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THE SQL Server Blog Spot on the Web
I recently read the blog post from James Serra Tabular model: Not ready for prime time? (read also the comments because there are discussions about a few points raised by James) and the following post from Christian Wade Multidimensional or Tabular. In the last 2 years I worked with many companies adopting Tabular in different scenarios and I agree with some of the points expressed by James in his post (especially about missing features in Tabular if compared to Multidimensional), but I strongly disagree in others.
In general, Tabular is a good choice for a new project when:
Until now, I never suggested to migrate an existing Multidimensional model to a Tabular one. There should be very important reasons for that, such as performance issues in distinct count and many-to-many relationships that cannot be easily solved by optimizing the Multidimensional model, but I still never encountered this scenario.
I would say that in 80% of the new projects, you might use either Multidimensional or Tabular and the real difference is the time-to-market depending on the skills of the development team. So it's not strange that who is used to Multidimensional is not moving to Tabular, not getting a particular benefit from the new model unless specific requirements exist. The recent DAXMD feature that allows using SharePoint Power View on Multidimensional is a really important one, even if I'd like having also Excel Power View enabled for this scenario (this should be just a question of time).
Another scenario in which I'm seeing a growing adoption of Tabular is in companies that creates models for their product/service and do that by using XMLA or Tabular AMO 2012. I am used to call them ISVs, even if those providing services cannot be really defined in this way. These companies are facing the multitenancy challenge with Tabular and even if this is a niche market, I see some potential here, because adopting Tabular seems a much more natural choice than Multidimensional in those scenario where an analytical engine has to be embedded to deliver one of the features of a larger product/service delivered to customers.
I'd like to see other feedbacks in the comments: tell your story of choosing between Tabular and Multidimensional in a BI project you started with SQL Server 2012, thanks!
Some great points Marco. While I have not seen a large adoption of Tabular, other folks have. My post was intended to inform those who are starting a new project of the limitations of Tabular so they don't go in blindly thinking Tabular can do everything that multidimensional can do. If those limitations are not a problem, then Tabular, because of its ease of use, is the better option. I was hoping my post started a discussion on the experiences many are seeing between the two models, and it seems I am succeeding :-)
thanks for your feedback - I hope we'll see other comments as well! :)
I agree with many of points raised by James. I think that if a team has knowledge about Multidimensional model, the best choice is the Multidimensional model even that the limitations are not a problem for the initial requirements. I think this because if requirements changes, the Tabular model might not be enough to support this changes. I think so that the fact of Tabular Model is not available in Standard Edition is a limiter for a more simple scenario where the Tabular Model would be the best choice for teams without knowledge of MDX. :)
Paulo Corrêa
I agree that the lack of Tabular in standard edition is certainly something that limit the Tabular adoption in many IT shops. They use PowerPivot as a workaround, but it's not really a Tabular replacement.
I'm ready to start adopting tabular if only because Microsoft seems to be investing in it rather than in multidimensional (MD). Aside from over-hyped "Sharepoint PowerView on MD" or whatever, there has been little improvement made to multidimensional in recent years. It is a bit discouraging to work with a platform that seems to be headed towards eventual deprecation. We can't even get our MD-related bugs fixed anymore.
My theory is that SQL Server relational database is taking over the storage side of the BI equation (new indexing features, PDW, etc) and SSAS tabular is replacing MD with its in-memory formula engine & lower cost of entry. I suspect Microsoft wants to eventually squeeze MD out of the picture altogether.
David, thanks for the feedback. I understand the pain of not having new MD features. For MD-related bugs, the best way to get attention from Microsoft is opening a support incident and not just waiting an answer on Connect items. If the bug affects a system in production, it gets higher attention. If the bug is the request of a new feature, that this gets a lower priority.
I have to say that after reading a few of the blogs where different guys have given their different views of MultiDimensional (MD) vs Tabular I have to say that in my experience it all depends on the reporting that you are trying to deliver to the client.
What I often do is I actually almost always develop my project in MD, because of the many features in MD. After which I often leverage off MD and write MDX queries which I then use to populate my Tabular Project. I am aware that this often means more time on the project, but I often find due to leveraging off of MD, I can build better and faster reports into Tabular.
I do find often that using the calculated columns, this enables me to make the data more meaningful, which is something that you cannot do in MD. After which using almost any of the Microsoft Reporting tools out there makes the visual aspect of the report very appealing to the clients.
I also sometimes will just create a POC in Excel using Power Pivot, after which I can then leverage it onto the Tabular server if required.
I think that there is a valid use for both MD and Tabular, it all depends on your requirements.
Gilbert, your feedback is very interesting. It seems you're using MD as a data mart for many reports, but you can still query it directly for simple formulas.
Keep in mind as well that MD has a standard edition offering, Tabular does not. I think this is an error in licensing policy.
I agree Greg, Tabular on Standard would have been better (maybe with some limitation on db size if MS wanted to push BI/Enterprise editions) - I was just wondering whether DAXMD support is supported in Standard edition or not, I'll investigate on that.
The member-level permissions available in MD is almost reason enough for me avoid Tabular. My reporting layer is significantly more simple than otherwise as a single report can be built to accommodate the needs of multiple layers of a department or organisation. Even just the capabilities of a default member provides huge benefits as users can immediately see reports in their preferred default context any time the open a report or pivot table built on MD. Does anything else (besides custom architecture in SQL) do that?
Chris, you put good points. Please note that many of these strenghts are related to MDX and not to Multidimensional. These features might appear in Tabular, too (and the default member could be defined in the MDX Script also in Tabular, even if not supported - it deserves a test...).
But yes, today this level of abstraction and metadata richness is provided only by Multidimensional.
I think one of the most important and powerful feature in MD and I see it little covered when comparing to tabular is the aggregation navigator, aggregation designer and the ability to reference an aggregate based on a relationship. This single feature gives you the ability to compress your data infinitly to constant size that is independent of the transaction volume. As your data grows you will have little degradation in performance. As long as tabular is lacking this, it will never make to the industrial level league. It will stay in the realm of micky mouse projects, and sadly Microsoft has no idea of the harm they are causing with their uninformed marketing crew.
This single feature gives you the ability to compress the context space of queries infinitly to constant size that is independent of the transaction volume.
It boggles my mind how you claim tabular is faster when it keeps recalculating with every query from the floor of the pyramid. Plus the floor of the pyramid is not constant in size, essentially the response time of queries becomes correlated to the transaction volume and degrades non linearly relative to the transaction volume size. This is huge risk to implement on a serious data warehouse. We have done simulation and benchmarking on this comparing both models. Every statistical result pointed to MD beating tabular by big margin on every record.
thank for your feedback. It would be nice having your measures about the tests you've done, since this might be different depending on several scenarios and it would be interesting having concrete numbers to compare.
Roughly speaking, for a compressed in-memory database in the order of magnitude of a few GBs (which is in the range of 10-100 GB of space in the relational data warehouse) Tabular performs pretty well, faster or on pair with MD. When you go over the limit of 100GBs of compressed in-memory database (1-10TB or more of relational data warehouse) predefined aggregations might perform better on well-known queries, but when you receive a query that doesn't hit the aggregation, the first query is slower than the equivalent in Tabular (after data being in cache, MD and Tabular might be similar or MD could be better since it has a cache at the formula engine level that is not available in Tabular).
I look forward to see your numbers, if you can share.
You are downplaying the true function of a BI data model, it is pyramid and not flat like tabular. This means you should accomplish 80-90% aggregate cache hit ratio on user queries, those aggregates are all in memory and compressed million times more than leaf level like tabular, plus they are pre processed. You will only need to go to the leaf in a scoped drill down and that would be 10-15% of user traffic. Now, if you are worried about the 10-15% leaf access, you can push the floor to in memory in SQL vertipaq and you will get close response like tabular for remaining 10-15% of queries (scoped drill down).
So with the 85% of the queries, MD was 10 to 100 times faster than tabular and once we moved the floor to sql in memory we got very close response to tabular on the remaining 10-15% leaf drill down queries.
We did the probability distribution on response time from the logs of both systems and the difference was shocking. It is true the MD distribution have little outliers, but as I mentioned above that can be fixed by moving the floor to in memory in SQL.
MD Percentile
50% Percentile: 10 seconds
80% Percentile: 30 seconds
Tabular Percentile
50% Percentile: 90 seconds
80% Percentile: 150 seconds
A YTD Gross margin calculation on a 7 level hierarchy that depends on additive and non additive measures with couple billion transactions took 100 times more time on tabular, on MD, it is almost instant. Plus I don't wanna go to non linear calculations like aggregating a multiplication, the difference is staggering between pre processed and real time processing.
One other thing is the server utilization, on tabular user queries were recalculating the same metric with every queries, it is like you keep banging your head over and over again to do the same thing.
Oracle is not stupid to have aggregate navigator and designer with their in-memory system, because they know you can beat that with some fancy marketing.
it would be nice looking at the MDX and DAX queries you tried. The execution time of queries in Tabular for 2 billion transactions is very high. I have a database with 4 billion records with queries that return in less than 3 seconds in Tabular and up to 8 seconds when many-to-many relationships are involved. MD can be optimized for regular measures, but not on M2M scenarios. I agree that MD can be faster than Tabular, but the numbers I see are strange and I'd like to see which type of workload have been used.
