Generally, I am very satisfied with my children’s schools. I am particularly fond of the School my girls attend for its professional administration. No school is perfect and every school has problems, but my general impression is that the school runs a tight administrative ship.
That being said, I do have one gripe with the administration. Every year, when you have completed your tuition arrangement with the school, the parent receives an admission ticket. This ticket is to be presented by each child on the first day of school, to prove that tuition was paid or arranged. We of course received our welcome packet with our two tickets as soon as we finalized tuition several weeks ago. One ticket for Shenzi and one for Violet.
On Tuesday night, Violet came home from school and explained that she was advised that she must bring in her admission ticket the next day. Apparently, Violet forgot her ticket the first day.
Now, honestly, isn’t there a better way to confirm that parent’s paid or arranged tuition? Why should it involve the children at all? Doesn’t the school have an account receivable system that tracks who has and who has not paid or arranged tuition? What would the school have done if Violet forgot her ticket again? Sent her home? Sold her as a slave? Shouldn’t the school have called Rikki or me? Couldn’t they just check whether tuition was paid, and not involved Violet or us at all?
Am I missing something?
Thursday, September 04, 2008
The minimum for the Max
My family and I rarely eat out in restaurants, so you won’t see many posts on this topic. On Monday we did go out to eat to celebrate the beginning of the school year and the end of the summer.
We decided to try something new, so we went to Max’s in Baltimore. I was excited to go as I am a big fan of Max’s in Silver Spring. I like the atmosphere and the food at Max’s is Silver Spring. I particularly like the beeper system, where when you place your order you receive a beeper. When your entire order is ready, your beeper indicates that your food is ready and can be picked up. I like this as you don’t have to deal with, or tip a waiter, and you don’t have to worry about not knowing when your order is ready.
However, Max’s in Baltimore was a huge disappointment. This is not a stand-alone restaurant with an informal and entertaining ambience. It is a little corner in Amanda’s. The tables are cramped together, the menu is severely limited, and the general ambience is poor. AND THERE ARE NO BEEPERS. You just have to listen for them to call your number. I hate that. This is not what I expected based on my high regard for the original Max’s.
The only good thing I can say is that the food was good. Nothing spectacular, but good. Rikki and I had a Schwarma in a Pita. The Schwarma is better than the other Schwarma available in Baltimore, and the Schwarma building process is less stressful than the other Schwarma available in Baltimore.
The kids had kid’s meals, which consisted of French fries, a tiny cookie, and the choice of a hot dog, hamburger, or chicken nuggets. I of course tasted the kid’s food and it was also good.
In short, I was very disappointed.
We decided to try something new, so we went to Max’s in Baltimore. I was excited to go as I am a big fan of Max’s in Silver Spring. I like the atmosphere and the food at Max’s is Silver Spring. I particularly like the beeper system, where when you place your order you receive a beeper. When your entire order is ready, your beeper indicates that your food is ready and can be picked up. I like this as you don’t have to deal with, or tip a waiter, and you don’t have to worry about not knowing when your order is ready.
However, Max’s in Baltimore was a huge disappointment. This is not a stand-alone restaurant with an informal and entertaining ambience. It is a little corner in Amanda’s. The tables are cramped together, the menu is severely limited, and the general ambience is poor. AND THERE ARE NO BEEPERS. You just have to listen for them to call your number. I hate that. This is not what I expected based on my high regard for the original Max’s.
The only good thing I can say is that the food was good. Nothing spectacular, but good. Rikki and I had a Schwarma in a Pita. The Schwarma is better than the other Schwarma available in Baltimore, and the Schwarma building process is less stressful than the other Schwarma available in Baltimore.
The kids had kid’s meals, which consisted of French fries, a tiny cookie, and the choice of a hot dog, hamburger, or chicken nuggets. I of course tasted the kid’s food and it was also good.
In short, I was very disappointed.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Concierge Medicine?!
I have been seeing an excellent internist as my primary care physician. Dr. Louis Malinow is a great physician. He is friendly and down to earth. Patients even call him Dr. Lou, instead of the more formal Dr. Malinow. He tries very hard to be on time for appointments and spends a reasonable amount of time with you when you come in for a visit.
His office staff is ok (which is far better than most doctors’ office staffs which are awful). While they are ok, ok is excellent in comparison to most doctor office staffs.
A few weeks ago, I received a letter advising that Dr. Malinow will be joining MDVIP. Essentially this means that Dr. Malinow will charge $1500 per year for the privilege of being his patient. This $1500 is of course in addition to any payments for services from the patient and the patient’s insurance company. You still need to pay for the services you get from Dr. Malinow, but you must pay $1500 per year for this privilege.
The patients who are willing to cough up the money do get a lot of nice benefits. Your yearly physical is far more comprehensive than a standard physical, appointments can be scheduled the same day or the next day, and the doc spends much more time with you when you visit.
I do understand why Dr. Lou is doing this. He is an excellent doc with an excellent reputation. He currently has approximately 4000 patients in his practice. He is pulled in a million directions. He works weekends and night catching up on paperwork and returning calls. I know because he calls me on weekends and at night to let me know the results of any tests or to respond to any questions I have.
So he is cutting down his practice to 600 patients who are willing to pay, and the other 3400 are out in the cold.
But Dr. Lou really needs to look at this from another perspective. It is unfair to require patients to pay $1500 a year, in addition to paying for services received. If one is old and the government pays for your health insurance than it is not a big deal to pay 1500 for the right to see your doc. But is you are a young/middle aged person with a family, and paying up to $10,000 a year for health insurance, and thousands in copays and deductibles, it is unfair to expect an additional 1500 on top of that. Basically, only old people and wealthy people can avail themselves of Dr. Lou now. If that is the king of practice that Dr. Lou wants than that is his prerogative. Sounds like a violation of the Hippocratic Oath that Dr. Lou took when he graduated medical school.
His office staff is ok (which is far better than most doctors’ office staffs which are awful). While they are ok, ok is excellent in comparison to most doctor office staffs.
A few weeks ago, I received a letter advising that Dr. Malinow will be joining MDVIP. Essentially this means that Dr. Malinow will charge $1500 per year for the privilege of being his patient. This $1500 is of course in addition to any payments for services from the patient and the patient’s insurance company. You still need to pay for the services you get from Dr. Malinow, but you must pay $1500 per year for this privilege.
The patients who are willing to cough up the money do get a lot of nice benefits. Your yearly physical is far more comprehensive than a standard physical, appointments can be scheduled the same day or the next day, and the doc spends much more time with you when you visit.
I do understand why Dr. Lou is doing this. He is an excellent doc with an excellent reputation. He currently has approximately 4000 patients in his practice. He is pulled in a million directions. He works weekends and night catching up on paperwork and returning calls. I know because he calls me on weekends and at night to let me know the results of any tests or to respond to any questions I have.
So he is cutting down his practice to 600 patients who are willing to pay, and the other 3400 are out in the cold.
But Dr. Lou really needs to look at this from another perspective. It is unfair to require patients to pay $1500 a year, in addition to paying for services received. If one is old and the government pays for your health insurance than it is not a big deal to pay 1500 for the right to see your doc. But is you are a young/middle aged person with a family, and paying up to $10,000 a year for health insurance, and thousands in copays and deductibles, it is unfair to expect an additional 1500 on top of that. Basically, only old people and wealthy people can avail themselves of Dr. Lou now. If that is the king of practice that Dr. Lou wants than that is his prerogative. Sounds like a violation of the Hippocratic Oath that Dr. Lou took when he graduated medical school.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Internet for Kids
For several years in the frum community there has been much debate and discussion regarding Internet usage for both children and adults.
Rabbi Berger has instituted rules for members of his shul. Rabbi Lowenthal of TA, has presented on the subject to the Baltimore community. Allow me to share my internet set-up in my home.
First we will start with Internet usage.
I have a program on each of my two computers called SafeEyes. This product is sold by InternetSafey.com. The program itself has various control methodologies. The way I set this up is as follows. I have three “accounts”. One is the administrator account. The second is for me and Rikki, we will call it the “parents” account. The third is the “kids” account.
The parents account is set to allow all sites unless they are characterized as pornography, nudity, violence, hacking or some other objectionable characterization.
The kids account is set to ban all websites, unless the site is in a list maintained by the administrator. So the kids can go to Nickjr.com, NFL.com, ESPN.com, sesamestreet.com, etc. But that is it. If the kids want to go to another site they need to ask the administrator to add it to the list of allowed sites.
The administrator of course can go to any site. One might want to give the admin password to the lady of the house. I don’t do that, but I probably should.
