Roughly Speaking

This is an encore presentation of the podcast from Dec. 24, 2015.Dan shares a story from his New England boyhood. The Baltimore Sun first published the story Dec. 25, 1998.Preview the episode: https://soundcloud.com/baltsun/roughly-speaking-with-dan-rodricks-christmas-eve-episode-previewLinks:http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1998-12-25/features/1998359088_1_foundry-day-my-father-father-business

Since Donald J. Trump’s election, we’ve heard from a lot of people who supported the winner of the popular vote, Hillary Clinton, and who have been downright despondent or depressed over the outcome. Many have turned to other things to get their minds off the crude and divisive politics of 2016, to avoid arguments over the holidays with friends and relatives, and to feel inspired again. They’ve vowed to perform acts of kindness and generosity. They’ve turned to books, to movies and to nature. They’ve turned to art, to acts of human imagination that elevate spirits. In this vein, Dan offers something he recently discovered, an astonishing work by Beethoven that premiered 208 years ago today, on Dec. 22, 1808, in Vienna. It’s the Fantasy for Piano, Chorus and Orchestra. Hear some excerpts, including the stirring finish, and catch Dan’s commentary in our penultimate episode of the year.Links:http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation-world/presidential-elections/bs-md-president-20161108-story.htmlhttp://www.baltimo

Haussner’s Regret is Dan’s term for the remorse Baltimoreans feel when they realize it’s too late to do something they always meant to do but never did, or something they did once and enjoyed but never got to a second time. It is named for the once-famous, now-gone Highlandtown restaurant crammed with paintings, ceramics and sculpture that closed after 73 years in 1999. It closed fast, too, just two weeks after Mrs. Frances Haussner George announced she’d had enough. Haussner’s was overwhelmed with customers who wanted one last meal; some stood in line for three hours. Many had not dined at Haussner’s in forever, and they regretted it. On today’s show: Avoiding Haussner’s Regret with a Baltimore Bucket List — that is, an inventory of things every Baltimorean should do — or do again — before it’s too late, from hiking the full length of Charles Street to having a corned beef sandwich at Attman’s to enjoying the annual taxidermy show at the Walters Art Museum to jazz at the Caton Castle. Our discussion is occas

Baltimore would likely be a healthier city if it had more trees, and there’s plenty of research to support that claim. In addition to their role in human wellness, trees suck up storm water and provide awesome curb appeal to homes in city neighborhoods. Jill Jonnes, an accomplished author, is a champion of urban trees and the founder of the Baltimore Tree Trust, established in 2009 to promote tree plantings in the city, particularly in neighborhoods that have not seen healthy trees in years. Her latest book is “Urban Forests: A Natural History of Trees and People in the American Cityscape,” published by Viking.Links:http://jilljonnes.com/bio/http://baltimoretreetrust.org/our-mission-and-historyhttp://jilljonnes.com/

On Wednesday, the first day of winter, there will be a celebration of the solstice at First Unitarian Church in Baltimore — and, of course, it will be celebrated all around the world. Druids, Wiccans, Pagans and Neopagans everywhere will be hanging the evergreens and mistletoe, lighting candles and burning the Yule log, beating drums, forming circles, chanting and singing. Patricia Montley, a playwright and teacher of playwriting, wrote a book on this celebration of the Earth, and she will be leading the rituals Wednesday night at First Unitarian. She joins Dan to talk about the growing popularity of the winter solstice celebrations, which ties directly to human concerns about climate change. Montley is the author of, “In Nature’s Honor: Myths and Rituals Celebrating the Earth.”Links:http://www.firstunitarian.net/event/winter-solstice-ritual/https://www.amazon.com/Natures-Honor-Myths-Rituals-Celebrating/dp/155896486Xhttp://darkroom.baltimoresun.com/2013/12/celebrating-winter-solstice-at-stonehenge/#1

1:26: Mild-mannered Maryland Republican Richard Cross talks about the week in Trump, along with Kimberly Moffitt, political analyst and associate professor in American studies at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. From his cabinet picks to his criticism of the CIA to his attack on Vanity Fair for a bad review of one of his restaurants, President-elect Donald Trump seems to makes news every hour with his Twitter account. But he cancelled a press conference to address questions about his potential business conflicts, and his approach to Russia and allegations about Russian hacking have caused divisions within the Republican ranks that closed behind Trump following his election victory. 25:47: Film critics Linda DeLibero and Christopher Llewellyn Reed review “Manchester By The Sea,” “La La Land,” and “Jackie,” and Chris tells us what movies to expect in theaters over the holidays.

