text:
Before we get started today, I'd like to take a minute to explain something to ya'll. You will notice just to the right of this posting there is a section called CATEGORIES. If you scroll down from there you will notice that there are loads of topics— well over a hundred — that I've written about and/or included in one of my podcasts. Next to the topic you will notice a little number. That reflects the number of postings that include that particular topic. Isn't that fucking brilliant?
So if you're looking for information about something, I encourage you to check there first, before you send me a question. You may find that I've already covered your concern at length.
The CATEGORIES section is also a great resource for those looking to investigate new and interesting aspects of human sexuality.
Name: Martin
Gender: Male
Age: 50
Location: ?
Thanks in advance for your assistance, Dr. Dick.
Here's my dilemma; I'm so in love with my partner, he's actually the man of my dreams. We met much later in life, he being 45 and I'm 50.
I was married before w/children, out now as a gay man and all is well with my children's relationship.
My partner has always known he was gay, has had numerable relationships and was a sexual addict. He has wanted me to understand his past in relationship to his level of happiness now, stating that he was a bottom slut only because he was never truly in love or satisfied.
He wants me to believe that "I"m the one" that has changed his life-long addiction to strange dick up his ass.
I can't seem to get past his past slut behavior, and oftentimes get so pissed off because he wants me to meet and develop friendships with many of these past fucks (primarily because they were military buddies also).
Why can't I accept his slutty past and stop the suspicions?
Why do I get so upset just knowing that he was a total bottom slut??
How can I get him to understand that I have no desire to know any more about his sexual past and just focus on creating our lives???
Martin, Martin, Martin! How you do go on, honey. Take a look at your language, why don't 'cha? Could you possibly be more pejorative when speaking of the sexual experience of someone who has lived a different lifestyle than you? I doubt it. Look at how many times you use the word "slut" to describe the man you say you love. How can you tell me you love someone you have so little regard for or understanding of?
Your man wants you to understand his past, but you don't take it at face value. You belittle his experience, possibly because it doesn't match your own very limited, sexually exclusive, predominately heterosexual lifestyle.
Listen, lots of gay men (and some straight men) have loads of sex for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes just for the fun of it…or, as your man suggests, just to be a big 'ol bottom slut. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. A guy can be happily sexual without loving each and every one of his partners. And the sex can be really great too. Just like a guy can have very unsatisfying sex with somebody he loves deeply. None of these things are necessarily dependent on the other. Don't make such a tangle of it all, Martin. Sex, love, intimacy are all very different things.
I also want to reinforce my belief that there's no such thing as a sex addict. Compulsive behavior? Sure! Out of control behavior? You betcha! Self-denigrating behavior? Absolutely! Sexual addiction? No way!
Try for just a minute to extricate yourself from your sex-negative mindset by exchanging the notion of eating when you talk about your friend's sexual exploits. Would you have the same revulsion if your guy said he had shared food with lots of other guys? Some of it was fast food that didn't satisfy very much. Sometimes he ate just because he wanted to, not because he was hungry. And now he wants you and he, as a couple, to be friends with some of the men he ate with. Sounds perfectly reasonable to me!
Your man is trying to open you up to seeing life and sex as most openly gay men do. This is fundamentally different from how some formerly closeted men see life and sex. If you let him, he just might help heal you of your sex-negativity.
Finally, jealousy is one of the worst human emotions. It is a kind of hatred, you know. Sometimes it's hatred of another, but it is always self-hatred. We'd have no reason to be jealous if we had enough self-confidence. You say you love this man, but I challenge you on that. It's clear to me that you have a much greater love of your provincial notions about sex then you have for this guy.
Here's a tip, Martin — jettison the unhealthy attitudes about sexual expression and give your guy a chance to be himself, not what you want him to be, or what you think he should be. You'd be well served by working with a sex-positive therapist to help you get over this. Do it now, because if you hesitate you will surely ruin the very relationship you claim to treasure.
Name: Pete
Gender: Male
Age: 60
Location: New England
What is sounding the penis and why is it called that?
Sounding is a kind of urethra play. It's called that because the it involves sounds, a kind of dilator. Why not mozie on over to Dr Dick's Stockroom and check out the Sounds & Dilators section. You'll get an eyeful!
Urethra play freaks out lots of folks. Most of us equate having something inserted into our urethra…for any reason…with a root canal by a sadistic dentist. Not something purposely done for the sheer enjoyment of it.
I'm always curious about how folks come to odd fetishes like urethra play. One of my correspondents back in July, Georgia, wrote that her urethra play began when she was a child. She asked her mother where babies came from. Her mother said it's where peepee comes out. Georgia looked down there and saw this teeny-tiny hole. She knew having a baby was difficult and painful and thought, no wonder! So she decided she'd better try and make the opening bigger. And so it began.
Once a guy told me his fetish started when he was playing doctor with his older cousin. His cousin inserted a twig into his urethra, mimicking how he thought a doctor would take a patient's temperature. This guy said that the moment was so sexually charged, even as boy of no more than 5, that his piss hole became an object of fascination and pleasure from that day onward. When I knew him, he was able to insert the bristle end of a toothbrush into his urethra. That bit of unsolicited information just about made me swoon into a faint back then. Even now, retelling that story gives me the willies.
So ok, this isn't for me, but I am told by those in the know that because the urethra is such a sensitive organ, stretching it can provide exquisite sexual pleasure.
Practitioners of this unique kink often start out young, like Georgia and the other guy. Maybe it's just a function of one's natural curiosity about his/her body, when one day he/she discovers their urethra. They toy with it, stretch it and find pleasure. Once that happens, of course, it becomes like most pursuits of pleasure. It becomes a fascination, then a full-blown kink.
If a little accidental stretching is pleasurable, they wonder, what about intentional stretching with one kind of gadget or another — Q- tips, thermometers or a ballpoint pen? Once these kids are old enough to do some research, they discover an array of medical implements available to them; like latex or plastic tubing, catheters and urethral sounds and dilators. Well, you can see how this could just grow and grow…pretty much like any fetish. Pleasure is curious that way, spurring us on to higher and higher heights.
But like all pleasure related things, practitioners ought to have their wits about them when they play with their pee hole. I think it's ill advised to be stretching your urethra with just any old thing lying around. One's bladder and urethra are sterile areas and one ought only use sterile equipment and procedures while inserting anything in there. And one ought to take one's time with this sort of play. Incremental stretching is advised. The use of mind altering, or body desensitizing drugs is not recommended, for obvious reasons. Like I always say, safe and sane play is happy play.
And here's something you should know — the male urethra is approx. 10 to 13 inches long and has a "J-shaped" curve to it. The female urethra is much shorter, only approx. 2 1/2 to 3 inches long, and there is no curve. Therefore, a woman can stretch her urethra much easier and to a greater extent than a man can. You will find that these gender differences also makes for gender specific toys.
Name: Alice
Gender: Female
Age: 19
Location: Minnesota
My new boyfriend is really frustrated and doesn't want to have sex anymore because he can't come. He says he's had this problem for a while and hasn't come with any girl for over a year. I see how upset he is and I know he still wants to sleep with me but says it hurts when he gets excited and nothing happens. Is there something I can do? I tell him to see a doctor but I don't think he will. thanks a lot!
Wow, that's a bummer Alice. Unfortunately, you don't supply me with enough information for me to make an educated guess about what might be up with him. So I'm gonna make a stab in the dark.
If I had to guess, I'd say the lad is suffering from a real bad case of performance anxiety. He doesn't need a medical doctor; he needs to relax.
Here's how this nasty thing works. Say a fella has a less than satisfying sexual experience for one reason or another. Before he know it, he replaying the incident over and over in his head, till that's all he thinks about. The proverbial molehill becomes a mountain. He brings his anxiety to his next sexual encounter. His hyper-consciousness primes him for more disappointment. And he's ready to interpret all disappointment as a failure.
Well, you can see where I'm going with this, huh? His fears become self-fulfilling. Before he knows it, he begins to avoid sex. His relationships suffer. He develops a full-blown sexual dysfunction. And his self-esteem takes a nosedive. His preoccupation with his problem makes it less likely that he'll be fully present during sex with his partner, which pretty much fucks up his sexual responsiveness and any hope for spontaneity.
It looks to me like performance anxiety is putting a damper on his sexual arousal and short-circuiting his sexual response cycle.
This is nothing to fool around with, especially for someone at his tender age. When I see this sort of thing in my private practice, I always begin the therapeutic intervention by calling a moratorium on fucking of any kind. This immediately takes a great deal of the pressure off the couple. From there we begin to rebuild the partnered psychosexual response one step at a time. We begin with sensate focus training, stress reduction and relaxation exercises. I have the greatest confidence in this method. It succeeds over 90% of the time.
Name: Roxy
Age: 37
Location: SF Bay Area
Dear Dr. Dick, I am slowly but inexorably marching to my wits end over my current dilemma. I'm a part time TV married to a wonderful girl who I find very satisfying emotionally, mentally and physically. So what's the problem, you're asking? The problem is that before we got married I had several sexual encounters with men (yes, with me dressed and made up as a girl). Some of which were quite thrilling, and now I find that I am yearning to get all dressed up and find a male partner who will satisfy the girl side of my psyche sexually. I don't want to cheat on my wife (with whom I've talked about marital fidelity…if I cheated and she found out, her line is that our sex life would be over), but I feel the compulsion to act getting stronger all the time… what should I do? Sincerely, Distraught in downtown
Before I respond to you, Roxy, I want to make sure my audience knows what we're talking about.
Folks, Roxie here is identifying as a part-time TV. That, of course, has nothing to do with the box in your living room on which you watch The Brady Bunch reruns. TV in this context means transvestite. Which is literally the practice of cross-dressing, wearing the clothing of the other sex. Which as we all know, or should know must not be confused with a TS. And I don't mean the poet, but a transexual. A transexual is a person that self-identifies as the gender other than the one he/she was assigned at birth. I hope we're all down with that now.
It appears to me, Roxy, that you're really overreaching here. Desires are wonderful things. We just better know the difference between a desire and reality. I encourage you to think twice about realizing this particular desire of yours if it means upending your marriage. Seems to me your long-suffering wife's feelings deserves more than the casual consideration you afford them.
Most TVs I know would give their left falsie for a partner as understanding and accommodating as your wife. And look at you, considering fucking this up by skipping out on her. Just so you can get all gussied up and find a dude to pound the bejesus out of you to satisfy the girly side of your psyche.
I never advocate the cheating option. But I know how compelling sexual fantasies can be. On the other hand, maybe some kind of additional accommodation could be made with your wife. Maybe she'd be up for a 3-way.
I know this marvelously kinky woman, Abby, who pimps out her beautiful straight boyfriend to totally hot gay gays they meet at the best gay nightclubs. She does this just so she can watch the straight BF get pounded. I hasten to add that the beautiful straight BF is a willing participant in this unusual ménage. Curiously enough, he'd never think of doing this on his own. For him, the turn on is not the part where other guys fuck him, although that is pleasurable. It's pleasing and being dominated by his kinky girlfriend that turns his crank. So when Abby snaps her finger, you know for certain that Ty will soon be buggered senseless. Now that's devotion. And while this is not for everyone, it sure as hell works for them.
Will your little woman go for something like this, Roxy? Got me! One thing for sure, you'll never know unless you ask. Here's a tip. To sell this whole ménage thing to the wifie, I encourage you to play up how HOT it will be for her. How much fun she'll have watching and possibly even directing her pansy-ass husband take it up the bung-hole. How it's gonna blow her mind, and shake up your traditional sex roles and really spice things up in the boudoir. With a sales pitch like that she might just give it a whirl.
I don't envy your dilemma, Roxy, but I think something interesting could come of this just as long as you're upfront about it with your wife. If ya don't, you'll soon be a cock in a frock with his marriage on the rocks.
Good luck ya'll


