I live in two tourist towns…so I understand the trade-offs. In return for delightful restaurants and shops, we share our town with guests. It means that we have to remove refuse from our yards after every weekend, keep the sidewalks clean, tolerate noise and traffic, pay higher taxes, and maintain our homes. But it is an unspoken covenant that we are willing to enter.

However, the St. Michaels Running Festival is not a shared event. As you can see from the brochure that we received two days prior to the event, it is a takeover and St. Michaels residents and the neighboring communities are merely an annoyance to be tolerated.

St Michaels Running Festival Brochure:

THE RACE IS COMING TO TOWN. Saturday May 14^th 7AM to 12PM. Route 33 will be closed from 7 AM to 8AM…EXPECT PERIODIC DELAYS AND MINOR STOPS UNTIL 10:00 AM. Heavy foot traffic will occur (in most of St. Michaels and the surrounding area)…Please reduce your speed and watch for runners if you MUST travel during the event. We appreciate your support and patience as we welcome 2,000 runners and their families to our community.

As the brochure makes clear, this is an invasion. Allow me to paraphrase what really happens:

(Recommended) St. Michaels Running Festival Brochure:

The St Michaels Running Festival is coming to town. We are a for-profit business (that can be sold as any business); that generates substantial revenue from taking advantage of the facilities that you pay for. Please stay out of our way.

Response A: We don’t care.

• We will inconvenience thousands by shutting down the only road to the west. See Response A.
• We do not ask for your permission or appreciate your sacrifices. We are aware that we are taking advantage of your facilities paid for by your tax dollars to make our own profit. Please refer to Response A.
• We know that traffic and closures last long past 10 AM. See Response A.
• We know that a small town like St. Michaels cannot accommodate 2,000 racers and their families. Please refer to Response A.
• We prefer that you remain in your homes, so you will not be a burden to our event. Your little errands are of no concern to us. Please refer to Response A.
• If you thoughtlessly choose to venture out, understand that many of you will not be able to park next to your homes, or even get to them. Please refer to Response A.
• Do not use the nature trail, your sidewalks, or your streets for your trivial needs or to go the market. Do not ride your bike. Please see Response A.
• If you selfishly choose to use your town for your little lives, expect to be harassed by our employees. After all, you are an unwelcome nuisance. See Response A.
• We realize that we are taking over the nature trail that is heavily used by residents to enjoy nature and to walk their dogs. Get over it, it is only one morning. Consider boarding your dog or getting rid of the dog, which will solve future problems. See Response A.
• We know that we could offer this race on rural roads that are close to St. Michaels which would allow the merchants to get their revenues at less inconvenience to the thousands of impacted residents. Please see Response A.
• We could also pick an earlier time that is less inconvenient. But please see Response A.
• When we leave, please pick up the refuse in your yard…a dirty town is, well, a downer.
• And St. Michaels residents, continue to maintain your homes and sidewalks, because we will be back next year. You have no choice in the matter. See Response A.

An alternative viewpoint would be to appreciate the generosity and sacrifice of the community rather than treating them as a problem that must be contained. For example:

ALTERNATIVE St. Michaels Running Festival Brochure:

The St. Michaels Running Festival will occur on _________. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the generous residents of St. Michaels and the surrounding community. We realize that this is an imposition and would like to help you as much as possible. Please stop by the race start after 8 a.m.; we have a T-shirt for you (or gift card or tchotchke) to thank you for opening your town to us. We have posted a map of our route on our website (www.Iactuallycare) that shows where and when you can expect the heaviest foot traffic. Feel free to reach out to our race coordinators, they are there to make this as easy as we can for you. Thank you again for opening up your delightful community to us.

Or, see Response A.

Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

I am in recovery from NTBR (Need to Be Right). Admittedly, this is my own diagnosis as the DSM 5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) has yet to catch up with this disorder. When I was a slave to NTBR, I needed to correct every error and wasted time searching for evidence to prove that I was right in every argument.

NTBR is particularly vicious because it requires that the other person be “less than” you. At its mildest, it reflects inflexibility. At its height, it manifests as dominance.