There are many other functionalities in the program that I don’t use, but may be useful. The include usage reporting, time limits, and program blocking.
The program cannot be uninstalled unless an uninstall code is obtained from the company by the administrator. I have tried to get around this, but could not.
The cost is $50 per year for up to four licenses. I got it for $35 for the year as a renewal.
Now on to email.
I do not use safeyes for email blocking, because it can only be applied to email received in an email client like MS Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird. It cannot be applied to web based email.
I recently signed up for Zoobuh. I did significant research on this and found that this is the best economical solution that will work with the SafeEyes protocol explained above. I set this up for now, that all email sent to my kids addresses are first sent to my address for approval, unless the sender’s email address is in the whitelist that only I can maintain. If the sender is not in the whitelist, the email is sent to my e-mail account. I can then approve or deny the email. If I approve the e-mail, it is then sent to the kids account. Additionally, I can whitelist or blacklist the sender.
The cost is a dollar per month per email address. So it will cost me for now $24 a year for Doug and Violet to have e-mail.
Rabbi Berger has instituted rules for members of his shul. Rabbi Lowenthal of TA, has presented on the subject to the Baltimore community. Allow me to share my internet set-up in my home.
First we will start with Internet usage.
I have a program on each of my two computers called SafeEyes. This product is sold by InternetSafey.com. The program itself has various control methodologies. The way I set this up is as follows. I have three “accounts”. One is the administrator account. The second is for me and Rikki, we will call it the “parents” account. The third is the “kids” account.
The parents account is set to allow all sites unless they are characterized as pornography, nudity, violence, hacking or some other objectionable characterization.
The kids account is set to ban all websites, unless the site is in a list maintained by the administrator. So the kids can go to Nickjr.com, NFL.com, ESPN.com, sesamestreet.com, etc. But that is it. If the kids want to go to another site they need to ask the administrator to add it to the list of allowed sites.
The administrator of course can go to any site. One might want to give the admin password to the lady of the house. I don’t do that, but I probably should.
There are many other functionalities in the program that I don’t use, but may be useful. The include usage reporting, time limits, and program blocking.
The program cannot be uninstalled unless an uninstall code is obtained from the company by the administrator. I have tried to get around this, but could not.
The cost is $50 per year for up to four licenses. I got it for $35 for the year as a renewal.
Now on to email.
I do not use safeyes for email blocking, because it can only be applied to email received in an email client like MS Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird. It cannot be applied to web based email.
I recently signed up for Zoobuh. I did significant research on this and found that this is the best economical solution that will work with the SafeEyes protocol explained above. I set this up for now, that all email sent to my kids addresses are first sent to my address for approval, unless the sender’s email address is in the whitelist that only I can maintain. If the sender is not in the whitelist, the email is sent to my e-mail account. I can then approve or deny the email. If I approve the e-mail, it is then sent to the kids account. Additionally, I can whitelist or blacklist the sender.
The cost is a dollar per month per email address. So it will cost me for now $24 a year for Doug and Violet to have e-mail.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Detroit
Over the years I have had several friends from Detroit. As a general rule one can assume that if they are my friends, they are good guys. These guys are excellent people. The one thing I don’t understand about people from Detroit is that they think that living in Detroit is one step below living in Gan Eden.
I have only been to Detroit twice, both times for a short amount of time. Detroit is, at best an Average U.S. city. It is dirty, it is freezing in the winter, stifling in the summer, and crime is very high. Not that Baltimore is any better, but I don’t think that people from Baltimore are that fond of their City. Baltimore and Detroit are nice places to live, particularly for frum people, but as cities, they are nothing special.
Here are some crime statistics for 2006 that I pulled from the FBI website.
The nice things I can say about Detroit’s frum community is that they are very nice, friendly, and as a community seem like one big family. They are also serious sports fans.
I just don’t understand the love affair that the people I know from Detroit have with their City. Most of them moved away (to Baltimore, Lakewood, Miami, New York) when they got married anyway. If it is so great, why not settle there?
I have only been to Detroit twice, both times for a short amount of time. Detroit is, at best an Average U.S. city. It is dirty, it is freezing in the winter, stifling in the summer, and crime is very high. Not that Baltimore is any better, but I don’t think that people from Baltimore are that fond of their City. Baltimore and Detroit are nice places to live, particularly for frum people, but as cities, they are nothing special.
Here are some crime statistics for 2006 that I pulled from the FBI website.
The nice things I can say about Detroit’s frum community is that they are very nice, friendly, and as a community seem like one big family. They are also serious sports fans.
I just don’t understand the love affair that the people I know from Detroit have with their City. Most of them moved away (to Baltimore, Lakewood, Miami, New York) when they got married anyway. If it is so great, why not settle there?
O's
I went to the O's game last night with David EY, Tzvi EY, Doug, and my nephew. It was alot of fun. We sat in the middle of the upper level right behind home plate. Here is the view from our seats taken with my cell phone.
There was a good amount of hitting and scoring so the game was exciting. Unfortunately the O's made several base running mistakes which led to them losing 6-5 to Detroit (I'll post another time about my Detroit experience)
There was a good amount of hitting and scoring so the game was exciting. Unfortunately the O's made several base running mistakes which led to them losing 6-5 to Detroit (I'll post another time about my Detroit experience)
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Old Friend
Below is an article from Mishpacha Magazine about an old friend of mine from when I was in Yeshivah in Israel. He is a very unique and sincere guy. Zoom in, if you can't see the text clearly.
My only comment on this is, take out the words Ahron Horwitz and insert the name of most Lubavitchers...
Of course Lubavtichers have been doing the same thing for decades. That doesn't take away from the greatness of what Ahron is doing. I am just saying it is not a new idea, like the magazine portrays it.
Read this document on Scribd: Ahron
My only comment on this is, take out the words Ahron Horwitz and insert the name of most Lubavitchers...
Of course Lubavtichers have been doing the same thing for decades. That doesn't take away from the greatness of what Ahron is doing. I am just saying it is not a new idea, like the magazine portrays it.
E85
When we were in Denver, I noticed that some of the gas stations sell E85. E85 is a motor vehicle fuel that is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. The ethanol is made from corn which is grown domestically.
Not all cars can use E85, but some can. Some cars are manufactured as “flex fuel” vehicles which can run on regular unleaded gasoline or E85.
According to http://www.e85refueling.com, there are five E85 stations within Maryland that are open to the public. The closest one to Baltimore is 28 miles away in Annapolis, MD. There is one in Annapolis, one in Greenbelt, one in Frederick, and two in Rockville. There are closer stations, but they are only available to the government. So if you live in Baltimore, there is basically no way you can use E85.
In Colorado there are 52 E85 stations. There are three in Denver and several others not far outside Denver.
Why don’t we have this in Baltimore? A gallon of E85 was only $2.79 vs. over $4.00 for regular unleaded.
Maybe the problem is shipping, since I guess most of the corn is grown in the Midwest.
Not all cars can use E85, but some can. Some cars are manufactured as “flex fuel” vehicles which can run on regular unleaded gasoline or E85.
According to http://www.e85refueling.com, there are five E85 stations within Maryland that are open to the public. The closest one to Baltimore is 28 miles away in Annapolis, MD. There is one in Annapolis, one in Greenbelt, one in Frederick, and two in Rockville. There are closer stations, but they are only available to the government. So if you live in Baltimore, there is basically no way you can use E85.
In Colorado there are 52 E85 stations. There are three in Denver and several others not far outside Denver.
Why don’t we have this in Baltimore? A gallon of E85 was only $2.79 vs. over $4.00 for regular unleaded.
Maybe the problem is shipping, since I guess most of the corn is grown in the Midwest.
Low Octane
Another interesting experience in Denver. In Baltimore and the surrounding areas, the gas stations carry three grades of Gasoline. There is 87 Octane (Regular), 89 Octane (Plus), and 93 Octane (Premium).
In Denver there are also three grades. There is 85 Octane, 87 Octane, and 91 Octane. These three are given the same grades respectively.
Apparently in higher altitudes, engines can run on lower octane gasoline without knocking.
I used the 85 Octane, since it was a rental car and it worked fine.
The prices are similar to Baltimore even though the octane rating is lower. Not sure why. The 85 Octane in Denver was around the same price as the 87 Octane in Baltimore. Maybe there are more taxes.
Also interesting, when I was in Florida a few years ago, there were five grades available. If I remember correctly, there was 86, 87, 89, 91, and 93.
In Denver there are also three grades. There is 85 Octane, 87 Octane, and 91 Octane. These three are given the same grades respectively.
Apparently in higher altitudes, engines can run on lower octane gasoline without knocking.