Tabular has its own limits, but has also many strenghts. I've been surprised several times by performance that can be obtained in Tabular, even if DAX optimization and data distribution are very important factors to consider.
I don't know if you can share more info about the tests you performed (such as data model, tables' density, queries used) but any more information you could share would be very helpful to the community.
I am not talking about specific queries, there is no dax or mdx, pure measures. I am talking about system throughput. You can't look at individual queries and make generalized claim, this is not scientific.
I said couple billion, close to 6 billion.
Until I see a scientific discussion supplied with mathematical evidence on how leaf level calculation will beat a pre processed aggregate calculation, I won't share anything and I won't waste my time.
Thanks for your opinion, appreciated.
I can base my feedback on my experience. From a theorical point of view, you are right: a pre processed aggregate calculation requires less computation than leaf level calculation. With the current hardware and current implementation, there are scenarios in which the result might be different. Consider that:
- access to RAM is expensive of some order of magnitude compared to data stored in cache
- sequential access to RAM is faster than random access to RAM (I didn't believe to that, but it happens for a number of reasons)
- the number of aggregations required to provide quick answer to any query might be huge, and the time required to locate and retrieve the best aggegation for the query requested might be more expensive than doing the leaf level calculation, depending on the size of the columns involved and their compression ratio
- certain aggregations are not useful for queries made at different granularities (think to distinct count and many-to-many calculations)
So the point is that I had your same point of view a few years ago, but after several empirical evidence of the performance that you can achieve with Tabular, I always evaluate carefully the database, the requirements and the calculations involved before suggesting between Tabular and Multidimensional.
The number you provided in one of your comments are so high (90 seconds, 150 seconds) that I was wondering what calculation were issued. In the current implementation, DAX and Tabular performance might be very sensible to the DAX syntax, and different syntaxes providing the same result can have wide differences in performance.
I'm really sorry you don't want to share your experience. The number you provided are interesting and deserve further investigation and I would be very happy if you change your position and would like to collaborate in this research.
Hi Marco
I'm currently working on a Tabular Project for an online and High Street Retailer. The solution replaces an existing Multidimensional solution. Tabular was chosen for the following:
- The speed and ease of getting a functioning solution 'up and running'
- Many-to-Many capabilities (basket analysis etc)
- Flexibility of the data model (very easy and quick to deploy changes)
- The impressive speed of DAX queries, especially as the users like to drill down to individual transactions
Many thanks for passing on your knowledge via your blog, I've found it very helpful.
thanks for your feedback!
Hi Marco,
I run a large BI team in a Telco and we are using Tabular by default, MD when required.
One issue we face with Tabular is when the calculations are trying to do a lot of IF statements because we cannot use Unary operators in hierarchies.
However, we chose Tabular by default because it is faster to develop, more flexible and we get great compression rates.
thanks for your feedback. Can you provide some example of the calculation that requires unary operators?
Have you seen the Alberto's blog post on this topic?
I have read that article.
It is not so much having unary operators, but having multiple hierarchies using them. So the calculations need to run IF statements against multiple hierarchies which slows them down, especially when we have 2 billion rows in the fact table.
Interestingly enough, the multi dimensional cube was 96Gb, and the tabular model 20Gb. The MD cube also processed much faster, and in this case performed better.
However, even given this, we are still using tabular by default as in general it suits our purposes.
We probably now have 90% tabular models and 10% MD cubes. I think there is definitely room for both in any implementation.
Hi John,
I understand the problem of multiple hierarchies with Unary operator - in this scenario MD is much simpler to handle.
The comparison in size between MD and Tabular is interesting - does the MD have 96Gb including aggregations? The process time really depends on the hardware, but unless you create many aggregations the speed of MD might be better, also because Tabular cannot read multiple partitions from the same table at the same time.
Thank you very much for the feedback!
For me one of the main limitations of Tabular is inability to support multi-user scenarios.
From official guide:
Problem: Analysis Services in tabular mode is not optimized for multiuser scenarios. As a result, an expensive query could starve all other user queries of resources.
Cause: By design, each user's query should be so fast that the engine should just finish one query before moving on to the next on. This design gives the CPU and caches and threads the least amount of context switching.
Workaround: Design queries so that they do not run too long.
And though performance of single query is acceptable (but in distinct counts over rolling weeks it is still far from instantaneous for models with ~ 8 bln rows), when few queries are executed in parallel - I see significant difference in run-time what stops me from using Tabular in production.
What do you think?
this is an interesting scenario and the problem you describe is a well-known one. A complete answer to this would be very long, I try to summarize:
- scale-out on multiple server can serve more users, like Multidimensional
- real issue is how to guarantee the latency answering each single query; one way is to connect more demanding queries/users to a separate server, so that they have a limited effect on simpler queries
- distinct count optimization on 8 billion rows model is challenging, but still possible (within certain limits) - we are working on a White paper on this topic that we'll publish in the next weeks/months, contact me directly if you want to discuss it deeper
- do you have an alternate method for the distinct count calculation that is faster? In my experience, Multidimensional scales better but is also slower in this specific scenario (distinct count on large fact tables).
There is no silver bullet here - there are many optimizations possible, but the core of the issue you described exists.From my point of view, it also exists with Multidimensional, so it would be interesting having data to compare scalability performance between the two implementations (comparing average response time observing different number of concurrent users). I would be very much interested in this analysis if you have some number to share (doing these tests in a comparable way is not easy, so having the ability to discuss them is very interesting to me).
As you said, there are many optimisations possible. M2M Distinct Count works reasonably well for me (much better then native Distinct Count which in general I'm trying to avoid for a number of reasons), but of course, for big time periods, run-time is in minutes not seconds.
In some limited scenarios, it may outperform Tabular solution, but on average performance of a single-query in Tabular is faster.
Unfortunately, I don't have scalability test results but I will contact you to discuss some numbers.
you can write to marco(dot)russo(at)sqlbi(dot)com
This is a really great thread! What does concern me though is that MS seems to abandon a robust, working, useful, product (eg MD, SSRS) for a potentially improved but definitely underdeveloped one (eg tabular, power BI).
MS seems to be years behind tableu on the visualization end and while PowerBI is very cool but it doesn't come close to meeting the needs of many of the reports built even in SSRS. I just don't want to see this happening in the data layer because I love my MS-based data warehouse!
PS - are there any signicant data mining capabilities in tabular? If we're going to talk about how competitive a product is, that and other 'big data' topics should be in the top concerns.
Hi Chris, thanks for the feedback!
I understand you're worried for MS corporate BI tools evolution - it seems they are dedicating more resources to self-service than to corporate BI in these days. I agree that a more balanced approach is required. I hope MS is already working on that.
Today, there are no specific data mining capabilities in a Tabular instance. You can always use a Multidimensional instance with existing Data Mining tools.
Hi Marco -
About a year-and-a-half ago, my company stood up both MD and Tabular instances of SSAS. That said, every project over the last year has been in Tabular. I attribute that to many of the things you call out:
• We had no pre-existing MD models
• While some members of our team are well versed in MD, it's been very easy to pick up Tabular and establish efficient dev processes with it
• Our data and models typically utilize complex many-to-many calculations and distinct count calculations
One of the biggest aspects of Tabular that has made it work so well in our organization is less technical and more on the development methodology side. Gilbert touched on it briefly in his comment, but for us, the ability to quickly build prototypes utilizing Power Pivot has been huge. It's great to get a group of SMEs from a department into a room and begin putting together a small-scale model with their data up on a projector right in front of their eyes. The context, immediate feedback, and insights gained from those sessions lead to a much more efficient build-out of the larger, enterprise solution and ultimately ensure a more business-driven outcome.
The tools, language, and modeling techniques of MD do not yield themselves as well to this sort of interaction.
Thanks! - Mike
Hi Mike, thanks for the feedback and Happy New Year! :)
I agree with Chris Ross.
Microsoft seems to be ignoring very useful products SSAS-MD and SSRS. We have not seen changes since 2008-R2 for SSRS. I also do not see any in the upcoming 2014-version. Perhaps someone can shed light on the future direction on these 2 products.
Hi Sunil,
I share your pain and I don't have news to share, unfortunately.
I was wondering about what about user Security in tabular vs MD. I'm looking at implementing user Access by user name, using bridge tbl and a user hierarchy..in MD this Works well, but not sure how this will work in Tabular..
Tabular implements a row-level security model: every user/Group can have a dax expression in every table that defins with rows are visible to that user. You can implement bridge table, but you have to define the access rule with a DAX expressions instead than an MDX one.
IMO you (and James) both have good points, and I truly believe the most important thing is to not OVERSELL Tabular in the large enterprise. However, it and PowerPivot are still great tools for any enterprise--especially in the area of POCs, time-to-market, and supplemental communication of requirements between IT and Power Users (in addition to already existing perks of "in-memory" analytic engines).
Steven, thanks for the feedback. I agree that overselling is never a good strategy!


