text:
Once we were comfortable with escalating, we realized ...
My wife and I are a typical heterosexual couple, but we have a dirty secret: We're swingers. No, we don't twirl and flip to music from the 1940s; we meet other couples and have sex with each other's partners. Due to our conservative careers and even more conservative families, we keep our sexual practices to ourselves. Only a few close vanilla friends know what we're into ("vanilla" is the term swingers use to refer to anyone who isn't a swinger ... and also other swingers who happen to be covered in vanilla).
Here's what we've learned in the several years now that we've been "in the lifestyle" (that's the more subtle term swingers prefer):
We were first were introduced to the lifestyle by two married friends, whom we'd found out from common friends' gossip had an open relationship. This couple was attracted to us, and they gradually revealed their interest via heavy flirting and questionably sexual contact whenever we'd hang out. Well, I should clarify: The flirting and contact came from only the husband. The wife was pretty ambivalent about me (probably because I'm just too awesome), and the husband was always a little more aggressive than my wife was ever comfortable with.
Eventually, we realized they were into swinging because he really just wanted to fuck other women, and in an effort to preserve the marriage, she went along with it. That marriage lasted only a few years before she finally got fed up and divorced him. Yeah, I know, imagine that. She's in a new relationship now. They are not swingers, and she's way happier than she ever was with her ex-husband. And that's kind of the point here.
Due to this rocky introduction, we were initially hesitant to get into the scene. But the aforementioned couple did turn us on to websites like Kasidie and Lifestyle Lounge, where you can keep up with the scene and meet other couples (kind of like OKCupid, but for swingers). Through these sites, we found information on local mixers -- discreet get-togethers at bars, where swingers can meet each other and newbies can get their toes wet (stop giggling) in a chill setting.
The veteran couples we met at these mixers were always welcoming and more than willing to offer us advice on getting started. And perhaps most importantly, they never pressured us into doing anything we weren't ready for. In fact, we soon realized the scene is all about asking before you initiate any sort of contact with someone. That was a welcome relief for us, especially after the pressure my wife had previously received from the aforementioned husband.
As we met more and more couples who were understanding and patient, who were happy to stop the moment one of us hesitated, we realized that there are some truly good and decent people in the lifestyle. And as we got more comfortable, we started being willing to do more. That led us to three years' worth of conversations about how far we were willing to go, what exactly we were looking for within the scene, and above all else, how we were in this together. We didn't want to end up in a situation where one of us was like, "I'm bored. I'm going out fuck-hunting. If I get lucky, I'll see you tomorrow, loser!"
Once we were comfortable with escalating, we realized ...
After three years of dabbling in local mixers (without ever really hooking up with any other couples), we decided to take the next step: our first big out-of-town event. In Las Vegas, of course, because duh. This one was going to be a four-day takeover of an entire hotel, with over 1,000 swingers in attendance.
As we were packing for the trip, we psyched ourselves up for what we were sure would be a massive 96-hour orgy of writhing bodies. We had another long discussion about how far we were willing to go ("Let's just go for it all" was our consensus this time), and we showed up with roughly every condom produced that year.
Our fantasies were dashed pretty quickly. The first night, we walked into the venue and saw a bunch of people dressed in the sexiest attire we could imagine (think Vegas nightclub, but without any rules about indecent exposure). Everyone looked smoking hot, but we couldn't for the life of us figure out how to talk to anyone. As we walked around, we noticed that everyone seemed to be hanging out in their own cliques.
We felt pretty awkward, but we soon realized that this is just natural human behavior. People gravitate toward those they already know. And when you throw in the strong likelihood that you're going to be exchanging fluids with them later on in the evening, then of course, you're going to be a bit more discriminating about who you're hanging out with.
After two hours of hapless attempts to make eye contact and smile, we finally met a group who welcomed us into their circle. But even then, we soon realized that a get-together of swingers doesn't always end in a massive orgy. Sometimes people just want to catch up. The orgy with this group came the second night (seriously, stop giggling). The first night was mostly flirting.
And that's the weird thing that I never expected: how often you end up hanging around, joking and chatting with each other. Because ultimately, these people are friends first (albeit friends who make each other sticky).
As we delved into the scene, we realized that every couple has their own specific interests. Some prefer to attend parties and participate in orgies (like my wife and I, as we soon realized). Some are more "introverted" (I know, it's a weird term in this situation), preferring to meet other couples through the lifestyle websites.
Some couples will do everything but sex (soft swap). Other couples will have sex (full swap), but only if everyone is in the same room. Many couples get into the lifestyle because the woman realizes she is bisexual, so they're looking for couples where the women can play with each other, but the men are only involved with their own partners, which may sound complicated or even frustrating for the man, but really is far from something to complain about. And as we've mentioned before, there are "unicorns" -- single women who play with couples, so named because their rarity and allure are almost mythical.
Then there are the fake swingers. These couples tend to be younger. They attend all the big events, and if there's a stripper pole in the room, you can bet they'll be the first ones on it. But when it comes down to the actual swinging, they're more into the exhibitionist aspect of the lifestyle and ultimately are not looking for sex with other couples.
Since each couple sets their own boundaries, when we're out meeting other swingers, the first thing we have to figure out is what they're into. There are so many different levels of swinging that even people who've been in the lifestyle for decades can't keep track.
For this reason ...
In case the three years of negotiations I mentioned didn't drive the point home, a lifestyle couple simply can't have any communication barriers. You have to trust each other 100 percent and be open with each other about everything. Imagine the level of trust you need to be able to tell your partner, "I'm really attracted to this person, and I'd like to have sex with them" ... and then also feel comfortable that your partner won't slap you for saying that.
As an example of that communication and trust, here's a story one couple we met early on shared with us:
A massage parlor opened up near his work, and he had a sneaking suspicion it was one of those sketchy ones. He told her about it, so she laughed and replied, "Yeah, you go and check it out. Let me know how that goes." So he did. It did, in fact, turn out to be one of those massage parlors where you don't get just a massage. He opted for the "happy ending," but as he explained, it was by far the most mechanical, uncomfortable experience his penis had ever endured. He likened it to being in the grip of a jackhammer. But here's the best part: She thought it was hilarious, and they both still laugh about it to this day.
Twisted as that may sound, there was something we found oddly admirable about a couple who could joke about something like this together. My wife and I agree that stories like this are a big part of what drew us into the scene -- the fact that couples are comfortable engaging in these silly sexcapades and telling each other about them. We've only been married a few years, but seriously, we now believe this is how you 1) make a marriage last, and 2) keep it exciting for decades to come.
And once you have your communication and trust down pat, you realize that ...
Just because we're swingers doesn't mean that we'll fuck any random genitals that people whip out. But that's kind of the impression outsiders get, right? Even when we're ready for sex, we have to respect the other couples, and we definitely don't want to be the awkward aggressive one. So there ends up being a lot of "feeling each other out," so to speak. OK fine, you can giggle at that one.
