May 2024 Sky Watch: Meteors and Morning Planets by Denis Herrmann
The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.
Nonpartisan Education-based News for Talbot County Community
The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.
While Agent 86 is beginning to get quite the reputation as a gifted spy drone operator, she or he still reported on the ground from time to time with surveillance photographs that equal those reconnaissance reports. In this case, they are reported from downtown Oxford a significant mass of residents taking to the street yesterday. It was a relief to know that the locals gathered from the beloved Oxford Day parade rather than a planned protest.
This video is approximately three minutes in length.
The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.
Exciting time at the Avalon Theater on Dover Street Easton, Maryland in 1950! The movie “ Stars in My Crown” was a Western Drama released in 1950 and starred Joel McCrea, Dean Stockwell, Amanda Blake, who played Miss Kitty on the TV show “ Gunsmoke”, and James Mitchell B. 1920 D. 2010! Evidently James Mitchell was in Easton for the premiere showing! Mitchell was a broadway and film actor and dancer who also played the roll of Palmer Cortlandt on the TV Soap Opera “ All My Children” from 1979 to 2009! Facts: Wikipedia.
Photo from the Talbot Historical Society’s Laird Wise Collection. Contact: Cathy Hill [email protected] to share your old photos and purchase our collections photos. Comment, Like our page and join the Talbot Historical Society
The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.
As part of our ongoing series in the Spy, Agent 86 has been collecting reconnaissance footage of great Mid-Shore communities, and he has just submitted his second report. In this case, 86 filed a report on the beloved Chestertown Downrigging festival from last year.
This video is approximately five minutes in length.
The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.
“Cough in your corner” was the mantra repeated over and over in my kindergarten classroom upon our return from spring break. We had a healthy January and February but travel and a week apart introduced a new strain of germs to our group.
COVID took a big bite out of me over two weeks ago. It began innocently enough with laryngitis and a stuffy nose. The third day brought a throbbing headache which I recognized as a COVID symptom. The fourth night was wrought with night sweats. High fevers and brain fog were next. The final symptom was the loss of my sense of smell. I was exhausted despite sleeping over fourteen hours a day.
Sitting in an Ancient Minerals magnesium bath for twenty minutes helped with my recovery. According to PubMed Central, magnesium is an essential mineral or element for immune health. Our bodies can’t “make” magnesium, we must get it from outside our body. Transdermal sprays and creams are a quick and effective way to replenish magnesium levels and prevent deficiency. Vitamins C, D, and zinc are also recommended by PubMed Central to boost the immune system while recovering from COVID.
Unity Point Health suggests eating a teaspoon of local honey and gargling with salt water to soothe a sore throat and cough. Hot tea and broth are also recommended to ease COVID symptoms.
Amy Galper, noted aromatherapist, has a protocol for regaining one’s sense of smell after COVID. Olfactory dysfunction affected five to fifteen percent of COVID patients in a review by the CDC in 2022. That number has increased to sixty percent in 2024.
Four times a day I individually inhale jasmine, lime, eucalyptus, and cinnamon essential oils. This process is a treatment option for people with olfactory dysfunction. I have been sniffing the oils for several days now and I can actually get little whiffs of coffee brewing.
Regaining one’s sense of smell is important for a patient’s quality of life, and it is a safety issue. Smell is a form of emotional support, but it also warns you about gas leaks, rotten food, and other dangers.
The new CDC Covid guidelines recommend returning to work after 24 hours of being fever free without taking fever-reducing medication. The key change is five days versus ten days of isolation. My symptoms started improving so back to work I went, not 100% but better.
When the first cases of COVID emerged in March of 2020, the WHO stated that none of the American population had any specific immunity against the COVID pathogen. At least 98% of the U.S. population now has some degree of protective immunity against this severe illness. The CDC 2024 Yellow Book states that hybrid immunity protects with long-term durability against severe COVID illness.
In the spring of 2023, the federal declaration of Covid-19 as a public health emergency ended. As of the end of 2023, nearly one in four adults had still not caught COVID . The CDC stopped its case counting as part of its Covid tracker because states stopped reporting the information. Despite elevated levels of COVID, hospitals are reporting that they have avoided large-scale spikes in admissions.
“That which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
Kate Emery General is a retired chef/restaurant owner who was born and raised in Casper, Wyoming. Kate loves her grandchildren, knitting, and watercolor painting. Kate and her husband, Matt are longtime residents of Cambridge’s West End where they enjoy swimming and bicycling.
The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.
Professional photographer Laird Wise from Trappe, Maryland, took many c. 1950s photos of baseball players at Federal Park Baseball Stadium, which was located between Federal and Bay Streets in Easton, Maryland. Can you identify either of these baseball players? Maybe you have information about the A’s on their uniforms? Which team did they play for?
Photo from the Talbot Historical Society’s Laird Wise Collection. Contact: Cathy Hill [email protected] to share your old photos and purchase our collections photos. Comment, Like our page and join the Talbot Historical Society!
The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.