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Comayagua kōmäyä´wä [key], town (1997 est. pop. 62,000), capital of Comayagua dept., W central Honduras. Founded in 1537, Comayagua was the most important city of colonial Honduras. In the political struggle following independence from Spain (1821), Comayagua, the Conservative stronghold, rivaled Tegucigalpa, seat of the Liberal faction. The cities alternated as capital of the republic, but in 1880 Tegucigalpa became the permanent capital. Today Comayagua is a manufacturing center and serves as the western commercial center of Honduras. It has a fine colonial cathedral and other colonial landmarks.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Honduran Political Geography

subset: commoncrawl


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Finding ovarian cancer fast may not help survival
Once a woman begins experiencing symptoms of ovarian cancer, getting diagnosed and treated quickly may not help her survive longer, according to a new study of Australian women.
The finding is discouraging, researchers said, especially because doctors have believed that catching more cases of ovarian cancer early may help extend how long women live after diagnosis.
Ovarian cancer kills the majority of women with the disease within 5 years.
The results, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, "do not mean that women who have persistent symptoms that might be due to ovarian cancer should not seek immediate medical attention," Christina Nagle, the study's lead author from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Australia, told Reuters Health.
"Presenting promptly will help ensure that they are appropriately referred and can then make informed choices about their treatment," she said in an email.
Nagle and her colleagues followed almost 1,500 Australian women who were diagnosed with ovarian cancer between 2002 and 2005. The researchers interviewed the women about their symptoms and when they first went to the doctor and were diagnosed with cancer, then continued to track the participants for the next 5 years.
Most of the women had symptoms before they were diagnosed - in the others, cancer was caught at a routine check-up or during surgery for a different condition.
In women with symptoms, about 40 percent went to their doctors and were examined and diagnosed with ovarian cancer within 2 months of when the symptoms started. Within 3 months, about 60 percent of women had been diagnosed, and 6 months after symptoms began, 80 percent had been diagnosed.
Women whose cancer was picked up before symptoms started survived longer than those who had symptoms. For example, in all women with late-stage cancer, those without symptoms lived an average of 4 years after their diagnosis, compared to 3 years in women with symptoms.
But among those who did have invasive, symptomatic cancer, survival did not depend on how soon they saw their doctor.
Fifty-two percent of women who were diagnosed within 1 month of their first symptoms survived for the next 5 years, compared to 53 percent of women who took more than a year to be diagnosed.
But that doesn't necessarily mean that all efforts to get women treated fast are for naught.
Women may still get symptoms - such as daily stomach or pelvic pain, pelvic bloating or fullness, or difficulty eating - from early-stage cancer, and for them, it's possible that a quick diagnosis could improve outcomes, said M. Robyn Andersen, who studies ovarian cancer at the University of Washington in Seattle and was not involved in the current research.
Women who have new and persistent symptoms, she said, should still see their doctors.
And even if there is no ultimate change in how long women with ovarian cancer survive, early diagnosis and treatment is still important, Andersen said.
"Getting somebody quickly and promptly to the correct treatments helps them feel better about working with their physician team, helps them start their battle with cancer in a much better place," she told Reuters Health. "It is a quality of life issue for a cancer patient to be diagnosed promptly."
According to the National Cancer Institute, about 22,000 new cases of ovarian cancer were diagnosed last year.
Tumors or abnormal growths may first be detected during a normal pelvic exam, or through ultrasound imaging. A blood test to detect a substance called CA 125, which may be a sign of certain cancers, is still being studied as a diagnostic tool, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Because the disease is relatively rare and the benefits of early detection unclear, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a federal expert panel, does not recommend that women be regularly screened for ovarian cancer.
[This story was corrected in paragraph 12 to clarify a researcher statement and to remove the first word of paragraph 13.]
SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Oncology, online May 2, 2011


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Wash out: Pieces of a dream (house)
The dream-house-turned-nightmare has come crashing down. On October 26, city crews demolished 2210 North Berkshire Road, the former home of Ken and Heidi Vanderford.
Chronic flooding, which they discovered on move-in day a year ago, followed by black mold, sealed the fate of the duplex, which is now a pile of rubble. The Vanderfords were left bankrupt, homeless, and searching for answers.
As detailed in the Hook's August 28, 2003, cover story, "Our house: in the middle of a stream," the episode highlights the hidden problem of private underground storm drains.
The city has offered to pay 75 percent of the cost to replace the collapsed corrugated pipes, if neighboring property owners pay the other 25 percent, estimated between $400,000-$500,000.
Keith Vanderford is still dumbfounded and bitter that he could work hard, have good credit– and still lose his $170,000 house.
"There is no justice," he says.
In his experience in a number one-rated city, Vanderford feels abandoned and says he now wants to live "as far from Charlottesville as possible."


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Browsing Pharmacology & Therapeutics by Subject "Pain treatment"
Now showing items 1-1 of 1
Stress-induced analgesia. (Butler, R. K. & Finn, D.P. (2009). Stress-induced analgesia. Progress in Neurobiology, 88, 184-202., 2009)For over 30 years, scientists have been investigating the phenomenon of pain suppression upon exposure to unconditioned or conditioned stressful stimuli, commonly known as stress-induced analgesia. These studies have ...


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NFL draft analysis: A look at the top offensive linemen
NFL reporter Jeff Legwold analyzes offensive linemen available in the draft, which starts Thursday:
1. Luke Joeckel, T, Texas A&M, 6-foot-6, 306 pounds
Not only is he talented, he plays with toughness and passion. An elite player.
2. Eric Fisher, T, Central Michigan, 6-7, 306
Gifted athlete who may be more talented than Joeckel. Has made the improbable journey from lightly recruited high school player to a top-five draft pick.
3. Lane Johnson, T, Oklahoma, 6-6, 303
In a draft filled with phenomenal athletes among the offensive linemen, Johnson may be the most athletic. A former quarterback, he began his OU career as a tight end.
4. Chance Warmark, G, Alabama, 6-2, 317
A fundamentally sound bruiser who made 39 starts for the Crimson Tide and manhandled SEC defensive tackles.
5. Jonathan Cooper G, North Carolina, 6-2, 311
Some teams have Cooper ranked ahead of Warmack on their draft board because Cooper is more athletic. A four-year starter.
D.J. Fluker, T, Alabama (6-4½, 339); Menelik Watson, T, Florida State (6-5, 310); Justin Pugh, T, Syracuse (6-4½, 307); Kyle Long, G-T, Oregon (6-6, 313); Larry Warford, G, Kentucky (6-3, 332); Travis Frederick, C, Wisconsin (6-3½, 312; Terron Armstead, T, Arkansas-Pine Bluff (6-5, 306); and Barrett Jones, C, Alabama (6-4½, 306).
Long made only four starts in his one season of major-college football at Oregon. And those starts came at guard. Most scouts see him playing tackle in the NFL.
LSU tackle Chris Faulk has a lot of potential, but scouts are wondering why he entered the draft as an underclassman. He made 13 starts at left tackle in 2011 and two starts at right tackle in 2010. But last year, he made only one start (at left tackle) because he suffered a knee injury.
Louisiana-Lafayette's Jaron Odom made starts at guard and tackle. He was on the field for 1,577 consecutive offensive snaps the last two seasons. At 6-5 and 329, he has the size that offensive line coaches covet.


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Can't Stop, Won't Stop: Guy Gets Knocked Out & Tries To Fight Again. But Takes Another L!
Guy gets knocked out and tries to fight again!
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It looks like the big bucks are on the move, and it is good hunting as the whitetail rut Mississippi!
Whitetail Rut Mississippi Hard
My good friend Ray over a 2X-Treme Designs sent me some pictures of a big deer he took the other day. It is one of the biggest he has ever harvested and it's a nice one. He also sent me a picture of his son J.R.'s first deer.
Congratulations J.R. on your first deer! Dad just had to wipe the blood on your face didn't he. That's all right my dad did the same thing to me when I got my first deer.
It is always great to see kids hunting and enjoying the great outdoors. Ray said he has seen several big bucks.
It is always fun to hunt big bucks during the breeding period. The best time to harvest mature big bucks is during the whitetail rut Mississippi. The whitetail rut is different there than it is in Georgia, it is just now peaking in there. I never could figure out what makes them rut much later there than here in Georgia.
Mississippi Buck
Ray killed his buck on January 8, 2009 it is his biggest buck to date and he took it on the same date that he took his first whitetail ever deer hunting. It sounds like January 8th is Rays lucky day. He used a Quaker Boy Doe Bleat to call the buck in and made a neck shot at about 100 yards and dropped him right in his tracks. Ray said he didn't realize how big he was until he got over to him. The buck has an 18″ inside spread with 6″ bases and was 6 1/2 years old. Ray took his buck on the 8th and his son J.R. took his first whitetail on the very next day January 9th. That had to be very exciting for Ray and J.R. great job guys!
Ray did the logo and header design for DeerHuntingBigBucks.com, and he can help you with any of your graphic design needs. So be sure to go over and check out his website.
To contact Deerhuntingbigbucks.com with questions or comments fill out our DHBB contact form.


