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More First World Problems
I've been traveling a lot lately, which is bad. I've been consuming a lot of in-flight wifi, which is good, because there really should be no place on Earth where I'm unable to work.
Plus, it's internets at 35,000 feet. How cool is that?
Today, I found myself in the throes of a decidedly first world problem. Of the many devices I carry, I couldn't decide which one to use for the airplane wifi, which is, naturally, charged per-device.
Normally, I'd go with the tablet, since it's a nice mix of form factors. The laptop is my preference, but I end up doing in-seat yoga to use it, not a good look.
But, horror of horrors, the tablet's battery was only 21%. Being an Android tablet, that wouldn't be enough to make it to my destination. I do carry a portable battery, but it won't charge the Nexus 7 tablet, for some odd reason.
Recursive, first world problems.
I debated smartphone vs. laptop for a minute or two before I realized what an awful, self-replicating, first world problem this was. So, I made a call and immediately did what anyone would do, tweeted about it.
What has become of me.
Quadcopters and the Internet of Things
Editor's note: Hey a new author! Here's the first one, of many I hope, from Bill Kraus, who joined us back in February. Enjoy.
One of the best aspects of working in the emerging technologies team here in Oracle's UX Apps group is that we have the opportunity to 'play' with new technology. This isn't just idle dawdling, but rather play with a purpose – a hands-on exercise exploring new technologies and brainstorming on how such technologies can be incorporated into future enterprise user experiences.
Some of this technology, such as beacons and wearables, have obvious applications. The relevancy of other technologies, such as quadcopters and drones, are more obtuse (not withstanding their possible use as a package delivery mechanism for an unnamed online retail behemoth).
As an amateur wildlife and nature photographer, I've dabbled in everything from digiscoping to infrared imaging to light painting to underwater photography. I've also played with strapping lightweight keychain cameras to inexpensive quadcopters (yes, I know I could get a DJI Phantom and a GoPro, but at the moment I prefer to test my piloting skills on something that won't make me shed tears – and incur the wrath of my spouse – if it crashes).
After telling my colleagues recently over lunch about my quadcopter adventures (I already lost several in the trees and waters of the Puget Sound), Tony, Luis, and Osvaldo decided to purchase their own and we had a blast at our impromptu 'flight school' at Oracle. The guys did great, and Osvaldo's copter even had a têt-à-tête with a hummingbird, who seemed a bit confused over just what was hovering before it.
This is all loads of fun, but what do flying quadcopters have to do the Internet of Things? Well, just as a quadcopter allows a photographer to get a perspective previously thought impossible, mobile technology combined with embedded sensors and the cloud have allowed us to break the bonds of the desktop and view data in new ways. No longer do we interact with digital information at a single point in time and space, but rather we are now enveloped by it every waking (and non-waking) moment – and we have the ability to view this data from many different perspectives. How this massive flow of incoming data is converted into useful information will depend in large part on context (you knew I'd get that word in here somehow) – analogous to how the same subject can appear dramatically different depending on the photographer's (quadcopter assisted) point-of-view.
In fact, the Internet of Things is as much about space as it is about things – about sensing, interacting with and controlling the environment around us using technology to extend what we can sense and manipulate. Quadcopters are simply a manifestation of this idea – oh, and they are also really fun to fly.
The Secret Project Emerges
Noel (@noelportugal) and Raymond have been working on a secret project. Here's the latest:
Thanks to AUX colleague and Friend of the 'Lab, Rob Hernandez, for the 3D modeling.
So now you know why Noel bought the slap bands, but what goes in the case?
If you've been watching, you might know already.
Those are LightBlue Beans from Punch Through Design (@punchthrough), h/t @colin_k.
Stay tuned.
OTN Latin America Tour 2014 – Mexico
The OTN network is designed to help Oracle users with community generated resources. Every year the OTN team organizes worldwide tours that allow local users to learn from subject matter experts in all things Oracle. For the past few years the UX team has been participating in the OTN Latin America Tour as well as other regions. This year I was happy to accept their invitation to deliver the opening keynote for the Mexico City tour stop.
The keynote title was "Wearables in the Enterprise: From Internet of Things to Google Glass and Smart Watches." Given the AppsLab charter and reputation on cutting edge technologies and innovation it was really easy to put a presentation deck on our team's findings on these topics. The presentation was a combination of the keynote given by our VP, Jeremy Ashley, during MakerCon 2014 at Oracle HQ this past May and our proof-of-concepts using wearable technologies.
I also had a joint session with my fellow UX team member Rafael Belloni titled "Designing Tablet UIs Using ADF." Here we had the chance to share how users can leverage two great resources freely available from our team:
- Simplified User Experience Design Patterns for the Oracle Applications Cloud Service (register to download e-book here)
- A Starter kit with templates used to build a Simplified UI interfaces (download kit here)
*Look for "Rich UI with Data Visualization Components and JWT UserToken validation extending Oracle Sales Cloud– 1.0.1″
These two resources are the result of extensive research done by our whole UX organization and we are happy to share with the Oracle community. Overall it was a great opportunity to reach out to the Latin American community, especially my fellow Mexican friends.
Here are some pictures of the event and of Mexico City. Enjoy!
Photo credits to Pablo Ciccarello, Plinio Arbizu, and me.
Oracle Voice Debuts on the App Store
Editor's note: I meant to blog about this today, but looks like my colleagues over at VoX have beat me to it. So, rather than try to do a better job, read do any work at all, I'll just repost it. Free content w00t!
Although I no longer carry an iOS device, I've seen Voice demoed many times in the past. Projects like Voice and Simplified UI are what drew me to Applications User Experience, and it's great to see them leak out into the World.
Oracle Extends Investment in Cloud User Experiences with Oracle Voice for Sales Cloud
By Vinay Dwivedi, and Anna Wichansky, Oracle Applications User Experience
Oracle Voice for the Oracle Sales Cloud, officially called "Fusion Voice Cloud Service for the Oracle Sales Cloud," is available now on the Apple App Store. This first release is intended for Oracle customers using the Oracle Sales Cloud, and is specifically designed for sales reps.
Unless people record new information they learn, (e.g. write it down, repeat it aloud), they forget a high proportion of it in the first 20 minutes. The Oracle Applications User Experience team has learned through its research that when sales reps leave a customer meeting with insights that can move a deal forward, it's critical to capture important details before they are forgotten. We designed Oracle Voice so that the app allows sales reps to quickly enter notes and activities on their smartphones right after meetings, no matter where they are.
Instead of relying on slow typing on a mobile device, sales reps can enter information three times faster (pdf) by speaking to the Oracle Sales Cloud through Voice. Voice takes a user through a dialog similar to a natural spoken conversation to accomplish this goal. Since key details are captured precisely and follow-ups are quicker, deals are closed faster and more efficiently.
Oracle Voice is also multi-modal, so sales reps can switch to touch-and-type interactions for situations where speech interaction is less than ideal.
Oracle sales reps tried it first, to see if we were getting it right.
We recruited a large group of sales reps in the Oracle North America organization to test an early version of Oracle Voice in 2012. All had iPhones and spoke American English; their predominant activity was field sales calls to customers. Users had minimal orientation to Oracle Voice and no training. We were able to observe their online conversion and usage patterns through automated testing and analytics at Oracle, through phone interviews, and through speech usage logs from Nuance, which is partnering with Oracle on Oracle Voice.
Users were interviewed after one week in the trial; over 80% said the product exceeded their expectations. Members of the Oracle User Experience team working on this project gained valuable insights into how and where sales reps were using Oracle Voice, which we used as requirements for features and functions.
For example, we learned that Oracle Voice needed to recognize product- and industry-specific vocabulary, such as "Exadata" and "Exalytics," and we requested a vocabulary enhancement tool from Nuance that has significantly improved the speech recognition accuracy. We also learned that connectivity needed to persist as users traveled between public and private networks, and that users needed easy volume control and alternatives to speech in public environments.
We've held subsequent trials, with more features and functions enabled, to support the 10 workflows in the product today. Many sales reps in the trials have said they are anxious to get the full version and start using it every day.
"I was surprised to find that it can understand names like PNC and Alcoa," said Marco Silva, Regional Manager, Oracle Infrastructure Sales, after participating in the September 2012 trial.
"It understands me better than Siri does," said Andrew Dunleavy, Sales Representative, Oracle Fusion Middleware, who also participated in the same trial.
This demo shows Oracle Voice in action.
What can a sales rep do with Oracle Voice?
Oracle Voice allows sales reps to efficiently retrieve and capture sales information before and after meetings. With Oracle Voice, sales reps can:
Prepare for meetings
- View relevant notes to see what happened during previous meetings.
- See important activities by viewing previous tasks and appointments.
- Brush up on opportunities and check on revenue, close date and sales stage.
Wrap up meetings
- Capture notes and activities quickly so they don't forget any key details.
- Create contacts easily so they can remember the important new people they meet.
- Update opportunities so they can make progress.
Our research showed that sales reps entered more sales information into the CRM system when they enjoyed using Oracle Voice, which makes Oracle Voice even more useful because more information is available to access when the same sales reps are on the go. With increased usage, the entire sales organization benefits from access to more current sales data, improved visibility on sales activities, and better sales decisions. Customers benefit too — from the faster response time sales reps can provide.
Oracle's ongoing investment in User Experience
Oracle gets the idea that cloud applications must be easy to use. The Oracle Applications User Experience team has developed an approach to user experience that focuses on simplicity, mobility, and extensibility, and these themes drive our investment strategy. The result is key products that refine particular user experiences, like we've delivered with Oracle Voice.
Oracle Voice is one of the most recent products to embrace our developer design philosophy for the cloud of "Glance, Scan, & Commit." Oracle Voice allows sales reps to complete many tasks at what we call glance and scan levels, which means keeping interactions lightweight, or small and quick.
Are you an Oracle Sales Cloud customer?
Oracle Voice is available now on the Apple App Store for Oracle customers using the Oracle Sales Cloud. It's the smarter sales automation solution that helps you sell more, know more, and grow more.
