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Laser band-pass filter and/or band-reject filters are located at the end of an optical measurement probe by placing an appropriate Bragg grating proximate to the tip, and within, one or both of the optical fibers that make up the probehead. Thus, where an optical fiber is used to carry excitation energy of a nominal wavelength to a sample, the distal tip of this fiber will have included therein an optical filter to selectively pass energy of the nominal wavelength. Similarly, where an optical fiber is employed to carry stimulated emission from the sample to an analytical instrument such as a spectrometer, this fiber will have included within it at its distal tip an optical filter to selectively reject energy associated with the nominal wavelength. A disclosed system-level optical measurement probe would include a laser, a spectrometer, a first optical fiber to carry energy from the laser to a sample, including a Bragg grating laser bandpass filter at its tip, and a second optical fiber to carry energy collected from the sample to the spectrometer, including a Bragg grating laser band-reject filter at its tip.
1. A fiber-optic probe adapted for use with a source of excitation energy having a nominal wavelength and means for analyzing the emission of a sample, comprising:
a first optical fiber to carry the excitation energy to the sample, the first fiber having a distal end through which the excitation energy is delivered to the sample;
a second optical fiber to carry the emission from the sample to the means for analyzing the emission of the sample, the second fiber having a distal end through which the emission is collected; and
an optical filter associated with the nominal wavelength, the filter being embedded within at least one of the first and second fibers and proximate to its distal end.
2. The probe of claim 1, wherein the optical filter is embedded within the first fiber to selectively pass energy associated with the nominal wavelength.
3. The probe of claim 2, wherein the filter takes the form of a Bragg grating.
4. The probe of claim 3, wherein the grating is chirped.
5. The probe of claim 1, wherein the optical filter is embedded within the second fiber to selectively reject energy associated with the nominal wavelength.
6. The probe of claim 5, wherein the filter takes the form of a Bragg grating.
7. The probe of claim 3, wherein the grating is a reflection grating.
8. The probe of claim 5, including a plurality of second fibers, each including an embedded filter to selectively reject energy associated with the nominal wavelength.
9. The probe of claim 1, wherein the emission includes Raman scattering.
10. The probe of claim 1, wherein the emission includes fluorescence.
11. A system for obtaining the emission of a sample, comprising:
a source of excitation energy having a nominal wavelength;
emission analysis means;
a first optical fiber to carry the excitation energy to the sample, the first fiber having a distal tip through which the excitation energy is delivered to the sample, the distal tip of the first fiber having embedded therein an optical filter to selectively pass energy associated with the nominal wavelength; and
a second optical fiber to carry the emission from the sample to the emission analysis means, the second fiber having a distal tip through which the emission is collected, the distal tip of the second fiber having embedded therein an optical filter to selectively reject energy associated with the nominal wavelength.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein the emission includes Raman scattering.
13. The system of claim 11, wherein the emission includes fluorescence.
14. The system of claim 11, wherein the filters are Bragg gratings.
15. The system of claim 11, wherein the first fiber uses a chirped grating.
16. The system of claim 11, wherein the second fiber uses a reflection grating.
17. The system of claim 11, including a plurality of second fibers, each including an embedded laser band-reject filter at its distal tip.
18. The system of claim 11, wherein the second fibers are symmetrically grouped around the first fiber.
19. The system of claim 11, further including one or more optical elements for directing the excitation energy from the first fiber onto the sample.
20. The system of claim 19, wherein the arrangement includes a first fiber having a shaped distal tip.
21. The system of claim 11, further including one or more optical elements for directing the emission from the sample into the second fiber.
22. The system of claim 21, wherein the arrangement includes a second fiber having a shaped distal tip.
23. In a system wherein a first optical fiber is used to carry energy at a nominal wavelength to a sample and a second optical fiber is used to collect energy emitted by the sample, the improvement comprising:
at least one of the fibers having an internal optical filter associated with the nominal wavelength.
24. The improvement of claim 23, wherein the first optical fiber has an internal bandpass filter.
25. The improvement of claim 23, wherein the second optical fiber has an internal band rejection filter.
This application claims priority of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/012,137, filed Feb. 23, 1996, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
This invention relates generally to the measurement of radiative optical effects and, in particular, to an optical fiber based probe having laser bandpass and/or band-reject filters integrated directly into the material of the fibers.
Fiber-optic probes make it possible to collect optical information such as Raman spectra without having to place the material being characterized inside a spectrometer housing. Such probes therefore simplify the interfacing of spectroscopic systems to chemical processes, and allow analytical instruments to be located remotely from hostile environments in need of spectroscopic monitoring.
The first remote fiber optic probes for Raman spectroscopy were reported by the McCreery group in the early 1980's. Their design used a single optical fiber to deliver laser light to the sample and a single optical fiber to collect light scattered by the sample. More specifically, divergent laser light from the laser delivery fiber was used to illuminate the sample, and light scattered from the sample within the acceptance cone of the collection fiber was transmitted back to the spectrograph. The efficiency of exciting and collecting Raman photons from any individual point in the sample was poor, but the integrated Raman intensity over the unusually large analysis volume compared favorably with the more traditional imaged illumination and collection.
McCreery's dual fiber Raman probe offered important benefits for remote and routine spectroscopy: 1) the sample could be distant from the Raman instrument, 2) no sample alignment was necessary once the probe was aligned to the spectrograph, 3) the probe could be less 1mm in diameter, making Raman measurements possible for samples with limited accessibility, 4) the probe could be placed directly in hostile samples (corrosive, hot, etc.) since only silica and the encapsulation material were exposed, and 5) multiple measurements could be made simultaneously by placing multiple collection fibers along the slit height of the spectrograph.
Several improvements to the McCreery Raman probe have more recently been reported. Instead of using just one collection fiber, multiple fibers have been used to increase the collection efficiency. For example, 6fibers, each having the same diameter as the excitation fiber, may be grouped around the excitation fiber to form a single circular layer, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,761. Eighteen fibers, each having the same diameter as the excitation fiber, may also be grouped around the excitation fiber as two circular layers, and so on, though successive layers tend to be less effective at collecting Raman photons than the first layer.
The performance of the McCreery type probe can also be modified for improved collection efficiency and/or working distance by changing the overlap between the emission cone of the excitation fiber and the collection cones of the collection fibers. The first realization of this idea, reported by Leugers et al, angled the collection fibers such that their optic axes intersected the optic axis of the illumination fiber. This increased the overlap of the excitation and collection cones close to the tip of the fiber probe, where the excitation and collection of Raman photons was most efficient. The same concept was later implemented in a different way by O'Rourke and Livingston, who ground the tip of the probe into a cone shape, as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,402,508. This shape was equivalent to putting prisms (or more correctly, axicon sections) on the collection fibers so that their optic axes crossed the optic axis of the excitation fiber.
One further variation of the McCreery probe design is to use collection fibers having a different diameter than the excitation fiber. This additional variable is useful for changing the working distance of the probe and the fiber coupling to the spectrograph. It is unclear how this changes the collection efficiency, however.
A serious problem with all of the fiber optic Raman robes discussed so far is probe background. Laser light inside an optical fiber generates Raman and fluorescence emission from the fiber core itself. This emission can overwhelm the desired Raman signal from the sample, and is the reason why the intense excitation light must be carried by a fiber separate from the collection fiber(s). Nevertheless, such emissions generated in the excitation fiber can result in unwanted reflection from the sample into the collection cones of the collection fibers. Furthermore, laser light reflected from the sample into the collection cones of the collection fibers may generate unwanted emission while propagating through the collection fibers back to the spectrograph. Symmetry arguments predict that the optical fiber emission observed at the spectrograph will have equal contributions from the excitation fiber and the collection fibers if the length of the excitation fiber is the same as the length of the collection fibers.
When a McCreery-style probe is inserted into a transparent solution, or into a homogeneous, partially absorbing solution, reflection of laser light or fiber emission back to the collection fibers is negligible and the optical fiber emission is not observed. Rather, it is the Raman spectra of scattering samples which tends to suffer from probe background. The impact of this background can sometimes be reduced to acceptable levels by angling the probe with respect to the sample surface normal, by eliminating the spectral region containing the fiber emission from the analysis, or by spectral subtraction of the fiber emission.
For many Raman applications elimination of the optical fiber background is at least desirable, if not necessary. The O'Rourke group and others have inserted a thin-film dielectric interference filter into the excitation fiber to filter out some of the optical fiber background. A technique to carry this out is to place the filter inside an SMA-to-SMA connector and put the fibers in contact with the filter. Another way to accomplish this is to collimate the laser output from a fiber, send the collimated beam through the filter, and focus the transmitted light back onto the other fiber. Both approaches require precise alignment and attenuate the laser energy. More importantly, the laser energy must still travel through several centimeters to several meters of fiber between the filter and the probe tip, depending on geometry constraints of the specific application. Emission from this intermediate length of fiber optic cable remained a serious problem.