No matter how excited we get, we have to recognize when our partner is 1) uncomfortable with the person we're hooking up with, 2) uncomfortable with the person they're supposed to be hooking up with, or 3) just plain not in the mood. A failure to do so is the surest way to jam a spiked butt plug into your relationship.
In fact, this was something we noticed about our now-divorced friends. It didn't matter how clearly not into another couple she was, he would keep going and even berate her for not being in the mood. Remember how I mentioned that the wife was pretty ambivalent about me? That never stopped the husband from trying to hit on my wife. And in the end, that only made all three of us (my wife and I, as well as his wife) uncomfortable.
The sad reality is, you'll often meet a couple where you are totally into your "counterpart," but your partner is not remotely attracted to theirs. Like maybe he looks like Richard Spencer or something. Or hell, maybe he is Richard Spencer. When that happens, you and your partner need to execute some covert negotiations in the heat of the moment. Because you don't want to be an asshole and say, "Sorry, dude. I like your wife, but my wife thinks you're grotesque."
At this point, you either have to agree to call it off completely, or your partner has to be willing to "take one for the team." Yes, that is a legitimate lifestyle term ... you may giggle.
Now, for the record, some couples do appear to be okay with one partner calling it a night while the other partner keeps going. But most couples we've met are leery of this, because it always smacks of those not-quite-on-the-same-page, not-so-tight couples. We're all out to have fun -- comfortable fun. And if any couple even hints of drama, well, there are plenty of other couples to hook up with.
We've talked before about how this lifestyle is predominantly driven by women, but I wanted to elaborate, because it's a huge part of what makes this work.
Whether true or not, the societal stereotype of women being demure and men being walking boners is at least acknowledged in the swinger scene. And because there is this unspoken assumption that men are more into casual sex than women, experienced couples will often let the women take the lead. That is to say, a couple will move at a pace the woman feels comfortable with.
Many of the events we attend start like any typical party, with everyone just hanging out (hehehehe) having drinks. As people loosen up, the women start dancing with each other, and at some point, that escalates into touching and kissing. Once they've sufficiently indulged their bisexual sides, only then will the men join in and everyone starts swapping. It just makes everyone so much more comfortable that way. If "reality porn" were honest, you'd skip the first five hours of it. (Sidenote: This dynamic does make it slightly more challenging to be a completely straight woman in the scene.)
Plus, there's the fact that single men are simply not welcome in the scene. Every now and then, we do meet a male unicorn (not an actual term, because single males are so rare that an actual term is pretty much moot), but they're always there by personal invitation from a female event host only. Without fail, they are incredibly charming and incredibly good-looking, and even more notably, they are respectful and don't make unwanted advances. If anything, they're available for any interested women to approach. They're not there to hit on women themselves.
The bottom line is, everyone gets creeped out by the inappropriately aggressive man. For the record, every now and then, we will run across an inappropriately aggressive woman. In these cases, though, people get less creeped out and more eye-rolly.
Put this all together, and it creates a comfortable environment for women to be sexually uninhibited and still fully in control.
Remember what I said about swingers being picky about who, when, and where they'll fuck? Well, that means something more when you consider that swinging is something we just do for fun every now and then. Just like how you and your significant other may decide to go out for a fancy dinner as a way to be romantic on a Saturday, my wife and I may decide to unleash a fuck storm as ours. Despite what the term "lifestyle" may imply, it doesn't actually consume our lives.
Yet some people seem to think we're looking to fuck anyone, anytime, anywhere. The worst is the (invariably male) acquaintance who somehow finds out about our lifestyle and is just a tad too eager with his questions -- or worse, his touching. He finds out we're swingers, and all of a sudden he thinks it's okay to touch my wife in a sexual way without any invitation from her. At best, these acquaintances come across as desperate. At worst, they feel like the opening scene of a horror movie.
Among our more tolerant (and less creepy) friends, though, awkwardness can occur too. Ever since my wife and I "came out" to our vanilla friends, most of them have accepted our lifestyle openly, and some have even been curious. Every now and then, though, we'll notice a slight physical discomfort with our presence -- like if I put my arm around a female friend, I may catch her recoiling or stiffening ever so slightly, as though she's suddenly uncomfortable with the mere thought of me touching her. My wife has noticed the same thing with a few of our male friends. It's a subtle difference in how they now respond to physical affection from us -- physical affection that was always accepted warmly in the past.
I guess it makes sense, though. Once you find out your friends are into stuff like this, it's easy to think, "Shit, he just put his arm around me. He's about to whip out his hog and take me on a tour of Hog City." The subtle recoils we get are reminders of the hurdles we ourselves had to overcome during our three-year journey to becoming swingers.
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"We've only been married a few years, but seriously, we now believe this is how you 1) make a marriage last, and 2) keep it exciting for decades to come."
I think it's ONE way to believe...it doesn't work for everyone. And this quote is what annoys me abut anyone who has an "alternative" lifestyle. Just because it works for you, doesn't mean it will for everyone. Kind of like religious belief ... everyone gets to choose what works for them so stop trying to "convert" people to your beliefs.
Other than that, each to their own preferences.
Well why did you think the "you" in that statement literally meant "you"? Why should people have to go out of their way to only speak in terms statements acceptable to every potential variable of a person out there?
Called survival bias - but its not even that.
Basically its pair of people who are married, probably are ok with each other but really like to fuck somebody else (or at least one of them).
Why would one call marriage something that is obviously just very close friendship with benefits? Its like calling beer "bread juice" - kind of joke, but you dont build communication around euphemisms. Relationship, marriage - all these imply "exclusivity". You cant just call things whatever you want for your comfort. Thats the whole point of having common language. I dont call my apartment "mansion" just to feel more important.
Yes. I've been with my husband for 10 years and there's no way we'd ever be comfortable with this. Not because it's wrong but because it's wrong for us. People seem to think there's a secret formula out there for a good marriage but i think it's more like a unique formula for each couple and you have to figure it out as you go and be willing to put the work in.
bleicher- That's a very crude outlook. A marriage is not about exclusive fucking rights. It's about two people deciding to tie their welfare together to the point where either one represents the whole.
Marriage is a social contract and what it includes is up to the people in it. You can't call it an exclusive contract for your own comfort.
Bleicher, I disagree. For some people, exclusivity is a vital part of marriage. But for others, the other ways of being there for each other until death (communication, emotional support, financial or physical support, etc.) are more important.
Some married couples don't even have sex, and they make it work. If the sexual aspect can be entirely deleted, I don't think sex being exclusive is the most important thing in order for something to be called marriage.
Ultimately, with something as complicated as relationships, you can't assume that the other person is using the same definition as you. You have to explain what you want in the relationship, and then listen to what the other person wants. That's true if you are married and want to try swinging, as explained in this article, or if you are just casualy dating someone and want to make sure you're both on the same page.
I thought they were referring to the open communication and trust their lifestyle demands.
The best part is when people who are into unconventional sex demand tolerance for everyone and then call anyone who isn't into the same stuff as them a prude.
Another way to keep the sex exciting for decades is to have more exciting sex with one another :).
