Daily Archives: September 18, 2013

Buy the House the Dead Poets Society Built For $15M Flat | Katonah Real Estate

Newly on the market in the Brentwood area of L.A.: this 9,000-square-foot house, owned by screenwriter Tom Schulman. Schulman purchased the 1.35-acre property in 1989, the year the Dead Poets Society was released, and commissioned California architect Steven Ehrlrich—who trademarked the expression “multicultural modernism” to describe his firm’s philosophy—for this modernist five-bedroom, made of concrete, glass, steel, and wood. The result, according to the brokerbabble, is an “adept interpretation of California modernist style” and “a comprehensive blending of the sensibilities of Schindler and Neutra, with delicate Japanese influences.” Standouts here include a driveway lined with bamboo, an entry bridge (“the balance of striking geometric angles with the soft landing of a water”), shoji screen-inspired interior woodwork, and a double-height living room. Below, a look:

Build a Self-Watering Container | Bedford Hills Real Estate

The following is an excerpt from The Urban Homestead by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen  (Process Media, 2010). Homesteading from their bungalow two blocks off of Sunset  Blvd. in Los Angeles, Coyne and Knutzen offer up scores of tips and  step-by-step projects for sustainable, self-reliant living in a bustling  metropolis. With more and more urbanites looking to become farmers and  gardeners, Coyne and Knutzen’s fantastic guidebook couldn’t be timelier, and the  duo’s lighthearted, thrifty approach to self-sufficiency shows there is greater  power and happiness in creating than in spending. This excerpt is from Chapter  2, “Essential Projects.”

These containers make it easy to grow vegetables in pots. They are  ideal for apartment gardening, but are so useful that everyone should consider  using them to maximize their growing space.

The problem with growing food in pots is that pots dry out quickly and it’s  all too easy to forget to water. Irregular watering causes all sorts of problems  for sensitive fruits and vegetables. Container gardening is also  water-intensive. During a heat wave it may mean visiting the plants with the  watering can two or even three times every day — obviously not a practical  scheme for someone who works away from home, or someone with any kind of life at  all.

An elegant solution exists in the form of self-watering containers. Rather  than having a hole in the bottom of the pot, a self-watering container (SWC) has  a reservoir of water at the bottom, and water leaches upward into the soil by  various mechanisms, keeping it constantly moist. The top of the pot is covered  with a layer of plastic that discourages evaporation. Depending on how deep the  water reservoir is, it’s possible to go about a week between fill-ups. This  arrangement, combined with the plastic layer, prevents both over-watering and  under-watering that can occur with conventional pots. In other words, it takes  the guesswork and anxiety out of watering.

Kelly says: I’m going to tell you right now that you can buy  yourself a self-watering container at earthbox.com. It’s great to make SWCs with found materials  and all, but if these instructions make your eyes cross, or if you just don’t  have time, there is no shame in trotting off with your credit card and ordering  a couple of these ready-made. They start at about $40.

Erik says: Au contraire, ma petite amie! All it  takes is two 5-gallon buckets, a few other easily scavenged items and about an  hour’s worth of time. Those Earthboxes are damned expensive and my time is  cheap.

A few years back, an Internet hero named Josh Mandel figured out several  different techniques for building DIY self-watering containers out of old  buckets, soda bottles, storage tubs, etc. His plans are widely disseminated  online, and you’ll find links to his instructional PDF files on our website.

Inspired by Mandel’s methods, we started making our own self-watering  containers. Each SWC is a little different, because each one, being made of  found materials, is an improvisation. We’re going to show you how to make a simple SWC out of two 5-gallon buckets. (See several of  these 5-gallon self-watering containers in use on a Chicago rooftop garden.) After you have the basic principles  down, improvising future containers on your own out of whatever you have on hand  should be easy.

The 5-gallon size described is good for one big plant. Try a basil plant in  it, especially if you like pesto. Basil thrives with the steady moisture, as  does Italian parsley, so both herbs grow huge in SWCs. Or plant a tomato, but be  sure it is a small tomato. Look for types designated “patio” or “basket” tomatoes. These are bred to perform well in tight conditions. A 5-gallon  container may seem big, but tomatoes have some of the deepest roots of all  vegetables. If you plant an ordinary tomato in a SWC, its roots may find their  way into the reservoir, and then it would become waterlogged.

For your next project, we recommend that you visit Josh Mandel’s PDFs for  instructions on how to construct a larger, slightly more complex container out  of 8- to 10-gallon storage tubs. That size SWC is good for growing a little  salad garden, a stand of greens, a patch of strawberries or even a blueberry  bush.

5-Gallon Self-Watering Container Instructions

It all starts with providing a water reservoir at the bottom of your  container. You can do this either by nesting two containers together (the top  one holds soil, the bottom one water), or by making some kind of divider that  sits toward the bottom of a single container and holds the soil above the  reservoir. However you construct it, the barrier between the soil and water  should be full of small holes for ventilation.

The water is pulled up from the reservoir and into the soil by means of  something called a wicking chamber. This can be a perforated tube, a basket, a  cup or anything full of holes that links the soil to the water. The soil in the  chamber(s) becomes saturated, and it feeds moisture to the rest of the soil.

The reservoir is refilled by means of a pipe that passes through the soil  compartment down to the very bottom of the container.

The last essential element is a hole drilled into the side of the container  at the highest point of the reservoir. This is an overflow hole that prevents  you from oversaturating your plants.