In-line filters can also be added to the collection fibers, but the same limitations apply. In addition, the use of separate filters on each collection fiber rapidly becomes impractical. The use of a single filter for the collection fiber bundle requires precise rotational alignment, in addition to precise translational alignment. One other approach, coupling the collection fiber bundle to a single large fiber prior to filtering, seriously reduces optical throughput because the larger fiber couples more poorly to the associated spectrograph(s).
A more effective approach for eliminating optical fiber background is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,112,127, wherein an optical probehead located between the sample and the optical fibers is used to remove the fiber background from the excitation fiber and to remove scattered laser light before the Raman signal reaches the collection fiber. An improved probehead based on this concept was later described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,004, which is incorporated herein by reference.
An additional feature of these probeheads involves the use of imaged excitation and collection. A block diagram of such a system is illustrated FIG. 1, along with the spectral content of the optical energy present at various points along the illumination and collection paths. Energy from an excitation laser 102 is coupled into the illumination fiber 104, beginning as a relatively pure, single wavelength of light as illustrated by the graph 106, which plots intensity as a function of wave number. Upon traversing fiber 104, the laser energy induces Raman scattering within the fiber material, typically composed of silica, yielding a spectrum 108 at the output of the illumination fiber which contains spurious Raman lines in addition to the laser wavelength.
Unless these undesired lines are eliminated from the illumination path before reaching the sample, their Rayleigh scatter at the sample may be indistinguishable from the true, shifted Raman scatter due to the laser excitation of the sample. Therefore, a laser band pass device 110 is used to remove these unwanted wavelengths, thereby outputting, ideally, the single laser line shown in graph 112 to the illumination optic 114 and sample under characterization 120 along path 116. It is assumed for the purposes of this discussion that illumination optic 114 contains a sufficiently short optical path that it does not itself generate significant spurious scattering.
The light scattered by sample 120, depicted by line 122, is collected by collection optic 124. At the output of collection optic 124, as depicted in graph 126, the scattered radiation consists of the unshifted Rayleigh scatter at the laser wavelength and the shifted Raman scatter that characterizes the sample 120 under test. Since the Rayleigh scatter is several orders of magnitude stronger than the Raman scatter, if allowed to enter collection fiber 130, this strong Rayleigh scatter can excite spurious Raman scattering within collection fiber 130 similar to this situation within illumination fiber 104.
This Rayleigh scatter must therefore be rejected before being coupled to collection fiber 130. This may be accomplished with a Rayleigh rejection element 132, which generates the spectra depicted in graph 134, now devoid of the strong Rayleigh line. The collection fiber 130 then conducts only the relatively weak Raman scattering lines, as depicted in graph 134, from sample 120 to an analysis instrument such as spectrograph 140 for detection.
Compared with the non-imaged approach of the McCreery-style probes, imaged excitation and collection as just described offer smaller sample measurement areas, sharper depth-of-focus, and a variable working distance between the probe and the sample. Imaging probeheads are, however, larger, more complex and more sensitive to alignment with the sample than non-imaging fiber optic Raman probes. In addition, imaging probeheads tend to have lower throughput than non-imaging fiber optic Raman probes, throughput being defined as Raman photons delivered to the spectrograph divided by the laser power incident on the excitation optical fiber.
There is, therefore, an unfulfilled need for a fiber optic based probe that combines the strengths of the McCreery-style probe (small size, high throughput, high-temperature operation, alignment insensitivity, easily mass-produced) with the strengths of the imaging probehead (no optical fiber background, variable working distance between probehead and sample)
The present invention provides the benefits of non-imaging fiber-optic probes and those of filtered, imaging fiber-optic probes by placing the laser band-pass filter and/or the laser band-reject filters proximate to the end of the probe. In the preferred embodiment, this is done by placing an appropriate Bragg grating at the end of, and within, one or both of the optical fibers that make up the probe. Thus, where a first optical fiber is used to carry excitation energy of a nominal wavelength to a sample, an optical filter will be integral and proximate to its distal end to selectively pass energy of the nominal wavelength. Where a second optical fiber is employed to carry stimulated emission from the sample to an analytical instrument such as a spectrometer, this fiber may also have included therewithin and proximate to its distal end, an optical filter to selectively reject energy associated with the nominal wavelength. The grating in the excitation fiber is preferably chirped, whereas the grating in the second fiber may constitute a simple reflection filter. To increase collection efficiency, a plurality of second fibers may be employed, and may be grouped around one or more first fibers, each with an appropriate, integrally formed filter. In addition, arrangements including specific tip shapes and/or imaging means may be used to direct the excitation energy from the first fiber onto the sample, or to assist in directing the stimulated emission from the sample into the second fiber(s).
A representative system-level optical measurement probe according to the invention, then, would include a laser, a spectrometer, a first optical fiber to carry energy from the laser to a sample, including a Bragg grating laser bandpass filter proximate to its tip, and a second optical fiber to carry energy collected from the sample to the spectrometer, including a Bragg grating laser band-reject filter proximate to its tip. The invention may be used in any type of apparatus based upon the delivery of coherent radiation and/or collection of spectra for analysis, including Raman spectroscopy, florescence measurements, and any derivatives thereof.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram depicting a fiber-based probe including imaging optics; and
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a system according to the invention.
This invention improves upon the filtered, non-imaging Raman probe by embedding the laser band-pass filter and/or the laser band-reject filter at or near the ends of their respective fibers. In the preferred embodiment, this is done by placing an appropriate Bragg grating within each of the optical fibers that make up the probe. The approach therefore affords the benefits of non-imaging fiber probes and those of filtered, imaging probe designs. In addition, the unique properties of Bragg gratings in optical fibers offer several capabilities beyond those of traditional, filtered fiber-optic Raman probes. For example, a probe according to the invention may be used at temperatures exceeding 500� C., operate in any spectral region from the UV through the mid-IR and perhaps, and measure Raman bands or Brillouin bands located only a few wave numbers from the laser line.
In FIG. 2, a first optical fiber 202 is used to carry exitation radiation from a source 204 such as a laser to a sample 206 being characterized. Reflected or scattered radiation from the sample 206 is then carried by a second fiber 208 to a spectrometer 210 for analysis. FIG. 2 is not drawn to scale, and it should be understood that the physical configuration may depart considerably from that shown yet remain within the scope of this invention. For example, although the laser 204 and spectrometer 210 are shown to be co-resident within a box 212, one or the other device may be located more closely to the sample 206. In addition, more or fewer fibers than those shown may be employed according to the invention. Depending upon the circumstances, it is conceivable that only the exitation fiber or return fiber may be required, so that, if either is formed in accordance with the techniques described below, such a fiber would be considered as being within the scope of the appended claims. In addition, multiple fibers may be used for exitation and/or return energy; that is, approaches such as those in U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,761 may be used, wherein a single laser deliver fiber is "surrounded" by a plurality of return fibers.
Bragg gratings 220 and 230 at the probe end 240 are used to carry out the filtering operations typical of imaging type fiber-optic Raman probeheads. Specifically, the collection fiber 208 preferably uses a simple reflection filter to remove the laser line, whereas, again in the preferred embodiment, the excitation fiber 202 uses a chirped grating 220 to reflect a broad bandwidth shifted slightly to the red of the laser line.
Narrow-band, highly reflecting Bragg gratings in optical fibers were first demonstrated by Hill et al. in 1978. In 1989, Meltz et al. wrote Bragg gratings in germanosilicate optical fibers by a transverse holographic method using an interference pattern from a UV laser (see also U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,950 to Glenn et al). More recently, Hill et al. described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,588 a method for fabricating Bragg gratings by exposure through a phase grating mask, which simplifies the exposure process and adds flexibility to the design of the grating configuration. Treating the optical fiber with hydrogen or deuterium prior to exposure has been shown to reduce the laser energy required to write the grating. The precise mechanism for the photosensitivity of germanosilicate optical fibers is poorly understood, but it appears that at least two photorefractive effects are responsible. Bragg gratings have also been made inside optical fibers composed of other materials, such as tin-doped phosphosilicate glass or chalcogenide glass.
Glass as a holographic material requires no developing or processing, so very thick (long) gratings can easily be constructed. Bragg gratings inside single-mode optical fibers can have very narrow reflection bandwidths because the single-mode optical field can be described by a single propagation vector. As a result, the light in a single-mode optical fiber interacts with the Bragg grating in much the same way that a plane wave interacts with a stratified refractive index medium as described by Kogelnik's coupled wave theory. Fiber gratings several millimeters long have been fabricated. As expected, these gratings have reflection bandwidths of 1 cm-1 or less.
Holograms in glass can also tolerate much higher temperatures than gelatin, which may be used in filter elements of prior-art probeheads. For example, gratings in germania-doped silica fibers can be stable at temperatures as high as 800� C. There is, of course, a wavelength shift due to thermal expansion. Precise and reproducible chirp in the fringe spacing of fiber gratings has also been demonstrated. Although chirped fiber gratings have been used for ultrafast pulse compression, their most attractive property for this invention is their broadband reflectivity and sharp cutoff edges.
