Clashes near Gadhafi compound in Libyan capital

Clashes broke out early Monday near Moammar Gadhafi's compound in Tripoli, a day after rebels poured into the Libyan capital in a stunning advance that met little resistance from the regime's defenders.

Rebel spokesman Mohammed Abdel-Rahman said government tanks emerged from the complex, known as Bab al-Aziziya, early Monday and opened fire. An Associated Press reporter at the nearby Rixos Hotel where foreign journalists stay could hear gunfire and loud explosions from the direction of the complex.

Tripoli resident Moammar al-Warfali, whose family home is next to Bab al-Aziziya, said tanks rolled out from the compound in the early morning after a group of rebels tried to get in. He said there appeared to be only a few tanks belonging to the remaining Gadhafi forces that have not fled or surrendered.

Bab al-Aziziya, a sprawling compound that long served as the command center for the regime, has been heavily damaged by repeated NATO airstrikes over the past five months, al-Warfali said.

"When I climb the stairs and look at it from the roof, I see nothing at Bab al-Aziziya," he said. "NATO has demolished it all and nothing remains."

The rebels seized control of most of Tripoli in a lightning advance on Sunday, and euphoric residents celebrate in the capital's Greet Square, the symbolic hear of the Gadhafi regime. Gadhafi's defenders quickly melted away as his 42-year rule crumbled, but the leader's whereabouts were unknown and pockets of resistance remained.

Abdel-Rahman, who is in Tripoli with rebel forces, cautioned that Gadhafi troops still pose a threat to rebels, and that as long as Gadhafi remains on the run the "danger is still there."

The startling rebel breakthrough, after a long deadlock in Libya's 6-month-old civil war, was the culmination of a closely coordinated plan by rebels, NATO and anti-Gadhafi residents inside Tripoli, rebel leaders said. Rebel fighters from the west swept over 20 miles (30 kilometers) in a matter of hours Sunday, taking town after town and overwhelming a major military base as residents poured out to cheer them. At the same time, Tripoli residents secretly armed by rebels rose up.

By the early hours of Monday, opposition fighters controlled most of the capital. The seizure of Green Square held profound symbolic value — the plaza was the scene of pro-Gadhafi rallies organized by the regime almost every night, and Gadhafi delivered speeches to his loyalists from the historic Red Fort that overlooks the square. Rebels and Tripoli residents set up checkpoints around the city, though pockets of pro-Gadhafi fighters remained. In one area, AP reporters with the rebels were stopped and told to take a different route because of regime snipers nearby.

President Barack Obama said Libya is "slipping from the grasp of a tyrant" and urged Gadhafi to relinquish power to prevent more bloodshed.

"The future of Libya is now in the hands of the Libyan people," Obama said in a statement from Martha's Vineyard, where he's vacationing. He promised to work closely with rebels.

Fringe musical mocks Julie Taymor and 'Spider-Man'

To see how far Julie Taymor has fallen over the past year, look no further than the New York International Fringe Festival.

That's where the visionary director and choreographer behind the stunning "The Lion King" has become an object of sniggering and outright goofing during a lively musical that rips her and everyone associated with the Broadway spectacle "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark."

"The Legend of Julie Taymor, or the Musical That Killed Everybody!" — with book and lyrics by Travis Ferguson and music and lyrics by Dave Ogrin — is a spirited behind-the-scenes fictional look at the messy birth of Broadway's most expensive show. It is wicked and rollicking.

Julie Taymor — sorry, make that "Julie Paymore" — is portrayed as a crazed, ego-driven maniac who vows to save Broadway with a show about "Spider-Dude" that blends Greek myth with wind machines and 16 golden confetti cannons. She's so driven that she sleeps with the theater owner to keep the show open and at one point kills a man with her bare hands. She also may or may not have burned down the theater on opening night.

"For the scene where Spider-Dude is battling the Gods on Mount Olympus, I need the clouds to come down around the audience with hail and lightning, and I want an actual tornado to form in the middle of the house. Got that!?" Paymore, played by Jennifer Barnhart, asks her minions.

Paymore isn't the only one lambasted by this show. U2's Bono — one half of the "Spider-Man" songwriters — is transformed into a guy named Bruno (Clint Carter), complete with leather jacket, sunglasses and an Irish accent; The New York Post's Michael Riedel becomes Lionel Weasel, determined to destroy the musical; and Johnie Moore plays producer Michael Cohl as an aging hippie with a bong.

The show is one of 194 productions at the festival, which also includes the hot "Yeast Nation," a new musical by the Tony Award-winning team behind the Broadway hit "Urinetown"; "Jersey Shoresical: A Frickin' Rock Opera"; "Facebook Me"; and "Bella and the Pool Boy."

