Go Ahead:

you fix the budget!

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/13/weekinreview/deficits-graphic.html

51% of my plan resulted from spending cuts, 49% from tax increases.

~emrys

Really? An Aircraft Carrier?

CNN reported today that the Splendor, a Carnival cruise ship, lost power off the coast of Mexico due to an engine room fire. In order to bring supplies to the ship, the USS Ronald Reagan was "diverted . . . from training maneuvers."

Really? An aircraft carrier?

113,600 tons of military vessel with 5,600 souls aboard (in other words, consuming a big hunk of tax money) were redirected in order to help a commercial vessel (in other words, fully insured, paid for by investors and clients) survive for fewer than three days less than 150 miles from mainland?

Oy.

And according to Gerry Cahill, CEO of Carnival, "this was an extremely trying situation for our guests." Yes, it's rough being deprived of shuffleboard after 8:00pm (because you're only on auxiliary power). Can you imagine the game of hide-and-seek-in-the-dark you can have on thirteen decks?

Man, give me a week on a luxury cruise ship only on auxiliary power, with a "next cruise free" ticket in hand. Now that's a vacation. These are the most blessed 4,000 alive this week.

Why did they need the DOD to chip in again?

~emrys

Security Measures

When I think of a "shed," I think of a ramshackle building with no frills, used for housing items that don't care about comfort or convenience. I think of a building that freezes in the winter, becomes a hot-box in the summer, and never breathes until you open the door.

I want my shed to stay pretty minimal, but I also wanted my shed to breathe. So I cut two holes in the walls, to let a little air in and out:

But I also don't want my shed to be a haven for birds, squirrels, and insects. Not that I have anything against these woodland critters, but I figure that's why we have woodlands. (One caveat: I do have something against red squirrels. But I'm cool with most of the others.) Thus if I want the shed to breathe, I also need something to keep the critters out. To this end, I installed screening and trim. It worked for our attic; I hope it works for my shed.

Just a little frill for my little shed.

~emrys

Honeysuckle Bloom

Sara decided to go with a third color for our bedroom: an off-white tint that will accent the green and beige of Venice, called Honeysuckle Bloom. The new shelves in the corner bear this color, and Sara wanted the baseboard registers, formerly a sickly grey hue, to do the same. So I primed them,

put on two coats of honeysuckle, and popped the metal panels back on. Here are the three colors together in the bedroom:

Only a few more details to finish, and we can call the bedroom done! I hope we can do that before we hit the one year anniversary of beginning renovation.

~emrys