In designing a Bragg grating that acts as a rejection filter for the collection fiber, if the wavelength of the exciting laser is λ0, then the grating spacing d in the fiber to reject that wavelength is given by ##EQU1## where neff equals the effective refractive index of the fiber. For an index of 1.46 and a laser wavelength λ0 =785 nm, the grating period d is then 269 nm.
The fiber grating may be exposed with ultraviolet light at a wavelength to which the fiber is sensitive, for example, light from a KrF excimer laser at a wavelength of 249 nm. Such exposure may be carried out through a phase mask that generates an interference pattern of the ultraviolet light with a period of 269 nm. Alternatively, a two-beam holographic transverse exposure configuration could be used with an ultraviolet exposing wavelength, with the angle between the exposing beams being chosen to create an interference pattern with a period of 269 nm.
In the case of the bandpass filter at the end of the excitation fiber, a chirped grating is preferably fabricated so that the rejection bandwidth will be broad. The extent of the chirp broadens the rejection bandwidth sufficiently to reject Raman scattering generated in the excitation fiber as well as any laser emission at unwanted wavelengths. After formation of the chirped grating, the portion of the grating that reflects the excitation wavelength 0 can be destroyed by an additional exposure to concentrated UV light, as described by Zhang et al. In this manner, a bandpass filter is created, blocking the silica Raman and unwanted laser emission while transmitting only the laser excitation wavelength 0. Other grating arrangements can be used to form bandpass filters in optical fibers such as a Fabry-Perot elalon or a Michelson configuration, as described by Morey et al.
Higher-order modes in an optical fiber require a different grating spacing for Bragg reflection as compared to lower-order modes. A range of grating spacings are required to obtain high reflectivity for the set of all modes in a multi-mode optical fiber. This, in turn, broadens the reflectivity bandwidth of the device. The range of grating spacings is determined by the core-to-cladding refractive index ratio. Appropriate choice of multi-mode optical fibers may be important to reflective grating performance. Alternately, an adiabatic taper may be employed to permit narrow-band reflectivity for a large number of modes.
Several modifications to adjust the performance of the design shown in FIG. 2 are possible. In one alternative embodiment, multiple gratings may be placed in the excitation fiber 202 to reject specific wavelengths (for example, plasma lines in analytically important spectral regions). Optics to re-image the collection zone onto or into the sample may also be used to extend the working distance between the sample and the probe, since reflections from the lenses would not produce large amounts of optical fiber background at the spectrograph. High-temperature bonding materials may be used so that the probe may be directly immersed in high temperature samples. Angled or chisel-tipped non-imaging probes may also take advantage of the fiber optic grating filters according to the invention.
In summary, the invention provides a simple and economical probe for various stimulated emission applications. Once the gratings have been formed into their respective optical fibers, the resulting probe is essentially an optical device with no optical components; it is simply a pair or a bundle of optical fibers with precise filtering capabilities. As such, it is small, rugged, and readily mass-produced. The probe end may also be re-polished to a limited extent. This technology is applicable to a broad range of wavelengths and high operating temperatures. Throughput should be higher than any other filtered probe reported so far, and its sensitivity to sample placement should be much less than imaging Raman probes, making it easier to use.
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The University of Kentucky has announced Billy Gillispie will be the 21st men's basketball coach in the school's history. Gillispie departs Texas A&M after three years at the helm of what became one of college basketball's fastest-rising programs.
It was just one week ago that the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents approved a new contract for the Aggie head coach, making him one of the highest paid coaches in the Big 12.
"I am thankful for the commitment Texas A&M continues to make to allow us to do the things we need to do, to achieve our ultimate goal—winning a national championship," Gillispie said last week. "The commitment has been there since day one and continues to grow stronger still. While it's embarrassing to me to be compensated so well to perform my passion for a school I love, I am sincerely appreciative of the efforts of Bill Byrne, our university administration, the board of regents and everyone associated with Texas A&M for their personal support they continue to show. We will continue to do our best to try and make the Texas A&M family proud."
Gillispie wasn't Kentucky's first choice to replace Tubby Smith, but moved to the top of UK's list after Florida Coach Billy Donovan announced he was staying in Gainsville to coach the Gators on Thursday and Texas' Rick Barnes said he wasn't interested in leaving the Longhorns.
Texas A&M seemed to be a perfect fit for Gillispie. He grew up in Graford, a small west Texas town, went to school at Texas State University where he a graduate assistant with the Bobcats and later coached high school basketball.
Gillispie began his division one college coaching career as a member of Harry Miller's staff at Baylor and then joined his good friend Bill Self at both Tulsa and Illinois.
Billy Clyde, as he is referred to by his friends, took his first head coaching job at University of Texas-El Paso 5 years ago and won only 6 games with the Miners that first season.
In Year Two, the Miners posted a 24 and 8 record earning a trip to the NCAA tournament.
Over a plate of fish tacos, Texas A&M Director of Athletics Bill Byrne was able to lure Gillispie away from a UTEP program that was on the rise and take over an A&M team that was 0-16 in the Big 12 in 2004.
Gillispie posted the school's first 20-win season since the days of Shelby Metcalf in 2005 and received a invitation to play in the NIT, the Aggies first post season appearance in a decade.
Gillispie certainly left his mark on the A&M program in just 3 years:
- Posting 3 consecutive 20 win seasons
-Three consecutive post season appearances (2005-NIT, 2006, 07-NCAA)
-The programs first "Sweet 16" appearance since 1980
-A #6 national ranking in the Associated Press poll this season (the highest in program history)
-A consensus All American in Acie Law
-A 27 win season in 2006-07 the most victories in school history
Gillispie was named the Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2007 and was a finalist for NCAA National Coach of the Year. His overall record at Texas A&M is 70-26 in three years. Including two years at UTEP, he has an overall record of 100-58 on the collegiate level the last five years.
Gillispie was the first Texas native to coach the Aggies since the mid-1930s and his last three recruiting classes have been ranked among the Top 15 nationally. He is the only coach in college basketball history to coach the nation's most improved team in consecutive seasons (2003-04 at UTEP and 2004-05 at Texas A&M.)
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PC games are growing, but will that continue after the PS4 and Xbox 720 launch?
- By Grant Brunner on March 29, 2013 at 7:15 am
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As we near the end of this console generation, the PC has been picking up the slack. Not only are games looking and playing better on the PC these days, but data is showing that the market is growing as well. With 8% growth in 2012, PC games made an astonishing $20 billion worldwide. It's heartening to see the uptick, but what will happen when the PS4 and Xbox 720 launch?
Unsurprisingly, China is the fastest growing market with $6.8 billion in revenue for PC games. In comparison, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Korea combined were able to pull in $8.4 billion in revenue. The other $4.8 billion? That's split up in other regions like mainland Europe and Australia. While the PC Gaming Alliance (PCGA) notes that there are roughly a billion PC gamers, only a quarter of those are what it's calling "core gamers." The other 75% are strictly playing games like Bejeweled or Mahjong. Based on its internal data, the PCGA predicts that by 2016, PC game revenue will jump all the way to $25.7 billion. It's a tough call to make, though, as the next-generation of consoles is still a rather large question mark at this point.
The game industry has been very cyclical: New consoles come out, developers flock to them, the consoles start to age, developers start paying attention to PCs again, and the cycle starts anew. The Xbox 360 and PS3 are dinosaurs at this point, and they're having trouble running the caliber of games that developers want to make — it's no surprise they're looking to the PC for more breathing room. All signs are pointing to a late 2013 launch for both the PS4 and Xbox 720, so 2014 will undoubtedly be focused on new games coming to those consoles. Are services like the Humble Bundle and Steam enough to keep both small and large developers interested in making top-notch PC games, or will the industry go right back to plopping out halfhearted PC ports?
The PS4 is confirmed to be running an x86 CPU, and the Xbox 720 is rumored to be making the exact same move. While the consoles and PC won't be interchangeable, having all three working on the same CPU architecture will be a significant step towards more universal releases. In the end, they're different beasts, and games need to be given proper customization to fit each platform. PC games need mouse-friendly controls, and graphics that take advantage of the latest technology. On the other hand, consoles need a controller-friendly user interface, and tight integration with all of the unique services and hardware features. At this point, we can only hope that developers will take advantage of the unique aspects of the next-gen consoles and the latest in gaming PCs instead of developing for one, and lazily porting it to the other.
[Image credit: Sebastian Anthony]
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Considering that the PS4 and 720 are going to have out of date hardware, I'd like to see PC sales pick up a lot more as they're going to have considerably more graphics power than the consoles.
This site is becoming painful to read lately – constant talk about PC sales declining, desktops on the way out etc. And now an article saying that PC games are growing? Make your minds up ET.
http://www.mrseb.co.uk/ Sebastian Anthony
Desktops are on the way out! Doesn't mean that PC gaming can't grow. PC gamers will be one of the last groups to give up their desktop PCs, after all.
