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What is the easiest way to draw a floor plan and to get basic working drawings for a home rehab?
December 30, 2010
Architects, builders, and engineers -- what is the best software for drawing up a basic set of floor plans? What's the most cost-effective way to get a set of working drawings for a basic house rehab?
This is for a thorough rehab of an existing house. The floor plan will stay the same, so I'm trying to draw it up myself. I have the measurements. I drew the site plan in InDesign, and I think I can do the exterior elevations in Photoshop by converting photos of the house into line art, then adding in the few new elements.
What is the best software for drawing up the
floor plan
? I'm fairly decent at Photoshop, InDesign, and PowerPoint. AutoCAD offers a 30-day free trial, though after that point, I won't have access to it anymore. What would you suggest? I have the impression that AutoCAD would be much more functional, if the learning curve isn't unbearably steep. Is there some 2D-AutoCAD-for-beginners that would be easier to learn, or some AutoCAD freeware that wouldn't expire after 30 days? Google SketchUp?
I may then need more detailed working drawings. I'll know more after meeting with the city next week. I am trying to save money wherever I can because the project is underfunded, but I also want to do this right, so there's a good chance that I'll have to hand it over to a professional. (I would like to go ahead and do the floor plans for the meeting with the city, even if I end up hiring an architect later.) If I end up taking that next step, here are a few approaches that people have suggested:
Option A: Get working drawings from a particular architect who used to work in code compliance for the city. Possibly get drawings to a level of detail that we could sub out the work ourselves?
Option B: Work with a good general contractor. Do any contractors also do working drawings to show what needs done? (It seems like it would be a good match with hiring and communicating with subcontractors.)
Option C: I have talked to several people who drew their own plans, though it sounds like they then worked out some of the details later with their contractor. I could do that, and maybe augment it by paying the architect at his hourly rate to serve as an expert advisor, particularly on code compliance issues or to identify questions that need expert advice (e.g., an engineer). I would have assumed this was a terrible idea, but I've now talked to four people who successfully did it.
What would you recommend? Thanks for any and all help. I've been trying to research this, but I've received a very wide range of advice.
posted by
Home & Garden
(10 answers total)
3 users marked this as a favorite
By the way, please feel free to ignore the second question and just focus on the first. I have a meeting with an architect next week and will also call a design-build contractor, so I'll be getting more info on the differences between those approaches over time. In the meantime, i.e.
this weekend
, I need to turn my scrawled notes and measurements into basic floor plans. What's the best way to do that?
posted by
on December 30, 2010
I use Autocad for plans, but have recently started using Autodesk Revit - a great programme for translating floor plans to sections. I found it really easy to learn, especially after Autocad, and "The Building Maker" feature is particularly good for 3D visualisations and building sections. [Much easier to render in Revit than fiddle around in Photoshop] I think you can trial it for free for 30 days which is long enough to get some drawings done.
For my own similar project a few years ago, I started with sketches, then used Rhino/ SketchUp for a rough 3d visualisation, [I would use Revit for this, if I was doing it now] then handed over to a drafty/designer to measure up and draw up everything in compliance with codes. She was much cheaper than an architect and she had some good design ideas too. These drawings were sufficient to take to town planning and were sufficient for my contractor. I added my own section drawings when working with sub-contractors - such as kitchen and bathroom joinery.
posted by
on December 30, 2010
I like paper and a ruler. Seriously, if you have an architect and a design-build contractor that should be good enough to explain the floor plan you want.
That said, if CAD stuff is fun for you then by all means go for it with whatever tools seem cool.
Learning curve wise, Sketch-up is amazingly easy to get the hang of compared to most CAD software. If you are familiar with Photoshop, etc. you can probably get comfortable making stuff within about 30 minutes.
posted by
on December 30, 2010
If you're comfortable with adobe and have the full suite I'd suggest using illustrator for the plans, it's more precise than indesign. AutoCAD is pretty easy to learn, think you can pick up the fundamentals in a few days of solid noodling, and after the trial period is over you can import the file format (dwg) into illustrator if you still need to edit it. Given the scale of work you're doing I wouldn't rule out paper and pen either as it seems like a lot less hassle. Ultimately you just need an accurate drawing, doesn't matter what you use to make it.
posted by
on December 30, 2010
Yeah, I would agree SketchUp is probably the fastest to learn, and will give you multiple views in one drawing. You just have to build it as if it were real: ie: you have to build an interior before you insert windows, or the windows sit on the outside of a block (this will make more sense once you start playing with it). It's free, there are tutorials on YouTube, and Sketchup for Dummies is a pretty good book.
The learning curve for AutoCad is steep- I learned it, but use VectorWorks for all my technical drafting because it's easier, IMO. And really, if it's simple, hand drafting is totally doable.
posted by
on December 30, 2010
Hi. I'm an architect and used to have a general contracting license as well. It would be helpful to know a little more about the scale/scope of your project. It sounds like you are maintaining the current footprint and you did not mention an addition, so my advice will be based on the assumption that you are doing a fairly standard remodel with no significant structural gymnastics.
For your initial meeting with the city, a scaled/dimensioned sketch would be sufficient in most circumstances. I'm in Seattle, and we have a pretty rigorous permitting process here, but I almost always go in to address initial questions with a neat, organized and dimensioned sketch. This gives them the information they need to advise you in the earliest stages of a residential project. I really wouldn't waste time or money on software for a floor plan at this point, especially if you have an inkling you may end up turning it over to an architect or design/build firm later anyway.
I applaud your initiative and believe me, a client that spends that much thought on the nitty gritty basics of a project (as opposed to finding examples of 400 kitchen faucets you like) is much appreciated. But the honest truth is, should you end up hiring a professional, drawing the floor plans yourself is not going to save you much money. The floor plan is the most straightforward part of the drawing process. If the city requires you to produce a full-fledged set of architectural/engineering working drawings, and you feel like you are up to this task, then it might be worth tackling the learning curve required in order to do that. It would save you a good chunk of money to do this yourself if you have the time and inclination. But should you have to turn over the drawing to someone else, just contributing the floor plan won't save you enough.
Not enough to be worth you taking the liability for it being error-free, accurate, and so on. Any firm worth their salt will spend enough time reviewing your drawing (since they will ultimately be responsible for the set) that it will be better to let them handle this for you from the beginning. Most firms use AutoCad and like to build their drawings consistent with their own process and conventions. The floor plan is the drawing that all other drawings are based upon, so they would most likely redo what you did anyway. Surprisingly, asking them to convert your drawing into their setup might actually cost you more than having them do it from the start. And you certainly don't want
efforts to later become the scapegoat should something go sideways during the project.
The most cost-effective thing for you to do at this point regarding your drawings is to not worry too much about precision for your first meetings with the city. This is not where precision matters. (The city will only care once it is time to submit a full set for permit...and your contractor will certainly care once it comes time to build...but the city doesn't really care at this point). Also, remember that in almost all remodel cases, specific drawing dimensions are only worth so much anyway. Dimensions always need to be verified in the field during construction, and the most accurate dimension always ends up being the one that actually exists in real life at the time things are getting built.
Instead, spend time interviewing architects, design/build firms, and/or contractors. Finding someone you trust and feel like you can work with under a stressful situation will be your best money-saving move at this point. A smoothly flowing project with great communication and trust will save you way more in actual dollars than what you could realistically save in doing the drawings yourself. Honest.
Imagine a situation where the relationship with your arch/contractor becomes strained. Something arises (as it ALWAYS does) and he has a chance to bill the item as a change order, or just absorb it into the project budget. If you have a great relationship, then it gets absorbed, and maybe you collectively make a few decisions down the road that tend toward cooperation and fairness. It all comes out in the wash and everybody is happy. Contrast this with ongoing tensions where you wish you would have spent more time researching decent people to work with instead of worrying about those drawings. You could quite possibly eat up all the money you saved by doing the drawings in a single change order. I've seen it time and time again. You will save the most money by hiring the right team from the beginning.
All of that said...if you are one of those people that really gets into the technical details and would just flat out
doing the drawings, then by all means do so...if you have the time and are willing to accept the responsibility for them being accurate. I'm not trying to discourage you from doing them on principle. I'm just saying that if your contribution to the drawings may be limited, then it may not actually save you much money. There are better money-saving moves you can make.
If you decide to tackle the drawings yourself, I would suggest that AutoCad would be easy enough to learn when doing very basic 2D drawing like a set of traditional permit drawings. The trickiest part for the layperson/homeowner won't be the drawing, but instead the formatting and plotting that it takes just to get the things down on paper. The advantage to using AutoCad would be that it is the industry standard and you would be most likely to find help and printing assistance by using that as opposed to a more obscure program. Using AutoCad would also let other professionals utilize your drawings most easily if it turns out you want to go that direction later on.
Good luck on your project! I'm sorry this got so long-winded. Hope it helps. Feel free to memail me if I can clarify anything I've been rambling on about.
posted by
on December 30, 2010 [
3 favorites
Hard to get more cost effective than free. Google Sketchup rocks. I use it to create concept demo sketches, fast. A ton of free video online to teach you. Lots of pre-made elements. Not precise, and limited as to dimensioning, sectioning, title blocks, etc. but fine for a visual pix of what you have in mind, to scale, easy to manipulate.
I use a 3DConnexion navigation accessory. Worth the $50 I paid for it.
FWIW, I am an electrical engineer and don't use this for things that require CAD. With its limitations clearly in mind, however, it's a valuable tool for what-if's and 'this is what I have in mind' stuff.
posted by
on December 31, 2010
Thanks all! To answer the question about scope, it's a thorough rehab: roof, foundation, siding, drywall, replacing some stolen copper and the stolen kitchen appliances, checking that the last owner did the electrical right.
I am the kind of person who could get really into drawing plans, but I don't want to foolishly assume I can learn every building trade, several building codes, and state and local energy regulations (Cal Title 24 and City of Oakland green building standards). That's why I thought I'd start with the floor plans and then by checking with the city on what they need, see whether it's paperwork I can produce, or whether it's too far over my head.
Your answers have been very helpful! Thank you!
posted by
on January 1, 2011
All of that scrounging around you are doing at the City is going to save you some good solid cash. It's time consuming, but that really is "an hour spent, and hour's $ saved" type situation. None of the code stuff or City stuff is rocket science, just super tedious. So you should be able to make excellent headway on the specific code requirements for your project from the City's perspective which will be an excellent package to have should you collaborate with a firm on down the road.
I wouldn't worry about any of the building codes. All of the contractors (elec, plumb, etc.) will have to be responsible for meeting those as a condition of having their permit approved and cleared. You won't (or shouldn't) hire a contractor that is unlicensed, so you can be pretty confident that they will satisfy all of those requirements without you having to get into the technical arcana.
But here are some things you may want to research that would be helpful info for yourself or to pass on to others:
- The locations of the sewer tie in for your house.
- Where the sewer/drainage lines run underground on your lot. Likewise the electrical service, if it is buried.
- Whether a Street Use permit is required for any dumpsters or trucks that may occupy the street during business hours for the course of your project.
- The locations of any easements that a contractor would need to be aware of.
- Whether the work done by previous owners was permitted and whether those permits were cleared or not.
- The exact requirements of the non-build-able setback areas for your lot. Usually you must maintain an unbuilt/unbuilt-upon area at the "side yard," "front yard," and "rear yard" a certain minimum number of feet from the property line. If previous work did not comply with those mandated setback distances, you may be limited as to what you may rebuild in those areas. This is either a complete non-issue or a major stumbling block, so it is worth researching early.
- If you live in a "ritz-y" neighborhood with views, there may be view corridors that must be maintained for your neighbors during the course of your project which can be impacted by scaffolding, tarps, machinery, etc. Again, probably not an issue. But I've done projects here in Seattle where that was the case and the mitigation of those requirements added a not-inconsequential chunk to the budget.
- If you are on a hillside, there may be specific rules you must follow for erosion control or structural considerations for your foundation work that you will definitely want to be aware of.
It's likely that none of this stuff will be an issue, but your time spent confirming this with the City will be very valuable. If something DOES come up, then it is important to know it from the very beginning. In this case, your efforts just saved you a bundle if problems can be avoided from the start. Good luck on your project. Happy New Year.
posted by
on January 1, 2011
Thanks so much. To try to put together your two comments, nickjadlowe, is it really not crazy of me to think I could do all the drawings necessary to get permits, with the input of licensed subcontractors? As I said, I've heard a range of advice -- everything from "just draw it yourself in powerpoint. We didn't even account for the thickness of the walls!" to "you really need to hire [architect] to do this right. He can get you everything you need to get permits, and it will only take two months and $10,000." A few people I know did do their own drawings, for new construction no less, but these examples don't necessarily seem applicable (one was rural Colorado, one was three decades ago).
Given our budget constraints, I'm inclined to go it alone and only hire someone once I bump into something I definitely can't do (I like figuring things out myself and figure I can get there eventually). But if that's either a recipe for failure, or if it's a foregone conclusion that I'll end up hiring someone who will redo any work I did, then as you point out, it'd be better not to waste time and instead to focus on hiring good people.
posted by
on January 1, 2011
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Randy Mayor; Jan Gautro
During the ninth month of their calendar, Muslims observe the ritual fast of Ramadan. For the entire month, they abstain from eating during the day; in the evening, they take small meals and visit with friends and family. This is a variation of the soup that is traditionally eaten to break the fast at the Ramadan meal.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)
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Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
- Calories: 359
- Calories from fat: 23%
- Fat: 9.2g
- Saturated fat: 2.1g
- Monounsaturated fat: 4.4g
- Polyunsaturated fat: 1.5g
- Protein: 30.4g
- Carbohydrate: 40.6g
- Fiber: 6.8g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
- Iron: 6.3mg
- Sodium: 544mg
- Calcium: 60mg
- 1 1/4 pounds boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup drained canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
- 2 cups chopped tomato
- 1/2 cup dried small red or brown lentils
- 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup hot cooked angel hair (about 1 ounce uncooked pasta)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Sprinkle the lamb with salt and black pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Add lamb; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Add onion; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in water, chickpeas, cinnamon, and ground red pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.
- Stir in tomato, lentils, and bell pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until lentils are tender. Stir in pasta, cilantro, and juice; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.
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Harira Recipe at a Glance
- COURSE: Soups/Stews
- CONVENIENCE: Make-Ahead
- CUISINE: Middle Eastern
- MAIN INGREDIENT: Beans, Lamb, Pasta
- PUBLICATION: Cooking Light
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Friday, June 13, 2014
The Life and Death of Richard II at Arden Shakespeare Gild
For some people, the moment they hear the word "Shakespeare," they just tune out. I don't know if it's because of a bad required school-reading experience, but the fact is Shakespeare is still read and performed today for a reason. If you have a tough time reading Shakespeare, don't let that stop you from seeing any his shows performed live. They were meant to be heard, not read. If you have the right actors, it shouldn't matter that some of the language is tough to understand. If the actors are doing their job correctly, you know exactly what's going on.
Luckily, the cast of
The Life and Death of Richard II
at the Arden Shakespeare Gild is doing their job right. Richard II is not a play that you see performed often, but recently PBS produced a series of Shakespeare's histories that they called The Hollow Crown, a name they borrowed a line in
The Life and Death of Richard II
. It may not be as widely produced as, say,
A Midsummer Night's Dream
, but it is arguably one of the most important histories that Shakespeare wrote.
Richard II
sets up the long battle for the crown between House York and House Lancaster, also known as the War of the Roses.
Arden Shakespeare Gild wants to make this show as easy as possible for their audiences to understand. If you don't know English history that well, and you're not exactly sure how everyone is related, Arden Shakespeare Gild's program includes a handy family tree that explains all of the relationships. It also includes a short explanation as to what is happening in each scene.
One of the important things to know about Richard II is that he inherited the throne when he was 10 years old. Greg Faber's King Richard is a lot of what you'd expect from someone who was king from such a young age, a bit entitled, kind of whiny, and extremely self involved. I only wish Faber was easier to hear; there were times when his voice was lost against such boisterous personalities as David Hasting's Henry Bolingbroke and Dan Tucker's various characters.
Even though the title of the play is
The Life and Death of Richard II
, it is really Henry Bolingbroke's story. I could listen to David Hastings read Shakespeare for hours. He was born to play roles like Henry Bolingbroke. There are so many great actors who are in this production, and they are the ones who truly help us as audience members understand exactly what's going on. While the play is in verse, it shouldn't sound like an hours-long poem. At the end of the day, it's dialogue�and for the most part, the cast of
Richard II
doesn't get caught up in the poetry of Shakespeare. There are a few moments that sounded like someone reciting poetry, rather than acting, but those are very few and far between.
Aside from David Hastings, the actors who really stand out in this production are Dan Tucker (John of Gaunt and Bishop of Carlisle), Lee Jordan (Thomas Mowbray and Lord Ross), Melissa Kearney (the Queen), and Jim Ewald (Northumberland). You may notice that some of these actors have multiple roles, and that's not unusual for one of the history plays. There are just so many characters, but the costumes definitely help distinguish that this is certainly a different character. And the actors who are playing multiple roles do their part in truly having distinct characters, especially Dan Tucker.
The Life and Death of Richard II
is something that is worth watching. Whether you are a Shakespeare buff or a newbie, Arden Shakespeare Gild is a great way to experience this show. The history plays can be confusing, since there is so much going on. Luckily, you won't find that problem here.
The Life and Death of Richard II
plays at the Arden Shakespeare Gild until June 28. They do perform outdoors, so pack a seat cushion and some bug spray. If there is bad weather, the show will move indoors. For tickets and information, visit
Posted at 11:00am on June 13, 2014 by Gina Poletti
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So he's been good for months… and at the end of November he deposits a large amount of money in my account. Now he wants it back… I mean, he told me he wanted me to just "hold" it for him… But "maybe" he will allow me to touch it when I need it … but I've been sick and away from sugaring, and fuck! I need that money! Tell me what to tell him!!! I don't know how to say that I really need extra cash.!?


