Grab Bag:

Just a few quick items I have come upon in the last few days.

Diverse?

Two recent articles in the Baltimore Sun (here and here) state that the Columbia Downtown Focus Group was a diverse collection of people. For the most part, I agree; however, there were very few people on the Focus Group that were born after the Kennedy Administration and few with young children. The persistent afternoon meeting times of the Focus Group further limited input by 9-to-5 working people. To be fair, the Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning did encourage correspondence via email for those who could not attend, but the effect of diminished (or no) voice at the table I believe skewed the conversation.

Open Job Position

The Columbia Association is looking for a new host of “Columbia Matters.” If you feel you have the stuff to be the host of this TV show, please apply. Any bloggers willing to give up the keyboard for a microphone? Just a suggestion.

Social Science is not my First Science

Although I am no expert in social science, I do have an appreciation. This article in Monday’s Washington Post provides theories as to why people tend to gravitate towards similar views. It is well worth reading.

You know you grew up in Howard County if:

I received this via email from a friend. A word of caution, I originally thought of editing the list before publication, but then decided not. I don't even understand some of these. The wording is at times bawdy, but it does give insight to the minds of some that grew up in Howard County.

• -people laugh at you when you tell them your street name. and then you explain that it's from poetry.
• -your townhouse costs at least $500,000
• -you only knew of one mall until you were about 14, when you went to other strange malls-to buy homecoming dresses.
• -it's not unusual for you to go to one high school and your sibling to go to another.
• -you know what a "village" is.
• -you've ever been to a party at centennial park.
• -shadowland.
• -you know what the people tree is.
• -either you or someone you know was first employed at a snowball stand. (perhaps THE Snowball Stand on Woodstock Rd)
• -you recognize the beginning of the holiday season by the lighted trees by the mall.
• -your mall's idea of a Christmas tree is a gigantic, conical structure made of poinsettias.
• -You've been to a dance at Circle D or St. Louis
• -at leas t one of your friends has worked for the CA
• -you got excited when Chick Fil A opened. (but were a little pissed that they put it in Friendly,s place).
• -you have a derogatory nickname for every other high school in the county-Assholeton, Reefer Hill, Glenhell, Centesticle, Mt. Heroin, and Long Bitch (I,ve heard Bong Reach, but whatevv).
• -those new all-black cop cars piss you right the f**k off because you can't see them at all.
• -the words Palace 9 mean something to you.
• -you tell people from out of state that you're from Baltimore or DC just because it's easier.
• -you remember route 100 as farm land.
• -more than half of your school's population was in the NHS
• -you miss the Enchanted Forest.
• -you're disgusted at the number of high-schoolers who loiter outside of the LL Bean fountain, then you realize that it's because there's nothing else to do here.
• -the biggest event of the decade was when the mall was redone.
• -fast food restaurants have flowers on the table.
• -you're proud of Edward Norton.
• -you either get the Sun or the Post, but everyone gets the Flier. towards the Carroll County line, you might get the Eldersburg Eagle.
• -being 12 meant taking the swim test so you could go to the pool alone.
• -the condos in the Columbia ghetto sell for six figures.
• -your graduation ceremony was at Merriweather.
• -you eat at a Pizza Hut Italian Bistro.
• -you school has raffled off a Camaro.
• -Kittamaqundi is not a strange name for a lake.
• -you ate at Double T after prom.
• -M.Ds is the only place willing to deliver a pizza to your house.
• -you know that it's called "DC," not "Washington."
• -you live thirty minutes from EVERYWHERE.
• -you think an hour long commute is somehow normal
• -you know how to use a traffic circle PROPERLY
• -you've been to a field party.
• -you've had snow days where there was no snow on the ground.
• -You think that $89,000 a year for a job isn't much money
• -cool place to hang o ut after 1am is 7-11, Mobil, Giant parking lot, or Dunkin Donuts.
• -if you dont have a car, you basically cant go anywhere, because they dont believe in sidewalks in HoCo. (at least in Clarksville, Marriottsville, etc).
• -in elementary school, you went to at least one columbia roller skating rink, splashdown, cosmic bowling, Rocky Gorge mini golf, or shadowland birthday party
• -Soft stuff at the Forest Motel is the shiznit
• -when you spent 3/4s of summer at the 7-11 on Rt. 40
• -You know about the greatness that is the chicken man.
• -when you see a bunch of firefighters in a fire trunk in front of Cindy's eating some ice cream
• - you remember when HoCo had a music scene
• - you know who Mr. Boh is
• - you saw the Kinder Man when you were in elementary school
• - you've almost ran over the Columbia Bike Guy
• -you played soccer as soon as you could walk.