Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
How they play baseball at Fordham
Watch the third runner cross home plate. Why don't the Red Sox do that? The antics of the coaches and umpire thereafter are worth watching, too.
Monday, April 19, 2010
The Strike Zone
It's supposed to be rectangular. Taller than it is wide. In practice it's a square. I base my statement on the evidence provided by questec, or whatever the electronic strike zone is called. You will frequently see balls that are inside or outside, often by the diameter of a ball or two, called strikes. You will also see, frequently, balls that are touching or entirely within the upper and lower limits called balls.
In other words, balls that are inside or outside are often called strikes, and the low strike and the high strike are often not called. Watch and you will see.
The umpire calling behind the plate in today's Red Sox game should be taken out and shot.
And the Red Sox look terrible. But at least we've got two third basemen.
In other words, balls that are inside or outside are often called strikes, and the low strike and the high strike are often not called. Watch and you will see.
The umpire calling behind the plate in today's Red Sox game should be taken out and shot.
And the Red Sox look terrible. But at least we've got two third basemen.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Stray cat referees.
Kate and I inquired about an apartment in Brooklyn last week and got what started as a very nice response. Then they wrote the following. We decided not to pursue the apartment for other reasons, but I found the email condescending and annoying enough that I didn't think I would want to rent from or live in the same building as the landlords. Kate disagreed, thinking that they would be quirky and interesting people, and finding the email hilarious.
You be the judge:
Also, since you are possibly coming in from out of town, let me share some insights we have gained over the years with out of town tenants who were not a good fit for our apartment. It may sound nutty, but would hate to have you waste your time. We mention this when people are veiwing the apartment:
- New York is a city of 8 million people, and you will hear them at all hours of the day. People work and play hard, and the work days start early so you will hear people in the street and in surrounding buildings as early as 5am to get up for work. Stray cats occupy the connected back yards and have their own rituals, and we as landlords are not responsible for nor would ever consider refereeing their behavior or exterminating them because they make noise.
- The cost of living is high here, so rents and living expenses approximate a price range that some people experience only when they vacation at exclusive resorts. That somehow permeates their mindset and skew expectations for a rental apartment. This is not an exclusive resort, and we as landlords are not the concierge.
- Old houses have character, but show their age. Architects, OCD sufferers, and any general anal retentive types have been apoplectic about creaking floors, the lack of precise 90 degree angles for the ceilings and floors, and the lack of glass and chrome in a Victorian era house.
- Renting is not the same as owning your own house or condo. You can't tear down walls or do your own renovations, or demand we swap out existing appliances and buy higher end ones of your choice. We have found previous house owners have a hard time adjusting to a rental arrangement and not being the lords of the manor.
You be the judge:
Also, since you are possibly coming in from out of town, let me share some insights we have gained over the years with out of town tenants who were not a good fit for our apartment. It may sound nutty, but would hate to have you waste your time. We mention this when people are veiwing the apartment:
- New York is a city of 8 million people, and you will hear them at all hours of the day. People work and play hard, and the work days start early so you will hear people in the street and in surrounding buildings as early as 5am to get up for work. Stray cats occupy the connected back yards and have their own rituals, and we as landlords are not responsible for nor would ever consider refereeing their behavior or exterminating them because they make noise.
- The cost of living is high here, so rents and living expenses approximate a price range that some people experience only when they vacation at exclusive resorts. That somehow permeates their mindset and skew expectations for a rental apartment. This is not an exclusive resort, and we as landlords are not the concierge.
- Old houses have character, but show their age. Architects, OCD sufferers, and any general anal retentive types have been apoplectic about creaking floors, the lack of precise 90 degree angles for the ceilings and floors, and the lack of glass and chrome in a Victorian era house.
- Renting is not the same as owning your own house or condo. You can't tear down walls or do your own renovations, or demand we swap out existing appliances and buy higher end ones of your choice. We have found previous house owners have a hard time adjusting to a rental arrangement and not being the lords of the manor.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Apparently cows now PREVENT global warming
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/climatechange/7564682/Cows-absolved-of-causing-global-warming-with-nitrous-oxide.html
Thursday, April 08, 2010
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