text:
Remembering the Great Design of the Chevrolet Monza GT
Images Courtesy of the Robert Tate Collection
The experimental Corvair Monza GT by Chevrolet with its very clean aerodynamic styling shape was first introduced in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin at a sports car event. The specially designed General Motors model was called one of the "idea" cars. The model was also featured at a New York show and became a very big hit with the public.
In early 1963, the Chevrolet Corvair Monza GT coupe, along with the popular 2-seater Monza SS Roadster, toured many shows and was enjoyed by fans around the world. Semon E. Knudsen, general manager of General Motors, once said "The two passenger cars have an aerodynamic design that is the result of wind tunnel testing. From a delta-shaped front end dipping between arched front fenders, the fiberglass bodies flow with airfoil smoothness to a surprise termination -- a blunted, concave rear end."
"It is appropriate that these first Corvair dream cars be shown at the International Automobile Show because they express the sports-type flavor which has long been a specialty of this famed exhibition," Knudsen said.
The model was designed in Bill Mitchell's semi-secret basement studio at the GM Tech Center. Some of the great talented automotive designers who helped design the Corvair Monza GT, were Larry Shinoda, Tony Lapine and Design Chief Ed Wayne. The Chevrolet team of great engineers included research and development director Frank Winchell and engineer Jim Musser. These experimental vehicles were part of Chevrolet's continuous program of building and evaluating new styling and engineering ideas.
The body styling of the Monza GT coupe featured for the first time a dramatic, wraparound canopy, which could open forward on hinges, allowing full access to the passenger compartment. This unique canopy included the portion of the roof covering the passengers. From the top of the windshield, the Monza GT had a flat roof, which was extended backward in a fastback treatment design. Another special styling feature of the Monza GT model was its concealed headlights and electrically operated doors that many car fans thoroughly enjoyed.
The Monza GT concept model was built on a Chassis that was supplied by Chevrolet Engineering. It also featured a parallel-wishbone front and rear suspension. The rear mounted mid-Corvair engine and transmission were rotated 180 degrees to shorten rear overhang. The body structure was formed of special fiberglass panels that were fitted to a unique metal cradle assembly design.
The interior of the Monza GT concept model was very impressive and similar to an advanced jet aircraft design. Forward visibility was virtually unlimited through the pillar-less canopy, which was painted on top to reduce sky glare. The wood-rimmed steering wheel, along with the foot pedals, adjusted to the driver's personal preference. The interior of the Monza GT was trimmed in metallic silver to match its exterior paint design.
In conclusion, the Monza GT concept model was a very stylish model that many fans and enthusiasts admired. The model was very aerodynamic, with its lift-up cockpit canopy. This concept design will always have a great place in automotive history, as an example of the Bill Mitchell years of great GM designs from the 1960s.
Ludvigsen, Karl & Cole, Edward N. "Corvair By Chevrolet: Experimental & Production Cars 1957-1969." Ludvigsen Library Limited, 2001.
Consumer Guide. "Prototype Cars Cars that Never Were." 1981.


A Guide to State Succession in International Investment Law provides a comprehensive analysis of State succession issues arising in the context of international investment law. The author examines whether a successor State is bound by the investment treaties and State contracts which the predecessor State had signed with other States and foreign investors before the date of succession. Actors who are called upon to apply rules of State succession in investment arbitration cases will find this book a valuable source of practical guidance with strong theoretical foundations.


Part of Clan Carmichael? Step back through your ancestry with this clan book which is a must-have for anyone interested in their clan history!
With roots in both the Lowlands and the Highlands of Scotland, the Carmichael name has for centuries been prominent on the pages of the vibrant drama that is Scotland's history.


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topic:"Physician practice/ compensation/ forms"
That the Canadian Medical Association, on behalf of its members and divisions and on the basis of its recent review of evidence on the impact of the Goods and Services Tax on Canadian physicians, continue its efforts to negotiate a tax rebate or such other arrangements so as to afford physicians the same fair treatment as is received by municipalities, universities, schools and hospitals.
That General Council support the continuation of an aggressive strategy at the federal level aimed at establishing equitable application of federal GST/HST tax policy.
Goods and service tax
https://policybase.cma.ca/en/permalink/policy45
That Canadian Medical Association continue to advocate for the right of all physicians to claim GST input tax credits.
GC02-58.pdf
That Canadian Medical Association support the concept that liability for individual practitioner actions in any collaborative care model must be clearly delineated and appropriately insured.
License of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC)
That the Canadian Medical Association, while recognizing that the provincial/territorial licensing authorities have the ultimate authority regarding licensure requirements in their respective jurisdictions, wishes to reaffirm the principle that any rights and privileges that will be accorded to holders of the revised License of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC) should be conferred on all physicians who completed their LMCC prior to the new requirements, including portability of eligibility for licensure.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


To evaluate cost-effectiveness of dabigatran and riva roxaban for prevention of ischemic stroke and systemic embolism in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF).
Markov model was developed to compare cost-effectiveness of dabigatran and rivaroxaban using the results of the RE-LY and ROCKET AF clinical trials. A relative risk of each outcome was calculated through an indirect comparison of dabigatran and rivaroxaban with warfarin as a common comparator. Onlydirectmedicalcostswere taken into account. The results of modeling were evaluated from the perspective of the health care system.
A total number of events calculated for a period of 10 yearsfor10 000 patientstreatedwithdabigatran was 15% lower compared with that in patients treated with rivaroxaban (8895 and 10216, respectively). Treatment with dabigatran compared with rivaroxaban prevented more primary and secondary strokes and resulted in a mean gain of 0.269 qualityadjusted life-year within 10 years. Dabigatran administration was associated with lower costs for health care system as a result of decreased costs for unfavorable outcomes, particularly ischemic stroke and intracranial bleeding. Dabigatran had more favorable cost-utility ratio and dominated over rivaro xaban.
Treatment with dabigatran is a cost-saving techonology for health care system compared with rivaroxaban.
Pharmacoeconomics, dabigatran, rivaroxaban, systemic embolism, nov-valvular atrial fibrillation, ischemic stroke.


Very good picture taken with your Canon GX7.
With the tail code HH and the squadron written under the S in the MARINES on the side there (HMH-366), this tell me that you took a picture of a Sikorsky CH-53 Super Stallion. (Not only that, because as you might understand, I already knew what type helio it was ;-) ).
The HMH-366, or Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron-366, has its home base at Marine Corps Air Station New River and their nickname is The Hammerheads.
Thanks for the comments and for identifying the typ and home base! That's way more information than I managed to find.
Did you also notice the guy in the side-window that appears to be waving to me?
This day, I didn't bring my big Canon with me so all I had at hand was the Powershot camera. The camera is excellent in many situations but when it comes to images where I have to zoom, DSLR is the best option.
I would'n't normally have considered this hastily snapped helicopter photo worthy of posting, but it does ensure I'm not OT by merely posting the link below here in the Plane Spotters Gallery section!
However, the link is to a video which actually features this very helicopter! Well worth just under 6 minutes of your time, whether your interests are in helicopters, aerial photography, live video, professional teamwork ....or even Formula 1 motor racing!
It explains the role of the helicopter that provides live footage for the International TV feed which you may then get to see on your TV station's coverage at home.
The video features the helicopter at the Abu Dhabi race which I actually went to last November, and there are stunning views of Yas Island and the circuit at the Marina.
The synergy required of the helicopter pilot and the camera operator is something special.
What I also found particularly interesting about the total teamwork involved was how sometimes sequences are taken "to order" from the Feed Director and producers on the ground. The example at 2:35 - 3:01 shows the helicopter view of the hotel that circuit runs under, and is then cued to wait for a particular car of interest (Alonso''s on his last race in F1) and then follow it along the race track!
The latter part of the video emphasises the improved camera technology and sheer sophistication and dynamism of the heli operation nowadays, and includes footage from other circuits in the F1 calendar past and present.


The school day begins at 8:15. If a student is not in the classroom by 8:15 am they will be considered tardy. A parent must check their child into the office if the 8:15 bell has already rang. An excused tardy will only be permitted if a doctor's note accompanies the student and the parent brings the student into school. Students will serve one Saturday School detention for each 6 tardies they accumulate during a semester. Failure to attend Saturday school will result in 2 days of in school detention or corporal punishment.
Our Pre-K and Kindergarten students really need to be at school and in lines by 8:05. When students are later than 8:05 they have to wait in the office until school staff can walk them over to our new Early Childhood Center.


