Merry Christmas!

The neighbors are once again outdoing themselves with the array of holiday inflatables decorating their lawns. But for whatever reason, I don't find the Christmas-related ones nearly as intriguing as those put up for Halloween. I do love a good display of lights, whether they be the white twinkly ones or the more traditional multi-colored string.  However, my photographic skills are not sufficient to capture these effectively.

So merry Christmas to all who celebrate and to all those who enjoy the festivities no matter their faith. And I'll leave you with this photo of a creative and low-cost approach to decorating.

Telling the Story of Black Broad Branch and Belmont

The Friendship Heights neighborhood, which straddles the line between DC and Maryland, has become a bit of a ghost town with big retail failing during the pandemic, emptying out two indoor shopping spaces -- Mazza Gallerie and Chevy Chase Pavilion -- plus countless other smaller spaces. A business improvement district (BID), the Friendship Heights Alliance, has been formed to spur redevelopment and what they called "placemaking" on both sides of the District line, but it's going to be awhile before the area is vibrant again.

Say what you will about BIDs, one positive step by this one has been activation of the streetscape of a PEPCO substation along the west side of Wisconsin Avenue between Harrison and the south entrance of the Metro station, with exhibits focused on neighborhood history. Last year, local historians worked with students at Jackson-Reed High School to tell the story of the taking of the Fort Reno from Black residents who lived there after the Civil War and into the early 20th century. And this week, a new exhibit opened to tell two additional stories of the area's shameful past: the forced relocation of Black families living along Broad Branch Road to create a school and park serving White families, and the actions of the Chevy Chase Land Company to prevent development of Belmont, a subdivision on the Maryland side of Chevy Chase that was the brain child of Black developers. The last panel brings us out of the past to the present, suggesting opportunities for repair and reparations. 

The project, a collaboration of independent historians, the DC History Center, and the University of District of Columbia, will likely be up for awhile so you have time to wander over to absorb it all. 

Martin Weil is a National Treasure

You are probably wondering who Martin Weil is and why someone you've probably never heard of should be considered a national treasure.  But feast your eyes on this from the Sunday Washington Post:

At a time when weather reports focus on the sensational, Weil, a longtime reporter for the Washington Post's metro section, takes the mundane and makes it special.  I'd call these pieces tone poems but the specific details on weather metrics keep them in the realm of reportage.

How he does this day after day is beyond me so I reached out (actually twice) to learn more from the man himself. But he never responded, leaving me to imagine his motivations and source of inspiration.  I have a lot of bones to pick with The Washington Post these days, as it lays off seasoned reporters and cuts back on local coverage in its quest to be recognized as the national paper of record. But the fact that Weil is still doing his thing gives me hope.

Thank you Martin Weil for sharing your insights, lyrical prose, and detailed reporting.

For Your Listening Enjoyment

 

From Foxtrot Comics by Bill Amend

These days when getting together with friends, the conversation predictably leads to three questions:  What are you reading? What are you watching? And, what are you listening to?

I love a good podcast and love having the company in my pocket while I cook, do yard work, or just take a walk. My podcast listening started (predictably for my demographic) with This American Life and Serial but has since branched out. When I gave up my New Yorker subscription, finding that I could either read books or read The New Yorker, it was nice to realize that Terry Gross routinely interviews the authors of the magazine's longest articles, condensing hours I would have spent trying to understand the origins of an overseas conflict or the ins and outs of cryptocurrency, with a tight 50 minutes on the Fresh Air podcast.

But sometimes subscribing to an interesting podcast can feel as much like a chore as doing the laundry or striving for in-box zero. So what I really love is a good limited series that reels me in for 6 episodes or so and then I'm off the hook.  In that spirit, here are a few of the limited series I can heartily recommend.  Listen, as they say, "wherever you get your podcasts."  

Wind of Change: In 1990 when things were changing rapidly in Eastern Europe, the West German band, The Scorpions, had a mega hit with a power ballad, Wind of Change. This podcast by the same name asks the question of whether the song was actually written by The Scorpions or by the CIA. Yes that's right. In the hands of Patrick Radden Keefe, a journalist who had huge success with books about the troubles in Ireland and the Sackler family, this question doesn't seem so silly.

Anything that Rachel Maddow puts her hands on:  Rachel Maddow is incredibly impressive but I find her TV show to be a bit much given that she generally makes her point in the first 10 minutes and uses the remaining 50 to make it again and again. But the three limited series podcasts that she has produced and hosted are all top notch, focusing on parallels between sometimes forgotten moments in U.S. history and politics and the present day. Bagman is all about Spiro Agnew, who was forced to resign from the vice presidency (fortunately before Nixon resigned).  Ultra takes us back to the 1930s when there was a strong fascist streak in American politics, and Deja News riffs on the question of "has this happened before?" with a series of different stories on the theme. That Maddow is a good storyteller is no surprise, but I also love that she doesn't hog the spotlight from her  collaborators.

Buried Truths: This podcast, hosted by former Atlanta Constitution managing editor Hank Klibanoff and produced by WABE, focuses on civil rights cold cases.  Klibanoff has pressed his students at Emory into action to help uncover the truth about cases from the 1950s and 60s where justice was not served.  The team combs court records and FBI files, and interviews the surviving children of those either falsely accused or all too often murdered. Technically, this is not a limited series because there are now four seasons in the book but each season is one long arc about one story. It's amazing how Klibanoff and his students turn historical scraps of evidence into a compelling narrative. Plus I love hearing it all in Klibanoff's soft Alabama accent.

Scamanda: One of my former colleagues turned me onto this -- a riveting tale about how a young woman named Amanda scammed hundreds of people (including members of her own family) into giving her tens of thousands of dollars supposedly for cancer treatment. Why do we find true crime so addictive?  I can't say but this one will definitely keep you wondering what happens next.  My one complaint is that the eight episodes could probably have been trimmed to just six.

La Brega:  Back when my job required me to think about how Medicaid worked in the U.S. territories, I discovered this podcast all about Puerto Rico. This was a fascinating dive into the history and culture of a place that is both part and apart from the rest of the United States. You can listen in either English or Spanish; either way, you won't be disappointed.

Do you have a favorite limited series to share?  If so, drop me a line in the comments.