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The Impossible Quiz
[Chris Douglas]
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Nothing is really impossible, but you have to start this over and over again... the answers make sense the third or fourth time you answer them...
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Posted: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 1:09 PM
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Levelling the ground
[Chris Douglas]
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Here I am getting a level reading from one point to another, to see how far down I have to dig the far corner. It turns out I start in the lowest corner and work my way uphill.
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Posted: Sunday, April 13, 2008 4:10 PM
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Angle 1 as we start digging
[Chris Douglas]
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My helper isn't in any pictures for a while, but rest assured he helped move dirt around - usually to the wrong place. This is Angle 1 when I first start digging the trench for the retaining wall. The ground really sloped bad, I have about 18" difference from the high point to the low point of the patio, which I need to be level.
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Posted: Sunday, April 13, 2008 4:00 PM
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Angle 3 - Hair Club for Men
[Chris Douglas]
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This is the back corner of the yard, the ground really slopes bad. I plan to take the scalped lawn from where I am digging and replanting it here to smooth things out. I have never done anything like this, so we'll see it if the grass takes root.
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Posted: Saturday, April 05, 2008 5:30 PM
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Angle 2 before we start
[Chris Douglas]
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This view is from the corner of the yard, near the Hair Club for Men project.
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Posted: Saturday, April 05, 2008 5:25 PM
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Angle 1 before we start
[Chris Douglas]
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Before I have done anything. This angle is facing the deck, at the top of the steps to the basement.
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Posted: Saturday, April 05, 2008 5:20 PM
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New patio - more materials
[Chris Douglas]
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My helper also brought in the sand to keep the bricks in place and put them in the basement.
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Posted: Saturday, April 05, 2008 5:15 PM
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New patio - getting ready
[Chris Douglas]
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Here my helper has offloaded all the bricks, and he is admiring his work.
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Posted: Saturday, April 05, 2008 5:10 PM
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My helper
[Chris Douglas]
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Here is a closeup of my helper, taking a break before moving the rest of the bricks.
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Posted: Saturday, April 05, 2008 5:00 PM
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New patio
[Chris Douglas]
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I am building a patio in our backyard at the new house, here is one of my helpers before we get started.
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Posted: Saturday, April 05, 2008 4:30 PM
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E. Gary Gygax, R.I.P.
[Chris Douglas]
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This is almost too much. A scant week after William F. Buckley passes, E. Gary Gygax dies as well. Bill Buckley influenced me later in life, Gary Gygax from the time I was twelve and started playing D&D (Dungeons & Dragons). Role playing games in general were the major influence in my life through junior and senior high. Like most players, life, job, career, girls and other interests caused me to drift away over time, but I still remember all that dice rolling fondly. I'd like to say that I met wife wife playing D&D and we still have a weekly game, but such was not the case. I know it was for some of my friends.
Some of the best times of my life were playing D&D and other games. Gygax had an influence on thousands and thousands of kids through the games he invented. There have been many copies and games influenced by D&D, all have good and bad points. Many computer games are patterned after D&D as well. But, there was nothing like it before it. He basically invented a whole substrata of gaming and entertainment. He will be sadly missed.
To quote abductee Blaine Faulkner from the X-Files episode Jose Chung's From Outer Space: "I didn't spend all those years playing Dungeons & Dragons without learning a little something about courage".
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Posted: Tuesday, March 04, 2008 2:09 PM
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Reagan and Buckley
[Chris Douglas]
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This speech was delivered by President Ronald Reagan at National Review's 30th anniversary dinner on December 5, 1985.
William F. Buckley was asked once what position he would prefer in the (new) Reagan Administration. He replied, "Ventriloquist".
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Posted: Thursday, February 28, 2008 10:20 AM
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William F. Buckley, R.I.P.
[Chris Douglas]
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The heart and soul of National Review and father of modern conservatism has passed on. NRO has a tribute going on, naturally, but I could not find a link that will not fade as time passes. This search of NRO will probably suffice, if you read this link in a few days.
UPDATE: Here is an updated list on National Review of memorials and obituaries.
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Posted: Thursday, February 28, 2008 10:17 AM
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“Guess which one is the cell tower.”
[Chris Douglas]
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Got a nice chuckle from this cartoon in the New Yorker.
The Cartoon Bank, by the way, is a great source of cartoons from the New Yorker. The have a very robust search engine. I always read the New Yorker from back to front, just reading the cartoons, then flip front to back to read the occasional article. It's fun to read the liberal spin on how badly the economy is, how we have lost the war, how every soldier was trained at Abu Graib, etc., etc.
Well, at least the cartoons make sense.
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Posted: Friday, February 22, 2008 10:48 AM
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