[boXGWf04]

Odds and Ends Marker ... Posts Moved


What Moved: Curiosity - "Canada's Smallest House (and Lawn)," along with several other related posts that came later.

Reason: We were alerted by Jasonik about the "Tiny Houses" thread and it was determined that although this could be seen as different - being smallest not just tiny - it was best to place all under the larger category of "Tiny Houses".

Links of Interest:

• Click Here for Original Post now modified with introductory comment
• Click Here for "Tiny Houses" thread

[TravelMan]

People We'd Like to Throw a Shoe At


by The Daily Beast


And what we're packin'. Plus: The Daily Beast celebrates the best (and worst) of the rest of the year.

President Bush may have ducked an incoming foot-to-air missile earlier this month but he’s not the only one who should have tasted leather in 2008. Here are some other worthy targets. (There would have been more, but Sarah Palin ate up our clothing allowance.)




Mike Groll/AP

ELIOT SPITZER ... An old sneaker.



Chris Hondros/Getty

JOHN EDWARDS ... A baby sneaker.



Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

THE BIG 3 CEOs ... Lots of expensive pumps.



Shannon Stapleton/Reuters/Landov

BERNIE MADOFF ... One with no sole.



Jim Cole/AP

CHIP SALTSMAN ... One with no tongue.



Entertainment Press/Splash News

SPENCER PRATT ... A loafer.



Jeff Haynes/Reuters

ROD BLAGOJEVICH ... A croc.



J.D. Pooley/Getty

JOE THE PLUMBER ... A clog.



Jose Luis Magana/AP

TED STEVENS ... A mule



Mike Stobe/Getty

ALEX RODRIGUEZ ... Your basic heel.



Stan Honda/AFP/Getty

RICK WARREN ... Another man's shoes.



Gary Gershoff/WireImage/Getty

ELISABETH HASSELBECK ... Only the right one.



Eric Miller/AP

CHRISTOPHER COX ... The boot.



Jae C. Hong/AP

O.J. SIMPSON ... A stiletto.


COPYRIGHT © 2009 RTST, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

[zlopikanikanz]

Cramped City Living: 10 of the Narrowest Houses in the World

Written by Urbanist on October 5th, 2007





Would it surprise you to learn that a number of houses around the world, from New York to Amsterdam and Brazil to Britain have various claims to being the skinniest house in the world? Some are the skinniest by frontage measurements, others by widest or narrowest space, though they would all (it would seem) require extremely creative urban furniture.





Helenita, the woman pictured in the images above, designed this incredibly narrow house in Madre de Deus, Brazil. Though only
9 feet wide, this house is a remarkable … tall. The structural physics
of this building were surely a challenge, though the designer and
resident is clearly proud of her creation.





This London, England house (left above) is just 5 feet at its narrowest, and 10 feet at its widest, and was sold for nearly a
million dollars. Likewise extreme expensive, 72 1/2 Bedford Street
in Greenwich Village, New York City, USA (right above), which has been everything from a cobbler’s shop to a candy factory, dates
back to 1873. However, the actual narrowest house in the United States is located in Long Beach, California.









Amsterdam, The Netherlands To anyone who has visited Amster-
dam it should come as no shock that all four of the above candi-
dates are located along the city’s canals. Notorious already for it’s
tightly-packed and skinny structures, these buildings push even
the limits of Amsterdam. The bottom image is of a house located
along the Singel canal that just barely manages to fit a front on
the street, though the house expands as it recedes from the street.





Great Cumbrae, Scotland is home to the Guinnes Book of Records title holder for the skinniest house frontage in the world, at just 47 inches at its narrowest. The so-called Wedge house, once it was discovered to hold the record, sold to a family from Essex as a vacation home for an undisclosed sum of money.





Location, Unknown: this house remains a mystery, though the original blogger appears to be located in Osaka, Japan. However,
the street signage and other visual clues suggest it could also be located somewhere in Europe. … Update: the house is indeed
located in Osaka, Japan!

Still, as thin as these buildings are, they are still probably a great
deal more comfortable than at least some alternatives, such as
urban camping or car living. If you think staying in a 6-foot-wide house or apartment sounds horrific, also consider this: at least you aren’t living in the infamous tunnel house! Feel free to add links to relevant narrow-house images or videos below.


© 2008 Webist Media

[GrileVege]

16.52.170 The Skinny House.

Pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 2.63 and with the recommendation of the planning commission, the city council designates the following building as an historic landmark in the city: The Skinny House.