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Cold & Flu Prevention Billings MT
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Northern Rockies Neurogurgeons PLLC
Neurology, Artificial disk replacement
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Eat to Beat Cold and Flu Season
Ayurveda offers us the secret to staving off illness this winter and throughout the year: Keep your doshas balanced and your immune system in top disease-fighting shape by eating for the season and adding some simple steps to your routine that promote warmth and health. Winter's cold winds and dry air increase vata and can lead to an imbalance. Some signs of excess vata during the winter include insomnia, stress, worry, constipation, colds and ?us, and joint pain.
Follow these tips from John Douillard, MD, PhD, ayurvedic physician and director of the LifeSpa Ayurvedic Retreat Center in Boulder, CO, to help balance out the season's vata-amplifying effects.
Stay Warm, Relaxed and Healthy:
- Add ghee, avocado, sesame oil or olive oil to your grains and soups.
- Start your day with warm lemon water to cleanse your lymph.
- Follow a regular rhythm of sleep, exercise, mealtimes and rest.
- Sleep with a warm mist humidi?er to keep your sinuses clear.
- To keep your ears lubricated and thus prevent infections, place a few drops of warm Tri?Doshic Massage Oil in each ear and leave a cotton
ball in for 15 minutes. Perform weekly, particularly for children.
Daily Routines (Dinacharya) for Winter:
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- For 8 minutes each morning and evening, breathe slowly and quietly in and out through your nose to calm your mind.
- Exercise in the morning to improve circulation, mood, and immunity.
- Perform Neti (you can buy a neti pot at most natural health stores) by irrigating your nasal passage with warm salt water.
Always follow with Nasya.
- Perform Nasya by dipping a Q?Tip in warm Tri?Doshic Massage Oil or warm sesame oil, swirling it inside your nostrils, and inhaling deeply.
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RainbowYOUTH Grant Writing and Sponsorship Workshop
Our Fundraising Coordinator Paul is running a free 3 hour workshop that looks at writing applications to the JAPHA fund (a monthly grant of up to $1,000 to Aucklanders who have small and creative projects that will achieve social or environmental good).
Attendees will learn how to:
- Find out how to get funding for a cool project you have in mind (it can be pretty much anything!)
- Learn how to write successful grants and cover letters for employment, scholarships, course applications and other opportunities (so many useful adult skills!)
- Brainstorm projects to help the queer and trans* community in NZ (being a good person is always fun.)
- Learn about a new opportunity to apply for $1,000 funding for a personal community project (the JAPHA fund that comes around every month!)
WHEN: Saturday, 6th September – 2PM – 5PM
WHERE: The RY Drop-in Centre (281 Karangahape Road)
ALSO: Free snacks!
Those interested should RSVP to Paul by emailing: firstname.lastname@example.com
Call for Shared Experience Representatives
We're looking for an enthusiastic bunch of people to share their coming out stories in our education workshops that we deliver in schools or other institutions.
RainbowYOUTH has been delivering education workshops for schools, agencies and tertiary institutions for the last 10 years on sexual orientation and gender identity issues, the impact of homophobia, and how to create a safer school environment for all students. These workshops cover several of the learning objectives of the NZQA Health and Physical Education Curriculum. Our resources are also available for use by other organisations and trainers around the country.
Sharing a personal story with our workshop attendees is a great way for them to see the real life impact of the workshop content. If you feel comfortable we invite you to also join the educator in answering some of the anonymous questions that the students submit towards the end of the session
It is entirely up to you what you feel comfortable sharing in the classroom, and any questions that you don't feel comfortable answering do not have to be answered. You can either say you don't want to answer that, or you can look at the educator and they will step in.
Things that volunteers often include in their stories are:
- When they first started thinking about their sexual orientation/gender identity
- How they went about exploring that
- Who they told and how
- How that went (how things went with their family, their friends)
- Any reactions they've had from society (any homophobia or transphobia they've experienced)
- Where they got support or what strategies they used
Sharing your story with a group of people can feel scary and we want to do our best to support you. Before you share your story in one of our education sessions we will get you to come into the RainbowYOUTH centre and chat with one of our educators about what you might want to share and where your boundaries are around what you disclose. We will then get you to visit a school with an educator and another shared story rep so you can see how the sessions work and what kind of questions the students ask.
If this sounds like a bit of you, get in touch! Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
AGM Roundup and Annual Report 2014
We held our (awesome) Annual General Meeting for 2014 on the 21st of June at our drop-in centre. It was a great afternoon, with a bunch of awesome people showing up to support our organisation.
The five amendments to our constitution were all passed, with one amendment added:
- We propose that the positions of chairperson and vice-chairperson be replaced with two co-chairperson positions. The co-chairpersons will have joint oversight of RY strategy and operations and share the responsibilities of the role as agreed upon at the beginning of each term. Where possible, the co-chairpersons will be differently identifying to support a diversity of views at the governance level of the organisation.
- We propose that the 'Takatapui Representative' title on the Rainbow Youth board is changed to the 'Maori and Pacific Representative' to more accurately reflect the cultural expectations that are being placed on the holder of this position.
- We propose that the use of LGBT is updated to queer and trans* to better reflect the diverse identities of our community.
- We propose that the quantified gender requirements for AGM quorum are changed to the requirement that there are diverse sexualities and gender identities that are reflective of our membership and our community.
- We propose that the application process for running for the RY executive board is changed from nominations from the floor to applications submitted in writing at least a week in advance of the AGM to ensure that applications are well thought-out and that applications can receive feedback and guidance prior to presenting themselves in person at the AGM (added amendment: Only if insufficient number apply will applications be taken on the day of the AGM)
We also elected our new board for the 2014-2015 term! The new board are as follows: Samantha Hewlett, Joe Gatland, Daniel Chorley, Rachel Brebner, Melanie Govender, Stace Robertson, Natasha Gaffin, Beth Maynard, Taine Polkinghorne (Trans* Rep), Jonathan Selu (Māori and Pacific rep).
We're super-duper excited to kick off a new term, and we'd like to thank the previous board for all their hard work over the 2013 – 2014 term!
You can read an overview of the previous term by downloading our Annual Report 2014.
Thanks to the volunteers who organised the amazing food (pumpkin soup warmed our soul), and thanks to Moira Clunie for being an great MC for the afternoon!
RY and Affinity Services present: July Health and Education Wellness Day
RainbowYOUTH and Affinity Services are pleased to announce that registrations are now open for their Health and Education Wellness Day on the 18th of July. This professional development course will be of interest to those working health and education services and the overlap between them.
Addressing gender and sexual diversity in the classroom and clinic, attendees will learn about how they can support rainbow students and clients in their school and community organisations.
Developing rainbow cultural competency will enrich your skills, language and knowledge of gender and sexual diversity. The course will cover practical tips for creating a rainbow-friendly environment, include handy educational resources and connections to community organisations.
"I've been running Rainbow Cultural Competency workshops for mental health workers as part of my work with Affinity Services for the last couple of years. The most common question is 'How do I have these conversations about gender, sex, and sexuality in a respectful way?' I am pleased to invite anyone working in health or education (youth or non-youth services) to come and hear from Affinity Services and Rainbow Youth about how to have these crucial conversations. Together, our organisations cover a wide range of health and education contexts, and we've got a lot of resources to share!" - Joe Macdonald, Rainbow Community Liaison and Training, Affinity Services.
"We are very excited to be working with Affinity Services on the Health and Education Wellness Day. Our teachers, school nurses, guidance counsellors, social workers, principals and school deans play such an important role in their communities. We want to help them make their spaces the best they can be for our queer and trans* young people!" - Aych McArdle, Education Director, RainbowYOUTH.
To sign up for the Health and Education Wellness Day, click here!