Will you be at Oracle OpenWorld 2014? So will we! Stay tuned to the VoX blog for when and where you can find us. And don't forget to drop by and check out Oracle Voice at the Smartphone and Nuance demo stations located at the CX@Sales Central demo area on the second floor of Moscone West.
We Have Slap Bands
As part of a secret project Noel (@noelportugal) and Raymond are cooking up, Noel ordered some AppsLab-branded slap bands.
The bands were produced by Amazing Wristbands (@AMZG_Wristbands), and Noel has nothing but good things to say about them, in case you're looking for your own slap bands.
Anyway, I'm sure we'll have some left over after the double-secret project. So, if you want one, let us know.
Find the comments.
A Smart Holster for Law Enforcement
So, back in January, Noel (@noelportugal) took a team of developers to the AT&T Developer Summit Hackathon in Las Vegas.
Although they didn't win, the built some very cool stuff, combining Google Glass, Philips Hue, Internet of Things, and possibly a kitchen sink in there somewhere, into what can only be described as a smart holster. You know, for guns.
You read that right. This project was way out of our usual wheelhouse, which is what made it so much fun, or so I'm told.
Friend of the 'Lab Martin Taylor was kind enough to produce, direct and edit the following video, in which Noel describes and demonstrates the holster's capabilities.
Did you catch the bit at 3:06? That's Raymond behind the mask.
So, a Researcher and Six Developers Join a Coding Challenge
Editor's Note: Hey, a new author! Colleague and Friend of the 'Lab, Joyce Ohgi, a principal usability researcher here at Oracle Applications User Experience, joined several of our guys and tall man, all-around good dude and Friend of the 'Lab, Rafa Belloni (@rafabelloni), to form a super-powered team last week.
This is her story, as told from the inside. Enjoy.
I earned $600 in a coding challenge without writing a single line of code.
Well, strictly speaking, $600/7 = $85.71, 7 being the number of members on our team. The challenge in question? The Oracle Applications User Experience Beacons Developer Challenge, a contest between internal Oracle teams to devise a creative solution using Estimote's beacons and Oracle Facilities data provided by Oracle Spatial.
We were given: the beacons, some sample data, icons, and images, an example app, a pack of poster gum to stick the beacons on walls, and the freedom to do whatever we could: 1) dream up and 2) execute in 48 hours.
Fast forward: Anthony Lai (@anthonslai) and I are standing in front of a room of developers and five judges about to give a presentation on our app, whose back end I still did not fully grasp. How did I get there?
My journey started two days before the official challenge start date. I ate lunch with Tony, one of the developers, and he suggested I join the team because "Why not? It'll be fun."
I had heard of the challenge but thought it wasn't for someone like me, as my now-rusty coding skills were last used for an Intro to C programming class in college; what could I contribute to a contest whose purpose is literally to generate code? But I like Tony, and he promised me it would be fun. So I decided, well, if the team will have me, I'd like to try it out. So I signed up.
One day before the challenge: the team decides to meet in order to: 1) learn each other's names and 2) come up with a list of ideas, which would be narrowed down once the contest started.
After we all introduced ourselves, the brainstorming began immediately and organically. But, to my surprise, not a single dev was taking notes. How were we going to remember all the ideas and organize ourselves?
As a researcher, one of the basic rules of my job is to always observe and always take notes.
I could be useful! I whipped out my handy iPad with keyboard case and typed away. But some of the ideas didn't make sense to me, and for the good of the team, I realized I also should be voicing my questions and opinions, not just act as the scribe.
So, I asked questions. It was scary. I was worried they would tease me for not knowing the back-end stuff they were talking about, or for speaking about ideas in terms of users' needs, instead of the system constraints or technology features.
But the team listened to me. They even agreed with me. Okay, they also disagreed with me sometimes. But they treated me with the same respect they treated each other.
Day of the challenge – final code check-in: Honestly, the whole coding challenge experience is a blur. As a researcher, I'm trained not just to always take notes, but also to take photos whenever possible to retain key details that could be otherwise forgotten.
I got so wrapped up in our project, that I didn't take a single photo of our group. I did take several pictures of our competition though.
Luckily Kathy Miedema dropped by to wish us luck and also snapped a picture.
As for the experience itself, I can only attempt to describe it by painting a picture in words.
We are all seated in the AUX Team's little Design Room. Although all the chairs are occupied, silence reigns, interrupted only by the soft clicking of keyboards, and the occasional low conversation.
Usually, the mental image of collaboration is of a group of people talking together in a group. But in this case, even though it looked like we were all doing our own separate thing, it was intensely collaborative.
Each of our parts would need to come together by the deadline, so we did constant, impromptu, little check-ins to make sure the pieces we were building would integrate quickly.
I checked-in constantly as well, seeking confirmation that, of the many research methodologies I could use, the ones I chose gave the team the data they needed, i.e. user interviews to capture wants, needs and task flows of the current processes and feedback sessions with key stakeholders.
By the way, if you are interested in learning more about research methodology, you can find more info at UX Direct.
So, back to Anthony and me, standing in front of a crowd, about to launch into our demo.
It was crazy; we didn't have time to do a run-through before; we had some weird display lags using the projector and the Samsung Gear Live smartwatch; the script was too long, and we ran out of time.
Believe me, I have a list of things that we can improve upon for the next challenge, but our idea was good.
Technically, it was solid, because of the deep expertise of the team, which aggregated probably comes close to 100 years of total development experience, and it was based on real users' needs because of my research.
Happily, we won 2nd place, and $600. Next year, we'll be gunning for 1st and the cool $1000 prize, which would net $142.86 for each of us.
All kidding aside, it's not about the prize money or the recognition. It's about people using their unique skill sets to build something better than any of them could have built on their own.
I will close with a text exchange between Anthony and me, post-challenge:
Me: Thx for letting me participate. I enjoyed seeing "your world" aka development.
Anthony: Uh oh. We are a test species to you.
Me: Don't worry. A good researcher observes to understand, not to pass judgment.
And later, when I was fretting that I cost our team the win by not contributing any code, Anthony wrote to me:
Contributing code does not mean contributing; contributing does not mean contributing code.
Editor again: Joyce thought the post needing a closing. Thanks to Joyce, Rafa and our guys, Anthony, Luis, Osvaldo, Raymond and Tony for all their hard work. Consider the post closed. Oh, and find the comments.
Taleo Interview Evaluations, Part 2
So, if you read Part 1, you're all up to speed. If not, no worries. You might be a bit lost, but if you care, you can bounce over and come back for the thrilling conclusion.
I first showed the Taleo Interview Evaluation Glass app and Android app at a Taleo and HCM Cloud customer expo in late April, and as I showed it, my story evolved.
Demos are living organisms; the more you show them, the more you morph the story to fit the reactions you get. As I showed the Taleo Glass app, the demo became more about Glass and less about the story I was hoping to tell, which was about completing the interview evaluation more quickly to move along the hiring process.
So, I began telling that story in context of allowing any user, with any device, to complete these evaluations quickly, from the heads-up hotness of Google Glass, all the way down the technology coolness scale to a boring old dumbphone with just voice and text capabilities.
I used the latter example for two reasons. First, the juxtaposition of Google Glass and a dumbphone sending texts got a positive reaction and focused the demo around how we solved the problem vs. "is that Google Glass?"
And second, I was already designing an app to allow a user with a dumbphone to complete an interview evaluation.
Noel (@noelportugal) introduced me to Twilio (@twilio) years ago when he built the epic WebCenter Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots. Those robots punched based on text and voice input collected by Twilio.
Side note, Noel has long been a fan of Twilio's, and happily, they are an Oracle Partner. Ultan (@ultan) is hard at work dreaming up cool stuff we can do with Twilio, so stay tuned.
Anyway, Twilio is the perfect service to power the app I had in mind. Shortly after the customer expo ended, I asked Raymond to build out this new piece, so I could have a full complement of demos to show that fit the full story.
In about a week, Raymond was done, and we now have a holistic story to tell.
The interface is dead simple. The user simply sends text messages to a specific number, using a small set of commands. First, sending "Taleo help" returns a list of the commands. Next, the user sends "Taleo eval requests" to retrieve a list of open interview evaluations.
The user then sends a command to start one of the numbered evaluations, e.g. "Start eval 4″ and each question is sent as a separate message.
When the final question has been answered, a summary of the user's answered is sent, and the user can submit the evaluation by sending "Confirm submit."
And that's it. Elegant and simple and accessible to any manager, e.g. field managers who spend their days traveling between job sites. Coupled with the Glass app and the Android app, we've covered all the bases not already covered by Taleo's web app and mobile apps.
As always, the disclaimer applies. This is not product. It's simply a concept demo, built to show people the type of R&D we, Oracle Applications User Experience and this team, do. Not product, only research.
Find the comments.
Taleo Interview Evaluations, Part 1
Time to share a new concept demo, built earlier this Spring by Raymond and Anthony (@anthonyslai), both of whom are ex-Taleo.
Back in April, I got my first exposure to Taleo during a sales call. I was there with the AUX contingent, talking about Oracle HCM Cloud Release 8, featuring Simplified UI, our overall design philosophies and approaches, i.e. simplicity-mobility-extensibility, glance-scan-commit, and our emerging technologies work and future cool stuff.
I left that meeting with an idea for a concept demo, streamlining the interview evaluation process with a Google Glass app.
The basic pain point here is that recruiters have trouble urging the hiring managers they support through the hiring process because these managers have other job responsibilities.
It's the classic Catch-22 of hiring; you need more people to help do work, but you're so busy doing the actual work, you don't have time to do the hiring.
Anyway, Taleo Recruiting has the standard controls, approvals and gating tasks that any hiring process does. One of these gating tasks is completing the interview evaluation; after interviewing a candidate, the interviewer, typically the hiring manager and possibly others, completes an evaluation of the candidate that determines her/his future path in the process.
Good evaluation, the candidate moves on in the process. Poor evaluation, the candidate does not.
Both Taleo's web app and mobile app provide the ability to complete these evaluations, and I thought it would be cool to build a Glass app just for interview evaluations.
