photograph Dianna and Wayne Wilhelm, of Wilhelm Security Solutions.<br /><br />You are looking at (or, more accurately, <i>through</i>) one of the latest innovations in laminated ballistic glass. (Don't say bullet proof. That'll mark you as a newb.) And for half-inch glass that is optically clear enough to shoot a portrait through, the stuff is amazing.<br /><br />This innocuous looking window stopped five fully jacketed 9mm rounds at point-blank range. The special sauce in the glass, a laminate affixed with a "C Bond," is designed just for that purpose. And Wayne says that within a few months the glass will have progressed to a "G Bond," which'll stop a round from an AK-47.<br /><br />As a result, new government installations going up in the area can be built (or retrofitted) with some serious protection at a small fraction of the cost of the thick wavy glass that formerly was used for the same job. <br /><br />Which means that when it comes to outfitting many of the new DHS installations in the Baltimore/Washington corridor, Wilhelm Security Solutions is number one with a bullet.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 78%;">Tags: <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/think.html">Think</a>, <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/miscellaneous.html">Miscellaneous</a></span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/10/standing-behind-their-work.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/2010/09/year-of-stink-bug.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/10/ellen-kennedy-reads-in-corner-of-her.html">Next</a></font></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2768441073298552084-1561305967357113074?l=hoco360.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/XBQTqXjCQNs" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/XBQTqXjCQNs/standing-behind-their-work.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/10/standing-behind-their-work.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-1415894380591344291Wed, 22 Sep 2010 22:48:00 +00002011-05-26T19:13:21.903-07:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/5016184312/" target="_new"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4126/5016184312_95717cd916_b.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" title="" /></a><br />Noticed any new visitors lately? If you live in Howard County (or much of the Mideast Atlantic region) the bug pictured above is probably no stranger. Nonetheless, an introduction is in order.<br /><br />It's a brown marmorated stink bug, AKA <i>Halyomorpha halys</i>. But you probably just know it as a stink bug. They got the name because, well, stink bugs stink. The name comes from its ability to produce a noxious odor from a gland between the first and second pairs of legs. So don't lick them there. Oh, and don't squish them. That'll get you a full shot, too.<br /><br /><br /><font size=4>Outsiders</font><br /><br />Native to Asia, they long have been regarded as agricultural pests in their homeland -- and they are quickly gaining the same reputation here. Fortunately, they prefer plant sap to human flesh. So they won't bite you.<br /><br />Nonetheless, you are probably wondering how to exterminate stink bugs. The bad news: they have no natural predators in their new home. So if you are coming here to find out how to kill stink bugs, the news is not great. Indoors, don't even bother with Raid. Better to use a piece of paper and scrape them into a bowl of soapy water. That will kill them within a few seconds -- and with no smell. And that is probably the best idea for how to get rid of stink bugs.<br /><br />So, what eats stink bugs? Well, it sure helps to have a healthy local bat population. Bats eat them wholesale. And in far lesser numbers, praying mantis also eat stink bugs. <br /><br />The good news: YOU can eat stink bugs. Not kidding about that, either. Stink bugs are considered a delicacy in Laos^{(<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stink_bug" target="_blank">1</a>)}, where the odor is the big culinary draw. They are ground up with chiles and spices and served with glutinous rice.<br /><br /><i>UPDATE: And for the more gastronomically traditional readers, here's a recipe for <a href="http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/special/creepy/bugpate.html#axzz10P8kvc00" target="_blank">stink bug paté</a>. (You're welcome, internet.)</i><br /><br />__________<br /><br />This particular non-native bug has been spreading throughout the region since arriving in 1998. And 2010 is shaping up to be a banner year in Howard County.<br /><br />If you'd like to learn more, the Penn State Entomology Dept. has put together a great page on them, <a href="http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/brown-marmorated-stink-bug" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 78%;">Tags: <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/world-influence.html">World Influence</a>, <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/miscellaneous.html">Miscellaneous</a></span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fhoco360.blogspot.com/2010/09/year-of-stink-bug.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><br /><div align="center"><br /><font size=2><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/09/imported-from-future-apls-bionic-arm.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/10/standing-behind-their-work.html">Next</a></font></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2768441073298552084-1415894380591344291?l=hoco360.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/YgnNGORvxzc" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/YgnNGORvxzc/year-of-stink-bug.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/09/year-of-stink-bug.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-6907998923583063406Thu, 09 Sep 2010 03:26:00 +00002010-10-28T12:14:46.791-07:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/4955483809/" target="_new"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4151/4955483809_aa6ea6a7bc_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br />At the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab in Fulton, Michael McLoughlin and his team are developing the next generation of prosthetics.<br /><br />My first thought upon seeing it? I imagined a nearby warehouse full of battle-ready cyborgs waiting for the day Skynet commands them to rise up against humanity. (Okay, I watch a lot of movies.) <br /><br />But the real story is only slightly less incredible. Advances in body armor mean that many people who would have been killed by IEDs in Iraq and Afghanistan now come back alive, but missing a limb. APL is making them a new one.