After travelling 3000 miles, I found myself standing on the National Mall for 8½ hours in 10 degree weather to witness Barack Obama being sworn in as President of the United States. I put that man in office. I stood by him then and I stand by him now. I have no idea if he'll bring us the change we need. No one individual could possibly get us out of this hell hole without our help, not when it's the entire system that's broken, but I can hope. Yes I can.
Because all traffic was kept out of DC for most of the week, and the subway was inundated with a few people, give or take a million, we decided to use our feet. We walked all the way from the Arlington Bridge to the Capitol Building. Took us about an hour. That was one hour out of the eight and a half that we were subjected to bone-chilling record-breaking 10 degree cold. But if you dress for it, you can do it and, as you can see, we did. Yes we did.
A few days before the inauguration, DC was getting ready. Gracing the Smithsonian Castle was a wall of three million bright blue port-a-potties. Okay maybe it was three hundred. Still formidable.
The calm before the storm on the National Mall. It was rather eerie. Very quiet but definitely electric.
What happens when three million people throw a party? Bars are kept open all night, cars are kept out all week, trains handle all transportation, hotels book up for miles around, restaurants work overtime. And cops do too? Well guess what. Even the Chief of Police was flabbergasted. He said the number of incidents for the entire week was ZERO. Zip. Nada. Three million people and ... no trouble. You put it together.
In the above photo, you see DC's National Mall, stretching from the Capitol Building all the way down to the river. You also see three million people gathered to witness and celebrate the inauguration of Barack Obama as President of the United States. If, a year later, you're hearing that we're all pissed off at him, I'd say you're listening to the mainstream media, the conservative corporate-ruled mainstream media. You put it together.
Best part of this whole experience? The sound of millions, collectively booing, as the helicopter hauled Bush's ass out of our Capitol. The media couldn't allow you to see or hear our reaction to that but, I can assure you, we let them know, loud and clear. We also booed when he and the vice dick appeared for their swearing out. But who, of all those people, do you think scored the first booing? Traitor Joe Lieberman. Please, dear and good-hearted people, put it together.
Now that Massachusetts has elected a nude guy with a truck to replace Ted Kennedy, the Senator who fought for 46 years to give us health care, the rest of us are feeling pretty apprehensive about the prognosis. Doesn't look too good. So I'm going into early mourning and painting everything black.
Step 1. Make sure your walls are well prepared. Chips and impressions will show up easily on black painted walls. Make your walls smooth or add a texture coat. Any textures should be intentional.
Step 2. Use a mat black paint over your prepared, finished walls. Gloss or semi-gloss paint will highlight any imperfections.
Step 3. Paint one wall at a time. Most rooms will benefit from having only one or two walls painted black. Too much black wall space can become over-powering.
Step 4. Leave ceilings white or light-colored since a dark ceiling will appear lower and more claustrophobic.
Step 5. Accent black walls with white or light colored trim, wall hangings, fixtures or other white or contrasting décor so the black becomes a backdrop.
Step 6. Use light colors or metallics to furnish a black-walled room. Again, contrast can use the black wall to its best advantage.
Step 7. Remember that painting over a black wall will require several coats for full coverage, so make sure you know which wall(s) you want to paint before experimenting.
Step 8. Black walls can create elegance in a living room. Try a black and white bedroom for sophisticated romance, or go high-tech in a kitchen with glossy appliances, stainless steel and black. Even a bathroom can become a work of art with a black wall and brightly colored furniture and accents. Black can be an effective element in interior design. Use it carefully and wisely and you can paint walls black and transform and ordinary room into something spectacular!
Black is no stranger to the world of interior design. It adorns sofas, desks, entertainment centers, tables and accessories. But consumers willing to take a little risk with their interior design are starting to use black in larger swaths — particularly walls — with bold, stylish results.
“Black walls are very current right now, but I think a lot of people shy away from them because they have this sort of macabre reputation,” says Amy Devers, a carpenter on The Learning Channel’s Trading Spaces. “But depending on how you do it, it really doesn’t have to be that way at all. Ultimately, black is always chic, and though it’s dark, it is a neutral and goes with everything.”
Think of a black wall as the equivalent of the little black dress: It takes many forms and can really shine when paired with the proper accessories. Devers offers her tips for successfully dressing up — and pulling off — the black wall in any room.
Start small. As any prudent designer knows, suggesting small doses of change to wary clients is a smart strategy that can have far-reaching effects. For example, the bathroom may be the perfect place to branch out with black. “The mirrors and typically chrome fixtures that are already in there really pop against the black and create a dynamic environment,” Devers notes, adding that fireplace surrounds, built-in shelves, trim, and window and door casings are also good places to experiment with black paint. (For more information on using dark colors on trim work, check out the story Tips for Using Trim to Highlight Room Color.)