Having a hands-free way to complete an evaluation would be useful for a hiring manager walking between meetings on a large corporate campus or driving to a meeting. The goal here is to bring the interview evaluation closer to the actual end of the interview, while the chat is still fresh in the manager's mind.
Imagine you're the hiring manager. Rather than delaying the evaluation until later in the day (or week), walk out of an interview, command Glass to start the evaluation, have the questions read directly into your ear, dictate your responses and submit.
Since the Glass GDK dropped last Winter, Anthony has been looking for a new Glass project, and I figured he and Raymond would run with a Taleo project. They did.
The resulting concept demo is a Glass app and an accompanying Android app that can also be used as a dedicated interview evaluation app. Raymond and Anthony created a clever way to transfer data using the Bluetooth connection between Glass and its parent device.
Here's the flow, starting with the Glass app. The user can either say "OK Glass" and then say "Start Taleo Glass," or tap the home card, swipe through the cards and choose the Start Taleo Glass card.
The Glass app will then wait for its companion Android app to send the evaluation details.
Next, the user opens the Android app to see all the evaluations s/he needs to complete, and then selects the appropriate one.
Tapping Talk to Google Glass sends the first question to the Glass over the Bluetooth connection. The user sees the question in a card, and Glass also dictates the question through its speaker.
Tapping Glass' touchpad turns on the microphone so the user can dictate a response, either choosing an option for a multiple choice question or dictating an answer for an open-ended question. As each answer is received by the Android app, the evaluation updates, which is pretty cool to watch.
The Glass app goes through each question, and once the evaluation is complete, the user can review her/his answers on the Android app and submit the evaluation.
The guys built this for me to show at a Taleo and HCM Cloud customer expo, similar to the one AMIS hosted in March. After showing it there, I decided to expand the concept demo to tell a broader story. If you want to read about that, stay tuned for Part 2.
Itching to sound off on this post, find the comments.
Update: The standard disclaimer applies here. This is not product of any kind. It's simply a concept demo, built to show people the type of R&D we, Oracle Applications User Experience and this team, do. Not product, only research.
I Guess Wearables Are a Thing
For what seems like ages, the noise around wearable technology has been building, but until recently, I've been skeptical about widespread adoption.
Not anymore, wearables are a thing, even without an Apple device to lead the way.
Last week, Noel (@noelportugal) and I attended the annual conference of the Oracle HCM Users Group (@ohugupdates); the Saturday before the conference, we showed off some of our wearable demos to a small group of customers in a seminar hosted by Oracle Applications User Experience.
As usual, we saturated the Bluetooth spectrum with our various wearables.
The questions and observations of the seminar attendees showed a high level of familiarity with wearables of all types, not just fitness bands, but AR glasses and other, erm, wearable gadgets. A quick survey showed that several of them had their own wearables, too.
Later in the week, chatting up two other customers, I realized that one use case I'd thought was bogus is actually real, the employee benefits plus fitness band story.
In short, employers give out fitness bands to employees to promote healthy behaviors and sometimes competition; the value to the organization comes from an assumption that the overall benefit cost goes down for a healthier employee population. Oh, and healthy people are presumably happier, so there's that too.
At a dinner, I sat between two people, who work for two different employers, in very different verticals; they both were wearing company-provided fitness trackers, one a Garmin device, the other a FitBit. And they both said the devices motivated them.
So, not a made-up use case at all.
My final bit of anecdotal evidence from the week came during Jeremy's (@jrwashley) session. The room was pretty packed, so I decided to do some Bluetooth wardriving using the very useful Bluetooth 4.0 Scanner app, which has proven to be much more than a tool for finding my lost Misfit Shine.
From a corner of the room, I figured my scan covered about a third of the room.
That's at least six wearables, five that weren't mine. I can't tell what some of the devices are, e.g. One, and devices like Google Glass and the Pebble watch won't be detected by this method. We had about 40 or so people in the room, so even without scanning the entire room, that's a lot of people rocking wearables.
If you're not impressed by my observations, maybe some fuzzy app-related data will sway you. From a TechCrunch post:
A new report from Flurry Analytics shows that health and fitness apps are growing at a faster rate than the overall app market so far in 2014. The analytics firm looked at data from more than 6,800 apps in the category on the iPhone and iPad and found that usage (measured in sessions) is up 62% in the last six months compared to 33% growth for the entire market, an 87% faster pace.
This data comes just as Apple and Google aim to boost the ecosystem for fitness apps and wearables with HealthKit and Google Fit, both of which aim to make it easy for wearable device manufacturers to share their data and app developers to use that data to make even better apps.
Of course, if/when Apple and Google make their plays, wearables will only get more prevalent.
So, your thoughts, about wearables, your own and other people's, corporate wellness initiatives, your own observations, belong in the comments.
Fourfecta! Java, IoT, Making and Raspi
Here comes more Maker content for your reading pleasure, this time it's an OTN piece on Java and the Internet of Things:
A Perfect Match: Java and the Internet of Things
The piece features lots of Noel (@noelportugal) wisdom, on making, on IoT, on the Raspi and on Java, his own personal fourfecta. If you're scanning (shame on you), look for the User Experience and the Internet of Things section.
Here's a very Noel quote:
"Java powers the internet, our banks, and retail enterprises—it's behind the scenes everywhere," remarks Portugal. "So we can apply the same architectures, security, and communication protocols that we use on the enterprise to an embedded device. I have used Arduino, but it would be hard to start a web server with it. But with Raspberry Pi, I can run a server, or, for example, use general-purpose I/O where I can connect sensors. The point is that developers can translate their knowledge of Java from developing on the enterprise to embedded things."
For those attending Kscope14 next week, come find us for the in-person version and see IFTTPi, the fourfecta in action.
Find Us at Kscope14 Next Week in Seattle
Kscope14 (#kscope14), the annual conference of the Oracle Development Tools User Group, affectionately ODTUG (@odtug), will happen next week in beautiful Seattle, June 22 to June 26.
The good people at ODTUG have graciously invited me back as a speaker for the 2014 vintage, and Anthony (@anthonyslai) will be my wingman for our session, Oracle Cloud and the New Frontier of User Experience.
Here are the particulars:
Title: Oracle Cloud and the New Frontier of User Experience
When: Monday, June 23, 2014, Session 1, 10:45 am – 11:45 am
A wristband that can unlock and start your car based on a unique cardiac rhythm. Head-mounted displays that layer digital information over reality. Computers, robots, drones, and more controlled with a wave of the hand or a flick of the wrist. Everyday objects connected to the Internet that convey information in an ambient way. Fully functional computers on tiny sticks. Invisible fences that control the flow of data. Science fiction isn't fiction anymore, and people aren't tied to PCs and desks. Everything is a device, everything is connected, everything is smart, and everything is an experience. Come see the R&D work of Oracle's Applications User Experience team and explore new devices, trends, and platforms.
Noel (@noelportugal) will be tagging along as well, and I think we'll have a scaled-down, but still fun, version of the IFTTPi activity the guys showed at the Maker Faire last month.
So, if you want to hear about and see the emerging technologies R&D coming out of Oracle Applications User Experience (@usableapps), try out Google Glass, Leap Motion, various wearables, play with the Sphero, or just say hi, come find us in Seattle.
Maker Movement Fuels the Internet of Things
The Java Team recently released a short video compiling selected moments from last month's MakerCon and Maker Faire. If you recall, we were lucky to be invited to participate in both events, both of which were tons of fun, enlightening and inspiring.
At 0:33 you'll see the some of the guys hamming it up for the camera, and Jeremy's (@jrwashley) keynote at MakerCon is featured prominently as a voiceover.
Google Glass and First World Problems
If you have Google Glass, you've probably seen this card a few times.
After a while, you begin to expect the card when your right temple starts to get uncomfortably warm. Apparently, Anthony (@anthonyslai), our resident Glass expert and long-time Glass Explorer, has a protip to handle this problem, two cans of cold soda.
I guess Ultan (@ultan) first encountered this clever solution while Anthony was presenting at the EchoUser Wearables Design Jam a couple weeks ago.
Now I have an efficient way to solve this decidedly First World Problem.
The Qualcomm Toq
Editor's Note: Here's a post from newish 'Lab member, Tony. Enjoy, and maybe if you're nice in comments, he'll write more. Or not, we won't know until we know.
The ideas flying, crawling, walking, and slithering around us in the sunny windy San Francisco Bay setting made for an enjoyable, educational, and truly inspirational experience. O'Reilly Solid conference: Software/Hardware/Everywhere was last week and with it, the future finally materialized. Wearables, robots, new materials, new methods, and new software have arrived to change . . . everything.
This spirit was interrupted–no, augmented–for a few hours at the beginning of Solid by some hushed mumbles: O'Reilly was giving away 30 smartwatches at lunchtime!
I will spare the details of finding and analyzing the official rules, staking out and running reconnaissance around the giveaway area, listening in, photographing, and hunkering down. I created my first personal twitter account and opened 10 identical tabs on my smartphone, ready to spawn the required golden tweet. I proudly whispered this strategy to a colleague who responded: "OK, you've gone too far now." I agreed and then quietly, though not completely unabashedly, created two more tabs.
The Toq Smartwatch by Qualcomm features Qualcomm's Mirasol display technology which delivers a sizable, always on, color touch screen without consuming much power. The screen is readable even in direct sunlight. In darkness, double tap the secret spot on the upper band to toggle the happy backlight. The screen snappily responds to touch and the battery lasted a full week in my test. Given that the display stays on for so long between charges, I find it difficult to overly criticize the often washed out, blurred colors.
The watch face is so much bigger than the band that the screen overlaps my hand a bit. The watch often digs in when the wrist is bent, say when using an armrest to get up from a chair. Tightening the band to prevent the discomfort is not an option. The Toq band is cut to fit, and careful with those scissors: a battery and sensors in the band mean you cannot replace it. The design of the band does not permit an analog fit as there are a finite number of slots. If you are one of the lucky ones with a blessed wrist size then you should be able to use Toq without frequent pain. Got pain? Regularly shove the watch up to where your arm is thicker, or sell it to someone with a wrist of equal or lesser circumference to your own.
