What Most People Probably Do Not Know About Lighting Fixtures

What most people probably do not know about lighting fixtures, part I: modern sconces, while perfectly alright to use on walls, are typically used in hallways, corridors, and other similar passages because they tend to provide both lighting and points of interest in what can be an otherwise featureless, long walkway. They are generally placed at 3/4 the distance up the wall, and designers try to keep the distance between sconces equal to the distance from the floor. Another commonly used technique is to place the fixtures on alternating sides of the walkway. Experts recommend that the size of a fixture be scaled to ceiling height.

Run Dome Thaw T

I have absolutely no idea what to write about acne. Well, other than wonder out loud if there is a great deal of pain when one has it. There has to be some pain, correct? I was a pimply kid right about the time all kids get all pimply, but was fortunate not to have been hit full by the pimple train. I say these things will all due respect to those who have it; I feel your pain (so, is there any?) so please do not think I am being an insensitive pr*ck (no pun intended).

Tip # 0917

Finally purchasing an automobile is one thing, finding the resources for its upkeep is another. See there’s obviously fuel expenses, you’ll also need tools, cleaning accessories, and other bits and bobs that are not necessities, mind you, but still seemingly indispensible. Then there are maintenance costs: oil changes, tune ups, the odd shoddy suspension replacement, and the other 10 tons of car parts you’re likely to need as your vehicle ages. I write as a friend has suddenly found himself with enough money to get a vehicle in the pre-owned range. The basic rule, aside from all the other basic rules, in buying second hand cars is so simple: try to get as new/young a car as you can get. It ain’t fun spending an equal amount for maintenance and monthly payments. Tip courtesy of Bitoy F. Hernandez.

Return Op Da Comeback

Provided my wife lets me and I am able to get my hands on enough money, I’m going to ask good old buddy Bert to humor a friend and endure another long trip up north with me. I’m thinking Batad or back to Sagada; the Ilocos region is also an option. I prioritize the mountains simply because I’m not a fan of the dry heat prevalent in Ilocandia, but I am not totally averse to the idea of re-visiting the homeland of my ancestors… and bagnet. I’m really pumped: looking forward to the hunt for cheap hotels, the smell of bus terminals, and stop-overs. You all wish me luck, now.

Whole in Juan

One day I will take up golf. Before he was struck by illness, my late father took a liking to the game and, during the rather brief time he played, he looked like he was having a blast. He was introduced to it by a close friend of his, who was also kind enough to give him a set of clubs and a couple of golf bags to get him started. I still remember the morning we picked the clubs up, my father was as happy as a clam. In the weekends that followed, he was out of the house at the crack of dawn Saturday and would return shortly before lunch brandishing a tan that would make George Hamilton proud. He was pretty good at it--winning a tournament in his skill class. Never are an umbrella, a shirt, and a jacket more valuable than when they are prizes for a golf tournament. It was the happiest Papa would be in a long time.

Rest Easy, LeRoi

We lost LeRoi Moore yesterday. He died of complications from injuries he sustained when he crashed an all-terrain vehicle. He was a founding member of the Dave Matthews Band. LeRoi was 46.

Classified Odds

I was viewing a local employment network site the other day and as I saw page after page of job openings and employment offers I was struck at how inaccurate, overly-stated, and outright intimidating most job descriptions are. It’s like whoever wrote them has an agenda that totally disagrees with the task at hand; it’s like they’re trying to scare the living daylights out of applicants. In my mind, a job description should say: “This is what this job requires. If you think you can do it, then go on ahead and try your luck.”, not “You think you can do this? Prove it. Now.” It’s absolutely ridiculous.

Hope

2012. That’s when I can realistically expect to own a PS3. Darned PS consoles are so expensive over here it’s simply absurd for someone of my financial standing to even think of getting one the same year it goes out. My brothers and I got our hands on a PlayStation four years after it was released. I was able to buy a PlayStation 2 six years late--I’m lucky they’re still making games for it. I’ve got roughly four years. Better start saving up.

Bravo, Felipe!

Opening laps of the 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix. Coma meus shorts, Lewis.

Donald Dog

We lost Donald in the last few days of 2007. I can’t say that his passing was not a relief to us all, but only because he was finally afforded some rest. I’ve always maintained that getting a dog for my brother was a mistake because it was painfully obvious that our youngest sibling lacked the ability to take care of himself--much less another. Still, we took Donald, or Ernest, as the pet store crew called him, in. I tried to help take care of him as much as I could; getting him groomed, buying dog food and other pet supplements, training, etc. till it was time for me to move out. Things went downhill for the Naldo then. He was always sick and his owner got into the habit of forgetting he existed. It was simply too late to do anything for him. Still, it was good he went, if only due to the fact that his passing meant an end to his hardship.