If I tell you Locke and Key is a graphic novel some of you are going to judge. If I tell you it’s about a family named Locke who live in a spooky mansion called Key House, even more of you are going to judge. Finally, if I tell you Key House is located in [...]
Archive for February, 2012
Book Review: Locke and Key series
Posted in Books on February 29, 2012 | 3 Comments »
Gone Viral
Posted in Personal on February 29, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Things on the blog have been slow because the kids AND the computer have gone viral. Sadly, neither of those are as similarly labeled kitty videos. The computer is finally fully functional again and the kids are back to their previous level of snot so hopefully I can get back to posting.
Water towers and civic pride
Posted in Uncategorized on February 26, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
After writing all the technical stuff about water towers I thought I’d do a post showing the creative side. After all, if you’re going to have that big billboard high in the air for everyone to see you might as well make it look good. Before you look at the pictures, I highly recommend this [...]
Book Review: Vilcabamba by Harry Turtledove
Posted in Books on February 16, 2012 | 1 Comment »
Vilcabamba is another free story by Harry Turtledove that I ran across over at Tor.com. The story is told through the point of view of Harris Moffatt III, president of the United States and Prime Minister of Canada just like his daddy and granddaddy before him. Turns out, during Harris Moffat the first’s tenure as [...]
Movie Review: The Phantom Menace 3D
Posted in Movies on February 14, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
We might as well go ahead and get one thing out of the way. It’s still The Phantom Menace. If back in 1999 you thought it was a turd that ruined your childhood, now it’s a gold plated turd with smell-o-vision and 3D stink lines. I freely admit, The Phantom Menace is probably the worst [...]
Hydraulic Engineering 101 – Flow and the Continuity Equation
Posted in Uncategorized on February 13, 2012 | 1 Comment »
When I say flow, what I really mean is ‘volumetric flow rate’. In layman’s terms, flow is the volume of water that passes a certain point in a set period of time and it’s generally expressed as either gallons per minute (gpm) or cubic feet per second (cfs). The equation for flow is: Q = [...]
The Old Chicago Water Tower
Posted in Uncategorized on February 12, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
During my research for the water tower post I ran across some interesting info about a historic water tower in Chicago. I wanted to showcase it because it combines form and function in a way rarely allowed these days. The tower was built in 1869 on the banks of Lake Michigan. A pumping station is [...]
Engineering 101 – Civil Engineering
Posted in Science on February 7, 2012 | 1 Comment »
Historically speaking, all engineering was civil engineering. Engineering was practical and based on trial and error, and seeing what worked for others. Publicly acclaimed engineers were known for great bridges, cathedrals, or military works like castles. The term ‘civil’ was added to distinguish between civilian and military engineering. The other commonly acknowledged types of engineering [...]
Book review: Lee at the Alamo by Harry Turtledove
Posted in Books on February 3, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
I’ve been discovering lately that telling stories shorter than novel length preserves what I enjoy about my favorite authors while often keeping them from indulging themselves in some of the habits I like less. To be more specific, when I read Harry Turtledove’s alternate history story, Lee at the Alamo, I found it engaging without [...]
