Dirty Rat Business, Hands Off My Berger Cookie, Rock 'n Roll Takes Toll: Top Local Voices

By Susan Jenkins

Spread Holiday Cheer at Maryland Nursing Homes
There’s still time to volunteer this holiday season. The Holiday Project—a national nonprofit group that organizes visits to people in nursing homes, hospitals and other institutional care settings—needs volunteers for visits scheduled in Maryland. Visit our Giving Back blog to learn more.

Park Free in Baltimore County Through Christmas
Waiting until the last minute to finish your holiday shopping? Skip the malls and shop local instead. Save some green while you shop by taking advantage of free parking at metered spaces throughout the county. Just look for the red Season's Greetings bags on the meters. And check out the BaltimoreCountyNow blog on Patch for more holiday gifts and news.

Answers Wanted Regarding Maryland Health Exchange
“With fast approaching deadlines for citizens to sign up for health insurance in the Exchange, time is of the essence,” said House Minority Whip Kathy Szeliga from Perry Hall. “There are so many unanswered questions about the Maryland Health Exchange and the cost of this program is only increasing.” Read more in the blog MD House GOP Calls for Audit of MD Health Exchange and leave a comment for Szeliga to let her know how you feel about this issue.

Losing Our Freedom
“There is no question that salt and sugar are bad for us, as well as a multitude of other foods and additives that we eat,” wrote Peter Grayson in his blog. “Does that mean that the United States Government needs to make every decision on what we eat?” Grayson sounds off on the possible regulation of some popular foods in his blog titled Berger Cookies?

“Pay to Play” in Maryland Politics?
Change Maryland’s recent blog post addresses some findings that contractors received significant benefits from the state either before or after making donations to the Democratic Governors Association. “Did the governor and/or others in his administration solicit large contributions from contractors, then reciprocate by rewarding those donors with huge state contracts, contract extensions, or other special favors or decisions in return?” asked Larry Hogan, chairman of Change Maryland. Read the full blog post: More Questionable Donations from State Contractors to O'Malley Led Organization.

Don’t Feed the Rodents Breakfast
There are many reasons to clean up pet waste but blogger Jacob D'Aniello writes about one that people may not consider. “In developed areas, doggie deposits left on the ground can also serve as a steady, abundant food source for rats and other rodents,” wrote D’Aniello in his blog. See more: For Rats and Rodents, Pet Waste Is The Breakfast of Champions.

What? What? I Can’t Hear You
As tempting as it is to crank up the volume when your favorite song plays, blogger and audiologist Amanda Connelly advises against it. “Don't listen to loud sounds for too long, and lower the volume of what you are listening to.  This includes personal listening devices such as MP3 players,” wrote Connelly in her blog. Get more tips in her blog post titled Protect Your Hearing.