Start Here Online Loans From The Best Lenders. Our Extensive Network of Lenders offer loans for borrowers with Good or Bad Credit Scores. Loans for several months to several years. Finding options from top lenders in Dameron.
There countless places that currently offer cash advances and they're really very easy to get. short term lendings are among the fastest as well as easiest means there is to get the money you require now. And, depending upon the company, you could get a cash loan and installment loans online from lenders @ for $1000 or as much as $35,500.
The lending institutions of short term lendings will certainly give you the loan as long as you recognize that it needs to be paid back on the offered day, lest you obtain penalized with a higher interest rate. The financing settlement period could vary from one week to a year. The passion is generally charged upon the arranged cycle of weeks, or months. Individuals who have collateral, such as a residence, or automobile, can access short term financings that can be paid back within a year. However, if you do not have any type of security, then you will certainly be offered a loan that will be settled using your next pay check. When requesting a salary financing, you will should give the loan provider with evidence that you are obtaining a constant revenue either from gainful employment, a pension plan system, or various other federal government or exclusive quantity. Short-term financings have a greater interest rate because of the greater risked posed to the lender.
Obtaining a personal lending could come to be a difficult task if one is not aware of the process. The quantity of information a person needs to disclose could be frightening as well as frustrating. It is best for an individual to do their research study prior to making an application for an individual loan to make sure that they comprehend exactly what they require prior to making an appointment. In Florida like various other states, there are guidelines and also standards that candidates and also loan providers need to follow. Before making any dedications a person must recognize just what to anticipate in order to save time and money.
Our Direct and Local Lenders In Dameron, Maryland Are Here to Help!
If you do not have a great credit rating and you take place to be looking for money right now, understand that yours is not a helpless situation. Whilst in the past it was virtually difficult to obtain a lending institution to approve a loan for somebody with bad credit rating, today, loan providers have currently recognized that there is a successful market for this as well as therefore, there is now more than one option for individual loans provided to individuals with bad credit history. Let us discuss one of the most typical ones.
Payday Loans – these loans are the most prominent lenders for employed individuals. All it takes is finding a loan provider in Dameron Maryland that can offer you operating this sort of loan, offer them operating the needed information such as your complete name, address, employment information, and financial institution details (inspecting account). You would have to provide them operating a post-dated check, which they will deposit on your cash advance. These loans are quite easy to obtain so as long as you fulfill the needs.
Debt Combination Lendings – a lot of us intend to obtain a lending in order to pay off our debts. This is particularly real for those operating huge credit cards offers balances due to the fact that the rates of interest for credit cards are quite, quite high. To be able to minimize charges, people like getting financial obligation combination lendings. Although not always the situation, this sort of loan can be taken into consideration "unsecured" so no security is needed.
Financings from Family and also Friends – depending on the type of situation you have, this can either be your very first or last alternative. A personal financing from individuals you understand is suggested due to the fact that you get minimal or no interest charges, plus you can get it without having to secure any type of requirements whatsoever. Often though it is hard to loan from family and friends since they possibly have no cash to extra or it might also be that you are too self-conscious to tell them concerning your monetary problems.


- Click on picture to see the Table of Contents of the publication.
- Click on these links to see samples of transliteration of Ana(n)t Akhado and Moti Venti.
13. Download Muhammad Shalwani's Anant Akhado & Anant Naa Nav Chhuga Calendar. The Calendar is very easy to use, the only data that you have to enter is the date that you would like to start your 49-day project. Just replace the first date in the Excel macro and all the data will change. The output from this macro in MS-Excel corresponds to the handouts prepared for 49 days.
Transliteration by Dr. Noorallah Juma and translation by Alwaez Vazir Kassamali M. Jaffer. Accessible online in 10- and 7-day recital format.
Search the Transliteration by Dr. Noorallah Juma and translation by Alwaez Vazir Kassamali M. Jaffer online.
MP3 tracks of the 50 Moti Venti ginan verses sung by Shafiq Rawji can be downloaded through this page.


Obviously the hot topic we began with was the new Tau releases. I'm not super excited about them, but there's definitely a lot to say. We also discussed our current hobby projects, including a bit about the ice bases I'm using for my Space Wolf army.
I unexpectedly had to dip out in the middle (Hubs found a stray dog and we had to figure out what to do with him), but I had a fun time chatting about the hobby. The discussion carried on with some interesting Fantasy stuff after I left.
Head on over to their page to listen to Episode 31: An Easter Miracle.


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Divisions of Hematology & Oncology
Washington U
Hematology Grand Rounds
Medical Oncology Grand Rounds
Cancer Management Series
Fellows' Journal Club
Fellows' Tumor Board
Hematology Research Seminar
Cancer Biology Pathway
K12 Programs
Developmental Therapeutics
Adult Hemophilia Treatment Center
Center for Gene & Cellular Immunotherapy
Hematology-Oncology Fellowship
Training Schedule & Stipends
The Hematology-Oncology Fellowship Training Program at Washington University School of Medicine is an ACGME-accredited, 3-year program with 18 fellows, accepting 6 new fellows per year. It is designed to attract outstanding physicians and train them for academic careers in the fields of hematology and/or oncology.
The Fellowship Program offers clinical and research training in hematology and oncology and is administered jointly by the Divisions of Hematology and Oncology in the Department of Medicine. The training faculty for the Divisions includes approximately 90 full-time academic investigators.
The University offers a flexible program that provides trainees with comprehensive exposure to the various disciplines of hematology and oncology and accommodates their specific interests. A balance is sought between providing a sound clinical understanding of hematologic and malignant diseases and providing the environment for creative clinical or laboratory-based research into fundamental problems.
Incoming fellows have the opportunity to choose between three tracks: the Clinical Provider Track, the Clinical Investigator Track, and the Laboratory Investigator Track. The first year for all tracks is nearly identical and consists of 50% inpatient and 50% outpatient rotations. Details regarding year 2 and beyond for each track are outlined below.
Clinical Provider Track
The second and third years of the Clinical Provider Track are designed to allow clinical fellows to complete requirements necessary for double- or single- boarding in hematology and/or oncology. Fellows follow a disease-specific curriculum that requires 5 half-day outpatient clinics per week, 20% of which are in elective specialties. When not on clinical rotations, fellows are given time to pursue scholarly activities, including clinical and translational research protocol development/implementation/data analysis and preparing articles for publication. This track is designed for fellows intending to enter community practice.
Clinical Investigator Track
The Clinical Investigator Track is similar to the Clinical Provider Track in structure, but requires less clinical responsibility and increased research/scholarly activity in years 2 and 3. Fellows on this track follow a disease-specific curriculum and that requires 4 half-day outpatient clinics per week, 50% of which are in elective specialties. They are also expected to produce additional scholarly work. The curriculum prepares the fellow to double- or single-board in hematology and/or oncology. This track is designed for fellows intending to enter into academic clinical research.
Laboratory Research Track
For fellows on the Laboratory Research Track, the second and third years are designated as protected research time. Laboratory fellows are not required to do any further clinical rotations (unless seeking to double-board), but will have one half-day per week of continuity clinic. Fellows that are on an ABIM-approved Research Pathway complete one additional year of laboratory training.
Program Productivity
Alumni 2005-2016: Post-Graduation Employment
The fellowship program has trained over 200 clinical fellows and numerous graduate and post-doctoral research fellows. Of these, twenty-five have become Hematology directors at medical schools or at the National Institutes of Health (NIH); five have been appointed chairs of Departments of Medicine; and one has been appointed dean of a medical school.
Alumni 2005-2015: ABIM Subspecialty Certification
All Oncology-boarding fellows take the ASCO in-training examination annually, and all Hematology-boarding fellows take the ASH in-service examination annually. Our fellows historically score highly on these exams. In 2016, our program placed 96th percentile on the ASCO exam and 85th percentile on the ASH exam.


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Амар отварање (познато и под називом Парис отварање , Дрункен витез отварање) је шаховско отварање дефинисано потезом:

 1. Сх3

Ово отварање се понекад назива и амонијак отварање, јер је NH3 хемијска формула за амонијак . Париски аматер Чарлс Амар играо га је 1930-их. Вјероватно га је назвао Савиели Тартаковер који је за ово отварање користио оба имена, мада је шаховски аутор Тим Хардинг у шали рекао да је "Амар" акроним за "Апсолутно луд и смијешан".

Од 1. Нх3 се сматра неправилним отварањем, класификован је под шифром А00 у Енциклопедији шаховских отварања .

Процјена
Попут Дуркиновог отварања, бијели развија витеза до ивице табле, гдје не контролише централна поља. Најчешћи одговор црног је 1 ... д5 који пријети 2. . . Лхх3, рушећи структуру краљеве страни бијелога. Бијели обично игра 2.г3 да то спријечи, када црни може да настави заузимати центар са 2 ... е5.

Свјетски шампион Магнус Карлсен искористио је Амар отварање поразом Алексеја Древа у игри која се играла на брзим контролама времена у онлајн ПРО шаховској лиги 2018. године.

Именоване варијанте
Амар отварање има неколико именованих варијанти. Најпознатији је париски гамбит : 1. Нх3 д5 2.г3 е5 3.ф4 ? ! Бхх3 4. Бхх3 ехф4. У париском гамбиту, бијели омогућава црном чврст захват на средини, а такође одустаје од материјала . Стога се гамбит сматра сумњивим. Једина именована варијанта у париском гамбиту је гент гамбит : 5.0-0 фхг3 6.ххг3. Тартаковер је први пут играо против Андора Лилиентала у Паризу 1933. године.

Постоји и једна подваријанта која у варијанти 1 ... е5, позната као Крази Кат : 1. Сх3 е5 2.ф3 д5 3. Сф2.