<br /><br />With its built-in swappable battery pack (forearm) the Modular Prosthetic Limb weighs about as much as a real human arm. The brains are in the hand to facilitate partial amputees. So when the cyborgs come for you, remember to aim for the hands.<br /><br />The limb articulates in 22 of the 27 ways a real arm can. It can curl 50 pounds, something I cannot do with one arm. <i>And it is controlled by the mind of the person wearing it.</i><br /><br />I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords.<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>, <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/think.html">Think</a></span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fhoco360.blogspot.com/2010/09/imported-from-future-apls-bionic-arm.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><br /><p align="center"><font size=2><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/main-street-ellicott-city.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/09/year-of-stink-bug.html">Next</a></font></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2768441073298552084-6907998923583063406?l=hoco360.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/9JgiAIjDLdQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/9JgiAIjDLdQ/imported-from-future-apls-bionic-arm.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/09/imported-from-future-apls-bionic-arm.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-7676888651069935067Sun, 01 Aug 2010 01:45:00 +00002010-09-24T13:32:40.210-07:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/4847802295/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4146/4847802295_43d753428e_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br /> Brothers Andrew, John and Joseph Ellicott founded the town that would bear their name in 1772. Originally called Ellicott Mills, it was renamed as Ellicott City when it was incorporated in 1867.<br /> <br /> Despite major fires and floods over the past two centuries, historic Ellicott City remains largely intact as a link to Howard County's past. Its buildings -- many of which are said to be haunted -- now feature an eclectic collection of shops and restaurants.<br /> <br /> <font size=1>Tag(s): <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/sense-of-place-archives.html">Sense of Place</a></font><br /> <br /> <iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fhoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/main-street-ellicott-city.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><br /> <p align="center"><font size=2><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/maryland-food-center-authority.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/09/imported-from-future-apls-bionic-arm.html">Next</a></font></P><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2768441073298552084-7676888651069935067?l=hoco360.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/J_hUfd7aZHc" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/J_hUfd7aZHc/main-street-ellicott-city.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/main-street-ellicott-city.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-2033189582036151674Thu, 08 Jul 2010 18:18:00 +00002010-09-24T13:31:45.664-07:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoco360/4709691070/" target='_new'><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4064/4709691070_c3d7009a3f_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" title="" /></a><br /> At the Maryland Food Center produce market in Jessup, workers distribute perishable food from regional farmers to restaurants and grocery stores around the state. <br /> <br /> Throughout the night and early morning, wholesalers and retailers come together at the 400+ acre market to keep the daily food supply moving throughout Maryland.<br /> <br /> <font size=1>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/miscellaneous.html">Miscellaneous</a></font><br /> <br /> <iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fhoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/maryland-food-center-authority.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><br /> <p align="center"><font size=2><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/06/cellist-caleb-jones-is-winner-of-2010.html">Previous</a> | <a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/main-street-ellicott-city.html">Next</a></font></P><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2768441073298552084-2033189582036151674?l=hoco360.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/yQ0nTlIhC04" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/yQ0nTlIhC04/maryland-food-center-authority.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/maryland-food-center-authority.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-2224887003917280127Thu, 08 Jul 2010 18:13:00 +00002011-07-14T19:53:22.237-07:00__________<br /><br /><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/07/spaces-recycling-room-at-e-structors.html">E-Structors' Recycling Room</a><br /><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2011/05/fresh-picked-asparagus-howard-county.html">Farmer's Market</a><br /><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/12/bees-beekeepers-fight-setbacks-in.html">Bees, Beekeepers Fight Setbacks</a><br /><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/11/barnstorm.html">Barnstorm</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2768441073298552084-2224887003917280127?l=hoco360.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/jNhkRefF0uQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/jNhkRefF0uQ/sustain.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/sustain.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2768441073298552084.post-1537655235976506188Thu, 08 Jul 2010 18:13:00 +00002010-10-20T12:58:14.770-07:00__________<br /><br /><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/10/ellen-kennedy-reads-in-corner-of-her.html">Ellen Kennedy / HoCoPoLitSo</a><br /><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/10/standing-behind-their-work.html">Standing Behind Their Work</a><br /><a href="http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/09/imported-from-future-apls-bionic-arm.html">Bionic Arm</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2768441073298552084-1537655235976506188?l=hoco360.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hoco360/~4/wolwN3AakC4" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hoco360/~3/wolwN3AakC4/think.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (David Hobby)http://hoco360.blogspot.com/2010/07/think.html