New maestro digs jazz

THE ANNAPOLIS Symphony Orchestra's new conductor, Leslie Dunner, blew into town recently to handle some administrative tasks for the orchestra and impressed a crowd of jazz fans by showing up at Chesapeake Music Hall in Annapolis for a Dixieland concert.

He clearly relished the music of Doc Hochman's Dynamic Dixieland Band, staying until the last note was played, then joining the crowd in a standing ovation.

Later, in the parking lot, I teased him about blowing the stereotypical image of the classical musician. With a warm smile, he said: "I'm not stuffy." IT'S DEFINITELY hot out there, as the sun bakes the pavement of West Street in Annapolis.

How hot? Somewhere around 90.

Hot enough that a woman wearing a sun dress walked down the street with her arms straight up.

Cooling her armpits in the breeze, she told her companions.

Andrea Siegel

In dog years, computer is 28

I RECENTLY bought a Macintosh computer from a friend who had gotten a newer model.

I find we're paddling, not actually surfing, the Net, so I went to a computer store to see about upgrades that might speed up processing.

A clerk at the Glen Burnie store pulled out two books, started flipping through the pages and asked, "How old is your computer?"

"Four years old," I said. I might as well have said 44.

"Oooh," she groaned. "I don't know if we'll have that in these books."

Computers, I learned, age faster than dogs.

So much for an upgrade.

TaNoah Morgan

Counting down the hours

AT MARSHALL'S in Annapolis last week, an employee came over the intercom to announce: "Attention, shoppers. It is now 3: 30. The store will be closing in exactly six hours."

"I'm running for the door," one customer yelled.

On the way out, a cashier told me the young man on the intercom had a good reason to be watching the clock: It was his last day.

Kevin Kohler

A dime's worth of water

I ASKED for an ice water to go along with two pretzels ordered at Auntie Anne's in Annapolis Mall and was informed that water would cost me an additional dime. "OK," I agreed. "We're big spenders today."

The clerk told me, "You'd be surprised how many people decline after we tell them." I couldn't resist retorting, "They must see a principle behind the thing."

Kevin Kohler Pub Date: 6/21/98