Референце

Литература

Спољашње везе

 Анализа ФМ-а Ерица Сцхиллера

Шаховска отварања

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Home » Noël Le Graët – From Zidane's humiliation to an apology
France, Kylian Mbappe, Noël Le Graët, Real Madrid, Zinedine Zidane
"Zinedine Zidane? – I wouldn't even answer his phone call," stated the French Football Federation's president.
Didier Deschamps' contract with the French national team has been extended until the end of the world cup 2026. As a result, reports about Zidane's employment in Le Bleus ceased for the time being.
The head of the French Football Federation spoke with RMC Sport about the national team and other current issues, notably Zidane.
"Zidane for Brazil's national team? It makes no difference to me. He is free to join any club or national team he desires. It makes no difference to me.
Did he make an attempt to contact me? Definitely not. I would not answer the phone if he called.
What should I say to him? Hello sir, don't worry, I just agreed with Didier [Deschamps]?!"
Noël Le Graët – President of the French Football Federation
The 81-year-old official, whose name is associated with the growth of Ligue 1, eventually apologized.
"It was a miscommunication. I'd want to apologize for what I said about Zidane, since that statement does not reflect what I think of him as a player or as a coach."
Thierry Henry, Noël Le Graët, Patrick Vieira, Zinedine Zidane
Prior to the apology, Le Graët remark gained a lot of critics.
Kylian Mbappé defended Zidane. On Twitter, the French national team and PSG striker referred to the French coach as a legend.
"In France, we don't insult an icon like Zidane."
Kylian Mbappé – French national team and PSG forward
Zidane c'est la France, on manque pas de respect à la légende comme ça… 🤦🏽♂
— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) January 8, 2023
Franck Ribery was taken aback by Le Graët's statements. The veteran French footballer expressed confidence that the problem will be resolved in due course.
Tu me régales😳🤦🏻♂. En revanche, il va falloir songer à consulter rapidement. 🤨
Zizou🇫🇷🤫
— Franck Ribéry (@FranckRibery) January 8, 2023
Real Madrid did not dismiss the head of the French Football Federation's comment. In an official statement, the 'Los Blancos' termed Le Graët's statements unfortunate, calling Zidane one of the legends of international sports.
"Real Madrid laments the unfortunate comments made by the president of the French Football Federation, Noël Le Graët, regarding Zinedine Zidane, one of the world's biggest sporting legends.
These remarks show a lack of respect for one of the most admired figures by football fans around the world and our club is awaiting an immediate correction.
The statements by the president of the French Football Federation are inappropriate for someone holding such representation and are in themselves unsuitable, like those he also made about our captain Karim Benzema, current Ballon d'Or, Nations League champion with France in 2021 and winner of five Champions Leagues, amongst many other honours."
Official Announcement.#RealMadrid
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) January 9, 2023
Zidane made his debut as Real Madrid's head coach precisely 7 years ago on January 9. Royal Club defeated Deportivo 5:0 in that game.
Zinedine Zidane's debut match as head coach of Real Madrid vs Deportivo La Coruna
Zidane has yet to respond publicly to Noël Le Graët statements.


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Q: PostgreSQL Table Multiple Values So I am working in postgreSQL and I want to create a table and in one column of this table I want to have multiple values as booleans. For example:
create table if not exists x(
     Numx numeric(5) PRIMARY KEY,
     method (here for example I want method to be able to be something like this "method {a,b,c,d}"
);

So method could have either value a or b or a,b etc.
How am I able to do so?
Thanks in advance

A: Use an array type.
http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/arrays.html
CREATE TABLE sal_emp (
    name            text,
    pay_by_quarter  integer[],
    schedule        text[][]
);

You can see loads of examples in the docs. I personally would only use them if I had hundreds that I wanted to store, for a few booleans I'd likely use a column each or a bitmask.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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World Autism Month FAQ
World Autism Month
What is World Autism Month?
Every April Autism Speaks celebrates World Autism Month, beginning with United Nations-sanctioned World Autism Awareness Day on April 2. Throughout the month, we focus on sharing stories and providing opportunities to increase understanding and acceptance of people with autism, fostering worldwide support. This year, we are committed to creating a world where all people with autism can reach their full potential.
Everyone is encouraged to participate. Whether you have autism, love someone who does, or are looking to support a diverse, accepting and kind community – you're invited to take the pledge to help create a world where all people with autism can reach their full potential.
Supporters can participate in the initiative by visiting autismspeaks.org/wam where they can:
Visit autismspeaks.org/WAM and take the pledge to create a world where all people with autism can reach their full potential by increasing understanding and acceptance. You'll receive free information, resources and tools to engage and advocate in your community and learn the impact of your support through Autism Speaks.
Join our 2.8 million social followers and help foster understanding and acceptance by sharing the diverse stories of people on the spectrum or telling your own. Submit your story for our social media pages here.
Invite your colleagues, classroom and friends to join our Kindness Campaign and encourage acceptance, understanding and inclusion with daily acts of kindness at school, work or in your community. Together, we can create a world where all people with autism can reach their full potential.
Make a meaningful, lasting impact for people with autism with your gift. It's one of the easiest and best ways to show your support. Donate today!
Learn about all the ways you can fundraise on social media.
How can I start an Autism Speaks Facebook Fundraiser?
That's a great idea! And easy too! Follow these simple steps:
Click Fundraisers in the left menu of your Facebook Page News Feed
Click Raise Money
Select Autism Speaks as your Nonprofit/Charity
Select a charitable organization, choose a cover photo and fill in the fundraiser details
Where can I get items to show my support of Autism Speaks?
Please visit the Autism Speaks eStore to purchase t-shirts, bracelets, pins, yard signs and other promotional products to spread kindness. Printed materials such as posters, flyers and brochures can be downloaded for free.
Can I use the Autism Speaks World Autism Month marks for my event/fundraiser?
Yes. Logos may be downloaded from the resources page and used for informational or educational purposes during World Autism Month. All uses of the Autism Speaks World Autism Month logo must comply with the following Terms of Use:
The logo must remain intact. You may not change or add anything to it.
You may not place the logo on any product or use for selling purposes.
In the US, any fundraising activity utilizing the World Autism Month marks (or any Autism Speaks marks) must have the authorization of Autism Speaks. Contact marketing@autismspeaks.org and an Autism Speaks representative will contact you directly to review guidelines.
Can my charity participate in World Autism Month activities? Can we raise funds for autism-related resources?
Yes. Your charity may plan and execute fundraising activities to support autism and may use the Autism Speaks World Autism Month marks in their entirety (no modification is permitted). Please note that US-based charities must comply with terms of use above.
What is Light It Up Blue?
The Light It Up Blue initiative was created by Autism Speaks in 2010. Since that time, joined by the international autism community, hundreds of thousands of landmarks, buildings, homes and communities around the world light blue on World Autism Awareness Day (April 2) in recognition of people with autism.
How can I light my home, commercial building or public structure blue?
You can purchase Phillips Autism Speaks blue light bulbs at Home Depot stores or visit www.homedepot.com and search "Autism Speaks Lights." Visit www.rosco.com/LIUB for information on commercial lighting options.
How can I get a receipt for my online donation?
All online donations are acknowledged at the time of donation and through email confirmation. We recommend that donors print out their acknowledgement or save the email for tax purposes.
Email us at connectwithus@autismspeaks.org


Riyadh Metro will significantly impact Saudi Arabia socially and economically upon its completion.
Published: 21 June 2018 - 5:59 a.m.
As Construction Week's audience will agree, Riyadh Metro is one of the most important projects currently being built in Saudi Arabia.
Six metro lines, named Blue, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, and Purple are being developed as part of Arriyadh Development Authority's (ADA) project, which is worth approximately $23bn (SAR86.3bn). The lines are respectively 38km, 25.3km, 40.7km, 29.6km, 12.9km, and 30km long.
Upon completion, the metro network will link Riyadh's King Khaled International Airport and the King Abdullah Financial Centre (KAFC), as well as connect with universities and other mass-transport systems in the cities.
During an interview with Construction Week in 2016, Eng Alwalid Alekrish, director of construction development projects and project director of the Riyadh Metro at ADA, said "not only [Riyadh], but the entire kingdom will reap its rewards when the metro is completed".
Indeed, Riyadh Metro is an ambitious project for many reasons, not least of which is the transport culture in the Middle East. Last February, Khalid Alhazani, director of the architectural project program and public affairs at ADA, acknowledged that Saudis would require time to "get used to" the concept of a project such as Riyadh Metro.
However, Riyadh Metro's impact will extend beyond the "surprise" and acclimatisation that ADA's Alekrish and Alhazani spoke of. In Knight Frank's June 2018 report, titled The Impact of New Infrastructure on Real Estate Values, Raya Majdalani, research manager at the advisory, says the transport project will not only influence the property sector's performance in Riyadh, but impact its socio-economic variables as well.
"In the short to medium term, we believe that urban regeneration will need to play an increasingly important role across Saudi Arabia," Majdalani explains.
"Recently introduced strategic reforms, aimed at creating a favourable environment for investment and strengthening the non-oil sector, have placed a focus on real estate, which is forecast to double its contribution to economic output throughout the period to 2030.
Majdalani describes Riyadh Metro as "one of the key infrastructure projects" under way in the kingdom, which will "dramatically alter the dynamics of both residential and commercial real estate markets when delivered".