Get some fresh, informed perspective on the massive Yahoo cyber breach and the Russian hacking of the presidential campaign from Sean Gallagher, Baltimore-based IT editor of Ars Technica, the news and technology web site.

In September 1954, just four months after the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling against racial discrimination in public education, 17-year-old Walter Gill became one of the first black students to enter the elite, all-white, all-male Baltimore City College High School. He and nine other black students reached the famous "Castle on the Hill" after Baltimore’s school board voted to desegregate the schools and adopt a free choice policy that made integration voluntary. Gill, who would become the first black graduate of City — the photo, from his high school yearbook, shows Gill surrounded by his classmates — tells the story in a new memoir, "Yesterday’s Tomorrow," which details his youth and his long career as an educator. Gill will appear 6:30 Wednesday evening at the central branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library.Links:http://calendar.prattlibrary.org/event/writers_live_wah_gill_yesterdays_tomorrow#.WFAFzdIrK71

1:43: Paula Gallagher, Baltimore County librarian and Roughly Speaking book critic, offers a list of non-fiction titles -- from American history to celebrity memoir to cookbooks -- that could make good gifts for friends or relatives.26:43: Food nerd Henry Hong and restaurateur and cookbook author John Shields have some professional advice on making great soups, including savory Asian concoctions involving noodles.47:31: Baltimore bartender Brendan Dorr of the B----O American Brasserie offers suggestions for cocktails that call for brandy, as well as some holiday drinks and punches, including The Tom and Jerry.Links:http://www.bcpl.info/category/between-the-covers-blogger/paula-ghttp://foodnerd.org/2011/03/03/henrys-well-marcella-hazans-minestrone/http://www.johnshields.com/http://www.bandorestaurant.com/http://www.esquire.com/food-drink/drinks/recipes/a3819/tom-and-jerry-drink-recipe/

Today marks 75 years since the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and, soon after, the United States’ entry into World War II. The war lasted four more years. While there were many movies made about the war while it was still underway, the post-war film, "The Best Years of Our Lives," told the stories of three American servicemen returning to the states, a breakthrough movie about the pains and challenges (unemployment, adultery, alcoholism, alienation) of a soldier’s and sailor’s homecoming. The film was released in theaters 70 years ago this month and won several Oscars. Our film critics, Linda DeLibero and Christopher Llewellyn Reed, walk us through the story line of the best picture of 1946.

4:17: While a Gallup Poll shows some Americans growing more confident in a Trump presidency, mental health professionals reported a surge in demand for services in the wake of last month’s election, and the prospect of Donald Trump taking the oath as president has led to increased anxiety, confusion and hard feelings among friends and relatives. Author Jeff Gillenkirk claimed to be suffering from Post-Trump Stress Disorder, and died of a heart attack two days after his essay’s publication. Psychiatrist Mark Komrad has some advice for people who might be experiencing unwelcome levels of stress related to Trump’s ascendance, and for supporters of Hillary Clinton worried about conflicts with family members who voted for the New York billionaire. Dr. Komrad is a psychiatrist on the clinical and teaching staffs of Sheppard Pratt Hospital and the Johns Hopkins Hospital. He is the author of “You Need Help: A Step-by-Step Plan to Convince a Loved One to Get Counseling.”35:18: Book critic Paula Gallagher gives rave re

Mark Shriver, a nephew of the country's first Catholic president, goes on a fact-finding mission to learn about the life of Pope Francis, the Jesuit from Argentina who has challenged the powerful and the wealthy, including Donald Trump, since arriving on the world stage. Shriver, nephew of President John F. Kennedy and a former Maryland state delegate, serves as president of the Save The Children Action Network. His book, "Pilgrimage: My Search for the Real Pope Francis," follows its subject from boyhood to the papacy, and snaps Shriver out of this "Catholic funk" in the process.Links: http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/249196/pilgrimage-by-mark-k-shriver/9780812998023/

Bruce Snyder, a retired Baltimore County firefighter who serves as a spiritual counselor, traveled with his 22-year-old stepson, Jesse Hanlon, to the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota to support the ongoing Sioux protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Snyder provided medical care and Hanlon constructed yurts for winter housing. They witnessed a gathering of thousands of demonstrators who oppose the construction of the DALP near Sioux water supplies and cultural sites on the reservation. Snyder and Hanlon describe their experiences, including their encounters with Sioux elders, in this episode of the podcast. Some 2,000 veterans planned to gather this weekend at Standing Rock to serve as “human shields” for protesters. In Maryland, Sen.-elect Chris Van Hollen called on the Army Corps of Engineers to “de-escalate” the standoff with protesters.Links:http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/blog/bal-chris-van-hollen-calls-for-deescalation-of-dakota-access-pipeline-dispute-20161128-story.htmlhttp