Why would they ever want to give up their desktops? A 15 inch laptop screen is never going to replace a triple monitor gaming system. A full sized keyboard with a laser mouse isn't going to be replaced by a touchpad and laptop keyboard with no number pad.
What makes you think desktops will ever go out? I can see how the sales will decline, but I don't get why you think they won't always be around?
Desktop sales will inevitably slide. And a portion of them will be replaced by gaming laptops. (Many many people use peripherals, usb or bluetooth mice, HDMI to the HDTV….)
Take this with nuance: Desktop sales won't die, but it will collapse down to the core enthusiast market. Even if desktop gamers expand dramatically, that doesn't mean that anyone aside from a few professionals have a need for a desktop anymore, and desktop sales will still slide.
Desktops won't go away anytime soon, but they will definitely rebalance at a considerably lower level.
Most people don't buy gaming desktops anyways, they build them so of course desktop sales will slide since the average person doesn't want them and the hardcore gamer will just build one.
Mark Soto
they may go down. As far as I know it is easier and less costly to upgrade a desktop then it is to upgrade a laptop. This fact has always made desktops more desirable to gammers.
And don't forget the simple fact that regardless of how powerful your phone/tablet becomes, your laptop and of course desktop will ALWAYS be more powerful by simply having more room to (at the very least) cram in more hardware.
ex. A phone nowadays may be more powerful than a PC say 15 years ago, but it is not even CLOSE to a decent desktop PC.
People have been predicting the death of pc for years. It has yet to happen.
While next generation consoles get stuck in playing with phone resolution @ 1080p pc gamer with Maxwell gpus will play @ 4k or eyefinity on their always more powerful desktops!
The hardware in the PS4 and xbox is not out of date. Is the best you can possible get at the price the next consoles will have. Is what the hardware business can offer at this moment at the price MS and Sony want to sell their products.
That may be true, but it doesn't mean you HAVE to buy one… I would personally rather build a computer and purchase an Ouya for casual gaming. If Sony or MS look to charge over $400 for their machines, I would make out better investing in a better video card for $300, and leave those consoles alone.
My $40 keyboard and mouse has outlasted three $60 PS3 joysticks…
Although it is about time for me to replace my mouse, I guess lol
Who said you have to buy one??
Consoles are for actual gaming not necessary for casual gaming. If you want to do that a simple video card upgrade is enough.
I both agree and disagree…which is why I still thumbed you up, I guess.
We are in agreement that no one "has" to buy one… However, we are in disagreement that the console is for serious gaming…it wreaks of casual gaming:
-less controls (think 26+ customizable keys vs 8-12 on a controller)
-limited customization (can you really change the button functions on a console controller?…similar argument as above, but different viewpoints of said argument)
-Non-maxed graphics after a year or so (this is what I find the most disheartening, as I clearly remember the NES and Sega Genesis' graphics getting better as time went on…maybe I'm not looking at it correctly)
…I could really go on, and you've likely heard many of the arguments I could present. In the end, personal choice reigns supreme, so that is a given. However, the inference that consoles are for "actual gaming" was laughable and easily rebutted. I'm actually a primarily console gamer, but have, with the latest developments, thought about going back to PC for good… Most of the old games I fell in love with (e.g. Rise of Nations, Command and Conquer Series), were all on PC, and their console ports were disrespectful, to say the least…
Yeah…actual/serious gaming, is PC… Don't let "Angry Birds" fool ya :-)
Hey, wait, didn't everyone say PC gaming was going to die when the xbox360 and PS3 came out… No, it was when the Xbox came out… I will agree with VirtualMark, many will see this article as trolling and I think you should know better.
http://www.facebook.com/viliamituanaki Viliami Tuanaki
No , they didn't so stop making up those stupid little stories in your head. PC had only a small number of good games and had gay graphics back then, PC gaming started after Pirate Bay, MegaUpload started pirating games.
Yes they did and you stupid little consolites still say it even though your console comrades flock to the superior gaming platform.
According to the haters , the PC has been dying for what , 8 years now? LOL!
Who's making up little stories inside their heads now?
I have been a gamer for more years than I care to admit and EVERY time a new generation of consoles come out idiots decry the death of PC gaming and EVERY time they are wrong. Don't you people ever get tired of being wrong?
Well, if you read the headline and article in the tone that the author intended, you can pretty much see in this case, he was just asking if PC gaming would (Temporarily) slide like it always does every time a new generation of consoles come out.
So there's that. I tend to agree with the end of the article that PC and console architectures are merging, which will tend to moderate the effect somewhat.
It seems that despite the differences in how games are played on PCs versus consoles, there is a lot of overlap in the audience, and they tend to focus more on one side than another at any given time.
I have to laugh at all this EVERY time stuff. This happened ONCE, with the 360 and PS3. Maybe you can STRETCH the talk about the PS2, in which case you get to say it happened TWICE.
The reality is that this talk only happened when the last gen of consoles finally caught up to PCs…breifly, and it the console makers helped kill the question by dragging out a console generation for a decade. If they ran short cycles with backwards compatibility and decent peripherals, including KB&M compatibility, it might have actually been a legitimate question, i.e. would gaming focused hybrids kill general use PC gaming?
But MS and Sony hate their consumers and have poor long term vision, like most big ships, they turn too slowly to "kill" anything.
http://profiles.google.com/emil.ivanov Emil Ivanov
Not until PS6 and XBox 1080p
Robert Foy
The day PC gaming dies is when the consoles have the ability to have a keyboard, a mouse, upgrade-able hardware, an operating system, non-gaming software (spreadsheet, word processor, too many to list), multi-monitor support, ability to create programs (not a SINGLE program is created on a phone, tablet, or console FYI)……oh wait, they will never have those. I guess PC's are here to stay.
First off – Check, check, check, check, check, check. All of those have already been done. (Specifically with linux on a PS3). Since the next generation consoles will have an architecture nearly identical to PCs, Something like the hack above will be far easier.
But long story short – My conclusion is that the conditions you lay out will/can be easily met – but the result will be that at that point, console gaming will merge with PCs, not the other way around.
When we get to the point (Soon) that a piece of technology will stay relevant for 10 years, a lot of seemingly disparate devices will start to merge into single devices. How many people still spend several hundred dollars on a single purpose PDA, pocket camera, mp3 player, etc anymore? Most of those categories have, or are in the process of merging with the cell phone.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jim-Dawkins/100002207329301 Jim Dawkins
The 720 and PS4 are more PC now than console. They even use PC hardware now.
Your point in repeating one of my statements is…?
"Since the next generation consoles will have an architecture nearly
identical to PCs, Something like the hack above will be far easier."
I agree in general, but their hardware is rumored to be obsolete even by *today's* standards, let alone 5 years from now. Why not go for a real PC @ same price? You'll get a real PC AND likely better hardware…
Let me add that the benefit of going straight PC also includes:
The ability to do whatever you want without the threat that a haphazard update from a corporation might render your machine useless… (here's looking at you "inability to run Linux on PS3″ and "backwards compatibility to PS2″
(and yes, I believe that the older Maddens on PS2, specifically 2005, 2006, and 2009, were better than the new Maddens…I should be able to play them in backwards compatibility…truly, at this point, my whole approach to gaming is changing, and it's surely not inclusive of XBoxes nor PlayStations…)
I'm not arguing which is better (I have both). But I will point out that the console is generally a more cost effective [higher end] gaming machine, whereas the PC can continually upgrade and can be made considerably more powerful, but at higher expense.
My video card alone cost almost $500 when I got it, and the whole system would probably run $1200-$1300 as a desktop.
Whereas a slightly lower performing console like the Xbox720 or PS4 will probably run about $350.
I'm not going to argue with idiot fanboys here (Who will doubtlessly be in up in arms because something I said surely insulted their system of choice.). Just saying that there are pros and cons depending on your needs and preferences.
http://www.facebook.com/damon.bailey.14 Damon Bailey
you can put together a decent gaming machine for $1000, then turn around and snag games on sale all over the internet (humblebundle, steam, etc) for a few dollars a game. im not sure that i have even seen a current top tier console game for $10 or less on sale. I think the PC is more cost upfront and cheap to keep current if you will over its life span. A console is cheaper to get started (with a modest game library) but costs more to keep buying games from $20-$60+ each and such down the road. I have almost every major console made from the Atari and NES era to current PS3 and 360, and my personal OPINION based on my style and habits, the PC has a lower total cost of ownership and and the ability to do more than game or surf the web and listen to media, tilt the scale soundly in its favor.
on a side note, if the rumor mill is indeed churning out truth in that next gen consoles are going to severely limit 2nd hand/used games from being played, I believe that imbalance will be even more in favor of PC as the gaming platform of choice.
"PC has a lower total cost of ownership"
I could roll with better value arguments, flexibility, upgradeability, and so one.
But lower total cost of ownership? I paid full price for a PS3 at $600 (The PS4 will almost certainly cost less). a year later, I paid $1000 for a decent gaming rig. I also paid another $1000 upgrading my rig last summer.