Collectively as a nation, we seem to be suffering from this disorder. It is an epidemic in the political landscape. Then there are those vicious comments on the Internet.

How did we get here?

Many psychologists and educators believe that much of it comes from our national identity. Our country is based on achievement, often at the expense of others.

Others believe that NTBR is rooted in our educational system. We have grades, rankings, debates, honors programs, and activities that reward correct answers and punish incorrect ones. Imagine if students were rewarded for asking the best questions, instead? It could teach better and more inclusive solutions.

Being right affirms and inflates our sense of self-worth. But it is ironically inconsistent with learning. We learn from our mistakes.

While my unwillingness to admit I am wrong may hurt people and make me less popular, people with more impactful careers can actually do serious damage.

I am thinking of two relatively recent examples. George Schultz had a distinguished career that included getting a President elected, ending the cold war, and befriending nations. At the end of his life, he was charmed by a con artist (Elizabeth Holmes) into believing that she was changing medical care and he opened many doors to get her financing and visibility. In his defense of her, he was even willing to break with his own family after his grandson tried to alert him to the dangers. After her deceit was discovered, Schultz recognized the courage of his grandson, but was never able to admit he was mistaken in his loyalty to her. His mistake caused people to lose money and subjected others to potential harm.

Another person in the news was Leah Askey, who prosecuted the wrong person (Russ Faria) despite the accused having a strong alibi and knowing there was solid evidence (that she successfully kept out of trial) that another person (Pam Hupp) committed the crime. The higher courts overturned the verdict and eventually exonerated Faria (with apologies) after he had spent 3 1/2 years in jail. Nevertheless, Askey is still unwilling to admit that she tried the wrong person.

For those who suffer from NTBR and want help, here are my steps to recovery.

• Admit I have a problem.
• Become curious. Before I “correct”, I try to ask open-ended questions and understand what that person is trying to say. By asking questions, it allows them to correct their mistake and makes it more likely that I will learn something.
• Practice kindness. When listening to a factual error, I ask myself: “Does it matter?”
• Practice empathy. For me to be right, the other person must be wrong. I know how unpleasant that feels.
• Be kind to myself. Just because I am wrong, it does not make me less than…it makes me human. After all, most of learning comes from failure.

For the past decade, I have been trying to work on this aspect of my personality. Here is last week’s scorecard:

• I didn’t correct a person who confused a shelter with a puppy mill. (He was telling a story about rescuing his dog…did it matter where the dog came from?)
• I didn’t correct a person who attributed a work of art to the wrong painter. (By asking her questions, it allowed her to correct herself and explain her confusion, which was a much more interesting story.)
• But yesterday I couldn’t stop myself from correcting someone who used the wrong term for a plant in my garden. (I shouldn’t have done it; that person wasn’t going to go out and buy that plant…she was merely giving me a compliment.)

Alas, I am in recovery…but I doubt that I will ever be cured.

Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

This is the time when everything is covered in a fine yellow dust. Our walkways, cars, plants, and outdoor furniture look like a giant sifter in the sky has sprinkled yellow flour over the Eastern Shore. For those of us who love to open our windows to welcome in the fresh, spring air, this fine residue settles throughout our homes. We can even see it in the air.

It’s tree pollen season. So I went to the Internet to learn more about it. I discovered that most of the yellow powder that we are seeing is coming from pine trees. Scotch, loblolly, and cedar trees are working overtime to intersperse the air with a fine yellow dust.

Pollen is actually a plant’s male DNA that takes advantages of spring breezes to find a female part of the flower so that it can reproduce. The main job of pollen is to seed the next generation of trees and plants, but a new study from the University of Michigan and Texas A&M suggests that these grains might also seed clouds.

Pollen is not necessarily bad. It contains other nutrients and is a welcome addition to a compost pile. Bee pollen is being touted as a heathy supplement; but little scientific research supports this. Preliminary studies with very small sample sizes have shown benefits in PMS, prostate, and minimization of the effects of radiation on cancer patients.

