House of The Whale, by Scott Bluedorn.

By Mara Certic

A house is a walled structure with a roof and a floor and a number of other features. A home, however, is typically defined in a more abstract manner: where the heart is, where one starts from or, according to Emily Dickinson, where thou art. This ambiguity and flexibility is mirrored in A Different Kind of Home/ Show on view at Dodds & Eder in Sag Harbor.

Curator Kathy Zeiger, who is also the founder and director of ArtWalk Hamptons, was inspired to put on the exhibition after seeing House of the Whale, an ink drawing by local artist Scott Bluedorn.

I just thought thats so interesting, she said of the drawing. There are a lot of home shows that go on in the Hamptons. Im going to do a different kind of home show. And so the project was born.

I have always been inspired by nautical things, Mr. Bluedorn said in an interview on Monday. The initial inspiration for the entire series was photographs that I took on a trip to Nova Scotia last year, and a lot of the old fishing houses, which are similar to the ones we have, said the artist, who grew up in East Hampton.

His intricate drawings show a hybridization of nature and architecture. Ive always been very involved with detail in my drawings; Ive always used texture, he said. Thats why shingles are such a big part of the series.

Ms. Zeiger was determined to make this not just your typical kind of home show, but still wanted a homey and cozy element, which is why she chose to include textiles artist Casey Dalene. Ms. Dalene, a native of North Carolina who has lived full-time in East Hampton for the past decade, has decorated the front nook of the Dodds & Eder showroom for the exhibition. I thought she would be great as home sweet home, Ms. Zeiger said.

I want this space to feel really warm and inviting and thats why I chose to use drapery frames, said Ms. Dalene who also has decorated the area with hand-painted pillows and six acrylic paintings on paper. Ms. Dalene loves showing the artists hand in the work, she said, explaining her use of obvious paintbrush strokes.

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A Different Kind of Home on Show in Sag Harbor

The likely culprit in Saturday's fire Le Roy that destroyed the home of Greg and David Luetticke-Archbell is electrical.

Whether it was an electric device that first caught on fire or wiring in a wall hasn't been determined.

There is no evidence of any deliberate action that caused the fire.

Jim Bouton, a coordinator and investigator with Genesee County Office of Emergency Management, discussed the investigator's findings with The Batavian this morning.

"On the report it will say the cause is undetermined," Bouton said. "The primary principle is electrical."

The fire started in the garage, Bouton said, not on the porch as initially reported.

Also, the explosion during the fire was caused by backdraft, which is caused by the rapid reintroduction of oxygen into an enclosed area where oxygen has been depleted by fire.

There was lots of fuel available for a fire -- what firefighters call "fire load" -- big wood beams and all of the accoutrements of a modern lifestyle.

Bouton said these days people have a lot more polyester, plastic and other flammable materials around the house, which is just fuel for flames.

In the Luetticke-Archbell garage there was a motorbike, snowmobile and woodchipper, all with gasoline in the tanks, not to mention the fiberglass of the snowmobile to add fuel to the fire.

Read more:
Officially, cause of Saturday's fire in Le Roy undetermined, but electrical origin likely

Herbert Jackson's front yard was a whirlwind of strangers Monday morning.

Plumbers, electricians, county code enforcement bosses, volunteers, reporters and a politician swirled around the battered tan home on Monticello Avenue in east Bakersfield.

Jackson isn't one to ask for help, friends said.

But an avalanche of help descended on him last week after his home was boarded up by code enforcement officers.

A community effort aimed at making his home livable again, coordinated on social media and powered by political pressure and media coverage, blossomed.

On Monday, Jackson was just worried about keeping out of the way of "the traffic."

"I'm going to let them do it their way," he said.

VIOLATION

Jackson, 85, has owned the Monticello property since the 1950s.

He and his late wife had the modest home built when their twin daughters were born and they raised their family in it.

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Community galvanizes to help 85-year-old east Bakersfield man

The ability to repair basic house wiring in you home is a skill you can acquire. Knowing how circuits work and what can be done with them is useful knowledge. Wiring in a residential house is not that complicated, but it can be dangerous. Proper understanding and cautions are required.

Some popular pages related to residential wiring are, 'Doorbell Wiring', 'Phone Jack Wiring', 'Installing Electrical Outlets', 'Wiring a Light Switch' and 'Ceiling Fan Repair'.

Most homes in the United States have two hot wires and one neutral coming into them. Supplying a stated 240/120 volts. The actual voltage received is normally slightly less 230/115 volts. This type of power is commonly called single phased power. Most residential homes have this type of basic house wiring.