Known as the "Lion of the Blues" or the "Sinatra of the Blues," for his ability to sing smooth ballads as well as shout the low-down blues, Bobby Blue Bland started singing gospel in Memphis.
He joined the group called the Beale Streeters, whose members at various times included of B.B. King, Rosco Gordon and Johnny Ace.
Bland served as B.B. King's chauffeur and valet for a time, and then had a hit R&B single with "Farther Up the Road" in 1957. He would go on to have 50 other singles charting in the R&B Top 40. Bland was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997.
Bobby Blue Bland died Sunday, June 23. He was 83.
Me: I'm going to watch this movie, "The Girls In The Band." And hopefully write a review.
Hip Old Jazz Radio Dude: Oh, yeah? What's it about, chick singers?
Me: Um, no. It's about the great female instrumentalists who couldn't get hired by the big bands, or almost any band led by a man.
HOJRD: Didn't they have those all-girl bands to play in?
Me: I really enjoyed your playing tonight!
Very Young Female Saxophonist: Thanks so much.
Me: Are you glad you continued with your music after college? It couldn't have been an easy career choice.
Alternately touching and humorous, The Girls In The Band is a delightful movie that can serve as a primer for the nearly forgotten story of the talented, hard-working, dedicated musicians who just happened to be female during a time when "girls just don't do that!" It's nicely paced, moving between interviews and archival film footage and photos, and filled with great music. The older musicians tell their tales, the hurts and disappointments still fresh; the good times, the excitement and the love lingering and making it all worthwhile. The younger musicians listen, learn and pay tribute.
The Girls in the Band has won Audience Awards at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, the Omaha Film Festival and the Victoria Film Festival. Director/Producer Judy Chaikin has a couple of Emmy nominations under her belt for her documentaries, as well as numerous film festival awards and a Blue Ribbon from the American Educational Film and TV Festival. A theme running through most of Chaikin's work is "righting a wrong," and she spent eight years making this film so that the stories and the art of these musicians would not disappear.
One can forgive the hip old jazz guy for being from another era. One can rejoice that the very young jazz girls don't have to deal with the same issues that plagued their predecessors. Both could still benefit from watching this entertaining slice of history.
Cuban bandleader, composer and arranger Juan de Marcos González is known as the "Quincy Jones of Cuba" and as the architect of the Afro-Cuban All Stars (the foundation for The Buena Vista Social Club), and the founder of another successful Cuban band, Sierra Maestra. His father was a singer for Arsenio Rodriguez's Orchestra; his uncle was Ruben González, famed pianist for the Buena Vista Social Club.
Juan's mission is the preservation of his rich musical heritage.
His Afro-Cuban All Stars is a unique orchestra devoted to promoting the complete story of Cuban music.
The 1996 Afro-Cuban All Stars recording "A Toda Cuba Le Gusta" featured nearly 60 performers. Then, with celebrated artists Compay Segundo, Eliades Ochoa, and American guitarist Ry Cooder, the unforgettable Buena Vista Social Club CD was recorded.
Fusing contemporary, traditional and a hint of the future styles of Cuban music, the band is multi-generational, sometimes featuring musicians from the ages of 19 to 90. The current line-up consists of Cuban expatriate musicians, all alumni of Cuba's greatest bands. Continuing the family traditon, the band also includes Juan's wife and general manager, Gliceria Abreu on percussion, and his daughters Laura Lydia Gonzalez (clarinet and saxophone) and Gliceria Gonzalez (keyboards).
The band's outstanding 2011 release "Absolutely Live" is a DVD/CD combination, featuring performances in Japan and The Hague, Netherlands.
You can see this remarkable show live at Seattle's Jazz Alley this Thursday 2/7 through Sunday 2/10. They're also featured on the première of KCTS9's new program "Pie" airing this Thursday at 7pm.
Hear more great Cuban music on Jazz Caliente, Thursday afternoons at 2pm on KPLU's Mid Day Jazz.
Music Craft is a series of jazz documentaries and concert films presented by Northwest Film Forum in Seattle, and sponsored by 88.5 KPLU.
This documentary from 1965 made for German TV follows B-3 organ master Jimmy Smith and his trio on tour: Berlin, Helsinki, London, and points between. A snapshot of life on the road and on the stage, the film's highlights are the concert footage, and the scenes of interaction backstage with Dizzy Gillespie and his band. It's also a time-capsule view of the world in 1965, with Jimmy and Dizzy's bassist Chris White commenting on civil rights and racism, the Beatles, and the "new attitudes" of young people.
From a performance on German TV in 1969, Sarah Vaughan mesmerizes with her incredible vocal range and expression. She lives up to both of her enduring nicknames–Sassy, for the way she teases and plays with melodies and lyrics; and The Divine One, for the pure angelic tones she produces.
Keith Jarrett's European quartet set the standard for exploratory acoustic jazz in the 1970s. In this 1974 Jazz Workshop session for Germany's NDR public broadcasting service, the interplay between Jarrett and Garbarek is nothing less than magical.
More information on the series at Northwest Film Forum.
It's been said that Cuba and New Orleans are more than musical cousins; they are more like twins and equally responsible for much of what we call jazz. And I've often heard New Orleans described by its multi-cultural natives as being not a Southern city, but a Caribbean city.
Cuba and New Orleans historically shared the same trade routes, and cultural exchanges and mutual musical influences have been traced dating back to the early 1800s.
The first written music to be rhythmically based on an African motif, the habanera was a natural rhythm for the talented New Orleans musical community to incorporate into their works.
New Orleans musicians like Louis Armstrong and Professor Longhair used habanera rhythms in their compositions, and Jelly Roll Morton considered the habanera (which he called the "Spanish tinge") to be an essential ingredient of jazz.
You can still hear the Cuban habanera in the second-line of New Orleans brass bands and in the unique style of R&B produced in the Crescent City.
Listen for habanera and more on Jazz Caliente, Thursday afternoons at 2pm PST 88.5 KPLU or online at KPLU.org.


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Please Clap: Microsoft Teams Meetings, Coming Soon to a Metaverse Near You October 14, 2022 at 3:09 pm
"You know what the Metaverse needs? Microsoft Teams meetings," said no one ever.
Facebook Force-Fed Garbage to 140 Million Americans a Month September 20, 2021 at 7:25 am
Facebook refused and ignored its own staff's attempts to improve the service, even after it knew its own algorithms were feeding people low-quality content they didn't want to see.
Facebook Announces a New Oculus VR Feature: In-Game Ads June 17, 2021 at 8:07 am
Facebook will soon build ads into your VR games. The company claims the advertising will benefit developers, but it appears to have something else in mind.
Shockingly, No One Trusts Facebook's Portal Smart Displays November 9, 2018 at 2:49 pm
The remarkable thing about all the reviews is that everyone agrees the hardware is nice, and the video chat functionality is top-of-the-line. However, no one wants to recommend the Portal because no one trusts Facebook.
Facebook Admits Its New Portal Device Is Just Another Way to Spy on You October 17, 2018 at 2:51 pm
A week ago, Facebook promised that its new Portal video calling device and smart speaker would absolutely, positively, record no data about its users. Yeah. About that.
New Steam Privacy Changes Kill Steam Spy Service April 11, 2018 at 3:24 pm
Valve has implemented new privacy settings we're glad to see, but it looks like the changes will also kill the popular Steam Spy service.
Facebook: Cambridge Analytica Got Data on 87M Users April 5, 2018 at 7:00 am
The tally is based on how many users took the original survey and how many friends they had at the time.
Firefox Add-On Protects You From Facebook Tracking March 28, 2018 at 3:35 pm
Mozilla is looking to shield users from Facebook's snooping and score some good will at the same time.
Mozilla Pulls Ads From Facebook in Response to Cambridge Analytica Scandal March 23, 2018 at 11:25 am
Mozilla is pausing its advertising relationship with Facebook because, in its words, Mozilla wants what's "good for the web and for people." That's a subtle yet effective burn, Mozilla.
Facebook's Cambridge Analytica Scandal: How We Got Here March 21, 2018 at 3:00 pm
Facebook has been in trouble for its privacy policies before, but this time it is getting international attention and affecting its stock price. We dive into how it got here.


Who will be working in my house?
How long have you been sanding floors?
Since the early eighties taking over from my grandfather.
To a degree yes, although the machines pick up 80-90% of the dust. Constant vacuuming, emptying your bag out side before it becomes full and exhaust fans in the windows will make for a virtually dust free environment.
Most painters do not enjoy working on freshly finished floors and feel it is easier to touch up paint than floors although if for any reason the floors are to be first I will gladly come back to do any touch up to the them.
How long dose finish take to dry?
For the first and second coat about 6-8 hours you should be able walk across the floor if needed, at this point you need not worry to much for the finish will be sanded in between coats and any marks made will be taken out, the third you will need to stay off for a good 8-10 hrs, in the summer humidity will be factor in this. I will always do my best to get the finish on the floors at times that will least impact you household.
A sealer is anything used for the first coat thus sealing the grain of the wood, yet there are products on the market today that are specifically formulated for this purpose the most common being laquer sealers, these sealers dry quick within an hour and it has become a common practice with many contractors to do one coat of sealer and one heavy coat of a polyurethane allowing them to be done in one day, the problem with this is the adhesion between the oil and laquer, if the sealer is not cured the adhesion be will minimal at best combined with a heavy cote of finish will most likely lead to cracking, pealing and chipping of the finish coat.
Acclimation is the adaptation flooring to a new climate, all wood including flooring retain moisture and since most flooring is kept in unheated warehousers it is best that flooring be kept on the job for several days before installation to insure an adequate moisture content ideally 6 - 12% it is imperative that any tile & grout work, plaster, painting ect be dry before flooring is delivered to job site.
When installing floors in new kitchens it is best to install the floor, sand and get a couple of coats of finish on, then install the cabinets an finish off any plumbing, painting, and electrical work and come back and finish the last coat after all is done, this makes for abetter job all around.
These are just a few commonly asked questions and are based on my own personal knowledge and years of experience, if you have any of your own please fell free to contact me and I will be more than happy to answer them to the best of my ability or opinion.
"The best customer is an informed one"


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The Daily Three-Pointer: Hornets Make History, Devin Booker Proves to be Deciding Factor in Suns Win
Game of the Night:
Credit to Andy Lyons of Getty Images for Picture
In a victory on the road against the Indiana Pacers, the Charlotte Hornets scored 158 points! 158! That's a game for the ages, as there have only been a few teams to score more than 158 points. The current NBA record for most points a team scored in a game is 186 points, held from a Detroit Pistons triple-overtime game in 1984.
During this game, LaMelo Ball had 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists, Miles Bridges had 22, Terry Rozier had 20, and Kelly Oubre Jr had 39 points; off the bench in 35 minutes of playing time. This was the most points the Hornets scored as a team during franchise history, and the most points the Pacers allowed since they left the ABA and came to the NBA. The Hornets now have a 27-22 record.
Stat of the Day:
Credit to Russell Isabella of USA Today Sports for Picture
In a fierce battle between the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz, Devin Booker went off for 21 points in the first quarter, his second highest point total in an opening quarter for his career. Not only did Booker outscore the entire Jazz roster (they had 18 points in the first quarter), he outscored the rest of the Suns, who combined for 18 points in the first quarter without him. Booker is a difference maker, to say the least.
Trade News of the Day:
Credit to Dustin Satloff for Picture
The Brooklyn Nets have decided that they will not listen to James Harden trade offers at the trade deadline this year. They are in full on championship or bust mode, but if they do collapse during the playoffs, Harden is open to relocation in the offseason. Philadelphia, anyone?
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Keppe Motor was invited to participate in the Global Grand Challenges (GGCs) Awards which will take place at the Singularity University Global Summit On August 28-30, in California, United States.
This important event will be showcasing the world's most promising social impact tech companies and will be teaming up with global Development Organizations, NGOs, and Corporate Partners to bring attention, connections, opportunities, resources, and recognition to the companies and projects which are capable of making the most significant positive impact on GGCs through their use of exponential technology.
Each of the 12 GGC objectives is achievable through technology and innovative thinking, and each has the potential to ensure basic needs are met for all people, while sustaining and improving quality of life, and mitigating future risks.
The Keppe Motor's groundbreaking technology provides clean, sustainable and abundant energy for humanity – something that was recently recognized when the Keppe Motor received awards for Outstanding Innovation & Technology Products at the 17th HKEIA in Hong Kong in 2015, and at the 2016 Global Leap Awards in the United States.