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Filmmaker Milan Lutharia is keen to make the father-son duo of megastar Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan a part of his next film. The film is said to be a drama set in contemporary times. A source close to the project has said, "Milan is very keen on casting Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Ba
CNN-IBN Real Heroes Awards 2013
Amitabh Bachchan News
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan who is down with fever for few days got the deepest shock today when one of his sincere staff members passed away. He laments as his close staff member who is serving his Delhi office and home for 30 years sudden embraced death. Big B took to his blog Friday nigh
The battle for gaining popularity among Bollywood stars is a common phenomenon. The saga continues over the social media sites too. It is the war to have the most number of followers! Bollywood buffs, it is your turn to guess who is winning that race! Read on. Well…its none other than the


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Crazy for You
Albums: Vision Quest (1985), The Immaculate Collection (1990), Something to Remember (1995), Celebration (2009)
Songwriters: John Bettis/Jon Lind
Producer: John "Jellybean" Benitez
Madonna's one and only power ballad, and thankfully it's pure class. The first of her many great soundtrack contributions, it was written for the film Vision Quest and in fact recorded before the Like a Virgin album despite its subsequent release. Though there's a thin line between doe-eyed infatuation and sappiness, Crazy for You is well-written enough to envelop, but never quite overwhelm the senses. Madonna's vocals (apparently recorded in one take - not sure how that works with the double-tracking) are, for the first time, spectacular - as she'd often do later on, the smoky verses build into a powerful, nearly belted release of a chorus. It's the '80s ballad done to perfection, but more representative of pop in general than her later, far more adventurous efforts.
(above at 0:57 is the song's occurrence in the film; the music video compiled of clips from the movie is here)
Vision Quest isn't too bad at all - kind of a romance/coming-of-age film via high school wrestling. With or without the various wrestling scenes, it's one of the most bizarrely, almost obliviously homoerotic films I've ever seen - but thankfully Linda Fiorentino's pure attitude balances out Matthew Modine's incredible awkwardness. Madonna plays a nightclub singer, performing Gambler and Crazy for You - and in the film's setting, the song is absolutely perfect, a vision of intimacy in a crowded room. She's charismatic as usual, but thankfully doesn't try to steal the show. The version of the song used in the film is for some reason totally different to every other issue; a tone higher (on my $5 DVD copy), with a rawer sound more befitting the live band vibe. Madonna's vocals, which may even have been recorded live and not mimed, have little of the familiar, powerful double-tracking; instead she slides into the high notes almost timidly. At the risk of retconning her inability to replicate them live, one could say the song's reserved performance in the middle of the film blossoms into its more confident, final version as the movie's theme.
Though a young Madonna filmed and recorded her appearance to piggyback on Vision Quest's publicity, the tables had already turned by the time of its release - the universal nature of Crazy for You only added to the momentum.
Album: Vision Quest (1984)
Songwriter: Madonna
Producer: John "Jellybean" Benitez
In a parallel universe, after Gambler became her sixth UK top ten single in 11 months, one Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone took her success for granted. Growing complacent, she released one similar crowd-pleasing single after another, eventually oversaturating the market and fading into the background of stock-standard '80s pop she never truly originated from.
(this is Gambler's appearance in Vision Quest, leading into Crazy for You; here's the music video, once again compiled of clips from the film)
The song's role as part of Vision Quest is essentially filler to soundtrack the nightclub scene until Crazy for You draws the audience in. In that sense, it fulfils its purpose - but was it ever originally intended to be a single? It's not really bad… but ironically, for a song Madonna wrote alone, she invested little of her own personality into it. Gambler sounds, more than anything, like a Pat Benatar outtake - even with passionate vocals, the songwriting wasn't strong enough to justify its release as a single for any reason other than high levels of demand for more Madonna product. Though in the long term it neither really did nor prevented any harm, Gambler - recorded under Geffen - was never released as a single in the US, likely due to fears by Madonna's usual record label Sire that it'd detract from all her other charting singles at the time. But thankfully, their precautions were in vain - only five months later, Madonna would drop the game-changing Live to Tell's quiet storm on the world, forcefully reasserting her relevance. Back then, Gambler was generic, and is now even more so; though fans may complain, it's easy to see why it was never rereleased on any of Madonna's compilations or albums.