This also adds to that communication building when you start getting really honest about what thing you'd like to try in the bedroom (i.e., please wail on my ass with this hairbrush, or I'd like it if we watch porn together on Tuesdays).
It's their private life so that respect is final. The issue that I generally see is it was one party of the 2 that pushed, cajoled, manipulated, or otherwise to bring the other into the fold (so they could bring "others" into the fold, ahem).
This isn't a husband trying to convince his wife into anal cuz' it's New Years or her wanting him to be some Johnny Depp clone for whatever kink they may subscribe to. IDK, blood is too thick for that mode of lifestyle in that, well, I don't want the inevitable baggage that goes w/ it given the human animal's proclivities, the risk of STI skyrocketing, a messy divorce, etc. Furthermore, I'm not sure I could do that to my girl cuz' it's not just someone you fuck, it's someone you love. And you spend more time just loving them in your day to day than you do in the sack, you know?
I don't wholly want the emphasis of the relationship to just be sexual first, everything else second. This is not to say there aren't insanely carnal moments, but it's in poor form to kiss n' tell. It's just if you lead with that, you cheapen it by association, I guess. But to each their own. Not for caring.
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To each their own as long as it is consenting adults
Well when it comes to any sort of polyamory or open relationship, it very much depends on whether both people want it. That lifestyle is great for some, and not for others. It's a matter of personal preference, at it's very core, so everyone attempting to do it would be foolish.
Yes, "vanilla" is an improper term here.
"Muggles" is what the dick-tator to this article's scribe is looking for.
It just is another way of saying "muggle". Also, maybe worry less about what terms marginalized groups come up with for people who don't belong to them. Not everything is an insult and not everything is about you. Move on. You weren't invited to the party anyway.
What are you talking about? Religion is a matter of truth, not opinion. The existence and nature of God is a factual question.
I really don't see the problem with trying to convert people to your thing. Warhammer, religon swingings probably a funny one because you've kind of involved there partner. Aslong as it's not forced or pushed conversion I don't see the problem.
No one likes an evangelist (which I learned when I was still Christian) ;). Just present the lifestyle and let people come to their own conclusions about whether or not it's for them.
"The existence and nature of God is a factual question."
There are no factual questions--just factual answers. A "factual question" is a nonsense phrase.
Honestly, I think they made that clear with the ex-couple where the wife wasn't into it at all.
I understood the same as you, but I'm thinking maybe he didn't mean swinger is how you 1) and 2), but the point that "Your Communication And Trust Has To Be Perfect".
Whether it be vanilla or cisgender I really wish people would stop labelling me based on their activities or orientation "Your not a swinger? Your vanilla then" no dick head, your the one thats a swinger you need the label I don't. Ever thought of asking people if they mind being called something before slapping a label on them? Especially one that suggests we're dull and plain.
Vanilla isn't dull and plain, it's cloying and nauseating. Doesn't matter in this context, really, but I do have an irrationally strong opinion on the subject.
It's human nature to put labels on groups, usually of the "is" and "is not" variety. I'm not saying it's necessarily good or anything, but we've been doing it for millenia. I find it interesting that I've been seeing a lot of backlash around specifically cisgender. I mean, are you mad because there's a word that means you identify as your apparent gender? Or are you just more mad because it reminds you that transgender people exist and you'd rather not be reminded of that? I mean, do you have the same problem with being labelled "heterosexual"?
Having been in the swing community for some time now I can say I've never heard that phrase used outside of articles and have never used it in real life. My non swinger friends are just my friends. Vanilla just sounds like an insult
I've never really view "vanilla" as insulting or derogatory. It was more along the lines of a warning "That person is vanilla, so cool it with the kink talk around them". It was more of a courtesy, acknowledging that not everybody is into kinky shit and not everybody sure as hell wants to hear about it.
Who cares? If they need to refer to "people who are not swingers" with any regularity, it makes sense that they'd have a less-clunky term for it.
Cannot stand the "vanilla" label.
It got to the point where the only way we could get our swinger friends to cut it out was by referring to them as "fomosexuals", a phrase I really want to become mainstream.
Vanilla seems to be a pretty universal blanket term that's either really easy or lazy to come up with and I expect has been in use for years and years where most people question it anymore.
What bothers me about vanilla is that its disrespectful to a genuinly great and popular flavor. Vanilla is awesome because its sweet and mellow, you can add so many different flavors to it, it can be in so many different types of food. It can be a deep, medium, or light flavor depending on how you prepare it. Hell in order to make chocolate you add vanilla to it.
Also in pop culture it always seems to be a disparaging term, like people aren't enjoying their sex lives just because they aren't kinky. Like on top of everything else, from judging me on the amount or lack therof of sex I have, you will also judge me on the type I enjoy. So wrong to judge you for your sexual nature, alright for you to judge mine? No, that's bs.
Cis/trans can be handy as a point of clarification, plenty of trans folks also just want to be regarded as men and women.
I agree, keep your nasty stuff private, peeps.
Labels are overrated, but maybe you should stop getting so offended.
Labels are about identity. Some can't help but compartmentalize things. Assumed it makes people feel informed and satisfies expectations. Very few ways to identity a person whom hasn't adjusted to the swing of things yet (ha!). Don't get how vanilla fits though. Isn't it a common flavor of ice cream?
I get the same feeling I get being called "vanilla" that I did when my LARPing friend called me "a mundane." Just... rude!
Also, I'm kinky AND monogamous, so it's doubly annoying because it's half wrong.
Can't there be a scientific term (like cisgender) versus a judgemental, passive-aggressive term (like vanilla)?
It's a pejorative for them/others in attempt to move the goalposts like any other demographic that feels attacked, marginalized, or otherwise. Otherwise known as the same ole' BS like anything else.
You'RE taking the high road, the smarter road if you just keep it clinical and honest. Your penchant for immediately making it personal and condescending to any outsider is both stupid and ironic. You make a shit showing of your demographic and immediately garner not just a detractor for yourself as you've just put someone down, but you've earned your choice demographic and enemy from this person when some of them therein might be better ppl. At least, better than you, the antagonist calling all "nons" "vanilla" and the like.
short version: pride/stupidity bigger than their common sense.
The problem with this view is that it always puts the burden on the outlier group to "behave" beyond ordinary human expectations. It's not like most monogamous couples you meet are going to be interested whatsoever in participating, so it's not up to swingers to try and humour or indulge them.
If that's not what you want and you want mutual respect, then say it; don't get mad about individuals using terms you think are derogatory if you there might even be an inkling of a thought that these could be defensive expressions born from previous antagonism. Living alternative-anything in this world is often a call for immediate judgement, hatred and derision from the outside world, and yet there's this demand for everyone in these groups to be saint-like hyper-tolerants, as if any nearby sneering rubber-necker is a potential convert.
So if you want others to rise above these labels and resentments, then tend your own garden accordingly with some dignity too.
Look, I'm childfree, but I refrain from calling those who aren't "Breeders."
