An Irresistable Temptation?
By Mike Stanfill on The Far Left Side.
Tag Archive for: Water
Houston taxpayers get soaked?
When Houston’s Water Museum and Education Center opens in the Fall of 2009, visitors will be greeted with one splashy Texas-worthy monument to mandatory public arts funding.
This $500,000 “bathtub bouquet” (conceptual drawing shown here) will be installed at the outer traffic circle of the new WaterWorks facility and is designed with a hidden water recycling system (thank God for that). Not that it has to “represent” or “mean” anything, but I wonder what the artsy “talking points” will be about the work’s message… there’s plenty of water here, fill ‘er up and splash ‘er out! Whatever, I admit it…I really like it, there’s something irresistable about it.
As reported on www.chron.com, the Houston Chronicle’s online site,
Its title, Tubbs, is a pun and tribute to country-music legend Ernest Tubb. Its creator, Philadelphia-based Donald Lipski, is an art-world legend, with work in more than two dozen major museums and a hefty portfolio of public art commissions.
Funded by an ordinance that sets aside 1.75 percent of city capital-improvement project budgets for art, Tubbs is one of eight public commissions set for completion in 2009, say officials with the nonprofit agency charged with managing the city’s art collection.
“We want to have the country’s next great civic art program,” said Jonathon Glus, CEO of the Houston Arts Alliance. “Houston is poised for it.”
Lipski landed the Public Works and Engineering Department commission by answering an HAA open call for artists in June 2007. A five-member panel of department representatives, art professionals and stakeholders met twice — first to review submissions and select three finalists, then to interview the finalists, review their designs and select the artist.
Although the commission was originally budgeted for $350,000, public-works officials agreed to add $150,000 after “reviewing the scale and potential of the Water Museum commission.” That enabled HAA to negotiate a $500,000 contract with Lipski in June, according to HAA’s civic art capital report for fiscal 2008.
Portland tap water really sticks with you
Think you can out-sticker me? Trying to get yourself on the map? Go ahead and try! Don’t have a sticker, you say? No excuse because I’ve scanned one for you! Download a pdf copy here and print off your own. Then, snap a photo of Portland Water’s “I Only Drink Tap Water” sticker in your town and email it to Jennie Day-Burget at the Portland Water Blog. Just remember I was first.
To digest a long and funny story as briefly as possible,
- I read The Portland Water Blog (you should, too–hugely informative and entertaining!)
- PWBlogmistress Jennie Day-Burget writes on the Blog that, “Our ‘I Only Drink Tap Water’ sticker was seen all the way in Berkeley, California!”
- PWBlogmistress generously offers to send stickers to other Blog-fans who request them.
- I, of course, request some and PWBlogmistress mails some stickers to me.
- I think, well… I live in Kansas City, so I can outdo Berkeley, California distance-wise. And then…
We put the sticker on our town’s beloved Kansas City Scout, photographed it, and sent it to the PWBlogmistress who shared it with the people of Portland!
Awesome! But wait a minute. Someone’s sure to try to outdo me! Maybe you? See the top of the post.
I Wooden Drink This
We don’t need to tell you, again, to read labels, do we? Daniel did, and discovered that his water was bottled by an Indian plywood company. (Photo from his Picasa album India May 2008.) Some might like the subtle oak-y aroma!
But it’s certified, right?! JAS-ANZ is the government-appointed accreditation body for Australia and New Zealand. A search at their website produces zero results for this company.
Be not ignoring warnings, you Americans
And as reclaimed and graywater systems become more than an oddity in the United States, we will be not wasting expensive potable water treatment for our loos, and we will be not needing these signs as we travel internationally.
petebrunelli on Flickr be sharing his photo taken in China.
Educating the Public on Water Issues
An oldie but goodie from my collection. The challenge for people in the water business is to clarify “this bit” for the public. At www.cartoonchurch.com, this cartoon carries the note,
To those surfing in looking for a water cartoon. I’m sorry, you caught us at a bad time. It isn’t normally like this here. Usually everything is brilliant.
Oh but it is brilliant. And it reminds us to tip our hats to those public works and water communications professionals who understand just how insightful it really is.
I do solemnly swear, to uphold the water…
During this historic inauguration, if it can be sold as a souvenir, marketed as a memento, cashed in as commemorative, then it is. Here, a few examples seen ’round the capital.
And special honors go to this one, the “preferred” Water ‘N Faith no less, for the shockingly fake-o ‘shop job.
Thanks to Flickr sharers McGhee Street Photography, crazywanda, sambailey and emilygoodstein.
Trendy Store, Trashy Decor
It’s one thing to claim “trash to treasure” but it’s another to greet your customers with it and hang it from your ceiling. And have all be in awe of your cleverness.
In Montevideo, Uruguay is a high end shopping destination, the Punta Carretas Shopping Center, which is housed in a striking building that was formerly a prison. The Magma boutique at Punta Carretas ups the ante on the recycling theme with their designers-gone-wild take on architrash chic.
The store’s outer walls are a light-filtered “sandwich” of empty water bottles.
Inside, this ethereal curtain of plastic discy-things looks somehow familiar.
Yes, I do know you! You are Coke, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, RC, and all our other formerly 2-liter friends.
Since I’m unlikely to ever get to Uruguay, thanks, well-traveled Flickr user london2434, for these almost-like-being-there photos.
Bottled Water, Purity Personified
We shudder to imagine it… the leering, aggressive, dirty Earth forcing itself on the pure, untouched virgin raindrop, gently shimmering within its billowing white-clouded gown! We shall not allow it! Instead, we shall catch you, beautiful young raindrop, and safely bottle you, still pure, into a virgin container… for our customer to revel in your purity and gently drink with sensitivity and deep passion. Fear not, raindrop, they sincerely love our brand and pledge their commitment! And we’re pretty sure a lot of them might recycle.
From www.madeinoregon.com, “Oregon Rain Water is known as “Virgin Water” because it has never been touched by the earth. It is pure rainwater, harvested from Oregon Skies on sterile sheets and then filtered and pasteurized to ensure uniform quality and purity.”
I suggest everyone check in with the Oregon schoolchildren after their water cycle science unit, and they’ll break the bad news on virgin water. Not only has the lovely raindrop been touched by the earth, but likely earth-mauled several million times by now. In fact, this water is downright tarty.
This photo is by Flickr user jugbo, thanks!
I got water for Christmas
The oldest daughter gave me this interesting gift for Christmas. 1 Litre water features a unique integrated cup, which makes refilling the bottle practical since you can avoid contaminating the bottle with your filthy, germ-ridden mouth.
Of course, this isn’t just any pedestrian bottled water. It is, according to a press release issued by the company, “bottled directly from the pristine Au Sable State Forest in the heart of northern, lower Michigan.” (What? Where’s “northern, lower Michigan”?)
Further, the water is “naturally filtered as it percolates through the glacial sand and rock in a confined aquifer. With a perfect PH balance and low mineral composition, the artesian spring water’s taste is exceptional, clean, crisp and invigorating.”
I’m not sure about all that, but it is quite sporty and the concept sits well with this southern girl who was taught that is always quite rude to drink directly from a container.