Step #1 and Step #2 What’s the easiest (and cheapest) to lighten a Minnesota home — at least between November and May? Start by removing the window screens (step #1). After last night’s hard freeze (lows in the mid-20’s), that’s now timely to do. With the screens gone, though, it can be all too apparent...Read More
A Clutch* of (Construction) Cranes If massive construction sites are your thing, it’s hard to do better than the site of the new Vikings stadium at the east end of downtown. At least at this stage, the building looks like the world’s biggest roller coaster taking shape. In fact, there are no fewer than half...Read More
“This Fourth Down Conversion Attempt Brought to You By [Your Company Name Here]” Inspired by the “Allstate Catch of the Day,” I’m going to see if the cable channel carrying the University of Minnesota football games will consider creating something called “The Ross Kaplan Extra Point Attempt” (I’m game if the price is right). If...Read More
How to Time-Shift (Just a Little) “Synch-ron-ate” (verb): taping a TV or cable show, then watching it ” without commercials ” so as to finish at the same time as the live telecast. — Proposed addition to English language; Ross Kaplan. Almost four years ago, I proposed a new word, “synchronate,” to describe the practice of...Read More
Led Astray By Still-Fallible Technology “If all your friends all jumped off a bridge . . . would you, too??” –Moms to their kids, circa 1970. “Never ask a question that you don’t already know the answer to.” –Advice to trial lawyers cross-examining witnesses. Once upon a time, Mothers countered foolish, me-too behavior in their...Read More
Home Staging Multiple Choice Which of the following conclusions are highly likely based on the actual MLS photo (above) from this Richfield “For Sale” home: A. Per the purple sheet over the bed, there are no window treatments anywhere in the home (if they’re missing in the bedrooms, they’re likely missing everywhere); B. The home is a...Read More
