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GRAFFITI -- February 04, 2008 thru February 10, 2008 >> Link to the Current Week << Last Week << Mon   Tues   Wed   Thu   Fri   Sat   Sun >> Next Week Search this site : Welcome to Orb Graffiti, a place for me to write daily about life and computers. Contrary to popular belief, the two are not interchangeable.     About eMail - I publish email sometimes. If you send me an email and you want privacy or anonymity, please say so clearly at the beginning of your message.

MONDAY    Tues    Wed    Thu    Fri    Sat    Sun   
February 4, 2008

2201 - Good evening. Mondays. You know the drill. Or if you don't, and you care, look back to any other Monday over the last few years. I'm predictable. Only tonight I'm predictable while listening to a lot of ZZ Top. Formatted the column for Jerry, too, so that'll be up in the morning. Rock on.

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February 5, 2008

No Post...

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Mon    Tues    WEDNESDAY    Thu    Fri    Sat    Sun   
February 6, 2008

Shelving nearly done

2027 - Good evening. Add school to the mix, along with remodelling, and the free time goes to nearly nil — my apologies. You'll note that the shelving unit seems just about done. I'd forgotten about the 18th stick - the crosspiece at the front top. That's been fabricated, now, and the stain is curing.

I also feel really bad about the email I had from some bloke who'd read my IBM DeveloperWorks article on Tcl/Tk. It was a question he had ... about, um, displaying canvas renderings through a webserver. The short answer, my friend, is "I don't know." The longer answer is, "I could probably figure it out, but I haven't the time right now." Why do I feel really bad about it? Because I was practicing some aggressive inbox hygiene, and that message went the way of the Dodo. I don't know if he knows of this site, but I can't reply to his email because I haven't got it.

Now, I've got reading to do, so that I can do the assignments tomorrow night, so that I can fabricate and tile the countertop for the vanity this weekend.

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February 7, 2008

No Post....

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Mon    Tues    Wed    Thu    FRIDAY    Sat    Sun   
February 8, 2008

No Post..... we played games and watched the tube. That's enough relaxation for the year.

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February 9, 2008

Deck going down

XXXX - Good morning. I installed the last crosspiece in the little shelving builtin today. Then I marked, glued and screwed the first layer of the vanity deck into place. I'm off to the store in a moment to pick up some more construction adhesive, and screws 'specially made for self-countersinking into the concrete backer board that goes between the OSB and the tile. Once that's down, I'll mark and cut out the hole for the sink. Then it's tile time.

Yeah, it's an aggressive schedule for the day, but I want to devote tomorrow to mostly school reading and pre-study for the first of my two upcoming Check Point certification exams. Those are on the next two Thursdays.

Back on with the construction hat. Ciao!

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February 10, 2008

Tile fitted to the top

1353 - Good afternoon. It's about time to crack the books, but I wanted to show you how most of the progress looked ... at left you can see how the vanity deck looks with all the the tile laid out. Before that, I taped the outline diagram of the sink down to the backer board, and marked through the paper at intervals with a nailset. Then I played connect the dots with the jigsaw. I did the two cuts perpendicular to the wall first. Then I supported under those cuts with scrap lumber and clamps. That way, when I did the two cuts parallel to the wall, the workpiece wouldn't drop through, possibly damaging either the top or plumbing. Then I trimmed my sheets of glass tiles to fit. With that done, I laid all of the tile out in the hall in place. One section at a time, I applied thinset, then set each sheet of tile. Came out quite well, I think. Today, I fabricated and started the finishing process on the front lip of the counter - it has routed features similar to the shelf fronts, for continuity. That'll be ready to install by midweek — then I can grout the tile.

SoD Gates is in town — in Baghdad — ostensibly to discuss troop drawdowns with assorted officials. One can hope that we can start bringing our folks home. It's not clear to me that Iraqis want what we brought them, and assorted terrorist groups are taking advantage of that discontent to forment the strife that keeps killing our folks. It might not be a good thing to bail out, but how much more blood and money do we pour into that pit without any advantage gained. My condolences to the families and units of our fallen service members...

• Sgt. Matthew F. Straughter, 27, of St. Charles, Mo., died Jan 31 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle was struck by a rocket propelled grenade.
• Staff Sgt. Chad A. Barrett, 35, of Saltville, Va., died Feb. 2 in Mosul, Iraq, as a result of a non-combat related incident.
• Spc. Christopher J. West, 26, of Arlington, Texas, died Feb. 4 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered on Feb. 3 in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated during combat operations.
• Chief Petty Officer Michael E. Koch, 29,of State College, Pa., died Feb. 4 from wounds suffered from small arms fire during combat operations in Iraq.
• Chief Petty Officer Nathan H. Hardy, 29, of Durham, N.H., died Feb. 4 from wounds suffered from small arms fire during combat operations in Iraq.
• Sgt. Rafael Alicea Rivera, 30, of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, died Feb. 5 in Tallil, Iraq, of injuries suffered in a non-combat related incident.
• Staff Sgt. Donald T. Tabb, 29, of Norcross, Ga., died Feb. 5 in Sangin, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device.
• Spc. Miguel A. Baez, 32, of Bonaire, Ga., died Feb. 5 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered in Al Muqdadiyah when he encountered an improvised explosive device during combat operations.
• Sgt. John C. Osmolski, 23, of Eustis, Fla., died Feb. 5 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered in Al Muqdadiyah when he encountered an improvised explosive device during combat operations.
• Sgt. Timothy R. Van Orman, 24, of Port Matilda, Pa., died Feb. 5 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered in Al Muqdadiyah when he encountered an improvised explosive device during combat operations.
• Sgt. Bradley J. Skelton, 40, of Gordonville, Mo., died Feb. 6 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device during combat operations.
• Petty Officer 1st class Luis A. Souffront, 25,of Miami, Fla., died Feb. 7, from wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device while serving in combat operations in Iraq.

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Visit the rest of the DAYNOTES GANG, a collection of bright minds and sharp wits. Really, I don't know why they tolerate me <grin>. My personal inspiration for these pages is Dr. Jerry Pournelle. I am also indebted to Bob Thompson and Tom Syroid for their patience, guidance and feedback. Of course, I am sustained by and beholden to my lovely wife, Marcia. You can find her online too, at http://www.dutchgirl.net/. Thanks for dropping by.

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