Well... I apologize for not having read all the reactions to this thread, but even unemployed, I really don't have time for all of it. This is not a put down - it's just that much as I enjoy reading this blog, and sometimes even following a discussion, my level of involvement/ knowledge on most of the topics is just not sufficient to have anything valuable to contribute in the comments. There's really nothing you can do to this blog to change that (unless you change the blog). If you really want participation from someone like me, low-involvement contributions (polls, etc.) are the way to go, but even then - I'm not promising to be very active.
And that gets to to the initial question: what can you do to help someone like me comment more? Really, not much, short of waiting a couple years and seeing if I then feel educated enough to contribute my crystal-ball insights into the economy debate/ have developed aesthetics convictions strong enough that I feel like I should defend them every time/ etc. I'm actually pretty satisfied with the level of comments I find here, and quite horrified by the notion that we need to engage in some sort of real-estate version of an 18th century literary "salon". This is just a blog to me... Keep it light, and let passionate people be passionate. As I see it, interventions should be kept to a minimum (a warning if some posters are forgetting their manners, a ban if they're really being threatening/ racist/ sexist or whatever), but then again that's just an opinion.

Posted by: MrsCWB at March 27, 2009 1:14 PM in response to Let's Talk About Commenting

Well... I have to say that I agree with "the real question", here, and pretty much nothing else -- I don't want to nitpick, but "one-size-fits-all solutions" are a little bit scary. How does it not matter what the situation is before we apply THE answer, both from an economic and a moral standpoint? Montrose Morris made that point before, but there should be a difference between blatant over-consumption and predatory lending, and there should be a difference between people who have paid 15 years of interest and people who have paid nothing...
I'm also curious what the "olden days" are. Attribute that to my lack of American culture (this is an earnest question), but are we talking about the post-war expansion, with its demographic and economic specificities? Or some even older golden days? I'm not seeing what Ringo was talking about there...

Posted by: MrsCWB at February 13, 2009 4:15 PM in response to Quote of the Day

I'm with you MM...
I have to say -- it's heartwarming to see that the complex concept of "society" is so well and widely understood. Yeah, let's just let people who aren't us be kicked to the curb -- it surely will not end up affecting me, right?

Posted by: MrsCWB at February 13, 2009 10:27 AM in response to Housing Rescue Plan: For Some or For All?

Now I see a little bit better why it's not selling :p

Posted by: MrsCWB at February 6, 2009 2:44 PM in response to Open House Picks

So basically you can't turn the basement into rental unless you go for some really heavy work, you'd need to turn it into a 2 on 2. Yuck.

Posted by: MrsCWB at February 6, 2009 2:25 PM in response to Open House Picks

I am not sure I understand why the CH house is not sold... Though I didn't realize it was a 1-family. I guess the floorplan makes (marginally) more sense now.
Could you convert it BRG?

Posted by: MrsCWB at February 6, 2009 2:01 PM in response to Open House Picks

The Oak Bar? Racing through Central Park in taxis (let me forget the frat aspect?
How very Gilded Age... That's a compliment :)

Posted by: MrsCWB at February 2, 2009 5:51 PM in response to Bushwick Goes National

I like the column, NOP, but I like the testing even more!

Posted by: MrsCWB at February 2, 2009 5:05 PM in response to Bushwick Goes National

Oh well DIBS -- all is fair in love, right?
At least, as long as I get to define what falls under "love".

Posted by: MrsCWB at February 2, 2009 4:56 PM in response to Bushwick Goes National

mopar, don't worry -- unfortunately racism is pretty International, nothing typically US about it...
And cw {sorry for the private message}... Well my dear, I will not be illegal at all, but winelover made it so appealing that I might have exagerated a little bit.

Posted by: MrsCWB at February 2, 2009 4:38 PM in response to Bushwick Goes National

As a quasi-illegal high-income wine-loving tight-jeans-wearing hard-working white alien, I'd like to join 11217, DIBS etc. in being mind-boggled and more than slightly revulsed by winelover's comments.
Even if you did have a point about illegal immigrants (which you don't, since entire sector of your country's economy relies on exploiting cheap labor), your going from "Hispanics, mainly of whom are illegal" (...) to "f*ck them all" is a thing of beauty. Not even to mention your fetish for US citizenship, or the fact that you seem to mistake "company" for "country".
The list goes on.

Posted by: MrsCWB at February 2, 2009 4:02 PM in response to Bushwick Goes National

"going to", my dear?
I'm so in love with the Bay Ridge wood floors!

Posted by: MrsCWB at January 30, 2009 2:01 PM in response to Open House Picks

Wow. So I have to do with a gut reno (already in contract) and a hovel in Red Hook as my eye candy for the day. And I am in Texas. And there is an ice storm. Can it get any worse?
I'm still lurking, though.

Posted by: MrsCWB at January 28, 2009 5:31 PM in response to House of the Day: 13 South Elliott Place

Well thank you BRG! That's actually my favorite part of the whole thing -- looking at floor plans and trying to make them a little better. Your plan sounds good -- I'm also wondering if there's something to do with the closet fest on the second stair landing.
But of course now that you've made me look at floor plans again... I'm now going through the first floor too. Toilet adjacent to the kitchen? Eew!

Posted by: MrsCWB at January 22, 2009 4:12 PM in response to House of the Day: 37 Winthrop Street

Hey, when I was working in Rye I actually shared a taxi from the train station with the maids who worked in that Twain House. Yes, maidS. Who expense taxis.
I think it's kind of cheap they didn't send the chauffeur to pick them up at the station, though.

Posted by: MrsCWB at January 22, 2009 3:13 PM in response to Open Thread

Thanks for the tip, winelover! We are exploring any and every thing right now, including what we cannot afford -- meaning absolutely everything as long as my fired ass will remain fired :)

Posted by: MrsCWB at January 22, 2009 1:48 PM in response to House of the Day: 37 Winthrop Street

I (respectfully) disagree with the hubby in terms of layout (that upstairs floor plan could use an architect with some common sense), but other than that I actually kind of like it a lot. Even the fact that it needs some love -- from the look of it (for what realtor pics are worth), you could improve it quite substantially without having to live in a hell pit for months.

Posted by: MrsCWB at January 22, 2009 1:32 PM in response to House of the Day: 37 Winthrop Street

An underground lair with a bunker-like facade?
I'm curious to see it, but I have grave doubts...

Posted by: MrsCWB at January 15, 2009 7:37 PM in response to Thoughts on a Condo?

Thanks Dave.
And don't bother changing your login ID, hon, your colleagues are watching over your shoulder FOR ME. You're cornered.

Posted by: MrsCWB at January 14, 2009 4:29 PM in response to House of the Day: 132 Rutland Road

Oh wow, honey, can you buy me this house? At least this screen? It's love at first sight for me.

Posted by: MrsCWB at January 14, 2009 4:00 PM in response to House of the Day: 132 Rutland Road

@Biff -- of course! I don't speak as much as the hubby, but I'm pretty obsessed with Brownstoner (I tried to abbreviate that as BSer, bad idea) myself.

Posted by: MrsCWB at January 12, 2009 5:34 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 110 Hicks Street

I had to register to say thanks for all the sympathy. And also that yes -- that floor plan on the Madison house garden floor is pretty ridiculous...

Posted by: MrsCWB at January 9, 2009 3:14 PM in response to Open House Picks