Because I'm not an asshole.
The term is normal.
Labels are what keep people from drinking windex.
Vanilla is label used for anyone into "normal" sex. So they aren't into BDSM, aren't swingers, don't have any kinks that are of the more taboo nature. It's a well known term that is often used jokingly. You don't have to freak out about it.
So not liking a passive-aggressive term is "freaking out."
Truly, there is no winning, and, apparently, no room for compromise.
It's just a request: Don't be snarky toward others, as you would have them not be snarky toward you. (I think that's in the Bible or something...)
I halve no beef with "transgender" if thats what anyone wants to be called, i usually go for their name though seems polite to me.
The prefix "cis" means the opposite of the prefix "trans." Cisgender is an objectively accurate term for someone who isn't transgender, like how "heterosexual" is the objectively accurate term for somebody who is attracted to the opposite sex.
If I were in a polyamorous or open relationship, I would be terrified of the thought of accidentally impregnating one of those partners and bringing a child into that situation. I would want her to abort, yet the fact that it's not my decision, but would be partly my fault, would be hanging over my head. I would need to have had a vasectomy just to not feel guilty about it, and even then, I'm not sure whether or not that'd be enough.
And even I don't take offense to the term "vanilla."
You know why? Because I'm not the type to put words in people's mouths. They said monogamous people are vanilla. They didn't say that's a bad thing. They shouldn't have to walk on eggshells just because others jump to conclusions.
Most groups (especially small groups) will come up with a term for the larger group, so they can quickly and easily discuss them.
Ahahahahahaha XD
OK, anyone who legitimately regards vanilla as a pejorative term is either amazingly insecure, has a considerable victim complex, or, as seems to be the case here by the pointless insult, just wants an excuse to whine about people with different lifestyles.
"@MrBunny: The problem with this view is that it always puts the burden on the outlier group to 'behave' beyond ordinary human expectations."
As I understand it, the PROBLEM was with the word, not the entirety of the lifestyle. I mean, it's not a problem until someone makes it one, right? So why start w/ the negative to non-poly out of the gate? It's not some grandiose hate speech or anything so over-the-top, but I've heard it enough on dark wave nights (since '95), largely B&D predominating, some poly, and elsewhere to sniff out a playful ribbing vs. some passive-aggressive jab and everything in between.
Generally, it was never a problem. You maybe knew a couple that had a kink and others you didn't. No one had to attach a label, compartmentalize and simplify an otherwise complex, but more importantly, private matter. No one goes to work and publicly makes idle chit chat about peeing on ppl or gets on Cracked to lead with their kink for strangling hobos to get off...uh, anymore.
And with that definition, that need for validation or whatever their motivation was, that penchant for pigeonholing came the inevitable backlash like any other demographic. Now this isn't a presumption that anyone who says "vanilla" is possessed of malice of forethought (see "gentle ribbing"). That's the key. But when it is, and it's to basically talk shit to anyone not on board for a personal choice that was right for them/their partner, I mean, damn...wtf?
But what I will say is this, if you publicly wear an aspect of your (and partner's) private life on your sleeve, that probably says more for you than your sexual proclivities. And if you need to take pot shots to anyone that's not in it, even those that don't give AF, well, what then? Better to make friends (Hell, potentially new partners, right?) than alienate or antagonize. If you're just being objective as smarter eggs said above, well, no harm no foul.
There's really nothing different between "straight" and "cisgender". No straight person Minda being called straight so what's wrong with being called cisgender?
What is wrong with using vanilla as short hand for identifying someone is into or out of a lifestyle?
I met someone the other night and while talking on the phone the term came up. By using that term, we were quickly able to answer if we had a preference for sex that most people would call 'alternative.'
It's not meant to be derogatory, just short hand to identify which side of the sexual divide you fall in.
Asking that question we were able to determine we are at least in the same galaxy of sexulaity.
Galaxies are really big though and there are many solar systems of preference. Some of those non-vanilla types would never ever fly through, let alone visit.
What about terms like "gentile," or "gadjo?" Minority groups will always have terms for everyone else, and vis-versa.
"What's wrong with 'vanilla'..."
The list of people above who don't like being labelled 'vanilla'.
Holy shit, how hard can it be.
Sanctioning or condemnation aside, it's not very telling.
That is to say, when I'd heard "vanilla" between tracks otherwise heightened sexual fare on a typical goth-industrial circuit, it was generally indicative of a hint of slander, but even when it wasn't- say, a casual acquaintance noting that new guy over there (Oh, jeans and a 'T', must be vanilla...) it didn't take a genius to realize that was foolish. It's not like our judgment's already impaired on 3 vodka tonics, beer, what have you and this is to say nothing for a wealth of the girls disappearing to the lady's room for more, uh, extended play (coke and the like, generally).
But it wasn't. Even the most ardent leather daddy or dominatrix barbie rocking out to even a run-of-the-mill NIN track didn't seem vanilla, but woe to you if you try and venture some poly bit on select groups of them. That is to say, despite not being "vanilla" as evidenced by a landfill of cuffs, crops, "specific" piercings, etc., many are definitely NOT into sharing. That is THEIR SPECIAL SOMEONE and it's hard enough to get that as a minority demographic in a world that often doesn't share that sentiment or kink.
And then it hit me, that whole 'D' in B&D let alone elements of S&M makes a pretty huge nod to control, a more formal declaration or will/desire/etc. Ceding that to 3rd parties often runs anathema to many who subscribe to that relationship, but they sure as shit weren't "vanilla" and more than a few would turn on you in a heartbeat for even insinuating an intimate dalliance, group play, what have you. Others not. But what was seemingly a fine line in appearance did not jibe well with a rather bland, careless adjective to note who was who, what was what even if they meant no harm in the reasoning to the regular majority types.
I'd say labels are great. I was talking about dwalfs with a mate (actually I used the word midget but there was no in the car to offend). How could we talk about people with are medically alot shorter without using terminology (we could but it would be clumsy).
In a night club I might also want to communicate to a guy that i'm not gay or if I'm acting uncomfortable they might say the same to me.
I'd say it's fine to not like terms but in that case you owe said person please don't use that particular term before you cause trouble. I was on a online conversation on youtube where someone kept calling me bigoted for using the term drag queen (to rather to men who dress as woman for entertainment) and the term lady boy. I kind of wish I argued back with them rather than trying to build a understanding now. They had a point about the term lady boy but they could have just said. I didn't know the finer details of what they where pissed about at the start of it.
So I'm black but not a swinger....am I still vanilla? Tee-hee of course I am, the vanilla bean is black.
Sure, I'll get on that. What would you prefer to be called?
You already have "person with human rights" and a monopoly on the definition of "man" or "woman" as gifts of being part of the majority, what else would you like from your minority fellow-folk? What's another thing done in the service of the majority after centuries of oppression for any deviation from them?