I used the 85 Octane, since it was a rental car and it worked fine.
The prices are similar to Baltimore even though the octane rating is lower. Not sure why. The 85 Octane in Denver was around the same price as the 87 Octane in Baltimore. Maybe there are more taxes.
Also interesting, when I was in Florida a few years ago, there were five grades available. If I remember correctly, there was 86, 87, 89, 91, and 93.
Cobalt vs. Corolla
Rikki and I went on Vacation to Denver this week (more about that later). We reserved a compact rental car (as it was just the two of us). When we arrived, we received an almost new Chevrolet Cobalt. What a piece of junk. The trunk is impossible to access as the opening is just too small, the seat belt is difficult to reach, the emergency brake is placed under the armrest, so it cannot be engaged unless the armrest is lifted. This causes the contents of the armrest to fall out. The seat is so firm that it is uncomfortable. The engine is very noisy, but produces minimal power. The various panels on the dashboard and steering wheel are not even or flush with each other. The rear window is so small, that it is dangerous backing up. Just an overall junky car.
On Thursday we got a flat tire. We called the rental cal company and they said it would be at least an hour until they could get a service truck to us. They said I can change the tire myself and bring in the car and trade it for a new one. I did that.
When I returned the car, for some reason they just told us to go to a certain area and pick any compact car. So I picked an almost new Toyota Corolla.
This car is similar to the Cobalt in class and size, but is a vastly better vehicle. Everything just works and is easy to use. The trunk is huge and easy to access, the emergency brake is easy to pull, the seat belts are easy to reach, , the seats are very comfortable, the engine is quiet, and all of the components fit together like they are one big piece. The Corolla is a vastly better vehicle than the Cobalt.
Consumer Reports gives the Cobalt a 50 out of 100 and a Corolla a 71 out of 100.
Then, on our way home we heard on the radio that GM is no longer paying a dividend, closing factories and laying off workers. No wonder.
On Thursday we got a flat tire. We called the rental cal company and they said it would be at least an hour until they could get a service truck to us. They said I can change the tire myself and bring in the car and trade it for a new one. I did that.
When I returned the car, for some reason they just told us to go to a certain area and pick any compact car. So I picked an almost new Toyota Corolla.
This car is similar to the Cobalt in class and size, but is a vastly better vehicle. Everything just works and is easy to use. The trunk is huge and easy to access, the emergency brake is easy to pull, the seat belts are easy to reach, , the seats are very comfortable, the engine is quiet, and all of the components fit together like they are one big piece. The Corolla is a vastly better vehicle than the Cobalt.
Consumer Reports gives the Cobalt a 50 out of 100 and a Corolla a 71 out of 100.
Then, on our way home we heard on the radio that GM is no longer paying a dividend, closing factories and laying off workers. No wonder.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Identity Theft
I just saw a funny article on Yahoo News from the Associated Press. Here is the link.
The article points out an interesting contradiction between Federal Agencies.
My own summary and additions follow:
According to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission): “Don't carry your Social Security card in your wallet or write your Social Security number on a check. Give it out only if absolutely necessary or ask to use another identifier”. Click here to view.
But guess what? Here is a picture of the front of a Medicare Card. One of the elements is the Medicare claim number. This number is almost always the beneficiary’s Social Security number, plus an Alpha suffix. Sometimes, it may be the beneficiary’s spouse's SSN, if the beneficiary is only entitled because of their spouse.
But here is the kicker. On the back of the card it says “Carry this card with you when you are away from home.
The IRS requires that you write your SSN on any check that you send them. Here is a picture of a 2008 form 1040 ES. Notice that it says “Write your social security number and “2008 Form 1040-ES” on your check or money order”.
Good stuff. I love the excuses given by the bureaucrats as to why they cannot change the system so that they stop using and requiring SSNs.
The article points out an interesting contradiction between Federal Agencies.
My own summary and additions follow:
According to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission): “Don't carry your Social Security card in your wallet or write your Social Security number on a check. Give it out only if absolutely necessary or ask to use another identifier”. Click here to view.
But guess what? Here is a picture of the front of a Medicare Card. One of the elements is the Medicare claim number. This number is almost always the beneficiary’s Social Security number, plus an Alpha suffix. Sometimes, it may be the beneficiary’s spouse's SSN, if the beneficiary is only entitled because of their spouse.
But here is the kicker. On the back of the card it says “Carry this card with you when you are away from home.
The IRS requires that you write your SSN on any check that you send them. Here is a picture of a 2008 form 1040 ES. Notice that it says “Write your social security number and “2008 Form 1040-ES” on your check or money order”.
Good stuff. I love the excuses given by the bureaucrats as to why they cannot change the system so that they stop using and requiring SSNs.
Bad Things
I heard a nice dvar Torah from Rabbi Kaplan this weekend that I wanted to share. In this week’s Parsha there was a dispute among various elements of the Bnai Yisroel. Some felt that Aharon did not deserve to be the Kohain Gadol. They felt that Moshe was unfairly appointing his relatives to important positions. The dispute was centered on, who appointed Aharon as the Kohain Gadol. Was is Hashem, or did Moshe do this on his own?
A test was agreed upon by all parties with signs determined that would tell all who was correct.
The Torah tells us that the ground opened up and swallowed Korach, Dasson, and Aviram, along with their entire families. But still people felt that the conflict was not resolved. Then a fire came down from heaven and killed the 250 men who each felt that they should be Kohain Gadol. But still the people were not convinced. Then there was a plague that killed thousands. But, the people still were not sure.
Finally Moshe setup sticks of wood in the ground near the Mishkan. One stick for each tribe. In the morning the stick which represented Aharon and the tribe of Levi had sprouted almond leaves, almond buds, and ripe almonds (all at the same time). This event convinced the masses that Hashem had truly chosen Aharon and that Moshe was not merely peddling influence.
Why did the tragic events which obviously were Hashem’s response to the conflict, not convince the masses, but the stick spouting almonds finally put the issue to bed?
There are some people within every religion that attempt to explain why bad things occur. American soldiers died because of homosexuality, Katrina wrecked Louisiana because of a breakdown in morals, Ariel Sharon is ill because of Gaza, Israeli soldiers died in Lebanon because they were not observant, the Holocaust occurred because of… (I am sorry; I can’t even repeat this one).
The lesson we learn from the episode in this week’s Parsha is that we do not have a right to create moral equivalencies. Just because something bad happens to a group or to an individual does not allow us to explain why it occurred. Even if it seems obvious. We don’t know, and cannot know why G-d punishes people or groups. Our job is to accept bad things as G-d’s will, but not to explain why an individual or group suffers. (Writer's addition - How we view bad things that happen to ourselves is different. I think that Rabbi Kaplan was referring to how we view bad things that happen to others).
But when something positive happens, then we can create an equivalency. When the stick sprouted almonds we had the right to equate it to Aharon’s merit.
A test was agreed upon by all parties with signs determined that would tell all who was correct.
The Torah tells us that the ground opened up and swallowed Korach, Dasson, and Aviram, along with their entire families. But still people felt that the conflict was not resolved. Then a fire came down from heaven and killed the 250 men who each felt that they should be Kohain Gadol. But still the people were not convinced. Then there was a plague that killed thousands. But, the people still were not sure.
Finally Moshe setup sticks of wood in the ground near the Mishkan. One stick for each tribe. In the morning the stick which represented Aharon and the tribe of Levi had sprouted almond leaves, almond buds, and ripe almonds (all at the same time). This event convinced the masses that Hashem had truly chosen Aharon and that Moshe was not merely peddling influence.
Why did the tragic events which obviously were Hashem’s response to the conflict, not convince the masses, but the stick spouting almonds finally put the issue to bed?
There are some people within every religion that attempt to explain why bad things occur. American soldiers died because of homosexuality, Katrina wrecked Louisiana because of a breakdown in morals, Ariel Sharon is ill because of Gaza, Israeli soldiers died in Lebanon because they were not observant, the Holocaust occurred because of… (I am sorry; I can’t even repeat this one).
The lesson we learn from the episode in this week’s Parsha is that we do not have a right to create moral equivalencies. Just because something bad happens to a group or to an individual does not allow us to explain why it occurred. Even if it seems obvious. We don’t know, and cannot know why G-d punishes people or groups. Our job is to accept bad things as G-d’s will, but not to explain why an individual or group suffers. (Writer's addition - How we view bad things that happen to ourselves is different. I think that Rabbi Kaplan was referring to how we view bad things that happen to others).