I have paid $400 to $500 for games (Including some games on the PSN store for only a few dollars each).
Do you think I pay 0 dollars for premier level games on my PC? Unless I'm going to pirate them, then I'm not going to save money. Period. If I want to play a certain game, it will have a similar cost no matter which system I purchase it for.
For a PC to cost less over time for a gamer, you have to have drastically different gaming preferences on each system, or illegally aquire your PC games. It is only an argument you can make with specialized assumptions that do not apply to most people.
http://www.facebook.com/imaginaryday Brian Hutton
pointless article is pointless.
hmmm i dont know why people are so much about which one is better, people, grow up the long argument of pc vs xbox vs ps3 vs wii. it's the moist pointless thing. grow the f*** up, and move on, each to their own , remember most of the time speculation and foretelling the future is pure bs, so dont get so worked up over news and rumors only to find out the truth when things get offiicialy released
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jim-Dawkins/100002207329301 Jim Dawkins
Perhaps all the young kids who have been fed on console games are growing up and getting more sophisticated regarding their desire for more control in the gameplay. Console versions of games still don't quite match the controls in a PC variant especially if the game was made for the PC first. If you have been there, no gamepad comes close to the keyboard and mouse combo.
http://www.facebook.com/dperdue1255 David Perdue
I hate aiming a virtual firearm with a thumbstick. The mouse is an extension of the hand.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Clay-LeBlanc/100000231293610 Clay LeBlanc
Well, being that the seems to have hardware which is PC-based, meaning the x86 CPU, and 7660 GPU, I could see PS4 games being ported to the PC easily. What sets consoles apart from desktop machines, though, is the fact that the developers have much more direct control of the hardware on a console. If they were coding for a PC, they'd have to make sure their code would be able to run on both AMD and Intel CPUs, as well as AMD and nVidia GPUs.
I don't think consoles will ever push gaming on a PC into a grave. I mean, the graphics might be nice on a console, but if you have the hardware to play that game on a PC (assuming it's available), there's way more eye candy to be seen, and you're not limited to just using 1 display. Not only that, but the PC will have many more functions than just being able to play games.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1363021071 Calvin Garcia
next gen console will never get close to a gaming pc unless there put a high end gpu and cpu but that would cost to much there wont sell they have to use low end hardwear to keep the price down as new console so as gaming engines the engines get more and more powerful every year i say 3 years the next gen be maxed out and old pc you can all ways upgrade as pc's are cheaper now
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1363021071 Calvin Garcia
people are crazy to say next gen will be more powerful then a pc that crazy and dumb to say and people that dont know anything about tech will belive them lol but the truth is pc is more powerful my gaming rig is like 20 ps3′ or xbox 360's or 10 ps4's or 720's console get old after 3 years as new pc hard wear comes out every 6 -12 months and can upgrade to something more powerful if i chose to
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http://www.hatredfun.com/ Zig
It's all down to the media. PC gaming is always threatened with new console releases, according to the media. This creates a negative effect to potential customers, helping to influence their choice more towards the latest console.
It also doesn't help, that pc manufacturers don't seem to want sales from the average person, as I haven't once seen any advert or promotional material, showing the true potential of a pc in the home.
I'm sure some of you will have far better set-ups than me, to show off what is possible.
One of the most shocking things, when someone see's that I'm holding an xbox pad, while sat on the couch, is that they automatically assume I'm playing an xbox (fair enough, most would), then they wonder why the xboxes aren't powered on. When I tell them its the pc, they can't seem to fathom out how thats possible, when explained, they're even more shocked that this has been possible for many years.
Another selling point of the pc thats rarely mentioned, is its networking capabilities. How are you doing that? I'm asked as I go through a library via the TV menu, of thousands of video's, all stored on various systems.
Why is that monitor overthere? How is it changing pictures with no memory stick? Can you watch videos on it? etc. I explain it's also connected to the pcs, used as a slideshow photoframe (or to display skysports score center on football days ;), and yes I can put films/tv or even another game on it.
When they talk of getting a media harddrive, I can't help but laugh. Get a cheap as f… pc tower, then call me to come and network it.
Ok, I maybe extravagant with my technology and its uses, yet I find it shocking that very few know of the common 'wanted' possibilities with a standard pc, nevermind a gaming pc.
I'm playing pc because my console could not keep up with them, but when the next gen comes they will be faster then my pc and cheaper then a new pc so back to console for me.
I'm not one for max graphics but I do like a little, and proof of this is that I still play my wii.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1384812107 PerezFam Miiz
The PC is going to be fine. There are games out for the PC that the consoles cannot and may never get just like there are console games that the PC will never get. It is all dependent upon the tastes of the consumer. My gaming on the PC has been on hold but not due to anything negative. It's due to my commitment to my family. I played MMMORPG games on the PC which requires a set schedule and commitment in order to play with friends. That is a commitment that I am not able to keep. Console gaming is a more flexible, but I do miss the fact that I cannot play with the friends I made on my PC because consoles do not have many MMMORPG that my PC friends play on. I personally believe the PC gaming is going to be fine in the end.
I'll never understand this. Granted, I'm sure the author is right…PC game sales will dip when the new consoles come out…duh, it's new, lol. I'll probably buy one. I'm an avid PC gamer, but I have a PS3 I've owned since day one that I love as well. Some games I prefer in console, some on PC (generally the more in depth games). I love CoD on console, I love BF3 on PC. Can't we all just get along, lol. In contrast to most people's opinions, I think it's rather remarkable how long this last series of consoles lasted…a real testimate to their design honestly. I don't know why people feel the need to pledge allegiance to one platform or the other.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Paulo-Panganiban/100001117858073 Paulo Panganiban
Regarding PC sales growth, I expect to continue growing, especially when platform architecture becomes uniform and because China has effectively banned consoles.
Kenneth Brickley
I think the big publisher titles will always be balanced between consoles and PCs since they are most interested in maximum market share (why throw away a third of your sales if you don't need to) …
I think many of the Indie publishers might stay focused on PCs since they now have more publisher free options than they have in the past (Greenlight, Kickstarter, GOG, etc) … also, some of the resurging game types (turn based and real time strategy, action RPGs, turn based RPGs, etc) are better suited for PC gameplay than console
Personally, I think that the if some of the bigger Kickstarter games are successful then we might see some serious paradigm shifts in how games are made and released … it is likely that will benefit PCs and Tablets much more than consoles (which still inherit lots of licensing requirements that are not present in the PC or Tablet/Smartphone design space)
Kenneth Brickley
I think the big publisher titles will always be balanced between consoles and PCs since they are most interested in maximum market share (why throw away a third of your sales if you don't need to) …
I think many of the Indie publishers might stay focused on PCs since they now have more publisher free options than they have in the past (Greenlight, Kickstarter, GOG, etc) … also, some of the resurging game types (turn based and real time strategy, action RPGs, turn based RPGs, etc) are better suited for PC gameplay than console
Personally, I think that the if some of the bigger Kickstarter games are successful then we might see some serious paradigm shifts in how games are made and released … it is likely that will benefit PCs and Tablets much more than consoles (which still inherit lots of licensing requirements that are not present in the PC or Tablet/Smartphone design space)
Here we go again, another prediction for the "death of the PC" story. Not going to happen anytime soon. Give it up.
http://twitter.com/Marble_Shark Marble Shark
Erm, given the PC is already 3 generations ahead of these consoles I don't think there is anything to worry about do you?? What a laughable 'article'!
http://twitter.com/VectorVictor99 Matt
" PC games need mouse-friendly controls, and graphics that take advantage of the latest technology."
True, but they also still need to interface and have controls for gamepads. There's no way in hell I'm trudging through Dark Souls or Resident Evil on PC without a gamepad, sorry.
I was going to get the xbox one, but after I realized that I could build a 20 times better PC for the price, I bailed.
One side note; pc are never going to die, simply put that every game software is developed by a keyboard and mouse….long live the towers!!!


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Mert And Marcus talk about Lady Gaga's VERSACE Campaign
During a recent interview for Style.com, photographers Mert And Marcus talked about their photo shoot for the new VERSACE campaign featuring Lady Gaga.
You recently shot the Spring '14 Versace campaign with Lady Gaga, and in November you leaked an image on Instagram. How has social media changed the way you work?
MA: The story behind the Lady Gaga picture is actually very funny. It was the middle of the night, and I was talking to Donatella, and I said, "Donatella, when can I put the photo on Instagram? What's the release date for the campaign?" And she said to me, "Just do it now." So it was a leak, but had approval from darling Donatella. As far as technology goes, I love the fact that you can take a picture and just put it out there with your phone. I find it very funny and entertaining. I would love to be the kind of photographer who walks around with a camera around his neck capturing a lot of things, but unfortunately neither I nor Marcus is that kind of person. Camera phones and Instagram are kind of a release because I can take a picture of anything any time.