Fragment of a 14th century French Trouvère manuscript. It contains 18 jeux-partis (17 with the participation of Jehan Bretel) and a fragment of the Prise amoureuse by Jean Acart de Hesdin; all chansons except for one are attested in the parallel version. The songs have been transmitted without notation.


WMW ECU Tune for R53 2002-2006 MINI Cooper S and R52 2005-2008 Cabrio S. WMW has been offering ECU tunes for years for the MINI. Over the years we've developed this great basic tune that we nicknamed the Quicktune. It will work with any stock or modified MINI. Our basic tune is not meant to gain you 50hp like everyone dreams about. We designed this Quicktune to tie everything together as it is primarly meant to smooth out the acceleration, improve throttle response, smooth out the 2800-3000rpm hesitation the MINI has, raise the RPM limiter, and give you a little HP and torque. But most important this is a SAFE map as we don't lean out the fuel map since we don't know how your MINI is right now. That way you don't have to worry about this causing your MINI to run lean and have issues from the tune.
This tune does NOT require you to buy a remote tune module, just ship us your DME from your MINI.
We also can set your ECU for stock fuel injectors or JCW 380cc injectors.
Please email us your list of mods your MINI has so we can adjust it exact to your MINI.
Make sure you package and box your ECU very well and safe. Just a padded envelope is NOT good enough. Remember this ECU is over $1000 to replace and a pain to do so make sure it will not get damaged during shipping. WMW will NOT be responsible if received damaged.
Had the Quicktune done on my R52s after installing alot of mods to include injectors and the difference before and after is amazing. The car is more responsive,smoother idle, and lots more fun to drive! Worth every penny! Thanks Way!
I just want to let you know how truly amazed I am at the results of your Quicktune. All I was really hoping for was better throttle response and getting rid of that damnable 2900rpm hesitation. I got both of those and more; I know you don't make any silly HP claims, but that little HP and torque you mentioned are certainly there. It really tied together the mods that you offer in the Street Performance package; this tune is absolutely fantastic.


I've done some unforgivable acts in my years, but I never asked for forgiveness. Nothing beats the feeling of wrapping my hand around someone's throat and watching as their life bleeds down their cheeks. She was everything I should have stayed away from. The first night I saw her, I knew I was doomed—a slave to the girl with the pretty eyes and soft smile. The girl who turned out to be my best friend's baby sister. I couldn't stay away. I had to be near her, even if it meant ruining her in the process. I wanted to wreck her, so I could piece her back together—a puzzle only I knew how to solve.