I know it's been such a burden on the majority to include even one or two new terms for the people they'd rather stuff in a closet somewhere, even if such terms are rarely used without a deep eye roll or coupled immediately with a whine about how little attention said majority card holder is getting for a brief moment in their otherwise represented by society experience. But, hey -- it's what's expected of people who can't easily start a lynch mob, so what are you looking for? Let me, once again, change for you. Always happy to be of help because might get chased with pitchforks if I say otherwise!
If I can't use "average" "vanilla" "normie" "straitlaced" "standard" "middle of the bell curve" "usual" "Brad/Janet" or any variation because I see now how hurtful it is to not be better represented in a group that you're not a part of from the side of a society that has been violently puritanical to non-standard sexual practices -- what would you prefer? Because I am going to talk about you behind your back, just like everyone does about everyone else, and you're the outsider here. Yeah, you need the label in this situation, I don't. What name do you want to eavesdrop in on and then complain about on the internet next?
Vanilla has a pejorative context, only when it's coupled with, "Boy, isn't it so frustrating how needy vanilla people are about wanting yet more representation for their lives and sexual practices that society is already built around?" Still, I doubt you'll ever have it directed your way, outside of you taking on that definition, then being offended by it, after reading it in an article about one single niche of heteronormative swingers. Because that is rude, to be openly nasty or dismissive to someone's face, dick head. Luckily, it's something you're unlikely to find unless you go bitching about how sad you are that people you're not connected to aren't putting your lifestyle on a pedestal in comparison to their own. You know, that thing the minority has and probably always will get to deal with.
What about snowflake? Isn't that a term used now for people who just desperately need to have attention brought their way because they don't feel coddled appropriately by strangers? I mean, snowflakes are unique and beautiful, but still make up just a sea of indistinguishable blankness when lumped together. Or how about "C+'s?" It's right there in the middle, but that plus can really highlight how you're neither dull, nor plain. Making sure that no one ever forgets how special and important you are, even for a moment, even if you have nothing to do with the communities that have so cruelly dismissed and judged you by associating you with the most produced/popular flavors of iced cream products.
Welp, in that case, I label you as someone who doesn't like to be labeled which, BTW... is a label.
Also... are you implying that the opposite of those labels, such as transgender, for example, are "deviations" from some kind of "norm"? Because that is *exactly* why labels like "cisgender" exist. We who are not trans refused to label ourselves as anything other than "normal", but were more than happy to label those who are trans... often with demeaning slurs. So they came up with a label for us, at least in part as a way to normalize themselves. There's nothing more "normal" about being cis over being trans, just as there's nothing more normal about being heterosexual over being homosexual, or being a man over being a woman, or being white over being a person of color... even being vanilla over being a swinger (or having some or more other kinks).
Stop whining about labels and deal with the fact that we all have them. Labels are an inherent part of language and always will be... no amount of hipster crying about them will change that, Mr. I Don't Like Being Labeled Because I'm "Normal".
I've got a label for piggysayswhat over here: TWAT.
"(stop giggling)"
"OK fine you can giggle at that one"
Thank you!
Society has gone to weirdly extreme efforts to keep women's bodily functions a secret from everyone.
Movies are not written by rooms full of experts obsessing over every detail.
Some advice on bumper stickers and memes is just dangerous nonsense.
Some blockbusters accidentally end up proving the villain was right all along.
The challenges facing modern militaries are very real ... and very stupid.
Becoming a social media influencer is what the gig economy requires.


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DGS Publications
|Publication Date
|OFR48 Results of the Domestic Well Water-Quality Study
|Pellerito, V., Neimeister, M.P., Wolff, E., Andres, A.S.
|SP22 The Hurricane of October 21-24, 1878
|Ramsey, K.W., Reilly, M.J.
|SP10 Selected Papers on the Geology of Delaware
|Jordan, R.R., Pickett, T.E., Kraft, J.C., Sheridan, R.E., Spoljaric, N., Thompson, A.M., Woodruff, K.D., Varrin, R.D., Leavens, P.B., Carey, W.L.
|RI8 Evaluation of the Water Resources of Delaware
|Baker, W.W., Varrin, R.D., Groot, J.J., Jordan, R.R.
|B10 Salinity of the Delaware Estuary
|Cohen, B., McCarthy, L.T. Jr.
|RI1 Salinity of the Delaware Estuary
|Cohen, B.


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In a string quartet, the viola and the second violin are commonly referred to as the inner voices, less frequently in the spotlight, yet essential to the core of any ensemble's sound.
Mary Ruth Ray, as the founding violist of the Lydian String Quartet and as a key member of the ensemble at Emmanuel Music, was one of Boston's most dependable inner voices.
"She was the glue," said Judith Eissenberg, the Lydian's second violinist. "She was a leader who leads by connecting people, by building consensus. She had an incredible intelligence and was a very lyrical player.
"It was the perfect combination of talents for an inner voice," Eissenberg said.
Ms. Ray, who joined the faculty at Brandeis University in 1980 and became chairwoman of the music department in 2005, died of cancer Tuesday in Coolidge House in Brookline. She was 56 and had lived in Jamaica Plain.
"Working with Mary Ruth was one the great privileges in my life as a composer," Lee Hyla wrote in an e-mail. "She was deeply musical, she had tremendous soul as a person and a violist, and she was calm and forceful as a chamber musician."
Scott Edmiston, director of the university's Office of the Arts, said in a statement on the school's website that "Mary Ruth had a profound and lasting impact on the arts at Brandeis, as both a teacher and an artist. Her legacy is one of grace and beauty."
Born in Knoxville, Tenn., Ms. Ray began her musical life on the viola, unlike many violists, who begin on the violin and later switch. She was 10 when she met Eissenberg through a common teacher, and they met again at the State University of New York at Purchase, from which Ms. Ray graduated with a bachelor's degree in music.
In Boston in 1980, the two joined with violinist Wilma Smith and cellist Rhonda Rider to audition for a new resident quartet position being formed at Brandeis. The move was rather bold, given their lack of experience as an ensemble.
"We rehearsed madly for five hours — the first movement of Ravel Quartet, and the Haydn 'Sunrise' — and then presented ourselves as a pre-formed quartet," Rider recalled, still sounding slightly incredulous over three decades later. They won the position.
"I remember thinking that Mary Ruth had an incredibly beautiful sound and was just made for chamber music," Rider said.
Over the decades in residence at Brandeis, the Lydian Quartet made itself indispensable to the Boston musical community. The quartet was honored with prizes, most notably the prestigious Naumburg Chamber Music Award in 1984, and earned a reputation for musical intelligence paired with an exploratory spirit. The latter emerged most palpably in its championing of local composers, including Hyla, Yehudi Wyner, and John Harbison.
In 1977, before cofounding the Lydian Quartet, Ms. Ray joined Emmanuel Music and went on to become a core member of that ensemble during the decades when it earned national recognition for its complete cycles of Bach's Cantatas under the direction of Craig Smith, who died in 2007.
"She's always embodied the heart and soul and the philosophy of music here," said Ryan Turner, Emmanuel Music's artistic director. "Her music-making was even poetic at times because of the way that, as a violist, she was engaged in the text and with everybody around her."
