Avoiding “The Bowling Alley” Effect First, a caveat: unless there’s also a detached garage in the back of the house (typically, off an alley), converting a one-car garage into something else is a non-starter. That’s because going from a one-car garage to a no-car garage is guaranteed to destroy much more value than it creates. But, assuming that that’s not the...Read More
Answer: “About 50°” In the middle of August, on an especially humid day, a nice breeze — if necessary, generated by a ceiling fan — is especially welcome. Fast forward six months (or three, if you live in Minnesota), when local temps are 40º to 60º(!) cooler. That same breeze is now officially a “draft”...Read More
Now, THAT’S Going Cold Turkey! Speaking from experience, it’s almost impossible to completely disconnect from work the couple of times a year I take a genuine break. Somehow, the resolve to only check emails once or twice a day erodes, or, some unanticipated issue with a file pops up that requires my (hopefully) brief attention. Which is why...Read More
There Oughta Be a Word For That What do you call all the things outside a home ” like concrete steps, pavers, custom handrails, retaining walls, etc. ” that don’t quite qualify as “landscaping?” “Flatwork.” P.S.: “Flatware” refers to eating utensils and plates.Read More
Shining a Spotlight on Dubious Charges Supposedly, right angles don’t exist in nature. Similarly, people seldom make purchases for even amounts. So, the grocery/gas/dry cleaning bill is almost never exactly $40; rather, it’s $39.72 or $40.17 or some such. “That’s Odd!” (Literally) Consumers can use that phenomenon to help thwart credit card fraudsters who —...Read More
“Program Trading Gone Wild,” the Sequel? What’s behind gyrating stocks the last three weeks or so? (I know, it seems much longer). Here are two theories: One. Age-old human emotion — fickle, fear-and-greed driven human psychology — is the culprit. In particular, less experienced “retail” investors who chased high-flying tech stocks, and are now freaking...Read More