The power coming into your home is also called alternating current. There are people in the world that can explain what that means exactly, but none of them are writing this article. Alternating current is used to allow electricity to be transported over long distances. Leave it at that, the guys that can explain it will talk in a language you won't understand.

The first power plant using alternating current came on line in Niagara Falls, New York in 1894. Nikola Tesla is credited with the development of a system the would allow power to sent long distances. Thus, making it practical.

When you use one hot wire and the neutral you get 115 volt power. Most small electrical devices and lights run on this current. Heavy duty items like ranges, hot water tanks and dryers use both hot wires and the neutral to achieve 230 volts.

You may not want to tear into replacing you electrical service, but doing some basic house wiring may not be out of the question. The first thing you want to do is get a healthy respect for electricity. It is dangerous and can hurt or kill you. Take precautions when working around electricity.

The first rule to remember is that basic house wiring can be dangerous. Never attempt to do it without a good understanding of how it works and safe work practices. This article is intended to provide basic information and is not a comprehensive discussion of all aspects of house wiring. See the article 'Electrical Safety Tips' for more information.

In addition local and national electrical codes apply. You will need to consult your local building department to get information on what is acceptable for basic house wiring in your area.

You never want to work on basic house wiring in your home with the power on. See the article 'Electrical Safety Tips' for more information. Just shutting off a switch is not enough. On the job electricians use lock out tag out procedures to make sure circuits are not inadvertently turned on while they are being worked on. You turned off the switch, so everything is fine right?

Read more:
Basic House Wiring - Introduction - Home Repair Central

Person on the run after police chase

CINCINNATI -- Police are looking for a person they say ran from a vehicle after a chase through West Chester and Sharonville early Monday.

The chase happened at about 5:30 a.m. when officers tried to pull the driver of the vehicle over on NB I-75 at I-275.

Police say the vehicle with two occupants sped north into West Chester and later south towards Sharonville.

The two occupants ran from the vehicle after it came to a stop. Officers caught one of them near railroad tracks close to Reading and Sharon roads.

Police are searching for the other occupant in the area of Kemper and Reading roads.

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Suspicious fire at abandoned home in Newport

NEWPORT, Ky. -- An abandoned home in Newport caught fire early Monday and officials believe it started while another crime took place.

Flames broke out just after midnight at the residence in the 200 block of West 12th Street.

Continue reading here:
News of Note in the Tri-State: July 7, 2014

San Francisco It was a poetic convergence of tech trends at the corner of Fourth and Howard streets.

Over in Moscone Center West, Google was getting its Internet-of-things groove on at its developers conference, touting plans to tie digital devices together with products like TV sets inside our homes.

Meanwhile, across the street in Moscone North, thousands of the people who will actually be building these tech-savvy abodes developers, architects, manufacturers and contractors were having their annual powwow, giving each other a peek of what awaits us all just inside our front doors of tomorrow.

All across the exhibitors floor at the annual builders trade show late last month, amid the nontechy stalwarts like roof tiles and toilets, you could almost hear the mantra humming just below the surface: When it comes to the home of the future, all . is . one.

We put the backbone wiring inside the new home so that everything we use in that home is more connected, said Joey Hill, a market representative with Legrand North America, a global rock star of switches and sockets. Its partnering with General Electric on cutting-edge home security and home entertainment technologies, the very stuff that the Googlers were crowing about nearby. We provide the infrastructure that supports things like Netflix on your Apple TV, Hill said. This is where the industry is going: Youll control your home lighting, security and audio, all from your smartphone or tablet.

While this trend has been picking up steam in the past year, Hill and others at the show painted a picture of an ever-rapid advancement in the digitally driven household. And borrowing a page from companies like Apple, where powerful computing is dressed up in sleek designs, Hill said, Its not just cool gadgets around the house, but well be seeing much more of a focus on style.

And with that, Hill demonstrated a pop-out outlet, a wall socket thats tucked into the wall and emerges abracadabra! with the push of a finger. This technology has to be beautiful, he said, if its going inside your house.

Standing nearby, Shannon Stafford was nodding her head in agreement. Ive got that system installed in my own house, said the owner/president of Illuminations Lighting, an electrical equipment supplier in El Dorado Hills, Calif. I can completely control my entire house with my phone.

Stafford sounded like a kid in a candy store, describing the magic-wand features coming soon to new homes across the country. I can dim any of the lights down to 10 percent. I can customize every switch, outlet and night-light.