text:
And this time I've got three patterns included!
There's Hera, which I actually designed years ago, fairly early in my knitting career. I saw this stitch in one of Barbara Walker's collections and realized that I could trim and repeat it to create the lozenge shape of this headband .
The yarn is Curious Creek's Wasonga; the sample was knit by my friend Chris. (Errata alert: If you decide to knit this one, compare Chart E to Chart A. E is missing a few purl dots. The needed stitches are easy to spot once you know what you're looking for.)
The second design, Moss Landing, also goes back a bit—to my hat-designing phase. At that point, I'd been knitting nothing but scarves, working my way through various stitch dictionaries. When I finally wearied of scarves, I moved on to hats.
I particularly enjoyed trying to fit stitches to the shape of the hat—which worked out nicely on this design.
The third design, Gambit, actually is something new. As with the other pieces I was playing with the idea of matching stitch pattern to garment shape.
Like Hera, this beauty was knit up by my friend Chris.
Coming up with designs to submit for this book was a real pleasure. I started by brainstorming a list of potential projects, then had a lovely dig through my stash looking for yarn to use. I also placed a call to Kristine of Curious Creek, who generously donated several skeins for me to play with. I am constantly worried about the aluminium guttering on the back side of our house whenever we've a big thunderstorm. Some thunderstorms are strong enough to tear it right out of the side of the house, and it would not be cheap to repair it. I came up with nine designs, knit seven of them myself, while Cris volunteered to knit the other two, then decided that six of the final pieces were worth submitting (two came out too small, a third just didn't work well, so I left those out). Since three were used in the book, I've got another three up my sleeve—I'll be looking for homes for them as well.
This is my favorite of the one-skein books. Because sock yarn has great yardage, the designs have some complexity—which translates to interesting knitting. I cast on for a Wisteria Arbor Shawl last night. I'm delighted with the mix of cleverness and simplicity this piece offers. It's knit point up, which means it can be adapted to use every single yard, and it gets its interesting shape from casting on twenty-six stitches at the start of each pattern repeat. One could use this technique with other stitches and vary the shape of the finished shawl depending on the stitches-to-rows ration of the stitch used.
If you knit up any of these patterns, I'd love to hear what you think—and to see pictures of the finished pieces.
Health care is dear, and sometimes patients cannot order the medicines they need. A review published by The National Institute of Mental Health states that impotence affects 140 million men worldwide. Cialis is an ideal cure for helping men to sustain an erection. If you're concerned about sexual malfunction, you have to learn about "where to get generic Sildenafil". What is the most considerable information you perhaps remember view about this? What researchers talk about cheapest pharmacy for cialis? Several drugstores describe it as cialis price. Remember to diagnose a man's sexual problem, the physician likely will begin with a thorough history of diagnostic. Not to mention, if you have any other questions about this physic ask your physician.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Vulnerability Assessments and Related Security Improvements at Large Drinking Water Utilities.
The objective of this program is to reduce the vulnerabilities that large drinking water utilities present to a terrorist attack. PWS ID No.: CA3310037
| Find Current Funding Opportunities |
How to Apply |
EPA Grantee Forms |
Grant and Fellowship Information |
| Closed Announcements/Pending Awards | |
Grant Awards Database |
| Grant and Cooperative Agreement Desk Top Resource for Non-Profit Recipients |
Policy, Regulations and Guidance |
| Suspension and Debarment Program |
Find the Grant Regional Office Near You |
EPA's Plan for Grants Management |
EPA Home |
Privacy and Security Notice |
Contact Us


text:
Keak Da Sneak (Feat. Prodigy & Alchemist) - That Go (Remix)
Video For Keak Da Sneak "That Go (Remix) Featuring Prodigy & Alchemist" Off Of "Deified" In Stores May 27th! This is west coast meets east coast right here shout out to the whole bay area. Keak da Sneak Album Deified in Stores May 27. PRODIGY HNIC2 IN STORES NOW!. Video Directed by Jordan Tower and Harves Streeter
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
KVH Industries, Inc., recently shipped its 150,000th antenna. This significant milestone reflects both the growing demand for mobile access to entertainment and high-speed Internet services, and the popularity of KVH's award-winning
TracVision mobile satellite TV and TracPhone satellite communications systems.
"Achieving this level of sales success is a tremendous accomplishment for everyone at KVH," said Martin Kits van Heyningen, KVH's chief executive officer. "Fifteen years ago, we set out to become the leader in bringing satellite TV and broadband satellite communications to mobile customers. Our goal was to build our satellite business by introducing products that were more powerful, smaller and less expensive, and more reliable and easier to use. With far more mobile antennas in the field than our competition, and a robust international distribution network, I believe we are succeeding in that mission. It is gratifying that so many people are confirming our accomplishments by placing faith in our company and becoming our customers."
The demand for mobile satellite products reflects significant changes in business and society. Consumers increasingly demand continuous access to the same digital entertainment and information that they enjoy and rely upon in their homes and offices. Typical mobile satellite customers include boat and RV owners, cross-country truck drivers, the media, and government and military users. KVH's mobile satellite systems are the most practical way for these users to connect to television and data networks when they are beyond the limited reach of terrestrial-based broadcast and cellular towers.
"KVH pioneered the mobile use of modern digital satellite TV and communications services on boats, cars and RVs," said Jim Dodez, KVH's vice president of marketing and strategic planning. "Our TracVision and TracPhone systems use actively stabilized antennas to precisely track orbiting satellites and enable people in cars, trucks, RVs, boats, buses, and limousines to access the Internet or watch TV almost anywhere they travel."<
Like what you read?
Want to know when we have important news, updates or interviews?
Join our newsletter today!
Send to your friends!


text:
Dixon Police
Jessica L. Eads, 29, of Harmon; 10:08 Saturday at Dairy Queen parking lot; driving under the influence of alcohol, illegal transportation of alcohol, general speed restrictions; posted bond.
Jimmy D. King, 74, of Monroe, Wis.; 7:52 p.m. Sunday in the 1600 block of South Galena Avenue; driving under the influence of alcohol; taken to Lee County Jail.
Travis J. Rohrbaugh, 30, of Dixon; 2:55 a.m. Monday in the 500 block of Depot Avenue; domestic battery; taken to Lee County Jail.
Russell D. Bryson, 29, of Dixon; 5:12 a.m. Monday in the 200 block of Crawford Avenue; domestic battery; taken to Lee County Jail.
Lee County Sheriff
Felicia J. Sorenson, 33, of Rockford; 2:17 a.m. Monday; warrant for contempt – non pay; taken to Lee County Jail.
Michael R. Lawson, 22, of Dixon; 11:27 p.m. Sunday; warrant for failure to appear for pre-trial hearing on a speeding charge; taken to Lee County Jail.
William J. Madding, 63, of Dixon; 7:11 p.m. Sunday; warrant for contempt, driving under the influence; taken to Lee County Jail.
17-year-old boy; 4:20 a.m. Sunday; consumption of alcohol by minor.
Ogle County Sheriff
Timothy Moore, 45, of Dixon; 7:46 p.m. Saturday in the 7000 block of state Route 2; driving under the influence of alcohol, unlawful possession of cannabis under 2.5 grams, speeding, illegal transportation of alcohol; taken to Ogle County Jail.
Polo Police
Justin J. Drolema, 17, of Polo; 3:14 p.m. Thursday; passing a loading school bus; posted driver's license.
Dawn A. Patton, 29, of Polo; 11:44 p.m. Thursday; operating an uninsured motor vehicle; posted I-Bond.
Javier Hernandez-Alba, 48, of West Liberty, Iowa; 2:45 p.m. Saturday; speeding; posted I-bond.
Rock Falls Police
William Madding, 63, of Rock Falls; 6:09 p.m. Sunday; warrant; taken to Whiteside County Jail.
Derik Lebarron, 21, of Rock Falls; 9:54 p.m. Sunday; warrant; posted bond.
Morrison Police
Holly E. Denning, 25, of Morrison; Oct. 3; parking ordinance violation. Denning also was arrested Oct. 6 for no valid registration ordinance violation.
Tonya J. Wallers, 28, of Morrison; Oct. 5; speeding.
Michelle M. Gogel, 22, of Freeport; Oct. 5; speeding.
State Police
Robert M. Zell, 35, of Polo; 10:06 p.m. Saturday on state Route 2 and River Lane in Lee County; no valid (expired) driver's license, no insurance, failure to signal; posted I-Bond.
Tyrone R. Aikens, 28, of Milwaukee; 12:37 p.m. Saturday on Interstate 88 in Whiteside County; speeding, driving with a suspended license; posted I-Bond.
Zachary E. Love, 26, of Dixon; 10:21 p.m. Saturday at South Ottawa Avenue and East Sixth Street in Dixon; driving with a suspended license; posted I-Bond.
Daniel E. Williamson, 24, of Sterling; 11:02 p.m. Saturday at U.S. Routes 30 and 52; speeding, no valid driver's license, no seatbelt; posted I-Bond.
Eric N. Stamper, 19, of Palatine; 11:33 p.m. Saturday at Willett Avenue and Adelheid Street in Dixon; warrant, failure to signal; taken to Lee County Jail.
Lauren C. Pelka, 36, of Palatine; 12:47 a.m. Sunday at U.S. Route 52 and Red Brick Road in Lee County; speeding, driving under the influence, driving with a suspended license, no insurance; posted bond.
Jacob S. Primrose, 20, of Oregon; 2:37 a.m. Sunday at North Dement Avenue and East Everett Street in Dixon; consumption of alcohol by a minor, loud exhaust; posted bond.


