New York March NYC Meet-Up

[Calzone]

"Maggie" has a pick-up from Housing Works where she was asked to "curate" a collection of her stuff to basically donate. They are coming this morning.

Another load of clothes goes to a vintage retailer who is buying some of her clothes. Part of the deal is cash, and another part is store credit. Pretty much this stuff is a full clothes rack, and in fact the clothes rack that I bought recently was used on the Zoom call to show and present the clothing to the retailer.

Around lunchtime The Real-Real will do a Zoom call to select items that Maggie wants to unload and sell.

All this should clear out some space.

Some cool gigs are coming in. One is a possible TV program where a crew comes in to basically build out the one bedroom in or "Baby-Victorian" as her dressing room/closet.

Maggie wanted me to build out this room, and this involved my cabinet making skills, but since I'm a lazy slacker I say having someone else doing this task is great, especially since this is not money out of my pocket.

I'm still looking into cars. One candidate is a VW Golf Sport Wagon that is AWD and kinda newish.

Another is an old Volvo C70 that is a somewhat midsized car that can seat 4 adults comfortably that also is a hard-top convertible. It is kinda old so the price is right, back in the day it was one of the first hard-top convertables, and in a retro way it is kinda cool and has mucho style in a "Calzone" manner.

Performance wise it is not a BMW or a Mercedes. More comfort and safety than performance, typical Volvo, and I can see owning this Volvo a long time. Pretty evident that is was used as a Sunday driver, and likewise for me I have the same appeal...

Doing a lot of research on home improvemant. Things like insulating a basement; best Structual Insulated Panels (SIP's) for creating an insulated roof on my garage/studio (420 open square feet). I found a garage door that is insulated and has a "R" value of 20.4 that is construcred of 5 layers. Cost for a 16 foot door is about $4.5K, but it adds mucho curb appeal and will make the stucco garage look like a carraige house.

The SIP panets seem to be a great way to build out my sound-proof room in the basement. Seems ideal.

Maggie came up with a good solution to have a sheltered area that is shady. Remember she is kinda albino in that she can't handle the sun. We have a tiny open rear porch and a concrete stoop, but the idea here is to add a deck with a Pergola that has Clematis growing on it.

Since the Baby-Victorian is so tiny, the deck addition would only be about 10x12. I could buy a pre-fab kit for the Pergola for about $1.2K.

I had an idea of tearing down and replacing the squat square pyramid "hip" roof on the garage with another longer hip roof that would be extended 10 feet to create a 10 foot awning off the side of the garage. In a grand way it would be large enough for a carport and would make the garage even more like a carriage house.

Don't tell Maggie, but having space for three vehicles would be cool. My thinking is that the roof on the garage already needs to be replaced, but also Maggie makes a point of avoiding congestion and making the "First Backyard" too busy and crowded. A point was made that then the garage would take a large step as a guest house. I'm cool with that, and then again it really would be my studio.

I envision dual French-Doors under the awning to take it into Calzone territory. Realize that Maggie knows that this would cost money, but I think it adds mucho value not only for me, but also the value of the home which is basically a Victorian cottage with under 1500 square feet of living space.

I'm afraid that Maggie is stuck in cheap mode, and for me I think this is foolish.

My plan "B" anyways is to eventually build out my 10 foot awning extension. I can modify the hip roof so that it has a short ridge and that ridge could easily be extended in the future. The design would allow me to easily mod and add on an addition when Maggie isn't looking. LOL.

Also the deck that Maggie wants with the Pergola can easily be transplanted to the other side of my studio. Technically there is about 12 feet on the front lot so a 10x12 deck with Pergola would fit.

Don't tell Maggie.

We both love the idea at this time to keeping the second building lot 40x100 as a great lawn. It is large enough that the views are actually a vista of sorts. Remember at the back is woods with a steep drop-off that leads to a vast mash/bog that is a watershed and contains Dickey Brook that drains the 1500 acre Blue Mountain Preserve that has its main entrance 4 blocks from my house.

Realize I'm on the outskirts of town, yet a strip mall for shopping that has a CVS, a bank, and a new grocery store is just 3 blocks away.