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/print.aspx?id={4FC5844B-9152-4A0F-864E-CAAD12330AD3}#ixzz2fFeJzSLw

Las Vegas bomb shelter estate for sale at $1.7M | Bedford NY Real Estate

In 1978, a Las Vegas businessman built a bomb shelter for him and his wife to live in in case of Soviet attack.

Now, the estate, made up of two underground houses and an above-ground house with a garage and an acre of land, is listed for sale at $1.7 million. Amenities include a putting green, 360-degree mural, and an underground yard surrounding the place on all sides.

Source: Fast Company

– See more at: http://www.inman.com/wire/las-vegas-bomb-shelter-estate-for-sale-at-1-7m/#sthash.rFDXbJte.dpuf

Archbishop Stepinac Goes All-Digital With Textbooks | Armonk Real Estate

Archbishop Stepinac High School introduced a new concept to its academic program on Tuesday as it rolls out a complete digital textbook library for its students.

This program will eliminate the need for the traditionally heavy and expensive books that students use for their academic courses.
In partnership with Pearson, a provider of educational materials, technologies, assessments and related services, Stepinac implemented the new digital library for its 675 students on their first day of the new school year. Stepinac has worked with Pearson for the past two years to offer select digital books to its students, but this is the first time all of its textbooks will be online.

“In keeping with Stepinac’s commitment to remain at the forefront of educational technology, we have moved to this digital library,” said the Rev. Thomas Collins, president of Stepinac. “We are thankful to Pearson, the world’s leading learning company, for working with us on this national pilot program that will set the trend for schools across the United States for years to come. The digital library will help keep our tuition affordable as well as prepare our students for their college careers.”

After a student is charged a one-time annual fee of $150, he can visit the 40-textbook digital library through a website or application for various Androids and iPads to gain access to its College Prep Digital Library and the Honors/AP Digital Library. Typically, students purchase seven hard copy textbooks for the school year, costing $500 to $600 on average.

 

 

http://whiteplains.dailyvoice.com/schools/archbishop-stepinac-goes-all-digital-textbooks

 

 

 

7 Ways to Increase Traffic to Your Blog | Pound Ridge Realtor

Blogs have become one of the most fascinating and popular platforms upon  which individuals may sell their wares, offer advice or simply journal about  their daily lives.

But what is the point of having a blog if no one is going to read it?

There are many reasons why you’d would want to increase the traffic to your blog . It could be for  monetary reasons, to gain more public exposure or to show off your skills.  Bloggers want to see their sites develop, evolve and grow.

So, how can you get more visitors to your blog?

Here are 7 easy ways to increase traffic to your blog.

1. Optimize Your Content

The initial structuring of a blog should evolve around designing it to  attract maximum traffic. Pages on your blog can be optimized  to attract readers and potential consumers. This  can be done by organizing content by putting it into categories that will enable  readers to find what they are looking for quickly and easily.

This includes sub-titles,  bullet points and lists.

Search engines pick up on themes of related content, so include keywords and  keyword phrases. If you work a little on your blog’s SEO (Search Engine  Optimisation) in this kind of way, you’re likely to get more search engine  traffic.

2. Define Your Audience

The most important question a blogger can themselves is, Who is going to read  my blog? Focus your content on what your blog is based on. Then carefully  consider your target audience and address that audience directly. If you write  what they want to read it’s quite likely that they’ll recommend your content to  their peers.

You might already have a good idea of who reads your blog through a quick  look at your followers on Twitter, for example. But to get a better insight you  could sign up to Alexa.com or Quantcast.com  to see in depth information such as the gender or browsing location of your  blog’s visitors.

7 ways to increase traffic to your blog

3. Ensure The Blog Works Properly

Regardless of how many readers hit on a blog, if the blog is not working, as  it should, visitors will not stay, and in most cases, will not return. It can be  frustrating and off putting for readers to visit your site and discover that the  page refuses to load.

One way to find a reliable web host is via a free service offered by WhoIsHostingThis.com. Find a high performance web host  that load your web pages fast and you’ll be on your way to impressing visitors  by having a consistently visible site.

It’s worth keeping in mind that Google will penalize your website  or  blog in its search rankings or blog if it takes longer than two seconds to  load.

7 ways to increase traffic to your blog

4. Advertise! Advertise! Advertise!

It always helps to get the word out about your blog, and the best way to do  that is to advertise. There are two main types of advertising; paid and  free.

Free Advertising

There are ways to advertise  your blog without paying to do so. For instance, word of mouth through  social media. Obviously there are monetary benefits to doing this. If you don’t  already have one, get a profile set up on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+ – these are all free.

Getting involved in various  groups that specialize in the topic that is being addressed on your blog is a  great way to get free advertising. If you share other people’s posts through a  few quick clicks on Twitter your own content may well be shared in  turn.

Read more…

 

http://www.jeffbullas.com/2013/09/18/7-ways-to-increase-traffic-to-your-blog/#86LVCo3l2JRMmvhP.99

California home sales fall | Chappaqua Real Estate

August home sales in California slipped 1.9% from July, while still improving 3.1% from a year earlier, according to data from research firm DataQuick.

The Mortgage Bankers Association elaborated on the report Tuesday:

DataQuick said 42,546 new and resale houses and condos sold in California in August, down from a revised 43,381 in July but up from 41,280 sales a year ago. The sales count was the highest for any August since 51,054 homes sold in August 2006. August sales have varied from a low of 29,764 in 1992 to a high of 73,285 in 2005. Last month’s sales were 11.1 percent below the average of 47,849 sales for all the months of August since 1988, when DataQuick’s statistics begin.

 

 

http://www.housingwire.com/articles/26873-california-home-sales-fall