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As was anticipated, the new Xbox One will function as a set-top cable box, allowing users to switch between TV and gaming video by voice command.
In today's Xbox One reveal, the console was shown swapping between DVD/streaming video playback, the cable input, a video game, and its Internet functionalities.
A voice-activated television guide will support the feature. Xbox Guide, as it is called, allows a user to quickly navigate the guide by voice command, calling out titles of shows and channels. The guide also will keep track of a user's favorite programming, and shows trending elsewhere.
To contact the author of this post, write to email@example.com or find him on Twitter @owengood.


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CANNES, France - It could be called the "Nouvelle Wag."
Cannes' most bizarre but endearing film award, the Palm Dog, has gone to the 250 four-legged stars of a Hungarian horror-thriller about a canine apocalypse, "White God."
Its director, Kornel Mundruczo, was all laughs and smiles Friday at the ceremony to collect his trophy, a large furry bone. But he said the dogs in the film were used to make a serious statement about the oppressed and marginalized.
"I always use dogs to symbolize minorities," Mundruczo said. "I wanted to tell this tale as a metaphor about the European fears about dealing with minorities."
The director is concerned by rise of nationalist parties across Europe. In his home country of Hungary, a far-right party is the third largest group in parliament.
The movie has bowled critics over, drawing comparisons to Hitchcock's "The Birds" with its startling opening sequence.
Hagen, the movie's doggy protagonist, is played by real-life twin Labradors Luke and Body. He is shunned and all his gentleness is bashed out of him, ending up toughened and unrecognizable.
Mundruczo said it took every directorial brain cell he had to get the unpredictable animals to light up the screen in the way he intended.
"Dogs cannot lie on camera, it's very challenging," he said.
All the dogs had to be socialized together for six months prior to shooting the film in order for them to be convincing in the pack scenes, he added.
"It certainly wasn't easy, but it was an incredible experience," he said.
"White God" is competing in the "Un Certain Regard" competition, whose winner is announced in ceremony Friday night.
Thomas Adamson can be followed at http://Twitter.com/ThomasAdamsonAP


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Reflector Bell Ride
Sizes: 22"
Weight: heavy
Volume: medium to very loud
Stick Sound: full, glassy
Intensity: lively
Sustain: long
Bell Character: strong, deep, melodious
Sound Character: Fairly dark, full, controlled, glassy, shimmering. Fairly wide range, clean mix. Very comfortable feel with a clear, full ping over a large, deep harmonic wash. This ride cymbal is extremely well suited for intricate stick work that calls for a strong bell in all types of Rock based music. Developed in co-operation with the legendary "Iron Maiden" drummer Nicko McBrain.
|Artists playing this Cymbal !
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Home > Products > Cymbals > Signature > Rides > Blue Bell Ride | Mellow Ride | Full Ride | Reflector Bell Ride | Duo Ride | Dry Heavy Ride |


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Fayston, Vermont
|This article is a stub. Help us to expand it by contributing your knowledge. For county and town page guidelines, visit U.S. County Page Content Suggestions.
Fayston is a town in Washington county, Vermont. It was formed in 1782 in Vt. from Chittenden county. The probate and court district for Fayston is Washington. For more information, contact the town at 866 N. Fayston Rd., Moretown 05660. On the attached map, Fayston is shown as 14 in Washington county.
For information about the state of Vermont see Vermont Family History Research.


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Living in Montana is a privilege that comes with certain responsibilities. These responsibilities are probably everyday occurrences to most folks who grew up here, but may be foreign to new residents and visitors. One such responsibility is living and recreating with the wildlife that share the landscape.
People who live in large cities are very aware of unwritten rules, such as what part of town is safe to walk in after dark, or what color of clothing shouldn't be worn. This kind of information helps people function and live safely in these places. The same is true here in Montana, especially when encountering the many wild creatures that share the landscape with us. For example, knowledge about how to behave in a situation when encountering a moose is important not only for human safety, but also for the well-being of the animal.
We have gone directly to the "wildlife experts" and asked them to help us develop a better understanding and comfort level about how to behave around some of the wild animals that people tell us they often fear. Several wildlife species are featured with a brief background about the expert and their dedication to the resource. Hopefully, the information from this site will help you stay safe and develop a positive level of comfort when living and recreating in this last best place!


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Master's versus Ph.D.
If you would like to Master in Depth Psychology, please go to: http://sonoma.edu/depth/
What is the difference between a Master's degree & a Ph.D. degree?
A Master's degree is generally 2 years of study, with perhaps an Internship, culminating in a Master's thesis. You may receive either an M.A. , Master of Arts, or M.S., Master of Science. A Ph.D. is a doctoral degree of at least 4 years of study and involves the completion of original research. It also involves internships if you are in the clinical or counseling field. Some clinical doctoral programs also offer a clinically-oriented doctoral level degree, the Psy.D., which does not emphasize original research.A Ph.D. degree usually takes from 4 - 6 years.
Generally, any Master's work that you bring in to a Ph.D. program must be repeated; Master's work does not usually count toward a Ph.D., although sometimes it can help you get into the program.
See the APA's website for the 2003 survey data on Master's level positions and salaries, and Doctoral level positions and salaries.
See this Board of Behavioral Sciences site for 2016 data on numbers of California licensed Master's level therapists, social workers, and educational psychologists.
What graduate programs offer Master's or doctoral degrees in psychology?
See the following sites for organized information on graduate programs in psychology across the US. For grad programs in Psychology and all related fields, see www.gradschools.com or www.petersons.com. For a listing of Psychology graduate programs and admission requirements, visit www.sonoma.edu. For a listing of clinical and counseling programs and related career information, see www.allpsychologyschools.com.
Where do I get information on Master's or Ph.D. degrees?
See the sites above for information on the programs available, and visit the school and program websites. You may also conduct an internet search on your particular interest area in psychology, along with the search words "Masters" or "Ph.d". Your search will yield particular programs available in your field. Note the prerequisites of the programs you're interested in, and make sure you take the classes necessary to apply.
The Psychology Department maintains a small library on graduate programs in psychology, along with a collection of catalogs from selected schools. Ask in the Psychology Office for more information. Individual advisors also have information about graduate programs.
The APA publishes Graduate Study in Psychology, which lists over 550 graduate psychology programs throughout the United States and Canada. The book includes information on programs and degrees offered, admission requirements, degree requirements, financial aid, tuition, deadlines and internships.
Every school has a Web site with information about the programs they offer. Use a search engine to find the Web sites of the schools you're interested in, and print out the information you find useful.
A list of APA-accredited Doctoral programs in clinical, counseling, and school psychology is published yearly in the American Psychologist. The APA also publishes a guide to humanistic and transpersonal graduate programs. Call the APA Office at 202-336-5979 for more information, or check out the APA Web site, www.apa.org.
And finally, talk to students and faculty and find out which schools offer programs in the field you're interested in. Then call the school and ask them to send you more information.
Do students earn a Master's degree before applying to doctoral programs?
Students interested in gaining experience in research often choose to obtain a Master's degree focusing on research from one of the CSU campuses, such as San Jose State, CSU Long Beach, San Francisco State and Chico State. This is excellent preparation for doctoral work in psychology which often requires research experience. Master's programs sponsor research in the areas of social psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, and so on. Other students who've received research training in their undergraduate major may apply directly to doctoral programs.
What are alternative schools or programs?
Graduate programs that incorporate a transpersonal, spiritual, depth, or Jungian approach into their curriculum are considered alternative programs. These may be located in public or private universities, or private graduate institutions. The primary alternative schools are located in California. They are California Institute of Integral Studies, Pacifica Graduate Institute, Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, John F. Kennedy University, and Saybrook Graduate School. Sonoma State's Depth Psychology Master's program may be considered an alternative program.
Alternative schools may provide Master's and Doctoral programs in clinical and counseling psychology, as well as programs in transpersonal psychology, depth psychology, mythological studies, women's spirituality, consciousness studies, expressive arts, and transformative leadership. Not all of the alternative schools offer APA-accredited clinical training programs, so you're advised to investigate this if you're interested in alternative clinical training.
What can I do with a Master's degree?
People with Master's degrees work in a variety of settings. Many conduct research and work with interviewing, data collection, and data analysis in university, medical, government, and private settings. Others work in health settings, businesses, and schools. Many people with Master's degrees and state licenses work as therapists in community clinics and medical settings, or as counselors, supervisors, and administrators of residential treatment facilities. Some work under the direction of a Doctoral psychologist, especially in clinical, counseling, and school settings, where they may be involved in testing and assessment. Still others work in organizations with jobs in personnel selection, training, and job satisfaction.
According to the APA, only about 1/3 of those with a Master's degree in psychology find work in the field. Generally, work with a Master's is not as highly paid as work with a Ph.D. degree. See the APA's website for the data from the 2003 survey on Master's level positions and salaries; the 2003 survey on psychology positions at many different levels and in different areas, including the yearly salaries of Doctoral level and Master's level practitioners, sorted into many interesting categories. See this Board of Behavioral Sciences site for 2016 data on numbers of California licensed Master's level therapists, social workers, and educational psychologists.
Can I get financial support for Master's work?
Financial support for Master's work is hard to come by. Most internships are not paid, and most programs do not offer paid teaching or research positions. Many students find that they take out loans and work at a second job to support their Master's education. You should bear this in mind if you are thinking of receiving the M.A. or M.S. first, and then going on for a Ph.D. later; your educational loans could be sizable.