But when something positive happens, then we can create an equivalency. When the stick sprouted almonds we had the right to equate it to Aharon’s merit.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Welcome Back Avnei Yarok
I wasn’t sure how to pluralize Even Yaruka in Modern Hebrew, but I think in Lashon Hakodesh it would be Avnei Yarok, like “moznei tzedek, avnei tzedek, eiphat tzedek v’hin tzedek” (Vayikra 19:36)
They are back. David, Tzvi, and Yeshaya stopped by the house this morning as I was leaving for work. They had some questions about the first day of T.A. camp, but they have no phone or cell service yet. It was really great to see them. Ok, Penny and Greg. When are we going to Accents?
They are back. David, Tzvi, and Yeshaya stopped by the house this morning as I was leaving for work. They had some questions about the first day of T.A. camp, but they have no phone or cell service yet. It was really great to see them. Ok, Penny and Greg. When are we going to Accents?
Calculators and Phones
Why are the numbers on a calculator and the numbers on a phone in reverse order? This has bothered me for a very long time and I have never found a satisfactory explanation.
A phone starts at 1 on the top left, continues to the right, and then down.
A calculator starts at 1 on the bottom left, continues to the right, and then up.
This results in another conflict. Does zero come before 1 or after 9. A calculator reads from the bottom, 0123456789, whereas a phone reads from the top, 1234567890.
I am not a proponent of either order, but I don’t understand why they are different. They should be the same.
It is particularly bothersome when I use my cell phone as a calculator. Most cell phones can double as a calculator. My phone is particularly irksome as it has a calculator program as well as a full keypad. The keypad is of course in the “phone” order. But when the calculator program displays on the screen the numbers are in calculator order. So if I want to key the numbers on the keypad, but look at the screen it is very confusing. Just make them the same and all will be fine.
I wonder if Mr. Monk has an explanation.
A phone starts at 1 on the top left, continues to the right, and then down.
A calculator starts at 1 on the bottom left, continues to the right, and then up.
This results in another conflict. Does zero come before 1 or after 9. A calculator reads from the bottom, 0123456789, whereas a phone reads from the top, 1234567890.
I am not a proponent of either order, but I don’t understand why they are different. They should be the same.
It is particularly bothersome when I use my cell phone as a calculator. Most cell phones can double as a calculator. My phone is particularly irksome as it has a calculator program as well as a full keypad. The keypad is of course in the “phone” order. But when the calculator program displays on the screen the numbers are in calculator order. So if I want to key the numbers on the keypad, but look at the screen it is very confusing. Just make them the same and all will be fine.
I wonder if Mr. Monk has an explanation.
Zoo Torah
I have added a new blog to my favorite blogs list. http://www.zootorah.blogspot.com/
Also, see his website http://www.zootorah.com.
Thanks to Rikki for the info.
Also, see his website http://www.zootorah.com.
Thanks to Rikki for the info.
Monday, June 30, 2008
I Am SOOOO Cool.
I got my new central A/C installed today!!! See my prior post on this. BGE Home did a terrific job.
When my A/C died a few weeks ago, I got estimates for a five ton replacement from three companies. As follows:
BGE Home - $6200 for a TRANE XL15I, or $6100 for a TRANE XL16I. The 16 SEER unit was the same price as the 15 SEER unit because it had a better rebate. SEER ratings are how efficient the system runs, higher number is better. 10 year parts and 10 years labor.
Modern Comfort – $7300 for a Lennox XC15 or $6700 for a Lennox XC13. Not sure on warranty period
Fred Needel – Carrier 15 SEER unit $6450, or Payne (made by Carrier) 14 SEER unit $5300. 10 year parts, 1 year labor warranty.
All of the options included everything, inside air handler, new piping, and the outside condenser unit.
So the cheapest option was the Payne 14 Seer. The drawbacks are that it is a no name brand, was only 14 SEER, and the warranty is 10/1. The next cheapest was the TRANE 16 SEER with a 10/10 warranty. Everything above that was not as good as this one, so I went with the TRANE from BGE Home. The SEER rating was the highest, the warranty was the best, it is a highly rated brand name, it was the second cheapest estimate, and they offered six months same as cash.
We scheduled the install for 6/30/08 (today). The techs were scheduled to arrive between 8 AM and 10 AM. The first technician arrived at 7:50 and got started right away. At 12:30 Rikki called me and said they are almost done. I ran home and they showed me how everything worked. They also gave me a new thermostat which looks really neat. This was not included with the other estimates.
It is a really nice system. It is quiet and blows really strong and cold. The installers were really nice, clean, and explained everything. I am very pleased with my decision. BGE Home exceeded my expectation in every regard. Now I have to figure out how to pay for it.
When my A/C died a few weeks ago, I got estimates for a five ton replacement from three companies. As follows:
BGE Home - $6200 for a TRANE XL15I, or $6100 for a TRANE XL16I. The 16 SEER unit was the same price as the 15 SEER unit because it had a better rebate. SEER ratings are how efficient the system runs, higher number is better. 10 year parts and 10 years labor.
Modern Comfort – $7300 for a Lennox XC15 or $6700 for a Lennox XC13. Not sure on warranty period
Fred Needel – Carrier 15 SEER unit $6450, or Payne (made by Carrier) 14 SEER unit $5300. 10 year parts, 1 year labor warranty.
All of the options included everything, inside air handler, new piping, and the outside condenser unit.
So the cheapest option was the Payne 14 Seer. The drawbacks are that it is a no name brand, was only 14 SEER, and the warranty is 10/1. The next cheapest was the TRANE 16 SEER with a 10/10 warranty. Everything above that was not as good as this one, so I went with the TRANE from BGE Home. The SEER rating was the highest, the warranty was the best, it is a highly rated brand name, it was the second cheapest estimate, and they offered six months same as cash.
We scheduled the install for 6/30/08 (today). The techs were scheduled to arrive between 8 AM and 10 AM. The first technician arrived at 7:50 and got started right away. At 12:30 Rikki called me and said they are almost done. I ran home and they showed me how everything worked. They also gave me a new thermostat which looks really neat. This was not included with the other estimates.
It is a really nice system. It is quiet and blows really strong and cold. The installers were really nice, clean, and explained everything. I am very pleased with my decision. BGE Home exceeded my expectation in every regard. Now I have to figure out how to pay for it.
Monk
One of the greatest taboos in my house when I was growing up was deriding people who are mentally challenged. Any derision which referenced a mental or physical disability was strongly frowned upon. To this day, I am careful, particularly in my parents company, about this. My father is a psychologist and dedicates his life to advocacy for people who are mentally and/or physically challenged.
I watched four episodes of Monk last night on DVD. The show is about “Former police detective Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub), whose photographic memory and amazing ability to piece together tiny clues made him a local legend, has suffered from intensified obsessive-compulsive disorder and a variety of phobias since the unsolved murder of his wife, Trudy, in 1997”. http://www.tv.com/monk/show/9130/summary.html
The show is quite funny and is thoroughly entertaining.
But, obsessive-compulsive disorder and phobic disorder are serious mental illnesses. I wonder about the appropriateness of this show. The primary entertainment values of this show are the fascinating detective work, and Monk’s struggle with his mental challenges; the former sets this show apart from other detective shows. I am not sure about this. Any thoughts from the audience?
I watched four episodes of Monk last night on DVD. The show is about “Former police detective Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub), whose photographic memory and amazing ability to piece together tiny clues made him a local legend, has suffered from intensified obsessive-compulsive disorder and a variety of phobias since the unsolved murder of his wife, Trudy, in 1997”. http://www.tv.com/monk/show/9130/summary.html
The show is quite funny and is thoroughly entertaining.
But, obsessive-compulsive disorder and phobic disorder are serious mental illnesses. I wonder about the appropriateness of this show. The primary entertainment values of this show are the fascinating detective work, and Monk’s struggle with his mental challenges; the former sets this show apart from other detective shows. I am not sure about this. Any thoughts from the audience?
General Dynamics
The company I work for is in the process of being purchased by General Dynamics Information Technology. See article here.
VIPS is currently owned by HLTH, Inc, which owns a majority share of WEBMD, all of VIPS, and some other companies. WEBMD and HLTH are planning to merge into one company, and VIPS is being sold. All of this is public knowledge.
Nobody knows how this will affect VIPS employees. Could be minimal change, could be huge change. It does seem cool to work for a huge defense contractor. Hopefully it will open up greater opportunities for VIPS as a company and VIPS employees individually.
I guess we will see soon enough.
VIPS is currently owned by HLTH, Inc, which owns a majority share of WEBMD, all of VIPS, and some other companies. WEBMD and HLTH are planning to merge into one company, and VIPS is being sold. All of this is public knowledge.