In 1970, she met fellow violist Leonard Matczynski, who also had a long association with Emmanuel Music. They married in 1978 and had one son. They separated in 2009.
During her decades with the Lydian Quartet, the group built a lengthy discography that encompasses both standard repertory and contemporary works by American composers. In 1987, Smith left the quartet and was replaced by violinist Daniel Stepner. In 2002, Rider departed and was replaced by cellist Joshua Gordon. Ms. Ray also played on several recordings with Emmanuel Music.
A service will be announced for Ms. Ray, who leaves her son, Will Matczynski of St. Paul; a sister, Roberta of Seattle; and a brother, Bill of Nashville.
When reached Thursday, Harbison, who also plays viola, recalled years of watching Ms. Ray closely.
"She exemplified something about the viola temperament: collaborative, alert, not particularly talkative, but aware of what everybody else was playing," the composer said.
"I always told her she was my teacher, because she had a way of playing that broke things down to the most direct sets of issues. She always found a solution that was not histrionic, but was effective and economical.
"I think that, ideally, is what being a violist is all about," he said. "There was just something so right to the core about the way she made music."Jeremy Eichler can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Hi, would you like to play this Wednesday or Thursday? I can play anytime after 6 pm. I live close to Ray and Arizona. We can play at Chandler High School. You can email me at firstname.lastname@example.com --Murali
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The Angels over the past 2 1/2 weeks have twice gone days with an 11-man pitching staff. It's not an ideal situation, and as expected they rectified it Saturday when they sent Grant Green down to Triple-A Salt Lake even though the second baseman/outfielder was batting .359 in 64 at bats.
Called up to bolster the bullpen was right-hander Cory Rasmus, who was up for a week in May.
"We've been having an 11-man staff for a week or so and we know at some point you're going to have to have to get a little more depth in your bullpen," manager Mike Scioscia said prior to Saturday's game against the visiting Chicago White Sox. "And with Matt (Shoemaker) pitching today, obviously he's out of the mix to help us in the pen.
"Our guys have been throwing a lot down there, so we need to get a little more depth."
Shoemaker took Hector Santiago's spot in the starting rotation after Santiago (0-6, 4.82 ERA) failed as a starter, was used just twice in relief over nearly a two-week period and ultimately was sent down to Salt Lake on May 21.
Shoemaker (3-1, 4.03 ERA) started against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday.
Not easy decision
Scioscia admitted it was difficult to tell Green, who batted .280 in 125 at bats for the Angels in 2013 and has a career average of .284 in parts of two major-league seasons, that he was headed to Salt Lake.
"It's another tough conversation to have," the manager said. "Grant definitely has shown what he can do in the major leagues and he's going to get another opportunity at some point, but right now we have to get back to 12 pitchers."
Sending down someone else, such as C.J. Cron, wasn't going to happen because Scioscia uses him at first base when Albert Pujols is the designated hitter. Cron played first with Pujols at DH on Friday, then the two switched roles Saturday.
"I think the coverage of first base with C.J. is important right now, too," Scioscia said.
Cron is batting .299 with three home runs and 14 RBIs in 87 at-bats.
Green, who also plays left field, is a second baseman/shortstop at this time. Scioscia said he is hoping to get him some work at third base and first base so he can become even more versatile.
Rasmus is stoked
As bummed out as Green must have been, Rasmus was that excited to return to the big leagues. He pitched two scoreless innings on May 7 against the Yankees and a third of an inning May 12 against Toronto. He did not fare well against the Blue Jays, thus his 7.71 ERA.
But he spoke in confident tones in the clubhouse ahead of Saturday's game.
"I was pretty excited," he said of his recall. "I've been throwing the ball a little bit better lately and I'm obviously excited for the chance to come up to the big leagues and play again.
"But at the end of the day, it's all about coming up here and winning so, hopefully, I feel I can come up here and help us compete a little bit."
Rasmus was 2-1 with an ERA of 4.28 in 21 games with Salt Lake, all in relief. Scioscia said Rasmus can be used a number of ways. Rasmus is fine with however he might be utilized.
"I don't come up here with any particular role in mind," said Rasmus, 26. "I mean, any time they call me, I'm ready to go, whether it may be long relief or something later in the game. I'm not really picky. I get the chance to come up here and get the opportunity to throw. I'm happy with that."


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From Fast Company (a publication I didn't realize was still in business) comes this gem:
"In a simpler time, design wasn't harsher than a mixed-martial arts event. In the olden days, say three years ago, companies would order their new logos and new-and-improved packaging from their design fortresses on high, and the lowly customers below would quietly accept the blobby, 3D-textured versions of once-beloved logos without complaint.
No more of course, as we've seen all too clearly in the last month with Facebook's reconsideration of its new look his week after a whopping 94% of users gave a thumbs down to the redesign, and Tropicana yanking its new packaging created by the Arnell Group after the primary customer reaction was that their grocery had introduced a generic store-brand O.J. and where was the orange with the straw in it?"
Read more, here.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Design and the Consumer
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Biloxi Hotel Reviews
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Wekfest 2011
Long Beach, CA Car Show
Wekfest's first stop was Long Beach, California at the Queen Mary on Sunday June 5th, 2011. The event is sponsored by Fatlace and Wekos and showcases some of the best-built cars in the area.
Wekfest prides itself on not being a car meet but more of a spectacle of well-built cars for the show attendees. The event organizers specify early registration with show cars needing final approval from a panel of judges to enter the feature car area.
We were happy to see a huge turn out of Euros including Andrew Wang's E46 (et08/11) and Mert Contapay's Daughters E36 M3 with its custom wide-body in the show area.
Weksos and Fatlace plan on continuing the tour and taking Wekfest to McCormick Place in Chicago, IL on August 20th, 2011.
Texas and Hawaii will also be able to enjoy the show with dates coming soon. Check out the official website for pre-sale tickets and more information:


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Movies: 'Muppets Most Wanted,' '300: Rise of an Empire' & 'Need for Speed'
Following are Susan Granger's reviews of the latest movies playing in area theaters:
The prophetic opening musical number -- "We're Doing a Sequel ... It's what we do in Hollywood, though it's never quite as good" -- heralds Jim Henson's fuzzy fellows' new, globe-trotting crime caper.
Beginning where their previous film ended, the Muppets are on Hollywood Boulevard celebrating their reunion. Meanwhile, across the globe, nefarious forces are at work. An evil Kermit look-alike named Constantine (voiced by Matt Vogel) has escaped from Gulag 38B and concocted a diabolical scheme with Dominic Badguy (Ricky Gervais), a talent manager whose name is pronounced "Bad-jee." Dominic convinces the Muppets to go on an international tour, telling them, "I want you to conquer the world."