Was it intentional to make Lady Gaga look like a mini Donatella Versace in the campaign?
MA: Yeah! We were like, "What are we gonna do for Lady Gaga?" She's done every amazing look. She's been every kind of monster. But a few weeks before the shoot, Donatella told me that Gaga did a song called "Donatella," and we said, "Oh, my God. This is it! She's Donatella! She's got to be Donatella!"
What was Donatella's reaction when she saw Lady Gaga in her image?
MP: She loved it.
MA: She was so much fun. We listened to the song "Donatella" so loud on set, and on one side there was Donatella, and on the other side was Donatella. At one point, I said, "I think we should do the hair like this." And then Gaga said, "Would Donatella wear it like that?" And Donatella said, "Yes, she would wear it like that."


text:
Best Boondoggle St. Louis 2006 - Main Terminal Parking Garage
If someone were to rank the world's most annoying places, the short-term parking garage at Lambert Airport's main terminal would have made the list for the last, oh, two years and counting. The garage offers virtually no signage but plenty of orange cones blocking lanes in seemingly capricious fashion. All this in the name of progress, of course. Back when the project began in August 2004, renovation of the 1,645-spot garage carried an estimated price tag of $13 million, and completion was slated for March 2006. The tab has since climbed to $19 million, the completion date moved back to the fall of 2007.


text:
In a rolling sea, Democrats are steering directly into the waves.
After Massachusetts Republican Scott Brown's victory in January's Senate special election, Democrats appeared shaken to the point of panic. But, from President Obama on down, the party has rapidly regrouped--enacting health care reform, virtually daring Senate Republicans to filibuster tougher regulation of financial institutions, and challenging the GOP with last weekend's White House announcement of recess appointments for 15 nominees stalled in the Senate. Pundits may be pelting the party with predictions of doom in November, but Democrats have apparently decided that the best defense against a resolute Republican opposition is a good offense. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi could have just as easily been speaking for Obama when she recently told columnists: "I'm in the arena; I've jumped in for the fight."
Democrats achieved nothing like that clarity when they last controlled both the White House and Congress, during President Clinton's first two years. As if ducking out of a barroom brawl, Democratic legislators back then routinely deserted their party whenever they thought it would help them at home; few accepted responsibility for passing the president's program. As a consequence, key pillars of Clinton's agenda (health care reform, for example) collapsed. In November 1994, so did the Democrats' House and Senate majorities.
Obama compromises more than Bush, but his determination to advance a bright-line agenda is creating a similar dynamic.
Today, Democrats face much the same electoral challenge as they did then: unyielding opposition from congressional Republicans and a growing grassroots conservative backlash. But after some wavering, Democrats this time have mostly responded by closing ranks, especially in the dramatic drive to complete health care reform. Democrats remain divided on immigration, climate change, and some other issues, but they have united enough to make this arguably the most productive legislative session for any Democratic president since Lyndon Johnson.
The key to that success has been the willingness of Democrats elected by the same constituencies as Obama to bind their fate to his. The governing core of the party's House majority has been members elected from districts that Obama carried in 2008. House Democrats who represent such districts voted 199-8 for final approval of the Senate health care bill last month. Last year, they voted 201-1 for Obama's stimulus plan, 194-1 for federal tobacco regulation, 191-8 for financial reform, and 189-15 for climate-change legislation. The Democrats elected in districts that preferred Republican presidential nominee John McCain haven't supported Obama nearly as reliably, but Pelosi has corralled enough of them each time to pass the president's priorities.
In the Senate, the governing core is the 33 Democratic senators elected from the 18 "blue wall" states that have supported the party's presidential nominees in at least the past five elections. In 2009, these senators collectively recorded a stunning 97 percent party unity score on the index calculated by Congressional Quarterly. Around that axis, Democratic leaders have assembled shifting coalitions of Democrats from states that are more closely divided. On the most-momentous votes -- the stimulus plan and the initial health care reform package -- every Senate Democrat from either camp backed Obama.
In all, that's a commitment to party government comparable to the record that Republicans compiled through most of George W. Bush's presidency. Bush's achievements demonstrated the benefit of that disciplined approach: Republicans smoothly passed his program despite narrow majorities and frequently strong Democratic opposition. But Bush's record also shows the risks. Although his forceful agenda generally thrilled his core voters, he infuriated the opposition party -- and eventually alienated independents, who found him too ideological.
Obama compromises more than Bush, but this president's determination to advance a bright-line agenda is creating a similar dynamic. With Obama inflaming the opposition party much as Bush did, a big conservative turnout in November seems guaranteed. To counter that risk, Democrats must hope that independents respond to Obama's success at getting things done (even if they don't endorse all the particulars) and that Democratic partisans are mobilized to vote by the president's dedication to the agenda he campaigned on.
Post-passage polls show that health care reform has done more to invigorate Democrats than to convert independents. That pattern portends continued difficulty for Democrats in conservative areas on the frontiers of the party's congressional majority. But an enthused base could help Democrats minimize their losses in the places where Obama ran best -- and where Democratic legislators have most unambiguously aligned with him. That could provide the party its best chance of navigating through this stormy sea with its control of Congress intact.
This article appears in the April 3, 2010 edition of National Journal Magazine.
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Traditional Southern Chess Pie Recipe
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In this video, Betty demonstrates how to make her Traditional Southern Chess Pie. This is the dessert that Rick ordered for
lunch when we went on our trip to Shakertown.
Traditional Southern Chess Pie Recipe,bettyskitchen,chess pie,cooking tips,southern cuisine,traditional chess pie,traditional southern pie
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Traditional Southern Chess Pie Recipe
Hi I'm Betty and welcome to Betty's Kitchen. Today we're making a traditional southern
chess pie and some of you might remember a few months ago, my husband and I went to
Shaker Town at Pleasant Hill, Kentucky and that was the place where we had a nice
lunch and I told you I would make something from that lunch and that lunch had a lot of
good things in it and I ended up making tomato celery soup and also made shaker lemon
pie and that's the kind of pie that has the sliced lemon in with the rinds on it in the pie
and somebody didn't like that too much because it was very tart, very tangy.
So if you want to try that I would suggest that you not use as much of the lemon peel but
it's big and you can get used to it. Some of you did ask for the chest pie that was what
Rick ordered for his dessert and I didn't get around to doing that so I thought well I'm not
having dessert for a few days then getting a wipe those in since Christmas so it might be a
nice time to do a chest pie. So here's the way it goes. First you need an unbaked pie shell
or pie crust and I got these this morning form the frozen food section at the grocery store.
This is Pillsbury brand Pet-Ritz pie crust and it says two deep dish ready to fill under in
9-inch pans.
It just says fill it, bake it, take it. So it has a two in here that are separated with some wax
paper and you can see that there's plenty of space because it's deep dish and it's in a tin
which is an aluminum foil pan and you can take it with you. I actually prefer to put this in
a pie dish now this being a deep dish type of crust on the deep dish pie dish to put it in so
we'll see if we can work that up later. But have that prepared, it's not the kind that is
pierced with a fork. You can buy those and bake them and fill them with cream pie's and
so on but this is going to be baked along with the pie. So you want it solid so you can put
that filling in here and it won't drip to the bottom holes that might be there so just make
sure it's unbaked and it is not pricked with a fork like we normally do for other types of
pie crust.
Alright we start with three eggs and I've already used my mixer here to beat them so we
have three eggs that are nicely beaten to that we're going to add sugar because this is just
some regular granulated sugar and I've used a different container to get out 1-1/2 cups
and that's going to go in with our eggs and then let me step over here to the stove where I
have some butter melted. This is one stick which is ½ cup of butter and my spoon is right
here so I'll just put this in and we'll have to stir all this up just like that. I bet you can see
everyone have a nice blend coming along. After adding the sugar and the butter to the
eggs the next thing I have lined up is corn meal. That might sound unusual to you but that
is very traditional for a southern type chess pies.
So what I have, my measuring spins were one tablespoon and one teaspoon and I put that
on the container so I can show you how much it was so sprinkle that in. I'll start in just a
minute and next we have vinegar, this is white vinegar and you will need, I've covered
this up but you will need 1 tablespoon which I have already measured out. Let's bring
that over and then one final ingredient here for the filling and this is vanilla extract. You
need 1 teaspoon that's my measure and then you want it sitting there because it will
probably rock around and put that on the counter so I put it in a larger measure. There we
go, one teaspoon.
Now just stir this around say a very easy pie to make if you can just get your ingredients
together and melt that butter, bake eggs and then just add one thing right up to another.
Stir it around. You do need to have it pretty homogenous because you have those eggs in
there and you don't want to have a piece of egg and then something that resembles pie
here and there throughout your mixture. You want it all to be nice chess pie. I did make
chess bars before in case you're interested it's kind of the taste of chess pie but it's in the
bar form and I have made pecan pie, it reminds me of chess pie but it has a darker syrup,
it has pecans in it so this is just your traditional southern chess pie.