… Location, Description and Reasons for Designation. Located at 708 Gladys Avenue in the city of Long Beach, this three story, eight hundred sixty square feet, half-timber expression of Old English Tudor architecture exterior is compressed onto a ten foot by fifty foot residential lot which was created by an oversight in a real estate transaction at the corner of Gladys Avenue and Seventh Street. It was acquired by Newton Rummond in payment for a one hundred dollar debt in 1931 - in the depth of the depression. Friends said it was too small to be useful; Rummond declared he could build a home on it; a friend dared him to do so - and he did. It was built by a group of unemployed craftsmen who gained employment from the publicity this created when it was completed in 1932. Thousands toured the home where the craftsmen's names were displayed by their handiwork. The house's fame spread and it was featured in Ripley's Believe-It-Or-Not as the nation's narrowest home. Visitors included such notables as Walt Disney and have continued by the thousands at open houses held by a succession of owners over the half century. Occupants have routinely lauded the layout and design as being comfortable and convenient far beyond what would be expected in eight hundred sixty square feet on a thirty-eight foot by ten foot footprint. In 1959 when it was discovered that the house had leaned four inches north, it was straightened to vertical again.

Planning Commission, City Council
Historical Landmarks
City of Long Beach in California

At 9 ft. wide on 10 ft. lot
Skinniest House in America
Rose Park neighbourhood of
Long Beach, California


Courtesy DRosenbach


Courtesy flickr / htomren © All rights reserved.


Courtesy flickr / htomren © All rights reserved.


RoadsideAmerica.com
Your Online Guide to Offbeat Tourist Attractions


Long Beach, California - World's Skinniest House

Visitor Tips and News About World's Skinniest House

Following are World's Skinniest House reports and tips that were sent in by RoadsideAmerica.com visitors. Some tips may not be verified. Submit your own tip or update.

Long Beach, California - World's Skinniest House

World's skinniest house (according to Guiness) was built in the 1930's by Nelson Rummond, who bet a friend that he could build a habitable home on the 10-foot wide lot. Currently inhabited, so it's not likely that you can look inside, but the outside is worth gawking at. [Marie Kelleher, 08/01/2004]

World's Skinniest House:
Address: Long Beach, CA
Directions: On the east side of Gladys ave., just north of 7th street.

© Copyright 1996-2009 Doug Kirby, Ken Smith, Mike Wilkins. All rights reserved.

[Inconykic]

LUXURY DOG HOUSES


Courtesy abcnews / La Petite Maison

Ever wish you lived in a doghouse? You might after you see these extravagant
abodes. Animal lovers with cash to spare, including model Rachel Hunter, are
spoiling their furry friends with their very own mini-mansions.

La Petite Maison often models its handcrafted luxury doghouses after buyers'
own homes. Most homes sell for between $6,000 and $25,000 and often come
equipped with air-conditioning, among other features.


Courtesy abcnews / La Petite Maison

This brick doghouse was built to match a house located on a Virginia winery.
At the buyer's request, each brick was hand-painted. The house sold for more
than $25,000.


Courtesy abcnews / La Petite Maison

Some La Petite Maison doghouses look like
they're two stories tall, but inside, the homes
usually contain just one large room. "Most
people don't want their dogs to go up and
down stairs," Pollak said.


Courtesy abcnews / Doggy Dream Homes

Doggy Dream Homes bills its dog houses as "The Ultimate in Luxury Dog House
Design." Its classic country house features vaulted ceilings, white trim, vinyl
flooring and recessed lighting. The home sells for $7,500.


Courtesy abcnews / Doggy Dream Homes

Painted cedar shutters decorate the exterior of this "traditional" home by Doggy
Dream Houses, which comes equipped with hardwood floors, a circle-top window
and air-conditioning. It sells for $8,500.


Courtesy abcnews / Precious Palaces

Not all fancy doghouses are meant
for the outdoors. The Precious Pagoda
pictured here features a golden and
raspberry brocade fabric, green medallions
and gold-painted wooden bells. The indoor
Pagoda pet house, by New York-based
Precious Palaces, sells for $1,650 to
$3,103, depending on the fabric used.


Courtesy abcnews / La Petite Maison

La Petite Maison started as a children's playhouse maker, then added doghouses
to its repertoire at the insistence of designer Michelle Pollak. "I couldn't bear
looking at an ugly little plastic doghouse next to all these gorgeous play houses
and main houses," she said. Pictured is the company's French Cottage doghouse
model, which has a minimum price of $6,000.


Courtesy abcnews / La Petite Maison

One of La Petite Maison's customers is model Rachel Hunter. The home for her
two dogs is a stucco structure with terra cotta floors and wrought iron balconies.

[arrasleds]

Nauseating.

[k5wTvu9f]

Luxury Dog Houses
La Petite Maison builds mansions fir for a furry king — or queen


by Angie McKaig


Once upon a time, dog houses were used as a way to get the dog out of the house, a way to keep that functional family pet where he or she belonged. No more! As pampering families seek new ways of spoiling their pets, custom-building a luxury dog home with all the trimmings is simply our way of showing our adoration.

La Petite Maison is a specialist in custom-built dog homes, and their work is breathtaking. They'll custom-build a dog home to your specifications - something to match your home, or something completely new.


