Headscratchers and General Weirdness

It has been a rough week for Howard County school parents. Either they’ve been unable to call up school lunch menus to see what’s for lunch, or unable to make appointments for parent-teacher conferences. Considering that the year began with many school parents being unable to find out when the bus was going to come, it certainly seems as though 2023-2024 will be remembered as the Year of Many Mysteries.

Sometimes computers improve the quality of life and sometimes they gum up the works. Someone needs to talk more nicely to the HCPSS computers because it looks as though they are mad and possibly even holding a grudge.

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Some nice-looking blonde woman stopped by County Executive Calvin Ball’s Facebook announcement (that he will not be seeking the newly-opened congressional seat) to offer her well-wishes. Actually, no. She held forth for an entire four paragraphs on everything she thought was wrong with Dr. Ball during his tenure as County Executive. I noticed that her last name was Kittleman.

Do you think that could be significant?

I’m trying to imagine how it would have gone over if a close family member of Ball’s had done something similar to Allan Kittleman.

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This comment from the Baltimore Banner got my goat: Where to order Thanksgiving dinner — because cooking is for suckers

Is it not possible to share information about commercially prepared Thanksgiving meals without taking a snarky swipe at home cooking? Coming across as mean-spirited and arrogant is not a plus. Sheesh.

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Finally, a thought for your consideration. I saw some complaints online this week about recent local fireworks/firecrackers. While I do understand the negative impact they have on pets, what I don’t understand are those who were angry that they hadn’t received special notification. Friends, Diwali comes every year. Just like July 4th celebrations. But accepting the noise from Independence Day as normal or expected but wanting an added degree of communication for Diwali seems to me to be a kind of othering.

Remaining ignorant is a choice. It’s a way of announcing to the world that other people’s holidays and customs are “not on your calendar.”

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Wait! One more! In the category of General Weirdness, this request on Reddit:

Best cheese selection?

Wegman's has a decent selection of cheese, whereas the Giant that's closest to me has very little. I'm looking for the best selection of cheeses in the area. In particular, today I'm looking to get some Grana Podano. I don't find it on the websites for Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, or Trader Joe's.

Can anyone help me find Cheeses?

And - - I kid you not - - the fourth comment in:

Remember The Cheese Shop in Wilde Lake Village center. That place was great.

If you want to have eternal life, be a Nice Cheese Shop.

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Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else. Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...

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This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday. Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018. 2018 . But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest. In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...

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