From the Editors
Cellphones Are Great for Sharing Photos - and Bacteria
We love our smart phones and tablets - a lot. But the next time you take your phone to lunch, hand it to a coworker to share photos, or bring it to the gym, consider this: Bacteria from a phone can cause flu, pinkeye or diarrhea. Yuck. And people are just as likely to get sick from their phones as from handles of the bathroom. That's according to a physician interviewed by the Wall Street Journal about the hazards of taking your cell phone everywhere - and then passing it to friends to share an image or message. You don't have to be a germophobe to dread that bit of news. A lab tested eight randomly selected phones from a Chicago office and all phones showed abnormally high numbers of coliforms, a bacteria that indicates fecal contamination. Of the eight phones tested, there were between about 2,700 and 4,200 units of coliform bacteria. In drinking water, the limit is less than 1 unit per 100 ml of water. The tricky part?
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Best in Blogs: Debate Aftermath and Adding Up Celebrity Political Videos
To everything there is a season, and every four years near the end of baseball season comes presidential voting season - which makes it open season for political jabbering, viral videos and passionate blogging about the candidates. First, let's recap this week's thrilling (yawn) debate. The consensus from both sides is that Mitt Romney did better than expected in the candidates' first televised contest to say things that may or may not have any relation to real-life action. Asks New Mexico Politics with Joe Monahan: "Is Obama bored and wants to make a race of it? How else to explain a debate performance that one post-debate analysis correctly called listless, flat and uninspired?" "Romney was on the offensive, Obama mostly on the defensive," says The Moderate Voice in its roundup of post-debate news and blog reports. Even Obama partisans are giving their opponent one point. Mediaite says Chris Matthews on MSNBC had an epic meltdown about Obama's performance, saying "I don't know what he was doing out there." Concludes The Daily Kos: "It's clear that the president got spanked. It's one thing to play prevent defense, which is what he was doing, and it was another to completely ignore Mitt Romney and let lie after lie stand unchallenged. It was another thing to refuse to defend Social Security." On those points and others...
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Guest Top Ten List
Top 10 Stylish Home Design & Shelter Blogs
Ikea Hackers
Sure, you bought an Akurum wall cabinet from IKEA that thousands of others did—but this site shows you how to cut ventilation holes in it, install a fan, and turn it into an exceptionally good-looking router-and-phone-service hub. This blog has plenty of similarly accessible plans for customizing your off-the-shelf Scandinavian furniture.
Recent Posts: Set of drawers hacked into a sewing box • Lucy's learning tower • BILLY meets MESNALI
Inhabitat
Green living through the lenses of architecture and engineering. Not so much about homes as they are but homes (and other structures) as they ought to be: lower impact, more efficient, more creative.
Recent Posts: ALMA: The World’s Largest Telescope Array Powers Up in Atacama Desert, Chile • Lush Garden-Wrapped SportPlaza Mercator Also Boasts a Green Roof in Amsterdam • Announcing Lighten Up! An LED Lighting Design Competition – Enter to Win a $1000 Prize!
Remodelista daily
Whether you're just moving in or doing a remodel, this is a great idea book for all things home. Need a bar stool? Lights? Tables? Remodelista lets you shop by room, by category – or just gives you beautiful ideas to get inspired.
Recent Posts: 16 Radical Kids' Climbing and Sliding Spaces • DIY: Scandi Sheepskin Dog Bed • DIY: A Red Lacquer Table for Under $500
Retro Renovation
Mid-century Modern renovation and interiors, nicely geared toward doing things on a budget.
Recent Posts: Archizoom Safari Livingscape sofa for Poltronova — behold this 1967 Italian beauty! • 1940s decor — 32 pages of designs and ideas from 1944 • 6 inch center tub and shower valves and faucets
DigsDigs
Ideas for building exteriors and interiors, with an emphasis on modern buildings. Also covers topics such as 17 cool teen-room ideas, 15 inspiration photos of living-room storage organization, and 13 luxury-bathroom design ideas.
Recent Posts: Refined Hardwood Cutting Boards – Gift For Cooking Fans • Unique Angular Wall Mounted Vase • Biknit Chaise Lounge For Having A Cozy Nap
Freshome
World architecture that's modern—but interior design that's all over the map. Ranges from creating shelves whose pillars are children's wooden blocks to installing an iPad on your kitchen cabinets.
Recent Posts: Engagement With the Landscape: San Lorenzo Residence, USA • Playfulness Meets Rustic Elegance: The Nussberg Penthouse • Minimalist Warsow Home Evoking Lightness and Relaxation [Video]
Kitchen Designer
How others are re-doing their kitchens, with a focus on what celebrities are doing with their cooking and eating spaces. Inspiration from remodels currently under way for Lance Armstrong, Oprah Winfrey and others.
Recent Posts: Modern Kitchen Backsplash Accessories • Mecox Gardens - Finding Design Inspiration • How To Design A Kitchen - Kelly's Kitchen Renovation
Decoist
Modern architecture and interior design in the country and the city. Emphasizes lighting, furniture and superb photography.
Recent Posts: St. Regis Shenzhen: Luxury Hotel With An Exotic Oriental Appeal • Most Overlooked Areas to Decorate in Your Home • Houses on Wheels That Will Make Your Jaw Drop
Home Design Find
Ecologically friendly homes and interiors. Explores European "earth houses" that are partly buried for insulation; Australian homes made from salvaged materials; and how to make the best use of those tall ceilings (hint: don't fear the ladder).
Recent Posts: A High Intensity Retrofit in Malaysia • VisionDivision Enlists State Tree for a Social Statement • Design Dilemma: Art Collecting for the Faint of Heart
Shelter
Architect Jack Barnes and wife and co-conspirator Stephanie write an accessible blog about home design and remodeling from their base in Portland, Oregon. Photos of Jack's works-in-progress highlight the idea that good architecture is doable.
Recent Posts: Free tour of passivhaus projects this weekend • Watch a passivhaus documentary, via 475 • progress on gorge house