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As I recently found out, Honey Stinger Waffle energy snacks aren't all that great. The texture is mushy and the flavor is kind of bland.
Perhaps the Chocolate Stinger Waffle will be better. Honey Stinger announced that it will soon offer a chocolate flavor along with the existing original, vanilla and strawberry flavors. That won't help the texture at all (it really lacks crunch), but it should add some needed flavor.
The Chocolate Stinger Waffle will hit the market on March 15.


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heroic documents - i'm guilty
Was reading more of the 10th anniversary version of the Cluetrain Manifesto (nerd alrert), and came across a situation that I am completely and regularly guilty of: the heroic document.
I want to make a plan, a project outline, a creative brief, a whatever, so amazing, and ALL MINE. I made it. I am the smart one. The annoying thing is that of course I don't have all the answers, and the plans or outlines or whatevers I'm creating impact my coworkers' actual jobs.
I had a strange realization a few months ago, what it really means to be a team player. I always thought that it meant "pitch in and do your fair share". I never realized that it meant doing whatever you do in a way to set the whole group up to win. That the "assist" is what makes the goal possible. That the guy that runs block (??) in football is the guy who allows the goal to be scored - if he thinks he has to be the one actually scoring, then everything's off. (or whatever - you get the point).
I wonder if my ineptitude for team sports in school was a sign of this mindset (or if really, I just fuggin hated playing Volleyball with Jeanette).
I am trying to fight the "get it perfect before you present it to the team" mentality. I'm trying to learn that its sometimes better to come to the table with a clear idea of what the objective is, then bullshit about it with everyone who will have a hand in it.


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Matt Maloney is the co-founder and CEO of Chicago-based GrubHub Inc.
In 2006, GrubHub won the University of Chicago's New Venture Challenge.
Mr. Maloney currently serves on the alumni board for the computer-science department at the University of Chicago. He also sits on Gov. Pat Quinn's Illinois Innovation Council.
Previously, Mr. Maloney held the position of Entrepreneur in Residence at the Illinois Institute of Technology.
Read essays by Mr. Maloney on The Accelerators.