Cal

 

[Phil_F_NM]

If that Volvo is an automatic transmission or the fly-by-wire manual/automatic, just walk away. The transmission work that is inevitable in the 70 series Volvos, costs more than the car itself. My mom went through this ordeal and eventually bought yet another Subaru.

Phil Forrest

 

[Calzone]

If that Volvo is an automatic transmission or the fly-by-wire manual/automatic, just walk away. The transmission work that is inevitable in the 70 series Volvos, costs more than the car itself. My mom went through this ordeal and eventually bought yet another Subaru.

Phil Forrest

Phil,

Thanks. Luckily the C70 is gone and NLA.

Looking into a Subaru Outback BTW.

All this looking around is legwork at this point. I need to get a closing date and close on the cottage first.

Cal

 

[MrFujicaman]

Thought about you yesterday,Cal. I hit the "Bin Store" in Trenton GA yesterday-The have big long bins of stuff-mainly Amazon returns and the price of what's in them depends on what day it is.

As it was Tuesday, the bins were at 50 cents an item-I found 4 gallon bottles of your ionic super pure water. Since the local Walmart has been out of distilled water for a week now and this was cheaper anyway, I bought all 4! Also got 4 tapes for my Brother label machine for 50 cents. Cheap-Cheap!

 

[Calzone]

Thought about you yesterday,Cal. I hit the "Bin Store" in Trenton GA yesterday-The have big long bins of stuff-mainly Amazon returns and the price of what's in them depends on what day it is.

As it was Tuesday, the bins were at 50 cents an item-I found 4 gallon bottles of your ionic super pure water. Since the local Walmart has been out of distilled water for a week now and this was cheaper anyway, I bought all 4! Also got 4 tapes for my Brother label machine for 50 cents. Cheap-Cheap!

MFM,

Cheap is good.

This is how I can do crazy things that are kinda impressive like buy a $4.5K insulated garage door. LOL.

18 Megaohm water is the best for mixing developers. Soon I should be mixing my own home brews using all this lab equipment that I recycled that otherwise would of been thrown out.

"If it is free, its for me," I say.

Yesterday I found another compact umbrella that still had the tags on it.

BTW, don't tell Maggie, but I want either a long-long lap pool or and "Endless Pool." A long lap pool would add a water feature to the property that I could create a massive garden around, but the Endless Pool has a smaller footprint.

Pretty much in the Endless Pool you kinda swim in place against a current. Its almost like a single jet Ja-cous-E. I figure the Endless Pool because it hold less volume of water that I could likely be more likely able to rig up some way to solar heat it.

I could hide it behind my garage/studio in my "Second-Backyard.". Don't tell Maggie.

Cal

 

[Range-rover]

Well, I'm sure she meant that in the most loving of ways Bob. We are all glad you woke up though!

Thank John, I had a flair up this week a infection, I'm taking pills for
it now but should be better in a few day's (there bullet's).

 

[Calzone]

Took off yesterday to do more packing. The "highrise" I built in the bedroom now is fully disassembled. Dropped off another load of donations at Housing Works.

The pickup for the Real-Real happened yesterday instead of Wednesday.

Somehow I took notice of a cardboard box in the package room that obviously was a framed print that was the ideal size for some of my large framed prints. I let the super bring down all the recycled boxes to the basement, and then went hunting it down.

Perfect size that allowed me to pack two large framed prints. Mighty clever I say.

So still waiting on the title search to finalize the mortgage, and then a closing date will be set. I'm pretty anxious to leave the city. I hope I miss any possible lock down. A closing sooner rather than later would be good for me.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

On my walks to work and back home I have taken notice that the City MD walk in clinics have growing lines outside on the sidewalk. I also see lots of people effectively not covering their nose with their masks, people without masks, and people with their masks in their hands taking risk all over the city.

Kinda crazy...

I should be getting a closing date any day now.

Been doing lots of math lately crunching numbers. I read an article that informed me about using the 5-6 year window between the age of 65 and 70 to do mucho Roth conversions to exploit the dip in my income, especially since I won't collect Social Security until I'm 70.

So pretty much I have become a money manager, and I'm negociating the tax laws, the exemption thresholds for tax credits, and for Medicare Part "B."

I found a tax calculator that factors in that Social Security is not taxed by New York State, and the first $20K of private pension income, annuity income, or 401 B withdrawls is exempt.