Not coincidentally, every grand European theater they're booked into just happens to be near a bank or museum that can be robbed during their performance. Their first gig is in Germany, where they're a bit disconcerted by billboards heralding "Die Muppets." But when they arrive in Berlin, Kermit (voiced by Steve Whitmire) is kidnapped and shipped to Siberia, where his Gulag is commanded by Nadya (Tina Fey), a musical comedy-obsessed prison guard. Disguised as Kermit, Constantine ardently woos Miss Piggy, fostering her fantasy of a lavish European wedding at the Tower of London, where the Crown Jewels are kept. On their trail are bumbling Interpol agent Jean Pierre Napoleon (Ty Burrell) and Sam the Eagle, while courageous Kermit concocts a Von Trapp-like escape during a talent show, arriving at the nuptial altar just in time to allow Miss Piggy to discern which frog is the real croaker.
Co-scripted by Nicholas Stollar and director James Bobin with songwriter Bret McKenzie, it's reminiscent of "The Great Muppet Caper" (1981), as the felt-covered friends once again frolic with a host of celebrities, including Lady Gaga, Celine Dion, Sean Combs, Zach Galifianakis, Salma Hayek, Saoirse Ronan and Frank Langella. Most memorably, Ray Liotta, Danny Trejo and Jermaine Clement sing and Christoph Waltz waltzes.
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "Muppets Most Wanted" is a swift-paced, smartly spoofy 7. Family-friendly, it's mistaken identity fun.
Told in the same distinctive visual style as Zack Snyder's "300," this contiguous saga pits Greek general Themistocles (Sullivan Stapleton) against attacking Persian forces, ruled by glistening God-King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), son/heir to King Darius, and led by his naval commander, cunning and vengeful Artemisia (Eva Green). The timeline is confusing since this occurs during and after the fall of Spartan King Leonidas at Thermopylae.
As the Athenian politician who earnestly believes in democracy, Themistocles attempts to unite the disparate Greek city-states to fight together against the Persian invaders, but he runs into major opposition from Spartan Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey), who serves as storyteller.
Scripted by Snyder and Kurt Johnstad, based on the graphic novel "Xerxes" by Frank Miller, it's vividly directed by Noam Murro and photographed by Simon Duggan with excessive amounts of blood splattering in slow motion. According to Hellenistic historian Herodotus, Xerxes and Artemesia existed but his origin story and the details of their relationship have been fictionalized, along with Artemesia's sex-and-violence interlude with Themistocles aboard her barge.
While Australian actor Stapleton ("Animal Kingdom") propels the plot, Green ("Casino Royale") steals the show with her sensuous, ferociously villainous portrayal. Credit goes to stunt coordinator/second-unit director Damon Caro for the intricate sword play and epic, bare-chested, hand-to-hand combat sequences, and nods to VFX supervisor Richard Hollander and Bryan Hirota at Scanline for the roiling, hyper-stylized Aegean Sea.
FYI: The physical sets -- including segments of Greek wooden triremes and the black-clad Persian warships -- were constructed on soundstages at Nu Boyana Studio, just outside of Sofia, Bulgaria. Scenes where the actors had to go into the water were filmed in tanks in London at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden. And every set, both interior and exterior, was surrounded by blue or green screens, which would later be transformed into views of ancient Greece or Persia.
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "300: Rise of an Empire" is a stylized 6, an action fantasy filled with brutal naval battles and brimming with excessive grisly gore.
Based on the most successful racing video-game franchise, the gimmick of this new adrenaline-propelled action adventure is that there's no CGI.
Tobey Marshall (Aaron Paul from "Breaking Bad") is a mechanic who races muscle cars on the unsanctioned street-racing circuit. Desperate to keep his family-owned garage afloat, he reluctantly partners with arrogant, wealthy ex-NASCAR driver Dino Brewster (Dominic Cooper). Just after he's made a sale through car broker Julia Maddon (Imogen Poots), a disastrous race, in which Tobey's protege Pete (Harrison Gilbertson) is killed, allows sleazy Dino to frame Tobey for manslaughter. Dino then steals his high school sweetheart, Pete's sister Anita (Dakota Johnson), and expands the business.
Out of prison two years later, Tobey is determined to wreak revenge by defeating Dino in a secret, high-stakes, no-rules race known as the De Leon, run by online shock jock Monarch (Michael Keaton). Problem is: Tobey's in Mount Kisco, N.Y., and the race starts 2,800 miles away in San Francisco in 45 hours. Driving a $2.7 million custom Ford Mustang -- "the one Carroll Shelby was building when he died" -- Tobey and Julia careen across America, dodging cops and determined mercenaries who want the massive bounty that Dino's put on his head. Helping along the way are Rami Malek, as a bug-eyed mechanic, and hip-hop star Scott Mescudi (a.k.a. Kid Cudi), as an Army Reserve pilot.
Incoherently scripted by George Gatins with numerous plot holes and cliched dialogue, it's choppily directed by Scott Waugh, whose father, legendary stuntman Fred Waugh, coordinated movie sequences for 40 years. Scott's own resume includes "Act of Valor," "Spider-Man," "Speed" and "Batman Forever." He was determined to keep the rubber-burning action real without resorting to CGI, so when you see that gravity-defying, 160-foot leap across multiple lanes in downtown Detroit traffic, "hot-fueling," aerial flips, helicopter lifts and other joyriding feats -- they're genuine.
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "Need for Speed" stalls out with a stilted, finish-line 4. The exhilarating, high-octane speed is authentic but the acting is abysmal.


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On Friday afternoon, a grenade bomb was dropped from an abandoned building in Bangkok, Thailand, onto a crowd of marching protestors. According to The Guardian, over thirty people were injured in the explosion. We were at the demonstration Friday, talking with protestors about what was happening.
Protestor Saowalux Poshyamandama explained how the conflict all started with a woman named Yingluck Shinawatra. According to this protestor, Prime Minister Shinawatra, as well as other associated government officials, have used money to gain power and instill corruption. While these politicians claim to be doing good for the people, the protestors believe that their leaders are only further lining their own pockets.
They believe that Shinawatra and her party are using money and clout to bully other parties right out of their offices. What's worse is that government officials like Shinawatra have been outright convicted of crime, yet remains in positions of power in the nation.
According to another protestor, who wishes to only be known as "Kong", the protests are a direct response to the recently passed Amnesty Law, which allows government officials immunity from criminal penalties. This means that when Thai government officials violate the law, their convictions can be nullified simply because they are government officials.
As a result of the Amnesty Law, Shinawatra has been refunded the money she was fined for not paying taxes. Furthermore, she refuses to resign as Thailand's Prime Minister. Protestors believe that elections are fixed, and call for a legal and truthful democracy.
"I want to reform first," said one protestor by the name Sam, "Before [the] election. If [they do] not reform, they buy [the] votes." Protestors are calling for stricter policies in parliament and government official accountability. They call for a government shut down and restart – they call for an entire Thai revolution.
"We want respect in elections and a real democracy," remarks another protestor who listens intently to public speakers from Bangkok's Lumpini Park.
According to Kong and his associate, there is a campaign in Thailand to spread a belief that in order for government to function effectively, it is necessary to have a reasonable amount of corruption. Yet, instead, the highly promoted idea that government corruption is the key to social order is partly the cause for social unrest.
