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from Oddly Enough Blog:
Have another round? No, I mean drinks!
Blog Guy, I need some of your great advice on home entertaining.
Is it something that can be solved by a fancy Williams-Sonoma gadget?
Not this time. I've invited some of those anti-Gaddafi soldiers over for a home- cooked dinner, and I'm wondering if there's anything special I should know. We'll start with pre-dinner drinks in the living room.
That sounds lovely. Make sure they have a clear line of fire.
Excuse me? Clear line of fire?
You know, they'll want to use your sofa's arm rest for their assault weapons, so you should only put one fighter on each piece of furniture.
from Oddly Enough Blog:
Who has the worst taste on earth?
Knock-knock! Hello, are you Aisha, the daughter of fugitive strongman Muammar Gaddafi?
I believe I'm expected. I'm Lamar, the writer from "Extremely Poor Taste" magazine. I'm here for a tour of your home.
Oh yes, do come in please, Lamar. I'm so honored that your magazine is doing a cover story on my place, and I......
YOWZA! What is that big butt-ugly piece of furniture?
That's just my golden sofa, with a golden statue of me, attached. Do you like it?
from Oddly Enough Blog:
Decorating with a brain and a crane…
Blog Guy, several months ago you analyzed the Libyan conflict by comparing the furniture styles of the Gaddafi supporters and the rebels. I believe you called it "Divan intervention in Libya?" What else can we learn by looking at protesters and their furniture?
Good question. Check these demonstrators in Israel in the top photo. They've done a fine job of turning their protest site into a cozy living room.
They've combined a contemporary sofa with traditional rugs to create a relaxed mood. I admire their use of a push broom as what we decorators call an "objet..."
Judging from the fact that one of those guys looks like he's picking his nose, they've succeeded in creating a very homey feel.
Ewwww! So who else does a good job of outdoor protest decorating?
These protesters in Madrid. See the elegant look they've achieved here with a leather Chesterfield sofa.
from Oddly Enough Blog:
So you think you’re a tuft guy, huh?
Blog Guy, I need your help with redecorating our dining room.
We want something really new. You know, something dinner guests will remember.
I hear you. Get yourself down to a store called The Seat of Power and ask to see their dictator-themed dining room ensemble. It's called the Martinet Set.
Martinet? Is that like Raisinette?
Not really. Martinets are authoritarians, and you can get a collection of dining room chairs representing famous strongmen. Hitler, Stalin, Saddam Hussein...
Why would I want such a thing?
from Oddly Enough Blog:
Divan intervention in Libya?
Blog Guy, I rely on your blog for most of my international news, and I'm wondering if you can help make some sense of this thing in Libya. Which side is right?
Well, I'm only speaking for myself of course, but I'll have to go with the rebels.
Very interesting. You think Gaddafi is a bad leader, or it's time for a change, or the rebels will be easier to deal with, or....
The rebels have better taste in furniture, which is what it usually comes down to in a civil war.
In this photo at the top, you can see a typical Gaddafi loyalist sofa. Baroque satin, gold paint. Tacky, tacky, tacky...
In contrast, check out the rebels' sofa. Comfy, indoor-outdoor, well-worn enough so you don't mind if your guests sit on it with a bayonet.
from Oddly Enough Blog:
Eft, eft, eft wite eft…
Okay Colonel Johnson, thank you for appearing before the Senate Defense Committee with your blueprint for a strong military in our new breakaway republic.
Now, as I understand it, all of your emphasis is on strong teeth and good oral hygiene for our troops, is that correct?
Exactly, Senator. That's why I called my document "The Gums of Navarone." It's crucial that each fighting man be able to carry a desk in his teeth, in case he needs to fill out a form or write home.
I see. But Colonel, why can't they carry the desks with their hands?
They're TROOPS! They need their hands free for their guns. You could say they need their hands for their arms, heh heh...
There's no place for humor here, Colonel. Now, is it necessary to move these desks around, or couldn't we have scattered ROOMS with desks, called OFFICES?
Er, right, E. That’s what research is, unless things have changed since my years as an academic.
from Oddly Enough Blog:
Mabel, Mabel, strong and able, your new skirt’s a coffee table!
Blog Guy, I need some advice on personal finances.
Like many people these days, money is tight.
I need new furniture for my apartment, but being a young single chick, I also like to dress well and keep up with the latest fashions. I can't have both, so which way should I go?
You CAN have both, honey! A growing number of fashion houses are branching out into home furnishings, so you can enjoy your living room at home, and wear it when you go out.
Here are some photos to show what I mean, from Fashion Week in Brazil this week.
That's fantastic, Blog Guy. Once again, the sensible folks who design fashion have put their customers' needs first!
Yes, it's win-win for everybody, in so many ways.
from Shop Talk:
It’s September — have you redecorated your home yet?
The recession spelled doomsday for many furnishings retailers. The ones who survived learned the need to downsize. So what does the $133 billion highly-fragmented furnishings industry need right now?
How about a promotional campaign that actually manages to reach the consumer?
Robert Maricich, President and CEO of furnishings showroom and trade complex World Market Center, thinks it could work.
And that's exactly why World Market Center Las Vegas, along with leading industry groups including the National Home Furnishings Association and Western Home Furnishing Association, just recently launched the “Is it Home yet?” campaign.
The $20 million multi-year campaign, which marks September as “National Home Furnishings Month,” culminates in a highly promoted 10-day sales event at the end of the month. The industry-wide event, supported by retailers, will include sweepstakes throughout the month in which five winners per week will win room makeovers valued at $5000.
"We want to paint this picture that investing in your home is something that's very, very rewarding and we think this resonates with consumers," Maricich said in a interview. "An investment in your home is a good and valid investment. It maybe is an emotional one, but it's really akin to investing in your family."
from Oddly Enough Blog:
Turning the tables on police?
Lonnie! Where you goin' with my good table?
Nowhere, Ma!
Lonnie, I'm not stupid! You're strappin' my good table to yer car!
Okay, Jeez! I'm takin' it down to our protest today, to throw it at the police.
Yikes, Lonnie! Throwin' a heavy table at the cops? What are you protesting?
Police brutality, Ma.
But I NEED my table, Lon! It's canasta night!
from DealZone:
Chairgate: the Economist recants
The Economist has published a correction to its earlier report that Henry Kravis, KKR's archetypal "Barbarian at the Gate", may have stumped up 22 million euros for a chair once owned by Yves Saint Laurent:
"Our report suggested that Henry and Marie-Josée Kravis may have been the purchasers of an early 20th-century chair designed by Eileen Gray. Mr Kravis assures us that neither he nor anyone in his family bought the chair in question. Our apologies to all concerned," the free-trade-loving weekly says.
Our post yesterday on the Economist's original story prompted some acerbic follow-ups elsewhere in the blogosphere and a firm denial from Kohlberg Kravis Roberts HQ.
Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the actual buyer of the chair, or who wishes to speculate as to his or her identity, please leave a comment.
