Quite some time ago I was a member of an organization that had difficulty attracting and retaining members. At that time the struggle over sexual orientation was coming to a peak, and the members of this organization convened to discuss if they would permit openly LGBT members. At that meeting I said something that I…
An October piece in MoCo 360 had a headline “MCPS’s Black and brown community presses [MCPS Superintendent Thomas] Taylor on educational inequities.” At this meeting, concerned parents were looking for solutions to the festering student performance allegedly attributable to race. According to the article, one parent asked if MCPS would allow students to switch schools…
The Surgery Center of Oklahoma is an absolutely amazing medical facility. Founded in 1997, this hospital takes no insurance. Everything is cash on the barrel. How much cash on the barrel? Go to their menu of surgery prices and click on the body part that ails you most. Gall bladder removal with biopsy: $7,556. Appendectomy:…
For some voters the only issue this election is getting a black female into the Senate. For them, the winning choice is Angela Alsobrooks. After all, if your voting patterns are only skin deep, your capacity for critical thinking is probably no better. If, however, you care about people of color, the underserved, the marginalized,…
Photojournalism is an amazing feature of the modern age. Starting with the Civil War, American photojournalists have been capturing events military and civilian, lives wealthy and poor. They have been implanting into our collective consciousness jolting perspectives and immortalizing key moments. Here are two iconic photographs I curated from My Modern Net. Migrant field worker…
A thirty-something I know, call her Anna, has what is arguably the worst job in the entire internet industry: she investigates complaints from subscribers on dating sites. For example, John T. Stud creates a dating profile giving the impression that he is as good looking as Idris Elba, wealthy as a Saudi prince, and intelligent…
The following is an elaboration, exaggeration, and embellishment of a true encounter. About a week ago a very strange, unusual creature knocked on my door. “Is Mr. Bell in?” I was relieved at his opening move. When the door knocker doesn’t know your name, he’s trying to sell windows, roofs, siding, gardening, or tree removal.…
While working at an engineering firm, I had to endure yet another annual review. “Bell,” said the manager. “You’ve come to work every day, and you’ve completed your assignments on time.” “Don’t forget that I also proposed suggestions for process improvement and organizational efficiency.” “As you have,” said the manager. “That’s why I’m ranking you…
In Part 1 of this series we listed the infrastructure the local, state, and county governments are giving away for free for the University of Maryland’s Institute for Health Computing (UM-IHC) in North Bethesda—all sited at the coveted Metro North Bethesda station. How wise is this move? The UM-IHC is funded by MoCo, state, and…
For many years our county’s officials have been extolling MoCo as a bio-tech center. In his weekly message from August 2, Marc Elrich said MoCo is #3 among all of America’s life science hubs. In a Glass Gazette from July 2024, Council Member Evan glass noted that “Our life sciences sector is incredibly important to…