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We in Maryland heard some good news during the past week: due to conservation efforts and weather conditions, the Blue Crab population is going to be about 35% higher this year. This is good news for crab lovers, but especially good news for the watermen along the Chesapeake, who make their livings from the 'Beautiful Swimmers'. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/chesapeakes-blue-crab-population-grows-35-percent-dnr-predicts-robust-season/2016/04/13/8bebdcbc-0192-11e6-9d36-33d198ea26c5_story.htmlThe first time I encountered a crab, I was a teen, lying in bed asleep, when my brother came into the room, dangled a live crab in front of my face, and yelled, "Wake Up"! He had come home from a friend's house with...

she calls herself the “World’s Meanest Mom,” but a Minnesota mother said she has a reason for selling her daughter’s dream truck on Craigslist. Amy Adams said her daughter “decided that her grades don’t matter, that she can disrespect myself and her siblings on a daily basis and that she has the right to skip school and run away from home.” Adams added her daughter, who was just about to get her driver’s license, “was on her ‘one more chance and the truck was getting sold.’ And, she blew that ‘one more chance’ on Monday when she decided to skip...

In a triumph of common sense, historical awareness, and crazed enthusiasm for a Broadway rap musical, the Treasury Department has announced that Harriet Tubman will replace Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill, which will void a previous decision to take Alexander "Hamilton" Hamilton off the $10. (Update, 4:45 p.m.: Treasury says there will still be some sort of image of Jackson on the back of the bill.) This is great news, and it brings up another important question: Which historical figure should our current president, Barack Hussein Obama, replace when we honor his legacy by putting him on an item...

It is quite tempting to draw parallels between the Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders movements in America and the populist movements that have been rocking European politics for many years. There seems indeed to be, on both sides of the Atlantic, a growing discontent about traditional politics and a feeling among ordinary citizens of being betrayed by a complacent and pathetically incompetent Establishment. As a result, we are seeing a swing to both right-wing and left-wing demagogues. The parallel between Trump and the French Far Right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen, who founded the French National Front and passed it to...

Jack Hylton & His Orchestra "I'll Say To You" HMV B5407 (1928)

Wall-Mart .22 rimfire has been uncommon for three years now. When President Obama pushed for more infringements on the Second Amendment, starting in 2013, the demand for .22 rimfire skyrocketed. Instead of raising prices on the ammunition sufficiently to bring demand down to reasonable levels, manufacturers tried to keep prices stable to earn customer good will. It failed as a strategy. With the demand so high, less public entrepreneurs purchased all the .22 they could obtain, then offered it over the Internet, at gun shows, and other venues, at three to four times the price purchased. The producers stayed with...

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Savoy Orpheans “Fascinating Rhythm” Song by George & Ira Gershwin From the show "Lady Be Good!" Recorded 1926

Alert (TA16-105A) -- Apple Ends Support for QuickTime for Windows; New Vulnerabilities AnnouncedSystems Affected Microsoft Windows with Apple QuickTime installed Overview According to Trend Micro, Apple will no longer be providing security updates for QuickTime for Windows, leaving this software vulnerable to exploitation. [1] (link is external) Description All software products have a lifecycle. Apple will no longer be providing security updates for QuickTime for Windows. [1] (link is external) The Zero Day Initiative has issued advisories for two vulnerabilities found in QuickTime for Windows. [2] (link is external) [3] (link is external) Impact Computer systems running unsupported software are...

Long before we had 'The Pioneer Woman', we had a Pioneer Lady: Jane Watson Hopping, who published many cookbooks featuring old-fashioned recipes and reminiscences of country life. Last weekend, while Liz was posting those beautiful, fresh, Spring-like salads, we were having weather that was very bitter for April - biting winds, low temps, and even some snow. At the thrift store I found Hopping's book, 'The Pioneer Lady's Hearty Winter Cookbook', and it seemed perfect for the strange April day that we were experiencing. The book is full of recipes; but remarkable for how the recipes are framed by old...

Police in Montana are on the lookout for three suspects who robbed the Tap Inn at gunpoint on April 11. The scene was quite chaotic, but it didn't stop one couple from kissing through the entire incident.

This is the monthly Microsoft Security Bulletin, a.k.a. "Patch Tuesday". It's another load of patched flaws, many serious including browser vulnerabilities. A good Register article: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/12/microsoft_patch_tuesday_12apr16/ Microsoft's official list: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/bulletin/

Microsoft has added a QR code to its infamous Blue Screen of Death in Windows 10. As of Windows 10 Insider Preview build 14316, when the operating system falls over, you get not only the sad ASCII smiley but also a QR square that contains an encoded URL that leads you to a webpage about your problem. Scan it with a smartphone or other handheld and your browser will be taken to the embedded web addresses. Right now, it just points to windows.com/stopcode, which explains typical Blue-Screen-of-Death causes, but in future it could contain detailed information about the crash –...

<p>Stand away from the grill, chefs say, and use a skillet. ‘Making a medium-rare burger is actually a good test of a young chef’s abilities.’</p> <p>The ingredients are simple—salt, pepper, ground meat and the inalienable belief that any American can make a decent hamburger.</p>

I worked for several years in a large office that included many people who were originally from other countries. We had people from India, the Philippines, China, Korea, and Africa; and our office potlucks were amazing. I first tasted Ethiopian food at one of those parties, when a young woman made 'Siga Wot', a spicy beef stew; and 'Injera', the spongy, fermented sourdough bread that is used to scoop up other foods, and sometimes used as a sort of 'plate'. To make Siga Wot, you must first have Berbere, a spicy seasoning used in many Ethiopian dishes. There are many...

Back in the day - we're talking WAY back in the day - beer was brewed with malt, and bread, and honey and wine . . . and just about anything that could be fermented. How the ancients brewed - and how you can too! Archaeology and beer seem to go together, and it’s not just because a cold brew helps wash the dust from your teeth after a long day on the digs. I’m an archaeologist by profession and a homebrewer by avocation. Lots of archaeologists brew their own, and those who don’t often have a passion for more...

It is thought that some of the weapons being resold — including a component of an anti-aircraft defense system — were looted from Libyan state custody after the death of the country’s ruler Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi in 2011

The plan arose out of complaints that overly aggressive topless women...

"Just Like in a Storybook" & "I'm in the Market for You" are played by the Manhattan Melody Makers.

"I'm In The Market For You" & "Just Like In A Storybook" Ambrose (1930)