The tragedy of suburbia

In James Howard Kunstler's view, public spaces should be inspired centers of civic life and the physical manifestation of the common good. Instead, he argues, what we have in America is a nation of places not worth caring about.

How to make flour paint

Do you remember making paper mache at home or in school? What about homemade piñatas? The process of making flour paint isn’t much different, so grab a bag of flour from the kitchen cupboard and get ready!

You will need:
Natural pigment, like clay pigment
Fine sand, silica, quartz or marble dust
A friend
Paint brushes and buckets, and if you’re feeling especially creative, trowels, squeegees and any other improvised tool you think would leave a nice pattern on your walls.

First:
In a large bowl, mix 2 cups flour with 4 cups water, whisking out any lumps.

Then:
In a large saucepan, boil 3 cups water.
Slowly stir in the mixture from the first step.
Reduce heat and stir until the “sauce” thickens.
Finally:
Remove from heat and slowly stir in 2 or 3 more cups of water.
In a separate bowl, stir together dry fillers/pigments and add to the main flour paste. Add more water if needed, to make a paint-like consistency.

You can loosely mix 2 colors if you want to get a faux effect, but test an area first with a sample batch, to practice. You can also add mica, limestone, marble or chalk for different colors and effects. Make sure the colors you use will work together. Consult a color wheel or designer, or find something you like in a magazine!

The important thing is to have the right consistency of the paint. It should flow smoothly off the brush, but not sag or drip. I often use it while it’s still warm, but it will keep for a week or two if you seal the container tightly.

Flour paint is often too thick for use with a roller, but you can use a roller to spread it over the wall, then even it out with the trowel or brush. There are also special texture rollers that are stiff enough to use with flour paint.

After the first coat, the brush marks may be obvious, but you can smooth these out after it’s started to dry by using a clean, damp brush. Personally, I like the texture. After the second coat, troweling the surface when the paint has half-dried can reveal marble, mica or other colors underneath. You can also spot-sand when fully dry. Again, try a sample area first, and don’t worry; sometimes the best results come from happy accidents! Besides you can always add additional coats, which creates more texture, depth and opportunity to reveal underlying colors. If you’re feeling uncertain, just roll it out smooth and leave it solid. Happy painting!

Poetry about architecture

The Elements

Modeled after brick and stone,
the cinderblocks and dolomites
that long have kept our ancient homes
half hidden from the crush of night,

a simple notion binds itself to form
in varied shapes of molded polymers
that—scattered out like remnants of a ruin—
tease the mind with possibilities.

Quarried from the realm of thought,
hewn from enigmatic veins,
abundant with the priceless ore
of nascent creativity,

each hollow cube is made to interlock
with all the many others of its kind,
magic puzzle pieces crafted such
that they will build whatever comes to mind.


Of Invention

Imagination rises up
to form a towered ring of walls,
ramparts crowned with parapets
that guard a nest of dens and halls.

Or simple village structures manifest
from deep within the wells of memory,
little homes around a market place,
a chapel standing quaintly in the midst.

Bridges arch above the spread
of nonexistent waterways;
modern superstructures scrape
against conceptions of the sky.

Even ships from other worlds emerge
to travel all throughout the universe,
forever redesigned in the docks
of varied moon or planetary bases.


At Play

Individual colors snap
together in a bold array,
absorbed into a growing sense
of cognizance and clarity.

Nimble fingers probe and rearrange
impressionist expressions of the mind,
each sculpture an accomplished masterpiece
comprised of cubist rectangles and squares.

Walls and rooftops recombine
as various disasters strike;
rigs develop stronger frames,
evolving after every wreck.

Experimental joists and joints explore
the art of bearing loads and distribution,
each new creation more elaborate,
expanding with the will to learn and grow.

What the best paint to use on baby crib?

I reglued a crib for a friend and she wants to paint it white and asked me what was the best paint to use, so I'm asking for help

You should use what is called Milk Paint. It's non-toxic and is always recommended for toys/cribs that kids might put in their mouths. It actually has a dairy product as one of its ingredients.

Besides, it's beautiful paint because the colors are soft on the eye. Gives a country look. In the 1700s and 1800s, it was used to paint houses. Check out Woodworker.com. They sell it there. Just do a search under "milk paint". You'll see a brand called "J.E.Moser's Old-Fashioned Milk Paint". Get that one.

(via thebabycribsite.com)

Top 10 ugliest buildings and monuments

Travel can open your eyes to some of the world's most beautiful sights and buildings-and to some of the ugliest.

Web site VirtualTourist.com (www.virtualtourist.com) has come up with a list of The World's Top 10 Ugliest Buildings and Monuments according to their editors and readers.

"Some of these picks have all the charm of a bag of nails while others are just jaw-dropping in their complexity. Love them or hate them, the list is certainly entertaining," said general manager Giampiero Ambrosi.

• Boston City Hall, Boston

While it was hip for it's time, this concrete structure now gets routinely criticized for its dreary facade and incongruity with the rest of the city's more genteel architecture. Luckily, it's very close to more aesthetically pleasing attractions.

• Montparnasse Tower, Paris

While it's almost universally agreed that this ominous stick is a blight on the landscape of the world's most stunning city, its detractors admit that there is one very good reason to take in the view from the building's observation deck: it's the only place you can go to get a view of the city without it.

