DOESN’T MATTER (A Prognostication)

My informant Doktor Khaos and I were chatting the other day, and I mentioned to him how often I hear chitchat in Play It Again Sam and elsewhere about the looming presidential election: “I want X to win. But Y is my second choice.” “Who do you want to win?” “It’s time for a change, I want change.” It’s the opinion of Doktor Khaos that people are worked up for naught: “It doesn’t matter who wins,” says the good Doktor who as a professional oracle would know. “Whoever it is will inherit a mess so huge that they’ll never be able to clean up. They’ll be blamed for the Bush legacy and leave office in disgrace.”

DINING DRAMA CONTINUES

DESPERATE DINERS The Old Mill, a favorite for lunch, announced plans to close its doors on 3/29/08 in an ad published in the most recent Tidewater Trader. But weep not, the Mill isn’t really closing. It’s changing its name to the Fish Whistle and moving from its current spot (that fronts a parking lot across the street from the Cross St. bike shop) and will re-open in the former spot of Reiley’s on the River, in “Late April.” Perfect timing for diners to sit on the deck and watch the osprey show…..FEELING CONFLICTED Marylanders may get a $5 monthly bonus from the State if a Pipkin proposal goes through, according to an article in the Sun. The money is intended to give taxpayers a break in the face of rising energy costs, and its coming from a fund set up for conservation and energy efficiency. If passed, I’ll take my five bucks to Rose’s and buy a candle to read my triple-digit power bill by.

Carnival of Maryland is Up « ROTUS

A warm thank you to Rotus for the Carnival update and the description of the Maryland Bloggers Alliance! Click here: Carnival of Maryland is Up « ROTUS

ATTN: ENVIRONMENTALISTS & HISTORY BUFFS

What are you doing Tuesday, 3/25/08? Here’s a plug for an excellent upcoming event. Speakers of this stature rarely visit these parts, so take advantage!

WHAT:            DISTINGUISHED AUTHOR VISITS WASHINGTON COLLEGE
WHO:              Dr. Karen Halttunen
WHERE:          Washington College’s Casey Academic Center , Chestertown , MD
WHEN:            Tuesday, March 25, 2008, at 4:30 p.m.
ENTRY:           Free & open to the public 
Be warned: you will be greatly informed by this event! Lovers of American history will be drawn to this dynamic talk on the1800s New England Landscape. But the appeal is not just scholarly—using a wealth of research and analysis, Karen Halttunen approaches the subject of the natural environment

TIME WELL SPENT

One of the perks of living in this town is the farmer’s market, which was back in business today after its usual winter hiatus. It was a bit cold, and the number of vendors was smaller than usual, but the offerings were fab, Easter flower pots, Amish baked goods, local honey and jam…and of course produce.

I don’t know if it’s the opening of the shiny new Target store in Easton or confusion over which holiday weekend the Tea Party falls on, but the visitors from big cities were out in force this weekend.

Last weekend a bunch (a hundred or so) Chestertown folks travelled en masse to DC to see none other than Laurie Anderson at the Smithsonian. Remember her from the 80s? Well she looks much the same–that’s definitely a compliment when you consider how the rest of her 80s art/music world friends have fared. Her act was all new, no recycling, and really interesting.

White House (Click thumbnail to view)

This is a picture of the White House taken the day that a good portion of town made the trip together to attend a Washington College event in DC.

The Quaintness-O-Meter Results Are In!

A very unscientific study (released today) reports that Chestertown is the Quaintest Town in America. I should add that the study was completed by me, and consisted of a couple years worth of flipping through brochures, newspapers and magazines, as well as window browsing at the local real estate shops. According to my tabulations, Chestertown was described as quaint almost as many times as Senator William Donald Schaefer has been burnt in effigy here.

Doctor Doctor Give Me the News…

So I wrote this story just published in a magazine about a series of trips to medical offices that resulted in my discovering that a.) I had asthma and b.) I’m allergic to darn near everything. I was inspired to write the story because somebody said it sounded like “overtetsting” to her. But not a single test in my story falls in the disreputable category (bottom), so I am very grateful to my doc!

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Medical tests can be an inconvenient part of life, but their value—keeping us healthy—is priceless. According to the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), which was founded and is funded by the federal government, screening for these conditions is effective and highly recommended:

Cervical cancer
USPSTF recommends women aged 65 and under be screened. Pap smears should be carried out at least every three years.
Colorectal cancer

Meet Doktor Khaos

My informant DOKTOR KHAOS predicts a McCain victory in November. You probably never heard of Doktor Khaos, but I can tell you he has an excellent record of accurately predicting the future. (It was in the middle of Bush’s announced promise to bag Osama bin Laden, or at least scrape some of his DNA off a cave wall, that the Dok said, “They will never find him.”) Thus spake the oracle about 2008: “Hillary beat Obama in Texas, which is a pretty accurate indicator that he’ll lose the South come November. So although Obama will be the Democratic candidate, he’ll lose to McCain.”

FALSE ADVERTISING. For the second time this week, the blue-eyed man of my dreams and I gathered up bottles of potable water and a battery operated radio before we took refuge in the closet in an attempt to survive the series of twisters promised by the local news . Both times we said our goodbyes and waited for the fabric of our universe to go to shreds. The power didn’t go out, but I believe I saw some rain did splash the window…so it was a close call.

LOOKING UP & AHEAD

BLOSSOM PATROL HAS NO LEADS. The starlings have arrived here on the Shore, a sign that spring can’t be far away. One of the most notable things about the seasons changing around here is the rotating-door wildfowl. As soon as one species of bird vacates the area, a new group arrives. The greenery and so on hasn’t made a dramatic appearance yet, but if you watch the sky for a while, you’ll see sure signs of an approaching spring…..“NADER ANNOUNCES PLAN TO RUIN 2008 ELECTION” Have you heard that one yet? Ralph Nader is an extraordinary guy. He says that every move he makes is to benefit future generations, which you may not believe, but I think that’s really his motivation. Which means that whether folks like him or no, he’s going to power on, making this an exciting election.