While this is simple math it kinda gets complicated, but I developed a strat-A-G. Pretty much will Roth IRA mucho funds to make the balance in my 403B small/modest, so small that when the Required Minimum Distributions kick in that the distributions keep me from paying higher Medicare Part "B" premiums.

Anyways the bankster blood in me from my mother's side of the family is kicking in.

I dug into looking into the flood zones in Westchester. Did you know that they get almost 50 inches of rain a year. New York State overall only gets about 40 inches.

My Baby-Victorian is 30 feet above sea level. Under the worse case the Hudson River could have a water level rise of 5 feet. Dickey Brook which runs behind my house remains no threat.

Can't wait till we close and move in.

Cal

 

[robert blu]

... I also see lots of people effectively not covering their nose with their masks, people without masks, and people with their masks in their hands taking risk all over the city.

Kinda crazy...

Same here 😡

 

[Calzone]

Same here 😡

Robert,

The risk, the risk, and the risk.

It is suggested in some studies that about 5% that get Covid have enduring problems and possible/probable long term damage to vital organs like the brain and heart.

Tomorrow I will get tested yet again at my hospital.

One study suggests that about 25% of NYC mass transit workers had Covid.

The subway use to be a vital asset to the city, but if Covid does not take you out some of the crime might. Ridership is down and the subways are not safe. Only once in the past 8-9 months did I take the subway. The bus is much safer.

Mask wearing is sloppy and not enforced. When I did take the subway I saw two people wearing masks, but their noses were exposed. Also there was this hipster white gal without any mask at all.

Bozo the Mayor says that mask wearing will be enforced, but I don't see it.

Also all the bars and restaurants are hazards. Just trying to walk on the sidewalk is fraught because they are hard to navigate because of curbside activity. Also it is hard to maintain social distancing when some people wander around paying attention to their cell phones like drunk drivers that can't stay in a lane. I have to laugh because of all the tents set up that violate the logic of open air curbside dining and drinking because the space is enclosed.

My crazy logic is that some spaces are so enclosed because they have interiors.

BTW, call me an old hippy, but my hair if I pull the wave of my hair straight, I have hair that reaches my navel. Not worth my life or the risk to get a haircut.

I have about two more years and two months before I will retire. Life will be very rich. Instead of Covid 15 (the weight gain from being locked down) I actually lost 15 pounds, and I have the same build that I enjoyed (lanky) 20 years ago. Goodbye muffin top.

Cal

 

[Phil_F_NM]

People need to brush their teeth better and more frequently, maybe they'll wear their masks as they are supposed to.

As for the crowded sidewalks, we have some of the same here in Philly but not quite as bad. A few local places in my neighborhood are doing it, then a bunch downtown. Back before DeBlasio was elected, I joked about running for mayor on a platform of "GET OFF THE SIDEWALK". This, when I was running around both reporting as well as attending interviews for prospective work in the City. I just got so sick of herds of tourists from the midwest or Europe, just looking at a piece of paper and staring up at a building. Groups 10 across blocking a whole sidewalk on one of the avenues, staring up at who knows what. I got so sick of it that I thought if I could run on a platform that would give a penalty to blocking foot traffic, I could actually win. Problem was that I didn't have a NYC address, and I was just really angry about not being able to get around quickly.
Now we have the same thing but in addition to blocking the sidewalks, in the name of commerce, making walking in the roads more common, we have the specter of contagion and disease to deal with. Fun, fun, fun. People can't just suck it up, stay home for 6 weeks and let this thing die because someone up top needs to continue to make money, while people down below are the ones who can't afford to stay home from jobs. The answer is to have a full 2 month subsistence for every single person in the country, a national lockdown, and then the virus goes away once there is no more transmission. Call that idea hard line communist or whatever other ...ist one wants to, but that's the way to get this disease stopped in its tracks. Otherwise, we will continue to have our little dips in our trends then premature relaxing of distancing protocols, then more surges in cases, more deaths, more economic hardship, because we are petulant, spoiled little children.
::END RANT::

Phil Forrest

 

[Calzone]

People need to brush their teeth better and more frequently, maybe they'll wear their masks as they are supposed to.

