Bed

One of the first conversations my fiancé and I had after the spastic, electric dust settled from our engagement was about our registry. I am a slob, wannabe chef and part magpie, so getting presents to help me organize, cook and fulfill my need to see sparkly stuff seemed awesome. It didn't occur to me at first that we wouldn't register -- until Rob (my fiancé) suggested something radical. No gifts. Just wine. We're moving into a new home and hope to build a wine cellar in the stone basement.

In July 2010, Adarien Jackson's 6-year-old son, Kaden, began complaining of itchy bumps on his ankles. They soon turned into a rash and spread to his back, behind his ear, and on his eyelid. The child's pediatrician and dermatologists tried allergy drugs, diet changes, oils and oatmeal baths. But it wasn't until months later that Jackson discovered the cause of the problem. Kaden's twin brother, Kyler, began waking in the middle of the night, crying out, "Bugs are crawling on me!"

It appears Sen. Jamie Raskin, the Montgomery County senator who is sponsoring legislation that would ban minors from using commercial tanning beds, does not have much faith in American teenagers, their parents or the proprietors of tanning salons. Tanning booths are all timed for 10, 15, or 20 minutes depending on the chosen tanning booth and are set by the proprietor. There are even instructions for setting the bed for 2 to 3 minutes to enable one to work their way up to the longer times.

The clean, bright hallways of Baltimore's new homeless shelter lead to laundry rooms, private showers and a cluster of computers. The building outshines in nearly every regard the temporary facility it replaced, advocates say. But the $8 million shelter does not measure up to its predecessor in one respect: It has 100 fewer emergency beds. As temperatures fall, Baltimore officials are scrambling to come up with a plan for sheltering the city's growing homeless population on the coldest nights.

Homeless advocates and a civil rights group renewed threats Tuesday to sue the city over discrimination at its newly completed $8 million shelter, which offers far fewer beds for women than men. "The city chose to provide beds for men and not for women. That's discrimination," Sonia Kumar, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, testified at a City Council committee hearing. "Women were literally sleeping on the street because of these discriminatory actions. " City officials said they found 20 additional overflow beds for women earlier this month to supplement the 75 beds at the shelter.

The holidays are for family. But while we can squeeze folks around the table for turkey, or into the living room to unwrap presents, sometimes they just have to sleep somewhere else. Here's a sampling of some area hotels that could a good fit your relatives. The Indulger Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore 200 International Drive; 410-576-5800; fourseasons.com/baltimore For guests who want elegance and refinement and aren't afraid to reach into their wallets to find it, you'll want to point them straight to Baltimore's newest hotel.

Advocates for the homeless called on Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake Tuesday to open more shelter beds for women, arguing that the city discriminates against women by making significantly more beds available to men. "Women are literally being left out in the cold," said Sonia Kumar, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland. "It's so egregious it's hard to believe. " Carolyn Johnson, managing attorney for the Homeless Persons Representation Project, said women are being turned away from the city's new $8 million shelter on Fallsway when the beds are filled.

The 52-year-old musician who was fatally shot by a Baltimore police officer Sunday night was sitting on his bed at the time and had refused to drop a weapon that turned out to be a pellet gun, according to the Police Department. Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said officers were called to Steve Mach's home in the 3600 block of St. Victor St. after his roommate called police to report that Mach was armed. The roommate said he was fearful for his own safety. Officers entered the home and went upstairs, where they found Mach sitting on his bed, Guglielmi said.

Invited over to help celebrate his son's first birthday, 25-year-old Hari P. Close III had been a no-show. But overnight Tuesday, Close crept into the home where his son lived and climbed into bed with the boy's mother, records show. On Wednesday morning, 1-year-old Dalyire Damion McFadden was missing, and he was later found by police wrapped in a deflated air mattress in the basement. He had been stabbed in the neck, police say. Close, who was an aspiring male model, was charged Thursday with first-degree murder in his son's death and was being held without bond.

Late July is the height of vacation season, but instead of a week at the beach or a trip to Europe this year, many Americans are still opting for the staycation or choosing to visit friends or relatives for a long weekend. Whether you find yourself bunking at your sister's place in San Francisco or are in the position of hosting out-of-town guests yourself, one thing is for sure: You'll soon understand the importance of a well-appointed guest room. An uncomfortable guest room sets the stage for a memorable visit — for all the wrong reasons.