text:
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About meI work in an academic library. I'm fascinated by the history of the horror genre in all media, psychotronic film, comic books, giant monsters of the deep and the ability of my cats to teleport. Please drop by and visit my LT group The Weird Tradition!
About my libraryBooks are kept dry and on shelves.
GroupsThe Horror Film: History, Reference, and Beyond, The Red Circle, The Weird Tradition
Favorite authorsCharles Addams, Robert Aickman, Antonin Artaud, J. G. Ballard, Laird Barron, Algernon Blackwood, Ray Bradbury, Alan Bradley, James Lee Burke, William S. Burroughs, Ramsey Campbell, Jonathan Carroll, Philip K. Dick, Lord Dunsany, Will Eisner, James Ellroy, Guy Endore, Dennis Etchison, Ian Fleming, Barry Gifford, Charles L. Grant, Günter Grass, Joe Hill, William Hope Hodgson, Robert E. Howard, Shirley Jackson, S. T. Joshi, Stephen King, T. E. D. Klein, Kathe Koja, Joe R. Lansdale, Comte de Lautréamont, Fritz Leiber, Herbert Lieberman, H. P. Lovecraft, Arthur Machen, George R. R. Martin, Richard Matheson, Daphne du Maurier, Ed McBain, Robert McCammon, Michael Cisco, Michael Moorcock, Flannery O'Connor, Mervyn Peake, Edgar Allan Poe, Steven Puchalski, Maurice Sendak, Michael Shea, Dan Simmons, David J. Skal, Clark Ashton Smith, Peter Straub, Jim Thompson, Thomas Tryon, Mark Twain, Voltaire, Karl Edward Wagner, John Waters, Michael Weldon, Manly Wade Wellman (Shared favorites)
Real nameKenton Sem
LocationMonster Island
Account typepublic, lifetime
/profile/KentonSem (profile)
Member sinceMar 11, 2006
Currently readingThe Spirit Archives, Volume 24 by Will Eisner
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Leave a comment
So is "Inagehi."
*hit send too fast*
posted by Felurian at 11:21 am (EST) on Sep 4, 2014
Wait until you get to his novels, then! "The Hauntings of Hood Canal" is a wonder. I've got to decide which ones to order next.
posted by Felurian at 11:19 am (EST) on Sep 4, 2014
Did you ever get to read any of Jack Cady's novels? I've finished first readings on Rules of 48, Inagehi and am in the middle of The Hauntings of Hood Canal.
Masterpieces, and Cady has a magic touch with voice, as you probably know from his short stories.
posted by Felurian at 11:30 am (EST) on Sep 1, 2014
I noticed the entry for "The Basilisk" is missing from the comprehensive list of all Deep Ones discussions. Didn't want to attempt to add it, though it appears to be a public document. Figured you'd know what to do!
posted by elenchus at 11:36 pm (EST) on Apr 29, 2014
Howdy! I look forward to ye discussion of "An Eidolon of Filth," and will participate if I ain't busy and can remember. The story has appear'd in ye eZine only, although I have included it in my forthcoming book, SPECTRES OF LOVECRAFTIAN HORROR, which is being consider'd for Spring publication in hardcover by Dark Renaissance Books.
posted by wilum at 3:29 pm (EST) on Dec 20, 2013
I've not yet read the book, but others have highly recommended it and so I'll be ordering it from Amazon next month. It sounds fantastic.
posted by whpugmire at 6:54 pm (EST) on Aug 7, 2013
Looks good!
posted by paradoxosalpha at 10:09 am (EST) on May 7, 2012
Hi Kenton! It's gotten to the point where Deep Ones threads account for something like half of the content of the Weird Tradition group. Do you think you could maybe add a paragraph to the group description, to let newcomers know what the game is? At a bare minimum, it could say something like: "The Weird Tradition also hosts the DEEP ONES reading group, which discusses a short story each week, commencing its conversations in LT Talk on Wednesdays. You can see this quarter's reading schedule here."
posted by paradoxosalpha at 9:24 am (EST) on May 7, 2012
April 4, 2012 Wednesday 12:25 P.M.
Dear Kenton Sem,
Thank you for the information on William Hope Hodgson's story, THE GHOST PIRATES. I will check that one out next after I finish reading THE NIGHT LAND. You said you haven't read THE NIGHT LAND yet. It is very good too, but I like THE HOUSE ON THE BORDERLAND better, but did not know that THE HOUSE ON THE BORDERLAND is his masterpiece. I probably have a link to THE GHOST PIRATES. When I started looking for THE HOUSE ON THE BORDERLAND, I webbed up a bunch of sites with his stories and also biographical information and information about his books. I haven't read any of the biographical information yet, and will wait to read the information on each book after I read the book. Many reviewers are giving away the end of the book, and I don't like that! I didn't think they were supposed to do that!
I webbed up a bunch of stuff about Shirley Jackson and her writing, and bookmarked that too, for future reading, and was shocked when I saw that most of the reviewers had given away the ending of THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE (which I've already read). So now I'm careful which book reviews I read!
I did find out that all of William Hope Hodgson's work is in the public domain and on the Internet now. Unfortunately, Shirley Jackson's isn't. My brother tells me they keep extending the copyright. I don't think that is right. I am a writer, and don't believe in copyright, so I only post my stories on free sites, available to everyone with Internet access, and will only release simultaneous, nonexclusive rights to any of the publishers. I wrote for money back in the old hardcopy writing days, and made very little money--the publishers used to make all the money, not the writers. Someday I hope to have my own website to publish on, and will make money from ads if I can, but never again by selling my writing. Right now, I only have time to post my writing to my Facebook and a site called Writer's Network.
I am new to LibraryThing, and think it is great except for one thing. They let writers give e-copies of their books away in exchange for reviews, but won't let you do that if your work is freely available elsewhere. So I guess I won't be able to share my books here! I still may join the writer's community when I get time, though.
You got a real find on the vintage J.G. Ballard books! His books are very hard to find. I never could find HIGH RISE in any used book stores, when I looked for it, although I guess about everything can be bought over the Internet now. Unfortuately, his work is all still in copyright too, even though he is now dead. Do you have THE DROWNED WORLD? That is my favorite of his books. I have a hardback copy of THE CRYSTAL WORLD, Mama gave me, and she may have a paperback copy of VERMILLION SANDS in her library that I gave her years ago. It is very good too. I would like to live in VERMILLION SANDS!
Talk to you later.
Mary Hazel
posted by MaryHazelUpton at 12:45 pm (EST) on Apr 4, 2012
March 21, 2012 Wednesday 9:51 P.M.
Dear Kenton Sem,
Thank you for your welcome letter to me when I joined your group "The Weird Tradition". I am sorry to take so long to reply, but I just joined LibraryThing, and when they sent me an e-mail with your letter in it, I tried to answer, and could not send you a reply. I just now figured out how to, hopefully, send a reply directly on their website.
Will write more later, but just wanted to let you know I'd gotten your message, and to thank you for taking the trouble to write to me. I am still reading William Hope Hodgson's book online, THE NIGHT LAND. I finished THE HOUSE ON THE BORDERLAND. THE NIGHT LAND is very good too, but, so far, I think I like THE HOUSE ON THE BORDERLAND best. I bookmarked a bunch more of his stories, and also biographies of him on my computer, and plan to eventually read everything he wrote.
I see you also like Stephen King, and J.G. Ballard, my 2 favorite writers.
It must be lots of fun to work in an academic library. I love libraries of all kinds, and can spend all day there just enjoying the books, when I have time. How wonderful to get paid for spending time in a library!
Mary Hazel Upton
posted by MaryHazelUpton at 10:03 pm (EST) on Mar 21, 2012
Hey Ken,
Thanks for the heads' up on American Grindhouse. I'd actually seen the doc before, but forgot enough of it that it was sort of like watching it again for the first time. I'm surprised at the way they just brushed past The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Romero's Living Dead movies, but I guess there's only so much roon...
It convinced me to add Lord Love a Duck and Ilsa to my queue. I really wanted to add Truck Turner, The Tormentors and The Big Dollhouse, but they are sadly unavailable.
I'll be getting Blue Sunshine later this week. Have you ever seen it? I haven't, but it sure sounds promising.
posted by jseger9000 at 10:59 am (EST) on Oct 24, 2011
Hello again. I finished the book this weekend and will get it mailed out to you tomorrow. I wrote a review for it if you're interested. I will say that it got me to reactivate Netflix streaming so that I could watch more of those lurid films.
It's part of the Early Reviews program, so if you feel comfortable, please write a review for it (no pressure though).
posted by jseger9000 at 12:47 am (EST) on Oct 17, 2011
Thanks for inviting me. I think I will :)
posted by Phlox72 at 2:01 pm (EST) on Mar 2, 2011
Hey...ya never know.
posted by OldSarge at 6:35 pm (EST) on Jan 31, 2011
posted by OldSarge at 10:26 am (EST) on Jan 17, 2011
The ISBN or something is messed up for the Kolchak Papers.
posted by slickdpdx at 8:20 pm (EST) on Sep 28, 2010
Some stuff I stumbled across I thought you'd find of interest.
Granted they're not as good as the older generation but at least keeping the tradition alive.
posted by OldSarge at 9:42 pm (EST) on Jul 22, 2010
Thank you.
posted by OldSarge at 5:05 pm (EST) on May 27, 2010
I went and Voted NO not to combine this group like you said. I love your picture of Godzilla creating havoc destroyinh Tokyo. I have an awful lot of Godzilla movies on VHS tapes and DVD's. I loved to watch Godzila movis since I was a child growing up in the 60s & 70s. Go Godzilla!! You Rock!! Godzilla4ever!!!!
posted by beatles1964 at 10:21 am (EST) on Dec 23, 2009
Yes, I used to have a much larger collection of horror magazines including the ones you mention, and things like the old Twilight Zone magazine that TED Klein edited. But most of my magazines were sold long ago. I still have runs of 'Eldritch Tal;es, 'Etchings and Odysseys', 'Whispers', and some Australian horror and sf mags like 'Bloodsongs', 'Aurealis', 'Eidolon'. Also a big collection of the Us 'Magazine of Horror' and 'Weird Tales'. gradually cataloguing all the magazines - will take ma while.
posted by 666777 at 8:29 am (EST) on May 5, 2009
Yes, my old Wired Cue:Cat USB scanner works a charm with most barcodes.
posted by dkgarton at 3:41 pm (EST) on Apr 14, 2009
Having a day off as it's Easter Monday (Bank Holiday in the UK) and decided to watch "Soft for Digging" following your recommendation. It's amazing what you can do with a minimal budget if you know what you're doing - this is a very disturbing macabre film and I'm more than surprised that this hasn't picked up a reputation as something of a cult classic.
Cheers for the recommendation. Going to do something to cheer up my day now!
posted by Charlie2300 at 10:20 am (EST) on Apr 13, 2009
Have you seen "Uzumaki" yet? I've just watched and it is staggering, mind-blowing. Straight into my top films of all time, easily. It is both very Japanese and Lovecraftian in character.
Truly truly awesome.
posted by Charlie2300 at 5:47 pm (EST) on Apr 8, 2009
I wholeheartedly agree with you about "House of Leaves"; I just know that it's got to be worth reading through to the end. I shall have to barricade myself in at home and take a week's holiday before I dare encroach upon its pages again!
posted by Charlie2300 at 12:18 pm (EST) on Apr 5, 2009
Thanks for the recommendation; I had not hitherto heard of "Soft for Digging" and was rather lucky in that there was a sole remaining copy available through Amazon (UK) at a ridiculously low price. So I've ordered it.
Further recommendations always appreciated.
And now a differemt enquiry; have you attempted to wade through "House of Leaves" (Danielewski, Mark Z)? I'm not after a review; I simply want an opinion upon whether to persist in trying to read it as I've failed miserably to complete it twice now. In my mind, it has moved beyond being a chilling novel and has acquired the status of a research project!
posted by Charlie2300 at 4:01 pm (EST) on Apr 3, 2009
Given your predeliction for psychotronic film and the horror genre, can I recommend to you a film that I've just watched me this evening? It's appears to be relatively unknown and (based on IMDb rating), in my opinion, seriously under-rated. The film is "Crazy as Hell" (2002) starring Eriq La Salle, a psychological thriller/horror and it's about.....not telling! Don't read the reviews on IMDb because they contain spoilers that you really don't want to know prior to watching the film.
I was impressed.
posted by Charlie2300 at 8:27 pm (EST) on Mar 30, 2009
Was wondering if you'd be interested in reviewing my new novel and posting your comments here as well as a few other book-related sites. Saw you liked The Wasp Factory, and I thought you might like my novel since it's also about a disturbed adolescent and a bit dark. I could e-mail you the novel in an e-book format if you'd like. Let me know if you're interested. Here's a link to a summary in case you're interested:
posted by cmtusa at 11:57 am (EST) on Mar 25, 2009
When I watch a movie, it's more often than not, "Psychotronic". When I read, I gravitate to what I call the pre-WW II fantasists. Just joined your groups and will post when I have more time.
Be seein' you
posted by Gregzilla at 12:52 pm (EST) on Nov 15, 2008
Thanks very much! If you end up checking out my novel, or any of my other work, I'd love to hear what you think.
Here's wishing you the best in all aspects of your life.
-Jeremy :)
posted by JeremyCShipp at 6:27 pm (EST) on Nov 21, 2007
Thought I'd make contact since you share 13 favourite authors with me. That's only one less than Mayorwhitebelly. I sent you a friends invitation a few days ago.
Leigh Blackmore
posted by 666777 at 4:03 am (EST) on Sep 3, 2007
Thanks for the invite. Perfect timing since I just finished reading Lovecraft's "Call of Cthulhu" for the first time in years. Part of a horror collection I've been working through, "The Dark Descent." Good stuff.
Happy cataloging to you.
posted by coffeezombie at 10:33 am (EST) on Aug 9, 2007
I was a member of that group as of last year. ;-) Here are "my" groups...
1001 Books to read before you die, 9/11 Truth, Ace Doubles, Altered States, Alternative Fiction, American Civil War, American Postmodernism, Antiquarian Books, Awful Lit., Baker Street and Beyond — show all groups , Ballantine Adult Fantasy, BBC Radio 3 Listeners, Book Arts, Bookcases: If You Build/Buy Them, They Will Fill, Books in Books, Books on Books, Booksellers, Booksellers who LibraryThing, Booze!, Canon, Cartoons, Cheeseheads of Wisconsin (COW), Comics, Covers, Cthulhu Mythos, DAW Books, Dostoevsky, Duniverse, Edward Gorey, Eureka! finds, Experimental Film and Video, Football Season Is Over, Getting Published, Hardboiled / Noir Crime Fiction, Lost Generation, Made into a Book, Made into a Movie, Mark Twain, Moby Dick, Modern Collector, Modern Library Collectors, mugwumps, MySpace, Nabokov!, New authors first editions, One Hit Wonders, Penguin Classics, Presidential Literature, Pulp Fiction, Pynchon Pandæmonium, Reading Great Books, Real Ale (& Other Beers), Reprint Please!, Science Fiction Fans, Sex Between the Covers, SF, horror and Fantasy Romance, SlashThing, Steampunk, T.S. Eliot, Tesla, The Oz books, Thing(amabrarian)s That Go Bump in the Night, Tragic Hero, Wallace Stevens, Weird Fiction, Westerns
posted by Dannelke at 2:27 pm (EST) on Aug 8, 2007
Ken -
It's a pleasure to read your posts, man. Nice to meet you, and keep posting!
posted by john_sunseri at 8:24 pm (EST) on Aug 7, 2007
LMK if you want/need to upgrade your THE LOST AND THE LURKING from PB to HC SFBC edition. It's the alternate grey cover shown with the listing. I have two at the moment. It's a tough call because PB 1st to book club is sort of a lateral. There's no "extra" material but there is a picture of the author.
- Barney
posted by Dannelke at 9:42 pm (EST) on Nov 24, 2006
Ok, you seem to be the "horror guy" around here, so maybe you could answer a question. What exactly do you consider Wierd Fiction, is it primarily the stuff by Lovecraft and his ilk, or does other stuff along the same wavelenght like Dunsany and Blackwood count? Oh, and long live Godzilla, true king of the monsters!!!
posted by israfel13 at 4:48 am (EST) on Aug 31, 2006
Love your profile pick. Widescreen, uncut, subtitled edition getting released on DVD in September, in case you didn't already know. Here's the Amazon.com ASIN: B000FA4TLQ.
Interested in what you thought of "Johnny Got His Gun" which is a book I read years ago but have been thinking a lot about recently for no particular reason. Have you seen the film version (I haven't since it's hard to come by and I've heard it's not worth the effort, but I've never communicated directly with anyone who has actually seen it). Happy cataloging.
posted by coffeezombie at 7:57 pm (EST) on Jul 20, 2006
Running MS-DOS: Version 6.22 is a book you CHOSE to list? I hope you were wearing a freakin' bow tie while you typed that one. What does the Mojo wire say about Deadwood this weekend? And are there DEADWOOD novels? There *#@^*! oughta be!
- Barney
Swidgin, PA.
posted by Dannelke at 11:10 pm (EST) on Jul 7, 2006
Arigato, Dannelke-san!
posted by KentonSem at 12:33 pm (EST) on Mar 14, 2006
May your tag cloud be radiactive and spawn many Toho Monsters. - Barney
posted by Dannelke at 6:03 pm (EST) on Mar 13, 2006