Wall Street has been celebrating the Trump election victory, but will the Trump bump last? Does all the activity — the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit 19,000 on Nov. 22 while the S----P 500 and Nasdaq are at record highs — signal real growth in value or the onset of inflation? Ken Solow, founding partner in Maryland-based Pinnacle Advisory Group and its investment team leader, shares observations about market activity since Trump’s election and how Trump’s proposals on taxes and trade are viewed by both bears and bulls. Solow is the author of "Buy and Hold is Dead (Again): The Case for Active Portfolio Management in Dangerous Markets." Pinnacle Advisory, founded in 1993 and headquartered in Columbia, manages more than $1.5 billion in assets for clients in the mid-Atlantic and around the world.

From the sound of ice melting on the Youghiogheny River, to bartenders who actually listen to your order, to an open seat on the bus, Dan reflects on things he's been thankful for in recent years.

Dan shares four Thanksgiving stories and essays about the holiday — one called, "The Baby Boomer's Big Chill," about families, distance and travel; one called, "The Man Who Learned to Smile;" another about Dan’s first Thanksgiving Skype; and one about what native people of the Chesapeake Bay region called "The Way of the Heron."

2:51: Does it matter if the President of the United States tells the press he’s going to a private dinner in New York? Journalists and press advocates say yes, but the Washington press corps has never seen the likes of Donald J. Trump before. The Sun’s media critic David Zurawik talks about the president-elect and the press and what could continue to be a rough relationship, with Trump making his own rules as he goes. We also look at the press’s willingness to call out lies and racist actions by government officials, from the presidency down to small-town officials. If The New York Times does it, should all news organizations, or is that, as Zurawik states, a slippery slope?18:50: With Hillary Clinton the latest presidential candidate to win the popular vote but lose the Electoral College, is it time to dump the electors for a presidency by direct, popular vote? Christian Caryl is the editor of Democracy Lab, a project of Foreign Policy magazine in conjunction with the Legatum Institute, a London-based think

In another in our series of post-election conversations, American culture commentator Sheri Parks talks about the overwhelmingly white coalition that backed Donald Trump, the nation's racial divide and the rise in hate crimes across the country. Parks is Associate Dean for Research, Interdisciplinary Scholarship and Programming for the College or Arts and Humanities, an associate professor of American Studies at the University of Maryland at College Park. She is the author of "Fierce Angels: The Strong Black Woman in American Life and Culture," and a contributor to "Roughly Speaking."

For Americans feeling anxiety over the election of Donald Trump, some wise perspective from the German philosopher via Firmin DeBrabander, associate professor of philosophy at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Hegel, he says, believed that progress does not happen without crisis and conflict, that “happy periods are blank pages in history.” When there is peace, people become complacent about their freedom and their rights, and that sets the stage for a setback, after which people double-down again on their freedom and rights, and become more vigilant. Trump, says DeBrabander, challenges the left to fight harder and be smarter, and that’s a “golden opportunity” for progressivism. DeBrabander is an associate professor of philosophy at MICA. He has written social and political commentary for Salon and other publications, including the Baltimore Sun and the New York Times. His book, "Do Guns Make Us Free?: Democracy and the Armed Society," was published in 2015 by Yale University Press.Links:https://www.brit

Two Maryland doctors from two generations provide some simple answers to common medical questions, from the kinds of injuries they’ve seen in emergency rooms to the best rules for losing weight. Dr. John Cmar of Sinai Hospital in Baltimore is an infectious disease specialist and Roughly Speaking’s regular medical answer man. Dr. Larry Romane of Frederick, Md., spent more than 35 years in emergency rooms before retiring to write and lecture about medicine. His specialty is medicine for the layman. He teaches such a course at Frederick Community College and has written a book, “R U Medically Curious?” now in its second edition from LifeRich Publishing.Linkshttp://www.lifebridgehealth.org/Main/LifeBridgeHealthPhysicianDirectory/Cmar-John-MD-651.aspxhttps://ilratfcc.com/portfolio/medically-curious-heart-attacks-strokes/http://bookstore.liferichpublishing.com/Products/SKU-001062057/R-U-Medically-Curious.aspx