• LuckyShoe Monument, Tuuri

It may be over-the-top, but there is something to be said for the giant, golden horseshoe that looms over Finland's second-largest shopping center. The shoe, and, in fact, the entire town in which it is situated, is said to bring good luck.

• Metropolitan Cathedral, Liverpool

The people who work here must be sick of the space capsule jokes. Even those who find the building's shell a bit "spacey," have to admit the circular interior is pretty spectacular.

• Port Authority Bus Terminal, New York City

Those who pass by this iron monstrosity might be tempted to ask about a completion date, but alas, this is the finished product.

• Torres de Colon, Madrid

Like a set of giant salt-and-pepper shakers, these matching towers loom over the city to the dissatisfaction of many area residents. The buildings are also known as "El Enchufe" or "The Plug" for the plug-like structure that holds them together.

• Liechtenstein Museum of Fine Arts, Vaduz

Some feel the building's minimalist box design is a triumph, others say it's an eyesore.

• Scottish Parliament Building, Edinburgh

Stone, oak, and bamboo are part of the make-up of the Scottish Parliament, a building that is the subject of much debate.

• Birmingham Central Library, Birmingham

One look and it's easy to see how this genre of architecture came to be known as the "Brutalist" style. Not surprisingly, the issue of its possible demolition has been looming for years.

• Peter the Great Statue, Moscow

Some 15 stories high, the larger-than-life monument was designed by controversial artist, Zurab K. Tsereteli, whose statue of Christopher Columbus was repeatedly rejected by the United States.

(via Yahoo)

Cement waterproofing paint

Did you know that cement waterproofing paint can actually be made into many different colors? This makes it very good for those that want to use it on the cement surfaces of their home, but want to maintain the certain color scheme they have chosen.

Now you should know that using cement waterproofing paint is not going to help too much with the actual waterproofing of your home. It will help to keep the surfaces that you apply it to from being damaged, but it will do very little to help keep the moisture and water from actually entering your home. If you try to waterproof just with paint it will end up costing you more than you could imagine and you will be sorely disappointed.

You may think that you do not need to waterproof your foundation and the rest of your home because your area does not get heavy rainfalls or snow storms, but you would be wrong. Even if you live in the dessert there is still moisture in the ground that can effect the foundation of your home. Plus the moisture in the ground can travel in any direction and will get into your home over time if you do not waterproof correctly to keep it from doing so.

You will want to start your waterproofing from the beginning, with the foundation. This is something the contractors should have experience in and should be able to do for you. You will want to ask them before you allow them to pour your foundation or basement. Make sure they give your foundation about a month to reach its' full strength before they begin to backfill it. You will also need external draining tiles around your foundation and at least a few feet of large gravel so that the water will not be encouraged to go directly into your basement or foundation. Instead it will move around your home and avoid making your life miserable.

It is incredibly important that you make sure your home is protected from water damage. Water damage can be very costly and many times your insurance will not cover it. Make sure you use more than just cement waterproofing paint to get your home protected and make sure you do it as soon as possible.

Get the Cement Waterproofing Paint you desire and stop your basement from flooding here" Cement Waterproofing Paint Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Benjamin_Robert_Ehinger

Sell your house the easy way using Feng Shui

Have a house to sell or looking to buy a new one? I hope you know feng shui can help you. If you plan to sell your house, or have been trying to sell it for a while, here are some proven-and-true tips to get the energy moving:

1. GO OUTSIDE. You duplex, your condo, your house, whatever it is that you are selling, and look at it from a bit of a distance. Better yet, do it with a friend who has not seen it for a while. Jot down all the thoughts that come to mind in the first 2-3 minutes.

Do not censor it or get deffensive; the more open you are to criticism, the better off you will be when presenting it to other people. You might think the big purple frog looks cool by your main door and is even good feng shui (no, it is not) but potential buyers will not appreciate it. As with every sale, it is a lot about selling a specific emotion, rather than the commodity itself. Make your main entrance look fresh and inviting.

2. GO FRESH AND GO GREEN. If you own a house, definetely invest in some landscaping; it will increase your property value. Do some research and make a call to a good landscape professional; it may create a totally new energy around your home.

If you live in a duplex or a condo and there is not much "outside" to work on, focus on the main entrance and bring vibrant chi, or energy, right as you come in - a big elegant plant or a vase with fresh cut flowers, good lighting, beautiful art and a feel of spaciousness/expansion the strategic placement of mirrors is the secret here!

3. LESS IS MORE. When you shop for anything, and I mean anything - clothes, appliances, food - it is often helpful to see the item in action i.e have your skirt on a manequin, try a sample of the food, etc. However, would you want to pay full price for a used item? Probably not. Think of it and apply it to your home - the less "personal", or "used" you make it, the better. Show to the best how the space can be used, but do not overdo it with personal touches.

Create a spa feel in the bathroom, but do hide all your personal items (buyers do not need to know which toothpaste brand you prefer) make the kitchen smell and look good, but take it easy on how you save with recycling cans, etc etc. You get the idea.

Most importantly be aware of the "almighty" triangle when selling a home: the Kitchen, the Bathroom and the Bedroom. Buyers need to know they will sleep well, eat well, and well, unwind well if they chose to buy your home. Treat their imagination well.

(via About.com)