For allergy sufferers, pollen is a not a welcome substance. But experts say that most of us are NOT allergic to our yellow powdery friend…instead we are allergic to the pollen that we don’t see. Our yellow dust is merely a marker for other nefarious pollens that like to mess with our immune system. Apparently, it is the oak trees, nut trees, and wax myrtles that are our real nemeses.

Airborne allergens have arrived early this year. And it suggests a long and unfortunate pollen allergy season. Tree pollen season usually ends by April, but the cool spring and mild winter are expected to prolong it into May.

More bad news. A recent article in Nature conclusively demonstrated that climate change will result in a significant increase in pollen.

So what to do? Pollen counts usually rise in the morning and reach their peak by midday or early afternoon. Weather forecasts provide pollen counts. AccuWeather predicts that May 2^nd is going to be a doozy.

So we need to close the windows to the sweet spring breezes, shower frequently, and for those of us who suffer from allergies, rely on our antihistamine pills, eye drops, and nasal sprays.

Based on pollen counts to date, scientists predict that it is going to be a long, sneezy spring, summer, and fall.

Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

My dog, Gus, is more popular than I have ever been.  A friend of mine asked me to write all of my columns about Gus…but that is too much even for me.

But there are many lessons to be learned from our animals. Here are some that I have learned from Gus.

• Greet everyone as if they want to pet you. Okay, we can change the terminology here to make it more human-oriented; but Gus believes that everyone needs to give love and receive it. For humans, a simple smile is often enough.
• Give everyone a chance to love you. Gus believes that everyone, even the scariest people will melt when he opens himself up to them.
• Make it your goal to make someone’s day a little brighter. Gus will break the leash to go into an open door; searching for someone to pet him. The nature trail is adjacent to a stable and we often see Brad, an animal lover who takes care of the horses. When Gus sees Brad, he runs as fast as he can to snuggle at his feet. Annie follows and every time he thanks them for making his day.
• Teach others the value of love. Gus taught my psychologically damaged dog, Annie, how fun it is to be petted by strangers. She now realizes that people aren’t so scary after all, and lets them pet her.
• It is never too late to change. The Gus that I adopted at 9 and the Gus that I have now are too different dogs. The first one was fearful, angry, and distrustful. Gus is just the opposite now.
• Bad circumstances lead to bad behavior, the sooner that you get out of them, the better your life will be. Gus was misunderstood and he responded with fear. But in a loving, understanding, environment he is thriving.
• Don’t dwell in the past. Live in the moment and enjoy every moment you are given.
• Each day is going to be awesome. Both Gus and Annie hover over me in the early morning (starting at 5 a.m.), waiting for me to make the slightest movement, then it is “game on.” They jump on me, snuggle, and yip…they can’t wait to start this awesome day.
• Naps are awesome. Take a nap anytime; and if possible, take it on a lap or snuggling with another dog.
• Create your own source of enjoyment. Gus believes that the best game in the world is one he developed called “Come on Gus.” When he is off leash, he holds back and waits for me to notice. I shout: “Come on Gus” and he runs at full speed into my open arms. Best game ever.
• Barking is fun, even though you get yelled at for doing it. Accept your punishment and bark on.
• Admit your mistakes and move on. If my other dog Annie is not patrolling her treat, it will disappear onto Gus’s dog bed. But when caught, Gus gives it up.
• If you don’t get what you want, “That’s okay,” there is something better on the horizon. Be happy for what you have. If Gus gets a slice of apple instead of a treat, he takes it graciously; knowing that the next treat may be better.
• Look as cute as you can at all times, and you will get a lot more attention. Learn cute expressions and body postures, the better they are, the more you get.
• Life is best lived sharing. Sharing love, sharing kindness, sharing treats (if you have to), but mostly sharing people.
• Kindness is contagious.
• You get more than you give. When my back is hurting, I will pat the area and he comes over, lies next to me, and acts as my heating pad. In return, he gets a night of snuggling

And finally:

Never, ever stop searching for love. It is everywhere and it is up to you to find it.

Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

It is that time again—early Spring, when we gardeners begin the battle with and against Mother Nature. Already the sun’s rays are warming up the soil and steady rains have enabled hibernating perennials and bulbs to send tiny green shoots peeking out above the soil.

