Shaving the Bologna Ever-Thinner First, Starbucks tried to make me learn Italian. Always bad at languages, I ignored their preferred “venti” and “grande,” and continued to order my (very occasional) “16 oz. skim latte,” same as always. Next, I had to decipher the rental car companies’ vernacular. Let me save you 20 minutes on hold: a...Read More
“Student-Athlete,” “Realtor-Blogger,” and Other Oxymorons What’s the difference between “blogging” and “HAVING a blog?” Only the first term is a verb (synonym for “writing”). So, unbeknownst to most consumers, the vast majority of Realtor blogs out there — I’d guess over 90% — actually consist of syndicated content that agents license and republish for a...Read More
Keep Minnesota Entrepreneurs in Minnesota! Except for the fact that 11 year-old Riley and her family leave, Minnesota comes off looking pretty good in Pixar’s new blockbuster, “Inside Out.” Minnesota is where Riley learned to play hockey, enjoyed going to the lakes with her family in the Summer, and loves her teammates, friends, and school...Read More
Birthday MONTH (& Other Oxymorons) If you’re an about-to-be 12-year-old boy (OK, my younger son), how do you squeeze the most out of your birthday? After all, by definition a day is only 24 hours — and you’re not even awake for one-third of it. Slippery Slope The answer: morph “day” into “weekend.” As in,...Read More
Make That, “the New Minnesota Statutory Short Form Power of Attorney” When a document has the term “short form” in it, you might expect it to be . . . well, short. Ditto when said form undergoes a “new & improved” revision, as Minnesota’s POA just did. Unh-unh. I Think That’s Called a “Misnomer” The previous short form...Read More
“Location, Location, Location” (Again) With assisted living costs soaring, more families are looking for homes that can accommodate one (or more) older parents. Which is prompting at least some multi-generation Buyers to seek out homes with what Realtors call “Mother-in-law” units: self-contained living quarters — under the same roof — that typically include a (nicer)...Read More