Heck, this was a candy store for the home-tech crowd. On display a few booths over were new magical doorknobs that you can bump into with your rear end to open if your hands are full of groceries. Security, of course, is big, with sophisticated alarm systems and closed-circuit cameras that can turn a home into Fort Knox.

More here:
High-Tech Home of the Future

WASHINGTON - With the Major League Baseball Home Run Derby less than two weeks away, the assembling of rosters for the showcase is looking like a derby in itself.

While Miami Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton is already on board for the National League, the rest of the spots for the NL are up in the air. Then all of the American League spots, except for Jose Bautista's captain seat, are to be determined.

Sluggers Jose Abreu and Mike Trout, currently first and eighth respectively in the AL home run race, appear doubtful to join the show, Trout expressing both his desire and misgivings about participating.

There are a number of reasons why hitters may be reluctant to join in. Some believe the derby - July 14 at Minnesota's Target Field - can mess up their swings, though NL captain Troy Tulowitzki is not one of them. The need for rest by the time mid-July hits is also a factor, according to Tulowitzki, who will be participating in his first derby.

"Some guys don't want to do it, for whatever reason," Tulowitzki told USA TODAY Sports. "Either they're not great home run hitters in (batting practice), or they think it messes them up or maybe their fatigue. The season's long, and you can get all those things that people are sensitive about."

The swing issue seems to be a common theme for some around the league. And it is possible that trying to pop balls up can throw things off a bit.

But Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis, who was eliminated in the second round of last year's Home Run Derby, said hitters take so many swings that if the derby gets anyone in a funk, they're going to come out of it.

Davis acknowledged talk of whether or not his dip in production after last year's All-Star break was due to the derby. He hit .315 with 37 home runs before the 2013 break, and .245 with 16 home runs after.

"To be honest with you, I don't know," Davis said. "But I think if you have an opportunity to do it and you want to do it, you should do it."

Texas Rangers first baseman Carlos Pena he was fine when he did the 2009 Home Run Derby. But in a science as inexact as hitting, there can still be that thought in the back of some players' minds.

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New format, old problem: Home Run Derby needs big bats

For those looking to score a deal on a home, foreclosed properties can offer a great opportunity. Lenders are looking to unload the property and will often offer up a deep discount to do so quickly. But the process of buying a foreclosed home can differ a little from traditional home sales. Here are some things to consider before you make an offer on one of these properties.

The As-Is Sale

Disgruntled homeowners in foreclosure can feel like they have nothing left to lose. Faced with the prospect of losing their house, homeowners sometimes leave the place stripped of anything valuable or useful, including door knobs, fixtures and wiring. In cases like this, the lender is unlikely to make repairs and will sell the home as-is. While you can get the place at a steep discount, it might only be a bargain if youve got some DIY skills. This shouldnt necessarily discourage you from buying, but youll need to figure out if the cost of repairs will offset the discounted offer price.

Not Knowing What Youre Getting Into

With most homes, youll likely get some disclosure from the current owners. A helpful homeowner might give you a little advice, like the best place to start a garden, or offer you a heads up on minor repairs, like a bathroom door that sticks. And when it comes to big repairs, such as a shoddy foundation or termite damage, the owners might be legally required to let you know before you buy the place. But a lender has no history with the home, so dont expect to get a run-down of problems before you move in. A foreclosure might be a good deal, but it can also turn into an unexpected adventure.

Dont Assume Theyll Take Any Offer

While a foreclosed home can often be a bargain, you shouldnt expect the lender to accept a lowball offer. Even in a market flooded with foreclosures, a bank might balk at a low offer, preferring to wait until housing prices bounce back rather than take a huge hit on the investment. However, you can use local foreclosures to your advantage. Take a look at recent sale prices for homes sold by lenders which are often called real-estate owned, or REO sales to help you price the place.

It Takes More Time

Most mortgages are backed by big banks and financial institutions, which means you will likely run smack into a large, slow-moving bureaucracy when trying to buy a home in foreclosure. With a traditional home sale, you can expect to find out if your offer has been accepted within a day or two. But when buying from a financial institution this process can take weeks. So have patience and dont freak out if you dont immediately hear back from the seller.

A Different Kind of Sale

Read the original here:
5 DIY home sale tips

SAN FRANCISCO -- It was a poetic convergence of tech trends this week at the corner of Fourth and Howard streets`.

Over in Moscone Center West, Google was getting its Internet-of-things groove on at its developers conference, touting plans to tie digital devices together with products like TV sets inside our homes.