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Hey Ned
Visited your store yesterday and decided what to do with my 30G Deep Blue I bought from you 10 months ago.
Looking to do a bit of an African community and hoping fish can be ordered in small numbers. I would be looking for this stuff for the end of October.
2- African Butterfly fish
2- Microctenopoma fasciolatum
6- Microsynodontis polli
2-Atya gabonensi
Let me know if they can be ordered in these numbers and I will start setting up the tank for the near future


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Compiz is a program to create amazing effect in Linux Desktop. Compiz is automatically installed as default in Ubuntu Gutsy. Unfortunately you can only do few effects with it. To set more effect with Compiz you a program named Comfiz Config Setting Manager. You will have a new menu, Advanced Desktop Effects Setting, after you install the program.
From Ubuntu Terminal screen (click Applications > Accessories > Terminal), type:
taufanlubis@toshiba:~$ sudo apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager
[sudo] password for taufanlubis:
Reading package lists… Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information… Done
The following extra packages will be installed:
The following NEW packages will be installed:
compizconfig-settings-manager python-compizconfig
0 upgraded, 2 newly installed, 0 to remove and 152 not upgraded.
Need to get 540kB of archives.
After unpacking 3486kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]? y
Get:1 http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/universe python-compizconfig 0.5.2+git20070912-0ubuntu1 [29.1kB]
Get:2 http://archive.ubuntu.com gutsy/universe compizconfig-settings-manager 0.5.2+git20070912-0ubuntu1 [511kB]
Fetched 540kB in 1m6s (8122B/s)
Selecting previously deselected package python-compizconfig.
(Reading database … 92078 files and directories currently installed.)
Unpacking python-compizconfig (from …/python-compizconfig_0.5.2+git20070912-0ubuntu1_i386.deb) …
Selecting previously deselected package compizconfig-settings-manager.
Unpacking compizconfig-settings-manager (from …/compizconfig-settings-manager_0.5.2+git20070912-0ubuntu1_all.deb) …
Setting up python-compizconfig (0.5.2+git20070912-0ubuntu1) …
Setting up compizconfig-settings-manager (0.5.2+git20070912-0ubuntu1) …
Running the program
Open System > Preferences > Advanced Desktop Effects Setting.
To add animations, click 'Animations' button.
To decrease the effect speed, increase the duration value.
To increase the duration value, choose an effect that you want to slow down, click Edit button, increase the duration value and click OK button.
Below are my favorite effect setting:
Some my favorite compiz effect.
Super + E = activates the Expo plugin
Super+Shift = paint fire on your desktop with your mouse
Super+Shift+C = will erase the fire paint
Super + Tab = activates the Ring Switcher plugin
Shift+Alt+ArrowUP = Arrange windows cascade in a workspace
Ctrl+Alt+ArrowDown = Arrange windows horizontal in a workspace
Ctrl+Alt+MouseButton1+Scroll = Rotate Cube
Super+N Negative = Active Window
Super+M = Negative Screen


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- Rig Rundowns
- Reviews
- Gear
- Artists
- How-to
- Lessons
- Pro Advice
- Win
PG's Joe Coffey is On Location in Van Nuys, CA, for the 2009 LA Amp Show where he visits the Bogner Amplification booth. In this segment, we see and hear from Bogner's updated Goldfinger guitar amplifier head that now features 3 channels. The Goldfinger head features 6V6 power tubes, reverb controls and two separate effects loops. The head is demoed through two-2x12 cabs with Celestion speakers.


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Alien Skin Software Announces Eye Candy 7 Graphic Design Effects Plug-In for Photoshop
Realistic effects look natural, including the new Lightning, Electrify, and Clouds. All effects are now in one user interface, making experimentation easy.
Nov 14, 2012, 09:38 ET
RALEIGH, N.C., Nov. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Alien Skin Software today announced Eye Candy® 7, the new version of its graphic design effects plug-in for Adobe® Photoshop® and Photoshop Elements. Eye Candy 7 renders realistic effects that are difficult or impossible to achieve in Photoshop alone, such as Fire, Chrome, and the new Lightning. The completely redesigned user interface lets you quickly browse all of Eye Candy's effects through icons and instant previews.
Eye Candy 7 contains the spectacular new Lightning, Electrify, and Cloud effects. There are over 1,000 presets that handle every design situation elegantly, from slick Web interfaces (Chrome, Glass, Perspective Shadow) to tasteful logos (Bevel, Brushed Metal, Extrude) to spectacular titles (Chrome, Corona, Fire). Realism sets Eye Candy effects apart from the generic filters built into Photoshop. Effects like Animal Fur, Smoke, and Reptile Skin are rendered in exquisite detail down to individual hairs, turbulent wisps, and shiny scales. Eye Candy helps designs look more natural and organic.
Eye Candy's new, modern user interface makes it easy to explore and design looks. In Eye Candy 7, the effects are chosen through easy to recognize icons rather than text menus. As users move their mouse over presets, the thumbnail preview instantly shows how they will look within the design. Effects adapt to the size of artwork, so preset can be used without any modification.
"I'm proud of our big simplification of the Eye Candy 7 user interface," said Terence Tay, the designer of Eye Candy. "Now you can browse effects visually, which is how designers naturally work."
Eye Candy is made for professionals in demanding production environments who need support for 16-bit/channel images and CMYK mode. Eye Candy provides multiple techniques for non-destructive editing in Photoshop, including Smart Filter support and rendering effects on a new layer.
Pricing and Availability
Eye Candy 7 will be available in December 2012 through www.alienskin.com for $199 USD. Owners of any previous version of Eye Candy may upgrade for $99 USD. Free upgrades will be automatically sent to all users who purchased Eye Candy 6 directly from Alien Skin Software in September 2012 or later.
Host Requirements
Eye Candy 7 is a plug-in and requires one of the following host applications:
- Adobe Photoshop CS5 or later
- Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 or later
System Requirements
Microsoft Windows users need Windows 7 or later.
Apple Macintosh users need Mac OS X 10.7 or later.
An Intel Core 2 processor or compatible is required.
A monitor with 1024x768 resolution or greater is required.
About Alien Skin Software
Alien Skin Software distills advanced math into simple tools that render beautiful pictures. For product review information visit www.alienskin.com, e-mail [email protected], or call (919) 832-4124.
Eye Candy, Alien Skin Software, and the Alien Skin Software logo are registered trademarks of Alien Skin Software, LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
SOURCE Alien Skin Software


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Play now free mobile games on m.spellen.nl
The age old classic, Blackjack is now available to play for free online from your smartphone, mobile phone or computer. Play from anywhere no matter where you are - including during your office meetings that you love so much. Just don't let your boss catch you with your phone out! Your co-workers are probably playing the same game with their own smartphones! This is the same old Blackjack you know the game, right? The idea is to beat the house by netting as close to twenty-one as possible. If you've never played before it seems a lot easier than it actually is, so don't get too cocky. The dealer will continue to hand out cards until you bust by getting a total well over twenty-one, or until you tell them to stop. To win, you must be closer to twenty-one than the house, otherwise known as the dealer. Place a bet before every hand, and if you win you'll increase your earnings. Don't raise your bet too high though or you will lose all of your cash if the house beats you! The beauty of this online card game is that you don't have to visit a casino to play, and you don't have to lose real money. Heck, you don't even have to leave your house to get in on the action! Just pull up a chair, plop yourself down and start tossing money onto the table. Keep a close eye on your cards though, you don't want to bust and lose what you've put down. Well, what are you waiting for? Get in there and place some bets! Challenge your friends and family and compete to see who can make the most money in Blackjack. How much will you make? Will you become a Blackjack millionaire? There's only one way to find out.
Card Games
Try out the new Action and Adventure online mobile game for FREE! You're shipwrecked on a mysterious island full of treasures and danger. When there's no more room in hell, the dead will roam this island. They come out at night and only true and experienced warriors will be able to leave this island with their life and loads of gold. The exciting and mysterious html5 online game for your smartphone is now available absolutely for free. Start playing it now! Lots of Action and adventure is awaiting you in this great free game!
Halloween Games, Action Games
Free the bird in this cool online mobile game! Fly fast and bring the bird back to his home in this fun free online action game for your mobile! You can train your skill and have a lot of action for free! Collect coins and boosters! Take of evil birds and reach the highscore! Start playing the game right now online on your smartphone. It's absolutely free! Enjoy the flight and the action in this great free mobile game.