Nobody knows how this will affect VIPS employees. Could be minimal change, could be huge change. It does seem cool to work for a huge defense contractor. Hopefully it will open up greater opportunities for VIPS as a company and VIPS employees individually.
I guess we will see soon enough.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Minerva
I just spoke to a lady on the phone. Her first name is Minerva. I don’t think I ever actually met someone with that name. The only other Minerva I know of is, Professor McGonagall.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Murder
In a previous post, I mentioned that I prefer to live in Baltimore County instead of Baltimore City for several reasons. Below is a map of Baltimore city with a pinpoint for each murder that occurred in the City in 2007. You can go here and do some interesting analysis on B’more City murders.
I can’t find a similar tool for B’more County.
A little analysis of my own.
Baltimore County Population is approximately 790,000 with 34 murdered in 2006.
Baltimore City Population is approximately 640,000 with 275 murdered in 2006.
Do the math.
The counter argument of course is that the vast majority of the murders in the City are drug related, gang related or domestic disputes gone wrong. Almost all of the gang and drug activity occur in specific neighborhoods, and I don’t think my wife is planning anything. The neighborhood where I lived in the City was relatively safe. Also, the City rate is decreasing in 2008. I do agree with these arguments, and I don’t think that I am now less likely to be murdered since I live in the County. But still, I would prefer the County.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Funny Tznius Story
Rikki went to Lakewood last week and told me a funny story that she witnessed. There is a frum-owned store/boutique in Lakewood that sells women’s undergarments and lingerie. I am not sure what need this store fills or problem that it addresses, but nonetheless the store seems very successful. (To Rikki, I have never been there) I mean underwear, etc. is by nature not "Tznius" so why is there a frum store? I understand a frum outer garments clothing store as there are specific needs to be addressed for frum women. Is there such a thing as a tznius bra or underpants? I must be missing something.
So Rikki was in line waiting to pay for her purchase. The lady in front of her was purchasing underwear for her daughter to take to camp. Again, I don’t understand why girl’s underwear can’t be purchased at Wal-Mart or Target.
The lady paid for her purchases, and the cashier then proceeded to open each package and remove the insert that shows a picture of a woman wearing the underwear contained in the package. I guess the insert is there so that prospective purchasers will know what the underwear looks like before they buy them, and won’t need to try them on, yuck.
So the customer asked the cashier why she is doing that. The cashier responded that the store does not want women to bring home products from the store with un-tznius ladies on them. What if their husband or yeshivah boys see the picture?
I am not criticizing the practice from a religious perspective. I can see the merits of doing this from a frum perspective. I just think it is presumptive of the store to open the packages that someone just bought, touch their brand new pristine underwear, and render the package un-returnable. Maybe that is the real intent.
So Rikki was in line waiting to pay for her purchase. The lady in front of her was purchasing underwear for her daughter to take to camp. Again, I don’t understand why girl’s underwear can’t be purchased at Wal-Mart or Target.
The lady paid for her purchases, and the cashier then proceeded to open each package and remove the insert that shows a picture of a woman wearing the underwear contained in the package. I guess the insert is there so that prospective purchasers will know what the underwear looks like before they buy them, and won’t need to try them on, yuck.
So the customer asked the cashier why she is doing that. The cashier responded that the store does not want women to bring home products from the store with un-tznius ladies on them. What if their husband or yeshivah boys see the picture?
I am not criticizing the practice from a religious perspective. I can see the merits of doing this from a frum perspective. I just think it is presumptive of the store to open the packages that someone just bought, touch their brand new pristine underwear, and render the package un-returnable. Maybe that is the real intent.
Yes Man
Have you ever agreed to something because you thought it would never happen, and then when it does happen, you are stuck?
That happens to me sometimes. My niece is going to Seminary next year. I’ll post regarding my feelings on seminary later. So she wants to make some money this summer and have time to do all her shopping and various preparations.
So she asked us if we can have a backyard camp in my house this summer. I agreed despite the obvious drawbacks of doing this, because I did not think it would happen.
We bought our new house for over 400K. We put in all new carpet, paint, windows, bathrooms, etc. We have a lot invested in our house. What if a kid poops on the carpet, or breaks the new patio door? My water bill is going to be ridiculous since they fill the baby pools and run the sprinkler every day. What if they accidentally leave the hose on over night and we have a flood in our basement? Or worse, what if a kid gets hurt and the parents are jerks about it?
The advantages for me are that Shenzi gets to go for free, and Violet Beauregarde is the Junior Counselor. Violet will be busy, entertained, and will get paid for working. So I am saving on paying for camp for the two girls and Violet can buy herself something nice at the end of the summer.
To be honest, Rivky, Rikki, and Violet have been very good about it. I am sure they are making a concerted effort that this endeavor not impede or inconvenience me in any way. The house is neat as usual when I get home from work. You would never know that there is a camp in my house, other than they array of bikes and outdoor toys neatly arranged in the backyard and the Mitzvah note tree on the wall in the playroom. I do appreciate their efforts.
Violet
Shenzi
That happens to me sometimes. My niece is going to Seminary next year. I’ll post regarding my feelings on seminary later. So she wants to make some money this summer and have time to do all her shopping and various preparations.
So she asked us if we can have a backyard camp in my house this summer. I agreed despite the obvious drawbacks of doing this, because I did not think it would happen.
We bought our new house for over 400K. We put in all new carpet, paint, windows, bathrooms, etc. We have a lot invested in our house. What if a kid poops on the carpet, or breaks the new patio door? My water bill is going to be ridiculous since they fill the baby pools and run the sprinkler every day. What if they accidentally leave the hose on over night and we have a flood in our basement? Or worse, what if a kid gets hurt and the parents are jerks about it?
The advantages for me are that Shenzi gets to go for free, and Violet Beauregarde is the Junior Counselor. Violet will be busy, entertained, and will get paid for working. So I am saving on paying for camp for the two girls and Violet can buy herself something nice at the end of the summer.
To be honest, Rivky, Rikki, and Violet have been very good about it. I am sure they are making a concerted effort that this endeavor not impede or inconvenience me in any way. The house is neat as usual when I get home from work. You would never know that there is a camp in my house, other than they array of bikes and outdoor toys neatly arranged in the backyard and the Mitzvah note tree on the wall in the playroom. I do appreciate their efforts.
Violet
Shenzi
COMCASTIC!!!
Per my prior post on this, we had Comcast install high speed internet and VOIP phone service. The technician came last night and got it installed. The guy was a little inexperienced and very young (he told me that he is 23). It took him a while to get it all sorted out.
I did some limited testing last night and it worked really well. The phone service works great. The dial tone is very clear, unlike my Cavtel phone. The internet is super fast. Below is a bandwidth test that I did at work.
Notice that my work results were around 780 kbps. That is very fast. My DSL used to result in around 150kbps (around triple 56kbps dial-up). My Comcast connection resulted in 1.4Mbps, a little below the advertised 1.5Mbps. But it is about nine times faster than my DSL.
So far so good. I think I will hold on to CAVTEL for a little longer, just to make sure that everything works ok with Comcast.
Also, I have a new home phone number. It is a 443 number. Shoot me an email and I’ll give you the new number, if appropriate.
I did some limited testing last night and it worked really well. The phone service works great. The dial tone is very clear, unlike my Cavtel phone. The internet is super fast. Below is a bandwidth test that I did at work.
Notice that my work results were around 780 kbps. That is very fast. My DSL used to result in around 150kbps (around triple 56kbps dial-up). My Comcast connection resulted in 1.4Mbps, a little below the advertised 1.5Mbps. But it is about nine times faster than my DSL.
So far so good. I think I will hold on to CAVTEL for a little longer, just to make sure that everything works ok with Comcast.
Also, I have a new home phone number. It is a 443 number. Shoot me an email and I’ll give you the new number, if appropriate.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Nunya Business
Knock Knock!
Who’s there?
Nunya.
Nunya who?
Nunya business.
I work as a contractor for a large federal agency. Part of being a federal contractor is that we must take information security awareness training every so often.
Today, I took one of the lessons. One of the questions on the associated quiz is as follows (paraphrased):
Which of the following is considered computer abuse?
A. Reading or obtaining data that you are not authorized to access
B. Making unauthorized copies of Government-owned software
C. Using (name of agency) resources to make personal profits or conduct personal business
D. All of the above
You can only pick one answer. Your answer can only be A, or B, or C, or D.
Now obviously A and B are true. These are obviously computer abuse. This means that the answer must be D. Therefore, C must be true as well. You follow? If not read it again. It is basic test taking logic.
