I am hoping to have a non-structural/load-bearing wall built in my home, and the permit office has confirmed that we don't need an engineering stamp, but we still have to submit floor plans. Has anyone done this and can offer advice* or a sample? The application check-list is set-up to cover any possible scenario, a lot of which won't apply since the wall will not be structural and won't have any electrical/plumbing added. Thanks!

*I appreciate that some people have likely built walls without applying for a permit, and trust me, I'm tempted, but I'm just way to risk averse to do it :)

This is a long shot lol but I’m looking for tamas! Does anyone know a store selling older tamas? Looking for more than just the regular gen 1-3 versions

I am over 30, have two hatchback cars almost 20 years old, my driven mileage is 8,000miles or greater on the one car(only liability coverage), and the other is listed as 'for pleasure' under 8,000 miles(full coverage on this one).

I just got my yearly quote from the provider at $2,099 which is up from previous years at $1,9xx. IDK this just seems stupid high to me for cars that are almost 20years old, dont get driven, and one doesnt even have claim coverage. I have had no accidents or claims in the past 3 years, and no tickets.

I know they had a flood back in January or February, does anyone know what’s going on, or has this location quietly permanently closed? sad to see them closed all this time I can only think of the employees that work there.

Hello, I recently moved into the area and am looking to do simple changes like swapping out light switches and outlets. I've done such changes in a prior home (not in MD). I'm confirming the permit situation with the Rockville Permits Department and I'm being told that the exam for homeowners hasn't been offered since 2024 and that I would need to become a master electrician in the state of MD to make these changes? I wanted to speak to a manager or someone higher but they were not available. I'm a little surprised as a homeowner there's no path to do this myself without being a master electrician. Does this sound correct to folks here? Maybe I need to turn this post into an electrician recommendation post...

I’ve lived at the Fenestra Apartments in RTC since 2023 and can’t help but notice that they’ve gone significantly downhill in the past year or so. There are mice, which they’ve come through and “treated” at least twice this year but I’ve recently seen them in the garage and lobby, and also hear them in the ceiling. There are also roaches - I saw one in the elevator yesterday. Oh, and at least one of the elevators is always broken. The common areas, especially the parking garage/ loading dock are absolutely disgusting and often have puddles of trash water right outside the elevator.

Any other residents noticed this decline? Who can I contact besides the leasing office to report this stuff?

I’m about to finish up B.A. In digital media and web design this fall and I want to get into a county government job. I’m thinking about starting out as a communication specialist (911 dispatcher) and working my way into other positions. I’ve also thought about working for the county But I want to know what other positions people here would recommend.

Hey there - we are moving from Memphis to Rockville for husband’s job this fall. Our child will be in 8th and I’m not as concerned where she goes for middle school bc it will be an adjustment - but we would like to find out about high schools since we will buy a house. She’s an artsy kid and loves science and math. She’s in a good public school here with a lot of diversity. She wants to go to football games and we want her to be ready for college (whatever that looks like in 5 years). We’ve looked at Rockville and Germantown areas for housing, but we’re open to other areas if the commute to Rockville isn’t abhorrent. Any/all feedback is appreciated!

I travel to the area for work intermittently about a week at a time.

I was hoping to take my son to the paw patrol movie tomorrow/this weekend and it looks like I can’t buy tickets to any movies from Aug 14-aug 21. Tried on regals app, website, and fandango. Anyone have info on what’s going on?

Does anyone know a store in the area where I can get authentic Belgian chocolate? Specifically looking for the Côte d'Or brand! It’s for a birthday gift and I wanted to avoid ordering online because it’s so hot I think it would melt. Thanks in advance!

Neighbors, I'm looking for other nerdy people who would want to meet twice a month at the Twinbrook Library to discuss Herodotus's *Histories*?

Who is Herodotus & What Are His Histories?

Great question, thank you for asking. Herodotus was a Greek writing in the fifth century BCE. He's considered "The Father of History," which is actually a question I'm looking forward to exploring: Is he? And what does that mean?

One of the reasons we continue to call him the FoH is because his is the oldest example of a history that survived long enough to be caught and copied.

Herodotus will tell you on page one that his goal is to explain why the Greeks and the barbarians (which, to the Greeks, meant anyone who wasn't Greek) didn't get along. He will then tell you, for several hundred pages, almost anything but why the Greeks and the barbarians couldn't stop fighting. But that extraneous (and sometimes a little gross, sometimes a little pervy) info is what I think is so fascinating about him, and I think others would really dig it, too.

