It's from Columbus and it stinks.

Tracy Turner of  The Columubus Dispatch wrote of a new game:

 "A new board game created by a pair of Columbus gamers really stinks. And its designers couldn’t be happier.  Called P.U. the Guessing Game of Smells, the game challenges young players to race through a Candyland-like board that requires them to choose various scratch-and-sniff cards. Those cards release a range of smells from roses to dog poop. "

Columbusites Russell Pinto and Dale Harris both immigrants to the US developed the game, P.U. the Guessing Game of Smells.

From "The Publisher" on 'The Game Preserve' website:

"Odorville is made up of different venues where people today encounter smell. Rigorous market testing among kids and parents help identify the venues. The game starts out at a farm and then proceeds to the beach, garbage dump, laundry, candle shops, restaurants, outdoors, garages and ends at the carnival. The board is littered with over 300 elements of smell."

According to an online toy store, The Game Preserve, the game is for children aged seven to ten.

C. 2006 Columbus Ohio

 
Lest you think you've wandered into People Magazine... just keep repeating "there's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home.... " Sunday Christine Aguilera, Jack White and Buddy Guy jumped on the stage to perform with the Rolling Stones for former president Bill Clinton (enuff name dropping?) It did not happen in Columbus....

I probably wouldn't even notice the above "news" if my friend Maureen Francis in Michigan had not blogged about Jack White of the White Stripes (wouldn't know his music if I heard it..) selling his Detroit Michigan home.... A gorgeous nearly 6000 square foot historic home, built in 1914 in Detroit's Indian Village, a very urban area. Edsel Ford lived in Indian Hills "back in the day." The listing agent on Jack White's house,  Mike Kramar of Coldwell Banker Callan, Realtors has done a gorgeous online brochure about the property and it's history.  "1731 Seminole is being offered at $930,000.00. "

Take a tour Maureen has a link to the listing brokers stupendous tour on her Michigan real estate blog.

I have heard of Jack White, I have read about him.... I have a friend who is a fan...  I know about the black and white and red thing, aren't those kitchen counters green?   I remember the thing about "are they husband and wife or brother and sister?"  ...I am so impressed the house in Indian Village is still classy....  and decorated in what looks to me like appropriate to 1914 style.   Michigan bloggger Maureen who is not a fan of Jack White or the White Stripes gave this intro on her blog: Metro Detroit has a rich musical history. Think Motown, Bob Seger, Kid Rock, Eminem, Ted Nugent, Mitch Ryder and The White Stripes. My non-hipster self has to confess that though I have heard of The White Stripes, I know more about them from reading about them in the papers than I do from listening to their music. My radio is generally tuned into NPR and I don’t own an IPOD. The horror. I must be old."

And I am even older.

A site I enjoy...even if I don't always agree or even "get it"  Black Table said of the state of Michigan:   "No, most people probably think about the birthplace of the automobile, Eminem, Kid Rock and The White Stripes. But there's so much more to the Wolverine State than greenhouse gases and white-trash musicians."

Is white-trash a music category?  I can't keep up... It seems Jack White moved to Nashville and at least one fan is thrilled:, "Jack White, Won't You Be My Neighbor"  Kelly has details of his new 3. something or other million dollar abode, complete with red door. 

Where would a rock star live if they were going to buy a home in the City of Columbus?

A German Village 3,250 square foot home? It is only on a  32 x 82 city lot.   Built in 1870, it has a very open contemporary interior, priced within $20,000 of the $930,000 price on Jack White's home...   There are four more German Village homes under $1,500,000..  A couple of months ago when the NY Times did a what can money buy in various markets... the Columbus answer was a listing in German Village...  we need more than one cool area. 

Or would a rock star be forced to go suburban in Columbus? 