Meanwhile, across the street in Moscone North, thousands of the people who will actually be building these tech-savvy abodes -- developers, architects, manufacturers and contractors -- were having their annual powwow, giving each other a peek of what awaits us all just inside our front doors of tomorrow.

Carrie Drier holds up the latest fire sprinkler head made by Viking at the PCBC home show at the Moscone Center in San Francisco on June 25, 2014. (Gary Reyes/Bay Area News Group)

All across the exhibitors floor at the annual builders trade show, amid the nontechy stalwarts like roof tiles and toilets, you could almost hear the mantra humming just below the surface: "When it comes to the home of the future, all ... is ... one."

"We put the backbone wiring inside the new home so that everything we use in that home is more connected," said Joey Hill, a market representative with Legrand, North America, a global rock star of switches and sockets. It's partnering with GE on cutting-edge home security and home entertainment technologies, the very stuff that the Googlers were crowing about nearby. "We provide the infrastructure that supports things like Netflix on your Apple TV," Hill said. "This is where the industry is going: You'll control your home lighting, security and audio, all from your smartphone or tablet."

While this trend has been picking up steam in the past year, Hill and others at the show painted a picture of an ever-rapid advancement in the digitally driven household. And borrowing a page from companies like Apple, where powerful computing is dressed up in sleek designs, Hill said, "It's not just cool gadgets around the house, but we'll be seeing much more of a focus on style."

And with that, Hill demonstrated a "pop-out outlet," a wall socket that's tucked into the wall and emerges -- abracadabra! -- with the push of a finger. "This technology has to be beautiful," he said, "if it's going inside your house."

Standing nearby, Shannon Stafford was nodding her head in agreement. "I've got that system installed in my own house," said the owner/president of Illuminations Lighting, an electrical equipment supplier in El Dorado Hills. "I can completely control my entire house with my phone."

Stafford sounded like a kid in a candy store, describing the magic-wand features coming soon to new homes across the country. "I can dim any of the lights down to 10 percent. I can customize every switch, outlet and night-light."

Link:
A peek inside the home of the future

SAN FRANCISCO -- It was a poetic convergence of tech trends this week at the corner of Fourth and Howard streets`.

Over in Moscone Center West, Google was getting its Internet-of-things groove on at its developers conference, touting plans to tie digital devices together with products like TV sets inside our homes.

Meanwhile, across the street in Moscone North, thousands of the people who will actually be building these tech-savvy abodes -- developers, architects, manufacturers and contractors -- were having their annual powwow, giving each other a peek of what awaits us all just inside our front doors of tomorrow.

All across the exhibitors floor at the annual builders trade show, amid the nontechy stalwarts like roof tiles and toilets, you could almost hear the mantra humming just below the surface: "When it comes to the home of the future, all ... is ... one."

"We put the backbone wiring inside the new home so that everything we use in that home is more connected," said Joey Hill, a market representative with Legrand, North America, a global rock star of switches and sockets. It's partnering with GE on cutting-edge home security and home entertainment technologies, the very stuff that the Googlers were crowing about nearby. "We provide the infrastructure that supports things like Netflix on your Apple TV," Hill said. "This is where the industry is going: You'll control your home lighting, security and audio, all from your smartphone or tablet."

While this trend has been picking up steam in the past year, Hill and others at the show painted a picture of an ever-rapid advancement in the digitally driven household. And borrowing a page from companies like Apple, where powerful computing is dressed up in sleek designs, Hill said, "It's not just cool gadgets around the house, but we'll be seeing much more of a focus on style."

And with that, Hill demonstrated a "pop-out outlet," a wall socket that's tucked into the wall and emerges -- abracadabra! -- with the push of a finger. "This technology has to be beautiful," he said, "if it's going inside your house."

Standing nearby, Shannon Stafford was nodding her head in agreement. "I've got that system installed in my own house," said the owner/president of Illuminations Lighting, an electrical equipment supplier in El Dorado Hills. "I can completely control my entire house with my phone."

Stafford sounded like a kid in a candy store, describing the magic-wand features coming soon to new homes across the country. "I can dim any of the lights down to 10 percent. I can customize every switch, outlet and night-light."

Robert Robinson and John Daley, right, show off their products from S&P USA Ventilation Systems at the PCBC home show at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, Calif. on Wednesday, June 25, 2014. (Gary Reyes/Bay Area News Group)

Link:
A peek inside the high-tech home of the future