We are ready. Armed with hoes, rakes, edgers, shovels, hand tools, clippers, and mulch. We begin removing the vestiges of winter, amending the soil, edging the beds, removing early weeds.

Our adversaries are also getting ready—and they are many.

On our side, we have our garden tools, healthy plants sheltered by a nursery, compost, and fertilizers. We also have our stubbornness and resolve. But Mother Nature is a fickle friend who can take as well as she gives.

Against us, are the time-tested enemies: invasive plants, weeds, critters, and bugs.

In my garden, my most insidious weeds are violets. Yes, the stuff of poetry, sonnets, springtime, which shares its name with a beautiful color in the rainbow. In the last two weeks, I have already pulled up thousands of violet seedlings, some so thick they form a mat. They hide within my Echinacea and Rudbeckia (black-eyed Susan); making it almost impossible to pick them out without causing damage. No weeds are more persistent in my garden than violets, but others (such as wild grasses) are equally nasty.

My next nemeses are the invasive plants that previous gardeners planted (my house is 250 years old and has had a lot of gardeners). There are a number of them, but the worst are Goose-necked Loosestrife and English Ivy. Goose-necked Loosestrife is a lovely plant that grows about 18-inches tall with medium green leaves and a long-lasting white flowerhead that resembles a goose’s head and neck. But it is also rude. Its fleshy stems go underneath plants and hard surfaces, and attach to sprinkler hoses which allow them to sprout everywhere. They relentlessly invade every flower bed and even the lawn.

The most ubiquitous invasive species has got to be English ivy. Once it is there, it is there to stay. Let’s face it, if people visit bearing English ivy, they are not your friends.

Our next adversary is the inevitable summer drought. Our clay soil hardens into a brick forbidding any rain or nutrition from penetrating, drying up the leaves and flowers.

Don’t forget the bugs. Bugs are everywhere, some are nice, like lightning bugs, but the bad ones are really, really bad. Japanese Beetles destroy the leaves and flowers of Knock Out roses. And gross, disgusting slugs slime their way around hosta leaving tracks and trails.

This year, the critters have already drawn the first blood. Bunnies are adorable, with cute little white tails that seem to bounce as they run away. My bunnies feast on my sweet pansies. They prefer the flowers, but are willing to eat the leaves of any desired plant (except the invasive ones, of course). Later, deer and groundhogs will finish off the remaining plants.

With so many adversaries, it is only our resolve and stubbornness that can see us through this battle. But we all know who wins in the end.

To quote Michael Pollan, “Nature abhors a garden.”

Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

As my readers know, I have an adorable rescue Maltese-mix named Gus. I am simply wholly, unabashedly, in love with Gus.

I love his small size, his soft, fluffy white fur, but mostly his loving, quirky personality.

But there is a problem. Gus is an older dog with heart disease. My vet suspects that he had heartworm at one time since he never had received vet care until he was dropped off for adoption. His heart is too big…which is a disease that befits his personality. He is super cuddly and loves life. He can’t wait to start each day (usually at 4 a.m.) and loves everyone he meets. My vet informed me that he could live for a couple or years or die tomorrow…just until this big heart of his finally quits.

Since I learned about his disease last year, this poor guy rarely gets an uninterrupted sleep as I periodically pet him to see if he is still with us. He doesn’t mind, he lets out a little grunt, snuggles closer, and goes back to sleep. So far, so good.

At the dog park a month ago, he had a heart incident. One of the dog park regulars is a retired emergency room doctor and tried to help; but he was fading. I scooped him up and carried him with my other dog gently following behind. I placed Gus in his dog bed, gave him an aspirin, and my other dog, Annie, placed herself sphinxlike next to him; just watching and looking up at me. Neither of us knew what to do.

In that instant, I decided that if this was going to be his last day, it was going to be his best day. Gus is a foodie (as well as a flawless vacuum cleaner) and except for dog medicines, I have yet to find something he doesn’t like. He would sell me for a hot dog (lest any of you get any ideas and go to the store to buy hotdogs…I would like to keep him as long as possible).