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Archives for category: Opinion
Influential Albums
23. October 2014 //
Solitary road trips have way of inspiring me to think about things in a way I don't otherwise. Maybe it's the monotony of them, the hypnotic hum of the wheels on the roadway or the persistent white noise of the engine. I like to think it's the isolation of it. If you allow yourself the opportunity, traveling has the way of culling out interruptions. It provides a sort of freedom in the emptiness. Sure, there's lots of things I can do. I can stare out the windows and watch the world slowly glide by. I can read a book. I can watch a movie. I can play a game. I can work. — And while I enjoy all of these things at various points on a road trip the thing I do most often is to put on headphones and simply listen to music. Sometimes I'll read or work, too, but more often than not I just listen and allow myself the chance to let my mind wander where it wants.
This past weekend I took the four-hour bus ride from Chicago to visit my grandfather in Peoria. Four hours there, and four hours back. It was a good chunk of time to just be alone with myself and think about nothing in particular. But after a while that unstructured thinking began to take form. A combination of hearing a particular song connected with recalling something my friend, Smokes, had recently said propelled me to start thinking about musical influences. Why do I listen to the music I listen to? Why do I like it? But more curiously, how did I come to find it? The questions crystallized in my mind around a central theme: which albums were most influential upon me?
I always do this, I always spend too much time on the prelude. I think some lengthy explanation is necessary to lead up to a rather basic question. I should work on that. So, please pardon my rambling. I'll get to the list. Here are the criteria I used for inclusion:
Album as a complete work, not just a particular song
Direct inspiration for listening to other music
Marks a significant milestone in my life
Released while I have been alive
Purchased with my own money within a year of public release
Not necessarily my favorite, the most popular or the most successful album from a particular artist
Here they are in chronological order:
In Through The Out Door, Led Zeppelin (August, 1979). By the time I discovered Led Zeppelin in the fall of 1981, John Bonham had died and the band had broken up. At the time, this was their last album. (Coda wouldn't be released until 18 months later.) Joan turned me on to them. Early in the school year we became friends. At recess, we would walk around the soccer field and talk. Often about Zork and Led Zeppelin. She made a cassette tape of In Through The Out Door for me to listen to. It opened my eyes to what was possible with rock music– a radical departure from the Eagles and the Beatles and the Beach Boys my dad often played in the house. Later, I bought my own copy of this record because of her and over time I collected much of Zep's published discography. That, in turn, allowed Queen, Lenny Kravitz, and the Ramones to all enter my collection.
Twelve years later, when I met Whirl for the first time, one of our first conversations was about music. Led Zeppelin was (and still is) one of her favorite bands. If I were ever to write a screenplay of that first meeting in Portland, I'd set it to "Fool In the Rain".
Violent Femmes, Violent Femmes (March, 1983). Another early record purchased while I was in middle school. While I can't be sure, I like to think I bought it in the spring the year after the Scorpions came to Pueblo to play the Colorado State Fair. On one of our various trips to Denver, I happened upon KBCO and discovered my new favorite radio station. The first time I heard "Blister in the Sun" was on KBCO. I was hooked. A three-piece band that embodied folk and punk and bitterness and frustration. I think of this album as a rite of passage. I got into it and a whole world of music opened up. For me, it added the Talking Heads, They Might Be Giants, the Psychedelic Furs, the Pixies, Camper Van Beethoven, the Velvet Underground and many many more. Bands I never heard on the local radio but are now intimately connected to growing up.
Hounds of Love, Kate Bush (September, 1985). "It's in the trees! It's coming!" There's something magical and intoxicating to me in Kate Bush's eclectic blend of styles. At this point I had some steady income from the paper route. I could afford to buy more music. I helped Kate topple Madonna's stranglehold at the top of the charts with my purchase of Hounds of Love. It includes classical themes, progressive measure and that startlingly beautiful voice. This album inspired me to chase down nearly every female singer I could find, the more exotic and theatrical the better. And I still do. Artists in my catalog that I directly attribute to discovering Kate Bush: Suzanne Vega, the Eurythmics, 10000 Maniacs, Stevie Nicks, the Indigo Girls, Sarah McLachlan, Liz Phair, La Roux, Adele, Paramore, Sia, Poe, and Sleigh Bells.
Louder Than Bombs, Smiths (March, 1987). "And if you have five seconds to spare // Then I'll tell you the story of my life: // Sixteen, clumsy and shy. // That's the story of my life." During high school I tried on personalities with about the same frequency of trying on new shirts. It seems like every day was a new attempt to reinvent myself. To be a new person. To try and determine who I was, what I wanted. Morrissey's lyric and Johnny Marr's guitar combined on this compilation at exactly that moment in my life. And they nailed it for me. I identified with the confusion and the mundanity and the caustic sense of humor. From my interest in the Smiths— and becoming a regular customer at Wax Trax in Denver– I discovered Echo & the Bunnymen, the Jesus and Mary Chain, the Church, the Sundays, the Stone Roses, The The and eventually (by way of my time working at WNDY) Elvis Costello, the BoDeans and Billy Bragg. Today it's the Killers, Phoenix and Foster the People.
Substance 1987, New Order (August, 1987). My high school musical collection was filled with new wave artists. I attribute Substance with being the strongest single influence on that transformation. Radio was dominated by Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie, Robert Palmer and Madonna. I had Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, Alphaville, the Pet Shop Boys and Ultravox. And the album that coalesced all of that together, that best represented that influence upon my musical taste was Substance. The echoes of this influence are still there, as I find myself listening to the Strokes, Fischerspooner, Interpol, Neon Indian and Washed Out. I also think a line can be drawn through from New Order through to electronica and house to Fatboy Slim, Daft Punk, the Chemical Brothers and the Crystal Method all of which enjoy frequent rotation today.
A Momentary Lapse of Reason, Pink Floyd (September, 1987). My first Pink Floyd memory is not of this album. Bear with me; it's a good story. Fourth grade. Shortly before Christmas Break. Music class out in a temporary classroom trailer on the playground. Teacher had asked us to bring in music for the rest of the class to experience. Someone brought in their older brother's brand new copy of The Wall and put on "The Happiest Days of Our Lives". It starts innocently enough with some drums and a little guitar riff. Add the a bass and some quick lyrics. And then it all goes horribly wrong, straight through a short description of dire domestic abuse into the anthem, "We don't need no education! // We don't need no thought control!" We never had music appreciation day again.
It would be several years before I truly fell in love with progressive rock. It happened with A Momentary Lapse of Reason. Fast forward several years from The Wall. Roger Waters has left the band. David Gilmour has taken over and produced this album. My best friend Beau and I are sitting around the kitchen room table after school arguing whether or not it was a true Floyd album without Waters' involvement. We decide to go buy it and find out. Beau's tastes in music were often a step ahead of mine. He owned several Floyd albums and was trying to get me interested in the band. This is the album that did it. Three tracks in, and I was hooked. I've been grateful ever since. I filled out my Pink Floyd collection, added Yes and Boston and Genesis. Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Bowie. Later there would be Coheed and Cambria, the Verve and XTC. Pink Floyd remains one of my favorite bands to this day.
The Lion and the Cobra, Sinéad O'Connor (November, 1987). From the moment I first watched the video for "Troy" on MTV's 120 Minutes late at night, I knew I had to have the album. At first opportunity, I drove over to Independent Records on 4th Street and picked it up on cassette. For the next 18 months it rarely left the glove box of the car. This is one of my all-time favorite albums. I've seen O'Connor twice in concert, both times at Red Rocks. I've heard her (and everyone else) talk about this album, about O'Connor's life– I've watched her blow up on television and in print. I don't care. I love this album. It's beautiful and fascinating and powerful. I replaced it on cassette at least twice from stretching it out, and once more when the CD became too scratched to play without skipping all the time. She's a ghost that continues to haunt me– and I'm thankful for it. Through her I discovered Tracy Chapman, Alanis Morissette, Melissa Etheridge and the Sundays. Liz Phair and Bob Marley. She provided a radically different look at Irish music for me– ushering in album after album from the Pogues, the Cranberries, Van Morrison and the Chieftains.
Pretty Hate Machine, Nine Inch Nails (October, 1989). Vern claimed that every boy goes through a metal phase. Sometimes it lasts a week, sometimes a couple years, and sometimes we never leave it. Mine came late– despite Beau's attempts to get me to like Iron Maiden. Pretty Hate Machine is an industrial album that appealed to my appreciation of electronica. And with it I began to explore the larger world of industrial music. I'd go on to collect 12″ singles from Front-242 and attend Nitzer Ebb and Skinny Puppy concerts. Later I'd follow this thread to discover Einstürzende Neubauten and Rammstein. But its most influential effects of Pretty Hate Machine came from bonding over it with college friends who had grown up on steady diets of Anthrax, Motörhead and Metallica. It is through this album– and those subsequent conversations– that I experienced what they heard and vice versa. We are (still) the road crew.
Achtung Baby, U2 (November, 1991). U2 has been a part of my musical landscape for nearly thirty years. Sometimes subversive, sometimes bombastic, sometimes compliant. But this is the album that placed an exclamation mark on 1991 for me. From the German in the title to the Trabbi on the cover art, to the edge in the music– this is U2's last great album and it arrived at a moment or startling transformation for me. The two moments are forever linked. While the album did little to expand my musical interests, it is a constant reminder of my experiences abroad and my own personal growth, isolation and reinvention.
Superunknown, Soundgarden (March, 1994). I grew up in Colorado, far from Seattle. I went to school in rural Indiana, even further away– geographically and culturally. When "Smells Like Teen Spirit" arrived in 1991, propelling grunge into the limelight, I was in Germany listening to weeks-long radio tributes to Freddie Mercury. The result: I missed grunge. It's taken me years to acknowledge Nirvana as anything more than a one-hit wonder band or the darling of the latest VH1 countdown show. But I made it back. I see it. I love it. But I came at it through Soundgarden. Generation X had its brief moment on the cultural stage before being swept away. Kurt Cobain committed suicide. Singles and Reality Bites saw mainstream success. Superunknown was the closing act. I caught that and allowed it to take me back through the musical catalog: Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, the Stone Temple Pilots. And for those bands that have moved on, I've gleefully followed with: Foo Fighters, Audioslave, Them Crooked Vultures, Queens of the Stone Age.
Blackout, Dropkick Murphys (June, 2003). You don't have to go far to find the marks left by the Dropkick Murphys. Many of the earliest entries on this blog are decorated with DKM lyrics as I struggled back from brain injury. I listened to these guys a lot through that ordeal. Hell, even the album title Blackout is an appropriate description of that time in my life.
Farmboy introduced me to this band from our time working together at Midway. He'd been playing some Mighty Mighty Bosstones and this was the album that followed up. I bought it and was hooked. I love this version of "The Fields of Athenry". Warrior's Code followed, and the rest of their catalog. And more than a few concerts. Perhaps due to the circumstances surrounding my introduction, Blackout remains my favorite of their albums.
I see a number of my earlier musical influences coalescing in this album: the Pogues most notably, but also some Billy Bragg with anthems of social consciousness. When I went to see them at the Vic in 2005, they arrived on the stage under the cover of the Chieftains rendition of "The Foggy Dew" that featured Sinéad O'Connor on vocals. Incendiary. DKM directly added a tremendous amount of music to my catalog: from Flogging Molly, the Tossers, the Mahones, the Fratellis and Cage the Elephant to the Black Keys, Jet and the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.
Broken Boy Soldiers, Raconteurs (May, 2006). With the notable exception of "Seven Nation Army" I never really got into the White Stripes. And I don't remember how I first came across the Raconteurs. Jack White's musical career was not something I was following. Then again, I don't remember lots of things from 2005-2006. But I did hear them somewhere, found the album and listened to it start-to-finish at least three times in a row. Whirl, in her infinite patience, didn't throw the stereo out the window. The inclusion of the Raconteurs into my library led directly to the additions of the Kings of Leon, the Black Keys, Mumford and Sons, the Cold War Kids, Wolfmother, Kasabian, and Radio Moscow. It also caused me to look back at some of the White Stripes stuff I'd collected over the years and check out Dead Weather. I've really grown to appreciate Jack White as a result. White's inclusion in the two music documentaries, Scorsese's Shine A Light and Davis Gugenheim's It Might Get Loud made them all that much better.
Finally a few honorable mentions, albums that influenced me, but for particular reasons don't directly meet the criteria I see out on the list.
"Symphony No. 9 in D minor", Beethoven (May, 1824). Over the years, Whirl and others have commented on my apparent resistance to classical music. And while it's true that it is rarely the first choice I make when choosing something to listen to, there are moments when classical is ideal. This is one of the pieces I often go to. I first paid this piece serious attention while working on a senior thesis about Theodor Adorno. Adorno has, in various works, compared the Ninth to a cathedral. That's a comparison that has stuck with me.
The Beatles, Beatles (November, 1968). My mom and dad are big Beatles fans. Which sort of makes me a big Beatles fan, too. If you're curious, Dad's favorite album is Rubber Soul. But for me, it's the eponymous white album. And while I've never purchased this album, it's been in my collection for as long as I can remember having a collection. I originally taped dad's copy and then continued to convert it as changes in music technology came about: tape to CD to MP3. This album opened my eyes to the idea of music as experimentation and exploration.
Zen Arcade, Hüsker Dü (July, 1984). My belated gateway punk album. But it wasn't until I got to college that I heard it. And by that time the band didn't exist anymore. But the American musical landscape was forever altered by Bob Mould and Grant Hart. When I moved to Chicago I learned that WXRT, Chicago's Finest Rock, was still in love with them. For good reason. Hüsker Dü brought me Paul Westerberg, Sugar, Sonic Youth, Green Day, the Breeders, the Lemonheads and the Replacements.
Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Red Hot Chili Peppers (October, 1991). Like what happened with grunge, I missed the Peppers when they first broke. We played this album often at WNDY, but it would be ten years before I would sit down and really listen to it. When I did, RHCP became a regular addition to my sound-scape. Listening to them always makes me happy, and that sort of magic can't be underestimated. The fact that they continue to produce funky albums is gravy.
Categories Media, Opinion
Weather Outlook
25. February 2014 //
This winter has been colder than the last several winters. That fact has engendered an odious amount of discontent among area residents– and visitors. I've attempted to counter this tiresome culture of remonstrations and gnashed teeth by repeating a quote from Norwegian polar explorer, Roald Amundsen.
Det finnes ikke dårlig vær, bare dårlige klær. // There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.
Admundsen led the first Antarctic expedition to reach the South Pole. They achieved their goal in December, 1911. Not satisfied, he repeated the task at the top of the world in 1926 and reached the North Pole. Roald knows cold. But I fear he may be a bit esoteric for contemporary audiences. And besides, everyone knows that explorers are crazy.
So let me transcribe this conversation among a group of Canadians I happened to overhear. We were all drinking coffee at The Roasted Bean at the Mirage. They were waiting for the first morning session of HDAW. For point of reference, it was -5 in Chicago on the same day and the entire city was shut down. It was 65 and sunny in Las Vegas, but that's beside the point.
My wife called this morning to tell me it's -42 in Winnipeg.
What are your kids doing?
Oh yeah? The kids have school then?
Yeah, my son was at hockey practice at 7 o'clock this morning.
Yeah. He had a game last night at 8 and was back at practice this morning at 7. He's got another two-hour practice tonight at 8:30.
Minus-42 and it's just another day. Schools open. Two-a-day hockey practice and travel plans for a weekend tournament in balmy Minnesota. So, seriously, Chicago. Put on your hat and shut your yap.
Categories Chicago, Opinion
Email can certainly be a bear. I get a lot of it both at work and at home. And with the proliferation of mobile computing, it has become increasingly difficult to just walk away from it. My email walks with me. The danger is that email will become yet another interrupt-based technology. Frankly I don't work all that effectively when confronted by overwhelming or unctuous interruptions.