As for the crowded sidewalks, we have some of the same here in Philly but not quite as bad. A few local places in my neighborhood are doing it, then a bunch downtown. Back before DeBlasio was elected, I joked about running for mayor on a platform of "GET OFF THE SIDEWALK". This, when I was running around both reporting as well as attending interviews for prospective work in the City. I just got so sick of herds of tourists from the midwest or Europe, just looking at a piece of paper and staring up at a building. Groups 10 across blocking a whole sidewalk on one of the avenues, staring up at who knows what. I got so sick of it that I thought if I could run on a platform that would give a penalty to blocking foot traffic, I could actually win. Problem was that I didn't have a NYC address, and I was just really angry about not being able to get around quickly.
Now we have the same thing but in addition to blocking the sidewalks, in the name of commerce, making walking in the roads more common, we have the specter of contagion and disease to deal with. Fun, fun, fun. People can't just suck it up, stay home for 6 weeks and let this thing die because someone up top needs to continue to make money, while people down below are the ones who can't afford to stay home from jobs. The answer is to have a full 2 month subsistence for every single person in the country, a national lockdown, and then the virus goes away once there is no more transmission. Call that idea hard line communist or whatever other ...ist one wants to, but that's the way to get this disease stopped in its tracks. Otherwise, we will continue to have our little dips in our trends then premature relaxing of distancing protocols, then more surges in cases, more deaths, more economic hardship, because we are petulant, spoiled little children.
::END RANT::

Phil Forrest

Phil,

It only takes a small pool of fools to create a spread.

Bad policy compounds things.

I have had "Maggie" on lockdown. Pretty much that is the big reason why we are heading to the suburbs.

We had 12 years of job creation after 2007-2008. This is no lie, but it took till 2015 to recover all the jobs lost so figure it took 7-8 years to get to that break-even point.

So this time mucho many more are unemployed. It is not unreasonable to think it could easily take a decade to get back to where we were, but because of dumb Americans compounded by bad policy it is likely or probable that we never get back to where we were.

Add on top of that the increase in crime, the loss of quality of life, remote working (about 30%), and the collapse of commercial real estate, over supply of vacant apartments, lower rents, and all the losses that are yet to come...

So here in NYC all of the sudden it became like the 80's pre Rudy Guilani, but with all the vacancies, people leaving the city, and the city's budget shortfalls things again are looking a bit like the 70's, or IMHO things are pointing that way.

Bonds for commercial real estate are distressed. Last time it was a residential housing crisis, but now it might be a commercial real estate crisis. When will loses tip us into a crisis?

Also know that one analyst from a newsletter framed the U.S. bond market as being "Nationalized." The Treasury prints money buy selling bonds, and then the FED buys them to prop up the markets creating all kinds of "distortions."

Low interest rates make houses undervalued. People searching for yield buy junk bonds. Retail investors use "Robinhood" to inflate tech share prices.

For an understanding of what the Treasury and FED are doing look to the decades of stagnation that happened in Japan.

Free market capitalism is dead. Industries and businesses that otherwise would/should die are propped up. Our government subsidizes and controls this behavior.

Why are airlines being rescued? Should they be allowed to close? What about all those displaced workers? Is government intervention correct in a democracy that use to embrace free market capitalism?

All I know for sure is that the current path leads to stagnation, lack of innovation, and an economy that is not strong nor sustainable. Part of free market capitolism is "creative destruction" and adaptation that leads to innovation and growth.

We are on a dangerous path.

If one studies economic market history, remember that there was a shock in 1929, and then in 1933 bad government policy made things worse and the Great Depression began. Remember how stagnant the economy was for decades...

More recently I remember in the summer of 2007 when oil peaked at $147 a barrel and then the collapse. It took till 2008 for the housing crisis to begin.

I remember going to get some cash from a Citibank ATM one day. I was limited to a $200.00 withdrawl. Citi stated that because of some fraud event that it created this limitation, but I understood that Citibank was distressed and pretty much they were avoiding a "run on the bank" just like in the James Stewart film "Its A Wonderful Life."

Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers did not do so well...

Cal

 

[MrFujicaman]

Cal, the problem is NYC has a LARGE pool of fools...

 

[Calzone]

Cal, the problem is NYC has a LARGE pool of fools...

MFM,

I agree.

I'm doing my best trying to stay away from them.