I cut up an apple and placed it next to him; he lifted his head slightly. Then I went to the kitchen to fry him a hamburger. At the same time, I commenced frying bacon for a Quiche Lorraine. The bacon did what bacon does, sizzle and pop, and disperse its aroma throughout the house.

I went back to check on my little guy, almost tripping over him. There he was, sitting at attention in the kitchen. He was alert; his large doe eyes staring at the bacon and then back at me, his head tilted, his ears slightly up, in his best “aren’t I cute” pose. My little guy was back and ready for some bacon.

I explained to a disappointed Gus that if I gave him bacon; it would be his last meal. But he kept looking at me and then back to the bacon; gently trying to help me understand.

Little Gus is still with us. I have no idea why I still have him; but I am grateful for every moment.

When these things happen, I try to explain or learn from them. So here are three possible explanations.

1. It wasn’t his time.
2. I may have misinterpreted his symptoms and he was only tired.
3. Bacon cures everything.

Who knows, but me for…I am going with the healing properties of bacon.

Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

I learned from a reader that James Audubon, the famous naturalist painter, was black. I was really surprised, since I visited the small, local Audubon Museum in Key West and the docent never mentioned it.

The reader was right, Audubon was the son of a slave-owning French Sea Captain and an enslaved Creole woman. Surprisingly, Audubon (who looked “white”) was an ardent racist, owning black slaves, and writing critically of emancipation. In school, I learned of his art and his talent, but not his heritage or his views.

I was taught the history of propertied, white men. I am not critical of that; these men had the platform. Our country’s founders were white, mostly-privileged males who were courageous and selflessly worked to build a country. And since I learned history through those eyes, I didn’t know, for example, that there was a female Paul Revere, named Sybil Ludington, who also warned of the approaching British Army.

The historical narrative that I was taught was a pretty simple one, good vs. evil. But even the best people have shortcomings.

We now know that Thomas Jefferson fathered six children with Sally Hemmings, his slave. He died in debt, unable to fulfill his promise to free all of his slaves upon his death.

Ben Franklin was a lothario.

One of my heroes is Margaret Sanger. She dramatically changed women’s lives by advocating for birth control for all, regardless of race or economic status. The widespread availability of birth control has arguably done more for women’s rights than any other innovation. Birth control allowed women to become educated, pursue careers, and explore their sexuality. Yet, Sanger also supported the racist philosophy of Eugenics (although, according to Wikipedia, she stopped short of some of the more virulent racist forms).

Other heroes, such as Gandhi, had shortcomings as well. In his younger days, Gandhi was prejudiced against Black South Africans.

St. Paul is often reviled for his statements about women, yet his statements were a product of the misogyny of the day (for example, daughters of famous biblical figures are rarely mentioned). Women were among the first and most revered patrons of the early church and St Paul recognized and supported their leadership.

Famous historical figures also had interesting talents and interests. Richard Nixon was an accomplished musician. George Washington and Helen Keller were animal lovers (Helen Keller introduced the Akita to America).

In school, I learned about the ruthlessness and brutality of Genghis Khan. But he also was progressive (for his time), allowing religious freedom and prohibiting the capture and enslavement of women.

Today’s students learn more about different kinds of people. They are taught about largely hidden contributions (like Black American, Lewis Latimer whose filament patent was an important contribution to the invention of the lightbulb).

But most history still ignores frailties or achievements that don’t fit the narrative, giving us an incomplete picture, either canonizing or demonizing.

Today, we love to tear people down. Celebrities and politicians know all too well that the higher they rise, the more likely that they will become a target.

And I wonder, if we learned the full history, the frailties, and accomplishments of our historical figures if we would be less likely to venerate or demonize them. Recognizing that even our heroes suffer from the same human condition that we do, making mistakes, being flawed, may help us to accept the flaws in some of today’s heroes.

Just a thought.

Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

Many of us have been fascinated by the story of Theranos and its founder Elizabeth Holmes. Every major news show has produced a story about it. There are podcasts and YouTube videos about it. HBO, Netflix, and Apple TV have produced documentaries, mini-series, and a movie. The fraud was first revealed in a series of Wall Street Journal articles and the nonfiction book, Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup, by John Carreyrou.