Inbox Zero is a methodology for effectively dealing with the deluge of email we receive every day. Merlin Mann made a presentation on it at a Google Tech Talk in 2007 and has written several articles on the topic. The idea is simple. Instead of just checking email, you process them. Processing does not mean responding– in fact that's often the least appropriate action to take. Instead you apply one of the following actions:
defer
I don't particularly subscribe to Mann's entire Inbox Zero methodology, but I am rather draconian with how I handle incoming messages, and some of my techniques dovetail nicely with his approach. When I read my mail in a UNIX shell, I rigorously apply procmail. Over time I have developed more and more complex mail filters, eventually branching out to include SpamAssassin and other features. Mail filters continue to be my first– and often strongest– line of defense when dealing with email overload. I have them– lots of them– everywhere I read email.
I filter. I file. I delete. I delegate. — And for the most part, my inbox is pretty small, but very rarely zero. When I do manage to get it to zero, I allow a bit of celebration. It goes something like this.
Music by: Foreigner
Lyrics by: DJ Bingo
Sittin' on the datacenter floor, with his head hung low
Couldn't close a ticket, and it was time to go
Heard the roar at the bar, he could picture the scene
Put his head to the desk, then like a distant scream
He heard "You've got mail", just blew him away
He saw blood in his eyes, and the very next day
Bought a beat up laptop, from the Craigslist store
Didn't know how to work it, but he knew for sure
That one laptop, felt good in his hands, didn't take long, to understand
Just one laptop, slumped way down low
Gotta close the tickets, only one way to go
So he started typin', he ain't never gonna stop
Gotta keep on typin', someday gonna make it to the top
And be at inbox zero, got stars in his eyes, he's at inbox zero
He took one laptop, inbox zero, stars in his eyes
Inbox zero, (stars in his eyes) He'll come alive tonight
In a cube without a name, in a ticket downpour
Thought he passed his own shadow, by the breakroom door
Like a trip through the past, to that day in the cage
And that one laptop, made his whole life change
Now he needs to keep on typin', he just can't stop
Gotta keep on typin', that boy has got to stay on top
And be at inbox zero, got stars in his eyes
He's at inbox zero, got stars in his eyes
Yeah, inbox zero, stars in his eyes
With that one laptop, (stars in his eyes)
He'll come alive, come alive tonight.
Yeah, he's gotta keep on typin', just can't stop
(Just one laptop) inbox zero, (aah aah aaah) got stars in his eyes
He's just at inbox zero, aah aah aaah
Juke box (stars) hero, (stars, stars) inbox zero, (stars, stars)
He's got stars in his eyes, stars in his eyes
Categories Opinion, Technology
Wabash at Twenty
I've watched as my friends and I have passed various milestones over the past few years: marriage, a fortieth birthday, divorce, a twenty-year high school reunion, the death of a parent, children learning to drive or themselves graduating from high school. We talk — or don't talk in some cases — about these events in terms that remind me of pedestrian versions of lifetime achievement awards.
Predictably someone is happy, "We made it!" Devastated, someone else wails, "What happened!? Where did it all go?"
In cases of tangible loss the reaction is understandable, but there are imes when the emotional response seems out of proportion with the event itself. These intrigue me: a particular birthday springs most prominently to mind. Yeah, so you're forty. That does happen. Despite all our poetic attempts to describe it as otherwise, time is one of those universal principles that progresses at a regular pace. We know it's coming. It doesn't sneak up on us, appearing at our doorstep in a bizarre costume crying, "Surprise! Gimme all your birthdays!"
Time is fundamentally linked to change and movement. There is change precisely because there is time.
Whether we arrive at this conclusion rationally or empirically is irrelevant. It is the inevitability of the conclusion that I want to emphasize.
I want to emphasize it because I want to convince myself that I'm acting like an idiot when I think about Wabash at twenty years gone. Unlike the other milestones — lifetime achievements — this one tripped me up. I was able to navigate the others with flinty-eyed composure. Not this. The twenty-year reunion has come and gone and I am no closer to understanding the causes, catalysts or components of my reaction. It was like I'd lost my mind. "Twenty years. It can't be twenty years. We just graduated."
I took stock of what my world looked like twenty years ago. I remember trying to study for finals while every television in the house was tuned to coverage of the riots consuming Los Angeles. Where were you during those days following the jury acquittal of four LAPD officers accused of beating Rodney King? Do you remember the video footage? Bill Clinton was in the middle of securing the Democratic presidential nomination to challenge the "unbeatable" George H. W. Bush. Bush was flying high on 80% approval ratings after the Gulf War. Almost no one had email and absolutely no one had email on their phone. Kurt Cobain was still alive. The country's economy was still suffering under the tenacious recession following Black Monday. My class was entering the workforce after several years of high unemployment, and massive government budget deficits. Generation X.
I continued to speculate about my reaction. Had I noticed a critical mass of cultural touchpoints similar to that spring in 1992? Was it the fact that I'd spent the same amount of time alive after college graduation as I had before? Was my college experience so formative that it has become viscerally knitted into who I am as a man? I start to systematically dismiss them. Some of these notions strike me as overly romantic. Others require a powers of observation I think exceed my capabilities. I just don't think it's about the math. There's nothing particularly magical about years.
Eventually I gave up. I abandoned the task of trying to figure myself out. Socrates can apologize all he wants. I'd come to the end of this diversion of my unexamined life.
I accepted my fraternity brothers' invitations and hopped on the bus to Indianapolis for a three-day weekend of reunions. I spent Friday and Saturday on the Wabash campus in Crawfordsville and Sunday with my fraternity pledge class in a backyard cookout outside Indianapolis. Some of these men I'd seen from time to time in the interim. I hadn't kept in contact with most of them. And again I don't know the reason for that. Was it apathy? Embarrassment? I honestly don't know. After the initial guilt pangs subsided I settled in to enjoy just being with them again. We spent time catching up with each other and the college. I attended some colloquiums put on by fellow alumni. We sang Chapel Sing together.
Wabash is a small liberal arts college of between 800-900 students. Reunions for all classes on the five-year graduation interval are held simultaneously, and the class celebrating its 50th (1962 this year) is the highlight and typically has the highest percentage participation. Out of a graduating class of 153 men, 47 came back to Wabash for the 50th reunion. In contrast, my class at 17 attendees. The obvious reason for the smaller turnout is children. Many of my classmates commented on the number of games, matches, camps and activities they and their children were involved with that conflicted with the reunion schedule. That made sense to me, nor do I fault them for prioritizing those things over the reunion.
The highlight of the weekend for me was the cookout on Sunday. Eight fraternity brothers from my class, along with their wives and children converged on PJ's place outside Indianapolis. I'd lived with these guys for four years while at Wabash. While some of us had gone overseas for a year during college, I still think of it as a four-year stretch. I can't quite put into words how comfortable I felt seeing them again. I've already mentioned the inevitability of change, and things had changed. What surprised me more than anything, given that brace of change and my accompanying anxiety about it was how quickly those fears evaporated. How quickly I realized I was truly among friends.
I suppose that what reunion means. To capture again, for a weekend or a single, sunny afternoon, that state of friendship and harmony experienced in years now long behind us.
Categories Friends, Opinion
Everything Is A Remix
Everything is a Remix is a fascinating four-part video series by filmmaker Kirby Ferguson. He explores the concept of creativity from the position that everything creative is fundamentally derivitive. Creation occurs through through some essential degree of copying, transformation, combination, and subversion. Ferguson demonstrates these interactions through a wide range of examples. Some familiar and some unfamiliar– that is until he skillfully highlights the sources: Led Zeppelin to Star Wars to Gutenberg to Apple. The drama occurs in Part 4. In Part 4, Ferguson focuses on the systemic failures caused by the conflict between the interwoven, tangled world of ideas and the the legal regard for for those same ideas as unique properties with distinct boundaries. Copyright from the shoulders of giants.
Categories Opinion
Like a EMACS
Like me, many of my friends also work in technology. From time to time, we succumb and wage the various holy wars about particular bits of tech with one another. One such protracted battle — a battle I am steadily losing by attrition — is the holy war over the "one true editor." Vi vs. emacs. Recently Princess and Farmboy fired a salvo across the bow of my ship-of-the-line: emacs.
And while another approach might have been to yell, "Avast, ye scurvy dogs!" and open fire on these ninjas, instead I responded in song.
Music by: Far East Movement
Poppin tildes on the files, like a blizzard
When we code, we do it right gettin LISPer
Slippin regexp in my style, like three splats
Now I'm feelin so fly like a EMACS
Like a EMACS, Like a EMACS
Gimme that Per-Per-Perl
Gimme that Py-Python
Ladies love my style, in my syntax gettin on
Get them tildes poppin, we get that push and that pop
Now give me two more buffers cuz you know it don't stop
Hell Yeaah!
Code it up, code-code it up,
When source compile around me, they be actin like they run
They be actin like they run, actin-actin like they run
Sippin on, sippin on init, Ima ma-make it diff
Girl I keep it gangsta, poppin buffers at the fringe
This is how we live, every single night
Take that buffer to the head, and let me see you fly
Categories Friends, Opinion, Technology
Time Machine Project, Part 3
18. January 2011 //
Thanks to my degenerate friends, I came into a little bit of cash at our poker game last week. Friday I spent my poker winnings on a pair of hockey skates and then proceeded to immediately head over to Millennium Park and try them out on the outdoor rink. Returning to the ice is (as I'm sure you have surmised) phase three of my time machine project.
I skated regularly as a kid. My hometown has a nice, full-sized ice rink. As an added bonus, the rink was only lightly used. Everyone else wanted to play baseball, I think. The rink had a lot of good things going for it. It was close to my dad's office. It was open year-round — which made it particularly appealing on those scorching days of summer in the desert. And it was across the street from the best comic book shop in town.
I skated there a lot growing up. I desperately wanted to play hockey there but lost on appeal in the court of parental oversight. We had a number of popular roller-rinks in town as well, but I always preferred the ice rink. It was great.
So here I am, twenty years older and not a day wiser, strapping on some new skates and heading out onto the ice once more. Of course I invited my friends to join me. Many were convinced this had to be one of the worst ideas I have ever come up with. Tempting horrible physical and psychological trauma this close to the anniversary of that Brain Mishap. That's saying something, because I've had some really bad ideas over the years. T. was more supportive:
You win the prize for picking the cutest group activity chosen by a grown ass man.
At least I think she meant that supportively. You don't think she was being cynical, do you?
So anyway, some scheduling complications meant that we scheduled two trips to the ice rink this past weekend. The brief one Friday night at Millennium Park. T., Hurricane, and niqui joined Whirl on the sidelines while Hurricane and I skated for a while. We did a longer skate Saturday afternoon. Whirl has never ice skated.
So Saturday when we regrouped. Farmboy, Princess, niqui, Whirl and I met over at the smaller outdoor rink at Daley Bicentennial Plaza on the north side of Grant Park and skated for a couple hours. Whirl and Princess both skated for the first time ever. Nobody got hurt. Both newcomers did really well and said they had a lot of fun and would like to do it again. It was a great time outside on the ice.
Farmboy put on a strong pitch to get my skills up and consider joining him in a pick-up amateur hockey league and I have to say the proposal has a lot of appeal.
All time travel stories have to contend with the issue of paradox. Farmboy's proposal and its implementation inside my time machine raises that issue in a very personal way: What would happen if I were to travel back and time and defy the ruling of the court of parental oversight?
Categories Health, Hockey, Opinion
Tomorrow I fire up the second phase of my time machine project. Tomorrow I'm attending my first class at the Goethe Institut. I signed up for an eleven-week course in intermediate German after completing the Einstufungstest. This is something I've wanted to do for years as I slowly stood by and allowed my language skills atrophy with lack of use. This January marks the twentieth anniversary of the beginning of my year abroad in Germany. Personally, socially, academically — that year was one of the most enriching times in my life I have ever experienced. And now looking back on it I feel that I have squandered some of what I worked so hard to develop while there. I'm setting out to recapture it before it is gone entirely.
So with that mindset firmly fixed in place I stepped into the offices of the school — just a few blocks from where I live — and turned in the written portion of my exam. I underwent the subsequent oral examination. The speaking component was much less formal, much more conversational than the written. Despite that informality I felt self-conscious, almost embarrassed for myself. I knew that I knew how to do this, and yet I didn't. I floundered. I stammered. I reached for words that at one time I knew were ready at hand only to have them slip traitorously from my grasp.
I'll get them back.
They might have escaped me this once, but I will get them back. I'm determined. I'm excited. Walking home from the institute down Randolph and Wabash I felt a version of the same rush I remember when walking across the Kurfürstendamm in Berlin to get back to the small apartment I shared with my fellow students from Geneva. I've taken to thinking this is a sign that my time machine is working.
When I got home I collected my trusty Duden, and my Langenscheidts Kurzgrammatik. The next day I headed over to Beck's Book Store to pick up my textbooks for the course. It's been fifteen years since I've done anything like this.
Tomorrow: jetzt geht's los!
Categories Health, Language, Opinion
I'm building a time machine. It's not an actual machine. It's not some device that will bend space and time or carry me to another period in history. No the machine I'm building is mostly in my mind. And when I come right out and think about it, it's not a machine at all. It's a mission — an assignment I've given myself to re-energize interests and activities from earlier in my life. I got to thinking about all the things that my friends were doing for themselves in the spirit of a principle AK first mentioned to me a couple years ago when we were working together: "personal enrichment". He told me about how he liked to take on particular projects for himself not to necessarily do something for any particular overt benefit. He took up craft brewing. He learned how to ride a motorcycle. No fame, no fortune, no name in lights. Nothing like that. But just to do something that would expand his life. Give him a new skill, a new experience. Personal enrichment.
I thought it was a great principle. I like the sense of initiative. I like how it serves to break routines and avoid getting stuck in ruts — bad habits.
And more recently I've noticed a number of things that my friends have been doing that I might also categorize as "personal enrichment". They're hobbies, really, but they're hobbies followed up with passion and importance that provide a sense of well-being. T. told me this week that she is setting a goal for herself to read every Hugo Award winning novel. Hurricane, Steamboat, niqui, Farmboy and Princess are all going (or going back) to school to pursue a college degree. Bitsy is starting to aggressively train for RAGBRAI this summer. niqui is training for a triathlon this spring. Princess wants to learn how to knit.
So I decided to pursue my own little "personal enrichment" activities. And what I've chosen to do is to return to activities I used to enjoy twenty years ago or so. In the interim, for one reason or another I had abandoned them. My return to photography was the first of these activities. It's a sentimental return to a version of myself from twenty years ago, but seen through the eyes of someone twice that age. Time travel in my head.
In November, 2007 I started working out regularly and dropped a significant amount of weight. Last month I returned to the swimming pool for regular exercise. I added swimming as part of my "eat less, move more" diet plan. I like this plan for its simplicity. I eat what I want; I just eat less. And I make sure and move a little bit each day. I walk to and from work. I was going to the gym three times a week– now five. Today marks six weeks of adding swimming to the mix of workouts. Swimming again feels very good but I have to say this was way easier when I was 18. Last week I hit the one mile milestone I'd been working towards. I'm feeling comfortable in the water again. Now I'm trying to see what I can do to start building up a bit of speed. I was surprised how quickly it came back to me. I'm not looking to be competitive. I'm not doing this to be part of a race. I'm just doing it to feel better about myself, to provide a bit of relaxation and tranquility. I mentioned to Whirl that I was particularly appreciating the sense of isolation that the pool provided. Since returning to the gym I've been doing most of my workouts during my lunch. It provides a good break from sitting at my desk, gets me out of the office and reinvigorates me for the afternoons. I use the time to listen to music or podcasts and just take myself out of whatever stressors are surrounding me in the workplace.
Swimming removes even those potential distractions. It's just me and the water. I think about breathing. I count laps. The rest is empty.
Categories Health, Opinion