The impact of this outrage is visibly phenomenal as thousands of protestors gather around Thailand's MBK shopping complex and Lumpini Park. The sheer numbers have effectively shut down the heart of Bangkok, the highly commercialized Silom district, crippling both local commerce and transportation. English teacher Carly Forsaith explained how school was canceled as a result of the incredible crowds who have gathered to support a revolution in Thailand.
Yet, protestors remain peaceful. They wear "Shutdown Bangkok" t-shirts and wrap bands that read "nonviolent" across their foreheads. They lay out sheets to sit upon as they share noodles and curry. They listen to passionate speeches by revolutionary leader Suthep Thaugsuban and sing along to music as they wave giant Thai flags.
"This movement is different than the red shirts of 2010," remarks Kong, "Because we are unarmed and refuse to use violence. As you can see, our protests are more like a festival."
This remains true even after Friday's bomb explosion. According to various protestors, the grenade attack was a direct hit from the government to suppress the people's right to speak out. Several protestors claim to have seen men in "SWAT" hats surrounding the abandoned building where the grenade was dropped from, as well as SWAT team catering and other equipment.
Report by Kat Vallera
Images and video by Scott O'Brien
Hodal, Kate. "Bangkok Anti-government Protesters Wounded in Grenade Attack." Theguardian.com. Guardian News and Media, 18 Jan. 2014. Web. 17 Jan. 2014.
Murdoch, Lindsay. "Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra Refuses to Resign as Protesters Plan Arrest." The Sydney Morning Herald. World, 15 Jan. 2014. Web. 17 Jan. 2014.


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Product Description
The Alabama Trio allows you to enter into a transparent and lightweight dimension. Doors slide quietly and smoothly and close elegantly thanks to the magnetised profiles. Its simplicity reflects a contemporary idea of beauty. However, it does not fail to achieve great maintenance, reliability and practicality.
- Corner entry Shower enclosure 3 sides consists of 1 fixed panel and 2 sides with sliding doors
- Sliding system of 8 shower door runner rollers
- Tempered safety glass
- Anodised aluminium profiles with a chrome finish
- Flap watertight seals on fixed and sliding panels
- Magnetic closure
- Chrome steel handles
- Reversible glass panels: they can be fitted on theLEFT or on the RIGHT hand side
- Detachable doors for easy cleaning
- Tolerance: 20mm out-of-the-true-wall adjustable profile (see tab. below for more details)
- Shower tray not included
- CE certified product according to the new Regulation (EU) No 305/2011 CPR
- Two-year warranty
Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us directly. We are always here to help you.
Additional Information
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April 14, 2005
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Babson College defeated the MIT men's lacrosse team, 9-5, in Pilgrim Lacrosse League action on Wednesday. Isaac Taylor led the Engineers (3-4, 2-2 Pilgrim) with two goals. Zach Brewer collected 23 saves in goal.
Babson took control early with a goal 1:16 into the contest. The game remained scoreless until the 11:46 mark of the second period, when the Beavers extended their lead to two. Babson ended the half with a 4-0 advantage over Tech. After the Beavers posted a pair of goals early in the third frame, MIT's Taylor ended the shutout with 7:59 remaining. Babson scored once more, resulting in a 7-1 lead at the close of the period.
The Engineers' offense came alive in the final stanza, as it outscored the Beavers, 4-2. Babson posted the first goal of the period, only to be answered with a score from Clinton Cain at the 9:59 mark. Almost 30 seconds later, Taylor tacked on his second goal of the day. The Beavers tallied its final goal of the day, interrupting MIT's run. Tech recorded two more goals during the last three minutes of the game. Jonathan Stolmeier set up Carter Powers with 3:21 left on the clock. A minute later, Stefano Young notched the last goal of the game.


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JBL Flip 2 NBA Edition - KnicksDetails https://uk.jbl.com/JBL+FLIP+II+NYK.html
Portable wireless speaker with 5-hour battery and speakerphone technology
Portable wireless speaker with 5-hour battery and speakerphone technology
Cutting-edge drivers and a built-in bass port.
Dual 40 mm drivers and a custom tuned built-in bass port for faithful sound reproduction so you never miss a word in your favorite music no matter what volume you play your music.
SoundClear® echo and noise cancellation and customized microphone.
SoundClear® echo and noise cancellation technologies and a built-in customized microphone further reduce background noise and distortion so your phone calls come through crisp and clear on the Flip 2 at any volume.
Bluetooth wireless streaming and connectivity to all smartphones and tablets
Stream music from any portable smart devices to the Flip 2, its that simple. With easy Bluetooth set up thanks to NFC and stable Bluetooth connection the Flip 2 serves all your portable music needs.
Signature JBL Flip design for portability that fits in your hand.
The JBL Flip 2 features the same shape you know from Flip 1. In multiple colors and enhanced material and finishing the JBL Flip 2 is an upgrade from the original in performance and style.
The award-winning Flip 2 wireless portable speaker from JBL brings rich sound into your portable lifestyle for all your wireless phones and tablets. Engineered with JBL aptitude and attitude, the Flip 2 uses two drivers and a built-in bass port for powerful bass that adds dynamic depth to your listening experience along with crisp vocals all in a speaker that fits in your hand. And because sometimes your phone is for more than music, the Flip 2 has a built in microphones and SoundClear® echo and noise cancellation technologies so you can use Flip 2 as a hands free speakerphone and never miss a word. JBL Flip 2 the wireless, portable, rechargeable battery powered speaker that is an all-terrain party you can carry in the palm of your hand.
General Specifications
Audio Specifications
Speaker Specifications
Control and Connection Specifications
- 1 JBL Flip 2 portable stereo speaker
- 1 x USB adapter
- 1 x USB cable
- 1 x carrying case
- Quick-start guide
- Safety sheet
Manuals & Downloads
The latest owner's manuals, quick start guides, and documents.
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Nyqust's OT winner helps Red Wings even series with Ducks
Anaheim, CA – Gustav Nyquist's first career playoff goal came 1:21 into overtime to help the Detroit Red Wings take a 5-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 2 of this Western Conference quarterfinal series.
Detroit had blown a three-goal lead in the third period, but went into overtime on the power play as Sheldon Souray was whistled for slashing with 38 seconds to play in regulation.
With time winding down on the man advantage, Daniel Cleary passed the puck from the right corner over to the right circle for Valtteri Filppula, who skated down low before sending it back to the left wing where Nyquist fired it in for the win.
Damien Brunner had a goal and two asists, Johan Franzen tallied twice while Justin Abdelkader also scored for the seventh-seeded Red Wings, who evened this best-of-seven series at 1-1. Jimmy Howard made 28 saves.
Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu each posted a goal and an assist, while Bobby Ryan and Ryan Getzlaf scored for the second-seeded Ducks, who got 27 saves from Jonas Hiller -- including a game-saver late in the third period on Pavel Datsyuk.