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The watermark in the lower right corner of the image will not appear on the final print.
Top Mat
Bottom Mat
10.00" x 6.50"
10.00" x 6.50"
Bee Eater Wood Print
by Peter Gyure
Bee Eater by Peter Gyure - 10" x 6.5"
Wood Print
Hanging Wire
Assembly Charge
Bee Eater wood print by Peter Gyure. Bring your artwork to life with the texture and added depth of a wood print. Your image gets printed directly onto a sheet of 3/4" thick maple wood. There are D-clips on the back of the print for mounting it to your wall using mounting hooks and nails (included).
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8 - 10 business days
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Bring your artwork to life with the texture and depth of a wood print. Your image gets printed directly onto a sheet of 3/4" thick maple wood.
All wood prints ship within 3 - 4 business days and arrive "ready to hang" with mounting hooks and nails.
Wood prints are extremely durable and add a rustic feel to any image.
For additional product photos and information, visit our wood prints product page.
Wood Print Reviews (616)
Average Rating (4.56 Stars):
Kathryn Hoffman
November 29th, 2020
Love it. Looks perfect in my kitchen.
Mark Lavine
November 28th, 2020
As advertised- looks good
John Barry
November 21st, 2020
Really nice....exceeded expectations!
Timo Bernsmann
November 20th, 2020
Love it. Great Quality in the print. Great artist.
Gary Taylor
November 18th, 2020
I ordered this piece which has been produced on wood and I'm extremely pleased with it. I love the work of this artist and have many of her books, several prints and a few originals. Absolutely stunning.
West Wind
November 14th, 2020
Love the small and narrow size on wood - fits on an icon stand for a table perfectly. Print is a a little blurry, which may be a quality of the original as it looks that way on the site as well.
Artist's Description
Bee eaterImage provided by Shutterstock.
Shop with Confidence
Our return policy is very simple:
If you're not happy with a purchase that you made on FineArtAmerica.com, for any reason, you can return it to us within 30 days of the order date. As soon as it arrives, we'll issue a full refund for the entire purchase price. Please note - Fine Art America does not reimburse the outgoing or return shipping charges unless the return is due to a defect in quality.
Fine Art America sells thousands of pieces of artwork each month - all with a 100% money-back guarantee. We take great pride in the fact that hundreds of thousands of artists have chosen Fine Art America to fulfill their orders, and we look forward to helping you select your next piece!
All wood prints ship from our production facility within 8 - 10 business days of your order.


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Earth Changes
No Power, No Shower as New Zealand Quake Toll Rises to 113
My Way
Fri, 25 Feb 2011 10:57 UTC
"Don't stand too close to anyone," Judy Prime said with a chuckle as she took a break from shoveling huge piles of wet sludge out of her garage in the shattered Christchurch suburb of Avonside.
The days since Tuesday's massive earthquake rumbled through Christchurch, killing at least 113 and toppling buildings, have brought a level of misery unusual for the residents of this modern city of 350,000. Water and power supplies to thousands have been cut, and many have been forced to sleep in their cars or tents as their unstable houses sway with the relentless aftershocks.
Many Christchurch residents first started getting used to some deprivation five months ago, when an earlier quake struck the city. Now, life is even worse.
Tuesday's temblor brought a fresh surge of water up through cracks in the yards of Prime and her neighbors along Keller Street. Most houses on the street suffered damage, and many will need to be demolished.
Prime, 66, has spent each night sleeping on a rubber mat under the dining room table, worried that aftershocks will send parts of her home crashing down. Every evening, she and her neighbors gather in her back yard to share beers and barbecue the meat from her freezer - still good, because it was encased in thick ice when the power went out.
"We've become a family, you know?" she said. "What one hasn't got, the other has."
Across the road, Christmas lights adorn the portable toilet that has stood outside Paul Stokes' house since the September quake knocked out the sewage line. Officials still hadn't gotten around to fixing the pipes from that disaster when Tuesday's temblor hit.
"Only Christmas lights I put up this year - it's really handy in the middle of the night," said Stokes, who was wearing a T-shirt that said "Tested to 7.1" - a reference to the magnitude of the September quake.
Mayor Bob Parker said 780 portable toilets have been installed throughout the city, and hundreds more are on their way. But many residents have resorted to digging holes in their gardens to take care of business. For those on Keller Street, the Stokes' toilet is a blessing.
Inside their home, Stokes' wife Yvonne sat by a wood stove, warming up from the chilly drizzle outside. Thursday was the first night since the quake that she slept - while sitting up in a chair in the living room. The ceiling in her bedroom is sagging, the walls are cracked and she worries the roof might cave. The whole house will have to be destroyed, she said.
Thursday also marked the first day she'd managed to eat since the disaster; the family cooked up sausages and mashed potatoes on a gas stove.
She clutched the hand of her sister-in-law, Christine Lagan, and cried as the two sat side by side. Lagan took the family's laundry back to her house outside Christchurch on Thursday and returned with fresh clothes - giving the family a small measure of dignity amidst the dismal conditions.
"We go to the toilet and can't even flush," Yvonne said, tears running down her face. "We are in tatters."
Still, Yvonne said neighbors were keeping each other sane by banding together. Neighbors were dropping off meat pies, chocolate and bottles of water to those in need, and the couple who runs a nearby corner store was giving away any food they could spare.
"We're all looking after each other," she said.
Across the road, she embraced a weeping 71-year-old Wyn Tinnion, who said she has not been able to stop crying since the quake sent nearly everything she owned crashing to the floor.
"You just don't know what to do - at least we're alive," Tinnion said, burying her face into Yvonne's shoulder.
"At least we've got each other," Yvonne added, giving her a squeeze.
Tinnion and her 75-year-old husband Kelvin have been surviving on donated water and cooking on a gas stove lent by a neighbor. Tinnion was too scared to lock herself in any of the city's portable toilets, so she has been using a bucket instead. Her husband has the unenviable task of emptying it for her.
At night, the couple uses flashlights and candles to see around their house. They whittle away the hours listening to their battery-operated radio.
The walls are cracked, and her garage is flooded with murky water and mud. She hasn't changed her clothes since Tuesday, and her face crumpled again as she looked down at her nails, ringed with purple residue from the blueberries she scrounged from her freezer.
"I'm so filthy. I haven't had a wash since last Tuesday," she said, eyes welling with tears.
"Hey," Yvonne said gently, slipping an arm around her friend. "I don't look like a beauty queen."
For a moment, Tinnion's eyes cleared - and the two women began to laugh.
Source: The Associated Press