The nine-member cast of "The Legend of Julie Taymor," under the direction and choreography of Joe Barros, is funny and energetic, making up for unevenness in vocal ability. The songs are far better than you might expect, with the best being "Broadway's Burning," ''Boy Falls From The Rafters" — a play on the actual Broadway musical's "The Boy Falls From the Sky" — and "Tweet, Tweet, Tweet!" as the ensemble leaks that the Broadway musical is terrible.

There's a word for this kind of show: impudent. And another one: delicious. A bunch of twentysomethings in jeans and T-shirts are mocking Taymor, Bono and the hubris of "Spider-Man," but they're also asking where art goes when spectacle is all that anyone wants to see.

In that way, the jokey musical is more interesting than the one it's mocking.

Tips for Color Washing Furniture

We recently visited a creative arts studio. The room was filled with an air of creativity all around, what impressed us was the furniture that was a part of the interiors. A rusty and country look dominated every piece of furniture, it was simply stunning. It was not a fancy layout with the most expensive finishes, but a simple yet creative idea. The technique of color washing furniture is creating superb finishes and the out come is a special make over to old furniture. It is one of the most popular techniques among the different furniture painting ideas.



Furniture makes up most of the interiors and color washing furniture is just the right and inexpensive way to revamp even the smallest piece of it. Color washing rules a washed and rusty look, however, you can choose different color washing techniques, contrasts and colors that can give you a variety of looks as per your tastes and style. It will change the complete look of the furniture. Not only is it used for coloring walls but also for making creative items, for furniture, and more. It is an easy process that can be mastered. If you thought making furniture look pretty was just a task for skilled hands, you might just want to try color washing furniture. The only skills required here are creativity, creativity and creativity. For beginners and the not so beginners, here are some tips on color washing furniture that will make color washing an easy and fun experience.



How to Color Wash Furniture

Color washing is done by coating a surface base color with translucent latex paint and glaze mixed with another color. This is done in layers, and the effect is a great combination of luster and texture. Most commonly color washing is done using a paint brush, however, you can use many other things like a sponge, or hard cloth, etc. Below mentioned is a detailed way to color wash furniture.

• The pattern should be decided first. When you color wash, it will give you a specific texture and effect. You may want to try this on a small part of the furniture first, or even a small piece of cardboard. For beginners too, it is advised to first try it on another surface, before the final hand on the furniture.
• Now the materials you will need are: painters tape, rough cloth, paint brushes, paint colors that you wish to color wash the furniture, and sand paper.
• Furniture that can be painted can be anything like old chairs, tables and even cabinets. Whatever the texture of the furniture, a color wash can be easily applied.
• Cover any flooring or other area properly with cloth, to avoid spoiling and coloring unwanted places and things. Next if there is one part of the furniture that you do not want the color wash in, cover it with painters tape. Or if you want a different color or texture in a certain part, cover that part with tape.
• Take sand paper, and smoothen out the surface of the furniture, you can use a 200 grit sand paper. But do so very lightly, if you want some texture of the wood to be seen. Once finished wipe the piece of furniture with a rough cloth. Paint the furniture with a base color and leave it to dry, at least for an hour.
• After it is dry, use glaze mixed with the desired color, and coat the surface of the furniture. The proportion can be in the ratio of 4:1. That means 4 parts of glaze for every 1 part of paint. You can use a hard brush, or sponge or cloth for this. It depends on what kind of texture or finished surface you want. A soft cloth will give you a very subtle color wash, while a sponge can be used for moderate texture, a brush will give you fine lines.
• You can either give crisscross strokes, horizontal or vertical strokes, or you can even give a circular finish. Use your creativity here. A sponge can be used in a circular motion for a color wash, while a brush is best used for lining and crisscrossing. You can also stipple the surface of the color wash with a hard brush.
• When this coat is semi dry, you can dab a cloth or use a soft brush to soften the look further. You can also use one or more coats of glaze, depending on the final output that you want.
• During this process, the base color is also seen. You can also see the wash of glaze and other contrasting color on the top coat in the color wash. You can create stunning contrasts, texture, depth and designs when color washing. Experiment on a small card board first to check what will look best. You can also coat with transparent latex varnish.

The color wash style and combination will also depend on the type of furniture. The place or area that it will be kept. For an open porch, lawns and gardens, used earthy and rustic colors with textures, crisscross or simple fine lines. The dining areas can have more warm colors. The living room can have fun colors, while the bedroom can be a little subtle by using sponge or a cloth used for color washing.



Color washing is a simple yet unique way to redesign your furniture and create a different and new look. It can be used just on any surface and anything like on walls, artifacts, ceramics and more. It can also help you retain old furniture with a new look, which is good for the environment too. So thinking of refurbishing? Think of color wash. Simple. Stunning. Creative.