We recently spoke to Michelle Pollak, who works on the interior designs for these houses.

pp: How was La Petite Maison created?

mp: La Petite Maison was started by Alan Mowrer (the builder). He started out building these playhouses as a hobby. Then I came along and we built the business into a full-fledged company. Alan loves to build in smaller scale, so it was a natural move to start a business doing nothing but that.

pp: How do you come up with the designs?

mp: Al and I both come up with designs through a combination of research, travelling and creating an extensive library of architectural styles, as well as simply trying to get creative! Sometimes, we'll match a client's house, so the design is already a given, and only the scale and details need to thought out.

pp: How long does it usually take to create a custom dog house, and what are the steps involved?

mp: The doghouses can anywhere from several weeks to several months to create, depending on the client, the style requested, etc.

The steps involved are: first, getting the essential information from the client (i.e. type of dog, size of dog, type of landscape, architectural preferences, any allergies the dog might have (to avoid building with those materials), and general “character traits” of the dog(s). (Trust me, all pet owners have special personality traits about their pets they like to tell us about!) Second, Alan draws designs for the client's approval. Then he gets busy with the actual build/design process. Depending on the size of the house, it's either shipped or built on the client's site.

One of the doghouses Alan did was bigger than a playhouse, at the owner's request, so that they could visit the dogs in their doghouse. That one obviously had to be built on site!

pp: What was the most elaborate dog house you've ever done?

mp: Definitely the one I just mentioned. It was built for a client with three dogs (mutt dogs, belive it or not) and as I mentioned, was huge. The owners requested floor length windows so that one of the dogs with bad arthritis could always look out without having to get up. Another elaborate house was the white colonial pictured on our site. The architectural details were very intricate, down to the custom made faux light fixtures. This one also included the hand-painted doggie wallpaper, as well as wainscotting, chair rail, and crown moldings.


pp: Why do you think pet owners are so interested in luxury, custom dog houses?

mp: We notice pet owners fall into several categories. Some clients commission these doghouses for decorative and “show” purposes. For example, a client may want an intricately detailed house that looks great on the property. They consider more like artwork, as opposed to an actual home for their pets. Then there is the opposite type of client, one who will spare nothing to ensure their pet is comfortable and well-cared for. They'll focus on amenities that keep their pet happy, such as air conditioning, heat, and certain building materials they believe their pet “prefers”.

We have a client who commissioned a cat house for her alley cat. She didn't care at all about the looks of the house, but requested a separate “dining” room, litter box room and “bedroom” to keep her fastidious cat happy.

pp: Any funny stories you'd like to share?

mp: Many of our clients like to match the dog with the house — i.e. a French chateau for a French poodle, a Mexican mission for a Chihuahua. One of our clients had a Bernese Mountain Dog (from Switzerland), so she commissioned a Swiss chalet, with all the details right down to the Swiss flag! She let her dog “choose” the colors for the interior (by showing him paint chips — yes, paint chips). He apparently preferred blue, as that's the color she requested. This lucky dog also had air conditioning and marble floors, as well a house-warming party thrown in his honor. The party included neighbors, the client's friends, and the dog's pet buddies. Next life, I want to come back as this client's pooch... [laughs]

pp: Do you have any pets yourselves?

mp: Both Alan and I travel a lot, so unfortunately, we don't have pets. We just try to keep our clients' pets happy and live vicariously through them!


©2002-2008 Pampered Media Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

[unapelosina]

I was looking for a bargain in these Luxury Houses for Dogs when I discovered this:
Tuscany Dog House
Our Price: $201.91


Give your pet extreme protection from the elements for your dog with the Tuscany Dog House.

If you live in a climate that gets more than its fair share of rain, wind, or snow, you’ll want the added protection found on this luxury dog house. It’s made of durable solid fir, but we’ve added weatherproof shingles and plastic feet to give you top to bottom protection from moisture and rot.

This attractive log-cabin style dog house looks great in any outdoor setting and will provide your four-legged friend with year-round protection from rain, snow, wind, and the blazing sun. Weatherproof green asphalt shingles on the roof blend well with the environment while giving extra protection against wind, hail, rain or snow. Waterproof plastic feet provide a moisture barrier between the dog house and the ground, reducing the chance of rotting or warping. The raised floor keeps your dog dry and the off-center opening lets him easily turn around with more room for lying down, and better shelter from the elements. The Tuscany Dog House is finished in a natural cedar stain to protect it for years to come.


Web Source

[suidinguilelf]

That's more like it.

[TopcigsCOM]

If you have enough money to spend $25,000 on a house for your pet, you could just as well spend that money for a family that needs it.

I am not talking shanty or completely 3rd world nation either.

Just something that will help them live their lives. Something they can help build so they have proper respect for their property.

This kind of gross expendature on such an insignificant critter in terms of the world... I am not saying that dogs should be treated poorly, but it is always a bad sign when your dog has better clothes than the the "average" man......

[derisgun]

[leoto5Fm]

[freevideom]

I don't get it...


*adjusts halo*

[lopaayd]

Is Conde talking about herself or Bush?