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Redlands Connection is a concoction of sports memories emanating from a city that once numbered less than 20,000 people. From the Super Bowl to the World Series, from the World Cup to golf's U.S. Open and the Olympics, plus NCAA Final Four connections, NASCAR, the Kentucky Derby and Indianapolis 500, Tour de France cycling, major tennis, NBA and a little NHL, aquatics and quite a bit more, the sparkling little city that sits around halfway between Los Angeles and Palm Springs on Interstate 10 has its share of sports connections. – Obrey Brown
The 2018 U.S. Amateur Golf Championship, now 102 years old this year, is scheduled this year for Pebble Beach, beginning August 13. Eighty-eight years ago, a Redlands golfer took on a legend at this course in the same event.
It's not really known when Phillips Finlay learned how to play golf – or from whom.
Maybe it was George Lawson, who served as Redlands Country Club's head professional from 1901-1937, that taught him. That Finlay, from Redlands, was a student at famed Harvard University was one thing. That he was a contestant for some of golf's grandest prizes is yet another.
Finlay seemed to have disappeared after showing up prominently, not only on Harvard's golf team, but also as a stalwart challenger to some of golf's major tournaments in his day. After a stretch from 1927 through 1930, the older brother of Redlands' Madison Finlay was nowhere to be found.
A motivated sports writer from the Redlands area was searching.
Following the 1930 U.S. Amateur, Finlay was seemingly nowhere to be found – at least in major tournaments. Only adding to the curiosity is that Finlay had become a prominent golfer.
Amateur golf raged during the 1920s. Professional golf had yet to catch on.
There was no Masters Championship yet.
The PGA Championship, which would eventually become one of golf's greatest prizes, was a tournament without much tradition.
Bobby Jones won the 1927 United States Amateur, which was played at the Minikaha Club of Minneapolis.
Finlay, who made his presence felt, traveled from Harvard University, engaging in medal play for the qualifying round of that year's Amateur Championship.
A New Jersey golfer, Eugene V. Romans shot 71, making headlines as the low medalist.
The youthful Finlay, who had just passed his Harvard entrance examinations, was one shot behind.
It's eerie to think how close Finlay came to such prominence. At the time, he lived on Long Island. Jones, Francis Ouimet and Chick Evans – three of the 1927 semifinalists – began with rounds of 75.
On the second day, Jones got rolling, shooting a course record 67, winning the medalist (that's low stroke score) trophy for the tournament with 142. George Von Elm, who beat Jones in 1926, barely qualified with 79-75-154.
Onetime champions who qualified included Evans, Ouimet, plus Max R. Marston.
A Minneapolis insurance man, Harry G. Legg, a Minneapolis resident that graduated from Yale, knocked off Von Elm, 1-up, on his home course.
Third day: Jones, trailing Maurice McCarthy, Jr. of Long Island, by a hole at the turn, had three holes remaining. McCarthy missed a short putt, squaring the match; overshot the 17th green, losing the lead; overshot the 18th green, losing the match two down.
Ouimet beat Max R. Marston, 3 & 2.
Finlay kept battling, perhaps in the manner that Ouimet had done, depicted years later in the motion picture, "The Greatest Game Ever Played."
But Finlay was cut down by Ouimet, who had written a favorable article about the Redlands product, even displaying some of the matches between the two in a book called "A Game of Golf," which was published in 1932.
Was this truly A Redlands Connection? Jones? Ouimet? Both were impressed with the youthful Finlay, whose long driving skills were attributed to the unusual length of his swing.
(During the Roaring '20s, Ivy League schools – baseball's Lou Gehrig and, earlier, Eddie Collins, both from Columbia; Penn dropout Bill Tilden, a tennis legend; football's John Heisman for both Penn and Brown, to name a few – produced prominent athletes that were the kingpins of sports.)
A year later, 1928, Finlay would rise again at the U.S. Amateur, played at Brae Burn Country Club in West Newton, Mass. It wasn't far from his Harvard digs.
Jones knocked off J.W. Brown, 4 & 3 in the opening round.
Ray Gorton took Jones to the 19th hole in the second round before tumbling.
Jones had his way with John B. Beck, 14 & 13, before coming up against Finlay in the semifinals.
Finlay, a long-hitting Harvard sophomore, got quite a whipping. He lost decisively to Jones, 13 & 12.
On the other hand, A Redlands Connection had struck early. An 18-year-old from Redlands had played the legendary Bobby Jones in the 1928 U.S. Amateur semifinals?
This was news!
Jones claimed his fourth U.S. Amateur title, 10 & 9, over reigning British Amateur champion T. Philip Perkins. Two weeks earlier, Jones beaten Perkins, 13 & 12 at the Walker Cup.
Jones, for his part, had been national champion – winning either the U.S. Open or Amateur championship – for six straight years. During that span, Jones won four U.S. Amateurs, two U.S. Opens, two British Opens.
Jones tied for first two other U.S. Opens, those he subsequently lost in 36-hole playoffs, each by just one stroke. Jones had forever established himself as one of the greatest golfers. Without a doubt, he was the world's greatest amateur player.
Finlay was chasing a legend.
There were 162 entries in the 1929 U.S. Amateur field. Finlay, for his part, tried the event at Pebble Beach. It was the first time the tournament had been played west of the Mississippi.
In a major upset, Jones fell to John Goodman, a caddy from Omaha, Neb., in the first round.
A documented quote, however, was lifted from "Pebble Beach: The Official Golf History," had the youthful Finlay going up to Jones with an apology. "I'm so very sorry you lost this morning, Mr. Jones. I was looking forward to beating you this afternoon."
Finlay lost to 18-year-old Lawson Little, a Northern Californian who won the U.S. Amateur in 1933 and 1934. It was Little who eliminated Jones-killer, Goodman.
Harrison R. "Jimmy" Johnston won the 1929 title.
Prior to the event taking place, Jones spoke of playing with Finlay at Pebble Beach in his book, "Bobby Jones on Golf."
"There had been so much talk about Phil's long driving ability," Jones wrote, "that the publicity given that part of his game must have affected the boy's play."
Critics may have affected Finlay's approach, said Jones.
"Whether Phil was aware of it or not," said Jones, "this sort of thing had an effect upon his game … so that he immediately eased up on his stroke in an effort to hit the ball straight."
Jones, in his book, had referred to Finlay in Chapter 8, "Hitting Hard." Jones held up Finlay's style of long driving as an example.
"On this day we played, he had quite a bit of trouble on the front nine, getting a little farther from his normal stride at each tee shot as he held himself back more and more."
After losing his ball on a duck-hook on the ninth hole, Finlay sought Jones' advice. The four-time U.S. Open champion told him straight out that he thought he was holding back, "that I thought he would do better if he would take a good healthy wallop instead."
On the tenth hole, Finlay blasted a drive, losing it into the Monterey Bay.
After that, said Jones, "He drove very well, indeed."
Check out this Pebble Beach foursome:
British Amateur Champion Cyril Tolley and Francis Brown of Honolulu. Jones shot two-under par, 70, while Tolley, Finlay and Brown shot rounds of 79, 80 and 82.
Then there was Ouimet, the upset U.S. Open champion of 1913 that inspired the Disney movie, "The Greatest Game Ever Played" (portrayed by Shia LeBeouf), and after regaining his amateur status that had removed controversially from him by the USGA, he won two U.S. Amateur titles
Ouimet knew of Finlay, having authored an article, "The Art of Long Driving."
The first words of that piece were right to the point: "One cannot watch Phillips Finlay hit a tee shot without becoming just a bit envious, for this capable young man makes the game seem simple."
It seemed a far cry from the troubles Finlay – whose photograph featured a knickers-clad youth, hair combed neatly, while following through on a tee shot – was having during his Pebble Beach round with Jones.
Wrote Ouimet: "Finlay is not yet 20 years of age, and when he reaches his full growth there is no telling how far he will drive a ball."
Long hitting, concluded Ouimet, was an advantage.
"I am wondering what will happen if a standardized ball is introduced. Perhaps it will bring these boys back on earth, for I must confess on some holes Finlay can miss a shot and arrive on the green as quickly as I do."
At a match played at Wollaston Country Club in Milton, Mass., Ouimet caught a prime example of Finlay's lengthy drives.
"I was driving well for me, but (I was) yards and yards in back of my young friend, who was having a field day."
At Wollaston's 17th hole, a 500-yard hole against the wind, "my tee shot was a good one, but at least 60 yards in back of his prodigious knock. A perfectly hit brassie (No. 2 wood) gave me a look at the green."
Finlay smashed a two-iron, his shot carrying a big sand bunker guarding the green.
Said Ouimet: "It seemed a bit too much to expect of his number two iron, but that is the club he used and his ball landed on the green. I threw up my hands. He could have missed that shot and gotten to the green in the same number of shots I required."
Ouimet, noting a round played by Finlay at North Carolina's famed Pinehurst Country Club, felt there was no limit for the Harvard golfer. He had read an account of Finlay's 290-yard average drives on 14 of the 18 holes.
"When he was attending Exeter (Academy in New Hampshire, Finlay's college prep school), one of his professors wrote a friend of mine saying Phillips Finlay was the longest driver in the game.
"Apart from Finlay's long driving ability, he has other excellent qualifications to make him a leading golfer."
Ouimet had predicted quite a future for Finlay – A Redlands Connection.
A Harvard golfer, as Finlay was at the time, meant he was among the nation's elite — that's both student and golfer. If there was ever a pre-eminent sport on that Boston-based campus, it was golf. He was a three-time letter winner (1929-31).
In case it's escaped anyone's attention, consider that Finlay was battling the likes of Jones, Quimet & Co. before he became a Crimson letterman.
Finlay would captain the Crimson's team in 1930 and 1931. During his junior season (1930), Harvard won 11 of its 13 matches convincingly, losing only to Princeton, 8-1, on May 10, then a season-ending loss to Yale, 5-4, at Myopia Hunt Club.
By 1931, his senior year, Harvard had returned to beat Yale, 6 ½ to 2 ½. The Crimson split back-to-back matches against Princeton, losing 6-3 and trouncing the Tigers, 9-0. There was a 5-4 loss to Dartmouth at Belmont Springs Country Club on May 9, 1930.
Finlay, a 1931 Harvard graduate, kept charging. The long-driving hitter, the captain of Harvard's golf team, was beaten in the opening round of the 1930 U.S. Amateur at historic Merion (Pa). A narrow 2 & 1 loss to 1926 British Amateur champion Jess Sweetser didn't quite reflect Finlay's early round lead.
Sweetser birdied the 16th and 17th holes to take control of the match.
After that, not much showed up in the golf world on Finlay.
His family continued on.
His brother, Madison, in 2007, was "still riding around on his cart every night with his dog," said C.L. Simmons, the longtime Redlands Country Club golf professional.
Madison died later that year at age 94, long having outlived his older brother.
The Finlays came to Redlands in 1918, bought a home at the corner of South and Fountain.
When it came time for high school, it was back east to the private academy for the both of them – Phillips, who was five years older than Madison (who wound up at USC). Neither brother showed up at Redlands High School, which was about a quarter-century old during their high school days.
Phillips Finlay was a Navy man, eventually serving in the South Pacific. In fact, that had been my guess as to his disappearance. The military. Killed in the war? Would've been a sad fact. Imagine a budding golf career coming to an end like that. But it was not true.
"He gave up playing serious golf," said his niece, Joanne Craig, of Redlands, "after he got back from the war."
Settling in Pasadena with his wife, Elizabeth, Craig described that Phillips only occasionally played golf. His niece had one settling recollection about the sport. His length off the tee never failed.
"The 17th tee is not at the same place it is now," she said, referring to Redlands Country Club, "but my uncle drove the green. That was almost unbelievable to me at the time."
Joanne and her cousin, Fredrica, Phillips' daughter, both attended Stanford. Eventually, her cousin's family left Southern California.
"They moved," recalled Craig, "to 17 Mile Drive."
That's up by Spyglass Hill Golf Club – near Pebble Beach.


