There is great power in stories, myths and legends, and truth be damned, as the recent moving sale at the Amityville "horror" house proved.

The present owners are having a tag sale as the house is going back on the market. As you can imagine huge crowds showed up not only to buy the furniture and other effects, but to shoot pictures or just to look. Actually picture taking was forbidden, but many in the crowd clicked away anyway.

The interesting thing is that the furniture does not even belong to the Defeo family whose son made the family name infamous by murdering his parents and four siblings. However, it was reported that people were busy looking, taking pictures and recounting the horrifying details. This is what a gripping story does to mundane things like potted plants, furniture, and exercise equipment that were reportedly up for sale.

An Evening at the Museum is being presented by the National Home Furnishings Industry. The event will be held on the 16th of August, at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.

It will help raise money for life threatening diseases such as diabetes and cancer and offer the attendees a chance to network, enjoy cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, and attend a silent auction. Then there are the exhibits at the Fields Museum which include Sue, the famed T.Rex.

If this sounds like something you want to do, you can either register online, or call 800-272-2310. Individual tickets are $250 while Tickets for 2 or more are $200 each.

The National Home Furnishings Industry Chapter came into being about 40 years ago through the efforts by a group of industry leaders. It has helped fund the research to find a cure for life threatening diseases such as cancer and diabetes. It now includes representatives from all facets of the industry including retail, manufacturing and publishing. The first Midwest industry gathering was in 1995, and since then the furniture industry has raised about $1 million dollars at Midwest regional events alone.

City of Hope was founded in 1913 and is a pioneer in the fields of bone marrow transplantation and genetics. It is a research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Located in Duarte, California, it is ranked as one of "America's Best Hospitals" in cancer and urology by U.S.News & World Report.

Now's the time to vote for Dwell's "Room for Improvement" contest. The photos and stories have been submitted and 20 finalists have been selected. You can go here to vote for the room you think is most deserving.

You will find lots of ghastly rooms and furniture, and maybe even empathize with some. I know I did. I think the most pervasive theme is a fear of decorating, and not finding the courage to bring in furniture. Somehow people are afraid of making mistakes and being judged on the furniture they buy for their home. Other times, it is simply the fact that the owners haven't found the time to furnish a room, and unattended rooms have this built in magnet for attracting clutter.

But you be the judge and help some deserving soul win the Grand Prize which is $10,000 worth of Room and Board furniture. The voting will continue till the 25th of August 2010.

Made in America furniture is staging a comeback, especially upholstered furniture. At this Las Vegas furniture market "Made in America" was everywhere.

But why the big fuss about made in America? Apart from the national pride it expresses, the "Made in America" label is as big in marketing pitches as the green label. And when you think about it, locally made furniture is more sustainable and green than furniture that has traveled over great distances using so many resources.

Quality control is easier with furniture that is domestically made, as is customization. Customization is a big trend, especially in upholstered furniture. Imported furniture is manufactured on assembly lines, and has the tendency to all look the same and does not lend itself to the one of a kind look.

Made in America furniture also means more jobs in an industry that once helped provide employment to so many. Over the last couple of decades furniture manufacturing jobs have steadily gone overseas leaving skilled workers out of work.

But with all that, made in America furniture does cost a little more than imported furniture. In the end its the consumer who will decide whether we see more of it, if they choose to pay higher prices. Maybe it is time to redefine value when it comes to furniture.