World's Greenest Homes

World's Greenest Homes is a Canadian television show that somehow made it's way into the dvd collection at the library and from there onto our holds list.  The collection that the library has is a 6-disk, two-series, 39-episode mega set, which we only had a month to watch.  So we've taken it out of the library again to finish it.

This series is pretty cool; the host goes to different houses around the world (mainly in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia) and tours them focusing on the elements of the house that make it green.  Energy and water efficiency, reuse or recycle of building materials, and the use of chemical-free building materials, along with the architectural innovation required to make all of these elements work together to form a family home, are the challenges the home-owners have taken on.

We used to watch Grand Designs avidly, but have grown a bit sick of the condescending manner of the host, constantly going on and on about how a plan cannot work, until suddenly he is surprised by the finished product (it's even put me off watching Grand Designs: Australia).  There's none of that attitude here, especially as the houses are already built.  The host is constantly in awe of the innovation and creativity the home-owners have shown, and I imagine him making mental notes of things he'd love to include in his own home!  But there's no sensationalism or hype either, it's just a tasteful and respectful show, that is so rare these days.

Definitely worth a look if you're interested in architecture, environmentalism, or simply love seeing how other people live.  Also, there's an episode about the A-frame wooden house in the protected woods in England that the man who collects peat built, that, if you've watched Grand Designs forever, you'd remember (it's my favourite episode!).  It's a few years on from the Grand Designs episode, and even more recent than the Grand Designs: Revisited episode too.

If you want to buy World's Greenest Homes, click on the picture to buy it from Mighty Ape.  If you do, I get credit so I can buy more pretty things to tell you about!

Links of the Week V

Look at that!  It's not even the end of the week yet, and I'm up to five interesting links.   Happy clicking!

Comic:  Peanuts at Wired.com

I've never been really impressed with Snoopy and co, though I do love the girl who calls the other girl "Sir".  But this mashup is hilarious.  I really like the one about Journey (yes, I'm sure they would be pissed) and the one about maths.  The rest of the comics (of which there are at least 300) are here at the Peanut Tweeter site.

Forum:  New Zealand Crafters at Crafster.org

JACKPOT!  Last week I mentioned wanting to find New Zealand blogs/websites with a craft/cooking focus, and here I've found a forum full of New Zealand craftsters.  I've followed this site for a while now, but never explored the forums...  silly me!  By the way, you don't have to even sign up to view the board; very convenient!

Competition:  Terrarium Book at Timber Press (via Crafster)

If you're in the States or Canada, please enter this competition so I can live vicariously through you!  I love terrariums, and have even made one of my own (that is currently sitting on the kitchen table dying because I lack a green thumb).  This is why I've been looking for New Zealand websites - jealousy.  Because we can't enter, win a MasterChef Vol 2 book here (answers are "having cameras in your face asking you questions" and "so everything's very comfortable") or a copy of the first season of Sherlock on dvd here (the answer is "And we thought maybe we should do it.") over at the TVNZ website.

Art/Architecture:  Bookcase House at BoingBoing

I want a house with this as its attic.  The rest of the house would be normal (well, normal as much as I am), but then you go to the attic and EVERYTHING is a bookcase.  Nice.

Current Events/Art:  Kissing in a Riot at NPR.org

So it's not just football fans that are completely insane and think that their feelings over sport are more important than the safety of the fans/bystanders.  Hockey fans can riot too.  But in the midst of the riots, this photo was taken.  I think that whether this is staged or not only changes the meaning behind the actions, not that there is meaning.  If it isn't staged, it means something either about love or stupidity or a calm in the chaos or any of a multitude of other things, but if it's staged it's up to the artist to tell us what they intend for it to stand for, or if the two people staged it just for publicity...  I guess it means people will do anything for their 15 minutes.