The software, both on the Toq itself and on the required Android-only device, is adequate. Devices stayed paired and notifications were timely. Range was around 30 feet. What more do you want in a smartwatch? How about using your voice to dictate a text!? Pretty cool, Toq! An SDK is also available for you to make your own Android apps which communicate with Toq. I tried downloading it and they wanted me to create an account so I didn't. I was also discouraged by the quiet, small dev forum.
I seldom wear a watch, but I am never without my smartphone. So will I use a smartwatch regularly? I really like being able to casually look down and immediately read a new email/chat/text. Quick access to stocks, weather, calendar, and basic music controls come in handy sometimes. Overall though, Toq leaves me wanting more: a true smartphone experience, always on, on my wrist. But then maybe Toq has done its job. I think I have seen the light, the conversion has been made, and I am enthusiastically on board for next time.
Bottom line: Qualcomm Toq is OK for a free gift but I want more.
The Narrative Clip
Editor's note: Here's another post from friend of the 'Lab and colleague, John Cartan. When John reached out, offering a review of the Narrative Clip (neé Memento), I jumped at the opportunity to read and publish his thoughts, and not just because I value his insights.
When Noel (@noelportugal) and I were in the Netherlands for the awesome event hosted by AMIS in March, we ran into Sten Vesterli (@stenvesterli), Ace Director and OAUX Advocate, who was sporting the very same Narrative Clip. We both quizzed Sten about it and were intrigued to explore future uses and cool demos for the little life-logging camera.
Anyway, John's review reminded me, and now we have more anecdotal usage on which to draw if/when we get to building for the Narrative Clip.
For several weeks now I've been wearing a small orange gadget clipped to my shirt – a "lifelogging" camera called the "Narrative Clip". We thought we might be able to use it for ethnographic field studies (following users around to see how they do their job), or maybe for recording whiteboards during brainstorming meetings. But I was especially curious to see how other people would react to it.
The device itself is small (about the size of a Triscuit) and easy to use: just clip it onto your shirt or collar and forget it. It takes a photo once every 30 seconds without flashing lights or any visible indication. At the end of the day you hook it to a Mac or PC with a 3-inch USB cable to both upload the day's photos and recharge the device.
The camera can be temporarily deactivated by putting it face down on a table or in a purse or pocket. In practice I found that my pocket wasn't dark enough so I made a small carrying case out a box of mints.
Once the photos are transferred (which takes only a minute or two) you can either leave them on your hard disk, upload them to a cloud server, or both. The server upload and processing takes anywhere from ten minutes to six hours or more. Once uploaded, the images are straightened, cropped, sorted to remove blurry photos, organized into groups, and made available to a free iPhone or Android browser app.
The cloud storage is effortless and requires no local storage but sometimes over-crops (it once chopped the heads off all the people in a meeting I monitored) and provides only limited access to the photos (you have to mail yourself reduced photos from the phone app one at a time).
So I think that for full control you have to enable the local storage option. This works fine, but creates more work. You can easily generate over a thousand photos a day, which all have to be sorted and rotated. The photos consume a gig or more each day, which may eventually overwhelm your local hard drive; for long-term usage I would recommend a dedicated external drive.
Photo Quality
Each raw photo is 2592 x 1944 (5 megapixels). The quality is acceptable in full light, grainy in low light (there is no flash). But because the photos are taken mindlessly while clipped to a shirt that may bounce or sag, the results are generally poor: mostly shots of the ceiling or someone's elbow. There is no way to check the images as they are taken, so if the lens is blocked by a droopy collar you may not discover this until the end of the day (as happened to me once). And the camera generally won't be pointed in the direction you are looking unless you glue it to your forehead or wear it on a hat. You can force a photo by double-tapping, but this doesn't work well.
For all these reasons the Narrative Clip is not a replacement for a normal camera. But the random nature of the photo stream does have some redeeming qualities: it notices things you do not (a passing expression on someone's face, an interesting artifact in an odd corner of someone's cube, etc.) and it creates a record of small moments during the course of a day which would otherwise be quickly forgotten. Even if most of the photos are unusable, they do tend to jog your memory about the actual sequence of events. And because the photos are un-posed they can sometimes capture more authentic moments than a more obvious camera usually would.
Possible Applications
The key to designing a great user experience for enterprise software is to first understand your user: what her job is, how she does it, what challenges she has to overcome each day, etc. One way of doing this is an "ethnographic field study" – the researcher follows the user around and documents a typical day.
Our original idea was that the Narrative Clip could enhance ethnographic field studies. Either the researcher could wear it while following a user, or you could ask the user to wear it for a day and then meet later to review the photos.
I think both of these ideas are worth trying. The Narrative Clip would not replace a normal camera; it's main value would be to jog the memory when writing up reports at the end of the day. Similarly, if the user wears the clip herself, the researcher should schedule time the next day to step through the photos together and answer questions ("What were you doing here? Who is that? It looks like you stepped briefly onto the shop floor after lunch – how often do you that?").
There are other applications as well. I set up the camera in a meeting room to take a photo of the whiteboard every 30 seconds. This could be a quick and easy way to capture drawings during the course of a brainstorming session. Placing the camera far enough back to capture the entire board meant the writing was hard to discern; it might work with good lighting and strong marking pens.
Setting the clip on a table during an interview allowed me to collect a collage of un-posed portraits which, in total, gave a more accurate reflection of the subject's personality than any single posed photo could provide.
Another possible application is using the camera to take photos from the dashboard of a moving car. For optimal results the camera needs to be placed near the windshield and high enough to avoid photographing the hood of the car. I achieved a stable mount by clipping the camera to a placard holder (from an office supply store) and placing that on a dashboard sticky pad (from an auto supply store).
Personal Reactions
As we enter the age of wearable sensors and the Internet of Things, we are starting to ask a new question during our design sessions: "is that creepy?" As technologists we are naturally excited by the new applications and the bounty of data made available. But as we think about the user experience of our customers, it is important to consider what it's like being on the other end of the camera. Wearing the Narrative Clip was a great way to explore personal reactions to this brave new world.
I found that in general people didn't notice (or were to polite to ask) about the device unless I brought it up. But once they realized it was a camera, some people were uncomfortable (at first). Most people didn't seem to mind too much once they understood how it worked, but some people were definitely shy about having their photos taken. Some changed positions so as not to be in my normal field of vision. One person requested that I destroy any photos it might take of her. It helps to explain what you're doing and ask permission first.
Here is what one acquaintance of mine confessed:
"What I think is that I value one-to-one time that is ephemeral. Not recorded. Felt in the heart. I feel threatened when recorded without permission. Sigh. I know. That sounds dumb. I mean, with cell phones everywhere, I don't even have privacy in the gym locker room. Then the flip side of my brain starts blabbing: "What are you worrying about? Who would want to see your body or record your thoughts anyway?" Am I just prejudiced? I would not want to hire someone I interviewed if they wore one. I would leave the dinner table if a date wore one."
I feel that it is very important to respect attitudes like this. If people are uncomfortable with a new technology, they will find ways to bypass or subvert it. Sensor-based enterprise applications will only succeed if we strike the right balance between convenience and privacy, are upfront about exactly what data we are collecting and how it will be used, and show respect by asking permission and letting people opt in as much as possible.
The Narrative Clip is a solid, easy to use device that could be helpful for tasks like ethnographic fieldwork, but culling through the flood of random images requires time and effort. Further experimentation is needed to determine if the trade-off would be worthwhile.
Recording entire days – and being recorded by others – was an illuminating experience. Sensor-based technologies can provide treasure troves of data, but it's always worth asking what it would be like to be on the other end of the camera. A reasonable balance can be struck if we are transparent about what we are doing and show respect by asking permission.
The Misfit Shine
Over the past 12 months, the chatter about wearables (glasses, watches, bands, clothing, material) has become too loud to ignore. It almost seems like manufacturers will force consumers to like wearables, like it or not.
There are good uses for wearables, and one of the most common is the fitness tracker.
Although I haven't worn one myself until recently, I've been around lots of people who have, e.g. my wife had an early FitBit, Noel (@noelportugal) was an early adopter of the Nike+ Fuelband and has a Jawbone UP, Ultan (@ultan) has at least a dozen different fitness trackers, etc.
I finally made the jump and bought the Misfit Wearables Shine, and after wearing it for a week, I'm impressed. I do wonder how long it will keep my attention though.
Of all the fitness bands and smartwatches (and smartphone apps) that track activity, I chose the Shine because I love the small form factor and the flexible ways to wear it. The Shine is about the diameter of a quarter, and guessing here, about the thickness of two or three quarters stacked.
So, yeah, it's small. It comes with a wristband and a magnetic clasp, and you can buy other, erm, Shine holders including necklaces, leather wristbands and even socks and t-shirts, specifically designed to hold the little guy.
Another plus for the Shine is that it takes a standard watch battery, no need to charge it or tether it for syncing, a common complaint about other fitness trackers.
The Shine uses Bluetooth 4.0 (a.k.a. Bluetooth Low Energy) to communicate with the phone. BLE uses less power than the older spec, but keeping the Bluetooth receiver on all the time runs down the battery noticeably.
Even though its design is minimalist, the Shine can tell you the time, if you learn its indicators and ensure you know which side is 12 o'clock. Easier than a binary clock, but requires some learning.
My experience so far has been pretty positive. I like the little guy, but I'm not sure how long I'll stay engaged. This isn't a Misfit problem though.
There are some noteworthy negatives.
Misfit only provides a mobile app for the Shine, no accompanying web app, which I actually don't mind, yet. This does limit the metrics and analytics a bit, which I know other people like, especially as they accumulate data over time. So, this will eventually bug me
I'm a fan of the quantified self, to a fault; I used to carry a workout journal with eight years of handwritten data in it.
I'm *that* guy.
Misfit has no publicly-available developer options, no APIs, no SDK. They have been promising an API for a while now, so I assume it's coming soon. An SDK would be nice, e.g. to allow developers to access the Shine for glanceable notifications. Not sure if that's in the cards or not.
Finally, one of the positives can be a negative. I like the different options for wearing the Shine, and I've tested out both the sports band and the magnetic clasp. The latter leads me to a con; it's easy to lose the Shine.