And we're ready to pour it in so I'm going to choose this one because it has no cracks in
it. Either a crack which I see in the oven actually, you can mend those, all you have to do
is use some cold water, take your fingers and press that together and so don't worry if
you come home with something like that and if you want to make a home made pie crust,
I have one that is listed in Betty's Kitchen and maybe a couple, and also I have graham
cracker crust if you prefer those. But you do have to have some type of pastry that you
can bake in the oven because you're going to be baking this chess pie for 50 minutes,
approximately 50 minutes.
When I have a pie or something of that nature that bakes that long, I like to protect the
crust. So what I'm going to do is take some foil pieces, I always take this in my pantry
and that came from those large stores that sell in restaurants and so on and it's this pop up
foil where you can just take a piece at a time and then cut them in shapes that you want.
And then if you will go around the edge of your pie like this you can crimp this in very
easily without touching the pie filling but you can make it pretty stable so that it doens't6
fall off of the crust so I'm going to go around and protect that crust and then I'll put it in
the center of the oven in a 350 degree oven and let that bake about 15 minutes.
Now I will be checking on it as it nears being done and I will take a clean knife and put it
in the center, if it comes out clean then it will be done and I will take it out of the oven.
So I'll talk to you later. My chess pie has been baking 45 minutes and I just looked at it
and it looks done to me. You'll notice that I left the foil on the hole time because I came
and checked it and just folded away a little bit and I saw that it was nice and brown so it
was not going to have a problem in browning. You'll also notice that there is adhesive
aluminum foil up above; I just put that on it at the very beginning because I did not want
this to brown too much. It can be a little brown.
But our test doneness is to stick a clean knife in the center and it should come out clean
and that's considered be clean so I'm going to get this out off the oven, remove those
cool pieces and let it cool down. You'll see it later.
Posted: 02/11/2010
Views: 4,987
Duration: 08:25
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|The most helpful favorable review
|The most helpful critical review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
By Eric from USA on 2011-09-24 00:36:33Things I liked:Velocity, accuracy, scope, sound, pistol grip stock, kill power.
Things I would have changed:Nothing, NOT even the trigger.
What others should know:Some people here are having trouble hitting the target with this rifle so here are my observations after shooting daily with this in .177 for a month... 1) Do not fire this from a rigid bench rest as the big recoil will cause this rifle to bounce even if locked in 2) Use a sand or bean bag to rest your hand on then rest the rifle forend on your hand as this will reduce any bounce 3) With the .177 pellet use the Crosman Magnum Dome 10.5 grains - lighter pellets will be traveling too fast for accuracy 4) After shooting more than a thousand rounds I can consistently hit 8 out of 10 in a one inch circle at 20 yards. While shooting one day a fly landed on my target & I hit it - again at 20 yards 5) I have taken out 9 raccoons with brain shots and several smaller pests with body shots - chipmunks, sparrows, rats, & mice 6) Hold the forend just in front of the trigger to reduce bounce from the recoil 7) This rifle has a big recoil because of the extra power and the shooter needs to learn the right touch to handle this without throwing off accuracy. The artillery hold didn't work for me so I use a semi-firm grip - just enough to hold the crosshairs steady while squeezing the trigger 8) Buy an offset Phillips screwdriver at your local hardware store to adjust the travel and tension of the trigger - you DON'T have to remove the stock. Many people have complained about the 2 stage trigger but I like it...squeeze, adjust aim, squeeze, fire. I have forty years experience as a shooter.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
By Greg from USA on 2014-07-04 10:56:51Things I liked:Nothing!
Things I would have changed:I wanted a break barrel pellet gun for plinking and small game hunting. The Benjamin seemed to be a good choice. My father has an old Sheridan /Silver Streak that is a dream to shoot. Nice trigger pull and very accurate. He even put an expensive redfield scope on the gun. I was expecting a similar experience. Not to be. This gun is heavy, slow and the trigger pull is absolutely horrible!! You can't hold the gun off hand to hit the broad side of a barn with that trigger. I shoot centerfire rifles competitively and my trigger is smooth and makes accuracy more obtainable. There is no way with this trigger that you can shoot this air rifle off hand with any accuracy at all. You just can't depend on the gun firing with such a lag and inconsistent trigger travel.
|By Chevota from USA on 2014-12-06
|By Chevota from USA on 2014-10-05
|By Caracara from USA on 2014-09-24
|By james from USA on 2014-09-22
|By Jim from USA on 2014-09-19
|By Mike from USA on 2014-07-31
|By Chevota from USA on 2014-07-21
CheckoutSubtotal (USD):
does not include shipping and tax


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Have You Lost Your Groove?
Physical therapy assists patients with health issues revolving around movement. Physical therapy has the capability of increasing mobility, relieving pain, and improving a patient's quality of life.
Patients post-stroke, with MS or any other neurological disorder/disease find mobility in everyday tasks to be extremely difficult. At Colonial Springs Rehabilitation Clinic in Buffalo, we are fortunate to have the opportunity to provide patients (that have any of the afore mentioned disabilities) with a new technology that for most patients will dramatically increase strength, movement and function of upper and lower limbs.
The Bioness Foot Drop System is a wireless device one of our physical therapy staff members will place on the leg of a patient. The physical therapist will activate the device utilizing a wireless keypad that controls the electrical stimulations the Foot Drop System sends out to nerves located in the lower limb. The device is harmless, and our physical therapy staff is able to monitor and direct patients as they perform functional mobility that facilitate normal movement patterns.
The Bioness Hand Rehabilitation System is similar to the Bioness Foot Drop System. The Hand Rehabilitation System is a device specifically designed to stimulate the upper extremity and specifically assist patients who have difficulty with grasping, twisting, and general upper limb function.
If you or someone you know could benefit from one or both of the Bioness rehabilitation systems, please contact Colonial Springs Rehabilitation Clinic at: 417-345-5413. Do you have questions about Bioness? I'd be happy to answer them! You may also reach me at: 417-345-5413.
Take care,
Ashley Perkins, DPT
Colonial Springs Rehabilitation Clinic


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Dolphin Artists :: Skynet
Related ArtistsSarah Main, Skynet, DJ Zinc
There are at least 2 artists/bands called Skynet. 1) The UK acid house movement in 1987 was the catalyst for the dance music revolution that was ahead! Skynet, aka Nathan Vinall, found himself sucked into the thick of it. Skynet recalls how early acid house changed his life forever: "I was totally transformed over night. I remember going to the local clubs like Savannah and Zap and was like, what the hell is this? A few weeks later I found myself going out Thursday, Friday, and the whole weekend. At the age of 17 I was ready to blast, so… more
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Web Price:468.52
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Resurrection fantasy
Just imagine coming home and finding something you thought you'd lost forever waiting on your front porch -- in exactly the state in which you last saw it. Once upon a time, my relative died and then rose again and … well almost, but not quite.
This is really how the new TV show "Resurrection" ought to be started each week. And the opening season could not have been more perfectly timed. The High Holy days of the Christian calendar are just beginning and everything is moving in the direction of, you guessed it -- The Resurrection. And thus enter the TV show.
In the first episode, a young boy named Jacob is returned to parents who had lost a son many years ago. This boy knows things that only their son could know, and he sweetly turns to the mother and says, "You look different."
All the little clues that suggest and invite belief that this was their son draw us in to the story. But for the religious, especially Christians, this new series might become the avenue to answer some nagging questions and enter imaginatively into what happens in the afterlife.
What happens to the body that is buried in the ground? Just take a look at the character of Jacob, come back new and as young as the son the couple had buried 32 years ago. Does this feed anyone's fantasy of perpetual youth?
Will we have any consciousness in the afterlife and will we remember people we knew in our previous life? You bet, the episode seems to scream.
And, again, the signs of recognition bear an uncanny resemblance to the descriptions offered by the Bible. It will be a body, all right, but it will be a glorified body, an honorable body says the Bible, but with all its relational connections, or so it appears.
And then amidst the DNA testing and the journey back through police files and Jacobs's disappearance only to go fetch an old toy from a secret hide-away we get a glimpse of ourselves. We become reacquainted with the push-pull of faith and doubt made more obvious because it is demonstrated by no other than a local minister, who was Jacob's childhood friend. The wanting to believe but wondering about the risks of belief, these are tensions embedded in the psyche of the religious as well as all people of hope.
But what do we make of the DNA testing and the attempt to ensure that Jacob is who he is, even to breaking down that giant tomb. Are these gestures in aid of helping faith or the vestiges of our modern tendency to continually probe the realm of faith with scientific tools In which case what will the end be? I guess we will find out in the following episodes, in the same way that those who are waiting for the resurrection will as well.
Beyond the hope it seems to engender, there is a curious question that "Resurrection" poses: namely, what cultural deal is being negotiated within a modern culture that is increasingly ambivalent about religion and how the religious fits into its new niche. I'll be interested to see what answers this new TV program provides to these questions?
Esther E. Acolatse is an assistant professor of the practice of pastoral theology and world Christianity at Duke Divinitzy School.


