Often, my job can be as engaging as a four-star movie. I get the official sneak previews of the newest tools in the market. Sometimes, I even get a demo and use them around the house.

I recently visited the Carolinas' Lathing and Plastering Contractors Association show where members met and focused on their goals of providing reliability, accountability and credibility. Despite several years of testing,

The Fire Protection Study survey was mailed to 1,500 active, qualified W&C subscribers who are fireproofing/firestop contractors.

For those unfamiliar with how Habitat partners with families, it can be assured that these homes are not given away. There is an application process, in which a committee screens all applicants to determine eligibility. Once a family has been determined, the applicant must put in 400 hours of what the organization calls "sweat equity." These hours are used for training the homeowners before the build begins, briefing homeowners on construction basics and hands-on work. The balance is used for the actual building of their home. If the hours are not fulfilled, applicants can still make up all the hours by working on another Habitat home.

Located in Chinatown and Boston's theater district, the Thomas Lamb architectural giant the Boston Opera House is now a fully renovated ornate palace, resurrected from the near forgotten. The once registered "11 of the Most Endangered Historical Sites" has been operational since its premiere of "The Lion King," in July 2004. Singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams and indie garage rockers White Stripes are future acts scheduled to rock the house.

The following are just a few programs going on as the world turns.

Cory Merryman, of Merryman Drywall, in Morley, Mich., believes he has found his niche in what he calls "drywall art," fusing his finishing skills and aesthetic sensibilities to create dimensional landscapes. Whether this is art is individual opinion but what most would agree on is a good level of vision and detail have been put into his final product. Merryman creates his own patterns, illustrating them on notebook paper and projecting these designs onto the wall using standard drywall and accessories.

Though it could be said that ICF construction is still relatively new to builders, those that have used it swear by its ease of installation and its advantages on many levels.

The origin of this story of recreation (replication) begins in San Diego. Mike Riddle, owner and president of FauxUnique, also of this city, was given the heads-up by local distributors Bayside Paint, that the general contractor for Sea World's Journey to Atlantis project was searching for a company that was knowledgeable and accomplished in the application of specialty finishes, in particular, the TexSton line. This lead developed and FauxUnique was awarded the Sea World contract to finish the interior spaces of the new Journey to Atlantis project, designed by Kim Wilson of Suzanne Sessions, in care of Anheuser Busch.

The Dome Home was constructed primarily to combat the extreme weather conditions of the Gulf Coast. Built to withstand the elements, the structure also featured a unique exterior and interior design that clearly made it stand out among its neighbors in Pensacola, Fla. Eighteen months after its completion, it was put to task for the very reason it was conceived: to battle and survive another hurricane.