Case in point, I was wearing the Shine attached to my shorts. I went about my day and suddenly realized it was missing. Looking at the last time I had synced, I retraced my steps to no avail, using the Bluetooth scanning feature as a BLE dowsing rod of sorts.
As a last resort, I pinged Noel, BLE master. He pointed me to an Android app called simply Bluetooth 4.0 Scanner and within minutes, I had found it.
Huzzah for Noel! Huzzah for Bluetooth 4.0 Scanner! Reading the comments on that app shows that my use case is not unique. Perhaps the developer should rename it, Fitness Band Finder, or some such.
Anyway, that's my week or so with the Misfit Shine.
Find the comments.
Saying Wearables in Spanish
Friend of the 'Lab, Bob Rhubart (@otnarchbeat) recently recorded a segment with our own Noel (@noelportugal) and Sarahi Mireles (@sarahimireles), a UX developer from our Mexico Development Center.
The topic was wearables, but I only know this because they told me. Google Translate wasn't very helpful, unless "Manos libres y vista al frente: Con el futuro puesto" means "Handsfree and front view: With the future since."
Anyway, enjoy.
Update: Noel pointed me to an English version on the same topic.
Whereable is the Killer Wearable Translation Use Case? Glass, Word Lens and UX
Editor's note: Here comes a guest post from our old pal and colleague, Ultan O'Broin (@ultan). You can read more of his thoughts and musing at User Experience Assistance and Not Lost in Translation. Enjoy.
Whereable is the Killer Wearable Translation Use Cases? Glass, Word Lens and UX
By Ultan O'Broin
I just can't escape the Word Lens-AppsLab vortex. I blogged about the Quest Visual Word Lens augmented reality (AR) mobile translation app for Jake (@jkuramot) a while ago. I'm involved in user experience (UX) outreach with Noel (@noelportugal) or Anthony (@anthonyslai) demoing the Google Glass version of Word Lens. Blogged about that, too.
Now, Google have just announced an acquisition of Word Lens. That's good news for the Glass version. The current version "works" but hardly at the level UX aspires to. The AR translation is impacted by stuff like how often you drink in certain bars in San Francisco the Glass wearer's head moves, the fonts used in the target image, and so on. Likely this acquisition will mean Google Translate's overall UX improves, offering an upped experience in terms of optimized UIs on different devices, all pivoting around a cloud-based real-time translation of a wide range of language combinations.
Up to now these mobile translation apps (there's a ton) seem like a hammer in search of a nail. Finding a consumer nail, let alone an enterprise one, often leaves me scratching at the bottom of the toolbox. Besides the translation quality, contextual factors are forgotten. Stuff like cost of operation or the device, or the very environment you're got to work in.
Take Word Lens on Glass. Great for wearables ideation, the promise of an immersive UX, the AR potential, and people just love the awesome demos. But would you ever use it for real, right now?
Consider this: I'm a Glass Explorer and a runner. I recently did a 10 miler in Tel Aviv using Strava Run Glassware. Yeah, more of our global experiment to see if normal people would notice or care about Glass being in their faces (they didn't).
It was a great user experience, sure. But the cost of using my Glass tethered to my EU-registered Samsung Galaxy SIII for data on the move forced me back to reality: nearly 33 EUR (45 USD, today) in roaming charges. Over 3 Euros a mile.
Of course, there's also the cost of Glass itself. Effectively, with taxes and bits added, it's 1700 USD (1250 EUR). Not cheap. So, consider adding another real world problem. Running around sweating on your 1700 bucks. Nothing that some handy tape and a plastic bag can't deal with in a sort of Nerdy 2.0 duct tape eyeglasses repairy way. But, not a UX for the stylish.
I've no idea what Word Lens on Glass would cost to translate a foreign language dinner menu, billboard or sign when away on vacation. But, I'd bet if you're going to try more serious translation tasks and stay connected during it, then it'll likely be cheaper and a lot easier to just man up and try and ask someone local. Unless, the app is usable offline … and works outside in the rain.
Time will tell where Google Glass and Word Lens ends up. The message from all this is that in the enterprise, when it comes to gathering user requirements for wearable (and other) tech, it's about more than just the end user and about taking technology at face value. Context is king.
Oh, we've a course on that, too.


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The meaning of the name Luka is Person From Lucania, Italy | |
The origin of the name Luka is Slavic | |
Notes: English form of the Greek name Loukas. Meant for a person from Lucania, an ancient area of southern Italy. | |
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Updated: July 24, 2014 5:27PM
Tire-maker Michelin expects to move into a new, 1.7 million-square-foot distribution center in Wilmington next summer.
Ridge Development broke ground this week on the project in the RidgePort Logistics Center, a 1,500-acre intermodal park about three miles south of the Interstate 55-Arsenal Road exit. RidgePort has space for 14 million square feet of industrial, warehouse and logistics buildings.
Michelin, which has a smaller center in Monee, is the first major tenant at RidgePort.
"As one of the largest U.S. distribution complexes when fully built out, this project should boost RidgePort to one of the most significant logistics parks in the country," RidgePort president Jim Martell said when the lease was announced in May.


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Do we go left or to the second start on the right, straight on til morning? Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: New Mexico
Posts: 6,452
DW and I are going back in October. A few followers here I believe are going as well. We'll definitely have to hit that bar again. Best bar to hit in my opinion. Lines never seemed that long. Eventually Lady H will be along with another chapter. I know she was asking me the other day who/what/where/when/why we did the things we did. I remember who I did, just don't quite the remember the when and where. Oh, wait. I meant to say I remember WHAT we did. Just don't quite the remember the when and where. My bad.
Past TR: Thumping Our Way Through Disneyland
Current TR: We Hopped All The Way To Disneyland Just For Some Dis Meets WDW: July 2006, Oct. 2010, Dec. 2012 DL: Aug. 2012, Oct. 2013 |
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Posts: 696
Ok Ok...I never knew we had so many Beatles fans here! I loved reading all those...and I promise i am working on the next chapter. It should be up either tonight or tomorrow. I just have to add in the pictures and figure out where exactly to stop it. Don't you hate when you get on a roll and don't know how to conclude...This is why I don't write books, they would end up being 6,000 pages long with no plot and a main character that gets easily distracted and...Oh, sorry...Squirrel! Right...chapter...going...
Be Yourself, Everyone else is already taken - Unknown Thumping Our Way Through Disneyland We Hopped All The Way To Disneyland Just For Some Dis Meets |
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Mickey's NOT so Fun Wheel!!!
We have posted this picture before. But I want you to get a clear image of it and keep it in the back of your mind for later. This will become a major hang up for me as this day progresses and comes to a close. With that in mind, I am here to finally bring you a new chapter. I know you have all been anxiously awaiting it, and I apologize for keeping you hanging for so long . I have been bombarded at work, tasked with organizing a Prescription Drug Abuse/Awareness Summit for up to 300 people. For the last couple of months I have barely had time to breathe, let alone write a chapter. But while the boss is away or should I say, Now that the boss has retired In the last chapter, T-Man had everyone on pins and needles, waiting to see if he would find his ID back at the room or if he would have to jump ship and find a new way back home. (Although how he would drive back home without an ID is beyond me, silly boy). As he mentioned, luckily he found it on the nightstand and we didnt have to worry about trying to smuggle him into my luggage. The last thing I need is to be arrested for human trafficking or something. We hop back on the shuttle and head back to the park. I can hear this little voice in the back of my mind and Im struggling to figure out what it is. As we get closer to the park, I can feel the voice getting more determined. Once we pull into the space for our shuttle and the door opens, I am hit with a whammy as I realize what this voice is. I struggle internally to push it back. I will not succumb to this so called death threat. I am the master of my own mind. I will not be a dumb wife. I will not. *sigh* We made our way through the carousel of entry and went straight to the lockers. Adding all our baggage to the locker, only taking the essentials (i.e., IDs and moo la moo), we began our walk to the other side of the park, where I will soon meet my maker. We wanted to hit up Toy Story Mania since it was closed the last time we were here, but as we made our way towards the ride, we decided to pick up some fast passes for California Screamin. Upon getting said passes, T-Man notices that the wait time is only 10 minutes. This will not go my way. I already know what he is thinking. I can see it in those eyes. The excitement of a 10 year old boy inside a grown mans body. Hes all but jumping up and down. This is the ride he has been waiting for. This is why we came back to DCA in the first place. As Im walking through the que, I begin to ponder what it is about being a dumb wife that is so riveting to me that I can not say no to this man I call my husband . I did not have time to contemplate that for too long, because before I knew it, we were being pushed into the car. The harness is pulled over my head and Im struggling to make sure Im strapped in tight. The supreme ruler of the ride, or CM as they are called, comes around and tugs on the handle of my harness to make sure it wont come up on me mid loop, and we are off. This ride is totally deceptive. It starts you out all nice and slow, its like a walk in the park. You go under the bridge and all of a sudden you hear this voice out of no where say; Get ready screamers. Head back, face forward and hang on. Im now trying to figure out where this invisible person is and Im pretty sure with those instructions, he knows what he is talking about, even if he sounds like a pimply 13 year old. So I do as instructed. The car moves a few feet and we stop. The kids voice is back; Launch in 5, 4, 3, Wait, Im not ready I dont think I can do this 2, 1! Before I know it, Im launched into an aluminum tube straight up and then pushed straight down. This is where Im to die This is how it will end I just know it. Oh wait I guess not The coaster launches us into a never ending turn just in time for the next uphill battle with the aluminum tube. As we near the top of the hill, the coaster starts to slow down. Im thinking, Oh great, just what I need, for the coaster to stop working while Im at the very top of this thing. But the coaster has other things in mind, like freaking me out as it all of a sudden speeds and plummets straight down. Im beginning to think, OK Ive gone through the worst of it. This has got to be the worst of the coaster, and its not too bad I thought too soon. Just as that thought is processing in my brain, the coaster roars into the 360 degree loop. The rest of the coaster is a blur, bounding over small hills and curving to the left and to the right at crazy speeds. Just when I thought