For those who don’t know the story. Elizabeth Holmes dropped out of Stanford after a 1 ½ years to start a company whose lofty goal was to make blood testing available directly to the consumer. She claimed to have developed the technology to do 200 blood tests on a desktop device from a single drop of blood. When she presented her vision to a Stanford professor, Dr. Gardner explained it was not possible due to physics, medicine, and chemistry constraints.

But Holmes was able to convince another Stanford professor, Dr. Channing Robertson. Ms. Holmes most valuable skill proved to be her ability to mesmerize old, white men.

Holmes dropped out of Stanford with no medical training and two semesters of engineering education. While a limited education is possible when writing code; building a biomedical device requires advanced degrees in chemistry, physics, medicine, and engineering. Ms. Holmes had none; but she had charisma, a strong will, and a willingness to lie.

She put together a board of highly accomplished older white men, including Dr. Robertson, George Schultz, Henry Kissinger, Larry Ellison among others.

With a board of this caliber, she was able to obtain over a billion dollars in funding, and at one time her business was valued at $10 billion. A young woman leading a Silicon Valley unicorn (defined as a start-up valued at more than $1B), was a story that everyone wanted to hear, and she was on the cover of Fortune, Forbes, Inc. as well as national papers, news shows, and fawning seminars.

But experts knew that one would have to circumvent the laws of physics, engineering, fluid biomechanics, and medicine for her device to work. Despite Theranos’s intense efforts to keep this fraud a secret, it was only a matter of time before her high profile attracted the attention of an award-winning journalist. John Carreyrou exposed the fraud.

Holmes lied and misrepresented her capabilities, her personal life, her contracts, her revenues, and her life story. Holmes ruthlessly ran her company, forbidding collaboration and mistreating employees. Theranos was willing to risk the lives of their patients.

Her fall from grace was swift and dramatic. She was convicted of fraud and will be sentenced in September. At one time she was worth $4.5 billion, and collecting $400,000 annual salary as CEO of Theranos, today she is worth $0.

While Theranos was garnering all of this attention, there were other lesser-known startups that were equally fraudulent.

Trevor Milton of Nikola Motors has been indicted for fraud. At its peak, Nikola Motors was valued at $34 billion. Nikola Motors promised ecology-friendly hybrid and Hydrogen fueled trucks with fueling stations. They were able to secure substantial financing from GM, Bosch, BP and other well-known energy companies.

Milton never had functional vehicles and even faked the demo by towing a shell prototype to the top of a hill and filming it rolling down.

Like Holmes, Milton was a college dropout with no expertise in his area; but he could sell a dream. Who doesn’t want trucks with the same power as diesel engines that don’t pollute the environment? Who doesn’t want to move to Hydrogen technology? To date, it has been tried by many companies and its success remains elusive. So why would investors believe that someone who doesn’t have the knowledge or expertise could do it?

Unlike Holmes, Milton rewarded himself financially and is now worth almost $1 billion.

The next member of this rogue’s gallery is Adam Neumann, who despite misleading investors, walked away with $1.7 billion. He founded WeWork, a company that offers desk rental space for small companies. His differentiator was that he created a design and software to allow innovative, exciting collaboration in his spaces. At its height, WeWork was valued at $47B.

Almost messianic, Newmann is very charismatic. Unlike Holmes, he was able to enrich himself by many means including personally buying real estate and renting it to WeWork, trademarking the name, and selling the trademark to WeWork for over $5 million.

Neumann also dropped out of college and did not understand the financials that are required to be successful in real estate. He told investors that the company was profitable when in fact, it was losing money, up to $2 billion per year.

He also worked his people shamelessly, sometimes up to 20 hours per day, telling them that they were changing the world and would become rich in the process. At the same time, he knew that their small options would never make them wealthy. And he walked away with $1.7 billion, while the company didn’t have enough money to give the thousands of employees who were laid off basic severance. Had he cared about his employees as he had claimed, he might have taken a little less, so they could have a little more.