text:
(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
Contact us for information about using this image.
This flag is one of five E-flags ("E" for exceptional performance) awarded to Greenfield Tap & Die (GTD) Corporation for industrial efficiency during World War II (WWII). Only 206 companies, out of 4,283 top-flight war production facilities (which represented only 5% of the total industrial plants engaged in war production) were awarded five flags. The company was the largest maker of gages, taps, and dies in the world, in a War Department-financed million dollar state-of-the-art plant in Greenfield, Massachusetts. Three shifts worked around the clock seven days a week producing these measuring devices that insured an accurate fit for all parts produced anywhere in the country. Greenfield was important enough in the war effort to be protected by an anti-aircraft battery, able to shoot down German bombers.
top of page
Send an e-Postcard of this object
See Also...
Go and No-Go Thread and Plug Gages made by Greenfield Tap and Die Corporation during WWII
Framed photograph of Greenfield Tap and Die Corporation operator during WWII
"GTD Makes John Grant's Invention Known Around World" article from Greenfield Recorder-Gazette newspaper
"America's Entire Strength Is Now Concentrated on Our War Effort" ad for GTD from Greenfield Recorder-Gazette newspaper
Home | Online Collection | Things
To Do | Turns
Exhibit | Classroom | Chronologies | My
About This Site | Site Index | Site Search | Feedback


text:
Jamie Dimon Wins at J.P. Morgan, and More
What's News: J.P. Morgan shareholders voted overwhelmingly against a proposal to split Jamie Dimon's roles. Rice in the Chinese city of Guangzhou was found to be contaminated with cadmium. Golf to ban anchored putting stroke. Photo: Getty Images
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... Jamie Dynan strike the ... correct this is what's news at this hour I'm WS J lifetime Thailand Co ... JP Morgan shareholders voted overwhelmingly against the proposal to split the chairman and CEO roles ... Jamie diamonds held since two thousandsix to roughly sixty percent of the votes cast rejecting the nonbinding recommendation ... that Mr. Diamond's jobs be separated ... that's actually higher than the sixty percent a similar resolution garnered last year ... the results its attention away from Mr Diamond after multibillion-dollar trading loss last year ... prompted a series of regulatory actions and cause some to question Mr Diamond stewardship of the mega bank ... Mr Diamond declining to comment after the shareholder meeting today ... saying well we really don't want any more press ... the threat to race is fueling the latest uproar in China ... on government s finding that nearly half the rice sold in the southern Chinese city of Quanto ... was contaminated with excessive levels of cadmium ... triggering anger from Chinese consumers ... cadmium is a carcinogen eight metal that ... wreak havoc on the body's kidneys ... experts say that cadmium has been found in heavy concentrations ... in soil different Chinese regions ... Sally Potter's there where the U S Golf Association goals rule makers ... announcing that they will be an anchor putting stroke affected January first two thousand sixteen ... the move was expected the PGA Tour and the PGA of America which unofficially spoken in opposition to the ban say the law revue Kai responses to the decision ... but neither promise to comply what to keep us anomaly this is about instructed and what's his aunt WS J


text:
We care about your kids and are careful as we choose the products that we sell at Kidstructive Fun. All our toys have been tested and are labeled according to US CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act) requirements so you can shop with confidence.
We value your continued business and will be happy to answer any of your questions. You can reach us by phone at (802) 933-8697 or email at email@example.com. Thanks for shopping at Kidstructive Fun!
© Copyright 2017 Kidstructive Fun
Ecommerce Website Design by Off the Page Creations


text:
The Lagito Cabin Gingerbread House
The Lagito Cabin Gingerbread House
After twelve hours, five emergency trips to the grocery store, three batches of royal frosting, and two house threatening crises, my log gingerbread snow cabin with frozen lake was completed and ready to enter the challenge. Let's hope it wins the the SugarHQ best gingerbread house contest!
It was a tough, time consuming project, but the final result — an amazingly cute gingerbread house — was well worth the effort. I couldn't have done it without the expertise of an incredibly creative friend, the support of very loving parents, and the candy from a recently opened old-school candy shop. To check out a gallery of images of The Lagito Cabin and learn more about the house making process — along with my tips for future builders —
- Use a recipe that produces a large quantity of dough. I used Martha Stewart's dark molasses gingerbread cookie recipe. I made the dough the night before, allowing enough time to chill.
- From start to finish it takes a lot of time to make a stylish yet classic gingerbread house so if you are entering our challenge keep this in mind.
- Stock up on supplies before you begin to make the house. Parchment paper and powdered sugar are a few of the items that had to be picked up at the grocery store in the middle of the project.
- Problem solve! My dog Lacey ate a chunk of the roof so we had to patch up the hole with a chocolate graham cracker and frosting.
- Get creative. My design consultant made a separate trip to the candy store for inspiration. It was easy to shop for the candy once we knew what we were doing.
- Go to a candy store where you can purchase candy in bulk. We needed only one Nerd for the doorknob. Instead of buying an entire box of Nerds we bought one.
- Have fun! It was an all day event so we made sure to have delicious Irish blue cheese and crackers, crab salad on crostini, and gambas al ajillo for snacking. We also had cocktails, red wine, and tons of Christmas music to get us in the mood.


text:
This is an interactive java applet which allows you to
model galaxy collisions on your own computer. With this applet you can
study how galaxies collide and merge gravitationally and how the effects
of the collision depend on the properties of the galaxies. You can also
recreate collisions between real interacting galaxies observed in the sky.
The buttons to the left will lead you to the following areas:
- Scientific Development: Chris Mihos (CWRU), Greg Bothun (UOregon)
- Java Programmers: Chris Mihos, Dave Caley (UOregon), Bob Vawter (CWRU)
- Web Design: Cameron McBride (CWRU)


text:
Farms.com, its eHarvest division and PigCHAMP subsidiary, have entered a long-term relationship to provide information and database management services to VeriPrime Pork.
"VeriPrime Pork is a revolutionary cooperative owned and directed by pork producers that will enable them to provide pre-harvest production and safety assurances to the consumer and be paid for providing them," says David Farnum, DVM, vice president of Farms.com.
VeriPrime Pork (www.veriprime.com) will offer standardized animal welfare and traceability capable of supporting evolving retailer needs, including country-of-origin labeling.


text:
This command:
speaker-test -Dplug:surround51 -c6 -twav
suggested at http://www.alsa-project.org/main/index.php/SoundcardTesting, for testing 5.1 output, makes a sound plays forever until reboot. Other symptoms: The sound is slow and like if you are in a tunnel with an echo, delayed. I am also still having choppy video problems. I made any kind of changes but none helped. Any sound played starts to play and then keeps playing that first little part, sometimes forever until I close the application, be this a game such as Lagno, a .wav song, a video, the very login sound, or whatever. The sound problem makes videos to play too slow, extremely slow, in Totem. A time I could play them right in VLC by setting VLC's audio to alsa instead of pulseaudio, I think (don't remember), but then I had no sound. I've tried Ubuntu 7.10, 8.10 and 9. No progress. There is no solution for this issue. Output of lspci -v 00:11.5 Multimedia audio controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT8233/A/8235/8237 AC97 Audio Controller (rev 60) Subsystem: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. Device 812a Flags: medium devsel, IRQ 22 I/O ports at d800 [size=256] Capabilities: [c0] Power Management version 2 Kernel driver in use: VIA 82xx Audio Kernel modules: snd-via82xx


text:
Industrial Letters Inspired by Restoration Hardware
I came across this idea on Paper, Scissors & Paint blog and love the look of these letters. They have rustic charm and the best part is when you can spend a fraction of the cost and get something VERY similar, just by making it yourself.
I'm all for it!
These letters were the inspiration:
This is the end result {don't you love it!? I sure do.}
. . . and the HOW TO instructions:
She bought the letters at Hobby Lobby for $1.49 each.
She traced out the letters on the back of a barn wood scrapbook paper, and glued it to the front. I can't believe it looks so much like real wooden planks.
So, remember, the RH letters had a metal edging with rivets? She added that to hers, too. She took some trusty silver craft paint and added to the edge of the letters:
Once she had the edge painted on all the letters, she used a black craft marker to create an inner shadow. Just a tiny line around the inside edge.
Now, for the rivets. She used Spare Parts Screw Head Brads. She just used her trusty wire cutters to chop off the brad part, then glued them in the corners of the letters.
She spent around $6 and some time. She ended up spending about 30 minutes start to finish. Talk about instant gratification!
I can't wait to make some of these letters for my house and the store!


