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I'm (re-) learning German from Duolingo, after some 30 years off since high school.

Today the sentence came up "Es ist ein Apfel." My question is why you would use 'Es' instead of 'Er'. After all, 'Apfel' is masculine -- der Apfel.

I'm sure there's a good reason; I'd like to know what that is. Thanks!

I recently moved into a house with an stove-top oven that has only a bottom heating element. The oven walls seems to be enamel-on-steel. I made smashed potatoes the other day, which didn't come out crispy at all.

Since I'm reluctant to get a oven, I was wondering if I could simulate a top heating element by placing a baking stone on the top rack. My thought is that heat would reflect the rising heat back down.

Does this have any chance of working? Thanks for your thoughts!

According to this article, the Int'l Olympic Committee may remove boxing from the upcoming 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

http://aroundtherings.com/site/A__62693/Title__AIB...

This gives me pause. I really like Olympic boxing. 3 rounds, headgear, and quick standing 8-counts all enhance safety for the boxers. But the Olympic referees are horrible, and the more I learn of the AIBA (boxing's international federation), the worse I view it.

I conclude AIBA must clean house or be dismantled for the good of boxing. If banning it from the 2020 Olympics accomplishes either, it's worth it.

I've long wondered about this and never understood it. Maybe you can help.

On May 5, 1990 in Riverside (IL), a car went onto a baseball field during a T-ball game and hit many people, many of them 7 year-olds. 3 children died and others suffered severe injuries. About 6 years later, I was a juror in the civil trial brought by family survivors against the city of Riverside for inadequately protecting the park against wayward cars.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-05-07/news...

We ruled in favor of the plaintiffs for total of $2M, most of which was awarded to a girl who suffered a severe head trauma.

Immediately after the trial, some of the parents of the children killed very gratefully thanked us. I thought this was odd because we did not award them any compensation.

Can you explain their gratification? Did we provide closure? Were there insurance ramifications?

PS: We were not allowed to do our own research during the trial. But soon afterwards, I visited the park. There are so many barriers now that a bulldozer would struggle to follow the path the car took on that fateful day.

I'm been using Duolingo, a language app to re-learn German, which I took in high school. (It was so long ago, there were two Germanys back then.)

According to Duolingo, it is correct to say "Das sind meine schönen Pferde." I'm confused about the adjective endings. 'Pferde' mean horses, plural. 'Sind' is an intransitive verb, so 'Pferde' is still nominative case. So plural nominative of 'schön' is 'schönen'. Got it.

My question is about 'meine'. Why isn't it 'meinen'?

Danke!

In case it's not obvious, I'm no lawyer. So this is just to satisfy my curiosity.

I know many cases are based on precedence -- what was decided earlier in similar cases. I understand that.

But what if a case contains a wrong decision? Are courts doomed to continue to follow the path of that wrong decision?

I imagine at some point, the wrong decision is disregarded. How does that happen? And does that impact the original case with the wrong decision?

I have a Global Entry interview on Friday. Since I scheduled it, I have to do something 1 1/2 hours after the interview begins. Travel time is not a factor.

I'm doing studying management and leadership, which teaches us all the right way things should be done. Good bosses should be learned from and emulated. I know because I've had my share of them.

But I've also had my share of bad bosses. Mine have undermined their employees, taken credit for other people's work, lied, bullied, been aloof, unaware of what's going on, etc.

As a counterpoint to all the good bosses I've been studying, I'd like to hear your stories of bad bosses. I think I can learn from them in order not to emulate them.

No names, please. Just the stories, and be as specific as you feel comfortable.

Thanks!

I'm planning to see a hockey game at the new T-Mobile Arena on my trip to Vegas in December. I checked Ticketmaster's prices, and they're very strange to me.

I like seats near corners. I found tickets in Sec. 217 row D for $55 and row G for $48. In similar sections, a row D ticket goes for $105 and row G for $94. It's a brand new arena, so there shouldn't be obstructions.

Does anyone know why the costs of similar seats vary so much at T-Mobile?

I own a house in Northern Virginia with a yard of about 1/5 acre. I've noticed a couple of depressions or dips in the ground. The ground drops down 2 to 5 inches. The grass is still growing. The previous owner told me about a mole years ago in that part of the yard, so I wonder if the tunnels are collapsing.

I tried to fill in one last year by cutting a flap in the grass and inserting top soil. The grass is only now starting to grow back.

Does anyone have an idea how I can both level the ground and keep my grass? Thanks!

I know the defensive zone player gets to put his stick on the ice first. Does that give that player the advantage because he occupies the best spot? Or does the advantage go to the player on offense, because he knows what his opponent will (probably) do when the puck is dropped?

The ball handler and referee collide and the ball handler gets the ball in his back court?

Thanks for your consideration.

I know halftime is 20 minutes. But players also need to rehydrate, go to the bathroom, tend to injuries, and get a little rest. Given all that, how much time to coaches get in front of their teams to discuss adjustments and X's and O's?

I'd like to read a book or two on Billy Martin, but I want to make them count. I'd appreciate any insightful suggestions.

Like millions of Cubs fans, I watched the World Series with baited breath. I also saw flashes, and not just of curses dissolving.

During Fox's super slow motion, usually showing a batter swinging at a pitched ball, the video seemed to flash on every alternate image. It wasn't very bright but easily noticeable, like a weak strobe light.

Any idea what caused that? Thanks!

The other night I was watching "Better Late Than Never", where the four geezers traipsed through Seoul. According to a graphic in the show, the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is the #1 tourist attraction in South Korea.

Is this true?

I'm reading a book about Knute Rockne, who led the Irish over Stanford in the 1925 Rose Bowl. It cites Stanford's team name was the "Cardinal" at the time.

According to Wikipedia's entry on Stanford football, "The team is currently known as the Cardinal, adopted prior to the 1982 season. Stanford was known as the "Indians" from 1930 to January 1972, and the "Cardinals" from 1972 through 1981. A student vote in December 1975 to change the nickname to "Robber Barons" was not approved by administrators." None of which sheds light on what Stanford called its team in 1924.

Somebody out there must know. Speak now and collect your 10 points! Thx!

We all know people who are difficult. Maybe they're just very free spirits, are anti-social, or have serious psychological problems. But some of those people are/were spectacular athletes. To get the most out of them, their coaches had to treat them very differently, which carries its own risks.

I'm curious how best to manage those people. But first, I need to identify them. So far I've got Dennis Rodman, Terrell Owens, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Rube Waddell, Bill Walton, and Ricky Williams.

Who have I missed?

Thanks for the help!

All those sports leagues have similar issues, including salary caps. While I can't think of any 3-way trades in the other leagues, it's fairly common in the NBA.

Any thoughts as to why?