Indeed the correct answer is D. Ouch! Does this mean that federal employees and contractors are not allowed to use their computers or work time to make personal profits or conduct personal business? Well indeed it does mean just that.
Wow.
Who’s there?
Nunya.
Nunya who?
Nunya business.
I work as a contractor for a large federal agency. Part of being a federal contractor is that we must take information security awareness training every so often.
Today, I took one of the lessons. One of the questions on the associated quiz is as follows (paraphrased):
Which of the following is considered computer abuse?
A. Reading or obtaining data that you are not authorized to access
B. Making unauthorized copies of Government-owned software
C. Using (name of agency) resources to make personal profits or conduct personal business
D. All of the above
You can only pick one answer. Your answer can only be A, or B, or C, or D.
Now obviously A and B are true. These are obviously computer abuse. This means that the answer must be D. Therefore, C must be true as well. You follow? If not read it again. It is basic test taking logic.
Indeed the correct answer is D. Ouch! Does this mean that federal employees and contractors are not allowed to use their computers or work time to make personal profits or conduct personal business? Well indeed it does mean just that.
Wow.
Jonathan Pollard
The Rabbi of my Shul mentioned Jonathan Pollard over Shabbos. I have had a non-traditional view of the Jonathan Pollard affair, which I feel compelled to share. I am sure that many or most will disagree.
There are many arguments as to why Jonathan Pollard should, or should not be released. I don’t have the information or knowledge to decide whether these arguments are valid. There are certainly greater legal minds that can comment on these arguments.
I saw a movie a few years ago called Anna and the King. It is a remake of the movie, The King and I. The movie is about an English Woman (played by Jodie Foster) who travels so Siam to teach English to the King’s children. She becomes an important part of the King’s court and becomes emotionally attached to the king.
In the movie one of the king’s concubines commits a crime against the king. She is sentenced to death, by a tribunal. At the tribunal hearing, Jodie Foster gets up and yells at the tribunal and makes a big stink about how inhumane the tribunal is for sentencing the concubine to death for this transgression. She embarrasses the tribunal, herself, and the King.
After the tribunal hearing, the King scolds Jodie Foster for doing what she did. The King explained that had she not made such a fuss, he could have quietly interceded and saved his wife. Now that she made such a scene, any intercession by the King will make people think that she (Jodie) controls the King. The King was no longer able to save his wife because it makes him look weak.
That is all that I will say. I leave the thinking part to you.
There are many arguments as to why Jonathan Pollard should, or should not be released. I don’t have the information or knowledge to decide whether these arguments are valid. There are certainly greater legal minds that can comment on these arguments.
I saw a movie a few years ago called Anna and the King. It is a remake of the movie, The King and I. The movie is about an English Woman (played by Jodie Foster) who travels so Siam to teach English to the King’s children. She becomes an important part of the King’s court and becomes emotionally attached to the king.
In the movie one of the king’s concubines commits a crime against the king. She is sentenced to death, by a tribunal. At the tribunal hearing, Jodie Foster gets up and yells at the tribunal and makes a big stink about how inhumane the tribunal is for sentencing the concubine to death for this transgression. She embarrasses the tribunal, herself, and the King.
After the tribunal hearing, the King scolds Jodie Foster for doing what she did. The King explained that had she not made such a fuss, he could have quietly interceded and saved his wife. Now that she made such a scene, any intercession by the King will make people think that she (Jodie) controls the King. The King was no longer able to save his wife because it makes him look weak.
That is all that I will say. I leave the thinking part to you.
Monday, June 23, 2008
HouseWright Does it Right
When we moved into our new house, two of the three bathrooms were quite hideous. We hired a contractor to refurbish both bathrooms. Stuart Garbis from the House Wright Company is a true professional. The powder room downstairs was quite ugly. Here is a picture of the downstairs powderroom before he started.
We had Stuart expand the powder room to accommodate a shower in addition to the existing toilet and sink. Here is a picture of the expansion in progress.
Stuart handles al elements of the job himself. However, if you prefer you can can buy your own fixtures and materials. We bought the toilet, sink, tiles, and accessories.
Stuart provided the shower enclosure (as he had an extra one in stock) and the actual building supplies like the studs, etc.
Here is the sink we had him install.
Here is the shower.
Stuart does an extremely high quality and professional job. He is a perfectionist. If a tile is slightly uneven he will pull it up and re-lay it. If something is not square or tight, he will make it so.
He does not paint (as you can see in the pics), but he will get someone to do it for you. We painted on our own. He is not very creative from a design perspective. He is a builder, not a decorator. But as a builder he is excellent. I would highly recommend his services. It is a small company and all of the work is done by him and his helper (Bruce).
We had Stuart expand the powder room to accommodate a shower in addition to the existing toilet and sink. Here is a picture of the expansion in progress.
Stuart handles al elements of the job himself. However, if you prefer you can can buy your own fixtures and materials. We bought the toilet, sink, tiles, and accessories.
Stuart provided the shower enclosure (as he had an extra one in stock) and the actual building supplies like the studs, etc.
Here is the sink we had him install.
Here is the shower.
Stuart does an extremely high quality and professional job. He is a perfectionist. If a tile is slightly uneven he will pull it up and re-lay it. If something is not square or tight, he will make it so.
He does not paint (as you can see in the pics), but he will get someone to do it for you. We painted on our own. He is not very creative from a design perspective. He is a builder, not a decorator. But as a builder he is excellent. I would highly recommend his services. It is a small company and all of the work is done by him and his helper (Bruce).
Jury Doody
Last year my family moved from Baltimore City to Baltimore County. When we were looking for a new home we preferred a home in Baltimore County over Baltimore City.
Baltimore is somewhat unique, I think, in that the City and County are completely separate entities. For example in Philadelphia, the City of Philadelphia and Philadelphia County are one and the same. In New York, NY County is part of New York City. But in Baltimore they are completely different.
One of the disadvantages of Baltimore City is that most City residents must report for Jury Duty. Based on the demographics of the city and the high crime rate, this means that those who qualify to serve are summoned around once per year. There are few exemptions.
The experience of Jury Duty is very aggravating, demeaning, and uncomfortable. Perspective Jurors must report to the Clarence Mitchell, Jr. courthouse in downtown Baltimore City. The building itself is old and dingy. Perspective Jurors must go through a standard security inspection when entering the building. Then they must wait in one of several crowded and dirty rooms, until they are called. The City has the audacity to pay you $15 for your day of service. Fifteen bucks. Parking costs 12 dollars in the discounted lot. It is embarrassing.
Sometimes you are never called the whole day. Sometimes you are called and are not selected for a Jury. Sometimes you are selected for a jury. This is the worst possible outcome. If you are not selected, you go home for the day. If you are selected, who knows?
So the guy that bought my old house also is a regular attendee at my Daf Yomi Shiur. (Nice guy by the way. I still feel bad that the transaction was a little contentious. I guess that is how these things go) Recently he brought me a summons from the City of Baltimore to report for Jury Duty. Here is the letter that I wrote to the Jury Commissioner.
June 20, 2008
Jury Commissioner's Office100 North Calvert Street, Room 239Baltimore, MD 21202
Re: Jury Summons XXXXXXXX-XXX
Hello:
I received the Jury Summons referenced above. However, I moved out of Baltimore City to Baltimore County. Therefore, I no longer qualify to sit as a juror in Baltimore City.
I am a little confused, since on your website it states that the information for Jurors is pulled from the Motor/Voter records. My new address and County have been updated for almost a full year with both the MVA and the Elections Board. I don’t understand why your records did not get updated.
Please find enclosed the original summons received and a copy of my Driver’s License, with the associated attachment showing my new address in Baltimore County.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Josh...
Baltimore is somewhat unique, I think, in that the City and County are completely separate entities. For example in Philadelphia, the City of Philadelphia and Philadelphia County are one and the same. In New York, NY County is part of New York City. But in Baltimore they are completely different.
One of the disadvantages of Baltimore City is that most City residents must report for Jury Duty. Based on the demographics of the city and the high crime rate, this means that those who qualify to serve are summoned around once per year. There are few exemptions.
The experience of Jury Duty is very aggravating, demeaning, and uncomfortable. Perspective Jurors must report to the Clarence Mitchell, Jr. courthouse in downtown Baltimore City. The building itself is old and dingy. Perspective Jurors must go through a standard security inspection when entering the building. Then they must wait in one of several crowded and dirty rooms, until they are called. The City has the audacity to pay you $15 for your day of service. Fifteen bucks. Parking costs 12 dollars in the discounted lot. It is embarrassing.