text:
(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
Contact us for information about using this image.
Sylvester Graham (1794-1851) was a Presbyterian minister who is today most famous for inventing the Graham cracker in 1829. Less well-known are the social reforms and health theories he championed. He believed, for example, that a vegetable diet and eating homemade, coarsely ground whole-wheat flour promoted mental and physical health and prevented alcoholism. He also advised Americans to sleep on hard mattresses and to take cold showers, a health regimen that evolved into hydropathy, or the "water cure." By the 1840s Graham was a well-known and eccentric resident of Northampton, Massachusetts, where a newspaper in 1851 derided him as "Dr. Bran, the philosopher of sawdust pudding." Graham's theories influenced many later diet reformers, including the Kellogg brothers and C.W. Post, who pioneered the invention of granola, corn flakes, and other breakfast cereals. This recipe for Graham Bread appeared in a "Hydropathic Cook-Book" in 1855.
top of page
Send an e-Postcard of this object
See Also...
South Deerfield, fountain
Membership card to the "National Christian Temperance Union"
"The Pocumtuc Housewife; A Guide to Domestic Cookery"
"Saratoga Illustrated: The Visitor's Guide to Saratoga Springs"
Home | Online Collection | Things
To Do | Turns
Exhibit | Classroom | Chronologies | My
About This Site | Site Index | Site Search | Feedback


text:
Selecting your vehicle's make, model, and year allows us to display only parts and items specific to your car's model and year.
Part# GP30125
Be the First to Review
OPGI Price: $38.99
Part Type: (R) = Authentic reproduction of the original GM product
Years: 1967-1968
Sold As: SET
Authentically reproduced inner fenderwell seals are a must-have to prevent dirt and debris from entering your engine compartment. These heavy-duty masticated rubber seals are die-cut to original dimensions for an excellent fit and finish. Seals are sold per set and include staples where specified.


text:
Revolution breaks for World Cup; returns to action on June 27 at Gillette Stadium against Chicago
New England went more than eight years between matches with a Brazilian team, only to suffer its most lopsided loss to a team from the South American country with a 3-0 defeat at the hands of SC Cruzeiro on Sunday night at Gillette Stadium … the Revs hosted a Brazilian team for the first time since SE Palmeiras beat the Revs by a 1-0 score on June 23, 1997 … the Revolution is now 2-4-0 all time against Brazilian teams and is winless in its last two matches with clubs from Brazil.
Matt Reis, who has been with the Revolution since 2003 but missed the first portion of this year while recovering from offseason shoulder and knee surgeries, returned to action in goal for the first half of the Revs international friendly against Cruzeiro on Sunday night … Reis made two saves and allowed one goal in his first live action since New England's season ended last year in the first round of the playoffs with a 2-0 loss at the Chicago Fire on November 7, 2009 … dating back to last season, Reis has not allowed a goal in 234 consecutive minutes of MLS regular-season play.
Also making his return in a Revolution uniform on Sunday night against Cruzeiro was Steve Ralston, Major League Soccer's all-time leader in games played, games started, minutes played and assists … Ralston, who re-signed with the Revs last week, was a member of the Revolution from 2002-09 and rejoined the team at training on Wednesday, June 9 … Ralston returned to the field as a substitute in the 72nd minute, but was injured in just his first minute of action back with New England … Ralston signed with his hometown team AC St. Louis of the second division in the offseason and made two appearances before deciding to make his return to Major League Soccer.
Less than one minute after stepping back on the field in a Revolution uniform, midfielder Steve Ralston dislocated his left elbow and had to be replaced in the 74th-minute by Chris Tierney … Ralston was one of two Revs players who were forced out of Sunday night's friendly with Cruzeiro … midfielder Khano Smith sprained his ankle in the 30th minute of play and had to be replaced by Kenny Mansally … Smith was aggressive in the early going before he was injured, as he led New England with three shots for the match.
The New England Revolution players, coaches, staff and 2,000 soccer fans packed the House of Blues on Saturday afternoon in Boston to watch the U.S. Men's National Team battle back from an early deficit to salvage a tie with England in the teams' first match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup … Revolution fans, players and media all mingled together at Saturday's event on Lansdowne Street in the Fenway neighborhood of Boston … last weekend's United States-England match was the most-watched FIFA World Cup first-round match among households and viewers, and the most-viewed United States Men's National Team game since 1994 … the two-hour match averaged a 7.3 household rating, 8,391,000 households, and 12,956,000 viewers, based on fast nationals.
The Revs do not have a game scheduled for the upcoming weekend for the first time since early March, when the team was away at preseason training in North Carolina … including preseason, the Revs have played matches on 14 consecutive weekends, a streak which began with a scrimmage at the USL-2's Charlotte Eagles on March 13 and culminated with Sunday night's match with Cruzeiro … 13 of the first 14 weekend games were played on Saturdays, and only one match began in the afternoon (May 22 at 1 p.m. at Toronto FC) … the Revs do not have another Saturday game until LA Galaxy visits on July 10, but do play on Sunday, June 27 at Gillette Stadium against Chicago and play their first Friday game of 2010 on July 2 at Real Salt Lake.
The Revolution has not exactly had a lot of stability in its starting lineup this year, mostly because of the rash of injuries that has plagued the team in 2010 … so far through 12 MLS matches this season, head coach Steve Nicol has run out 10 different starting lineups … the Revs used the same lineup for the first two games of the season (a 1-0 loss at LA Galaxy on March 27 and a 2-0 win on April 3 at D.C. United) and for the fifth and six games (a 2-1 loss to the Colorado Rapids on April 24 and a 1-1 tie against FC Dallas on May 1) this year … only Sainey Nyassi has started every game and only he and Pat Phelan have played in every match … Chris Tierney, a natural left midfielder, has been the most versatile Revolution player and has played five different positions for Steve Nicol this season, starting at three … Tierney has started at left midfield, center midfield and left back.
The biggest shakeup for the starting unit has come in the midfield, which has used nine different starting line combinations in the first 12 matches this season … the Revs have gone with a four-man midfield the first six games of the season and the two most recent, but switched to a five-man line for games seven through 10, due mostly to the absence of Shalrie Joseph … Sainey Nyassi is the only Revs player who has started in and played all 12 games in the midfield.
The Revolution is in the middle of two consecutive Sunday matches – a rare occurrence this season, with the next coming on Sunday, June 27 when the Revs resume MLS play at home against the Chicago Fire … New England currently has 36 matches scheduled for 2010 – 30 regular-season MLS matches, three SuperLiga games, two international friendlies, and one U.S. Open Cup match … of those 36 scheduled matches, 23 are played on a Saturday, six on a Wednesday, three are slated for a Sunday, two on a Friday, and one each on a Tuesday and Thursday … the only day of the week in 2010 when the Revolution does not play a game this season is Monday.
The Revolution's first match following MLS' World Cup break for pool play comes on Sunday, June 27 against bitter rival Chicago Fire … the clubs have a fairly even history of head-to-head competition since Chicago entered the league as an expansion team in 1998 … New England is 13-15-8 in 36 all-time regular-season matches … additionally, the Revs and Fire are square after 15 career games in the postseason, with New England holding a 7-7-1 record in 15 postseason matchups … the Revs and Fire have met in the postseason every year since 2005.


text:
By continuing to use this site, you agree to the cookies used, for example, to improve your browsing experience and to personalize the content of the Website. For more information and/or to change your current cookie settings, please refer to our Cookies Policy.
Global Affairs Canada has recently elevated it's advisory for Haiti to avoid all travel due to the reigning civil unrest throughout the country. This is the highest level of the Canadian government's Travel Advice and Advisories.
Considering the current level of insecurity, we strongly recommend that you respect this advisory. Information regarding vacation packages Given the uncertain accessibility of the road leading to the Royal Decameron Indigo Beach, Transat cannot guarantee safe transfers and has therefore stopped the sale of vacation packages, until the end of April 2019.
Information regarding flights Until the government has reduced its alert level, all customers who have booked a flight to Haiti for the months of February, March and April 2019 are entitled to modify their reservation without penalty. Customers are invited to contact their travel agency or Air Transat's Contact Center to adjust their file accordingly.
For the time being, Air Transat's flight operations continue as planned. However, the situation may change at any moment and without notice.
Prior to your next flight, register your child with Air Transat's free "Kids Club" . Your child and the entire family will have loads of fun and benefit from practical advantages too!