this thing would never end, we finally start to crawl to a stop. I cant get out of the seat fast enough. Of course, it almost feels like you are being pushed out of your seat as the new victims, er I mean fanatics are trying to make their way into the car. T-Man grabs my arm as I stumble out of the car and onto the platform. I wearily make my way to the stairs to get down to solid ground. I all but get down on my knees and kiss the asphalt below me as we get to the bottom. At this time Im in need of a beer. But the beer stand is no-where near us at the moment. As we make our way towards our elusive beer stand, we come across Toy Story Mania. Now this I can do. The posted wait time is 45 minutes. There are no fast passes for this ride. They do not fast pass TSM here. We contemplate whether it will be worth standing in line for 45 minutes or if the lines would possibly go down later. However, this was our thought process last time and we never got to ride it. So we opt for waiting and get in line. T-man decides to pass the time by taking some pictures. The time stamp of 45 minutes is pretty right on the money. The only problem with this que is that the majority of it is all outside. You go through the outside chain link fenced off maze, just to go into a room that is full of fun paintings and sayings on the walls. You circle through that, before coming back outside for your glasses. Once you get the glasses, the ride is almost within reach. Just a few more moments and we are there! Mike was happy he finally got the number 1 spot and was telling me he was number 1. We get into our car, and test out our trusty guns. They seem to be good. Let the games begin! I honestly do not remember who won. We might have a picture of it. Ill have to see. But the ride is pretty much the same once you get inside, as it is in WDW. I knew we had a picture Ask me who was who and I couldnt give you a straight answer. I honestly do not remember. Once we finished with Woody, Buzz and the rest of the crew, we took a little walk through the pier. They did a great job on this part of the park. If it wasnt for the fact that there is no ocean off to the side or in front of you, you really would think you were on a pier. With the roller coaster off to one side, and the arcade games and shops along side it, it really is nice to just walk along and people watch. Before leaving this side of the park, I really wanted to ride Mickeys Fun Wheel. NOTE: From this point forth, this ride will be known as Mickeys NOT so fun wheel! Ill explain, but first, remember that picture I posted at the start of this chapter? Now, looking at it, it looks like an innocent Ferris Wheel type ride right? Innocent my rear! As you approach the line, you have a choice; you can either take the road less traveled (the stationary car), or follow the throngs of people going to the car that moves. Now come on it cant be that bad right? Even if the car moves, its just a Ferris Wheel. Where can the car go? With that said I want to pre-empt this story to remind you of who I am. Do not let the fact that my hair has been dyed red fool you I am still a blond at heart. And do not let T-Man fool you with his talk about how I graduated from college with a degree...that degree means nothing here at Disney. I occasionally can be duped by the ever present, lovable mouse we all know and love. Back to the story now We come to the fork in the road and decide to follow the leader, and hit up the moving car line. Its got a picture of Mickey Mouse on the front of the ride, so it cant be bad. There are even little kids in line in front of us. If they can do this, I sure as heck can! As we approached the front of the line, we told them how many were in our party and waited until they stopped the ride, let the other people off, and ushered us on. The car is a cage A wired in, metal cage. This was the point where my Bachelor of Science degree failed me! I knew there was a reason I called it a BS degree in the first place! We began the slow assent up. Our car was swaying slightly, but nothing I couldnt handle. I figured this is cool. We should be able to see everything from the top and then I lied. I lied good. I cant do this I really cant. Go back and look at that picture. Do you see the way some of the areas have this sort of curved rail where the car is sitting as you approach anyplace that is not the very bottom of this ride; you are pretty much flung about on this curved railing. Its sort of like those zig zag toys that we had when we were kids, where you would place a ball at the top and watch as it went down, then dropped and when down the other way, etc The very first time the cage dropped, I felt my heart drop too. I almost lost it. I was literally having the start of a panic attack. The poor couple across from us where looking at me like I was crazy, especially after T-Man had just mentioned to them after seeing the Tower of Terror ride as we rose up, how we just went on the Tower of Terror the other day and It was my absolute favorite ride. All I could think of was I was going to die! You see, in my panic stricken mind, it was only a matter of time before the cage I was sitting in would gain momentum and take off with us in it. T-Man kept trying to calm me down, taking my hand and telling me to focus on something in the distance. Unfortunately every time I would do that the car would lurch into a new position and I would have to control myself from screaming at the top of my lungs. Needless to say I was extremely happy when we got off the ride, and very anxious for that promised beer! I would have taken two rides on California Screamin over that panicked feeling any day. Here are a few shots T-Man was able to get from the ride, while I was clinging to the cage for dear life. This is a shot of the intricate detail work of what goes into World of Color. An aerial shot of Grizzly Peak, the star of Grizzly River Rapids. An aerial shot of The Matterhorn. A shot of California Screamin These are the aluminum tubes I was talking about earlier. Better shot of everything You see Matterhorn in the background, Off to the right you see Space Mountain, and near the front, Soarin. Now dont get me wrong, the ride was cool, and if I knew ahead of time what that feeling would be like, I probably wouldnt have freaked out the way I did. Ive done this once before with T-Man. One of the mountain ranges we have here in Albuquerque, the Sandia Mountains, and at the top of this mountain, is called Sandia Peak, its a very popular place in the winter when it snows, for all those who love to snow board or ski, and pretty popular in the summer for hiking and stuff. There is a great restaurant at the top of the peak, and to get there, you take the tram. This tram has the 3rd longest single span in the world. Anyway, weve been on the tram before, and I had no problems. But I had always ridden it during the day. This one time, we rode it up during the day, stopped and ate at the restaurant and by the time we left it was dark. As we boarded the tram to go down, I didnt think anything of it. Until the initial take off from the platform. There was an every so slight, but sudden drop off, and I freaked. I think my initial fear was because I could not see what was below me. I had my head buried into T-Mans arm or chest the rest of the way, fighting back tears and trying desperately to breathe. I havent been back on the tram since . So I think if I would have known what the moving car would have felt like on the Fun wheel, in the beginning I wouldnt have freaked as much as I did. It took me a little while to get my bearings back and was able to walk normally again. To get my equilibrium back, We took a small walk to the nearby store to look around. Once I could walk without drawing attention to myself, we went in search of that ever so needed beer. We decided to take a page from Ponzi's book and took a self portrait of us with our beer... I'll leave you all with that for the night. I put off some of my work today to get this done so I have a little catching up to do tomorrow, but hopefully we won't take as long with the next chapter. Hope this chapter was worth the wait! Did I mention how wonderful you all are for sticking around?!
Be Yourself, Everyone else is already taken - Unknown Thumping Our Way Through Disneyland We Hopped All The Way To Disneyland Just For Some Dis Meets |
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Texas
Posts: 450
Welcome back Lady H! Loved the chapter. I know exactly the feeling you are talking about on Mickey's not so Fun Wheel. I love thrill rides, never met a roller coaster I didn't like but that swaying, sliding, out of control feeling - NO THANKS! The shadow pic of you and T Man was great!
By the way just found out I'm squeezing a short Disney trip in in Sept. Have a conference to go to for work and one of the places it was offered was WDW, um, sign me up please! I'm going two days early to have fun then three days at the conference with my nights free so my best friend is coming along with me to keep me company. I'm so excited!!
me DM 47, DS 18, Dad's not Disney
2003 - Offsite, 2006 - Offsite, 2007 - Pop, 2009 - AKL, 2010 - CBR, 2011 - Pop, Jan 2013 - BC (WITH Non-DH!!), Sep 2013 - CBR (girls trip!), Feb 2014 - BW (conference), May 2014 - WL (club level!) |
my car finds out everytime I have money
Join Date: Dec 2002
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Great chapter It was worth the wait
I can't ride coasters, or anything with drops and I really admire anyone else with the courage I lack! You have my utmost respect Hopefully things will calm down for you at work - we've missed you around here |
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Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 543
I SO MUCH APPRECIATE your chapter about Mickey's Wheel of Terror! My DH almost dragged us onto one of the swinging cars last week and I told him flat out NO WAY!
DIS Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Rio Rancho, New Mexico
Posts: 696
I love that shadow pic. I'm tempted to put it up as my Facebook pic. Quote:
I'm not a huge coaster fan, but I have accepted that T-Man is a thrill seeker. He knows that if I don't want to do it, I won't and he won't try to make me. He's gotten really good at accepting it when I say "Aw heck no!" But I never want to leave the parks thinking...I should have at least tried it. Now I know what Mickey's NOT so fun Wheel is like, and i don't have to try it again. Welcome! and Thank you! I like Mickey's Wheel of Terror. That is a pretty accurate description. I think you were very wise in your decision to say NO WAY...I was not so smart.
Be Yourself, Everyone else is already taken - Unknown Thumping Our Way Through Disneyland We Hopped All The Way To Disneyland Just For Some Dis Meets |
Hoping to get lucky
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What could possibly go wrong? Quote:
Very strange. Quote:
Not surprised. Quote:
She has no problems with saying no. Quote:
hmmm... wonder why not? Quote:
And yes, I would do the exact same thing! Let me put your mind at ease. I know who won. T-man won. If you'd won you absolutely would have remembered. Remembered the gloating, of course. It appears that you have become insubstantial if you can walk through a pier. Asphalt! Quote:
See? And you thought I had a short attention sp..... Quote:
It was! Quote:
ahhhh..... Thanks for the great chapter!
Ladies and gentlemen, take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice. - Allan Arbus as Dr. Sidney Freedman - RIP
Teenage Mutant Backseat Dancers - A Canadian Buffoon Adventure Canadian Buffoon's Vacation - PTR/mini TR Canadian Buffoon European Vacation Just a silly little TR - run away! 1977 - offsite 1987 - offsite 1992 - offsite 2005 - POR (never going offsite again!!!) 2009 - ASMu |
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Famous last words!!!