Sometimes you are never called the whole day. Sometimes you are called and are not selected for a Jury. Sometimes you are selected for a jury. This is the worst possible outcome. If you are not selected, you go home for the day. If you are selected, who knows?
So the guy that bought my old house also is a regular attendee at my Daf Yomi Shiur. (Nice guy by the way. I still feel bad that the transaction was a little contentious. I guess that is how these things go) Recently he brought me a summons from the City of Baltimore to report for Jury Duty. Here is the letter that I wrote to the Jury Commissioner.
June 20, 2008
Jury Commissioner's Office100 North Calvert Street, Room 239Baltimore, MD 21202
Re: Jury Summons XXXXXXXX-XXX
Hello:
I received the Jury Summons referenced above. However, I moved out of Baltimore City to Baltimore County. Therefore, I no longer qualify to sit as a juror in Baltimore City.
I am a little confused, since on your website it states that the information for Jurors is pulled from the Motor/Voter records. My new address and County have been updated for almost a full year with both the MVA and the Elections Board. I don’t understand why your records did not get updated.
Please find enclosed the original summons received and a copy of my Driver’s License, with the associated attachment showing my new address in Baltimore County.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Josh...
Letters to the Editor
I used to get a subscription to the Yated Neeman. I received the magazine for around two years and then cancelled my subscription. I cancelled the subscription for several reasons. One of them being the "Letters to the Editor" section.
The following is the Letter to the Editor policy of a typical newspaper.
“...welcomes letters of up to 250 words. The editor reserves the right to reject letters or edit for clarity, brevity, good taste and accuracy, and to prevent libel. No poetry, attacks on private individuals, or letter-writing campaigns, please. Due to the volume of mail, writers are asked to limit submissions to one letter every two weeks. Include a phone number where you can be reached during the day. For mailed or fax submissions, you must sign the letter.”
From my research it seems that most newspapers have a similar policy.
Doesn't the Yated understand that they do not need to publish every single letter that they receive? Don't they understand that they are entitled and probably obligated to edit the content of the letters that they do publish? If some ingrate is put out because his FIL asks him to say a vort, who cares. Why publish that? To be honest, why respond. I equally don't understand why so many people respond to the drivel published by the Yated.
Every few weeks some dummy writes a letter that causes brouhaha and a flurry of fiery responses. Unfortunately, most of the times the brouhaha is about a non-issue.
The following is the Letter to the Editor policy of a typical newspaper.
“...welcomes letters of up to 250 words. The editor reserves the right to reject letters or edit for clarity, brevity, good taste and accuracy, and to prevent libel. No poetry, attacks on private individuals, or letter-writing campaigns, please. Due to the volume of mail, writers are asked to limit submissions to one letter every two weeks. Include a phone number where you can be reached during the day. For mailed or fax submissions, you must sign the letter.”
From my research it seems that most newspapers have a similar policy.
Doesn't the Yated understand that they do not need to publish every single letter that they receive? Don't they understand that they are entitled and probably obligated to edit the content of the letters that they do publish? If some ingrate is put out because his FIL asks him to say a vort, who cares. Why publish that? To be honest, why respond. I equally don't understand why so many people respond to the drivel published by the Yated.
Every few weeks some dummy writes a letter that causes brouhaha and a flurry of fiery responses. Unfortunately, most of the times the brouhaha is about a non-issue.
I Am So Hot!
You ready for a long story? If not just skip it, it is not that interesting anyway. But it will make me feel better.
Last fall my central A/C unit died. The symptoms were that, it would run for three minutes and then trip the circuit breaker. It ran fine all summer. Then this started happening in the end of September. It was still hot out, and needed to be fixed.
So I called a friend who has an HVAC business. He examined the machine and the symptoms and determined that it needed a new motor on the outside condensing unit. Unfortunately he did not have one in stock and could not find one at any of the “supply houses”, so he had to order one. Three days later he got it and tried to install it. But the existing fan would not fit on the new motor. Again, no fan in stock and none at the supply houses, so we ordered one. Four days later the motor and fan are installed. The bill was almost $1000. By the time the system was actually working on October 6th, it had gotten cold outside. We briefly ran the A/C and it appeared fine. The A/C guy assured me that all is well.
Fast forward to June 4th 2008. I turned on the A/C unit and it tripped the fuse after five minutes. Tried a few times and it kept happening. I had the guy come out. Of course, it was the worst possible day to call him since it was the first hot day of the year and he was dealing with a host of emergencies. He finally came. He tried this and that and the other thing and he could not fix it. I had Blue Dot come and they said we need a new system.
So basically I paid this guy a grand at the end of the hot season least year for nothing. The symptoms this year are exactly the same as last year. All I can say is that he had better not send me a bill for this year, or I will demand a refund for the grand I paid him last year.
This was three days before Shavous, a heat wave was coming and we were expecting company for the festival. So I started to scramble. I borrowed four window A/C units. Thanks to Ilana and Mark, Zev and Michelle, Chaim and Esti, and Bubby and Zaidy S. I then purchased two window units from an ad on Craigslist. Thanks Anna in Westminster. I paid $100 for two small window units in good working condition.
So my house is cool and I am not so hot anymore.
I have ordered a new system for the house that is yet to be installed. I’ll post all of the details once it is installed.
Last fall my central A/C unit died. The symptoms were that, it would run for three minutes and then trip the circuit breaker. It ran fine all summer. Then this started happening in the end of September. It was still hot out, and needed to be fixed.
So I called a friend who has an HVAC business. He examined the machine and the symptoms and determined that it needed a new motor on the outside condensing unit. Unfortunately he did not have one in stock and could not find one at any of the “supply houses”, so he had to order one. Three days later he got it and tried to install it. But the existing fan would not fit on the new motor. Again, no fan in stock and none at the supply houses, so we ordered one. Four days later the motor and fan are installed. The bill was almost $1000. By the time the system was actually working on October 6th, it had gotten cold outside. We briefly ran the A/C and it appeared fine. The A/C guy assured me that all is well.
Fast forward to June 4th 2008. I turned on the A/C unit and it tripped the fuse after five minutes. Tried a few times and it kept happening. I had the guy come out. Of course, it was the worst possible day to call him since it was the first hot day of the year and he was dealing with a host of emergencies. He finally came. He tried this and that and the other thing and he could not fix it. I had Blue Dot come and they said we need a new system.
So basically I paid this guy a grand at the end of the hot season least year for nothing. The symptoms this year are exactly the same as last year. All I can say is that he had better not send me a bill for this year, or I will demand a refund for the grand I paid him last year.
This was three days before Shavous, a heat wave was coming and we were expecting company for the festival. So I started to scramble. I borrowed four window A/C units. Thanks to Ilana and Mark, Zev and Michelle, Chaim and Esti, and Bubby and Zaidy S. I then purchased two window units from an ad on Craigslist. Thanks Anna in Westminster. I paid $100 for two small window units in good working condition.
So my house is cool and I am not so hot anymore.
I have ordered a new system for the house that is yet to be installed. I’ll post all of the details once it is installed.
Stranded on I-95N
Below is a letter which I wrote to my auto club several months ago. Just thought I would share. I never recived a response. Definitely do not use Signature's Nationwide Auto Club.
Baltimore, Maryland 21209
8/27/2007
Signature's Nationwide Auto Club.
Attn: Customer Service
P.O. Box 968008
Schaumburg, IL 60196-8008
Re: Member #XXXXXXXXXXX
Greetings,
On Friday, August 24th 2007, I was traveling on Interstate 95 North and got a flat tire. I was traveling with my wife and four children. I immediately pulled onto the left shoulder of the highway. Unfortunately, for some reason the vehicle I was driving did not have a crowbar, so I could not change the tire myself.
No problem, I figured, I will call my auto club. Unfortunately my Auto club failed miserably. I have not used this service in years and am appalled at the shoddy and irresponsible service provided. Allow me to explain.
I called the Emergency Road Service number. I was connected with an Agent who had almost no command of the English language. Just to confirm my information took ten minutes. I was put on hold several times. Then to confirm my actual location took around thirty minutes. After forty minutes on the phone, the agent still had not even located a service provider.
How hard could this be? I explained to the agent that I was on Interstate 95 North in Maryland. I gave the agent the mile marker number, the exit number, the distance between me and the next rest stop. It should have been simple and quick to locate me. But he could not. The agent could barely understand me, could barely speak to me, and I can’t imagine how he could communicate with the service provider.
After I had been on the phone for over 40 minutes, the State Highway Administration Courtesy Service came by and assisted me with changing the tire. At that point I was still on the phone with the agent, who still had not located a service provider.