text:
The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Surname
What's wrong with marrying your cousin?
A new group is struggling for acceptance. The group is people who are married to their cousins. These people note that 20 percent of marriages around the world are between first cousins, that Albert Einstein and Charles Darwin married their first cousins, and that first-cousin marriage, while prohibited in half the United States, is legal in Canada and throughout Europe. Now a study by the National Society of Genetic Counselors says that having a child with your first cousin raises the risk of a significant birth defect from about 3-to-4 percent to about 4-to-7 percent. According to the authors, that difference isn't big enough to justify genetic testing of cousin couples, much less bans on cousin marriage. From this, the media have concluded that marrying your first cousin is "OK." Is it?
As Frame Game has argued before, topics such as sex with animals, dog-eating, and sex with cousins are never as simple as they're made out to be. You can't just say the practice in question is icky. You have to state a principle and think through its implications. Often, you have to change your opinions on related issues in order to honor that principle, or you have to throw out the principle and change your mind about the original question.
Is cousin marriage icky? Why? You can't appeal to Victorian morality; Queen Victoria married her first cousin. You can't appeal to the Bible; in the Bible, God commands marriages between first cousins. Instead, advocates of laws against cousin marriage appeal to science. To let cousins marry, they argue, is "to play Russian roulette with genetics." Many genetic diseases are caused by recessive genes. To get the disease, you have to get the bad gene from both parents. The greater the genetic similarity between your parents, the greater your chance of getting two copies of the bad gene.
But if that's your reason for banning cousin marriage, you've drilled into a mother lode of problems. Many cousin couples can't pass on genetic diseases, since they're infertile. Are you going to ban them from marrying? If not, maybe the 24 states that ban cousin marriage should follow the lead of the five states that allow it if either party is sterile. And if procreation between first cousins is too dangerous, why stop there? Six states ban marriage between first cousins once removed, i.e., marrying the son or daughter of your first cousin. Theoretically, that's half as risky as marrying your first cousin, in terms of increasing the probability of passing on a genetic disease to your kids. How about marriage between second cousins? Theoretically, that's one-fourth as risky. No state bans such marriages. Should we change that?
If your purpose is to prevent people with dangerous genes from marrying each other, why use a crude standard such as kinship? Why not test everybody for bad genes, ban marriage between carriers, and let cousins without bad genes marry each other? Banning cousin marriage keeps these couples in the closet, deterring them from seeking genetic screening, which would help them decide whether they could safely have kids. And as the NSGC study notes, the crude assumption that children of cousins will turn out badly leads to unnecessary abortions.
If you're afraid of mandatory genetic testing and you'd prefer to ban marriage among people in high-risk categories, why not start with fertile women over 40? And what about ethnicity? Cousin couples compare laws against cousin marriage to laws against interracial marriage. They've got it backward. Sickle-cell anemia runs in blacks. Tay-Sachs runs in Jews. The best way to curtail such diseases would be to ban marriages within ethnic groups.
The New York Times, CNN, and their journalistic brothers in arms have spun the increased risk found by the NSGC study as no big deal. Why is an increase of 50 to 100 percent no big deal? At worst, said one of the study's authors, when cousins procreate, "'93 percent of the time, nothing is going to happen." What about the other 7 percent? One doctor calculated from the study's findings that "almost 10,000 children will be stillborn or born with birth defects this year in the United States from first-cousin marriages. Not marrying a cousin is a more potent remedy than many of the medications we prescribe for heart attacks." Perhaps states should at least require cousins to get genetic counseling before marrying, as Maine has done.
The study's authors and its trumpeters in the media suffer from the congenital liberal conceit that science solves all moral questions. The authors instruct genetic counselors to focus on "validating feelings" and helping cousin couples "normalize" their relationships by explaining how common cousin marriages are. In the Times, USA Today, and other publications, the authors declare that laws against cousin marriage are baseless. According to headlines and TV reports, "science" has proved that cousin marriages are "OK." No, it hasn't. Science has deflated the scientific objections to cousin marriages. Moral problems remain.
Start with the problem of double first cousins. Suppose your mom and my mom are sisters. If cousin marriage is legal, you and I can marry. What if, in addition, your dad and my dad are brothers? It isn't that hard to imagine: Boy meets girl, girl's sister likes boy's family, girl's sister gets interested in boy's brother, both couples end up getting married. The first couple produces me; the second couple produces you. North Carolina and West Virginia explicitly prohibit me from marrying you, but 20 other states don't. Is that OK? Because if it is, bear in mind that you and I have as many genes in common as an uncle and niece do. If you and I can marry, why can't an uncle and an adult niece? Science says there's no difference.
Would you rather restrict marriage to ordinary first cousins? That won't get you out of the woods. First cousins have as many genes in common as a man and his half-brother's child do. We're talking Roger and Chelsea Clinton. If first cousins can marry, why can't Roger and Chelsea? Science says there's no difference.
If you still won't cry uncle, let's look at hard-core incest. Advocates of cousin marriage say they're against sex between siblings, but they can't explain why. Cousincouples.com, the Web site to which the NSGC study refers couples for support services, wants to keep Big Brother out of the bedroom. The site argues that "sexual relations between consenting adults [are] no one's business but their own." Aunt Kate, the site's advice columnist, tells a reader who's shacking up with her half brother that "if you are consenting adults there is no prohibition on simply enjoying your relationship." The site's "Statement of Principles" touts the "special intimacy" of romance between cousins: "The love and chemistry of cousins is typically astronomical as compared with other couples. If non-cousin couples would take the time to educate themselves, they would be jealous of cousin couples!" By that logic, wouldn't sibling couples be even better?
Yes, the risk of disease in offspring of sibling couples is much higher. But why couldn't genetic screening take care of that problem? As cousincouples.com points out, "Current studies indicate that cousin couples have a lower ratio of miscarriages—perhaps because body chemistry of cousins is more similar." Wouldn't the chance of miscarriage be even lower for siblings?
Many advocates of cousin marriage dismiss bans on the practice as racist. The authors of the NSGC study urge counselors to be "culturally respectful" of immigrant communities in which cousin marriage is "traditionally preferred." Why do these traditions promote cousin marriage? In some cases, because it promises "better treatment by in-laws" or because it keeps "goods and property within a family," says the study. That sounds more like pressure than freedom. Maybe we should worry more about whether people in these communities are free not to marry their cousins.
If cultural respect is your principle, how far do you carry it? According to the study, some African, Asian, and Middle Eastern cultures prefer marriages "between an uncle and niece." Should we respect those cultures by permitting those marriages? The question isn't just hypothetical: Minnesota law has a grandfather clause allowing uncle-niece marriages when "permitted by the established customs of aboriginal cultures." And what about people from Jewish or Christian traditions that stigmatize cousin marriage? Should their genetic counselors reflect that stigma?
As Frame Game found in the case of bestiality, the best argument against a questionable practice comes, inadvertently, from within it. In this case, the answer comes from Aunt Kate's advice column at cousincouples.com. "I tell almost ALL my correspondents who are considering expressing a more than casual affection for their cousin to remember a few important things," she writes. "The first one is that you already have a guaranteed, life long relationship that you will live with for a very long time. Don't mess it up."
This is the problem with sleeping with your cousin. You can move on from an ex-spouse or ex-lover, but there's no such thing as an ex-cousin. How are your parents and your ex's parents supposed to handle a nasty divorce or a breakup? How can they support their kids without antagonizing their siblings and their siblings' kids? You've wrecked your whole family. It isn't as bad as if you'd slept with a sibling, but it's a lot worse than if you'd slept with a friend or an officemate. We don't ban you from dating people at the office, but we don't tell you it's a great idea, either.
If you get into bed with your cousin, there's no need for Uncle Sam to throw you in jail. If it works out, great. If not, you'll find yourself in a jail no uncle will let you out of.