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Good start! I feel your pain with the vector programs; I have yet to master the learning curve on any of them, and I've tried Illustrator, Inkscape and Xara. One of these days I'm going to bite the bullet and get over my vector block
I have downloaded the trial of Adobe Illustrator but I couldn't make head nor tail of it. I hope Drawplus is easier to get started with.
I wanted to begin this project so I have gone ahead in Photoshop while I experiment with the vector programs.
Function over form is the idea at the moment, although I am planning to add some decorative art like Ravs has done in his "city madness"
I made a fill layer and then erased the non-building parts. Followed by a find edges filter, 1px drop shadow and a 1px black stroke. It was pretty quick and easy to get this far. I think about 90-120mins so far. The labeling will take some time but the map should be quite usable by the weekend.
I want to name the streets of the main grid as 1st street, 2nd street etc and have intersecting avenues numbered as well. I will give the alleys names to suit their uses.
Any of you language buffs out there have an idea for pseudo Germanic-dwarven words for "big street" and "small street"
Last edited by Aval Penworth; 07-27-2010 at 09:52 PM.
Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go..
Good start! I feel your pain with the vector programs; I have yet to master the learning curve on any of them, and I've tried Illustrator, Inkscape and Xara. One of these days I'm going to bite the bullet and get over my vector block
Looking really good, Aval. If you do decide to get Drawplus X4, it has an incredibly good autotrace function. You can import your buildings layer into drawplus and it will trace the image into vector for you.
Looks good so far! From the cliche of dwarves being excellent miners you should consider to avoid a "chaotic" street layout. For the names you could label the map with a rune font to avoid creating lots of new words.
No, I don't think it is chaotic. Orderly, angled shapes like cubes or pyramids mixed to new forms as buildings. That's how I imagine such a city.
For naming the streets, I can't just use a rune because I need to say the word in game play. So far I have come up with 1st Strad, 2nd Strad etc for the East West streets and 1st Aven, 2nd Aven etc for the North South Streets.
@ Katto : so is there a part of the layout that you think does not work?
Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go..
According to wikipedia, Tolkien's Dwarf language, Khuzdul, sounds much like Hebrew. You could try a English-Hebrew phonetic free web translator and then kinda muck about a bit with the results?
"I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly dreaming I am a man"
My Finished Stuff ............. Some of my 3D Stuff (POVRay)
I don't know the history, setting etc. of your campaign, but your wip intro sounded very promising. I even don't know the scale of the map, but some of the clusters look very detailed, so I think it is a very big city.
Here are some of my thoughts:
- I'm not a fan of the american city layout, but here it makes sense and fits to the setting
- I miss the spontaneous WOW effect so far. The shape of the city could also be an xy city and it is not necessary in a higher technology level to place it next to a river. So there it is a dwarven city it could be completely built into a mountain (steampunk Moria) or just a part of it and the other outside.
- Have you ever played Sim City? I mention it, because you wrote of a steam railway system. Try to implement a railway into a finished town layout that's fun.
- With a high technology level the city expands in 3 dimensions. Not just x,z also in height. You could map e.g. a 3 level city: ground level (poor ones, because of gravity), mid level (50-100 meter, workers, transit system etc.), upper level (100-150 meter, elite, parks, art, monuments etc.)
- some important places can't be generic and should be drawn individually
- the style you chose is an abstract one. This works fine for medieval societies, but I have a problem to imagine it in a steampunk setting. So much is possible there, may it be the transportation system or architectural wonders.
Ah, and your question: have a look at the most detailed cluster you have created. Without a scale the city must be enormous and this level of detail is the base for the other blocks.
@ Katto The city is very big. 50% Dwarves, 40% Human, 10% Gnome population. The city has already been introduced in the campaign, so I am not going to be able to change the layout too much or move it to a mountain side.
The shapes are meant to represent city blocks, rather than individual buildings. With that in mind I have de-cluttered the busier blocks. The walls are 100 feet thick in some places, but there are many rooms and passages inside them. The main gates are so massive that the are very rarely opened. People gain access through the many smaller gates in the side. The small side gates are 20-40 feet off the ground and the access ramps and elevators would be withdrawn if there was a serious attack. The city straddles a 300' deep canyon. Ocean capable steam ships dock on the river banks 300' below the city and giant elevators operate night and day to carry goods up and down the cliffs. Much of the power for the dock machines in generated by piping river water into underground chambers where specially placed heat emitting minerals create steam.
I imagined that there would also be an undercity and mines below that. I imagined the buildings to be quite tall and also have several floors below ground as well. There would be a lot of steam release points in alleys and on rooftops. So as you travel on the ground level it would be noisy and smoggy. Visibility would be quite low in winter, making for interesting adventure opportunities. Rich folk get about in air balloons, and ornithopters or rotocopters.
I am going to put in an underground rail system that will also run across the canyon through the center of the bridges. The ground level map will just show where the station access ramps and travellators are located.
As cool as it would be to draw all the marvels of the city, there is no way I could reasonably represent them on a single map. So I am going for usability.
@Crayons. Thanks, I did not know that about the Hebrew base. But it is already long established in my campaign world that these folk sound German. Still I can use your advice ..I guess I will google 'phonetic free web translator' and see what comes up.
I have however decided to make this a diplomats map which has been translated and has a few clumsy turns of phrase and spelling.
Latest wip is attached. Hopefully this more clearly displays what I am trying to achieve.
Last edited by Aval Penworth; 07-29-2010 at 12:21 AM.
Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go..


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Design Diary | Short Story
Dear Diary,
Who wears short shorts? This lady does!! When the weather is like this everyone should have a pair of fun shorts to throw on. Cutoff shorts, in particular, are perfect for lax days in the park, to wear to festivals, or just to kick around in on warm sunny days.
You can find cutoff shorts at just about any retailer, but it's the vintage quality denim shorts that can last for years. High-waisted cutoffs have been making a comeback for the last few spring/summer season, being sold on a number of Etsy shops, Ebay vendors and Urban Outfitters.
When looking for vintage high-waisted shorts on Etsy, I found this Dust to Diamonds pair of two-toned green and black high-waisted shorts. The funky color blocking in the shorts instantly grabbed my attention; they would definitely be something I could see in my wardrobe.
The variation in denim makes them one-of-a-kind, and can be paired with just about anything. Whether you throw on a fitted tank or a vintage band tee, chuck taylors or wedges, you'll be stylish, cute, and comfortable.


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More Creative Ways to Display Flowers
The flower market is flourishing with fresh arrivals, Easter is at our door, and with Mother's Day right around the corner, many of us will be making trips to our local flower shops. I typically find the vases that the local florist carries are mundane and, quite frankly, stale.
There are many great containers and vessels that can be used to display your flowers besides the traditional glass vase. Why not try crystal goblets or old milk glass jars? Ball jars make great containers for a more casual look. Also, try using a collection of different bottles (glass milk bottles, old apothocary bottles) of different heights and colors.
Here are a few other ways to showcase your flowers:
• scientific containers (beakers, test tubes)
• antique tea cups for bud vases or a large teapot for a larger arrangement
• tins cans, possibly painted or altered with a simple jute bow
• birch bark wrapped around a simple round container
• small metal pails
• found wooden boxes
• mercury glass containers
Got more ideas? Please share what you love to use in the comments below.
Images: saipua; studio choo
3 Comments
I love this topic and find, particularly this time of year when I am just craving fresh anything, the weekly treat of flowers mitigates the gloom that the never ending rain brings.
I love putting flowers in old milk bottles.
Does anyone know what the turquoise berries in the first picture are called?
The turquoise berries look like porcelainberry, Ampelopsis brevipedunculata. They are gorgeous, but unfortunately this plant is also quite invasive, at least here in the southeast. Plant cautiously, where it can be monitored.


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Thursday July 18, 2002
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On DVD » The Pledge » Reviews » Comments
Mystery-thriller buffs, promise yourselves that you'll see The Pledge. And while you're at it, be sure to invite along Jack Nicholson fans and anyone who saw the first two movies that Sean Penn directed.
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HUFFINGTONPOST.COM - For the first time in 20 years, a woman -- CNN's Candy Crowley -- will moderate a presidential debate.
Multiple reports on Monday revealed the list of moderators for the three presidential forums and one vice presidential debate that will take place in October.
The Drudge Report was the first to post the names, though it did not cite any sources. Politico then said it had confirmed that the names were accurate. The Commission on Presidential Debates, which runs the forums, then made the official announcement. click here to read more


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sorry in advance if this is gross. I am 15,male, and not sexually active. recently I got a pimple on the shaft of my genital region. I am very worried and embarrassed. and frankly mortified to be posting this. but I don't know exactly how I should treat this in such a sensitive area
thanks and sorry


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WNEM TV5 has learned the identities of the two people killed in the small plane crash in Mt. Morris Township Wednesday morning.
Officials have confirmed with TV5 that 82-year-old Jerry Zerbe, the pilot of the aircraft, was killed in the crash. Zerbe was a certified commercial pilot and flight instructor.
Police also say that 20-year-old Bryce Frownfelter died in the crash. He was a student at Western Michigan University. He also was a 2012 graduate of Lake Fenton High School where he was on the football team.
FAA officials tell us that the plane took off from Dalton Airport in Mt. Morris Township at around 7:30 Wednesday morning, and then disappeared.
Crews were searching for the aircraft all day, but the wreckage wasn't discovered until 3:47p.m.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing. Dalton Airport handles small or private planes.
WNEM will continue to follow this story and will provide updates as new information is learned.
Copyright 2013 WNEM (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.


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6200 Tracy Ave has a Walk Score of 54 out of 100. This location is Somewhat Walkable so some errands can be accomplished on foot.
This location is in the Eastern 49-63 neighborhood in Kansas City. Nearby parks include Dunn Park, Brookside Park and Brookside Triangle Park.
Nearby schools include Hogan Preparatory Academy, Hogan Preparatory Academy and Troost Elementary School.
The closest grocery stores are Thriftway, ALDI Kansas City, MO and Cosentino's Market.
Nearby coffee shops include The Roasterie Cafe, Tea Market and CDC Café. There are 13 restaurants within a 15 minute walk including Mad Jack's On Troost, China Feast and SUBWAY® Restaurants.
6200 Tracy Ave is near Research College of Nursing, Rockhurst University and University of Missouri - Kansas City.
There are excellent bike lanes and the terrain is mostly flat. 6200 Tracy Ave is very bikeable, biking is convenient for most trips.


