"What Could Have Been At Bistro Blanc" - HowChow

Food blogger HowChow describes a disappointing experience after attending Bistro Blanc's half price burger night on Wednesday.

The blogger writes, "We have friends who really enjoy Bistro Blanc. We even loved bits of the meal like those pickles, the mushrooms, sprouts and lettuce garnishes, and the bread basket.  But we have had a series of sloppy, disappointing dinners, including an epic failure in 2009.  We couldn't get over last night's experience -- a lonely 40 minutes and badly-cooked meat."

"Gun Control" - HoCo Rising

Tom Coale examines the arguments emerging around gun control after the Sandy Hook shooting. Coale specifically addresses non-gun control ideas such as arming teachers and increasing security at schools.

On arming teachers he writes, "If we don't hear this idea for another 100 years, it will be too soon. First and foremost, teachers may not want to carry a firearm, go through weapons training, and have the necessity of such a weapon creep through their thoughts as they are drafting a lesson plan on Charles Dickens."

"Is Howard County Executive a dead end job?" - HoCo Connect

Duane St. Clair asks the above pertinent political quesiton as Howard County Executive Ken Ulman gears up for what many in the state believe will be a 2014 gubernatorial run.

"The advancement of previous HoCo Democratic County Execs to statewide office shows how difficult it is to not be the candidate from one of the two large Democratic voting blocks. Liz Bobo got appointed to a state job before joining the State Legislature as a delegate. Hugh Nichols moved out of the county for a private job before his term even ended. Jim Robey was elected to the Maryland Senate. Ed Cochran went back to being a chemist."

"The Season Making You SAD?" - HoCo Well and Wise

Jean Pfefferkorn, of the Howard County Library, takes a look at SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder, a recurrent depression that coincides with lack of sunlight in the winter.

"Many of us feel blue during times of holiday stress, when expectations are high, money perhaps scarce, and too much activity is on everyone's plates... Managing the symptoms at home may involve simple strategies, such as exercising, eating healthily, spending time with family and friends, and maintaining a regular sleep schedule. Monitor yourself for early signs that the depression may be getting worse, and if it does, contact your primary care doctor."

"What I Told My Children About Sandy Hook" - Lisa B, Mrs. S

Lisa B shares with the public how she explained the deadly school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary to her children.

"Anyway, when people hear about a bad thing that happened, they sometimes worry that the same bad thing can happen to them. This man did a very bad thing, and I hate that it happened, but I am not worried about it happening to you. This kind of thing is so rare, it almost never happens. There is nothing the school could have done to prevent it from happening. There is nothing you or I or your school can do to make sure it never, ever happens to you, just like there is nothing we can do to make sure a meteor never falls from space onto your school. I'm not worried about it."

Are you interested in weighing in on a local or national issue? Post your thoughts on Patch. - Click here to start a blog.