No, not Stormy Daniels and the Trumpster. That situation’s neither sublime nor quiet. Rather, as you’ve probably guessed from the pictures, I’m writing about the pine pollen storm now in full fettle.
The man sitting at the C-Street bar in St. Michaels, between bites of his egg and sausage breakfast sandwich, chased with the Lord’s Liquor (H2O), didn’t waste any words in his opinion of nature’s version of Dr. Suess’s oobleck. “I see absolutely no redeeming value in pine pollen.”
I was allowing how there must be some nutritional value of pollen, maybe as a fertilizer or something like that to give it a smidgen of positive patina.
Didn’t want to be disputatious, being in the morning and all. Not good for the digestion. But, it stirred my curiosity, like the swirl of pine pollen on puddles and other local waters.
Turns out that pine pollen is even available commercially for treating a whole host of physical issues. Green stuff can be made with that green stuff.
Given that pollen is the male fertilizing component for pine and other plant reproduction, it’s not surprising to find “boosting testosterone” nestled in the list of potential health purposes of pine pollen discussed at healthline.com.
Here’s just a smattering straight from the site:
“Pine pollen has long been used for a variety of health-related purposes, such as supplementing the diet or adding to foods, slowing aging, reducing fatigue, boosting testosterone, and treating a variety of conditions, including colds, constipation, and prostate disease.
“Some of the proposed health benefits of pine pollen are anecdotal. This means they’re derived from personal testimony rather than research studies. “However, scientists have been actively investigating the potential benefits of pine pollen. … Pine pollen has the following nutrients: protein, fatty acids, carbohydrates, minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, and vitamins, such as B vitamins and vitamin E.”
Given all that, is it too far-fetched to think that ingesting a couple of teaspoons of pine pollen could, after all, be an aid to digestion or even a COVID-19 deterrent?
If nothing else, the subtle green of pine pollen could be pretty, sprinkled atop a cup of creamed coffee like some of those fancy baristas do. Think spin art or a Rorschach test.
And, you have to admit, there’s something poetically romantic about the thought of a few dashes of pine pollen spread, perhaps in a chevron design, across a succulent set of shad roe. Spring and rebirth. Isn’t it grand?
Go outside now and breathe deeply. Ahhh – feel that lift?
—
The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.
Earth Day
“Good evening, a unique day in history is ending. A day set aside for a nationwide outpouring of mankind seeking its own survival.” Those were the words of Newscaster Walter Cronkite as he described the aftermath of the first Earth Day in 1970.
The protests brought together people from all walks of American life, accounting for ten percent of the U.S. population, to demonstrate and voice their demands for sustainable change. Amid the demonstrations, protesters brought New York City’s usually bustling Fifth Avenue to a halt. The environmental impact of the post-war consumer boom was beginning to be felt at that time. Oil spills, factory pollution, and other ecological threats were on the rise, with little, if any, legislation in place to prevent them.
In July of 1970, the Environmental Protection Agency was established by special executive order to regulate and enforce national pollution legislation. Earth Day also led to the passage of the Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts. President Jimmy Carter signed bills during his years in office banning DDT and lead in gasoline.
April 22, 2020, was the fiftieth anniversary of Earth Day. The theme was Climate Action. Due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, most of the three-day celebratory activities were held online. In many places, staying at home at that time, resulted in cleaner air for the short term. The climate crisis and sustainability are not new concepts, but it feels as if we’re only taking baby steps toward solutions and change. Could it be that Earth Day has been around for so long that we’ve lost the spark for environmental action?
The theme for Earth Day 2024 is Planet vs Plastics. Earthday.org has called for a 60% global reduction in plastic production by 2040.
World War II necessitated a great expansion of the plastics industry in the United States as the need to preserve scarce resources made the production of synthetic alternatives a priority. Plastics provided those substitutes. Plastics production during World War II increased by 300%.
According to author Susan Freinkel, “In product after product, plastics challenged traditional materials and won, taking the place of steel in cars, paper and glass in packaging, and wood in furniture. The possibilities of plastics gave some observers an almost utopian vision of a future with abundant material wealth thanks to an inexpensive, safe, sanitary substance that could be shaped by humans to their every whim.
Through the 1960s and into the 1970s plastics became more and more a part of everyday life. Thanks to injection molding and thermoforming, goods could be produced quickly and affordably, making items that used to be a luxury more accessible to people around the world and from all walks of life.
Plastic debris in the oceans was first observed in the 1960s, a decade in which Americans became increasingly aware of environmental problems. Rachel Carson’s 1962 book Silent Spring exposed the dangers of chemical pesticides. In 1969, a major oil spill occurred off the California coast, and the polluted Cuyahoga River in Ohio caught fire, raising concerns about pollution. As awareness of environmental issues spread, the persistence of plastic waste began to trouble scientists.
Plastics became a special target in the 1970s and 1980s as anxiety about waste increased. Plastic is disposable but lasts forever in the environment. It was the plastics industry that offered recycling as a solution, encouraging municipalities to collect and process recyclable materials as part of their waste management systems. However, recycling is far from perfect, and according to the Science History Institute, most plastics still end up in landfills and the environment.