If you walked with me you would see these enclosed tents that basically are only a little open. Do people realize that Covid relies on air born transmission and that enclosed spaces offer higher risk. This is not outdoor dining.

Bozo the Mayor allows this.

I know because of my job at a hospital that likely I should be among the first to get a vaccine. Today I get spit tested again for Covid. There is a report that two separate injections likely will be required, and this kinda ensures that availability will be limited.

Earlier this year I basically got paid leave for several months during the lockdown. "Maggie" and I talked about the possibility of my institution taking another financial hit due to a second wave.

They just stripped out the Pension, the CEO and President and heads all took a 25% pay cut to cover some of those loses. If further cost cutting happens this might mean layoffs, or if I'm lucky a package to retire early. Since my Cyclotron is of no utility to my institution, this is not so far fetched.

I have taken notice that instead of me creating nuclides for the main campus that they are ordering for a vendor. Earlier this year I had to assemble data for a committee about my machine's usage. Seems like a set-up to say that the machine and my service is no longer needed. Anyways that is the message I'm getting. I'm getting phased out.

The guy they hired that can sub for me now is up to speed, but they waited to the last minute to schedule for his training. I get the clear message that they are not committed to continuing, the question is when does the music stop?

I'm cool with getting a package to help with an earlier retirement. Financially I'm in a good place. In January I'll be 63, so two years is what they would have to cover.

Is the shoe going to drop? I can see it already happening, and I have a gut feeling.

BTW Maggie is cool with me retiring early if I get a package. My boss retired in January earlier this year. I am only left, and it makes good sense to show me the door.

I would like to find safety in staying upstate in my lower Hudson Valley home. "Do me a favor," I say, "and offer me a package."

This would allow me to socially distance myself from all the fools around me.

Cal

 

[Range-rover]

**Gear Alert**
Well I decided to sell my Sony A7II, which I did really good with and sold
a few lenses, and joined John and got a Fuji X-pro2, I still kept the Voigtlander
35mm f1.4 M mount, popped on a adapter and have to say I'm really impressed
with the fuji, this is the rare times I change the color modes in the camera and
the photo's look great sharpness and colors outstanding. I even think it gives
the Leica a run fo it's money for sure.

 

[Calzone]

**Gear Alert**
Well I decided to sell my Sony A7II, which I did really good with and sold
a few lenses, and joined John and got a Fuji X-pro2, I still kept the Voigtlander
35mm f1.4 M mount, popped on a adapter and have to say I'm really impressed
with the fuji, this is the rare times I change the color modes in the camera and
the photo's look great sharpness and colors outstanding. I even think it gives
the Leica a run fo it's money for sure.

Bob,

This is interesting. The Fuji also I believe is smaller. Do you have IBIS still?

Cal

 

[Range-rover]

They have them in the lenses, but so far I don't miss it in the camera.

 

[Austintatious]

I just did the opposite. Sold off several film cameras I had collected from years back, to fund the purchase of a brand new Sony A7II. Got a good deal, camera body, kit lens, 32GB memory card, extra battery, camera case, and lens cleaning kit. All for less than a grand😀
Having a great time using over two dozen adapted classic lenses. Kit lens ain't bad either.
Keeps me away from the "pool of fools" by not going to the lab for developing film.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Bob,
I have a Yashinon 45mm f/1.7 from a Yashica Electro camera that has had its shutter locked open and an adapter placed on the back to use a Fuji X mount. Yours if you want it. PM me.
Phil Forrest

 

[jsrockit]

**Gear Alert**
Well I decided to sell my Sony A7II, which I did really good with and sold
a few lenses, and joined John and got a Fuji X-pro2, I still kept the Voigtlander
35mm f1.4 M mount, popped on a adapter and have to say I'm really impressed
with the fuji, this is the rare times I change the color modes in the camera and
the photo's look great sharpness and colors outstanding. I even think it gives
the Leica a run fo it's money for sure.

Glad to hear it is working out. I've only been photographing handheld at night lately, so I use the X-H1 (with IBIS and 1.2 / 1.4 lenses) while my X-Pro3 and X100V sit keeping the shelf warm. If I ever get to travel back to the US, I will go for a GFX-50R next.

I know you love your Voigtlander lens, but you have to try a native lens if you really want to see how good that camera can be... 😉 If I was in NYC still, I'd lend you one.