• A 5,612 SF two story in Worthington Hills (Perry Township, Worthington School district), built in 1966 remodeled in 2004... remodel won awards in 2004.. on a .38 golf course lot.
• A 4 bedroom 3 1/2 bath one story home with a walkout basement in Tucker Estates in Worthington buit in 1949.  ?? An agent in my office was name dropping about who the neighbors were  when he had a listing in the area...  captains of industry, sports big shots... hey this is the same house, at least the rock star would have nifty neighbors.... probably a little stuffy and staid for a rock star though!
• A two story in Upper Arlington  on a  212' x 179' foot lot  built in 1975? 5392 Square feet plus a walkout lower level...
• I can't see a rock star in any of the four New Albany Homes priced within $20,000 of Jack White's Detroit  house or for that matter in the other higher priced New Albany homes...

Maybe the one mansion off E. Broad Street...there is one on E. Broad too 

or a Bexley mansion...  (somehow suburban yet urban.)

A newer downtown Columbus condo or loft rather than single family? Allow the 'rock star' to jet off to NYC, LA, etc. rather than be stuck at home in Columbus mowing the lawn...  

When the topic of Jack White's house was posted on Active Rain under Detroit Metro- Michigan it generated a boatload of comments, many from people in California,  Florida, etc. about how reasonable Detroit real estate is...  they ain't seen nothing... when they have not seen Columbus Ohio, have they? Where would a rock star live in Columbus? In Franklin County?  Looking at a list of musical Columbusites in Wikipedia:

"Bow Wow (1987 - ) (formerly known as "Lil' Bow Wow"), rapper
Jay DeMarcus (1971 - ), bassist in the country group Rascal Flatts
Ekoostik Hookah, musical group
Fatty Koo, musical group
Gary LeVox (1970 - ), lead singer of country group Rascal Flatts
Michael Feinstein (1956 - ), singer
Howard Jones, heavy metal singer
Rahsaan Roland Kirk (1935 - 1977), American jazz saxophonist
Joe "Foley" McCreary, bass player for Miles Davis
Phil Ochs (1940 - 1976), folk-protest singer
O.A.R., roots rock band
Ovarian, rock band
RJD2 (1976 - ), real name, Ramble Jon "RJ" Krohn; hip-hop producer
Saving Jane, alt rock band
The Sun, alt rock band
Twyla Tharp (1941 - ), dancer and choreographer
Nancy Wilson (1937 - ), singer
Dwight Yoakam (1956 - ), country singer "

I am struck by "I think they all left..... "   for NYC, LA, Nashville, or even Detroit..... hey I know of a great house in Indian Village in Detroit...    

"1731 Seminole is being offered at $930,000.00. "

c. 2006 Columbus Best Blog

If you get the Sunday Columbus Dispatch you saw the 'Butter Cow" beat the Midway as the Best State Fair Attraction. Midway was third, 'Mullets' were the number two attraction at the State Fair. Go figure.  

Dispatch writer, Mark Ellis wrote the article about 'HomeTown Favorites, Readers sound off on what's good about region'  with results of the Columbus Dispatch, second annual 'Best of Cental Ohio Survey.'

People, Places, Leisure, Things,  Food.... The Columbus Dispatch Weekender will continue the survey with respect to best food and restaurant in early July. 

Among best Places in the June 25, 2006 Columbus Dipatch article: 

Village

1. German

2. Victorian

3. Muirfield

A German Village blitzkrieg

Copyright 2006 Columbus Best Blog and Maureen McCabe

Kaira Rouda, Real Living’s Chief Operating Officer,  was asked by the Web Marketing Association to participate as a judge for the 2006 WebAward Competition.     

Recognizing the Best Web sites in 96 industries.

The Web Marketing Association says of the awards:

"Website awards are a great way to recognize talented individual and team efforts in outstanding Website development and generate internet marketing exposure for the award winning Web site. The international WebAward Competition is the premier Web site award program available today."

"The 2006 WebAwards will name the best Website in 96 industry categories. Nominations for best web site will come from interactive agencies and web site marketing departments in more than 33 countries from around the world."

Copyright 2006 Columbus Best Blog and Maureen McCabe