Posted on

You Are Part of the House

I love discovering new interoperative cultural memes, and I happened upon one over the weekend at the local McDonald’s.  I’m not a big fan of McDonald’s, but they do try to offer some healthy food, and I appreciate they set a major agenda when it comes to creating an entire landscape of community dietary choices.  There is grand power in creating caloric counts.  Oftentimes, the only affordable meal in an urban neighborhood is found under the Golden Arches — and that creates a static economy and a trapped customer base. We’ll discuss more about that dangerous, if unassailable, economic power tomorrow.

Continue reading → You Are Part of the House

Posted on

Hidden Treasures of Alcácer do Sal

Last time we visited the house at Alcácer, not only did I solve the mystery of things that went bump in the night, I also discovered some previously hidden treasures including some rather nice Moroccan swag which has gone onto the adoption list.  Eat your heart out David — this is a copper lamp shade from Morocco. It needs a good polish and then it is being adopted. As it is very heavy we may use it with a large multi wick candle in the base. I will of course update you with pictures when it is cleaned and in use.

Continue reading → Hidden Treasures of Alcácer do Sal

Posted on

Things that Go Bump in the Night in Alcácer do Sal

Today we returned to the house in Alcácer do Sal, time to photograph and measure up rooms ready for advertising the house for sale. I have to say it looks and feels much better in the sunlight.

This must be my fifth or sixth visit to the house, we went up and back in a day today but we have spent one night there in the past. I was reminded of that today as I lay down for a ten minute rest in the heat of the afternoon.

Continue reading → Things that Go Bump in the Night in Alcácer do Sal

Posted on

Suspended in Terracotta

The house stands square and proud, tenaciously clinging to the last vestiges of dignity it once owned. The once vivid rose-coloured paintwork, now weather worn, peels to reveal aging stonework below.

Continue reading → Suspended in Terracotta

Posted on

Threatening to Blow Up Houses Will Not Make Sales

When I was ten years old or so, I signed up for a door to door sales job for kids. I would visit every house in the neighborhood and offer to sell greeting cards. I won some pretty interesting prizes in the process along with some money for toys and candy and learned a lot about sales as well, mostly from friendly neighbors who didn’t want to buy any cards but offer much free advice.

It wasn’t offered, but one of the best pieces of advice that a salesperson should ever have is that threatening a person with blowing up their house is the worst way to get a sale.

Continue reading → Threatening to Blow Up Houses Will Not Make Sales

Posted on

ObamaCare Has an Eye On You

Last night, the United States House of Representatives — led by the vibrant Nancy Pelosi — made history in passing the first comprehensive healthcare bill.  Republicans — who unanimously oppose universal healthcare — have mocked the program as “ObamaCare” yet history will prove “ObamaCare” will be the greatest legacy a President had gifted a nation since FDR and the New Deal in 1932. 

Continue reading → ObamaCare Has an Eye On You

Posted on

Loving the Machine Aesthetic

Le Corbusier was one of the greatest architects of the Twentieth Century. 
He believed houses were machines and his early industrialization of building homes as metrics of functionality — instead of as just basic shelter — forever changed the way we consider both Art and science today.

Continue reading → Loving the Machine Aesthetic

Posted on

House of Wax Review

I watched House of Wax on Pay-Per-View the other night and it was strangely satisfying!

House of Wax


Continue reading → House of Wax Review

Posted on

But It’s Just a House…

by Nancy McDaniel

It wasn’t something I planned to do. I just happened to go to a board meeting in a new (to me) and magical neighborhood. I saw the house with a For Sale sign and that’s how it all started. My life was turned upside-down and became a “looking-at-a-new-house episode” of the past three weeks. It was an emotionally turbulent and extremely thought-provoking time for me.

“I Will Never Sell My House. Not EVER”
Despite what some people think (and I might wish), I am not a person who embraces change easily. I worked at the same company for over 28 years, have lived in the same house for over 26 years and stayed married to the same (wrong) man for nearly 10 years (well, so I figured that one out sooner. Maybe I just liked the job and house more. In fact, I once took a six-month leave of absence from my job because I was very stressed out. Finally I realized, when the time off wasn’t making me feel any better, that it wasn’t the job that was stressing me out; it was my marriage. Duh!)

My ex and I bought a house in an up-and-coming neighborhood (it wasn’t even listed as a “fixer upper;” it was already “fixed up”… sort of) in 1975. There was still some gang activity in the area, mostly just graffiti (oh, and the shooting at Uncle Frank’s, the hot dog stand a couple of blocks away. But they had THE best hot dogs and Polish sausage, so we went anyway, but just during the day).

Continue reading → But It’s Just a House…

Posted on

Giant Yellow Memory-Eating Beast

by Nancy McDaniel

The man from Omega (“The Last Word in Demolition”) told me it was called a “track hoe with a grappler.” He said it was a small one, only about 50,000 pounds. But to me it looks like a giant yellow beast. A very hungry one. First it bashes and crashes, then it munches and crunches, knocking down the house next door and eating it. Along with 18 years of memories of my next door neighbor, George.

Continue reading → Giant Yellow Memory-Eating Beast