Who Is This For?

It's really for anyone at any level who is interested in Very Old Things and how they sometimes know things about us that we haven't figured out ourselves.

There are some passages that are...graphic. If you think you might feel uncomfortable hearing conversations about graphic topics, this may not be for you.

But if you're someone interested in Greek mythology, or mythology in general, or you love history, or you love thinking about what things make up history, I think this is something you would enjoy.

And you don't have to know anything about anything. You can use this group as a way to see if this is interesting. The only things you'll need are good ears for listening and an interest in conversation over certainty.

Ages: (precocious) 12-year-olds with a guardian's permission up to 99 years old as long as you don't go on and on about how you knew Herodotus at school.

Why You (as in me, Mike Bevel)?

I have no special credentials, other than being old, but I like conversations about books, and facilitating those conversations so that everyone gets a chance to be heard and everyone gets a chance to listen.

I love Herodotus and history very much, and I believe what you share with the world is what it keeps of you. I'd like to leave some more Herodotus lovers if I can.

What Translation Should You Read?

I'm reading a translation by the historian (not the Spiderman) Tom Holland.

But you don't have to read the same translation that I'm reading. In fact, what can be great about this is if we're reading from different translations, just to see how other translators handle certain passages.

I understand that that kind of ambiguity can feel risky. The Holland I'm reading is very good, and I think you'll have a good time with it if you'd rather not read through a bunch of translations on your own to figure out what you like.

When Would We Start? When Would We Meet? Where Would We Meet

Working backwards, I was thinking either Saturdays (my first choice) from 11A-12.30P; or Thursday evenings from 6P-7.30P.

I was thinking meeting every other week would also be a good pace, but we can discuss other cadences.

I would like to start on either Saturday, September 5, at 11A or Thursday, September 3, at 6P.

We would meet at the Twinbrook Library, likely in one of the meeting rooms.

I will send out a reading schedule so that everyone will know how far they would read for each session -- but we'll also read passages aloud during the meetings. (So if you fall behind, you can still participate after heading some of the passages.)

What Are the Next Steps?

You can send me an email at this address: mbevel at Gmail. You can message me your email address here. I practice good email etiquette, and always send them as bcc's so no one can "accidentally" hijack the list to push fundraising cookies or "just one political article, but it's worth it."

In the email to me, please let me know:

-Which day of the week you prefer

-Which translation you're likely to read (if you're not going with the Holland, just so I can see the same text you're seeing)

I'll follow up with a reading schedule.

Hello all. I am moving back to the area after a 2-month internship in NYC and need to find an apartment by August 21 (the 23 at the latest, but I start school that week, so I would prefer the 21st). I am keeping my eye out for an MPDU but not sure if I will have any luck. My budget is around $2300 if I cannot get anything lower. I lived in Rockville for my first 4 years in the area and then Bethesda for 3 years, so I am familiar with the areas and would prefer to stay in these areas mainly due to the commute to my school. I am looking for a 1 bedroom. Below are the apartments on my short list and my nonnegotiables. Feel free to suggest others and give reviews for the ones listed. Thanks in advance everyone.

Non-Negotiables: Walk in closet, in unit washer and dryer, hard surface floors throughout the entire unit (if i need to budge then this would be the thing I budge on), parking garage, as close to no pests as possible

Short list:

• Kanso at Twinbrook- The 2.5 Google rating and comments about this place make me reluctant but the pricing is perfect for my needs and I toured the property when it first opened and loved the units. I am in my final year of law school and likely won't be in the area after graduation so I don't need something that will be a long term living situation. I am okay with the lack of amenities but worry about the lack of on site staff. They have a special right now which is attractive ($500 off specific 2 bedrooms making the specific unit I'm looking at around $2000). All that said, I would be okay with this place for a year UNLESS there is a known widespread pest issue. I can't deal with roach and/or rat infestations. Or some other major issue like frequent break ins or other safety concerns.
• The Montgomery
• Mallory Square
• The Rae (formerly lived here. loved the location but other issues came up and owuld love to hear other resident's perspectives)
• The Milton at Twinbrook Quarters
• Arrowhead
• Per Sei
• NoBe
• The Henri