CBS Sunday Morning had a disturbing opinion about recycling in their story about a study called “The Fraud of Plastics Recycling.” According to the story, experts have said that 48 million tons of plastic waste is generated every year in the United States, but only five to six percent of it is actually recycled. This story accuses the plastics industry of a decades-long campaign to “mislead “ the public about the viability of recycling. The story goes on to state that the plastics industry will say pretty much whatever it needs to in order to placate American consumers.
CBS experts say that each year at least eight million tons of plastics enter the ocean-the equivalent of one garbage truckload every minute. By 2050, there will be more plastic by weight than fish in the ocean.
The United Nations Environment Program suggests steering clear of purchasing plastic gloves, making sure that our toiletries are plastic-free, choosing food without plastic packaging, and rolling our sleeves up and organizing a clean-up. There is hope if we all do our part.
Kate Emery General is a retired chef/restaurant owner who was born and raised in Casper, Wyoming. Kate loves her grandchildren, knitting, and watercolor painting. Kate and her husband, Matt are longtime residents of Cambridge’s West End where they enjoy swimming and bicycling.
The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.
The Railroad Station of Royal Oak pictured here was established near the railroad’s crossing of Oak Creek where it empties into the Miles River. The Station was actually a mile or more from the town of Royal Oak, Maryland at a place now called Newcomb, Maryland. Newcomb was named after Robert Newcome who owned property near there and died in 1790! Facts: “ Rails Along the Chesapeake” by John C. Hayman 1979. Photo recently donated to the Talbot Historical Society by John Dodson. Contact: Cathy Hill [email protected] to share your old photos and purchase our collections photos. Comment, Like our page and join the Talbot Historical Society!
The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.
Considered religious objects which could attract kind spirits, wind chimes have maintained their enchanted status throughout time. A wind chime is thought to ward off evil and purify and enhance positive energy within a certain space.
With Spring in full force we find ourselves opening our windows to enjoy the cool, refreshing air. The gentle tinkle of wind chimes resonating with the breeze is thought to attract positive vibes to your home. Wind chimes have enchanted us for a long time with their pleasant sounds, dispersing negative energy and helping us to relax on our porch or in our garden. They are beautiful to listen to and the wind chime’s benefits make them a great addition to any home.
Wind chimes serve a multitude of purposes, from the aesthetic to the spiritual, making them a cherished addition to any home. Their unique construction enhances their ability to channel and distribute mystic energy throughout a space. Wind chimes, with their calming tones can completely alter the atmosphere of your home.
The healing effects of wind chimes have been recognized for a long time. Their soothing background noise from the natural breeze can help relieve stress, anxiety, and mental tiredness. The harmonious sounds can aid breathing, quiet racing thoughts, and promote relaxation. The soothing sound waves of a wind chime are great for settling down at the end of the day or before bed.
Whether bamboo or wooden wind chimes, their sound vibration and the number of their rods have a purpose. According to wind chimes Feng shui, the five rod metal wind chimes are incredibly optimistic. This wind chime benefits the five elements of nature, earth, metal, fire, wood, and water. Such wind chimes help establish synchronization between people and the elements of nature, thereby suppressing all negative energies and bad luck. The sweeter the sound a wind chime produces, the more significant the good luck it brings to the inhabitants.
Wind chimes should be hung indoors where energy is stagnant, and therefore, needs an energy cleanse. Inside bedrooms, they should be placed near the windows from which a gentle breeze blows throughout the day, producing enchanting chiming sounds that usher in positivity and peace. Bamboo wind chimes are popular bedroom choices, their soothing effects help fight insomnia and stress.
Wind chimes are more than just an attractive piece of home decor. “Chi” in the word chime stands for positive energy as per Feng Shui. It is known to attract fortune and good luck in the house.
After seeing them in friends’ homes, I bought my first Capiz shell wind chime while living in Hawaii. With louvered windows and the trade winds blowing, the Capiz shells made such a magical sound. Many people believe that Capiz shells are symbols of good luck and prosperity. It is also thought that Capiz shells bring balance between the physical and spiritual worlds.
Tones have a healing effect on our bodies, calm our minds, and awaken our spirits. The resonance and vibration of sound releases stress and emotional blockages in the body. Sound connects us with our environment, nature is never silent. Sound stimulation can nurture behavioral changes and emotions. Positive sound can ease the feeling of loneliness and isolation. The gentle sound of wind chimes can greatly help to create positive energy. Wind chimes can correct negative, harsh, or dulling sounds in the environment such as the sound of traffic.
Wind chimes help enhance the mind/body/spirit connection bringing us a sense of peace and well being.
Kate Emery General is a retired chef/restaurant owner who was born and raised in Casper, Wyoming. Kate loves her grandchildren, knitting, and watercolor painting. Kate and her husband, Matt are longtime residents of Cambridge’s West End where they enjoy swimming and bicycling.
The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.