Interview Questions Poll- Howto Carve Stone, Cut Wood, Weld Iron, Grow A...

Part III Wood Panel Accent Wall

Getting some panels on the wall and decided in order to stretch out the 1 x 10 Sapele boards so I can use the best ones and have left overs for smaller projects. Simple Board and Batten style panel and a handmade piece of trim from the router table. It all sits behind a black entertainment stand and stereo components. It's going to look pretty slick once the beautiful Mahonganhy like Sapele goes on top and the black flat screen is mounted to the wall. I'll come back and install the media boxes from the back side as the closet is the next to be redone! I added a layer of 1/2" sound board over the sheetrock so with 5/8" Gypsum, 1/2" fiber Soundboard, and 3/4" Sapele we should get get reflection from TV's rear speakers back into the viewing space while absorbing sound with the sound board and gypsum. And don't worry, when we redo the closet next we'll add Roxul Safe and Sound in the wall cavity, another layer of soundboard and GWB.



To be slick about it I used leftover 3/4" A/B Sanded cabinet grade plywood with 1/2" bead board. That made the 1/2" soundboard and 3/4 Sapele flush! More contemporary than I typically design but hey, something new!





Check out the 15 Gauge Nailer from Porter Cable

Social Media and My Generation

I have found that there are two sides to my generation (and other generations as well but I'm not in those generations so I can't speak to that) when it comes to social media, those that can't live without it and those that have to live without it. A classic case of the have's and have not's. well not exactly.

When social media came out I was in college and like most found it a great way to share experiences across the globe as my network grew further and further in terms of distance. I couldn't keep up with it then and I sure as hell can't keep up with it now. When social media started creeping into the lexicon of my work colleagues I was immediately concerned. For the social butterfly this was an eureka moment if there ever was one but for me, I saw the danger in friending my boss for them to see my monster catch out on the water while I had the flu.

As the movement spread, I remember the first time I heard someone say they were the Social Media Director, and a couple of agencies posting adverts for social media coordinators. Sure, there has been some sort of Public Affairs and/or customer relations but this seemed dubious to me. Someone had an office (bigger than mine) that was on Facebook all day? Meh, I had my own projects to work on and they could have their fun.

Turning to today as I struggle to find the centre point in my triangle of entrepreneur, technician and manager, I have realized how freaking time consuming this all is. So much so that I have less to show on my social media because I was busy working on social media. It is the same as working on a portfolio in the old days when you had to physically carry the portfolio around and the construction of the portfolio was as important as the elements of the portfolio. You would spend so much time crafting your portfolio that there wasn't much to put in it!

So, it' 10:20, break time just ended and all I have to show for it is a handful of emails, posts, updates, editing, and general buggery. I wonder how many more platforms will be created this year?

So if you haven't checked out my sites (or ever read this anyway) I'll up date this when I create a copy and paste list of all these sites as links.

Jason Michael Kotarski.com
Spatial RecognitionDesign.com
youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/jkotar20
JasonMichaelKotarski.blogspot.com
twitter @_KOTARSKI_
Facebook SpatialRecognition
twitter @SpatialRecog
Houzz Spatial Recognition
Thumbtack- Spatial Recognition
Porch- Spatial Recognition
Linkedin- JasonMichaelKotarski
Craigslist Jason Michael Kotarski
Craigslist Spatial Recognition

Hugle Lasagne Garten Kultur (Raised Garden Beds)

We finally got around to processing down last years storm debris, landscape compost, bonfire and bbq ashes and charcoal, and our kitchen compost. I added some logs and branches on the bottom to decay and absorb water and nutrients for the summer months. I'm not sure what I want to plant yet but most likely it will be something that loves sun and heat and will provide some shade to the middle beds for those less heat tolerant plants.

Permaculture- Installling my first beehive

I've been planning to so this for over five years. I would go to beekeeping speaking events, check out books from the library, search and research articles and forums on the net but never did it. I have always had animals, dogs, cats, etc.... but never any livestock or an apiary. I finally decided to just go ahead with some leftover pieces of plywood someone had given me. They're  plywood but at least they are 3/4 inch, 7 ply, A/B cabinet grade plywood! It did occur to me as I lay on the couch drifting into sleep that I forgot to add and entrance. OOPS! No worries, I'll get the jigsaw and do a quick little cut, I should have time still before any swarming occurs. It's still hovering around 40 F so I'll get to it.

I learned through my research that black or dark colored clothing was the worst option for beekeepers. Well, the plywood used to be a school theatre set and it was already painted black. Turns out it's not that bad actually for the hive and more than one long time beekeeper noted they do better than their other colored ones. Well, it is what it is and if they can make a hive in a old tire I think they'll be fine. Besides, I think they'll get morning sun to warm up and afternoon shade to stay cool along with a breeze off of the lake. Well, I guess we'll see!!!

Now, remember that blueberry mead I made? Oh yea, it'll bee back soon!