Aww...That made me smile! Thank you. Quote:
And to clarify, it was for Law Enforcement, Medical Personnel, Community Coalitions and Municipalities, to forge together and come up with ideas and solutions to combat the abuse... It sounded better the way you put it didn't it?! "I can never do nothing!" You'd be surprised...They are an expensive species. I think Disney has everyone on the payroll except us! Quote:
"Bye Bye" Quote:
Good question...I really have no answer for that. The first day we went to check it out, the CM there told us there was no fast pass line. Maybe it's not as popular here as it is in WDW? or Maybe they are just crazy! People ask why we haven't had children yet...I tell them, i'm waiting for the one I already have to grow up first. Figures. Quote:
and I don't gloat...I just state the facts! Quote:
Not the mouse I was thinking...but close enough. I knew you wouldn't let me down Ponzi! That was good! No...but it probably should have! Alas...at the time, I did not think of this. And you know full well that T-Man is not going to give me a reason to go anywhere else. Especially if I'm the one steering us in this direction already. We hadn't...But we had a Simply Lemonade at the room when we went back for the ID...Does that count as starting the party? Quote:
Poor Heather, is right! Quote:
The imagineers did a great job on that, I thought. Darn! I thought maybe we had finally captured the elusive Pkondz. Sort of like Bigfoot, His legend lives another day... Thanks for the breakdown Ponzi! As always, you out did yourself!
Be Yourself, Everyone else is already taken - Unknown Thumping Our Way Through Disneyland We Hopped All The Way To Disneyland Just For Some Dis Meets |
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Location: chicago area
Posts: 6,949
great chapter Heather. except I got the heebie geebies myself just reading about the rides.. BOTH of them! yikes. neither one is my cup of tea. I am not so brave as you!
I am imagining the diabolical minds who think of these crazy rides. As George Carlin said "Some grown man was at work one day....." (in this scenario, the next line was "I got one! near the refrigerator!" referring to suggestions on the package as to where to place the fake vomit) I really think all who design thrill rides are closet sadists! I, too love the shadow picture. !!!!!!!!!!
All I want is Disney, Crocs and Vera Bradley
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Now me, I can't wait to ride the fun wheel and the screamin!!!
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Location: Huntsville AL
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DH felt the same as we were swinging in our gondola on that ride... through clenched teeth in a very fake smile as I took his picture, he was saying "We're gonna DIE!" After that, he called it the "Spinning Mickey Head Wheel of Death". I had a blast on the Fun Wheel. Except that DH (DBF at the time) was panicked and green. No way I was going to get him on California Screamin'.
DH Me
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dec'12/Jan'13, NYE at AoA!!!! ... Apr/May '12, DREAM! ... Nov '11, POR ... Jan '11, CSR ... Nov '10, POFQ ... May '10, POFQ & ... Nov '09, after seeing STS-129 launch!!!! ... June '09, POP ... Nov/Dec '08, ASMu ... Oct '06, POP ... Aug '00, FREE trip (friend's radio prize!!), stayed offsite ... Aug '89 daytrip |
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I agree with the George Carlin quote..T-Man and I have stayed up at night a few times talking about how some things came to fruition. Like the Rodeo, or Horse Racing, etc...The minds some people have, and yet we follow those minds to these parks on a regular basis. Quote:
Screamin' really wasn't that bad once I was off it and firmly on the ground Quote:
Mickey's Not So Fun Wheel Mickey's Wheel of Terror Spinning Mickey Head Wheel of Death May have to send these titles to Disney so they can change it.
Be Yourself, Everyone else is already taken - Unknown Thumping Our Way Through Disneyland We Hopped All The Way To Disneyland Just For Some Dis Meets |
Do we go left or to the second start on the right, straight on til morning? Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: New Mexico
Posts: 6,452
While my favorite fishing spot is currently closed due to a forest fire, I guess I can come back for a little while and make a few comments on Lady H's recent chapter.
As you recall, we never got to ride Cal Screamin' the first time we went to DCA. I for one was happy it was open this time. I was hoping I wasn't going to have to leave DLR without riding it at least once. Now IF I had to make a comparison to WDW (because I know Nebo wanted these, even though he hasn't been around here it quite a long time now), I really don't know which coaster I would compare it to. Lady H (self proclaimed "Dumb Wife") I don't think keeps her eyes open. At least it looks like they're closed each time we see the picture at the end. Although, I will admit, she is getting better. She can be seen peeping out a little through one eye. Anyways, she did a really good job describing it to you. Cal Screamin' is like a combination of Expedition Everest and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. You have the hydraulic take off of RnRC, with the drops and speed of EE. There is only one loop and you don't go backwards. As Lady H said, there's quite a few drops and turns. Speed remains pretty consistent throughout the ride. Definitely worth giving a try. Out of the coasters I've ridden so far, this is how I would rank them. 1. Manta - Sea World Orlando 2. Hulk - Islands of Adventure 3. RnRC - WDW-DHS 4. Dragon Challenge (Formerly known as Dueling Dragons) - Islands of Adventure 5. Kraken - Sea World Orlando 6. California Screamin' - DLR-DCA 7. Manta - Sea World San Diego 8. Expedition Everest - WDW-AK 9. Rip Ride Rockit - Universal Studios Orlando 10. Let's just put the Space Mountains, BTMRR's and Mummy's from each location (both California and Orlando) here shall we. One of these days, I'll get to Magic Mountain, Cedar Point or to Great Adventure and Safari to ride some more intense coasters. Ok, moving on. Lady H was a gracious winner. I on the other hand was not so gracious a loser. I cried, fussed, whined, pouted and did what any other sore loser would do; I made excuses as to why I lost. Yes, Lady H won at TSM. I was expecting her to gloat because for the likes of me, I can't beat her for anything. If my life depended on it, she would be a widow. Now we get to Mickey's NOT So Fun Wheel. Mickey's Wheel of Terror. I was really surprised at her reaction. I never thought a ferris wheel would do her in. I was expecting it to be Cal Screamin'. Needless to say, I am shocked when I read she would take 2 CS's to one ride on MFW. Careful what you say honey. Remember, we are going back to DCA in October. I just may hold you to that. I'm almost willing to bet for next time, if we DO go back on MFW, it will be in a stationary car. Glad people enjoyed the silhouette picture. I thought it would be a fun picture, and as it turns out, we had fun taking it. I guess I'll stick around a little longer. After all, with the forest fires burning around us, can't get to the lakes or rivers at the moment. I'll have to put fishing on hold. As Lady H said, thanks everyone for sticking around. We'll try to finish this within a year of when we first started. Never knew the work it takes writing a TR. I give credit to Nebo and everyone that can get them out so quickly.
Past TR: Thumping Our Way Through Disneyland
Current TR: We Hopped All The Way To Disneyland Just For Some Dis Meets WDW: July 2006, Oct. 2010, Dec. 2012 DL: Aug. 2012, Oct. 2013 |
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: so cal
Posts: 502
Great update you guys and yes Heather I agree with you about that stupid not so fun wheel. rode it once when DCA first opened and it scared the bejezzus out of me. once was more than enough. We have been there many many times and just last week Lance asked me if I wanted to go on it. No thanks. I love screamin and think they did a great job putting that much coaster in such a small space. Wish they would put in a Rocking Roller coaster back in the old Millionare building.
You guys should hit up Magic Mtn when you get out here in October they have some great coasters.
ºoº Betsey!
Hey Hey we're the Whiteheads, a pre trip report http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3209767 You were born an origional, why die a copy?\ [link=http://distickers.com/ticker/][img noborder]http://distickers.com/ticker/tickers/klh12jpwhe9t3guf.png[/img][/link] |
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Chia Pet Seeds the New Health Food? [VIDEO]
At some point in time, we have all had the cute little terra cotta animal come into our lives. We mix up the little mud packet with the tiny little seeds and spread it all over that little terra cotta animal and watch it grow. Yes, I am talking about the Ch-Ch-Chia Pet. It is a new day and age and those silly little terra cotta animals cost you about $20 but their seeds are priceless because apparently they are a good health food.


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My Profile
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Reviewed Pastitsio
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"this is simply divine....typically an Ina Garten masterpiece. Ideal for dinner party or family get together! I live in rural Scotland and got minced lamb 'nae bother' in my village...tho a lot more expensive than the supermarket! Have made it with both local butcher's and supermarket's minced lamb and didn't notice any difference in taste, it was..."


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New Revised Standard (NRS) | New International Version (NIV) |
12 If a member of your community, whether a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you and works for you six years, in the seventh year you shall set that person free. | 12 If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, sells himself to you and serves you six years, in the seventh year you must let him go free. |
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. (New Revised Standard Bible Version Online) | Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. (New International Version Bible Online) |


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Mailing Address
5220 W. Ohio Avenue
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Phone: (303) 982-6722
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School Level:
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School Status: Operational
School District: Jefferson County School District No. R-1
County: Jefferson
Location: Large Suburb (over 250,000)
Students: 331
Teachers: 20
Student-Teacher Ratio: 16.2 to 1
Lowest Grade in School: 09
Highest Grade in School: 12
Students by Grade
Grade 9: 5
Grade 10: 60
Grade 11: 238
Grade 12: 28
Corrections to the school database are encouraged! School Edit Form.
Brady Exploration School, CO
(< 0.1 mile) Deane Elementary School, CO (0.5 miles NW) Knapp Elementary School, CO (0.5 miles NE) Lasley Elementary School, CO (0.7 miles W) Castro Elementary School, CO (1 miles E) |
Force Elementary School, CO
(1 miles SSE)
Munroe Elementary School, CO (1.2 miles ENE) Charles M. Schenck (Cms) Community School, CO (1.3 miles ESE) Denison Montessori School, CO (1.3 miles S) O'Connell Middle School, CO (1.4 miles WSW) |
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Redeemer Lutheran School, CO (1.3 miles ENE) Denver Lutheran High School, CO (1.4 miles ESE) Denver Child Care Center, CO (1.6 miles ESE) Notre Dame School, CO (1.8 miles S) |
Trinity Lutheran Eclc, CO
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Beth Jacob High School, CO (2.5 miles N) St. Bernadette School, CO (2.5 miles NNW) Denver Street School, CO (2.6 miles NNW) St. Rose of Lima School, CO (2.6 miles E) |
The Demographic Data for the 1,219 Colorado cities, towns, counties, ZIP Codes and Census Designated Places (CDPs) profiled in this gazetteer is updated annually. Last Update: July 1, 2014.