Think patterns and texture. Consider painting a wall a flat black, then covering it with a sheen in the form of a graphic repeating pattern. Devers suggests vintage floral or geometric ’80s pop art patterns. “The sheen change is very subtle and elegant,” she says.
Treat the wall like a piece of artwork. “I like the idea of painting one whole wall black and then framing it with profile molding painted in a gloss black,” Devers says. “It’s like a giant picture frame on one wall.” She also recommends buying pre-stretched blank canvases or fence boards, painting them black, and hanging them on a wall covered in black flat paint. “You now have a relief that catches the light, creates some shadow and gives the wall texture and merit,” she says.
Experiment with gradation. “If you have a large, well-lit room, particularly one with high ceilings, paint the walls black up to about eye level, switch to a gray up to the ceiling, then finish off the room with a white ceiling,” Devers says. “The black anchors the wall while the gray creates the impression that the room is opening up to a white sky. The effect is stunning. When used on one wall or two adjacent walls in a smaller room, it can really make the room seem much bigger, and the gradation is very uplifting.”
Pick the right lighting and accessories. Picking the right type of lighting for a black wall is important, since it will absorb light. “Track lighting can work well because you can angle the lights to hit the dark spots,” Devers says. She also likes to use big, bold light fixtures in tandem with black walls. Her choices: opulent chandeliers (vintage ones look particularly beautiful, she notes) and pendant lights with mini bulbs. Also, consider using high-gloss paint rather than a flat or eggshell finish, because glossy paint reflects light, multiplying it and adding sparkle to the room. From an accessories standpoint, go for pops of color against the black. Devers identifies butter cream and greens as popular accent hues against black walls, because their very neutrality provides a great backdrop to experiment with a wide array of additional colors within the room.
Yesterday Michael and I took a much deserved break from work (well, we think so) rendezvoused with our friends Mark and Dale in front of The Container Store and headed over the Golden Gate Bridge to the beautiful old War Memorial Opera House to watch Garrison Keillor record his radio show. *swoon* What a great time we had. When that red "On the Air" sign lit up, it was all I could do to keep my song and dance routine in check. This morning at 11:00 the show will be rebroadcast on the radio and streamed over the internet, but if you miss it (and really want to hear me barking like a dog) it will be archived online tomorrow. Show date: Saturday, January 16th, 2010. Don't miss it! And if you've never heard of A Prairie Home Companion, I'd say it's time. Greatest radio show on earth.
Need to know the latest adventure of Guy Noir as soon as possible? Find out what the Guy's All-Star Shoe Band did with the Powdermilk Biscuit Break this week? There are a number of ways to find out. Here's where you'll find all the ways we know of for you to listen to our show.
Satellite Radio
A Prairie Home Companion is also broadcast on Sirius Satellite Radio, Saturdays at 5:00 PM CST.
Live Web Stream
Every Saturday, from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. (Central Time) visit http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/ to listen to a live audio Web stream of the show. You can hear a rebroadcast of the live stream on Sunday, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. (CT)
Archives of each show are posted the Monday following broadcast. Visit the Archive section of the site to browse through them all.
iPhone/iPod Touch Apps
If you're trying to listen on a mobile device, like Apple's iPhone or iPod Touch, you'll need to download an App to hear the show. We recommend the Public Radio Player (iTunes link). Once you've installed the player, you'll need to find a station that broadcasts Prairie Home Companion.
Podcast
Many listeners have been asking us to make A Prairie Home Companion available as a podcast. We are unable to do so at this point in time.
The reason we cannot offer the whole show up for podcast is that we feature many different bands and musicians on our show. As such, their intellectual property is being broadcast to the listening audiences. We would have to get each artists' permission, not only to distribute their music in this way, but they would also have to be comfortable with the fact that it could be shared easily.
We do have Garrison Keillor's monologue, The News from Lake Wobegon available in podcast form. You can subscribe to it here.
While roaming Style Court recently, I did a doubletake when I spotted this.
Seems folks are hankering after these David Hicks books, especially the first editions published in the early 1970s. Well, it just goes to show that if you hang in there long enough, everything will come back around to you. I bought both books when they were first published at the cover price of $15.00 each. Now it seems they're selling for $150.00 or more. And it doesn't hurt that they're in perfect condition. 1. Buy good stuff. 2. Take good care of stuff.
I've always loved the photos of his tablescapes. Hicks does a mean display.