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NH man charged with attempted assault at motelStaff Report | January 05,2013ROCKINGHAM A 55-year-old New Hampshire man was arrested Friday in Claremont, N.H., on a Vermont warrant stemming from an incident at a Rockingham motel last month.
Vermont State Police said John Cotter of Charlestown, N.H., was arrested in connection with the Dec. 22 incident at the Rodeway Inn in Rockingham. Police said Cotter, armed with a large pipe, attempted to kick down the door of a motel room occupied by two people, ages 30 and 28, and their three young children, a 6-month-old, a 1-year-old and a 6-year-old.
Police said surveillance video showed a man, quickly identified as Cotter, armed with the pipe. Another man was with him and efforts are still under way to identify him.
Police said Cotter will face charges of attempted burglary of an occupied dwelling, unlawful mischief and numerous counts of simple assault.MORE IN This Just InVGS answers state Full StoryPedestrian hurt in Friday crash Full StoryFAIR HAVEN — The town of Fair Haven is planning to convert its streetlights from... Full Story
- Most Popular
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- RICHARD'S POOR ALMANACK: On this day in 1776, as Nathan Hale is hanged by British military authorities for spying, he utters his famous last words — or does he? In 1975, Sara Jane Moore attempts to kill President Gerald R. Ford in San Francisco.
- TOMORROW'S HEADLINES TODAY: Patrick McArdle reports and the theft of an $89,000 shotgun, police release a video of the Monday Castleton robbery, O'Gorman reports a lawsuit by a local man claiming his vehicle unlawfully seized, police leave him in cold.
- RICHARD'S POOR ALMANACK: Giles Corey of Salem, Mass., is pressed to death during the Salem witch trials; on this day in 1952, film comedian Charlie Chaplin, while traveling to England, is denied re-entry into the United States by U.S. attorney general.
- RICHARD'S POOR ALMANACK: Dutch father of microbiology Antonie van Leeuwenhoek discovers the existence of one-celled organisms; in 1967, The Doors are booked to play the Ed Sullivan show; in 1858, freedom fighter Dred Scott dies on this day in St. Louis.
- TOMORROW'S HEADLINES TODAY: No money this year for western rail project, Lola Aiken memorialized in Montpelier, Supreme Court Castleton murder suspect will remain in jail, Shaftbury man fires shots from his AK-47 into neighbor's home.
- RICHARD'S POOR ALMANACK: On this day in 1959, Soviet Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev arrives in U.S. for historic 13-day visit; in 1987, Secretary of State George Shultz and Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze sign nuclear reduction agreement.


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While Payment Protection Insurance can be an extremely useful insurance policy, there have been numerous reported instances when these PPI polices have been mis-sold alongside loans, credit cards and mortgages.
If you've had a mortgage, credit card or loan you may have been mis-sold PPI and therefore will need to submit a claim.
Until recently, PPI was sold at the time one would take out a loan, credit card, mortgage or car finance deal.
However, the policies often didn't pay out when people needed help. Sales staff often didn't explain the policies properly – for example to people who were self-employed or with pre-existing medical conditions.
Policies were often sold to people in these groups when they weren't eligible for cover. If you remember any such conversation, there's a chance you were mis-sold PPI and can claim.
Once you have gone through whether you are eligible to submit a PPI claim, it's important to firstly gather all of the necessary documents and make copies of anything that might be relevant in supporting your case.
This would include anything that proves you have taken out a policy, and shows that you have been making payments for it.
You can often show you have been making payments simply by showing your payslip or bank statement.
The next step in the claim process requires you to write a letter to the mortgage, loan or credit card provider who sold you the PPI.
There are many banks and brokers out there that have templates to aid you through the process.
These templates are helpful and necessary since the Financial Ombudsman Service also uses these forms.
Along with the form, you must include all the documentation and need to explain in detail on the form why you believe you were mis-sold PPI. The more detailed you are on the form, the better.
Once you have all your paperwork in order and the form filled out properly, it's time to mail your form to the Insurance Company that sold you the PPI.
Typically you will receive acknowledgement from the Insurance Company that the claim was received. From that point it usually takes about eight weeks for the claim to go fully through.
It's vital that you stay on top of your claims since if you do not, no one else will and it's easy for the claim to slip through the cracks.
If you don't receive a decision or response within eight weeks, a letter of complaint should be sent to the Financial Ombudsman Services.
There are also numerous claim management companies that exist to help you through this process that can help monitor the claims and put extra pressure on the Insurance Companies to ensure that you hear back in a timely manner.
Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) was an insurance product that was designed to protect people should they become ill, disabled, lose their job or face other circumstances that may prevent an individual from earning income, which could cause one to go into debt otherwise.
This insurance was supposed to help give one rest easy in times of need since, while it is not easy to pay off one's debt in full whilst not working.
PPI was supposed to help one pay the monthly credit balances to ensure that one remains in good credit standing during the unforeseen difficult time in one's life.
Since every policy is different, how long one's PPI lasts depends on the plan that one selects.
Regardless, having a PPI is something that every working individual should have because it provides:
While law in the UK does not require the insurance, the majority of individuals working today opt to have some sort of coverage since in the event that one's job is lost having credit coverage is of upmost importance.
Although PPI has been put in place in the UK in order to protect working individuals should bad luck arise, there have been numerous instances of mis-sold PPI plans, which could entitle individuals to file for PPI claims.
Prior to selecting PPI coverage, it's important for the individual to do research on if PPI insurance will work for you.
While PPI is typically beneficial to many, there are certain areas that it does not cover. For one, the first 90 days after one stops working one needs to be able to keep paying your credit bills yourself as PPI coverage will not start to kick in until after 90 days.
Next, PPI does not typically cover pre-existing conditions or people who are retired. Also, there are numerous illnesses that PPI does not cover and as such one should check the list in one's policy before purchasing.
If you're on the fence on whether or not to open a PPI policy then it is smart to do some further research instead of rushing into signing up. You might want to consider PPI if you have a mortgage, loan or credit card repayments and if you want to make sure you continue to pay them if you fall ill or are made jobless. If you do decide to buy Payment Protection Insurance, and you have to choose, you should probably insure your mortgage before any loan or credit card commitments.
If you think you need a PPI plan, you should take extra care. Read through the policy documents and ask the insurance company – or an independent financial adviser or insurance broker – to explain anything you don't understand. It is better to be safe than sorry, so don't be afraid to do some thorough research and investigation before signing the agreement.


