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THE WEISS CHRONICLES

Chronological Account of the Weiss family with contextual remarks, some weather, sports and other news. You can write to me at: mhw20854@yahoo.com The people in the Weiss family are: Martin, Ann, Beth and George. I also sometimes write about other people or our pet.

Tuesday, May 31, 2005

Helpful Bureaucrat

I called the Md Comptroller (compliance section) today. They had sent us a note asking about Beth's 2003 state taxes. The man answering (named John) was very nice, very helpful and actually found the problem (the keystroke opoerator had entered '225....' for the SSN instead of '226....'. He then told me that I didn't have to do anything and that he would send a resolution letter.

This is the second time I've called the State on this kind of matter. The other time they were equally nice and equally helpful - it had to do with State withholding social security when George worked for the Univ food service.

posted by Martin Weiss # 1:35 PM

I've forgotten

George and I were watching the Comedy Channel and Jeff Foxworthy was on. I pointed out that Foxworthy was the guy who, during the time lots of people (e.g., Seinfeld) were doing observational humor, got the bright idea to do the same thing with a southern accent and thus made himself a market niche. George responded,

"I forgottten what other types of humor were."

posted by Martin Weiss # 1:32 PM

Friday, May 27, 2005

Mall Stabbing

A woman was charged with stabbing several people in one of the priciest stores in one of the priciest Malls in the area (Nordstrom of Montgomery Mall). She had just been released from prison where she had been for 3 years after a conviction for multiple vandalism - in an upscale retail area (not the same one) in the county. She is from Greenbelt in the neighboring county.

posted by Martin Weiss # 10:17 AM

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

One Day Construction

At the White Flint metrorail station, the bus stops are being upgraded. The shelters will have thicker plexiglass walls (probably unbreakable), more steel frame and a truss roof instead of a bubble roof. The new shelters (one on each side of Rockville Pike) were installed in only one day each (one yesterday, one today). This along with free bus service for 5 months. Hmmm. What's going on?

posted by Martin Weiss # 10:17 PM

Sump Pump Backup - Darn that thing

In 1998 we had a basement flood. A thunderstorm had knocked out power and because the sump pump uses electricity, it was off during a hard rain and heavy runoff. We got a backup system consisting of a recharger, marine battery and various connectors, sensors, etc.

In 2001, the recharger started beeping. We called the company and based on their input we had the recharger fixed. It still beeped. We then got a new battery. It still beeped. We got a new sensor. It still beeped. Then on May 24, I got a new battery (30 cycle 12 volt) which replaced the old 24 cycle 12 volt. It didn't beep for about 24 hours and I thought it was fixed but Ann just called the beeping started again. Arrrrgggh.

posted by Martin Weiss # 8:12 PM

Sunday, May 22, 2005

Concert Late - Flutist stuck on Metrorail

Ann and I went to a Concert today. Joseph Kromholz was doing a violin solo (Dvorak). The concert began late because they were waiting for the lead flutist who had gotton stuck on a Metrorail train. After about a half hour they decided to start anyway. The Conductor told a short story that went as follows:

He also conducts a church choral group. They were raising money to get a new piano. They had some problems and began selling keys, chords, octaves. They were still $2000 short before the next concert. He say the church VP for music and litergy in the hospital. The VP asked the conductor, "Don't play any notes that haven't been bought yet."

The conductor could quite do that but decided to leave out some musical phrases which began with notes left out. The audience was informed before and after what had happened. They raised all the money within 24 hours.

We happened to meet one of Ann's ORT friends and stopped at their house for a bit to pick up some administrative ORT stuff.

posted by Martin Weiss # 7:36 PM

Saturday, May 21, 2005

Is Natan Sharansky Really sitting near me

So I was in Synagogue and in comes a short fellow, well dressed and sits near me. He looked a little like Natan Sharansky. It turns out it was him. He evidently came for a meeting of middle east reformers (some Sunnis from the Syrian Reform Party and some from the Saudi Arabian equivalent - although they like to call themselves Arabians because they hate the Saudi family so much).

Also some good jokes on kashrut.

1. A very thin Haredi guy is leading prayers one day and doing so very energetically. One of the minyan asks another, "A lot of energy for such a thin fellow."
The response, "Yes. He is so haredi, he not only doesn't eat at other people's houses, he also doesn't eat at his own."

2. A Haredi guy dies and goes to world-that-comes. The is a big buffet under the welcome sign. The Haredi guy asks one of the attending angels, "I don't see a heckure sign or a Vaad seal."
The angel responds, "Well God is the Mashgiach here."
The Haredi thinks for a bit and says, "Well, maybe I'll have some fruit salad."

posted by Martin Weiss # 10:42 PM

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

Some more sports stuff

A few days ago, the Ariz Diamondbacks finished their season series against the Washington Nationals. The Diamondbacks got exactly 3 runs in each of the six games they played (they were 4-2 vs. Washington). Also two days ago, the Chicago White Sox had their streak broken. They had gone 37 games in a row (the entire season) with having a lead for at least one point in each game. Finally, Chipper Jones (Atl) now leads in the most HRs at the beginning of a career, all under one manager (Bobby Cox).

posted by Martin Weiss # 11:45 AM

They Found Me

Yesterday I got a brochure from the dept of Atmospheric and Space Science in the U of Wisc. Madison. Obviously, they did some detective work to find me. I do get the U of Wisc alumni brochure so I guess they just did a match with graduates of the department. Also, obviously, they want some donations to one or more of the various honorary funds which are named for various professors whose names I recognize. However, I don't recognize any of the named professors who are currently in the department.

posted by Martin Weiss # 11:41 AM

Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Day Games and more Day Games

Today these are 15 games scheduled in major league baseball. Twelve of them have afternoon starting times. We're checking (actually Stanley Cohen, from whom I get a lot of my sports information is checking) to see when the previous time this happened.

posted by Martin Weiss # 4:49 PM

Snappy Comeback

I had finished exercising today and was coming into the locker room. One of my co workers (who works out more than I do but it probably more overweight than I am), frequently has said I should work out harder. Today he saw me and said,

"You look like you've barely broken a sweat."

