I commend to anyone interested in architecture Tom Wolfe's wonderful "From Bauhaus to our House"

and for anyone interested in art : "The Painted Word"

and for anyone interested in anything else, pretty much everything he's ever written. ( I like Tom Wolfe <s>)

On the two books above I particularly like that they sent the architecture and art criticism communities into apoplexy. After all, are you going to believe the received vision of the annointed or your lyin' eyes. <g>

( and if you've never read "Radical Chic and Mau Mau-ing the Flak Catchers" just stop what you're doing, and order it and read it now )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_Chic_%26_Mau-Mauing_the_Flak_Catchers


>>>>>>>http://shine.yahoo.com/event/green/blueberry-imposters-fake-blueberries-may-be-in-your-packaged-foods-2446815/
>>>>>>
>>>>>>You're bumming me out! Blueberries are one of the few healthy foods I regularly eat, and now you say they're fake.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>One of George Carlin's classic routines was about blue food. "Where's the blue food? Don't say blueberries. They're purple."
>>>>>
>>>>>And which color blind moron has coined the line "violets are blue"? They're violet.
>>>>>
>>>>>Bluebery juice is not that expensive here, maybe 50% more than your regular fruit juice, and it's still as good as ever. Just raw bluebery, from Takovo ("mi cedimo voće" - we squeeze the fruit, a gentle reminder from their old slogan "we don't make juices"). As close to palatal nirvana as one can get. Saw it in the US once, it cost $7/quart, and once more at an even more ridiculous price. You can get a liter for $1,50 here (or more, as the dollar is falling).
>>>>>
>>>>>Speaking of colors (Tracy, get some cash ready for attention), here's a building on New Belgrade, which is pretty much impossible anywhere in the US:
>>>>>
>>>>>http://www.panoramio.com/photo/209837
>>>>>http://www.panoramio.com/photo/14118223
>>>>>
>>>>>The shots aren't mine. I saw this building while visiting in 2005, and now remembered the route the bus took then, and found the pictures. Also, the state run College of Economy, a building old close to a century: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/2405284, closer at http://www.panoramio.com/photo/6388499.
>>>>
>>>>I really like this:
>>>>http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EwnoH4dV8D0/TMmVP5yC_yI/AAAAAAAAAdQ/7H4lbUQ89iU/s1600/Kiev_ROW1506474053_20101028.jpg&imgrefurl=http://bingfotos.blogspot.com/2010/10/elevated-view-over-colorful-buildings.html&h=512&w=958&sz=80&tbnid=QrFtoRR5-ujAgM:&tbnh=79&tbnw=148&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dportland%2Bcolorful%2Bbuilding%2Bphoto&zoom=1&q=portland+colorful+building+photo&hl=en&usg=__jWXYH-7Gh3n6RzvdG7KSB-pbaPs=&sa=X&ei=yo1JTZmRBIHGlQfhpt0g&ved=0CCAQ9QEwAw
>>>
>>>These are in Bristol (where pirates come from)
>>>
>>>http://www.flickr.com/photos/7786842@N02/5383813767/in/pool-1398157@N25/
>>>
>>>and these
>>>
>>>http://www.flickriver.com/groups/colouredhousesofbristol/pool/interesting/
>>
>>Nice, but as nice as they are (and I do like the colors and the buildings), I prefer the architecture of the other houses...
>
>Well I'm deeply offended by your failure to prefer my buildings :-)
>
>How about an ugly building contest. There's one on the Edgeware road in London that I think could beat just about anything
>
>http://maps.google.com/maps?q=edgeware+road+ugly+building&hl=en&ie=UTF8&sll=51.567681,-0.22728&sspn=0.038573,0.076389&rq=1&ev=zi&split=1&filter=0&radius=1.97&hq=edgeware+road+ugly+building&hnear=&ll=51.564426,-0.223761&spn=0,0.076389&z=14&layer=c&cbll=51.564037,-0.223298&panoid=I4eshVoy1c2SK1KVV-zs5Q&cbp=12,49.44,,0,5.1