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Scandinavia VacationsOur Scandinavia tours encompass a diverse and welcoming collection of countries: Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The following itineraries highlight the best this region has to offer. They typically visit multiple countries, traveling via motorcoach, cruise ship or plane. A tour guide will lead your group and ensure that you spend more time having fun and less time worrying about transportation and other logistics.
These itineraries can introduce you to the well-preserved medieval section of Stockholm, the striking architecture of Helsinki or Copenhagen's famous shopping street, Stroget. You'll also take in the natural beauty of the region. Finland is often referred to as the "Land of a Thousand Lakes," and Norway's stunning fjords rarely fail to impress. Some trips include a cruise in the Baltic Sea, affording passengers a view of magnificent coastlines.
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Trips are rated according to the quality of accommodations, the number of included amenities and activities, and the level of service delivered. The vacations below are categorized according to the industry rating scale (budget, first class and deluxe). Click any vacation name for the itinerary, dates and prices.
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** The prices shown are U.S. dollars per person, based on double occupancy, and subject to availability. Prices quoted for land/cruise arrangements are subject to increase without notice. Once we have received your deposit, land/cruise prices are guaranteed. Air prices quoted via phone or email are subject to increase and are guaranteed only from the time that full payment is received. Also, air prices or air promotions mentioned on this site or on the phone do not include baggage fees imposed by airlines.


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The GSMA has, unsurprisingly, come out in support of the EU plan to fit a mobile phone in every car, valuing each life saved at over fourteen million quid.
The eCall system dials 112 (the EU-wide emergency number) after an accident in order to summon the emergency services, and the Commission reckons that it could save 2500 lives a year. So far the system has been voluntary, but if member countries don't volunteer by the end of 2009 then the EU will pass legislation to make it mandatory, regardless of the cost.
15 countries have already signed up to the system, which puts a GSM mobile phone into every new car in Europe, along with a GPS system to report the current location and microphones around the car to pick up the screams of the injured. Denmark, France, Ireland, Latvia, Malta and the UK are still holding out, with claims that the system will be expensive and not good value for money.
Assuming a very conservative 200 million cars in Europe, and taking the EU-estimated cost of €100 for the phone and GPS kit, then we can calculate a total cost of €40bn*, or a shade over £14m for each one of the 2500 lives saved. Some might argue that the money could be better spent, but that would be churlish.
Even the EU's own figures, taking into account the reduction in heath care and the cost of the lives lost (based on the assumption that if the emergency services get there quicker then less medical treatment is needed) only reckons the system will save €26bn.
Of course, many cars already have GPS kit, and embedded mobile phones even feature in some of the more expensive models, so this measure would only hit people buying cheap cars.
So an EU directive that forces another 200 million mobile-phones onto the public gets endorsed by an industry association that exists to promote the use of mobile phones. Clearly an example of corporate social responsibility, as EU Telecom's Commissioner Viviane Reding puts it:
"I congratulate the mobile phone industry for answering so promptly. By backing Europe's in-car emergency call system, they have shown their social responsibility and openness to innovative applications of communications technology in daily life." ®
* We could calculate it that way, and we did, but a more accurate number would be 20bn, which reduces the value of a life down to a more-reasonable figure if still more than we'd want to spend.


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- This is a free Block of the Month quilt along with a new pattern for a 12″ block from a different designer every month.
- Aurifil is sponsoring the BOM and providing thread prizes.
- The challenge fabric was provided to the designers so that it will be a cohesive quilt when it's finished.
- You can make your blocks using the same fabric (from Moda's Wishes collection) if you want to, but you don't need to. You can make your blocks out of any fabric you want. Which is why I'm making mine using the red, gold and gray.
- I don't know the total amount of fabric required – I will check with Pat. My best guess is a variety of fat quarters will work for the assorted blocks. I don't know how the quilt will be sashed, but maybe set aside a yard for that as well as a yard for borders, 5/8 yard for binding, and 4 1/2 yards for backing. If you don't want to guesstimate now, I would say use a variety of colors that you like, rather than one collection, so that you can find coordinating fabric at any point.
This is the block for this month, designed by Brigitte Heitland. Another fun part of this Block of the Month is that you can win awesome Aurifil thread prizes. Just upload pictures of your block to the Aurifil Flickr group to be eligible.
I'm so antsy to catch-up on life, clean-out my sewing space and start working on a long list of projects on my to-do list. Keeping fingers crossed!


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At HEP-KEY, we believe that your business needs a web presence that will resonate soundly with your core customer base. Otherwise, what's the point?
That's why we offer a deeply experienced, broad base of web development services in the Northeastern area. We are a full service Ohio Website Design Company that's focused on creating a custom web design tailored to your unique needs. Our powerful team of talented web designers, programmers and writers will build customized web design and development solutions quickly and easily for you.
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When a potential customer clicks on your site, it only takes them seconds to instantly decide if your business is relevant to their needs. Not only should your website be current on web best practices and functionality, it should be an extension of your company — an interactive portal of information for potential customers to learn more about your brand, your products and your services – all in a moment's notice. At HEP-KEY, we believe the design of your website is one of the most important assets to the success of your business. We can help your company by offering the best website design that's tailored to fit your unique needs.
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Democrats Hope For Work-Life Balance To Act As Lever In Midterms
Democrats Hope For Work-Life Balance To Act As Lever In Midterms
The Obama administration held the first-ever White House Summit on Working Families on Monday. Keeping the focus on topics like paid leave, equal pay and workplace flexibility is seen by Democrats as a winning strategy in the midterm elections.
From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Audie Cornish.
And I'm Melissa Block. A packed hotel ballroom here in Washington today felt like a pep rally for family-friendly policies. The occasion was the White House Summit on Working Families. Paid sick leave, flexible work arrangements and affordable child care are seen by Democrats as winning political issues. NPR White House correspondent Tamara Keith reports.
TAMARA KEITH, BYLINE: There were signs that this wasn't your average policy conference, like the big, blue one with an arrow pointing to the lactation room for nursing moms, and there was free babysitting. Arit Essiea is a single mom with a 4-year-old and a 7-year-old who attended the conference as a part of the group Moms Rising.
ARIT ESSIEA: School is out. And really I didn't know if I could make the conference because I had no child care for the kids. Just the fact that they take into consideration things like that so that moms can get out there and be active and involved, I think that's major.
KEITH: Asked about her top agenda item, Essiea says paid leave, and she's not the only one. Speaker after speaker, right up to the president, called for paid sick leave and paid maternity leave.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: There's only one developed country in the world that does not offer paid maternity leave, and that is us. And that is not the list you want to be on by your lonesome. It's time to change that.
KEITH: According to the White House Council of Economic Advisors, only 59 percent of workers have access to paid leave. Federal employees don't currently get paid maternity leave, and lower-income people are less likely to get paid time off. Ellen Bravo is executive director of Family Values @ Work, a group advocating for paid sick days and paid family leave. The summit, she says, is sending a message to politicians.
ELLEN BRAVO: Voters care deeply about this across the political spectrum including the Republicans, Independents and huge numbers of favorability in key voting blocks. You want to get your job or keep your job. We're paying attention. This is what people will vote on.
KEITH: But when it comes from these issues, change has been moving slowly. Candidate Obama hit on many of these same themes in 2008 and 2012. Democratic candidates are doing it again this year. Liz Shuler is secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO.
LIZ SHULER: All of these issues are galvanizing for the election, and I think it's top priorities for working families, especially women who are paying attention to what their politicians are doing. That will be what motivates them to vote in 2014.
KEITH: Not so fast, says Kirsten Kukowski of the RNC. She says Republicans aren't willing to cede to Democrats on these issues.
KIRSTEN KUKOWSKI: There's a lot of different legislation that's out there that's being proposed on both sides of the aisle. Let's sit down. Let's have a compromise. But instead, time and time again, what the Democrats are doing is doing these showy events to put a marker down and show women that they care.
KEITH: As several speakers at the summit said, society has changed, but workplace policies haven't. At the federal level, at least, they are unlikely to change anytime soon. Tamara Keith, NPR News, the White House.
Copyright © 2014 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio record.


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Canadians Losing Money On Their Mortgages
Canadians Losing Money On Their Mortgages
For most Canadians when shopping for a mortgage the simple solution is to walk through the doors of your local bank or credit union branch. It seems to be that old saying "better the devil you know" is true. We believe that the bank, trust company or credit union that we have been dealing with for years is the best place to be.
In fact in 2012 a whopping 72% of people did just that when they were looking for a mortgage. The result?
Canadians lost over 41 Million Dollars by simply not shopping around for the best mortgage product for their needs.
As consumers people typically believe that if they get the lowest rate they will save the most money, and that is largely true, but you will notice that we did not mention rate in the above statement. Why? Well contrary to what most people might believe, rate is not the single all important item to consider when looking at getting financing for your home. Things like term, prepayment options, amortization, and payment schedule (to name just a few things) can have a dramatic impact on the true cost of the mortgage you are obtaining.
Canadians are very web savvy consumers when it come to getting a mortgage, in fact 2 in 3 of us will research our mortgage online before we make a decision. What is not talked about typically is what we are researching and there are two very key items, rate and mortgage calculators.
Rate is pretty self explanatory - we want to find the lowest possible. Mortgage calculators help us to figure out what we qualify for, what our payment will be, etc. What we do not do is research what different product options are available, and how those options can impact us - for good or bad. If you try to find that information you soon discover that it is not so easy, and when you do find some it is very complicated to understand. It is because of the complexity of mortgages that the majority of people simply put their faith in the banks and are resigned to the fact that taking 25 years and at the end paying almost twice the value of the home is normal.
Mortgage brokers offer Canadians a solution to the stress of shopping around, and they typically do it at no charge. Their role is to do the work for you and find the right mortgage to suit your financial and home ownership goals.
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