I responded, "Oh yeah, well if you think I'm goofing off now you should see me at my desk."

posted by Martin Weiss # 4:46 PM

Directions to a Rendezvous

I was giving ladies, both members of the same ORT chapter, a ride to a predesignated rendezvous from which they were to get another ride to an ORT meeting. When I met lady #2, she was so excited and had so much to say about the meeting, she didn’t realize for several minutes that I was not another ORT lady who had previously promised to give them a ride but who had to back out of at the last minute because of an illness in the family. After she noticed, the two ladies discussed the rendezvous point. We had two directions. The first, “It’s to the left of the Rockville metrorail station.” I found this amusing because, given the fact that the station is, in effect, a polygon, everything is to the left if one drives clockwise around the station (given we drive on the right, the natural path would be a clockwise path). The other direction was that it was at the intersection of Middlelane and Stonestreet Ave. It turns out no such intersection exists because Middlelane becomes Park Street east of Rockville Pike where Stonestreet Ave is (and what a funny name Stonestreet is).

posted by Martin Weiss # 2:17 AM

Sunday, May 08, 2005

Wizards Again

With their win over Chicago yesterday, the Wizards won a playoff series for the first time since 82 (before George was born) and won a seven game series for the first time since 79 (before Beth was born).

posted by Martin Weiss # 2:39 AM

Another Oldy Baseball Player

Julio Franco (ATL) became the oldest player to hit a home run in 75 years yesterday (vs Houston). He had already (in 2004) become the oldest player to hit a grand slam homer; that year he batted .309 and had 6 home runs for the season.

posted by Martin Weiss # 2:25 AM

Friday, May 06, 2005

Your worst nightmare

G called and said, "This is going to be your worst nightmare".

I responded, "Huh."

G clarified, "I'm going to tell you something that will require you to think during work."

It was something about some temporary residence during the summer. Ha. Ha.

posted by Martin Weiss # 3:27 AM

Beth Leaves for Israel Again

Beth has been here since the week before Passover. She left today. She has a huge heavy bag and three lighter ones but she'll be going directly from the airport in Tel Aviv to a friend's house (where she has been invited for Shabbat).

posted by Martin Weiss # 1:14 AM

Wednesday, May 04, 2005

M in Western Md

I was in Garrett and Allegany counties, Md the past two days. The Rosebud trees were in bloom all over the place and Deep Creek Lake and vicinity are very, very nice. It was quite cold in Garrett county with temperatures in the daytime in the low 40s. There was still snow on the slopes of one of the ski areas - partly manmade no doubt. Both counties have some interesting tourism things going on. Also I was suprized that the Frostberg campus of the U of Md has gotten so big. Its actually big enough to get lost in.

One of the people I met told an interesting story about how Savage River (also Savage Mountain) was named. It seems that there was a Mr. Savage who was part of a surveying crew that was stranded one year by late spring snowstorms (certainly believable after this trip). The crew ran out of food. Mr. Savage had begun to lose his vision and his legs were getting numb and he volunteered to be eaten. Just before Mr. Savage was to be butchered, the crew spotted some smoke and signaled to another survey party which then shared their provisions. Mr. Savage recovered his vision and his sensation in the leg but his sentiment was honored.

A bit yucky but interesting.

posted by Martin Weiss # 6:14 PM

G leaves for School

George had been here since two days before Passover. He lugged a lot of stuff in a suitcase with a non functioning roller and hand carried his computer case thru 6 or seven transfers from one form of public transit to another. Yuck. He managed to lose his room key but its pretty good that he got back to school without damaging the computer or damaging the suitcase more than it already is.

posted by Martin Weiss # 1:11 AM

Tuesday, May 03, 2005

Cold

Had a bit of frost locally as Dulles and BWI both had record low minimums. About 20 other states had record low minimums. Temperatures were in the low teens in ND where all time record May lows were set. All time May lows were also set in about 8 other States. During the period May 1-4, over 120 record low minimums were established.

posted by Martin Weiss # 12:40 AM

Sunday, May 01, 2005

Not Good News

Ann got the results back from a biopsy. There were some active cancer cells. An operation will take place. Assuming there is no spread of the cancer cells - and there usually isn't with the type of cells in this case --- the operation will take care of things.

posted by Martin Weiss # 8:17 PM

Wizards Win First Playoff Game since 1988

After losing the first two road games to the amazingly good outside shooting of the Bulls, the Wizards won at home 117-99. This was their first playoff win (when the team was named the Bullets) since 1988 (a 104-101 win against Detroit in the 4th game of that playoff series). It was also the first time since 1974 that the frashise had 4 scorers at 20 or more points.

posted by Martin Weiss # 2:36 AM

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