Apartment Living: Basement Camp!

I saw this awesome picture a few months ago and wanted to share it with you folks. I'm not sure that I have the requisite skill to make a room look like a tent out in the woods, but I have thought about using a camouflage net and some parachute cord to give my next living room a bit of a "forward operating base" theme. Maybe with a few maps on the walls, and a metal book case stacked with field manuals? Other than that, it might be a bit tough to furnish and have it look even remotely consistent; really, I think your only options might be a hammock, or a cot, or some other camp furniture, although most of that isn't exactly conducive to having a couple of buddies over for burgers and brews on a Sunday afternoon...

But I digress. Anyway, I thought it was a cool idea and wanted to share. Carry on.

Apartment Living: Acc-Chess-orizing

A while ago, I saw a slideshow of Ten Wild Chess Sets. One thing I wanted during the Interim Months, but didn't buy, was a nice chess set to go on the coffee table. That's one thing I intend to get to make my new place presentable - a nice one. I figure that, if nothing else, it will class things up a bit in a way that mere books can't accomplish.

In addition to playing chess with potential guests, I'd like to figure out how to play an Iranian variant of chess called Shatranj.