Sunday funnies

I know a couple of people I ought to send this to. Check out the whole collection at Livejournal.

Sherwin-Williams' color predictions for '09: reds and oranges

Sherwin-Williams trade publication Stir arrived in yesterday's mail and in it are SW's color predictions for next year. I used to think these things were a load of bull, but it's interesting to see their predictions trickle down and out. I still question whether or not these are predictions though. It seems to me that they're prescriptions --what ends up in these annual predictions are what tastemakers turn to as a guideline to use in order to stay at the cutting edge. Well, whatever they are, it's interesting to me and even if the colors themselves aren't a reflection of our society, the thinking behind these selections sure is.

According to SW, reds are going to start skewing back toward orange in an homage to the growing influence of Latin America on world affairs. Pinks are going to move away from the bright, bubblegum-y hues of the recent past and become more sophisticated. Oranges are going to be toned down from the crayon bright hues they've been for the last couple of years and will more accurately reflect the colors of spices and minerals.

SW 6572 Ruby Shade

SW 6600 Enticing Red

SW 6858 Zany Pink

SW 6023 Insightful Rose

SW 6325 Constant Coral

SW 6362 Tigereye

Saturday funnies

I want this ad to start running in in-flight magazines. Thanks to the kids at Livejournal for these.

Great source for outdoor showers

If the reports I get from Site Meter are as accurate as I think they are, there's a lot of interest out there in outdoor showers.  "Outdoor Shower" was my number one search term this week.Woo-hoo!  Thank you Google!

So I have been thinking about outdoor showers again and I stumbled upon an Arizona-based website the other day called Calazzo, and these people have to make the sharpest outdoor showers I've ever seen. With the emphasis on make. I spoke with Ser at Calazzo earlier in the week and I learned that they manufacture everything that's on their site. In addition to outdoor showers, they make some really great teak and steel furniture and they have some gorgeous fire pits. Check out their site, really.

Their offerings are well-made from teak and stainless steel and are available in a large number of configurations. You can buy one with a single supply line (a hose) for summertime use in a temperate climate, or you can buy a dual-supply version to use more permanently in warmer climes. So they're gorgeous, flexible and really reasonably priced. So what's not to love?

This is the Pila free-standing with a dual (that's hot and cold) water supply. The Pila free-standing comes with a single teak base, the extra teak tiles shown in the photo are available for purchase separately.

Here's the same Pila, and you can see the single teak base that comes with the shower.

This is the Pila with an optional footwash. I love the foot wash showers that we have at the beaches here. They make driving home after a sunset walk on the beach a less-messy experience, and it would be great to be able to do something similar at home.

Here's a close-up of the Pila shower head. This is a similar style as some more extravagantly-priced Italian and German shower heads I can think of.

Here's a close up of their teak handles. Using teak and stainless in an outdoor shower makes a lot of sense and for that reason alone, you owe it to yourself to check out Calazzo's site if you're considering an outdoor shower for yourself.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night

The Jobsite Theater is performing David Harrower's disturbingly moving Blackbird at the Shimberg Playhouse at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. The show premiered locally last night and runs through the 28th.

I saw this play during its initial US run in New York a year-and-a-half ago and I'm thrilled to see it making the rounds of the regional theaters. Man, to see it is to experience the power of a playwright's words to manipulate an audience, that's for sure. Over the course of two hours, a repulsive character becomes sympathetic and his victim becomes a despoiler. It's a masterpiece. If you're looking for something to do this weekend, get thee to the Shimburg.

Here are the details.