Neumann has inexplicably not been indicted, nor does it appear that he will be. His biggest investor, Softbank, has been left holding the bag. WeWork is still operating, but no one knows for how long.

While the crimes are similar, the coverage is not, with Theranos’s story generating almost 9 times more copy, documentaries, movies, etc. than the other two put together. Given the differential coverage and the fact that Newmann and Milton were able to enrich themselves at the employees’ expense I wondered if this was an example of women paying a steeper price for mistakes than men.

But then I re-read Carreyrou’s book. Nikola Motors and WeWork were considered fun places to work (at least until Newmann exhausted and shafted his employees). On the other hand, Holmes treated her employees brutally, firing them, threatening them, monitoring their personal and work emails, putting spyware on their computers. And she was indifferent about her patients, unconcerned that her machines could result in inaccurate medications. And she lied, and lied, and lied…at the same time obsessively needing attention. She threatened, followed, and sued former employees to keep her secrets. One of the former employees (George Schultz’s grandson) faced $500,000 in legal bills for talking to the reporter.

And her defense? She began by having a baby before her trial, hoping that juries would be sympathetic to the needs of the mother of a young child. She claimed that she was abused by her lover who she had made the COO of the company. She protested that she was treated less respectfully because she was a woman. The woman who had to know everything about her company all of a sudden, had no idea that this was going on.

Being one of the few successful women in Silicon Valley enabled her to get exposure that men didn’t typically get…and when it all fell apart, she played victim. She claimed she only cared about changing the world, not herself, and she may have made mistakes on her way.

Women are still paid less than men and are still subjected to sexual harassment and have a tougher time in the workplace.

But not in this case. Holmes deserved everything she got.

Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

For women’s history month, I would like to recognize the courageous young girls and women who spoke up about their child abuse.

I am talking about the survivors of sexual abuse by Dr. Larry Nassar, the USA Gymnastics (USAG) team doctor and professor at Michigan State University (MSU).

For those who do not know the story, Dr. Larry Nassar treated gymnasts, dancers, and other athletes for the USAG, gyms, MSU, schools, and in private practice. He was well-known in the sport in part because of his Olympic and MSU connections. He treated thousands of patients over his 30 year tenure. He specialized in sports injuries; and, it turned out, child abuse.

To date, hundreds of young girls and young woman have reported being sexually abused by Dr. Nassar. But it took 20 years to get someone to listen.

Nobody listened. Not the Meridian Township Police in Michigan who investigated a complaint in 2004. Not the male and female coaches who subjected these young girls to emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. Not the FBI, who ignored the 2015 complaint sent to them by the USAG and in another case waited 15 months to interview victims. And their silence meant that Nassar continued to abuse young women and girls.

Not Michigan State University, who ignored and discounted almost a dozen complaints by young female athletes. Not the coaches who continued to send these gymnasts to elite camps where they were physically, emotionally, and sexually abused. Not the US Olympic Committee (USOC), who gave USAG director, Steve Penny almost a $1M severance package after the abuse was revealed. Not the USAG and the US Olympic Committee (USOC), who allowed abusive coaches to move to different gyms.

And there was retribution for young girls who complained; one victim was inexplicably not selected for the 2016 Olympic team.

Not the parents of one victim who demanded she apologize to Dr. Nassar for lying. Not the department chair of MSU who was eventually convicted of sexual harassment. Not the professors who were Dr. Nassar’s colleagues who provided critical testimony on his behalf against a Title IX complaint filed by a victim in 2014. Not the MSU Office of Institutional Equity who allowed Dr. Nassar to handpick his reviewers, and who deleted inconvenient facts in their vindication report.

The institutions that were put in place to protect these young girls and women, chose to protect their abuser instead.

Yet, these little girls and young women persisted. One young woman insistently reported her abuse in 1997 to the MSU Gymnastics coach; only to be rebuffed. Another young woman filed the “unsubstantiated” Title IX complaint. A gymnastics coach overheard young girls talking about Dr. Nassar’s “treatments” and instead of reporting it to the police, reported it to USAG. The USAG, ignoring the law, sat on it for 5 weeks before turning it over to the FBI. It wouldn’t have mattered because the FBI inexplicably ignored the report (an FBI supervisor was trying to get a job at USAG during the time).