text:
So few great hard rock bands exist anymore that Middle Class Rut would sound refreshing if they weren't so damn powerful. Rather than a cool breeze, the Sacramento duo—which recently expanded to a quintet on stage—is more like an entire trough of freezing water blasted at your face. It's a wake-up call.
The group's recently released "Pick Up Your Head" moves forward from 2010's under-heralded "No Name No Color," as the new record finds singer/guitarist Zack Lopez covering more varied lyrical and melodic material, while drummer Sean Stockham continues to drive the music with both force and precision. Here's hoping the band continues to rise—as Lopez says, "We've spent so many years being the band that is trying to gain everyone else's fans so you just [bleeping] climb the ladder. You win 20 percent of every audience, hopefully, and come back around."
On the release day for "Pick Up Your Head" before the band's first show of the tour, Lopez, 32, and Stockham, 31, talked at Subterranean about the challenge of performing with a keg on stage, the delay leading up to the sophomore record and why the band is like a "club" requiring advance knowledge before joining.
In concert: Aug. 22 at First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
Watch above: Middle Class Rut performing "Aunt Betty" exclusively for RedEye at Subterranean
How do you feel like your live show is different now? If someone saw you at SubT in '08, what will they get that's different now?
Zack Lopez: Oh my god.
Sean Stockham: Any time we've been on the road for a couple weeks, two weeks, we start to feel really good. It doesn't matter what year or how many people are in our band: The first few shows are always going to be kind of rusty. But you go from doing nothing and then you try to go sprint for five miles and obviously you feel tired. Obviously, we have more people in the band. That's going to be the biggest difference. Might be a little bit less spastic than it was before.
Why was it spastic before?
SS: I don't know. [We were just] younger …
ZL: [It was the] first tour that we'd ever been on as two dudes. It was a good time, but it was definitely a different time. I'd be amazed if there was someone who was at the show tonight that was at that one.
What makes you say that?
ZL: It was part of a five-band tour. We probably played at 6:30 or something to maybe 20 people. We remember this venue. Every time we come here, he goes, "Remember that one time we played …" and we never knew what it was called, and now we're here.
Are you looking forward to not getting as many comments about, "Wow, I didn't know you were only two guys!"?
SS: Actually, it's nice to not get that.
ZL: But now it's just as many comments on the other side. [Shrugs] Now there's five. You just can't [bleeping] win.
I know the keg is part of the tour because of the sound it makes, but do you bring it everywhere, or when you arrive at a venue do you say, "Hey, do you have a keg?"
SS: No, that would be smart, but we just went over to London and we weren't able to bring one so we had to actually go and find one.
How did you find it?
ZL: We had our [tour manager] and we said, "Hey, we need an empty keg." He said, "I got you covered." We're like, "Really?" We showed up and there's a [bleeping] keg waiting for us. [Laughs]
SS: And then somebody kind of complained about it. Like, "I don't know if it's really that cool." And he's like (in British accent), "I had to drive 50 kilometers each way to get it."
As a big fan of "No Name No Color," I was waiting a while and wondering when the new record would come. Did you get a sense of people getting impatient for it?
SS: Like two years ago.
What can you say to people who ask, "What took so long?"
ZL: I feel like people were definitely waiting for something, and maybe we were waiting too. And then we toured and toured and toured and then eventually it was almost like people were starting to give up on the idea that we were—three years in this day and age is like a [bleepin'] lifetime. People move, we move –
Did you feel pressure to crank something out faster?
SS: No, we must not have. Maybe had we felt pressure we would have done something quicker. We felt pressure to keep staying on the road and drag out the first album cycle. And the funny thing is we had a lot of music a year and a half or two years ago, and that's just how long it takes to get things released.
ZL: Yeah, even this record, we've been sitting on it. We finished recording it in the end of September. It got finished getting mixed in January. Then you just wait wait wait. It takes a [bleeping] long time, man.
Does it ever amaze you guys that there's not much out there for people who just want solid hard rock these days? Do you feel that absence, or are people missing the good stuff besides for you?
SS: I think there's less of it now than there was. A lot of the hard rock bands have moved away from their own kind of music.
Who are you thinking of?
SS: I don't know …
ZL: It definitely feels less cool to be a heavy band in the eyes of the mainstream. I don't think people are rushing to, "Let's go sign a heavy band." If you listen to the radio, it's not what is happening. Maybe that's just the way we feel on the west coast. I think when we come more to central parts of the country it feels like maybe heavy music's still pretty big.
But there's a lot of stuff around here that falls into that middle-ground sludgy sound where it's not interesting; it's just thick. Whereas with you guys, there's smart composition there besides for being kickass.
SS: I think we've always found ourselves stuck in the middle of those two worlds a little bit. Of the more interesting, eccentric alternative music and the heavy—
ZL: Straight-ahead--
SS: --dumb, heavy music. We're probably somewhere right in the middle.
It's awesome you guys have been playing since seventh grade. Can you tell me about the early gigs? What was it like the first time you jammed?
ZL: The first time we ever played a show was at his junior high.
SS: That first one? "Hot Summer Nights." Is that--
ZL: We played a dance called "Hot Summer Nights." It got pretty crazy. There might have been a pit.
Were you playing the usual junior high dance songs?
ZL: No, all originals. [Laughs] We never covered anything, man. We even sold our [bleeping] tapes there.
SS: We've been writing our own music since probably the first time we ever jammed together.
Were people calling out, "We're ready to do 'YMCA' whenever you guys are …"?
[Both laugh]
ZL: I think they were probably a little put off like a lot of people are the first time they see [us].
SS: It's funny; when you're that young, back then, nobody was in seventh grade and having a full band and playing out in clubs and stuff. I remember when Silverchair came out, and ... we had felt like we had been a band for a couple years at that point. Silverchair came out and they were 16. That was like young. Now we were on tour with a band in London called The Bots--
ZL: Those kids were 11 and 13—
SS: They were touring around the world. Opening for all kinds of different bands. Back then it wasn't as common.
Did you feel back at that time that something was going right?
SS: We knew the second we started playing music: "OK, no more skateboarding; no more karate; no more baseball."
You quit everything immediately?
SS: Yeah, pretty much quit everything. [We've] only now gone back to a lot of those things that you left behind when you were a kid. At the time it was just like that was our skateboarding or whatever.
ZL: It didn't really feel hard either. Making a name for yourself in your own scene felt so within reach even as a kid. Even having your parents lug your gear to places that you're not even allowed to go in and still getting shows. It felt just like something you do.
When people listen to "Pick Up Your Head," what's something you hope people take away as far as the way you've matured or something you brought to the table this time?
SS: Maybe just pay attention to the lyrics. Because having not written a lot of lyrics and coming to it more as an audience almost, listening to the songs--we listen to so much music, I listen to a lot of music, and there's a lot of bad writers out there. And I feel like these songs aren't bad. I feel like the lyrics are really good. Maybe it's just that I identify with 'em so readily.
Is there a lyricist that comes to mind that's bugging you lately? I know I have one.
SS: Zack Lopez.
ZL: [Laughs] I can think of so many. I need one; give me something.
SS: Yeah, who were you going to say?
Bruno Mars bugs the hell out of me.
SS: He's a little cute.
He always sounds so insincere. "I think I want to marry you." Either you do or you don't.
ZL: I might marry him …
SS: I think he's smart enough to know exactly what every girl wants to hear. So he writes the song and then just like he planned, they all come swooning.
I guess so. It doesn't work for me.
[Both laugh]
SS: I don't think it's supposed to work for us.
I think it's interesting that someone coming to your band and not paying attention would think there's more anger than there really is, when what I think is great about your lyrics is that they're cathartic.
SS: That's what we feel like the whole thing is for us. Even the whole show. We struggle going into situations where we're playing for a bunch of new people. It's fun and exciting to play for new people and have them get into your band, but this is a club, and people need to know what it's about and what to expect when they come here. For us it's a big physical and emotional release to do this every night, so we want people to come to the show to feel like they're going to do the same thing.
So you hope that they've done their research a little bit?
SS: Yeah, kinda. There's nothing worse than going up there and doing what we do the way we do it and just feeling like you're five out of a few hundred people that are even sweating.
ZL: Especially around the time when "New Low" was doing its thing, and maybe there's a bunch of people that came because they heard it as a ringtone or they heard it in some context and they figured, "Oh, this is a pop-alternative band" 'cause it is mellower, and then came to see us and they're like, "OK …." Especially with a song like that, it reaches way more younger females, and then they come out and it's more like a punk show and they're terrified.
What was a movie that scared you as a kid?
SS: "The Wizard of Oz."
ZL: Chucky.
Why "Wizard of Oz"?
SS: Don't know, man. The feet sticking out of the [bleeping] house. That was frightening to me.
Not the flying monkeys?
SS: I don't even know if I noticed the monkeys. I couldn't even get through the whole thing. It was just terrifying to me.
And "Child's Play" for you, Zack?
ZL: Yeah, I always wanted to be into horror movies, and so I saw one and I was a little too young. I definitely wasn't into 'em.
You wanted to be in a horror movie?
ZL: No, I wanted to be into 'em. It's always something that appealed to me and I think I saw one too young and it [bleepin'] flipped me out.
Did it traumatize you for a long time?
ZL: About a week.
What's a guilty pleasure TV show of yours?
SS: "Relativity."
What's that?
SS: It's not around anymore. It was like a bad "Felicity." I think it only ran for like three episodes, but I always felt pretty guilty watching that.
I like that the implication there is you watched "Felicity" and enjoyed it as well.
SS: Did I say that?
It sounded like it. I did! I can admit that.
SS: I watched a little "Felicity." I watched "90210." The whole scene, man. That was me.
ZL: There's no guilt about that.
What about you, Zack?
ZL: Probably "California Dreams." I felt like I was betraying "Saved by the Bell."
"California Dreams"!
ZL: Yeah, man. Surf dudes with attitude. (singing) "Kinda groovy" … Remember?
SS: Yeah, I do.
Do you guys want to belt out the whole theme song?
SS: That's all I remember.
ZL: Yeah. Me too.
SS: (singing) "Laid-back moods."
ZL: Good vibrations.
SS: (singing) "Sky above, sand below, good vibrations!"
On Chicago: "I'd probably go back to Vic's Drum Shop for a few hours. We've been to Chicago a few times, and every time we come here we really like it." (SS)
Artists they listen to that might surprise fans: "We're both into Paul Simon, Dylan, Petty. Any classic stuff that's mellower." (ZL) "Been listening to the National a lot." (SS)
Rap songs they know the words to: "Paul Revere" by Beastie Boys. Vanilla Ice, "Ice Ice Baby." Those might be the only two rap songs I listen to." (SS) "Child's Play" by Geto Boys. "Mind Is Playing Tricks." That whole record. There's a million. I think I like hip-hop more than rock music sometimes." (ZL)
Watch Matt on "You & Me This Morning," Friday at 6:55 a.m. on WCIU, the U
Want more? Discuss this article and others on RedEye's Facebook page.


text:
Hacking Flickr: How to Build Your Own Personal Version of Flickr's Explore Using Advanced Search
One of the things that I dislike about Flickr's Explore algorithm is that it shows me so many photos that I'm not interested in. It seems like every time I go there I end up with a hodgepodge of photos that I dislike — overwatermarked, overcooked, etc. I've always been interested in is a version of Explore that would filter out everyone on Flickr except for my contacts. Over the years I've managed both my contacts and friends/family list to my own personal taste as a consumer of photography.
The most popular way to view your contacts' photos of course is on the "Photos From Your Contacts" page. This page shows you the last 1 or 5 (you choose) photos by your contacts or friends/family (again you choose). So you basically have four different ways to view your contacts' photos, but all four are by recency only.
Sometimes you might want to look at photos by your contacts in ways other than recency. Over the years I've added a ton of people as contacts — so many in fact that there is just no way that I can keep up with every single photo every single contact posts every single day. So instead of the recency view I've been looking for other ways that I can look at my contacts' photos.
After playing around with Flickr's advanced search page this weekend, I figured out how I can view my contacts' photos by interestingness instead of only recency. This is helpful if you want to see what are the best (most popular) photos by your contacts over past period of times. Flickr's interestingness algorithm gives every photo on flickr a hidden internal score. This score is based on lots of factors including how many favorites a photo gets, how many comments a photo gets, tags, where it's posted on the web outside of Flickr, etc. The basic premise though is that the more activity a photo receives the more interesting a photo might be.
Advanced search on Flickr lets you customize your search criteria and seems to even work with empty search queries (which seem to return all photos). You can customize the search page to only search using your contacts photos and you can customize it by past time periods. So if you want to run through all of your contacts' photos by the last day, week, month, etc. and have them ranked by the most popular photos to see if you've missed any great photos you can do that using this page.
The way Flickr returns photos in search is a little clunky and is not as elegant as the justified view for photos on your contacts most recent photo page, but I bet search results on Flickr end up with a justified view at some point in the future as well. A photo wall that you can favorite from is a much superior/engaging layout after all.
Anyways, these links below should work for you as well and allow you to see the most popular photos by your contacts and friends/family over previous time periods. If you command/click (Mac) on a thumbnail it will open it in another window and then you can just tab through these windows to fave/comment/view larger any of the photos you have an interest in.
Most Interesting Photos by Your Contacts September 2012
Most Interesting Photos by Your Friends/Family September 2012
Most Interesting Photos by Your Contacts August 2012
Most Interesting Photos by Your Friends/Family August 2012
Most Interesting Photos by Your Contacts July 2012
Most Interesting Photos by Your Friends/Family July 2012
Most Interesting Photos by Your Friends/Family YTD
Most Interesting Photos by Your Contacts YTD
For some reason, some searches using empty queries on flickr for earlier time spans (like all of 2011) produced no photos for me, so something must have changed with how Flickr handles empty queries after 2011.
I'm not sure how long you've been able to search empty queries from the advanced search page. I tried to go use the wayback machine at the Internet archive to see what this page looked like in the past but apparently Flickr is blocking the internet archive from indexing this page (and other pages as well, including one specific group, which seemed odd).


text:
Atlassian Sourcetree is a free Git and Mercurial client for Windows.
Atlassian Sourcetree is a free Git and Mercurial client for Mac.
Django Postman
This is an application for the Django web framework.
It provides a messaging functionality, mainly for a User-to-User exchange, and with these convenient features: - A non-User (email is undisclosed) can write to a User and get a reply
(can be disabled by configuration)
- Exchanges can be moderated (with auto-accept and auto-reject plug-ins)
- Optional recipient filter plug-ins
- Optional exchange filtering plug-ins (blacklists)
- Multi-recipient writing is possible (can be disabled by configuration) with min/max constraints
- Messages are managed by conversations
- Messages in folders are sortable by sender|recipient|subject|date
- 'Archives' folder in addition to classic Inbox, Sent and Trash folders
- A Quick-Reply form to only ask for a response text
- A cleanup management command to clear the old deleted messages
It has support for optional additional applications: - Autocomplete recipient field (default is 'django-ajax-selects'),
with multiple recipient management
- New message notification (default is 'django-notification')
- Asynchronous mailer (default is 'django-mailer')
See the docs/ directory for Sphinx documentation. For example, build the HTML version with >make html and open docs/_build/html/index.html
Copyright (C) 2010, Patrick Samson This program is licensed under the BSD License (see the file LICENSE).