Once the issue was resolved without the help of your service, I called the customer service number for Signature's Nationwide Auto Club. The agent and team lead I spoke to advised that your company has a call center in India (yes the country India, in the Far East). I was flabbergasted. No wonder the agent could not understand me; I was talking to a person in India. No wonder he couldn’t speak or understand English.
If I am calling for service regarding my computer, or credit card, or phone service, I can understand having a call center in India. There is no imminent threat of danger in those situations. So the difficulty communicating with an Agent in a foreign country is simply an inconvenience. An inconvenience that is tolerable as there is no imminent physical danger. However, if I am dealing with an Emergency road service, this inability to communicate could have caused severe injury or death. This is patently unacceptable.
Signature's Nationwide Auto Club put me and my family in unnecessary and intense danger of physical harm or even death. This was done all in the name of cost savings and profit.
I can be reached at the above address or on my cell phone, 410.XXX.XXXX
Josh
Cc: Better Business Bureau Chicago & N. Illinois
Illinois Attorney General Consumer Fraud Bureau
Consumer Reports
Baltimore, Maryland 21209
8/27/2007
Signature's Nationwide Auto Club.
Attn: Customer Service
P.O. Box 968008
Schaumburg, IL 60196-8008
Re: Member #XXXXXXXXXXX
Greetings,
On Friday, August 24th 2007, I was traveling on Interstate 95 North and got a flat tire. I was traveling with my wife and four children. I immediately pulled onto the left shoulder of the highway. Unfortunately, for some reason the vehicle I was driving did not have a crowbar, so I could not change the tire myself.
No problem, I figured, I will call my auto club. Unfortunately my Auto club failed miserably. I have not used this service in years and am appalled at the shoddy and irresponsible service provided. Allow me to explain.
I called the Emergency Road Service number. I was connected with an Agent who had almost no command of the English language. Just to confirm my information took ten minutes. I was put on hold several times. Then to confirm my actual location took around thirty minutes. After forty minutes on the phone, the agent still had not even located a service provider.
How hard could this be? I explained to the agent that I was on Interstate 95 North in Maryland. I gave the agent the mile marker number, the exit number, the distance between me and the next rest stop. It should have been simple and quick to locate me. But he could not. The agent could barely understand me, could barely speak to me, and I can’t imagine how he could communicate with the service provider.
After I had been on the phone for over 40 minutes, the State Highway Administration Courtesy Service came by and assisted me with changing the tire. At that point I was still on the phone with the agent, who still had not located a service provider.
Once the issue was resolved without the help of your service, I called the customer service number for Signature's Nationwide Auto Club. The agent and team lead I spoke to advised that your company has a call center in India (yes the country India, in the Far East). I was flabbergasted. No wonder the agent could not understand me; I was talking to a person in India. No wonder he couldn’t speak or understand English.
If I am calling for service regarding my computer, or credit card, or phone service, I can understand having a call center in India. There is no imminent threat of danger in those situations. So the difficulty communicating with an Agent in a foreign country is simply an inconvenience. An inconvenience that is tolerable as there is no imminent physical danger. However, if I am dealing with an Emergency road service, this inability to communicate could have caused severe injury or death. This is patently unacceptable.
Signature's Nationwide Auto Club put me and my family in unnecessary and intense danger of physical harm or even death. This was done all in the name of cost savings and profit.
I can be reached at the above address or on my cell phone, 410.XXX.XXXX
Josh
Cc: Better Business Bureau Chicago & N. Illinois
Illinois Attorney General Consumer Fraud Bureau
Consumer Reports
Pomegranate Bistro
Rikki and I went to Pomegranate Bistro last night, for the first time. Our Anniversary was last week, so we celebrated last night.
Rashi tells us in this week’s Parsha that Moshe told the spies that when they “tour” Canaan they should first go to the inferior areas, and then see the superior areas of the land.
So let me start off with the two less than positive issues. Both are no big deal and I cannot blame the Bistro for them. First of all, it is far from Baltimore. It is about 50 miles each way from our house. That is a lot of gas to burn for a dinner. Second, the prices are high. Our bill was around eighty bucks. Add in a tip, gas, and a baby-sitter for three hours, the night ran about $130.
But the money and the gas are well worth it!
The food is amazing, service is quick and informal, and the ambience is good. You get what you pay for in this case. More than I can say for some of the Baltimore fine eating establishments.
We had 7:30 reservations and arrived at 7:15. We were seated immediately, despite being early. (I hate to be late for anything, but that is for another post) We were given a reasonable amount of time to review the somewhat limited menu and our orders were taken. The food arrived quickly and was perfect. We had a Mushroom Cap for appetizer. That was very spicy and delicious. Then for the main course I had the rib-eye steak, medium done. It was possibly the best steak I have ever tasted. It was a little rare, but I did not feel the need to send it back because it was so good. Rikki had the Pomegranate Chicken which I guess is their signature entrée since it shares establishment’s name. For Dessert we had amaretto cake, which was excellent.
I could not believe how crowded it was. There were quite a few people I recognized from Baltimore. I guess people find the travel worthwhile. I heartily agree. The place was jam packed. There was not a single available table almost the entire time we were there.
Overall a great experience. I highly recommend the Pomegranate Bistro.
See another review by greg
Rashi tells us in this week’s Parsha that Moshe told the spies that when they “tour” Canaan they should first go to the inferior areas, and then see the superior areas of the land.
So let me start off with the two less than positive issues. Both are no big deal and I cannot blame the Bistro for them. First of all, it is far from Baltimore. It is about 50 miles each way from our house. That is a lot of gas to burn for a dinner. Second, the prices are high. Our bill was around eighty bucks. Add in a tip, gas, and a baby-sitter for three hours, the night ran about $130.
But the money and the gas are well worth it!
The food is amazing, service is quick and informal, and the ambience is good. You get what you pay for in this case. More than I can say for some of the Baltimore fine eating establishments.
We had 7:30 reservations and arrived at 7:15. We were seated immediately, despite being early. (I hate to be late for anything, but that is for another post) We were given a reasonable amount of time to review the somewhat limited menu and our orders were taken. The food arrived quickly and was perfect. We had a Mushroom Cap for appetizer. That was very spicy and delicious. Then for the main course I had the rib-eye steak, medium done. It was possibly the best steak I have ever tasted. It was a little rare, but I did not feel the need to send it back because it was so good. Rikki had the Pomegranate Chicken which I guess is their signature entrée since it shares establishment’s name. For Dessert we had amaretto cake, which was excellent.
I could not believe how crowded it was. There were quite a few people I recognized from Baltimore. I guess people find the travel worthwhile. I heartily agree. The place was jam packed. There was not a single available table almost the entire time we were there.
Overall a great experience. I highly recommend the Pomegranate Bistro.
See another review by greg
Cavalier Attitude
I have been using Cavalier Telephone and DSL service for around seven years now. When we moved to our new home in 2007 I switched the service to my new house. The process of getting the service switched was extremely painful. But that is not what I am writing about now.
Ever since we moved the phone line is extremely “noisy”. There is lots of buzzing and ticking while talking on the phone. The Internet connection is extremely slow. In fact I did a speed test and I was barely better than dial-up speed. The noise and slowness are particularly bad when it is raining, has recently rained, or it is windy.
I have called Cavalier at least ten times over the past year. They have sent Verizon technicians and Cavalier technicians. Verizon blames Cavalier and Cavalier blames Verizon.
To make a long story short, I am switching my phone and Internet service to Comcast. It is being installed on Tuesday. We’ll see how that goes. Unfortunately, I have to get a new phone number since my existing phone number is in a “foreign” exchange. That doesn’t bother me too much. I’ll keep posting as we progress.
Before I moved I was moderately satisfied with CAVTEL. However for the last year, I have been extremely unsatisfied. Beware of Cavalier Telephone.
Ever since we moved the phone line is extremely “noisy”. There is lots of buzzing and ticking while talking on the phone. The Internet connection is extremely slow. In fact I did a speed test and I was barely better than dial-up speed. The noise and slowness are particularly bad when it is raining, has recently rained, or it is windy.
I have called Cavalier at least ten times over the past year. They have sent Verizon technicians and Cavalier technicians. Verizon blames Cavalier and Cavalier blames Verizon.
To make a long story short, I am switching my phone and Internet service to Comcast. It is being installed on Tuesday. We’ll see how that goes. Unfortunately, I have to get a new phone number since my existing phone number is in a “foreign” exchange. That doesn’t bother me too much. I’ll keep posting as we progress.
Before I moved I was moderately satisfied with CAVTEL. However for the last year, I have been extremely unsatisfied. Beware of Cavalier Telephone.
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