Friday, November 9, 2012

Marilyn Monroe photos on auction in Poland

WARSAW, Poland (AP) ? Who doesn't want a picture of Marilyn Monroe?

Hundreds of photographs of the blonde bombshell and other celebrities, including famous ones of Monroe in bed and as a ballerina, were being sold Thursday evening at an auction house in Poland.

Bidders and spectators packed the Desa Unicum house in Warsaw, where 238 pictures by the late American fashion and celebrity photographer Milton H. Greene were up for sale.

Most of these pictures of Monroe were taken from 1953 to 1957 when Greene was her advisor and business partner. He made many of the prints during Monroe's lifetime and they are highly valued by collectors. They include series of refined black-and-white studio photos and shots taken in natural surroundings, sometime in provocative poses.

As the bidding began, a black-and-white photo of a reclining Monroe in black stockings sold for 50,000 zlotys ($16,000), and another of her in a ballerina's dress sold for almost $20,000. A picture of her in bed sold for 26,000 zlotys.

The auction also offered Greene's pictures of Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Marlene Dietrich and Liza Minnelli. Other greats in the vast portrait collection, which was estimated at $680,000, included Cary Grant, Frank Sinatra, Paul Newman, Alfred Hitchcock and Marlon Brando.

The photos come from a collection of some 4,000 Greene pictures that Poland obtained from Chicago businessman Dino Matingas in the mid-1990s as the result of a complex communist-era embezzlement scandal linked to the buy-out of Poland's state debt. Proceeds from the auction will go to the Polish government.

Some of the images have never been published before, according to Marta Maciazek, the Polish official in charge of cleaning up the mess from the corruption affair.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/marilyn-monroe-photos-auction-poland-200431263.html

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More than $30 million in State Revolving Fund Loans awarded ...

November 8, 2012

More than $30 million in State Revolving Fund Loans awarded

DES MOINES ? The Iowa Finance Authority recently awarded a combined total of more than $30 million in water quality loans to assist projects through out the state including Moulton and Ottumwa.

State Revolving Fund Construction Loans are now offered at an historic low interest rate of 1.75 percent for most loans, which provide communities and municipalities with much needed financing for construction costs of water quality projects. Planning & Design Loans are zero percent loans that assist communities and municipalities with first-phase project expenses. The Iowa Finance Authority and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources jointly administer the State Revolving Fund.

The city of Moulton received $82,225 for clean water planning and design; and Ottumwa Water and Hydro received $1,250,000 for drinking water construction.

The Iowa Finance Authority has awarded Iowa communities and municipalities more than $1.9 billion in construction loans and $120 million through planning and design loans since program inception. The loans are made available as part of the State Revolving Fund.

Source: http://dailyiowegian.com/local/x2082765398/More-than-30-million-in-State-Revolving-Fund-Loans-awarded

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home improvement | pebble tile in bathroom

Pebble tile flooring offers a beautiful natural look and feel and can be used for a wide range of applications both indoors and out. Indoors, it is mainly seen in bathrooms. It looks wonderful either as a shower floor, bathroom floor or even as a backsplash.

What is pebble tile?
Pebble tiles generally come in 12? X 12? interlocking sheets, with each sheet covered in natural stones which are bonded to a mesh backing. When properly installed, there should be no visible seems between the sheets.

What are some of the pros and cons of pebble flooring?
? Naturally withstand water (the stones are collected from beaches, after all), making them particularly good for bathroom applications.
? Available in a wide range of colors and textures, they can work with any type of decor from rustic to contemporary and are extremely versatile.
? Excellent way to add a touch of nature to any space.
? The feel and texture of natural pebble underfoot is unmatched; it?s a bit like having a foot massage every time you walk on it. Personally, I love the feeling but it?s not for everyone. Try it out barefoot in a showroom or take a sample home and walk on it before committing to pebble. If you prefer an even surface, you can opt for sliced pebble, which offers a flat surface and similar look.
? Polished pebbles can be very slippery. This finish is not recommended for showers or bathroom floors.

How-To Tips
*This is not a tutorial. For tutorials or installation instructions, check with your tile?s manufacturer.

According to the DIY Network, installing your own pebble flooring is a moderately difficult do-it-yourself project. If you don?t know your way around a trowel or you don?t know the difference between Thinset and grout, you should probably leave this one up to a bathroom remodeling professional. However, if you have reasonable amount of DIY experience, you should be able to tick off ?installing pebble tiles? from your home improvement checklist.

  • Lay out the pattern of the pebble sheets before you adhere them into place. The stones will fit together like puzzles.
  • If there are any gaps along the edges of your tiling area, use some loose pebbles and place them in the empty spaces.
  • Seal the pebbles and grout at the end of installation to protect against mold and mildew and to make the surface easier to clean.

If you would like to know more about having a pebble tile installed in your home call your local home improvement expert or bathroom remodeling contractor.

Resource: DIY Network and Select Floors

Related: Bathroom Flooring Options

Source: http://www.my-home-improvement.com/2012/11/08/using-pebble-tile-in-the-bathroom/

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