Finally, someone listened. A courageous young woman, Rachael Denhollander, contacted the Indianapolis Star in 2016 and agreed to reveal her abuse publicly. At the time, Dr. Nassar was a popular physician. Ms. Denhollander suffered ridicule, shame, anger, mockery, Internet trolls, and was accused of lying. Other victims followed; despite being shamed by a public who supported their abuser. The dominos continued to fall as more women contacted the newspaper, willing to tell similar stories.

A few more adults began believing them. A police detective at Michigan State University and the Michigan prosecutor in 2016 believed them. And finally, after decades of abuse and 20 years of thwarted attempts to report abuse, the girls were heard.  What is particularly tragic is that had the first victim been listened to in 1997, hundreds of young girls would have been spared.

While these survivors will have to live with the memory of abuse, they recognize that the shame belongs to their abuser. One hundred twenty five survivors spoke directly and publicly to Nassar at his trial. Courtroom attendees stated it was an extremely moving experience. These young girls, standing tall, facing their abuser, ashamed no more.

Today, many of these young women have chosen to work to protect future victims. They are allowing their stories to be told and have testified at Congressional hearings.

Sexual abuse is serious problem in America. One in seven girls will be molested before they are 18. One in 25 boys will be molested. Only 1/3 of abuse is ever reported.

But these young girls and women have provided a blueprint of courage for future victims. Impressive, isn’t it.

Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.

Friends come from the most peculiar places.

Take my little Maltese dog, Gus, for instance. (The white dog in this picture.) I adopted him from the SPCA. Most little dogs are snapped up quickly in rescue. But Gus had been incarcerated at the SPCA for months.

I intended to adopt the dog in the adjacent cell named Milo. Milo was an adorable 3-year old, 10-pound poodle mix who was a perfect dog, sweet, friendly, young, happy, and playful. Gus, on the other hand, required an experienced dog owner; he was aggressive, bit anyone who he didn’t like…which was pretty much everyone, not housetrained, older, etc. I quickly fell in love with little Milo, but the head of the SPCA convinced me that Gus had limited opportunities for adoption and appealed to my expertise, my ego, my empathy, and anything else she could find to get me to take this dog.

So, I walked away with the biting, leash aggressive, dog aggressive, food aggressive, toy aggressive, man-hating, nasty, unhouse trained, snarling little white dog. I figured since he was older, at least I wouldn’t be saddled with this guy for too long. But he surprised everyone when I discovered that Gus was simply misunderstood. He is one of the sweetest, most affectionate, joyful little creatures that has ever been in my life. He loves everyone. He is one of the best gifts that I have ever received.

Little Milo was immediately adopted by a family who had never had a dog.

Like Talbot County, Key West is a small place. One day Gus and another dog got very excited when they spied each other. It was little Milo, and he and Gus snuggled like they were brothers and not fellow inmates who inhabited adjacent cells for only a week.

I became friendly with Milo’s owner, who had originally wanted to adopt Gus, but was told that Gus needed an experienced dog home.

Now whenever Gus and Milo see each other, they run toward each other at full speed and just snuggle. Gus is too old to play, and Milo understands that. So, they sit together (Gus is the white dog, Milo the black and gray-sprinkled dog) just quietly enjoying each other’s company.

And I imagine that they are grateful for their new lives, each in the perfect home, comparing times in the joint, and celebrating how they have gone from abandoned to adored.

But I know better. Gus and Milo are just living in the moment. They are enjoying the sunshine, the ocean breezes, the briny smells, the bright green grass, and watching other dogs play in the dog park.

They are simply sharing this moment with their best friend.

Angela Rieck, a Caroline County native, received her PhD in Mathematical Psychology from the University of Maryland and worked as a scientist at Bell Labs, and other high-tech companies in New Jersey before retiring as a corporate executive. Angela and her dogs divide their time between St Michaels and Key West Florida. Her daughter lives and works in New York City.