Dental phobia is quite common, but at Capital Smiles, Dr. Shiloh Lieberman and Dr. Erin Page successfully treat nervous patients every day thanks to sedation dentistry . With it, our team can alleviate any stress or discomfort you may feel in the dental chair so you can finally take care of your teeth with peace of mind. If you regularly experience a small amount of dental anxiety, then nitrous oxide sedation may be perfect for you. We can use it to quickly and easily make your appointments more comfortable and help you get right back to your day without missing a beat.
"I broke a tooth last week and was forced to go to the dentist. I struggle with anxiety and was dreading this appointment. It could not have gone any better. The entire staff was so accommodating and understanding. The anxiety that I had slowly drifted away and by the end I was almost in tears I am so happy I found this place. "
Nitrous oxide (NO2) is better known by another name: "laughing gas." The reason for that is when patients inhale it, it creates a light, happy, and floaty feeling that sometimes causes them to get the giggles. Nitrous oxide has been used for well over 100 years to help anxious dental patients, and at Capital Smiles, we're able to use it with a wide variety of dental procedures so you can come see us confident that you'll always have a pleasant experience.
Who Could Benefit From Nitrous Oxide Sedation?
For this sedation method, all you'll need to do is breathe in the colorless, odorless gas through a small nasal mask to start feeling more relaxed and calm. The mask will stay on for your entire appointment, and your dentist can adjust how much nitrous oxide you are receiving throughout to ensure your comfort. Once the procedure is completed and the mask is removed, the effects of the gas will wear off within minutes, allowing you to go straight back to your day without interruption.
Is Nitrous Oxide Sedation Right For You?
If you believe this kind of sedation could help you at your next dental visit, please give us a call and let us know. Both Dr. Lieberman and Dr. Page are certified by the Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation, so they will be able to answer all of your questions. We've used nitrous oxide to literally help thousands of patients over the years, and it could do the exact same for you.
If you'd like to learn more about nitrous oxide sedation, or if you're interested in having it at your next appointment, please contact us today . With our sedation methods and gentle touch, we'll completely change how you think about going to the dentist!


When selecting a video agency for your company to work with, you need to consider a variety of components.
Ensure any company you work with has a clear understanding of how your business works, what you want to achieve and what you want to say. Test them on this if needs be and ask how this will be implemented into a digital strategy.
Request to see three flagship examples of their work that have used different production techniques.
Check the quality of different animation styles they have previously produced.
Look at previous examples of their work in your sector or find examples that use the technique, idea or approach you are discussing.
Ask about each step of the strategy, creative and pre-production process including any systems or platforms used. How does the storyboarding process work (if required)?
Find out what will happen on filming days (if required) - what will the team be, how will it work?
Find out what systems are used for presenting and managing the editing process. How can people feed in their ideas or monitor developments?
Have a clear understanding of the typical launch process for a piece of content. How do they optimise content for organic and paid for search?
How do they distribute your content to the target audience?
How will the agency monitor performance, conversions and engagement as this is surely why you are producing the content in the first place.
Choosing a modern video agency is no longer exclusively about production values that fit your budget as what happens before and after the production cycle is just as important - namely, what is the thinking and strategy that goes into what you are producing, how is the content deployed and how can you achieve measured results and ROI? These are the things that will make your video investment sustainable.
For more information please also have a look at our Beginner's Guide to Video Marketing.