text:
Monday, 11 May 2009
20% of Bern Brighton Helmets
Just started cycling to save some dosh and don't want to spend a fortune on your accessories? Well look no further.. the beautiful Bern Brightons now have a whopping 20% off at only £32!
The Brightons are the perfect for summer cycling, eliminating sweaty head syndrome. They have air vents at the top and back as well as being lined with Brock foam which unlike most cycling helmets has a porous quality that circulates air and soaks up moisture.
1 comment:
- Rebecca said...
Thanks for the link! I just bought a purple Bern Brighton and look rather snazzy in it, if I may say so myself.
- 16 June 2009 at 12:18
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Raising Multilingual Children Author: Julia Festman, Gregory J. Poarch, Jean-Marc Dewaele
- Price: £5.00
- Price: $8.00
- Price: €6.00
Add to basket (GBP) Add to basket (USD) Add to basket (EUR)
Have you ever been told that raising your child to speak multiple languages will harm their development? Are teachers or other professionals suspicious of your efforts? Are you sometimes unsure if you are helping your childs language development, or are you uncertain where to start? It is increasingly recognised among researchers that, far from harming a childs development, being exposed to multiple languages from birth or early childhood can result in linguistic, creative and social advantages. The authors, all multilinguals themselves, parents of multilingual children, and researchers on language and multilingualism, aim to provide advice and inspiration for multilingual families across the world. The latest research on multilingualism and the authors own experiences are used to provide a friendly, accessible guide to raising and nurturing happy multilingual children.
This book is exactly what parents of multilingual children have been looking for: an inspiring, entertaining, and at the same time scientifically accurate account of what it means to raise children with more than two languages. The book is packed with facts, ideas, and advice for parents and it shows both the benefits and the challenges of early multilingualism.- Antonella Sorace, University of Edinburgh, UK
This is the first reader friendly book of advice on trilingual upbringing to appear, illustrated by three case studies from parents who have experienced the tactics that worked and some which backfired. The well-informed, knowledgeable authors provide an excellent balance between fascinating personal anecdotes and serious commentary which includes many tips, practical hints and some warnings on how to cope with the challenges involved.- Hugo Baetens Beardsmore, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
"Raising Multilingual Children" is a great mix of personal advice based on experience, as well as information based on academic research. With examples based on three different family situations, this book makes you realise that there is no "one fit solution" to multilingual parenting. Not all families are the same, therefore you can select and use the information which is relevant to yours.- Bilingual Kidspot blog - Chontelle Bonfiglio
"Raising Multilingual Children" It is an informative read for any family who are seeking to raise children with multiple languages.
The book is successful in clearly communicating the processes involved in multilingual acquisition to readers who might not have a prior knowledge. It is effectively organized in a way that leads readers to understand why it is important to acquire multiple languages, what to expect during this process, and how to assist children to successful acquisition. The cases of the children provide real-life examples to illustrate and simplify concepts such as code switching, cross-linguistic interference, transfer errors and language awareness, which might be foreign concepts to individuals without a background in the field of linguistics.- LINGUIST List 28.4124 - Zehra Melike Palta, University of Toronto, Canada
Julia Festman works at the Pedagogical University Tyrol, Austria. She is the mother of Aya (12) and Noam (8), and they speak German, English and some Hebrew.
Gregory J. Poarch works at the University of Münster, Germany. He is the father of Loïc (15) who speaks Dutch, English and German.
Jean-Marc Dewaele works at Birkbeck, University of London, UK. He is the father of Livia (20) who speaks English, Dutch, French, some Spanish and some martial art Japanese.


text:
You are here
MARKETPLACE TRENDS: Vive la couleur
Artist Paul Klee said that, for him, a happy hour was when "Color and I are one." Designers are drinking in color this season, from the deep red of claret to the amber of scotch. Style-makers are looking through chartreuse-, lavender-, and rose-colored glasses, sending dazzling tones down the runways. Trend-watchers spied a shift toward the bright side a few seasons ago, according to Becky Stak, a senior designer at Sherwin Williams whose job it is to track trends and create new colors for the paint giant. "Color trends are cyclical and are affected by practically everything we come into contact with in our daily lives," she says. "The fashion industry, from haute couture to street fashion, is very important in influencing how we feel about color, but travel, the Internet, books, and art also play major roles."
Translating these trends into our homes, according to Stak, requires paying heed to the psychology of color. "Most people know that cool colors are calming while warm colors are more active and better suited to rooms for entertaining. That said, golden yellow is warm and inviting, while bright yellow can have an agitating effect; make sure you identify how you're going to be using a space before you decide on a palette," she says.
What hues does she think are on the horizon? "Yellowy greens are fresh, and the blue family is more prevalent than ever, from inky blues to playful retro aquas."
Photograph: Peter Krumhardt
Text by Eliza Alsop
Produced by April Hardwick
Background: "Aqua Chiffon" zero-VOC Olympic paint, $21 per gallon; from Lowe's (lowes.com).
"Aviary" dessert plates, set of four, $28, and "Folk Art" dinner plates, set of four, $36; by Thomas Paul from Velocity Art and Design (866/781-9494).
"Kidman Orb Vases," from $69; Arteriors Home (877/488-8866).
"Decorated Console" table with Travertine marble top, $6,986; Baker (800/592-2537).
"Lolita" key tassel, #35191; Houles (212/935-3900), trade only.
The Blue Bar at The Berkeley Hotel designed by David Collins is a cool oasis for guests and Londoners alike who are seeking respite from urban stress. Collins transformed the traditional Regency room by painting it "Lutyens Blue," so dubbed for the famed 20th-century architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, who was partial to the color (the-berkeley.co.uk; 011 44 207 235 6000).
Photograph: Courtesy of photographer Luke White
Blue is the new beige, according to interior designer Barclay Butera, who uses blue as a neutral grounding color for upholstery in many of his projects. "It's a timeless color, and strong accent hues and patterns can be added with throw pillows, artwork, and lamp shades," he says. "Rout Stool" in striped linen, $5,750 by Soane from John Rosselli & Associates (212/593-2060).Photograph: Peter Krumhardt
"Rialto" Limoges porcelain dinner plate, $200 for four; and cup and saucer, $275 for four; by Vellum, available through Robb & Stucky (561/347-1717).Photograph: Peter Krumhardt
Couture shoe designers Silvano Banfi and Frank Zambrelli are capturing the hearts of women—this time not with stilettos but with sofas, chairs, and ottomans for Robin Bruce. The two approach furniture design from the perspective of a woman's alter ego, appealing to both her "pure" and "sinful" sides. You can customize their furniture with 225 mix-and-match fabrics. Their inspiration—luxury forms of such classics as 1930s club furniture—is reflected in the smooth modular shape of the "Gia" chair, $549. The Banfi Zambrelli collection is available from Robin Bruce (800/334-7693). —April HardwickPhotograph: Peter Krumhardt
Ann Getty English shield-back chair in rose pink silk, $11,250 from Ann Getty House Collection, trade only (415/345-0230).Photograph: Peter Krumhardt
"Venus Love" sofa in shrimp, $2,450 from Maine Cottage (888/859-5522, mainecottage.com).
Photograph: Courtesy of Maine Cottage
"Feliz" chair in ultrasuede, $1,680 by Rick Lee from American Leather (800/456-9599).Photograph: Peter Krumhardt
While living in Florence, husband-and-wife team Andrew and Sarah Hills were taken with quaint little shops selling beautiful home accessories. In 1988, they founded Porta Romana, an English company specializing in luxurious lighting and furniture. Their hand-blown glass-base lamps were inspired by perfume bottles of the 1930s.
"Perfume Bottle Lamps" with oval silk shades, by Porta Romana from Zoffany (212/319-7220), trade only.Photograph: Peter Krumhardt
Hotel de Crillon in Paris, a favorite with high stylers from Jackie Kennedy to Urma Thurman, features voluminous floor-to-ceiling lavender curtains and 18th-century French antiques upholstered in lilac-and-gold silk brocade. (800/745-8883, crillon.com).
Photograph: Courtesy of Hotel de Crillon
On the left, "Mezzaluna" fabric in absinthe by Dedar (800/493-2209), trade only. On the right, "Romeo" in Pistacchio by Fadini Borghi (212/421-0534), trady only.Photograph: Peter Krumhardt
Color for Interior Design by Ethel Rompilla and New York School of Interior Design (Harry N. Abrams, Inc. 2005): Learn how to balance and coordinate color in traditional interiors.
Photograph: Peter Krumhardt
- Trad Home Gift Offer


text:
Name: Steven Mei
Major: International Business Administration
School: Alliant International University School of Management
Hello everyone. My name is Xiaofeng Mei and you are welcome to call me Steven. Due to the transfer agreement signed by Alliant International University and Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, I get an opportunity to study in America. It has been almost 3 years since I first came to Alliant.
Q: What do you like about Alliant International University?
A: "First of all, I want to say I like it very much. Second, like its name, our university is fairly international and it is a school that is very diverse and inclusive. In fact, diversity at Alliant is appreciated a lot.
I was studying pharmaceutical marketing when I was in Shenyang Pharmaceutical University and my career goal is to be a successful international businessman. Accordingly, learning how to do cross culture management and how to deal with business people from all over the world is extremely critical to me. Alliant International University offers me the opportunity to study with numerous international students and learn how to communicate and collaborate with students from different cultures."
Q: Why did you choose to study at Alliant International University?
A: "Personally, studying at Alliant International University will definitely help me find a better job in China. Moreover, Alliant International University programs are accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, a regional accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, and the same agency other prestigious California and western U.S. schools are accredited by. So Alliant is a trustworthy university in my mind."