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Quixotic theme by Diana
4th September 2014
Good morning to you all. #newday #goodmorning #mykitchen
(Source: passionforbaking.com)
KitchenBakingCyanCookingPassionPassionForBakingPassion For Baking
臥底,經常給人一種神秘而冷酷無情的印象。事實上,做臥底,是否一定要過着眾叛親離、六親不認的生活?是否無可避免要經歷幕幕腥風血雨、刀光劍影?一位成 長於紅燈區的警方女臥底,被指派協助尋找幾名下落、身份不明的臥底。在紛亂的黑幫派系爭鬥、立場分明的警匪對峙中,遊走黑白兩道,進行一場屬於臥底的生存 遊戲……
市井臥底 委以重任
丁小嘉(佘詩曼飾)成長於聲色犬馬的砵蘭街,被三個妓女撫養長大,耳濡目染下,養成一身江湖習氣。小嘉投考警察後,被刑事情報科的康道行(歐瑞偉飾)委派 做專責收集情報的臥底,並在砵蘭街經營沐足店作為掩飾。可惜,道行因查出警隊內部的害群之馬而被殺人滅口,而出事之前他為了保護查出關鍵的臥底,將包括小 嘉在內的五個臥底資料全部刪除。正當小嘉惶惶不可終日之時,刑事情報科總督察卓凱(苗僑偉飾)以新接頭人的身份聯絡小嘉,希望她協助尋回其他四名下落不明 的臥底。
薛家強(林峯飾)是一個不折不扣的賭徒,混跡於「撻沙」游達富(彭懷安飾)的外圍集團做「大艇」,並與好兄弟張木榮(梁烈唯飾)從事製冰廠的工作,掩飾自 己的外圍生意。小嘉混入家強的外圍集團,成為旗下「艇仔」,更憑其聰明機智,令家強旗下的外圍盤數飆升,助他迅速上位。小嘉雖然小心行事,但在追尋其他臥 底的過程中,渾然不知自己的身份已被家強慢慢識破……
黑幫巨頭 重奪勢力
失意的浩勤運用機智與財技,在極短時間內為歡喜在金融市場大撈一筆,迅速成為歡喜的得力助手。當時正值社團選舉年,身家暴漲的歡喜為報「撻沙」陷害之仇, 誓言要在坐館選舉中奪回失去的一切。歡喜的出現改變了黑幫勢力架構,家強認為與歡喜合作才能繼續「發圍」,二人使計令「撻沙」整個勢力一夜瓦解,家強因此 獲歡喜賞識,與小嘉一同加盟其勢力集團。自此,小嘉、家強、浩勤成為歡喜的左右手。
正邪相鬥 情義兩難
Language: Cantonese
Country: Hong Kong
Times: 31 Episodes
Release Date: 25 August 2014
Cast: Michael Miu, Charmaine Sheh, Raymond Lam, Sharon Chan, Benz Hui, Elena Kong, Sammy Sum, Oscar Leung, Toby Leung
Genre: Thriller, Crime
(Source: icdrama.se)
LineWalkerLine WalkerTVBHong KongDramaCrimeThrillerPolice
Folding Bike with a Built-in Briefcase for Businessmen by Marcos Madia
BIKOFF is a folding bike with a built-in briefcase designed by Marcos Madia. The Bikoff was a finalist in the Seoul Cycle Design competition, but is currently just a concept. The designer made the fancy carbon fiber briefcase an essential element of his Bikoff bike concept's structure, adding stiffness to what would otherwise be a very flexible frame design. You don't have to carry any bags, because this folding bike has the briefcase.
FoldableBikesBikeFoldable BicycleBicycleBicyclesBriefcaseBusinessOfficePortable
20th April 2014
Source: Mir
" …. It was March 16th, 1981, one year after the introduction of the Pentax LX. The ten-millionth Pentax SLR camera, an LX, came out of AOC's main plant in Mashiko and was given to the chief designer, then chairman of Asahi Opt. Co. Ltd. Minoru Suzuki. In order to celebrate this 10 million event, on August 25th, 1981 a limited edition "LX Gold" was introduced. It was 18 carat gold plated with brown leather (also-called lizard skin or snake skin) and was equipped with an SMC Pentax f/1.2 50mm lens also with brown leather and gold finish. All dark details of the LX Gold are dark-brown instead of black, including the front lens ring and film chamber, with only the film pressure plate and the small watch curtain in black. Of course, the natural titanium shutter curtains remain unchanged. Also a brown lens cap and everready case were provided with the LX Gold. The package included a wooden box with red lining and white silk gloves to handle the camera without leaving fingerprints on the sensitive gold plating. Both the camera and the case are provided with golden carton boxes sporting 10million logo and 1981 lettering.
Only 300 pieces of the LX Gold were manufactured, 200pcs for the Japanese home market and 100pcs for the international market. Serial numbers for the LX Gold ranged from XM001 to XM300 (XM meaning ten million). Sales started in November 1981 at 850,000 Yen, but not all of them, were sold, as some were either given to Pentax importers worldwide or became prizes for photo contests. In 1983, Mr. Greg Peck won an LX Gold as first prize in a photo contest held by British magazine Camera Weekly. Mr. Peck was already a Pentax LX user and member of the Pentax Club UK. As far as I know, today in Italy there are only three LX Gold cameras, two of them being owned by AOHC members and the third one gifted by Api to a sales representative on occasion of his retirement after many years of service with them. The LX Gold XM028 was also shown at 5th Pentax Day. An American friend of mine owns another one (XM011). Apparently, the LX Gold for the US market had a different type of leather, maybe for import laws about leather of endangered species.
- By Dario Bonazza -
The original article was published on SPOTMATIC magazine #25, July 2000. The Original Content of the above can also be found here.
25th February 2014
Most importantly: you're stronger than you think.
Most importantly: you're stronger than you think.
Most importantly: you're stronger than you think.
(via thingssheloves)
This Time.
A short film.
JubileeProjectFilmshort filmjubilee projectloveweddingrelationship
20th February 2014
Source: Emmebi420
17th February 2014
This is the clock that illuminates written reminders on its integrated dry-erase board when the alarm sounds in the morning. Ideal for noting appointments, important calls, or household tasks before going to sleep, the clock's clear plastic board provides a 5 1/2"-wide x 2 3/4"-high writing surface. When the alarm goes off or when the top of the board is tapped, the clock's internal LED causes any message inscribed using the included blue-ink dry-erase pen to glow. Clock displays 12/24-hour time in 3/4"-high numbers, and switches to year/date, room temperature (Fahrenheit or Celsius) or a countdown timer at the touch of a button. Provides three alarm settings and plays 16 different alarm melodies. Requires three AAA batteries. 5 1/2" W x 4 3/4" H x 2 1/2" D. (12 oz.)
Source: Hammacher
Post It Notesnotesreminderremindersalarmclocklight uplightlit up
16th February 2014
Have you heard about Boogie Board? If you haven't, you should.
Kent Displays Reflex® LCD technology is a reflective, bi-stable display technology that retains an image indefinitely without power (bi-stability) and requires only a small amount of power to change an image. Other reflective display technologies include electrophoretic, electro-wetting and electrofluidic. Reflective displays are often referred to as e-paper for their ability to mimic ink on paper. Common applications are eReaders, eWriters, watch faces and indicators.
Reflex LCD technology is particularly well-suited to eWriter applications such as Boogie Board LCD eWriters. Reflex eWriter LCDs offer a smooth, controlled writing and drawing experience which closely mimics writing and drawing with pen/pencil on paper. The response of the Reflex LCD to the writing motion is immediate, unlike that found on other electronic writing devices like Internet tablets which often have a noticeable lag between writing motion and image creation.
The LCD used in Internet tablets are also made of glass, which can cause the stylus to "skate." Skating causes the user to lose temporary control which produces an undesirable image. Reflex LCDs are made of plastic and do not experience skating. They also will not shatter like a glass LCD.
Almost any writing instrument can be used to create an image on a Reflex LCD – even your finger. (Try that with ordinary paper!) When pressure is applied to the Reflex LCD, the effected liquid crystals change from transparent to reflective. Varying amounts of pressure will produce lines of different thickness (i.e., light pressure produces thin lines, heavy pressure produces thick lines). Pressing the erase button on a Boogie Board eWriter causes a small amount of electricity to flow across the Reflex LCD and changes all liquid crystals in it to the transparent state. When all the liquid crystals in the Reflex LCD are transparent, the LCD appears completely black (the user sees through the LCD to a black coating on its back).
Because Reflex LCDs reflect ambient light, they look best in bright light – especially sunlight (which is not the case with the LCD in your typical TV, smartphone or laptop). Images on Reflex LCDs are more difficult to see in low light conditions – just like images created on paper. However, images on Reflex LCDs are not lost when subjected to complete darkness – again, just like paper. You will see the image again when the Reflex LCD is exposed to light.
Kent Displays also sells Reflex eWriter LCDs for integration into a wide variety of third party products and devices including consumer electronics, appliances, furniture, vehicle dashboards/visors, toys and fashion apparel/accessories.
The Kent Displays web site provides addional information on Reflex LCD technology and integration of Reflex eWriter LCDs into other products.
Boogie Board Paperless LCD eWriters are an environmentally-friendly, cost-effective paper replacement. With each button push of the Boogie Board eWriter, a piece of paper is saved. More paper saved means less trees need to be cut down. Together we can reduce our global consumption of paper and the demand for it.
There are paper savings with individual use, but schools and large organizations can especially see the cost benefits. For example:
They have other versions to suit your needs.
Original 10.5Original 8.5 - PromoOriginal 8.5Jot 8.5Jot 4.5Sync 9.7
I have bought all of them. Except for Jot 8.5. The best is Rip version (which is no longer available. It can save what you wrote on it and transfer to your laptop and/or computer via data cable.) and Sync. I love Sync as you can save your notes and send via bluetooth as I only have iPad and Android phone. Therefore saving my notes is with ease. For Jot 4.5, it always put together with my handphone in a sling pouch. Use it whenever I need to jot down my To Do list or anything when I speak to my friends and to jot down notes when I don't have paper or pen.
Boogie BoardPaperSave the EarthPapersRecycleReuse
12th February 2014
PUMA Black is PUMA's line of high-fashion, expensive, and unique apparel and accessories. In the New York and Tokyo PUMA Black stores, you can now check out and purchase these 4 limited edition PUMA Black folding/collapsible bikes.
The PUMA Black bikes come in 4 colors — blue, black, pink, and green — each one only made available for purchase ONCE. Yep, that means that once a color is chosen and paid for, you can't get it anymore (unless you travel to the other PUMA Black store in a hurry).
Also interesting to note is that when/if you purchase a bike, it comes with a complete package of goodies including matching shoes, carry bag, and other gear and accessories.
Here are the general specs of each color of the bike:
Pink: BMX-style with green accents
Blue: Beach cruiser with white accents
Black: Touring bike with brown accents
Green: Road bike (all green)
If you've never been to the PUMA Black store in NYC, you should because it's a pretty neat store. It's kept in like-new condition all the time (it is a boutique after all). It's over at 421 West 14th Street.
Post blogged on 2007. Most likely the bikes is out of stocks.


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(Reuters) - Reliever Brad Lidge signed a one-year deal with the Washington Nationals, the Major League Baseball team said on Thursday, hoping the right-hander can return to his All-Star form after a season disrupted by shoulder problems.
Lidge, who did not have a single blown save in 48 chances in 2008 helping Philadelphia to a World Series, appeared in just 25 games with the Phillies last season.
In 10 seasons with the Phillies and Houston Astros, Lidge had a 26-31 record with 67 holds, 223 saves and a 3.44 earned run average.
A two-time National League All-Star and 2008 National League Comeback Player of the Year, Lidge has registered 30 or more saves in a season four times and in 2004 established a new NL single-season mark for strikeouts in relief with 157.
(Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto; Editing by Frank Pingue)


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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
But that's the fun of a PvP server. There's a real sense of war and hatred at times. Being followed by someone of the opposing faction can really get the heart going. Seeing a rogue stealth nearby keeps you on your toes.
And it's the same the other way around. Seeing someone owning mobs like there's no tomorrow and catching them off guard. People adapt to this environment over time and learn to put up pretty good fights. I've been in several incidents where more and more people join the battle, turning into tactical 5 v 5 battle for who gets to quest in a certain area.
And one of my fondest memories of WoW was my first ever world PvP kill. I was a level 50 something priest, running along on my mount, when a rogue sapped me. She didn't get a hit on me before I was able to regain control. Frantically mashing buttons in hope of causing some damage, I hit her with my holy nova. I tossed DoTs and HoTs around until she started to retreat. I was on Skype to a friend of mine at the time (also playing WoW), screaming throughout the whole fight. My words were something along the lines of "That's right, b***h! You run away!" as my Mind Flay melted her face.
Good times...


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KNOXVILLE (WATE) - Residents can begin voting on the next location of Knox County's cash mob.
The top five nominees, listed alphabetically, are:
Online voting begins Friday at
5 p.m. online at the Knox County website, and will continue until 5 p.m. on Wednesday,
March 6.
The winning business will be announced on Friday, March
"People regularly come
up to me with cash mob
suggestions, so this is a good way to get them involved in the selection
process," said Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett. "We had a lot of people go online
and nominate their favorite South Knox businesses, which goes to show that our
community cares about local business and wants to help. That's the goal of cash mobs."
Mayor Burchett started
organizing Knox Cash Mobs early
last year in an effort to help businesses in South Knoxville affected by the
Street Bridge closure.
1306 N. Broadway NE Knoxville, Tennessee 37917
Telephone: 865.637.NEWS(6397)
Fax: 865.525.4091
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com