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May 30, 2004 Mr. Pabst is a great person and teacher. I have an A in his class right now, but most of the time, i get confused of what he is teaching! Slow Down Mr. Pabst! Flag Rating
May 26, 2004 For those that don't understand what he is talking about, maybe do your homework and read the chapter? Anyways, no one is too smart to teach well... Flag Rating
Apr 24, 2004 Mr. Pabst is one of the smartest people I've ever met.But he doesn't understand that some of his students, like me, aren't smart, and don't understand chemistry Flag Rating
Apr 22, 2004 This is a really hard class, but Mr. Pabst is a very funny person. He gets on these random subjects and talks about his friends and diapers, and their cars burning Flag Rating
Apr 21, 2004 I really don't like his attitude towards his students. He once said, "I enjoy seeing my students fail because it makes them try harder." But he is still cool. Flag Rating
Apr 20, 2004 HE IS TOO SMART TO BE A TEACHER! His calculations wiz through his gigantic brain at super fast rates. Great teacher, knows a lot Flag Rating
Apr 20, 2004 Pabst has no problem personally offending you, he is a chemist.. not a teacher. Can be helpful when I come in after school for one on one but in class he is confusing. Flag Rating
Apr 17, 2004 Pabst is a very good instructor, he has all the qualities that allow him to teach fluently and intelligently, but don't you dare fall behind. Flag Rating
Apr 15, 2004 His teaching style is if you understand it, good, but if you don't you're out of luck. His notes are vague but you're expected to know what they mean. Flag Rating
Apr 14, 2004 He's is a nice person, but I don't like him much as a teacher. He's too smart to teach, cause we're not smart enough to understand him. Flag Rating


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The Global Intelligence Files,
files released so far...
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The Global Intelligence Files
On Monday February 27th, 2012, WikiLeaks began publishing The Global Intelligence Files, over five million e-mails from the Texas headquartered "global intelligence" company Stratfor. The e-mails date between July 2004 and late December 2011. They reveal the inner workings of a company that fronts as an intelligence publisher, but provides confidential intelligence services to large corporations, such as Bhopal's Dow Chemical Co., Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and government agencies, including the US Department of Homeland Security, the US Marines and the US Defence Intelligence Agency. The emails show Stratfor's web of informers, pay-off structure, payment laundering techniques and psychological methods.
Morning INTSUM - 090329
Released on 2012-10-19 08:00 GMT
Email-ID | 1209366 |
Date | 2009-03-29 17:44:28 |
From | firstname.lastname@example.com |
To | email@example.com |
List-Name | email@example.com |
Russia, U.S., Iran: No Trade-Offs Possible - Medvedev
March 29, 2009 1456 GMT
In an interview set to be aired by the BBC on March 29, Russian President
Dmitri Medvedev says Russia opposes the development of nuclear weapons by
Iran, but that he does not think trade-offs between Russia and the United
States are possible, The Associated Press reported.
Russia: Pacific Fleet Ships Bound For Somalian Coast
March 29, 2009 1515 GMT
Russia's Admiral Panteleyev (548) guided missile destroyer, a salvage
tugboat and a tanker left Vladivostok on March 29 on their way to take
part in anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden, RIA Novosti reported.
The vessels, from Russia's Pacific Fleet, will replace a task force led by
the Admiral Vinogradov destroyer that had been conducting anti-piracy
efforts off the Somalian coast since January.
Turkey: Election Violence Leaves 4 Dead
March 29, 2009 1510 GMT
Supporters of rival candidates attacked each other with firearms at local
elections in Turkey on March 29, leaving four people dead and more than 60
injured, RIA Novosti reported, citing local media. The largest gunfight
broke out in Sanliurfa province in the southeast, where one person was
shot and killed and 34 were wounded.
U.S.: Economic Pressure Effective On Iran - Gates
March 29, 2009 1503 GMT
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on March 29 said with enough economic
pressure on Iran, diplomacy could create "an open door" for Tehran if it
decides to change its policies, The Associated Press reported, citing
Gates' appearance on "Fox News Sunday." Gates said Iran is not close to
developing a nuclear weapon, and that it does not currently have the
capability to enrich enough uranium for a weapon.
Israel: Cabinet Briefed On Anti-Smuggling Efforts
March 29, 2009 1446 GMT
Yuval Diskin, head of Israel's Shin Bet security agency, on March 29
briefed Israel's Cabinet on efforts to combat arms smuggling into the Gaza
Strip, Haaretz reported. Diskin said that since the end of Israel's
Operation Cast Lead, 45 tons of raw materials for weapons production, 22
tons of standard explosives and dozens of rockets, mortar shells and
anti-aircraft missiles had been smuggled into Gaza. Egypt's efforts to
stem smuggling across its border with Gaza have improved, and when Israel
shares intelligence about smuggling, Egypt responds quickly, he added.
Sudan, Qatar: Al Bashir Arrives For Arab League Summit
March 29, 2009 1434 GMT
Sudanese President Omar al Bashir on March 29 arrived in Qatar ahead of an
Arab League summit that begins March 30, The Associated Press reported.
Qatar's emir greeted al Bashir at Doha's airport. The visit comes after
the Arab League has said it would not enforce the International Criminal
Court's arrest warrant for al Bashir.
Iraq: Security Forces Surround Baghdad District
March 29, 2009 1531 GMT
Iraqi police and security forces, backed by tanks and U.S. troops,
encircled the Baghdad district of al-Fadhil on March 29 after Iraqi troops
clashed with a Sunni patrol there the day before, Reuters reported. A
Baghdad security spokesman said the forces are only pursuing people who
are wanted for committing crimes.
U.S.: Mexico Violence A Threat Along Border - Obama
March 29, 2009 1521 GMT
U.S. President Barack Obama in an interview broadcast March 29 says
Mexico's drug cartel problems are a serious threat to U.S. communities
along the border, The Associated Press reported. In the interview on CBS'
"Face the Nation," Obama says the United States must reduce its demand for
illicit drugs and stem the flow of money and arms into Mexico. He says he
is considering stepping up the National Guard presence at the Mexico
border, but wants to wait and see if his new strategy works. Obama's
statements come after White House officials said hundreds of federal
agents, surveillance equipment and sniffer dogs are being sent to the
Southwest to help Mexico.
North Korea: Iranian Missile Experts Visit
March 29, 2009 1413 GMT
Missile experts from Iranian rocket and satellite maker Shahid Hemmat
Industrial Group are in North Korea to help that country get ready for a
rocket launch, Agence France-Presse reported March 29, citing Japanese
daily Sankei Shimbun. The Iranian experts delivered a letter from Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to North Korean leader Kim Jong Il that
reportedly emphasizes the importance of cooperation in space technology.
Nathan Hughes
Military Analyst
512.744.4300 ext. 4102


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DIS Cast Member
hey! I've got two college degrees and a steady job. if I wanna watch mindless TV, so what? DIS Official Rum Taster I used to be in the all-natural camp. Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: North GA
Posts: 16,582
I must admit, I don't get the "I hate camping" sentiment. I've been camping all my life, first in tents and later in campers. But I do understand not wanting to do certain things. For me, it was NYC. I had very negative impressions of NYC and I NEVER wanted to go there, ever. But my DH really, REALLY wanted to see NYC. I put him off for many years and finally decided that it would make him very happy if I just went with him on the trip. Did I love NYC? I liked it well enough. My DH was over the moon and seeing how happy he was made it worth my while.
I suggest that if your DH is asking you to go camping, that you find a way to make it work. It would not be too much to ask your DH to do the set up, campfire, etc, since it is more important to him than to you. He needs to meet you more than halfway, IMO. If he would compromise by choosing a cabin or an RV it might be more fun for you. But really, it's all attitude. If you make it clear that you DON"T want to be there, that you HATE camping, it's lame, nasty, buggy, etc., eventually your DH will stop asking you to go. Which would be a shame really. Your DH just wants to spend some time with you. That's the greatest compliment in the world. If nothing else, perhaps you all can go camping nearby your house. You could spend the days out at the campground and return at night to shower and sleep in your own house. Maybe you could indulge him by staying ONE SINGLE NIGHT at the campground. I bet he'd be in hog heaven! Perhaps you can make a deal with your husband. You'll agree to go camping if he agrees to something that you love.
Never underestimate the determination of the mother with a handicapped child
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Child, Please! The 10 Most Misbehaved Celebrity Kids
The Kid: Theodora Richards
Her Celebrity Parent: Keith Richards
What She Did To Cause Trouble: We're gonna go out on a limb here and say that, judging by all the touring the Rolling Stones do, Keith Richards hasn't been home much to take care of his daughter. But somehow, she's managed to avoid getting into much trouble—until now. In March 2011, the 25-year-old was arrested in New York City for allegedly making graffiti and possession of a graffiti instrument. Safe to say, that's probably not the kind of mark Richards wants his young daughter to leave.


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The second version of the sustainable ratings system designed for landscapes is now available for widespread use.
Chengdu, China / Steven Holl Architects. Award.
Van Buren, Maine / Julie Snow Architects and Robert Siegel Architects. Award.
DesignLAB Architects reclaims a Cape Cod landfill and builds a new home for an animal rights organization.
Unable to find a buyer who would like to preserve it, the owner of Robert Venturi's Lieb House, in Loveladies, N.J., has entered into a contract with a person interested only in the land the home sits on.
From his temporary location in Cambridge, Mass., where he is attending Harvard University on a Loeb Fellowship, veteran architect/developer Kevin Cavenaugh bemoans the housing market's troubles.
The most unloved—yet most necessary—of urban structures is turning up in some unusual and ambitious new guises.
Three distinct building proposals are in the running for the last undeveloped land in downtown West Palm Beach, Fla.
Myrtle Beach annually draws more than 14 million vacationers, and these days the city is a hotbed of luxury residential and high-end retail development.
At $4.4 billion, AvalonBay Communities' development pipeline is the highest it's ever been in company history. Of that total, $1.4 billion is under construction and $2.98 billion is in the planning stages. How did the Alexandria, Va.-based apartment REIT make this happen? By buying in good times...