text:
FANUC Robotics Intelligent LR Mate 200iC 'LEAN' Robot
FANUC America CorporationUpdated 05/27/2008
The LR Mate 200iC is designed to meet the automation needs of a variety of industries including electronics, medical devices, food, metals, plastics, and packaged and consumer goods. Its compact design and flexibility to quickly adapt to small lot sizes, new styles and other modifications provides manufacturers an affordable solution for small part, flexible production.
The six-axis, LR Mate 200iC robot rates 'best in class' for its wrist load capacity, repeatability, work envelope, and speed. Ideal for high-speed part handling, machine tending, assembly and material removal, the slim and lightweight robot can be mounted in a variety of positions including floor, tabletop, inside machines, angle and invert, which maximizes flexibility for small and narrow workspaces.
Model: LR Mate 200iC
Associated Categories


text:
does anyone know why he was involved with the meeting last week? i never heard him being tied to the pens other than the 7.5 million that both he and Harrahs promised, baden u won- now pay and shut up!
it just kills me to think that he will make money of the pens after the state had the option of a FREE ARENA.
i will never step foot in the Barden Casino


text:
This first two are my favorite and also most special. This is my engagement ring:
The boy did really well with this one (of course, he knew ahead of time that I just loved this ring - but he remembered! sooo important.) It's a Deco Style platinum diamond ring from Tiffany & Co. It's not traditional, but I love the design and the way that it sparkles.
The next is my maternal grandmother's engagement ring:
It's so delicate and pretty. Sometimes I pair it with my own engagement ring.
Then there are my "still nice, but not diamonds" jewels. This necklace is a one-of-a-kind necklace from Ayala Bar. I bought this at a teeny jewelry store when I was in Stratford, Ontario ages ago:
The beading on this is just exquisite - it looks marvelous with a simple t-shirt and a dark blazer. The next piece also comes from the same jewelry shop in Ontario, though it was purchased a year earlier:
It's a floral cuff from Israeli designer Michal Negrin. It was even custom made to fit my wrist! The brand's service is also impeccable - if one of the Swarovski crystals were ever to fall out, I'd need only to send in the bracelet, and they'd repair it for me!
The two rings also quite special. The first is an amethyst geode and sterling silver ring that I got out west:
The second is a ring that I got in Insadong, Seoul, South Korea. Except for a few other trinkets, this was really the only thing that I bought while we were there:
P.S. - This post was meant to be up earlier, but when I Googled my grandmother + grandfather's wedding date for the post (1946), I ended up finding loads of genealogy information on my mother's side of the family -- I got all of the way back to 1735!! It was super interesting to read about - I may do a post on it down the road, when some of it's a little more organized.


text:
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Dubai's ruler has approval a $1.6 billion island development project that would be home to what's billed as the world's biggest Ferris wheel.
The project reflects a renewed appetite in Dubai for extravagance as the economy rebounds from a debt-driven slump during the past three years.
The official WAM news agency said Wednesday that the Ferris wheel — dubbed the Dubai Eye — will stand 210 metres (688 feet), exceeding the London Eye's 135 metres (443 feet). Construction is set to begin this year.
Dubai has proposed a series of mega projects reminiscent of its boom years before the downturn hit in 2009. The projects include theme parks and a satellite city named for Dubai's ruler, Sheik Mohammed bin Rashin Al Maktoum.


text:
Visual analytics tools allow business analysts and other users to query and combine data sets using point-and-click gestures in a visual interface, instead of actually writing out queries in a programming language like SQL.
These tools represent a significant advancement in the modern, "self-service" model of BI. In this model, business analysts access and query data themselves, instead of accessing and querying it through technologies controlled by the IT department.
Visualization is key to self-service BI, since it's a way for users who don't know how to write queries themselves to retrieve the data they need. Users can perform analytical operations merely by clicking on pie charts, adding new dimensions to maps etc., instead of expressing such operations in SQL or another language.
Since visual analytics is still an evolving technology, we'll describe the major capabilities these tools offer. We'll also explain how the market breaks down, since visual analytics capabilities are found in various types of BI solutions.
We'll guide you through the following topics:
Visual Analytics != Dashboards
Capabilities of Visual Analytics Software
Visual Data Discovery vs. Visual Analytics in Traditional BI Systems
Choosing: Dedicated Visual Analytics Platform, or Traditional BI?
Many readers will know enough SQL to recognize "!=" as the "does not equal" operator rather than a typo, but if not, that's precisely why you need a visual analytics system. SQL syntax becomes even more complex once you go beyond the basic operators.
Visual analytics tools are frequently confused with dashboards. Let's take a look at why.
Exhibit A is an actual dashboard:
Exhibit A: Sales manager dashboard in Board
Exhibit B is the interface of a visual analytics solution during analysis:
Exhibit B: Visual analysis of accident reports in Qlik Sense
At first glance, it can be very difficult to tell the difference between these two visual interfaces for presenting trends in data. There are, however, a few, including:
Dashboards are templated visualizations of KPIs that integrate data from a variety of operational sources: CRM systems, e-commerce/order processing platforms, inventory management systems, accounting systems, supply chain management systems etc. They either update in real-time or are regularly refreshed with new data. Most dashboards aim to help end users (sales managers, call center agents etc.) understand their individual performance or the business's performance.
Interactivity is highly limited in a dashboard, because analysts in conjunction with business leaders determine how performance is calculated—not the end users. Users may be able to click on a chart element to get more details on a KPI, but they can't decide, for instance, to swap out all of the line graphs in the dashboard with scatter plots, or to blend the data in the dashboard with a spreadsheet on their desktop.
Visual analytics graphical user interfaces (GUIs), on the other hand, are blank slates for accessing and manipulating data sets with point-and-click, drag-and-drop gestures on visual data displays (pie charts, tree graphs, heat maps, scatter plots etc.). Whereas the business "freezes" KPI calculations into dashboards, visual analytics tools are designed for free-form visual analysis of any old data set: a spreadsheet, a SQL database, a NoSQL database etc. Moreover, users can blend data from multiple sources during analysis, instead of having to rely on the blends that have been built into a dashboard.
Users thus choose the visualization types they want to use in visual analytics software. If one chart type doesn't work, another can be used in its place. Users also choose the dimensions (data categories such as customer, product etc.) and measures (numerical values like the number of items sold in a given transaction) that they want to combine in these visualizations. Generally, analysis is a process in these tools—once a pattern has been spotted, the user explores it with further visualizations.
Visual analytics tools are thus specifically designed for business analysts who spend all day spotting new patterns in business data to explain problems and highlight opportunities.
The following table summarizes the differences:
|Visual analytics interface
|User base
|End users throughout organization
|Business analysts and other data explorers
|Present role-specific KPIs
|Facilitate free-form analysis
|Level of interactivity
|Data connections
|Ad hoc
Visual analytics tools generally offer the following capabilities:
|Visual GUI
|A visual interface supports data manipulation via drag-and-drop gestures rather than SQL clauses.
|Library of templated chart types
|Users can pick from bar charts, heat-maps, treemaps, scatter plots, bubble charts and a range of other visualization operations. Many tools will even recommend an appropriate visualization based on the data.
|Ability to promote visualizations to dashboards
|Analysts can template KPI analyses as dashboards and share them across the organization (generally requires a server license in addition to user licenses).
|Ad hoc data connections
|These tools can connect directly to a wide range of data sources, including spreadsheets, relational databases, NoSQL databases, cloud data sources etc.
|Data blending
|Users can combine data from different sources on the fly to discover new insights.
|Linked visualizations
|If a user alters one element of a visualization (say by adding a new dimension), the other elements will update automatically.
|Data cleaning/preparation
|Since data access in visual analytics software is frequently ad hoc, data typically needs to be prepared for analysis with features for normalizing fields, removing trailing spaces etc.
|Back-end SQL engine
|Visual analytics software includes an engine that translates users' gestures into SQL queries.
|In-memory data cache
|These tools also process data in random access memory (RAM) instead of writing it to disk, which allows for rapid processing of huge data sets.
Visual analytics tools—also known as data discovery tools—evolved as a response to two problems with traditional BI systems:
Dashboards and static reports are a strength of traditional BI systems, since in these systems the IT department works alongside analysts to extract data from operational databases, calculate metrics and push KPIs out to end users via PDF reports, dashboards or some other medium.
In this use case, free-form analysis by the end user isn't necessary or even encouraged. Instead, the organization standardizes on a single data model (a schematization of the relationships between data types, data sources etc.), which is then built into the BI system.
Visual data discovery tools thus evolved for those end users who do need to perform free-form analysis, i.e. business analysts, since dashboards and scheduled KPI reports aren't enough for these users.
It may seem that visual data discovery tools have a clear edge over traditional BI. However, data discovery tools suffer precisely because of the freedom they enable. One analyst may use a different process to visualize data than another, which makes it possible for the analysts to wind up with two significantly different interpretations of the same data set.
Traditional BI systems were designed to control access to data such that companies had a "single source of truth" about business performance metrics. Data discovery tools are catching up in this regard by introducing data governance features (role-specific access to certain data sources, data modeling languages etc.). However, they're not as robust in this area as traditional systems.
Data modeling in Looker BI
Moreover, traditional systems have now incorporated many of the visual analysis features originally found only in data discovery tools. Both visual data discovery tools and traditional systems can be used to create dashboards.
The following table presents the most important selection criteria for deciding between these options:
|Visual data discovery tool
|Traditional BI system
|Free-form visual analysis of data
|Regularly scheduled batch extractions of data from operational databases (extract, transform and load)
|Standardized and centrally governed data model serving as a "single source of truth"
|Collaborative data modeling among workgroups
|Ad hoc connections to new data sources and recombinations of data sources
|Data warehousing
|Organization-wide deployment for end users
|Workgroup deployments for analysts
These criteria unfortunately aren't always as clear as they'd ideally be, since, as we've seen, the distinction between these categories is gradually eroding away.
Some popular visual analytics software products include Tableau, Qlik Sense and Looker, but there are many more options on the market than this.
Traditional BI vendors that support visual analytics include Birst and Pentaho—again, there are a host of additional options.
Our service is simple and 100% free to customers like you because software vendors pay us when we connect them with quality leads. You save time and get great advice. Vendors get great referrals. It's a win for everyone!