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Hotels in 53126 - Franksville WI
Only hotels in 53126 zip code are listed below. Search for cheap and discount hotel rates in Franksville, WI for your upcoming leisure or conference / group travel. We list the best 53126 hotels and motels so you can review the Franksville hotel list below to find the perfect lodging. Hotels in Racine county and area code 262 are also listed.
53126 Hotels & Accommodations
Next: Show All Available 53126 Hotels with Pricing >


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Thursday, August 8, 2013
Q. Has the town considered putting left turn signals turning onto Ben Sawyer from Rifle Range and McCants? Today I was the fifth car back on Rifle Range turning left onto Ben Sawyer and it took me three light cycles. - Joe Pierpont, Mount Pleasant
A. "The town will perform a protected left-turn warrant analysis and install the new phasing if warrants are met." - Brad Morrison, Director of Transportation, Town of Mount Pleasant
Q. There is an abandoned boat just off the road on Midtown Road between the Medical University of South Carolina facility and Watermark Boulevard. Can someone remove it? It has been there for more than 90 days. - Mike Collins, Mount Pleasant
A. The boat is on private property so it is a private matter. It is in the process of being removed according to Central Mount Pleasant representative Mills Buxton.
Q. Are they planning to replace the palms that were in front of the SouthTrust Bank on the corner of Houston Northcut and Highway 17? More palms are also needed on the approach to Houston Northcut from the bridge. This stretch of highway may look nice now, but will be desolate and downright depressing after all of those deciduous trees lose their leaves in the fall - hardly the impression that we want to make on our town's most critical gateway. - Tara Noone, MD, Mount Pleasant
A. "There are no additional palms planned for these areas. The landscaping plan was designed by a landscape architect with lots of involvement from the Town of Mount Pleasant. I believe the plantings will provide for a pleasing appearance throughout the year." Steve Thigpin, Charleston County project manager
Moultrie News is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. We do not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not Moultrie News.
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Star Trek Into Darkness Official Announcement Trailer
Fans of the Star Trek series and 2009's movie will no doubt be pleased to hear that the second instalment will be released as early as May next year. It's called Star Trek Into Darkness, and is directed by J.J. Abrams, who also helmed the first film.
The film witnesses the original team, led by Captain Kirk, come back to save the earth from the evil clutches of a terrorist working from within their organisation, which leads to a manhunt of epic proportions.
To suss the vibe of the film for yourself, the Star Trek Into Darkness Official Announcement Trailer has just been released, and is totally replete with action shots and images of natural forces gone awry. Watch it below.


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Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays to make fun treats for. I love it mainly because everything about it is pink, frilly and covered in chocolate, it couldn't be sweeter.
To celebrate Valentine's Day I am hosting a virtual Valentine's party, and you're invited, so come check it out!
My virtual party is where bloggers from all over share what they are "bringing" to the virtual party on their own blogs and on the day of the party everyone's creations are showcased so readers all around the web can feast their eyes on a wonderful gallery of Valentine's Day inspired foods, crafts, decoration ideas, printables and more. I am "opening the Dollhouse doors" here at the Dollhouse Bake Shoppe blog to anyone and everyone from the food and craft blogging community to join me and "bring" your favorite Valentine's Day recipes, tutorials, "how-to's" and ideas. It is a great way to bring the blogging community together and well as introduce readers to a bunch of fun new blogs they haven't discovered yet! Whether you have a small, large, new, or old blog, or write for a well known website, everyone is welcome to join in on the fun. And for the readers, get ready to check out a bunch of fantastic Valentine's Day inspirations from all across the web, all in one place. We have a fabulous group of some of my favorite bloggers participating, so check it out ans feel free to spread the word to make this virtual Valentine's party a real hit!


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DeckHardware has a range of new brands to be introduced at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show, where the team will be positioned at stand 166.
Over the past six months the team at DeckHardware have been busy travelling overseas looking for brands that fit with the DeckHardware range. During this time they have visited the big trade show METS in Amsterdam along with the London and Dusseldorf Boat Shows.
Melissa, Robyn and Phil often visit International Boat Shows looking for new and exciting products. This proved to be extremely beneficial with the following brands joining the DeckHardware range in this time: Allen, JDC Instruments, PROtect Tape, Unimer and Walder.
We at DeckHardware were able to spend time with the Allen team at all three shows. They are a well known brand that many have used over the years. It was in 1956 that the Allen brothers formed their dinghy fittings enterprise into a company and Beecher Moore persuaded them to supply Jack Holt's boat-building business with their innovative new products. So began the long and fruitful partnership they named Holt-Allen.
Within a few years Allen Brothers had increased their resources to include their own design of injection moulding machines, metal press and punch machines and had increased their product range to include blocks, plastic cleats, sailmakers' hardware, stainless steel rigging gear and more.
Today, you can look at most sailing dinghies and you'll find products designed and manufactured by Allen, from state-of-the-art dynamic bearing block systems, to humble yet essential ball stoppers. In January 2008 after more than 50 years, the arrangement between Allen Brothers and Holt came to an end. Allen Brothers are now marketing the range of high performance sailboat hardware under the Allen brand.
The team at DeckHardware is extremely excited about this addition and can not wait to show it off at this year's boat shows. Having spent some time with the Allen team we believe this is a fantastic fit for DeckHardware not only do Allen design and make great product but they have a great team to work with as well. We are excited that with Allen and Liros we can now do full dinghy and skiff fitouts.
Unimer Marine offers a comprehensive collection of mooring compensators and related accessories for leisure boats. The manufacturer uses polymer rubber technology to offer a range of mooring products. The Unimer Mooring Compensator has an integrated unique and efficient locking-mechanism which ensures a safe line locking.
The self locking internal elements in black polyamid stop chafed lines completely. This gives you an easier and straighter assembling of the line and eliminates twisting of the compensator.
DeckHardware's Liros Rope is always popular with a big range on display and we will be launching the Liros SK90 100% pure Dyneema rope.
The 01509 has less creep and a higher breaking load than the 01505. A multipurpose rope with many applications across every sailing yacht. DSM Dyneema® after extreme testing have released an even stronger grade of polyethylene fiber.
The new SK90 Dyneema® was designed for the highest level of performance, tested by manufacturers, riggers and high-end sailing teams to bring you a rope that is now available to all levels of sailing. Liros have produced the NEW LR02019, LR01509 and LR02224 which are suitable for many applications in particular fast yachts, skiffs and sport boats.
The PROtect tapes range is a broad range of protective tapes for racing, cruising and super yachts. All products have been engineered by polymer and adhesive specialists to provide effective solutions for chafing, abrasion, scratches, ageing and wear.
The company is the preferred choice for Nathan Outteridge (2011 Moth World Champion) to BMW Oracle Racing Team and Alinghi 5, from Extreme 40 to Ocean Multihulls, from RC44 to IMOCA, from Olympic Crews to V70's, from cruising to super yachts and Sydney to Hobart Competitors.
From the moment we teamed up with PROtect Tapes we have had fantastic support which has enabled us to sponsor Australian sailors and assist them in reaching their goals. PROtect Tapes has many applications from protecting your hull against wear from lines to being used on centerboards, battens, headfoils, backstays, bowsprits and more.
JDC is dedicated to the development and manufacturing of sport instruments. The JDC range includes the Skywatch series 1-4, Eole 1, Meteos 1 and Geos. The patented transmission system uses magnetic transmission for speedometers. The Skywatch xplorer 4 is suitable for competitive sailors, windsurfers and kite surfers and features windspeed, maximum windspeed, temperature measuring range (-40C deg to 80C deg). Other features include calculation of wind chill factor, electronic compass in degrees, absolute pressure from 300 to 1100hPA Relative pressure with calibration, altitude and weather forecast.
The Walder boom brake is the very latest brand to join DeckHardware. A safety device that ensures the protection of your crew and equipment.
To eliminate the dangers inherent when jibing, the WALDER® boom brake controls the horizontal and vertical movement of your boom – allowing it to sweep gunwale to gunwale with complete safety. The braking effect is achieved by the frictional force produced as the line slides and tightens around the drum of the WALDER® boombrake. The boom is not stopped dead in its tracks but, rather, travels from gunwale to gunwale in a gentle controlled sweep.
DeckHardware is a family run business, distributing the finest marine products from around the world. Dealing with high quality manufacturers has allowed us to diversify our range to provide products to end users in other areas including fitness, farming and industrial manufacturing.
Our product range comes from industry leaders like Allen, Billy Bung, Blue Performance, Forespar, JDC Electronic, Liros Rope, Man Ship Marine, PeterG's, PROtect Tapes, Schaefer Marine, SpliceRight, Splicing Nut, Unimer and Walder.
To follow the team at DeckHardware's travels and join the conversation visit their facebook fan page: www.facebook.com/deckhardware
More at www.deckhardware.com.au
DeckHardware can be found at Stand 166 in Pavilion A at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show.